That Clown from Outta Towan - iMPACT July 7th 2010

Another week, another iMPACT. To be honest, I can't remember a thing about last week's show, other than there's going to be an ECW-style PPV.

I'm hoping for a few details/matches to be revealed. I'm hoping Tommy Dreamer doesn't cry again.

I also hope they start with wrestling.

0:09 - Tommy on the mic again...
2:26 - They're giving Bubba a mic :D
7:21 - Bubba's promising fire :D
8:00 - Oh god, here comes Hogan to ruin the moment
11:17 - Phew, Abyss is here to save us from Hogan
11:55 - Looks like ECW weren't 'they' after all
14:17 - Looks like Dreamer v Abyss tonight :D Shame Dreamer's gonna get whooped - he's injured so this is probably how they're going to explain him not wrestling at the PPV.
16:37 - Knockouts...fast forwarding. I've given them plenty of chances, and regretted it every time.
22:10 - Eric Young's back...tagging with Orlando Jordan...TNA must really hate this guy's career. Jordan seems to have toned down his act considerably though, which can only be a good thing.
28:33 - The less said about that match the better.
29:54 - Flair v Lethal in a street fight? I was dubious last time, and it was a good match...but still, I'm dubious again.
33:58 - Global Championship is now the TV Title :) 2nd time the fucking thing's been renamed...
35:44 - Woop, Angle's here :D
36:40 - FUCK YEAH ANGLE v AJ :D
37:17 - Beer Money v Guns...this should be good, they've been owning it up for weeks. MCMG are clearly gonna win though.
39:28 - They're bothering with tagging in a cage match??
46:06 - That was awesome...best one of the series so far :) Looking forward to next week...
46:43 - Ugh, Anderson
46:57 - Oh wait, Matt Morgan...still ugh.
53:29 - Best low blow ever.
59:02 - Rob Terry just beat Kaz in under 30 seconds...fucking disgraceful.
60:27 - Anderson & Hardy v TNA Security is just silly...
66:33 - Ugh, Bischoff
20:05 - Yay, Abyss :) Please kill Bischoff with your pointy stick
70:23 - Nailboard ladder match haha
72:03 - Abyss was going to kill Bischoff, and RVD saved him, but RVD is a face and Abyss is a heel...that makes no sense at all. Anyone trying to kill Bischoff is ok in my book.
83:28 - Dreamer v Abyss was nothing to write home about...looks like it's Raven v Dreamer at the PPV though.

Overall, a very mediocre iMPACT. It was basically just the MCMG v Beer Money match, and nothing else interesting or significant. It wasn't terrible, it just wasn't good either

TNA Booking Sliding Down Hill(Booking Review for Impact 7-29-2010)

I love TNA, its my favorite wrestling promotion as far as content and characters go. And I have been cheering for TNA to get to the top for so long. But this ECW thing(to) me seems to be pushing the "TNA" wrestlers aside for not only a whole pay-per-view but almost a whole show....But who's to say this isn't a good thing...Just check the ratings! Maybe if done right and somehow fused with whats ACTUALLY going on in TNA this thing might work.

(EV 2.0 Promo)
This weeks Impact opens up with Tommy Dreamer and the rest of the Hardcore Superstars(as well as Brother Devon of Team 3D). Dreamer says due to some confusion with "letters of the Alphabet" and of course legal issues, Tommy and his band of Extreme fans will now be known as EV 2.0. He thanks Devon for rejoining the family, and asks whats going on with Brother Ray. Devon says he doesn't know and procedes to call Brother Ray out to the ring.Ray comes out but does not get into the ring. Tommy Dreamer and Brother Ray go back and forth about how they are best friends, and Dreamer even compares the reunion to KISS putting on the makeup and getting together one more time. Mick Foley tries to convince him by saying that when he looks back on his career he will regret not doing this show(HARDCore Justice). Even TAZ from the announce table gets a mic and just tells Brother Ray to just get in the ring.Bubba goes to the ring and grabs a mic and asks Devon are they going to light somebody on fire? Devon nods yes as the crowd starts chanting EV 2.0, and Bubba says what the hell, he’s in, and Bubba and Devon embrace and then Bubba goes around and high fives everyone. But wait here comes Hulk Hogan(surprise, he's not dead) he gets a mic as well and says how cool it is that the ECW guys are going to ride again and he thanks them for doing so in TNA. Hogan says that since everyone is in a giving mood Eric Bischoff has a big annoucement later on. Here comes Abyss with Janice, and he hates to break up the extreme reunion, but he’s here to tell you that they are not happy, and they are downright pissed off because this reunion was never a part of their plan and wasn’t supposed to happen, and there’s one person they hold responsible, and it’s not Tommy Dreamer, it’s not Mick Foley, and it’s not any of the fans or even Hulk Hogan, the one person they hold responsible is Dixie Carter. Hogan says he could care less what they say, and as far as he’s concerned, Abyss should hit the road and get his head checked because right now, Tommy Dreamer is a guest of theirs at TNA and nothing’s going to go down until the PPV. Abyss says they have given him strict orders tonight to take Tommy Dreamer out, and therefore there will be no Hardcore Justice. Hogan repeats that Dreamer is their guest and he’s not going to step up until he’s good and ready…but wait, Dreamer says that he would love to fight Abyss tonight, so if Dixie and Hulk will allow it, he says let’s do it for everybody. Looks like we have our main event for tonight! Okay that was a pretty lengthy opening segment especially because MOST of it had nothing to do with "TNA"...good to see Abyss this week after him not being on the show last week. Didn't like that promo too much.... 2 out of 5.

(Beautiful People Backstage Segment)
Backstage Lacey Von Erich is telling Velvet Sky this has to stop right now and Velvet says it will never end, and then Madison Rayne comes in and says none of this will end unless they stay BFFs. Madison says they have all the Knockouts Titles and asks why they can’t stick together. Velvet comes up with several reasons, not the least of which is Madison hanging out with Dumpy Ass and Sarita. Madison tries to reason with them and Velvet isn’t having it, and says it’s going to take a lot more than sorry. Madison and Lacey keep apologizing and finally Velvet says they have a truce and they share a group hug. Still intrigued by whats going on with them, I guess we will see in the coming weeks. I give the booking of this segment a 3 out of 5.

(#1 Contender’s Match: Sarita vs Angelina Love )
I like this match already, and its good to see Sarita in a non-tag team match. Angelina with a shoulderblock right off the bat and they do a pinfall exchange sequence and do a standoff. Sarita hides behind the ref and nails Angelina, whipping her into the ropes but Angelina ducks a clothesline and gets a rollup for 2 Sarita drop toeholds Angelina into the ropes and kicks her in the gut. Sarita works Angelina over in the corner and snapmares her for 2. Sarita takes Angelina down and drops several elbows before getting a rear chinlock. Angelina fights out but Sarita with a full rotation back suplex for 2. Sarita tries another rollup with a handful of tights but the ref catches her and refuses to count. Angelina escapes another suplex attempt and spears Sarita, then gets a running elbow, spinkick, and a flying clothesline, and she gets the Botox Injection for 3. Angelina Wins!! Good booking, these two are obviously the two best singles knockouts besides Madison Rayne right now. Some may disagree but Sarita is just not ready for a title shot until her heel turn is complete. I give the booking of this match a 3 out of 5

(Eric Young/Orlando Jordan Backstage Segment)
Eric Young is backstage goofing around and Orlando Jordan, ORLANDO JORDAN, says he needs Young to be focused and stop goofing around. Eric says he’s not all there right now because of all the head trauma he’s suffered recently, and Orlando says “Yeah, and they say I have problems.” Okay the segment was quite funny and its taking me back to the old EY I remember from back in the day. Another pretty average...but funny backstage segment. I give it a 3 out of 5

(Ink Inc vs Orlando Jordan & Eric Young)
So apparently Eric Young took a bump off of the top rope during Xplosion and that made him go loopy...but anyway.Orlando Jordan comes to the ring and puts his gum in So Cal Val’s mouth, and he is followed by Eric Young carrying…a naked mannequin with a feather boa, whic he props up next to him in his corner, so I guess this is a handicap match. Jordan goes right to work on Jesse Neal and beats him down, then snapmares him and we HIT THE CHINLOCK! Jordan with a swinging neckbreaker as we see that both Young and the mannequin are reaching out for the tag. Jordan straddles Jesse, but Shannon Moore comes in and boots Jordan, and one chinbreaker later, Jesse has made the hot tag, and the mannequin is legal! Young tosses him off the top rope and he burts into pieces, so Ink Inc knocks Young off the top rope and Moore hits the Mooregasm for the win. Didn't really get why this match was even booked for Impact in the first place, Seems like TNA's booking isn't making sense again. So I give the booking of this match a 2 out of 5. BTW why is OJ still in TNA...Just a thought....

