The Draft (How Right I Was & What This Means For WWE)

Edge to Raw
Rey Mysterio to Raw
Umaga to Smackdown
JBL to Smackdown
CM Punk to Raw
Snitsky back to ECW
Cody Rhodes to Smackdown
Hardcore Holly to ECW
Elijah Burke to Raw
Kofi Kingston to Smackdown
Finlay to ECW
Super Crazy to ECW
John Morrison to Raw
Santino Marella to Smackdown
Kelly Kelly to Raw
William Regal to Smackdown
Charlie Haas to Smackdown

Thats how i suggested it would go down and i got 5 Spot on so i'm not too suprised and i even hinted that Triple H would move to Smackdown but never thought it would actually happen!

So heres all the draft picks, including the supplemental picks;

RAW:

Rey Mysterio - The big little man came up trumps with this move opening up a host of new challengers, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, after 6 years on Smackdown this is probably the best thing for RAW, Rey and WWE as a whole.

CM Punk - Mr MITB 2008 Gets a shot at the big time, if Triple H is over on the blue brand then the straight edge superstar can finally break out!

Michael Cole - Im glad JR got moved, i did suggest mixing up the announce team by adding guests but getting rid of JR is as good as that gets. Cole personally isnt that great an announcer but he's the best that there is that isn't Joey Styles.

Batista - Possibly turn heel and join up with Orton, cant really see much sense in this move as he did nothing with his last opportunity on RAW, however with Triple H on Smackdown with the WWE title he could possibly get the World title on RAW with a victory over Edge.

Kane - Obviously dropping the belt to Henry or Show at NOC, seems like he'll be lumbering back to Monday nights, he needs another makeover because without any of his 'masked' aura 2008 Kane is very dull.

Jamie Noble - A good little addition to the roster, especially considering how Smackdown no longer has cruiserweights, i can see a great feud with Paul London.

Deuce - I really dont know much about him as i try to avoid Smackdown, but apparantly he's the best of the two, good luck to him, lower mid card here he comes!

Chuck Palumbo - Yay! Chucks back on RAW! Cant think of anything that they could do for him that he couldnt do on Smackdown!

Matt Striker - Again i don't get this has he suddenly got something that he didnt have last time around?

Layla - Oh dear, another brainless, bimbo who can wrestle as well as i can!

Kofi Kingston - I suggested he'd get called up to Smackdown but he's skipped right to RAW, I exspect big things from him!

SMACKDOWN:

Jeff Hardy - Why did they do this? Easy, because if he gets fired, no-one will notice him missing from Smackdown, plus he's more likely to be given a shot with the world title than WWE belt! (However if the world title goes to RAW i dont see Triple H trading the belt to Jeff anytime soon?)

Jim Ross - JR looks like he's been taken out to the barn, ready for the farmer with his gun! Him and Mick could be a good team but i doubt it very much!

Umaga - he's going to run rough shot over the mid card and probably will get the US Title, if it comes back to Smackdown that is!

Mr. Kennedy - I can see a Kennedy vs Triple H match happening very soon! Very good news for Kennedy.

Triple H - This is great news to Smackdown and even better news for Raw, i think he will do really well and probably win and lose the title enough to beat Rics record!!!

Trevor Murdoch - Another solid addition to the midcard, cant see anything big happening to him in the near future though.

Big Daddy V - Back to Smackdown for the fat titted waste of screen time, should have been fired!

DH Smith - Better off on Smackdown than on RAW, few more years and a good gimmick and he could be on top!

Brian Kendrick - Off to the land of the cruiserweight toys! Never to be played with again!

Maria - Its the way it goes you do Playboy, you get moved to Smackdown and then you dissapear! good luck Maria!

Shelton Benjamin - Hopefully can get back into some sort of title picture, was wasted in ECW!

Carlito - Thats not cool! It was either him or Santino, i think he has to improve or next year he'll be in TNA.

ECW:

Matt Hardy - Bad news for Matt, but great for ECW, Could be a contender for the title if he drops the US belt.

Mark Henry - At least it wasnt RAW!!

Hornswoggle Finlay - Best place for him!

Super Crazy - He needs to lose the lard and become extreme again! Ci!
Finlay - ECW Title here he comes, i can see the Finlay clan taking over the land of the extreme!

The size of the font represents who i think will have the biggest impact draft wise.

It was a bad draft for the hardys, both being relegated to the lower shows, which was a shame after the brief re-union we had during the show, i see Finlay moving to ECW as probably the best pick there. His experience will improve the product ten fold and his gimmick along with Hornswoggle should have some good storyline potential. Triple H's move alongside JR were probably the biggest drafts of the year!