(Eric Young Post Match Segment)
Young crawls over to the destroyed mannequin and throws up the X to indicate that the mannequin is badly injured and needs a stretcher as we go to commercial. LOL at Eric Young he is truly back. I give this segment a 3 out of 5.

(Fortune Promo)
We’re back, and Ric Flair is in the ring with AJ Styles, Frankie Kazarian, and Beer Money, and he says that we all know that Flair is a wrestling god and genius, so he always has a return match clause, and next week it’s going to be Jay Lethal and Ric Flair in a Street Fight with no rules. Flair is prepared to bleed and sweat, which is good because that’s all he can do anymore. Now, it’s time to introduce the final two members of Fortune: Beer Money. So basically, it’s the four guys we all knew it would be. Flair hands Bobby Roode the mic and he says it’s an honor, but they knew it was only a matter of time before they joined up with Flair since they’re the greatest team in the business today (not named Briscoes or Kings Of Wrestling…that’s my opinion, anyway), and tonight they’re going to beat the Motor City Machine Guns for the third time in a row, and will become four time (WOO), four time (WOO), four time (WOO), four time (WOO) TNA World Tag Team Champions. Now Flair introduces the new Global Champion AJ Styles and Frankie Kazarian, and Kazarian says they’re not a gang of angry rookies(lolz Nexus), they’re four seasoned vets who are the best in the TNA Galaxy. AJ takes the mic and says that they’re the best because Ric Flair deserves the best and deserves respect, and out of that respect, he’s going to restore credibility to the Global Title. He renames it the Television Title, and starting next week and every week and PPV after that, he will defend the title and it starts next week with Rob Terry…that is, if Terry can get past Kazarian tonight. Flair closes it by telling the girls that they’ll be at the hotel tonight and will be running all night long. Wait a minute…here comes Kurt Angle and he looks serious. Angle says he’s glad to hear that AJ will honor that title, but he should know that Angle needs to honor his commitment as well, which means climbing the ladder in TNA and regaining the TNA World Title. Unfortunately for AJ, he’s next in line, and that’s real…that’s damn real. Awesome promo I think the Television Title is a better name for it and it should be defended on TV every week but I doubt TNA will do that....Good to see Kurt Angle. I give the Fortune Promo a 4 out of 5.

(Best of 5 Series Match #3 Beer Money vs Motor City Machine Guns)
After commericial we move on to our next match and it's a cage match! Beer Money is up two to nothing in this best of five series. Beer Money is already in the cage, the Motor City Machine Guns music hits and they are climbing up the cage but Roode and Storm don't see them.......I have to say this is good booking, we have seen a variety of matches and these two teams have put on some good matches so far. The Guns dive off the cage onto Beer Money to start, then ram both members of Beer Money into the cage. Series of fast double team moves on Storm, and then a springboard dropkick on Roode sends him crashing into the cage and he’s busted open already. Shelley goes for Sliced Bread #2, but Storm escapes and gets a hanging neckbreaker off the second rope for 2. Storm rams Shelley into the turnbuckle and pounds him in the face as we see Roode bleeding, then tags in Roode, who comes in with a stiff kick to the guy of Shelley. Beer Money with a slam/elbowdrop/kneedrop combo for 2. Storm comes in and pops Shelley in the mouth then tags Roode back in and we HIT THE CHINLOCK! Shelley fights his way free, but Roode nails him and puts him up top and goes for a superplex, but Shelley rams Roode into the cage several times and hits a top rope Frankensteiner.Shelley makes the hot tag and Sabin comes in and cleans house, hitting a top rope dropkick on both men. Sabin puts Roode in the corner, hangs Storm upside down in front of him, hits a Yakuza Kick to Roode, a delayed baseball slide to Storm, and then Shelley tries Sliced Bread #2 on Roode but Roode escapes and kills Sabin with a lariat. Roode and Shelley go up top but Shelley rams Roode facefirst into the cage and hits a double stomp off the top onto Roode. MCMG with more double team moves on Beer Money but Sabin misses one and then Storm hits a Spinning slam on Shelley and powerbombs Sabin into the cage, and then Storm follows that with a lungblower for a very close 2. Beer Money tries to escape but Shelley goes up and tosses Roode off, then gives Storm a jawbreaker off the top. Sabin climbs to the top of the cage and hits a crossbody off the top on both men and all four are down. That should have been the finish. Storm goes for a shot with the beer bottle, but Sabin moves and Storm nails Roode, and the MCMG hit the doubler stomp/neckbreaker to pick up the win. This was a an excellently booked match these two tag-teams are obviously the best in the world right now....I give the booking of this match a 5 out of 5...Keep it up guys

(Matt Morgan/Mr.Anderson/Jeff Hardy segment)
After commercial, we are introduced to Mr Anderson…wait, it’s Matt Morgan coming out to Anderson’s music. I bet he’s going to impersonate him. He goes for the mic and the guy who controls the mic refuses to drop it, so Morgan yells at the guy and finally he drops it and Morgan can grab the mic. Yep, he impersonates Anderson and introduces himself. Now Anderson’s music hits again, and here he comes for real and when he puts his hand up, he gets a damn mic, and he demonstrates how easy it was by having it raise up, and then calling for it to drop again, and says he doesn’t know what Morgan’s problem is but he’s coming down to the ring to find out. Morgan asks if he finds it ironic that the mic in Morgan’s hand was what left Anderson in a pool of his own blood. Morgan says Anderson wants to hit him and take out the Big Bad Wolf, and Morgan offers to bend over and put his jaw out and Anderson can pop him in the jaw for free, but he knows that Anderson is too scared to do it. Morgan keeps egging Anderson on, so Anderson drops down and punches Morgan in the nuts instead. Anderson jumps on Morgan and rains rights down onto Morgan’s head and starts mocking him, but Morgan catches Anderson with a clawhold and starts choking him out, then puts the boots to him. Morgan takes the mic and uses the cord to choke Anderson out, but now Jeff Hardy comes out to make the save and he kicks the crap out of Morgan, and then Anderson recovers and he joins in. Security comes out and pulls Anderson and Hardy off, and Morgan uses the opening to cheapshot Anderson. Hardy and Anderson dive back on Morgan and security gets a little too physical trying to pull them back off, leading to the TNA agents coming out and breaking the brawl up and chewing security out. Kind of out there scenario, almost seemed like it was thrown together at the last minute, and I'm sure this isn't a part of the main storyline, I give this segment a 3 out of 5

(Mr. Anderson/Jeff Hardy Backstage Segment)

We are back from commercial and immediately brought backstage to an interview with Anderson and Hardy. Christy Hemme asks them about how they felt about TNA Security's overly physical invovement in their brawl just moments ago. Anderson says they’ve been trying to get into wrestling for the last ten years and they wanted to be seen, so tonight they get their wish because they get to face Anderson and Hardy, and Anderson wants them to bring Matt Morgan with them...Nice a match making interview pretty average 3 out of 5

(Kazarian vs Rob Terry)
Back in the Impact Zone we have ourselves another match. Kazarian vs Rob Terry.The ref kicks AJ out of ringside, and Kazarian dropkicks Terry from behind, but Terry shrugs Kazarian off and gives him a really ugly chokeslam for a disgustingly easy win. Good booking as far as the match up went since Kazarian cost Terry the Television Title just last week. Too short of a match though and it contradicts Fortunes good promo earlier but I give the booking of this match a 3 out of 5