Can't wait to see NOC and RAW to see how the first week pans out!

!<

The Draft - How It SHOULD Go Down!

The draft started off as a good way to bring talent from Smackdown to Raw to take that person to the next level. We saw it with John Cena, Carlito, Kennedy and a host of others, usually with the deadwood going the other way, ECW was also an escape route.

This years draft is very important however as WWE has been hit with so many injuries, suspensions and other bad luck that the rosters need a good shake up. The tag division on Raw was meant to get a boost with the arrival of London & Kendrick but just slipped further down the list of writers priorities. Smackdown and ECW have so little storyline action that i don't even bother watching them, as for Raw i don't really know why i watch it!

The first thing people need to realise is that RAW is WWE, Smackdown and ECW are clear after thoughts and can operate with virtually no star power, so this draft i predict ALL the big players coming over!

• Edge to Raw I think this is a good move as he is the no.1 heel at the moment, with rko rko'd and if he does come over, i can see him dropping his belt at Night of Champions. He can work a program with Triple H and Cena, and maybe even Jericho and Hardy, This would definately boost the ratings.
• Rey Mysterio to Raw As the biggest little man is still out with an injury i can see him coming to raw, also to boost the ratings, he wont be back for a few more weeks but i think putting him in a feud with Jericho would be money, we could also see a Hardy vs Mysterio match which would draw huge if booked right.
• Umaga to Smackdown Everyone seems to know that this IS gona happen, but it makes sense, he's lost so much momentum since his feud with Cena that he needs to be a monster some place else, he can possibly chase the US title.
• JBL to Smackdown This makes sense in a way, his failed comeback has done nothing on Raw and i think he could challenge for the World title, he's great on the mic and even though he cant carry a match he can make anyone a crowd favourite, even John Cena!
• CM Punk to Raw This is probably not the best move for him as the politics on Raw will probably screw him over in the long run, but short term i can see him cashing in his MITB shot and maybe headline a PPV in Autumn, only if he's a heel though. Maybe a IC vs MITB feud with Jericho could be in the offing.
• Snitsky back to ECW So he can stay there and never darken my screen again.
• Cody Rhodes to Smackdown after losing the tag belts to Dibiase and his mysterious partner (i think DH Smith) Cody and Hardcore are going there own ways, Cody has more chance on the blue brand anyway.
• Hardcore Holly to ECW Hardcore would be a good addition to ECW, he can suck there instead! But seriously he has a lot of experience which he can pass on to the younger guys, speaking of which...
• Elijah Burke to Raw Another talented worker that should be given the chance to break out on Raw.
• Kofi Kingston to Smackdown Already a firm favourite with the fans, a move to Smackdown would boost his career and maybe even set him up for a switch to Raw next year.
• Finlay to ECW This would be similar to Benoit's move to ECW last year (where he would be a mentor/trainer and overall best worker on the brand) Hornswoggle would go with him and probably fit in with the world of Sci Fi, with his brawling style he would be a good choice for ECW champion (better than Chavo anyway)
• Super Crazy to ECW Because he deserves much better.
• John Morrison to Raw I think he maybe ready for another shot on the big show (no pun intended) and a possible feud with Jericho for the IC belt is mouthwatering.
• Santino Marella to Smackdown I for one dont want this to happen, but the way his value has dropped since Maria has left his side i think he may go over to Smackdown to chase the US Title and another diva.
• Kelly Kelly to Raw Obviously because she is the most desired diva and no.1 choice for the next WWE Playboy shoot.
• William Regal to Smackdown Another move i dont want to happen, but i think after his aborted/f***ed up push due to his suspension i can see him being dumped over on Smackdown once again.
• Charlie Haas to Smackdown Vince may have had him help him during the Money give away, but its a well known fact that VKM is not a big fan, sending him to Smackdown is probably a nicer option than firing him completely

I can also see possibilities in Kennedy or Orton moving to Smackdown but i think the above choices are pretty solid moves, nobody cares if the divas swap brands and it would be foolish to break up any of the tag teams as there are only 3 anyway! Just have to wait and see if Vince and the writers see things the same way!

Should be a good Raw, maybe we'll get a match or two aswell.