(Matt Morgan, Gunner and Murphy vs. Mr. Anderson and Jeff Hardy)
HEY I THOUGHT BISCHOFFS ANNOUNCEMENT WAS NEXT??? AWWW MAN. So not only do we have security booked in a match vs. two of TNA's top stars, but THE KING OF WALKOUT Matt Morgan is on their team....I already don't like this.Morgan starts and he wants Anderson, so Anderson obliges. They circle one another…and Morgan tags Murphy in. Then Murphy tags Gunner in, and they finally tie up, Gunner fires Anderson off into the ropes and Anderson takes him down with a shoulderblock and a swinging neckbreaker for 2. Gunner tags to Murphy who comes in and starts pounding away on Anderson and rams some shoulders into Anderson’s midsection in the corner, but tries one time too many and Anderson moves and rolls Murphy up for 2. Hardy tags in and they go for Poetry In Motion but Murphy clotheslines Hardy out of midair and tags Gunner in, but Hardy catches him with the Whisper In The Wind for 2. Tag back out to Anderson and the Security double team Anderson but Hardy breaks it up. Morgan gets bored and decides to wander off and leave the jobbers all alone, so Anderson hits the Mic Check on Gunner, followed by a Swanton from Hardy for the win. I give the booking of this match a 2 out of 5

(Hulk Hogan Backstage interview)
Christy is backstage and wants to find out from Hulk Hogan what Eric Bischoff’s big announcement is going to be, but Hogan’s leaving for a big meeting in New York, presumably to try and leverage a better deal out of Vince, but he’ll be back next week and he’ll have a few things to say about Bischoff’s announcement then. No point for this interview since Hogan seemed to be in such a rush....c'mon TNA the shows not live try not to make things seem rushed....1 out of 5

(Eric Bischoff In-Ring Announcement)
We go to Eric Bischoff in the ring with Miss Tessmacher, and it’s time for his big announcement: on August 12th at 9pm EST, we’ll see something we’ve never seen before, because Dixie Carter inspired Eric Bischoff by announcing Hardcore Justice, and he was inspired because Dixie gave back to the fans, and Hogan and Bischoff can give back too, so they called up SpikeTV and arranged for a PPV quality show right here on Impact, so on August 12th, the main event will be…uh oh, here comes Abyss with Janice and Bischoff looks somewhat uncomfortable. Abyss grabs Bischoff’s mic and says that he just got done talking to Them and They want him to make the main event for August 12th, and that will be Abyss challenging Rob Van Dam in a Ladder Match with Janice hanging above the ring. Bischoff tries to protest, but Abyss says They have told him that Bischoff is the only one who can make it happen, so he asks if Bischoff will make it happen, or does he want to feel the wrath of Janice? Bischoff says all right, he’ll make the match, so Abyss tells him he chose wisely and Abyss starts to leave, but then stops and tells Bischoff that Abyss is okay with him, but Janice doesn’t appreciate when he bitchslapped Abyss recently, so she’s going to show him what a real bitch is. Suddenly, RVD’s music hits and here comes the champ with a chair, and he jumpkicks Abyss off the top rope and puts the boots to him. RVD beats Abyss down in the corner and baseball slides a chair into him, and Abyss bails to the floor, so RVD goes after him again and dives off the ropes, but Abyss moves and RVD crashes hard onto the guardrail. The TNA agents come out to back Abyss off, and here comes Tommy Dreamer, and Al Snow hands Janice to Tommy as he comes to the ring for the main event, which is NEXT. Great segment Abyss is running SHIT right now...glad they changed his character back...and the announcement well take what you want from it....But Abyss coming out and making Bischoff look like a bitch....PRICELESS...a 4 out of 5.

(Hardcore Rules Match: Abyss vs Tommy Dreamer)
Dreamer is creaming Abyss with a trashcan lid when we come back from commercial, but Abyss picks him up and crotches him on the guardrail. They head back in the ring, which is full of plunder, and Abyss wedges a chair in the corner, but turns around into a trashcan, but Abyss barely registers it before picking Dreamer up and giving him a side suplex onto another trashcan. Abyss whacks him with a cookie sheet, then follows that with a shot from a Singapore Cane. Abyss with a neck vice and Dreamer fights his way out, but Abyss throttles him for a chokeslam, Dreamer fights his way out and hits a crossbody and nails him with another…metal thing. Dreamer with a big clothesline lays Abyss out for 2, but eats elbow on a charge and gets rammed into the chair in the corner. Abyss goes up top, but Tommy knocks him off and crotches him, then hangs Abyss in the Tree of Woe and nails him in the nuts with the Singapore Cane, then puts the trash can in front of Abyss and baseball slides the can into his face. Dreamer goes under the ring and grabs a barbed wire board and tosses it in the ring, then gets back in and nails Abyss with the cane again. He sets up the board and goes to pick up Abyss, but his leg gives out and Abyss clotheslines him. Abyss goes out to ringside and grabs Janice and does “YOU!” and swings Janice, but Tommy moves and rolls Abyss up for 2. He sets Janice up in the corner and whips Abyss into her, but Abyss puts on the breaks and punches a trash can into Tommy’s face, then chokeslams him on the barbed wire board for the win. If Dreamer's hurt why is he in the ring? You know if it wasn't for Abyss, I would give this match a two....instead I'll give the booking of this match a 3 out of 5.

(Tommy Dreamer/Abyss Post-Match Segment)
Raven’s music hits and he comes running out with a chair and he and Abyss face off, but Raven turns around and nails Tommy, then gives him the DDT on a chair and with that, we’re off the air. Okay It's hard to tell if Raven is involved with Abyss or reigniting his ages old feud with Dreamer....I'll go with the latter... 2 out of 5

Okay so i've been really late on my booking reviews....I'm in the process of moving but I'll try to keep up. As i've said before I'm not a big fan of this ECW thing...and heck i'll be glad when it's over... Looking forward to August 12th though....

WWE: My 2 Cents (2) by Matt Dunn

Okey dokey. Matt Dunn back here running down some thoughts about WWE.

RAW
*John Cena/Chris Jericho. It's nice to see that we are revisiting this feud. You have Cena, who loves the fans. And you have Jericho who calls us "parasites" and what not. So, polar opposites here. Good job, WWE! Now, I also like the fact that the "GM" put these guys in a tag team. That's Paul Heyman type booking, two guys who hate each other put in a tag team. Heck, WWE (then F) even put Stone Cold and Shawn Michaels together when they HATED each other and they won the tag titles that way. ECW did it with Raven and Dreamer. That's one of my favorite feud building devices---two guys who hate each other forced to work together.

*"Team RAW/Cena" Heck, I love the fact that the entire "Team RAW" Summerslam team is pretty much bickering with each other. That is fantastic! That's old school booking there. You have a team that is more or less fighting for their survival against the Nexus and they can't get along. Veddy interesting!I also hope it leads to a John Morrison heel turn. After he gets done with Truth, he should move on to Evan Bourne.

*The Miz. This is getting interesting. I like that he is having trouble to cash in the MITB unlike all previous years winners that seem to win every time they cash it in. Hopefully, it doesn't make Miz look like a choke artist in the long run. Very thin line there.

*Nexus: They showed great unity despite the fact that Otunga is still green as grass. Barrett should probably hold a title by next year.

*Randy Orton looked strong as usual, dispatching the yawnful Uso twins. If he doesn't get another title run by year's end, it's a shame.

Smackdown:

*Rey/Swagger:I'm glad they ended Rey's reign. I just don't buy him as a WHC. Sorry. I'm also glad they didn't put the belt back on Swagger. They just messed up his reign by jobbing him too much. Hopefully when he gets it back they'll know better.

*Kane/WHC:Kane deserves a reign after all his years of loyalty. It'll probably be short but that's okay. It's longer than the last one. I wasn't too much a fan of the promo because, well, long promos bore me.

*Midcard:I'm feeling a little better about Drew McIntyre. A Matt Hardy/Christian feud would be great. It'll be a little wink to the Attitude era.

*Kofi/Cody:Who is up for Kofi's title? Cody? I don't know, Cody's new gimmick could either be epic or show up on wrestlecrap.com. We'll have to wait and see.

NXT

*Not much to note because I don't watch it that much. What I did see was Percy Watson's match. You may love or hate his gimmick but he did show athleticism.

Superstars

*Goldust still manages to bust his rump despite having to job regularly.

*Zack Ryder is actually not doing too bad. Lord help me, I said it. Not fantastic but decent.

*Evan Bourne and Yoshi Tatsu are solid. They shouldn't be higher than US level though. They aren't there. If it was 2003, they would be competing for the Cruiserweight belt.

"Meh"

*I still can't stand Laycool. They just irk the heck out of me.

*I can still take or leave the Usos.

Until next time, see ya.

Matt Dunn

Nexus Angle Dominating RAW(Is A Good Thing)

Hey guys Chris Wilson here...Back again for RAW 7-26. Now I'm going to say when I heard about the TV-PG thing I said I was going to stop watching the WWE. Well a friend of mine turned me on to the Nexus thing and I started watching again. The WWE has addressed a few things that made it unwatchable for me. Number one I felt that they weren't pushing the young guys. Number two same old people in the main event scene. Number 3 a stable of more than three people(Nexus 7)....just to name a few... I've been into RAW for the last few weeks lets see if that continues......

RAW opens up with a video package showing the actions of the Nexus over the last few weeks. And capping off by showing John Cena forming his dream team. I liked the effects of this video it was in Black and Gold through the Nexus beatdowns. Until Cena walks away and says he has help. The screen turns full color as each member of what Micheal Cole calls the "WWE 7"(so i will just refer to them as that), come out one by one followed by Bret Hart to top it off. The Nexus runs into the stands and the video package ends.. I liked the video package the black and gold effect was cool. They are pushing this Nexus thing to the infinity..... 5 out of 5

So we begin the actual show with John Cena coming out to the ring. He talks about the previous attacks carried out by the Nexus, he names off superstars, Mr. McMahon, Bret Hart, ring announcers, camera men....all the like. He talks about how the RAW superstars stood together and that their biggest goal is making sure the Nexus doesn't gain anymore power, because with power comes influence. Cena continues on about how HIS team will come together to stop the Nexus. (One minor note that the fans in San Antonio didn't seem too fond of Cena during this promo) Jericho comes out and ripped Cena and tried to claim leadership of the RAW team that will compete at SummerSlam against The Nexus. After some back-and-forth bickering, Jericho threatened Cena, to which he replied "take your best shot." The general manager ends up scheduling a tag team match between Jericho and Cena against two wrestlers of his choosing the GM also let Cena/Jericho know that their match against Nexus at SummerSlam would be an elimination match ........Overall decent promo by Cena(not!!!), It actually became entertaining when Jericho came out. I'm feeling another Cena/Jericho feud, I'm going to give this segment a 4 out of 5

So our first match is between Jey Uso(w/Jimmy Uso and Tamina) vs. Randy Orton(#1 Contender for WWE Title). So Sheamus's music hits and he walks down to the announce table and joins Micheal Cole and Jerry Lawler. Weird booking in the ring but a good idea to have Sheamus watching from the annnounce table. Not a very interesting match, but Orton wins via pin fall after hitting an RKO. Not that good of a match in the ring but Sheamus being at ringside added a bit of intrigue..So the booking of this match will get a 3 out of 5.....

Now for the post match segment, Orton turns his attention to Sheamus and gets hit from behind by Jimmy Uso. Orton fights back and Sheamus enters the ring and tries to hit Orton with the Brogue Kick, Orton ducks and Sheamus hits Jimmy Uso with the Brogue Kick and Orton hits Sheamus with an RKO and leaves the ring. The Miz's music hits and he runs to the ring with a referee. He appears to be cashing in the MITB....that is until Randy Orton hits HIM with the RKO(lol) Bell never rang so no match happened. Really good post match segment I actually enjoyed this more than the match, I found it funny that The Miz tried to cash in and got an RKO in return. I give this post-match segment a 5 out of 5

Edge is now back stage talking to Ted DiBiase & Maryse about the SummerSlam match against Nexus. Edge believes that DiBiase should be in the match, and not The Great Khali because he’s big and awkward. DiBiase agrees and says that maybe him winning his match against John Morrison will make Cena believe that he is better than The Great Khali and Morrison. Edge says he may have to force things and take out Khali himself. Ranjin Singh hears this as Edge walks away, and goes to warn Khali. Uh-oh more problems within the "WWE 7"....interesting... This backstage segment gets a 3 out of 5

We come back from commercial Back in the ring, Sheamus & The Miz are arguing nose to nose. An Email comes from the anonymous GM, He makes them the tag team to face Cena & Jericho in the main event. The plot thickens..... two tag-teams who don't want to be partners...not to mention a team of champions...Another match making segment pretty average....so I give it a 3 out of 5...

Next up(note I do not review non-current show video packages) Edge is backstage again on the phone and The Great Khali comes in the room. He's not happy about hearing what Edge said about him, Khali challenges him to a match RIGHT NOW, and Edges denies what he said but makes it that if Khali loses he's out of the "WWE 7". Funny segment especially when the Great Khali comes in (Maryse was right no one can understand what he's saying) I give this backstage segment a 3 out of 5

After the commercial our next match is Edge vs The Great Khali(w/Ranjin Singh) this is good booking. Edge sells moves well and the Great Khali has never been too convincing in the ring to me. In the middle of the match Nexus comes out and Edge heads for the hills(lolz) leaving Khali by himself, The Nexus surrounds Khali. But they let him leave the ring. Match ends in a no contest...The booking of this match gets a 4 out 5, and only because Nexus came out and I thought they were going to attack Khali boy were we all wrong.

Elimination Match Nexus vs. Team Raw(Yoshi Tatsu, Jerry Lawler, DH Smith, Tyson Kidd, Goldust, Mark Henry and Evan Bourne )In an 7 on 7 Elimination Match. Believe it or not intially I was exicited about this match, mainly because I had never seen all of the members of Nexus in an actual match.(except for Wade Barrett) When I saw who they were going up against I was going to say "bad booking" for the first time in this blog. Then when I saw the dominating fashion of the victory and the UNITY shown by the Nexus I changed my mind... and even more with the problems the "WWE 7" have been having so far....GOOD BOOKING!!! A total spot fest in the clean sweep by the Nexus....I give this match a 4 out of 5.

Post match, Nexus destroys Bourne capped off by the Justin Gabriel 450 Splash.
Barrett then takes a mic(as usual) and he says that Cena's team are showing cracks because of their massive egos.Sheffield adds that Cena’s team is working as individuals, while are working for the betterment of the group.Tarver adds that he hopes that at SummerSlam it turns out just like tonight, but Cena’s the last one remaining so that they can destroy him. I liked this segment because Wade Barrett wasn't the only one who spoke for once.....Uhhh Sheffield should stay away from the mic...Tarver I was pretty impressed with... This post match promo gets a 5 out of 5.

In our next backstage segment, The Miz is sitting around stewing over what happened earlier. Sheamus busts into the locker room and says that Miz is dreaming if he thinks that he can win the WWE Title, Sheamus tells him to name the time and place, and he’ll leave The Miz black & blue.The Miz says “How about tonight, immediately after we face Cena/Jericho… I cash it in, hit the Skull Crushing Finale, and become WWE Champion…” Sheamus replies, “You keep pushing me, I’m going to make you regret it!” Knocks the MITB case out of Miz’s hands. Another entertaining backstage segment despite my fears The Miz is a great Mr Money In The Bank..At least he's trying right?? 4 out of 5

Our next match is Alicia Fox vs Brie Bella (w/Nikki Bella) lol I won't say bad booking because it seems the WWE is still trying to legitimize Alicia Fox, hell the match was so short I went to go get a drink and I missed Jillian Hall stop the Bella's from making a switch. In fact when I came back Alicia was already hitting the Scissors Kick(Darn Divas matches).... 2 minute match = 2 out of 5



Post match, Jillian goes to celebrate Alicia’s win with a song, and gets hit with a Scissors Kick for her trouble. LOL that post match segment was just as long as the match but funnier....a 3 out of 5

We return from commercial and R-Truth is out rapping his theme, and he heads to the announce table. Our next match is John Morrison vs. Ted DiBiase(w/Maryse) Mid match, Morrison sets up for Star Ship Pain when Maryse jumps on apron as distraction. DiBiase rolls up Morrison with his feet on the ropes, but R-Truth pushes his feet off. DiBiase argues with Truth, and avoids getting hit from behind by catching John Morrison with a drop toe hold. Morrison’s momentum has him collide head-to-head with Truth. DiBiase gets the win. Nicely booked match I thought Morrison's feud with DiBiase would be forgotten after him joining the "WWE 7" but I guess I wrong...The booking of this match gets a 4 out of 5.