!<

Weekend Post Number One

When this blog first started i planned on updating it after every Raw, every ECW, every Smackdown, every Impact, every PPV. Now i've realised that i just dont have the time to do that, once a week i can probably manage, so from this point onwards i'm gona make this a one post a week blog (Weekends most likely)

So whats happened this week in Wrestling. Well not a lot, Vince is still giving away $$$$$$$$ and not putting anything decent on Raw, being from overseas the give away is not in the least bit entertaining, apart from the cringe worthy segments!!!!

I missed the TNA show because Coventry don't have trains running late on a Saturday night and it was fathers day on the sunday (i put family first because i couldnt bag a lift!)

The draft is getting closer and probably would get more buys than, say, Night Of Champions, having Ted DiBiase (Jnr) getting a title shot is a waste, but then again having Rhodes and Holly as champs is criminal. Why dont they have the Draft at the PPV, i know they need ratings but the buyrates for the B shows arent great either. If they were to have the 3 GM's host the PPV and we could get the trades in between the title matches, we could even get a Cruiserweight Open where the Winner if he's on RAW or ECW gets drafted to Smackdown, would give Kendrick an escape route at least.

My 5 tips to boost RAWs ratings;

1. Trade Triple H for Edge - Edge is the most watched Champion in recent history, and his feud with Cena was pretty decent, maybe with a few other players in the mix Raws title picture could be interesting. Triple H as champion has been almost as much fun as JBL being on top!
2. Get Guest Announcers on Raw! JR and the King are so '98, and so are there lines, i'd like to see Former Wrestlers, Celebrities, Injured WWE guys, just to give the show a new voice, the headsets are there to keep them in line so why the hell not
3. 15 Minute Matches, not 5 Minute Main Events - This is your bread and butter, so dont give us crumbs.
4. Build up the Tag and IC Titles, These belts need more TV time, and that gives the holders more chance at making it to the next level.
5. Stray from the formula. Raws number one problem is predictabilty, if the ppv is HHH vs Cena and Orton vs Hardy dont just have a tag between the four on Raw. Have a 4 way, 3 on 1, something thats not been done ad naseum for the past 5 years or so. Need more run ins, backstage fights, parking lot brawls, fighting through the crowd, allow wrestlers more freedom to entertain. If the 7 year cycle is to be believed then were due another Invasion.

Thats all for now, but i shall be back again soon with Round Three of my TKOTR tournament, my predictions for Night of Champions and The Draft and of course any reviews of what goes down in the world of sports entertainment.

True King Of The Ring - 2008 - Round Two

We left the tournament after round one, and the WWE guys enter for round two;

• CM Punk vs. AJ Styles

AJ and CM, have one hell of a fight, with each using there unique moves to try and gain the upper hand, Punk even tries to hit the Pepsi Plunge, but AJ counters it into a Styles clash off the top rope! AJ Picks up the win.

• Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe

Jeff is used to fighting against a big Samoan, but never one with as much agility and submission proess as Joe, Jeff takes to the air with every opportunity, but with a few power moves, Joe leaves Jeff on the mat. Joe sets Jeff up for a muscle buster, but is hit with a Twist of Fate, Jeff climbs the turnbuckle to hit his senton but Joe moves out of the way. After a running senton of his own, he picks up Jeff and hits him with a muscle buster to pick up the win.

• MVP vs. Homicide

Homicide faces DQ if Hernandez even shows up in the arena so he's completely on his own tonight, MVP is cocky in the early going, but Homicide takes him to town and when Salinas comes to ringside it looks as if the odds are against MVP. However after having Salinas taken to the back by security, MVP takes advantage of the distraction to pick up the win!

• Santino Marella vs. Nigel McGuiness

Santino picks up the win, in a pure mat classic, McGuiness didnt look 100% and Marella targeted the weak body part and managed to get a suprise submission victory.

• Shelton Benjamin vs. Doug Williams

Doug Williams uses all of his World experience to throw Benjamin around the ring, but Benjamin is quicker and suprisingly counters everyone of Williams' move, the match goes to the outside and its only the speed of Benjamin that allows him to get to the ring before the refs ten count. Williams is counted out, putting Benjamin through to the next round.

• Edge vs. KENTA

KENTAs kicks take an early toll on the World Champion, however Edge is resilient enough to shake off the abuse, KENTA goes down but takes three spears to keep him on the mat for the 3 count.

• Paul London vs. Takeshi Morishima

Morishima uses all of his power to dismantle London, throwing him around the ring as if he's arag doll, London does get some offence in, but Morishima shakes it off to pick up an easy win.

• Chris Jericho vs. Bryan Danielson.