Our next Post-Match segment features Morrison and R-Truth arguing about what happened.John Cena is shown backstage looking disappointed that his team’s falling apart....I have to say these post-match segments are getting good. As well I'm impressed that the Nexus/WWE 7 angle are tying into these matches.... 4 out of 5

The next backstage segment features Josh Matthews and Randy Orton. Josh Matthews is with Randy Orton and asks about how he RKO’d the Miz earlier, and if that means he’d rather face Sheamus for the WWE Title. Orton says that he RKO’d both men tonight, which means that he doesn’t care who he faces at SummerSlam....Pretty late to ask Orton about his actions, but when you think about it Sheamus and the Miz are in action next....3 out 5 Pretty average backstage segment...

OKAY the main event The Miz(WWE US Champion) and Sheamus(WWE Champion) vs. John Cena and Chris Jericho. I have got to say I like the names in this match and the two angles involved. You've got The Miz who is Mr. Money In The Bank, who seems to be living up to his word of being Sheamus's "Celebrity Stalker". Then you have John Cena and Chris Jericho, two members of the obviously disfuctional "WWE 7" to me you have two feuds booked in one match, with the people feuding with each other on the same team....GREAT BOOKING Anonymous GM.... As the match started Cena and Jericho didn't seem to be very cohesive as the match went on they began to start working as a team....You could even hear Cena cheering on Jericho when Sheamus had him in a submission hold. Alas The Miz pinned Cena(yea thats right The Miz pinned Cena) after Jericho turned on Cena and hit him with the CodeBreaker(lol). I liked the booking off this match alot...didn't expect Jericho to turn on Cena(well maybe I did). I give the booking of this match a 4 out of 5.

In our last post-match segment.... Jericho puts Cena in the Walls of Jericho but Cena reverses it into the STFU. The Great Khali comes out to stop Cena, and Edge spears him. The rest of the "WWE 7"(excluding Bret Hart) all come out to the ring to argue. Khali gets pissed and chops John Morrison & Edge in the head(so many lolz in this show) A good way to the show they were playing on the trouble within the WWE 7 so it was good that the Nexus didn't intervene.... 4 out of 5....I think we have trouble in paradise guys....

Well another good RAW I'm really impressed with this Nexus storyline...We may be on the heels of something big...But in the past I don't get my hopes up on the WWE culminating their storylines....time will tell...see you guys for my booking review for TNA Impact and hopefully just hopefully I can catch SmackDown and cover all three major shows.

ECW Angle Overshadowing Great Progress in the Ring

Hey guys Chris Wilson here, I know it, I'm a few days late but I'm finally back with my booking/segments and promos review for the July 22nd Impact. For those of you who are not familiar with my ratings scheme from my previous review here it is again. TNA's show format is a little different compared to the WWE's so there may be some obvious differences from my first review but all in all it will be good fun.

I'm rating from 1 to 5, 1 being boring , 2 being lackluster, 3 being average, 4 entertaining, and 5 being must watch.


Impact starts off with a video package of Abyss's recent rampage over the weeks. This was a pretty cool looking video and a great way to remind people of imo a long overdue heel turn by him. Although I enjoyed the video package i'm going to give this segment a 3 out of 5. I would have given it a 4, and later on I'll tell you guys why I didn't.

Okay our first match of the night AJ Styles vs. Rob Terry(c) for the Global Championship. I love title matches guys, and when a show starts off with one it's even better. Styles and Kazarian come out together and I'm instantly intrigued. A recap of Styles pinning Terry at Victory Road quickly plays, So I go okay that must be the reason for the match. At first I thought to myself that a Styles vs Terry match would be weird, but once Rob Terry showcased his power game it was on. Then AJ began to display his althleticism as the match went on. Soon enough Terry catches Styles off a springboard with a military press. AJ counters a chokeslam with a right hand and hits an enzuigiri. AJ gets distracted and turns around into a huge spin kick. Terry goes for the cover but Kaz distracts the ref. Terry takes out Kaz, and that allows AJ to roll up Terry for a two count. Terry goes for a suplex, but Kaz trips the leg and AJ falls on him for the pin. The booking of this match gets a 3 out of 5.... Although I agree with Rob Terry dropping the Global Title(mainly because you see AJ more on TV) the match was too short. AJ deserves to have some gold on him but in the future TNA should try to build up such a match before putting it on at the beginning of the show.

What's going on with the Beautiful People??? IDK lets ask Madison Rayne....Madison Rayne and Sarita are in the back, Madison makes fun of Velvet, and Velvet and Lacey are standing right behind her. Velvet says if she's got something to say, say then she should say it to her face. Madison says she's not afraid to say anything. Madison is exicited because she's going to get her Knockout's Title back. Madison says she has a match to get ready for. Interesting BP segment I'm curious to see if things are headed for BREAKUP or ANOTHER REFORM. This backstage segment gets a 4 out of 5.

Next Dixie Carter is in the back arguing with some guys(who are road agents, and I think I saw Terry Taylor i'm not sure though), including Al Snow and D'Lo Brown. Dixie said Al punched a ref. Someone closes the door. Although I'm not digging the ECW angle, I'm giving this a 4 out of 5. Mainly because I believe TNA is breaking ground with some their segments....mainly making the backstage stuff seem more real.

Our next match is a Knockouts match... Taylor Wilde and Angelina Love vs. Madison Rayne and Sarita. Number one....EXECELLENT BOOKING, 4 of the best singles Knockouts in the ring at one time is always a good thing. If you have been watching TNA for the last two years, you'll know it's the case of two tag teams that switched partners. And not only that but Madison Rayne got her Knockouts Title back....the hard way. Earl Hebner has a mic. He says that the Board of Directors has instructed him that they have no proof that the person who attacked her was a member of the Beautiful People, so she must surrender the belt. Angelina hits Madison with a right and the match starts. These four ladies were very intense throughout the match..but in the end Angelina hits the Lights Out(my favorite womens finisher) on Madison Rayne as Angelina Love claims victory for herself and Taylor Wilde. The booking of this match gets a 4 out of 5

After the match our mystery biker shows up again.She comes up to ringside. Lacey and Velvet are on the entrance ramp. Sarita and Madison attack Angelina and Taylor. The mystery woman joins in on the action too. As they start to leave. Madison tells Lacey to come with them, and she doesn't know what to do. She leaves with Madison, and Velvet looks pissed. Angelina and Velvet make eye contact. oooh yes OG BP's meeting eyes at the end of this.....Who's the mystery biker?....and even further down the road will Velvet and Angelina reunite????How many good matches could we be treated to via a Taylor Wilde/Sarita feud?? Good post match segment way to inject some excitement in the Knockouts scene again... So many questions one answer 4 out of 5

Mike Tenay hypes up the next match as Dreamer, Raven, Rhino, Stevie and Foley are walking in the back. What is the next match you ask? Kurt Angle vs Hernandez...Kurt Angle (#8) vs Hernandez (#7) that is... They Tie up at the start, and Hernandez pushes Angle into the corner. Angle takes down Hernandez and locks in the front headlock. Hernandez drives Angle into the corner. European uppercuts by Kurt. Angle elevates Hernandez to the apron. This is followed by an explosive slingshot shoulderblock by the big man. Right hands by Kurt, but he runs right into a brick wall. Hernandez follows with a delayed over the shoulder backbreaker. Pin but only two. Right hands by Kurt. Clothesline in the corner connects. Hernandez lifts himself to the top. Angle follows him up but gets pushes down. Angle runs back up and gets the belly to belly suplex off the top. Pin but only two. Angle ducks a shot and hits a german. And another. Trifecta, but he's not done. Fourth one will finish it. Pin but Hernandez kicks out at two. Angle Slam countered. Inverted sitout side powerslam connects. Border Toss coming up, but Angle slides down the back and hits the Angle Slam but only gets a 2 count Angle goes to the top. Moonsault misses. Huge shoulder block connects. Delayed vertical suplex by Hernandez countered by Angle into the Ankle Lock. Hernandez taps and Angle wins! I liked this match Kurt Angle has been good with all of his opponents since he has declared his rise to the top of the top 10 rankings. Good Booking a 4 out of 5.

Post match, Angle celebrates his win, but here comes Kevin Nash. Angle shakes hands with Nash as he walks back up the ramp. Taz makes mention of mutual respect from the past of the Main Event Mafia. Nash says he's seen Jarrett in the back and would like to talk to him. We're heading to commercial. Out comes Jeff Jarrett. Nash says he's had a week to think about what went down, and something didn't feel right. Jarrett is amazing and really good at what he does, he almost had Nash convinced that it was Sting's fault. Nash isn't sure if it was Sting's fault or Jarrett's. Nash says he can deal with it, but there's a group of young guys who look up to Jeff and they are the victims. Jarrett says he has no idea what he's talking about. He's not buying it, and he's sure these people aren't buying. It was Kevin Nash that screwed Hulk and Eric when he did what he did to get Hall and Waltman jobs. He used his deceit to screw this company. Jeff knows him though, and these people know him. Nash says he's come to his conclusion, he gets it and can live with it. Those three young daughters of Jeff's though, when they grow up and they get it, and they realize that their father is nothing but a selfish prick, and tells Jarrett to juggle that in his sleep. Nash leaves the ring. Ummmm does this have anything to do with the ECW guys coming??? lol what is Nash talking about??? Honestly I didn't care and this kind of took away from the two good matches that were booked before this segment. a 2 out of 5.

Next up Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Hardy, FIRST TIME EVER!!!, i like that. This one's got a ten minute time limit. Jeff rolls to the outside and high fives the fans. Eric Bischoff is joining commentary via telephone(I found this a little weird judging the caliber of match being put on) This match went back and forth between these two. Joe seems to take the advantage as the match wears into crunch time. Joe flexes to the crowd. Both guys trade shots now. Samoan Drop countered into a Twist of Fate attempt, but Joe counters that into the Coquina Clutch. Hardy rams Joe into the corner. Whisper in the Wind connects. 30 seconds are left in the match. Both guys are trading shots now. 10 seconds, The bell rings and the match is declared a time limit draw. Great booking!!! once again I'm liking the booking people to face each other for the first time its a big breathe of fresh of air. All you IWC complaining about TNA giving these matches away, SIT DOWN, SHUT UP, and WATCH THIS ONE. I give the booking of this match a 5 out 5.....Maybe a future feud to come....fingers crossed!!! Joe is pissed. Hardy takes off his shirt and goes straight after Joe. The ref pulls Hardy off.

After the match Jarrett and Dixie are in the back. Dixie says everyone was disappointed last week. Dixie needs everyone to stop thinking that this isn't a good thing. Jarrett says he's got it. This segment didn't really interest me but I'm going to give it a 3 out of 5.... Lets find out what Dixie means....

The next match features Matt Morgan vs. The #3 Contender Mr. Anderson. Again this is good booking. Mr. Anderson is doing some of the best work in his career so far in TNA.Anderson goes for a roll up, but Morgan kicks out quick. Another roll up and another quick kick out. Headlock by Anderson. Morgan pushes Anderson into the corner and goes on the attack. Elbows in the corner by Morgan. Taz lets out a "vintage". Clothesline in the corner and a sidewalk slam follows. Pin but only two. Anderson fights back with the rights. Knee by Morgan to the gut. Anderson ducks a clothesline but gets caught on the crossbody attempt. Fallaway slam connects. Pin but only two. Morgan's now taunting Anderson. Short arm clothesline by Morgan. And another. Anderson counters a discuss clothesline with the Mic Check. Pins him and wins.
I give the booking of this match a 4 out of 5. After the match Anderson turns around and Morgan clocks him with the mic. He then drops it on Anderson and poses on top of him.

Our final match involves TNA World Tag Team Champions The Motor City Machine Guns vs Beer Money Inc.(Best of 5 Series/Beer Money leads 1-0) I have actually been waiting to see this, and even better off it's a street fight. Later in the match Beer Money goes for a double superplex, but Sabin runs in and knocks Storm to the outside. MADE IN DETROIT and the Pin but there's no ref. Storm nails Shelley with the beer bottle. Superkick to Sabin! Storm revives the ref as Roode pins Shelley for the win. I liked the match and the fact that the Guns pulled off some sick moves.....4 out of 5

Team 3D are in the back (Ray has a LAX shirt on). Devon asks where was Ray at the end of the show last week. He wants to know if Ray has their back. Ray asks why would he want to have their back? What do they have left to prove. They've done more than they've ever had. Now although Team 3D are former ECW guys they have been at odds lately..I just don't get what TNA is doing with them at the moment....3 out of 5

Our next backstage interview has Christy Hemme is in the back with RVD. Christy asks him how it felt last week to be with ECW. Rob says it was awesome. It was like being home. He's so proud of that part of his career. To have that here as he's world champion, he's very happy. He says he's very excited to hear what Dixie's news is, but he doesn't know. He's hoping it's got something to do with what he's thinking. He doesn't know what Dixie's gonna say and he doesn't want to miss out on it. He's got the belt, and Abyss wants it. He has to have eyes in the back of his head....3 out 5 To much talking about ECW hey Rob you're the TNA World Champion try talking more about that.

Finally at the end of the show Dixie Carter comes out and addresses the fans and soon enough invites Tommy Dreamer, Rhino, Stevie Richards, Raven and Mick Foley to the ring. Dixie says she invited them to come and tell the fans what they mean to them. Foley thanks Dixie for giving him another chance to make a last impression, and he congratulates Dixie on cutting her first promo and Dixie says she's just being real. Tommy Dreamer gets on the mic and says this isn't about an ECW Invasion its about the men and women who lost their jobs(but it sure didn't seem that way last week) For one night, give them one night to show them the world what they had and their legacy can live forever. He begs of her. Do you guys want one night? The crowd's going nuts. Dixie says you can't come out here and get emotional like that. She asks the fans if they want to do this. They agree. She has one stipulation. They plan it all. It has to be real and what they want. Nothing that has to do with TNA. Tommy Dreamer says "Impact Zone, we're going extreme". Dreamer hugs Dixie Carter and Impact ends. Tommy Dreamer did a good job, but this ECW thing has lost it's flavor...I felt that emotion in 05 when the WWE brought them back...NOT NOW...This promo gets a 3 out of 5

All in all a good show Great matches being booked ONE PROBLEM. This ECW thing is overshadowing the great matches in the ring. Where the hell was Abyss why show a video package about him and he not even appear. I have a bad feeling about this ECW thing.

Greatest Moves Ever!: Muscular Bomb

I was watching Dragongate Untouchable today and was watching the Bryan Danielson versus Naruki Doi's match (which was a technical wrestling fan's dream match, by the way) and realised that Naruki Doi's Muscular Bomb is awesome. It's a kind of reverse package powerbomb. Check out the clip:

That Clown from Outta Town - iMPACT July 22nd 2010

iMPACT time again.

This week, I'm hoping that a Wolfe/Joe feud develops (even if it means John Terry is involved). I'm also looking forward to the Guns v Beer Money match, and finding out what's going on with the ECW angle - I'm concerned it's going to be shit, so something to put my mind at ease would be nice. I hope the Angle v Hernandez match is good.