In the final match of Round Two Y2J takes on the American Dragon, and this one goes old school, Jericho breaking out a lot of moves that he's not used in years and Danielson wrestling pure ROH style. Jericho manages to get Danielson to the middle of the ring and put him in the Walls of Jericho, after 5 minutes in the hold Danielson taps out.

Round One - Fight!

AJ Styles vs. Rob Van Dam: AJ Styles wins a classic high flying affair, but littered with blown spots, RVD looked really ring rusty at points and AJ carried the whole thing.

Samoa Joe vs. Tomko: Samoa Joe goes through to the next round in a stiff affair, Tomko is still developing his style and couldnt dominate Joe with any consistency, Joe found a weakness in Tomkos attack, countered and forced him to tap out.

Homicide vs. Low Ki: Homicide defeats Low Ki in a strong style classic, Low Ki looked to have the match in the bag but Hernandez interfered and helped his LAX partner get the win, The referee didnt see the outside interference and so Homicide cannot be disqualified.

Pac vs. Nigel McGuiness: Nigel McGuinness defeats Pac in a bit of a mismatch, Pac taking to the air at every opportunity and Nigel just biding his time and waiting for his opponent to make a mistake. After a blown move, McGuinness locked Pac into a hold that he just had to tap from.

Curry Man vs. Doug Williams: Doug Williams uses all the moves and counters in his arsenal to overcome Christopher Daniels in his comedy persona, Curry man just didnt seem to have enough spice to upset the Brit.

Jay Lethal vs. KENTA: KENTA takes Black Machismo to school and stretches him and batters him with kicks, but is forced to work for the win, Lethal is the quicker of the two, but KENTA takes advantage of having So Cal Val at ringside and manages to get the DQ win. After some ringside shenanigans So Cal Val gets her man DQ'd putting KENTA through to the next round.

Christian Cage vs. Takeshi Morishima: Takeshi Morishima works over the smaller Cage, but Christian is the quicker and almost gets the win, however as we saw earlier in the night Morishimas long time tag partner aids him in getting the win to advance him to the next round.

Bryan Danielson vs. Spud: Spud almost picks up the shock of the tournament, but Danielson saves face by getting the win. Spud put his all into this match and quite possibly if he had faced someone else could have got the win, but Danielson never put a foot wrong.

Thats the results, so the line up for Round two looks something like this;

1. CM Punk vs. AJ Styles
   
2. Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe
   
3. MVP vs. Homicide
   
4. Santino Marella vs. Nigel McGuiness
   
5. Shelton Benjamin vs. Doug Williams
   
6. Edge vs. KENTA
   
7. Paul London vs. Takeshi Morishima
   
8. Chris Jericho vs. Bryan Danielson.

The results for this round will be posted soon, and in far more detail than Round One.

True King Of The Ring - 2008

So who is THE king of the ring in 2008? The One guy who could carry the entire business on his shoulders if he was given the opportunity to do so! Originally it was planned to be a 16 person tournament, but its been increased to 24, with all WWE talent getting byes to round two. Round One of the tournament sees the TNA guys taking on the best of the Indy crop. The Eight winners of this round will take on the 8 WWE guys in round two.

Just to reiterate, 24 men, 8 leaving in the first round leaving us with our final 16. This is a fantasy tournament based on history, political maneuvering, fan heat, potential and of course ability either in the ring or on the mic. Triple H has been barred from entering, anyone suspended or injured is also illegible. All entrants must have been on PPV/TV in the last 12 Months.

The WWE Stars that will be in Round Two are;

1. CM Punk
2. Jeff Hardy
3. Chris Jericho
   
4. Paul London
   
5. MVP
6. Santino Marella
7. Shelton Benjamin
8. Edge

With 3 representatives from Raw and Smackdown, with a further 2 from ECW, WWE has a strong chance of winning the TKOTR title.

The 16 TNA/Independent workers are;

1. AJ Styles
2. Samoa Joe
3. Homicide
4. Pac
5. Curry Man
6. Jay Lethal
7. Christian Cage
8. Bryan Danielson
9. Nigel Mcguinness
10. Takeshi Morishima
11. KENTA
12. Doug Williams
13. Spud
14. Low Ki
15. Tomko
16. Rob Van Dam

1. AJ Styles vs. Rob Van Dam
2. Samoa Joe vs. Tomko
3. Homicide vs. Low Ki
4. Pac vs. Nigel McGuiness
5. Curry Man vs. Doug Williams
6. Jay Lethal vs. KENTA
7. Christian Cage vs. Takeshi Morishima
8. Bryan Danielson vs. Spud

Who's going home early?