And, as always, I hope they start with wrestling.

0:28 - HOLY SHIT SABU IS COMING TO TNA, during Abyss promo at the start there's like a 0.5 second clip of him doing a chair-legdrop thingie! FUCK YEAH
0:32 - Also, it looks like the TNA guys is 'them'...but that makes no sense because they jumped Abyss last week...probably best not to think about it.
2:24 - Sweeeeeet, Joe's gonna fuck up Matt Hardy tonight :D
2:44 - AJ v Rob Terry for the Global title...AJ's clearly gonna win, then. Shame, I liked AJ and Kaz as a tag team, I was hoping that would become a regular thing.
5:23 - Haha, AJ just hit Terry in the abs and sold it like he hurt his hand...awesome.
8:18 - I'm glad to see AJ with gold again, but he really shouldn't need outside interference to win against Rob Terry.
10:00 - Whoo, Foley :D
12:20 - Knockouts, fast forwarding...oh wait, it's a tag match....I'll give it a shot
14:32 - 'Audentifee' will be on Botchamania...it's 'identity', Earl.
17:33 - I really ought to stop giving the knockouts a chance.
20:30 - It's a shame they only brought in the most iconic ECW names, not the best. If the invasion was Tajiri, Super Crazy, Kid Kash and Mikey Whipwreck, for example, how awesome would that be?
23:54 - The Angle v Hernandez match is a lot more Hernandez than I was expecting.
26:07 - I don't know what that move was, but it looked brutal...
26:43 - What the fuck, HERNANDEZ is kicking out of Angle Slams now??
28:07 - Not a bad match...this angle is getting kind of losing steam now to be honest. We all know Angle is going to win each match, so with no personal feud to liven things up they're not hugely gripping. We need some suspense, or intrigue, or something.
29:49 - Nash v Jarrett - Microphone style
34:56 - FUCK YEAH SAMOA JOE KILL HIM
35:08 - Wait, what? 10-minute time limit? What the shit? If this goes to a time limit draw I'm gonna be extremely pissed off.
37:20 - For fucks sake, pitiful time limit and Jeff's walking around the ring on a meet and greet.
37:43 - THEY ARE FUCKING TALKING TO BISCHOFF ON THE FUCKING PHONE INSTEAD OF COMMENTATING ON THE MATCH JESUS CHRIST TNA DO THIS SHIT DURING THE KNOCKOUTS OR SOME SHIT NOBODY CARES ABOUT NOT FUCKING JOE V JEFF YOU FUCKING RETARDS
44:19 - I love that Powerbomb -> STF -> Crossface Joe does.
46:50 - Time limit draw. So fucking predictable. Pretty good match though, I'd like to see them meet at PPV.
47:30 - Oh, it's on again...
47:44 - And off again.
48:33 - Morgan v Anderson. Sigh.
49:03 - Just realised - they haven't mentioned what the main event is yet...kinda weird at 49 minutes in, I can only assume there's going to be some stupid bullshit happen and someone will challenge someone for a match tonight, which is luckily on the same night as nobody bothered booking a main event.
50:36 - I bet you that Morgan ends up going to kick Anderson's head into the ringpost, and Pope makes the save.
56:20 - How did that match happen and Pope didn't get involved?
57:06 - So, how come Madison gets to be champion again based on the fact that she might not have lost it during the match, but when Beer Money blatantly screw MCMG on camera TNA do nothing about it? On the same fucking episode of the show? Either the referee's decision is final even if he's wrong, or a decision can be changed based on the playback of the match. Pick one and fucking stick with it, don't just flip a coin backstage or whatever it is you're doing back there.
58:43 - Wow, that was like a 20 metre dropkick...nailed it perfectly...that was awesome.
62:45 - This match was going great, till the double ref bump. FFS.
64:09 - I don't actually mind that screwjob because it was No-DQ...but there's no need to have a ref bump, let alone two, in a No-DQ match
65:01 - Bubba in an LAX shirt :)
67:29 - RVD is way less annoying as champion with ECW stars circling in the water...
70:42 - It looks worryingly like this week's main event is, in fact, Dixie Carter and a microphone :( She's gonna take 15 minutes to say something that can probably be said in 30 seconds.
73:18 - I'm getting less sceptical about the ECW angle by the second
75:37 - Dreamer looks really orange.
79:27 - I hope someone does a run-in soon, this circle jerk is a little over the top
83:12 - Holy shit, TNA are going to do 1 night of ECW, booked by the ECW stars? FUCKING AWESOME :D And to think I was worried about this, hahaha...I CAN'T FUCKING WAIT. I really hope it's a PPV and not next week's iMPACT though.

FAKE EDIT: Just checked the website - Hard Justice is now Hard Core Justice :D I seriously cannot fucking wait, the people who said this was going to be an invasion angle had me worried, but this is going to be the best thing in TNA for years.

Everything in TNA that does not directly involve Hard Core Justice is now totally irrelevant as far as I am concerned.

Let's Talk About Booking

Greetings wrestling world, Chris Wilson here once again, in my first post I reviewed the booking for July 19th's RAW. I'm a big fan of BIG storylines in wrestling, and we owe that to the bookers. As an aspiring writer I have always wanted to become a booker for a promotion. I know, I know, alot of you guys are saying "wait a minute buddy we know what booking is". I'm well aware of this but alot of wrestling fans don't pay attention to the booking, It's kind of like the matches, the segments, and the gimmicks are just there sometimes. I for one pay attention to the booking as much as I do the lights, the pyro, the entrance themes, and most of all the wrestling. So let's explore what booking really is shall we??


Booking, in professional wrestling, is the process of laying out in advance the general storyline of the match, to include what the eventual outcome will be. Booking may be very detailed and include a more-or-less precise length for the match and what moves, techniques, and holds will be employed by which wrestler or wrestlers and at what point in the match each will happen.

Meaning the booker not only lays out the storyline for the matches, but also determines which wrestlers(via a certain wrestlers storyline) will face who. An example of this is Kevin Sullivan specifically stating that he hand picked Bill DeMott as Goldberg's first opponent. And further went on to say he chose DeMott because he was a veteran and would get him over the right way.

Contrary to popular belief, bookers do not "script" these matches like plays. In fact bookers leave a considerable amount of room for improvisation, mostly in the case of very talented veteran performers who can prove creativity. At other times there may be situations where the wrestlers may not be able to follow the intentions of the booker. An example of this occured at SuperBrawl VIII when Rick Martel landed badly during his rematch with Booker T, hitting his leg on one of the steel cables that WCW used as ring ropes. He tore an inside ligament of his right knee, fractured his leg and suffered cartilage damage. Martel was originally supposed to retain the Television Title in the match, which was designed to be a gauntlet match in which he would beat Booker and then Perry Saturn, but ended up suffering the knee injury. Martel and Booker worked out a finish in the ring through which Martel suffered a worse injury after a botched Harlem Sidekick.

Talented bookers are key to any successful promotion. It is this element, even above athletic performance, that generally determines the success or failure of a promotion. Even so, the booker must have wrestlers of sufficient skill to work with to make the matches appear to be at least somewhat plausible. Vince Russo for example was heavily to blame for WCW going under, because of his ridiculous storylines and Shock TV style booking.


Bookers often perform in the event in some way. The most notable example is World Wrestling Entertainment's Howard Finkel, who helped book shows, announced matches, and even wrote magazine reviews of shows. On the other hand, the before mentioned Vince Russo is viewed by many to have inserted himself too heavily. Kevin Nash was also a booker but was an active wrestler, another wrestler Triple H has also done this during his career.

The power of a group or individual to set matches and storyline is said to have booking power. A promotion's creative team has booking power by definition, but official bookers are not the only people said to have booking power. A group of wrestlers can be said to have booking power as well, a more popular example of this is The Clique(Shawn Micheals, Kevin Nash, Triple H, and Scott Hall), someone who is friends with the booker, or whose contract gives them creative control over their character (e.g., Hulk Hogan), may be said to have booking power. Backstage politics may play a large role in who gets to control the direction of matches and storylines.

Another method is called "on the fly booking" which means that a show will be booked on the night that it is to be put on.

On the fly booking was often used by WCW during the Monday Night Wars. This was done because WCW had a large undercard talent roster which would have been time-consuming to write dedicated storylines for. This time period also saw the rise of the Internet wrestling community and the management at WCW perceived a need to keep the details of upcoming storylines from leaking out. This method of booking's drawbacks became visible quickly when WCW storylines would often seem disjointed and not carry over into next week's show. In light of WCW losing the Monday Night Wars, on the fly booking is rarely practiced except in cases where a wrestler does not show up at a scheduled event or at some independent wrestling shows where the talent is not part of a permanent roster.

In closing there are multiple types of methods and influences for booking, and it is a major part of wrestling and all ways will be. You may not know who the bookers are all the time but they make world of whatever wrestling show you watch or wrestling promotion you follow go round. See you guys on Friday for my review of TNA's booking for Impact this week.

Clown Says: TNA's ECW invasion

EDIT: Everything in this post is bullshit. On this week's iMPACT, they revealed that it's not going to be an invasion angle, but instead they're doing a hardcore PPV as booked by Tommy Dreamer & Co.

This was written before that announcement, on the false premise that an invasion angle was going to occur. People reporting made up rumours and conjecture as news, I guess. Anyway, I'll leave it up for the sake of posterity or whatever, but it's about future events that never actually occurred so don't take it too seriously.

It looks like we have some new blood here at Socko's. Hi and welcome to the new guys. Sadly, they all seem to be writing about WWE so I don't have a clue what they're on about, but I'm sure it's all very astute commentary. Or something.

So. ECW invasion. I don't like the idea for two reasons:

1. I'm an ECW fan.
2. I'm a TNA fan.

Let's look at them in order.

ECW was the best wrestling promotion I've ever seen. It was revolutionary, it changed the face of pro wrestling forever, it was a genuine alternative to the corporate-approved 'sports entertainment' nonsense that is so pervasive today. That said, ECW is dead. ECW has been dead for nine years. No amount of corpse-humping is going to bring ECW back.

Most people seem to misunderstand why ECW was so great. They think it was just hardcore matches, blood and barbed wire. That was a part of it, sure, but that's not the reason it was so popular. The real reason is that it was the only wrestling show (and to this day, still is) that didn't patronise it's fans. We all know wrestling is an act. So to keep using the same old tropes - that only exist because back in the day people thought it was real - week in, week out, is ridiculous.

Take ref bumps. When have you ever seen one man bumping into another knock him out for four minutes? Never. It doesn't happen. If someone gets bowled over, they stand back up again. In any kind of sports event, if the referee goes down the match stops. Can you imagine a game of football where the ref is knocked out by an accidental collision, one team scores a goal but it doesn't count because the ref didn't see it? It would absolutely never happen, and it shouldn't ever happen in wrestling again because it's so ridiculous and staged that any legitimacy the match had goes right out the window.

The same goes for the ref getting distracted by an attractive woman at ringside, blinded with beer, etc.

ECW did away with all that, by making everything legal. People want to see chair shots, people going through tables, run-ins etc, and ECW gave it to them, but it didn't patronise them with the 'oh the ref's down' nonsense that ruins so many otherwise enjoyable matches. If you want to use a chair, just fucking use it.

It's not the chair shots that were great, it's the fact they didn't insult us in order to work them into the match.

Another great thing about ECW was that the wrestlers were allowed to develop an in-ring personality. Not a goofy gimmick that they could show off in promos, but a personality that comes across with the moves they choose to use. Not, 'Oh, I'm a pimp', 'Oh I'm a gangster', 'Oh, I'm whatever whatever', or fake crap like that. In ECW they were all just wrestlers, their personality came across during matches, not via their gimmicks. Of course there were gimmicks, the FBI, Roadkill, etc. but you didn't need a gimmick to have a character. Look at Sabu - never said a fucking word, yet is one of the most recognisable and unique wrestlers of all time, as far as his wrestling style goes.

TNA is not going to stop patronising the fans. Just look at the stupid double-pin-restart-match ending to the MCMG v Beer Money match at the last PPV. TNA loves to take the piss out of it's fanbase.

TNA is not going to stop using gimmicks and catchphrases. Ever. Pope is pimping. I'm an asshole. That's why I'm the blueprint. Styling and profiling. Whoooooooo!

TNA is not going to throw the rulebook out the window.

ECW is dead.

I also don't think the angle will be good for TNA.

The X-Division is seemingly dead - who is left now? Doug, Red, Kendrick...I think that might be it. Homicide is 'injured' at the hands of Matt Morgan. MCMG and Gen Me are tag teams (even though they fill in as X-Division to make up the numbers), AJ, Joe, Kaz, Pope and Jay Lethal are all heavyweights now, Daniels is gone, Petey Williams has been gone for a long time, god knows what the deal with Eric Young is...hell, even Shark Boy has been gone for ages.

The X-Division is the jewel in TNA's crown, or at least it used to be. Hungry, talented young wrestlers giving every match everything they have because they desperately want to make a career in wrestling and this is their one big chance to get noticed. It is the reason I became a TNA fan.

There are too many distractions now for the X-Division to be a big deal. The heavyweights roster is unbelievably bloated, and the Knockouts which is now just the Beautiful People past & present, Taylor, and Sarita, but still gets more airtime than the X-Division on a weekly basis. Plus now the bookers (Hogan and Bischoff) want face time, as well as Dixie, Flair...and now the ECW invasion angle is going to push what was once TNA's main selling point even further down the ladder.

Also, TNA have proven that bringing in big names does not equal more fans. They brought in Hogan, Bischoff, RVD, Jeff Hardy and Mr Anderson - ratings plummeted and they're only now starting to return to the level they were at before. Except now, TNA is spending a fuckton more money, and are having to let people go to afford all these names. Who were detrimental not only to the product, but also to the ratings.

Why the fuck TNA think that bringing in MORE famous names is a good idea is beyond me. All ECW fans know that ECW is dead, and only ECW fans would care about an ECW invasion angle...so the only people who would possibly be interested in this, are not interested in this.

Not to mention that WWE did THE EXACT SAME FUCKING ANGLE NINE FUCKING YEARS AGO.

Some people have theorised that this is all intended to lure Heyman to TNA...I hope this is true, Heyman is a visionary and everything he touches turns to gold. But Heyman + Hogan, Bischoff, and Russo is not the same as just Heyman. If they do manage to get him, they need to instigate a 'scorched earth' policy on the current booking team, otherwise all they're doing is adding yet another big expense on their payroll with no guarantee of any return.

Maybe I'm wrong and worrying over nothing, and the invasion will be great. I hope so, I really do. Time will tell.

I hope, at the very least, we get an RVD heel turn.

THATS A GIMMICK?!

Hõla readers, DaPredetor here and I am the newest writer here on Socko's Reviews and I am here to talk about

GIMMICKS.

Not any kind of Gimmick, no sir

STUPID GIMMICKS.

Lets Start in WWE, We have:

Hornswoggle. For Christsakes are we SUPPOSED to believe he's really a leprechaun? I don't want to see him on my TV anymore.. Take his matches with Chavo for example, we get to seeChavo wear a cowshead, lose approximately 187 times and running around spewing fascinating dialouge such as "Wheres Hornswoggle? Where is he?"

Eli Cottonwood: uncrazy crazy guy with an imaginary mustache.

Alex Riley: Annoying guy who wears a freakin varsity jacket ALL THE TIME

Titus O'Neill: walrus/dog imitator who can only seem to say " Make it a win"

TIME FOR TNA!

Jay Lethal: I may get some hate for this, but this guy has alot of talent, but his gimmick being a poke at Randy Savage? uh-uh

I'm gonna go back in time for these ones.

The Johnsons: wrestling dicks, yep.

Rainbow Express: Gay guys in thongs O_0

Well, I guess I'm done for now. See ya again next time

RAW's Booking picking up steam

Hey everyone Chris Wilson here, but for now you can just call me TiTan. I just got back into watching the WWE just recently and there's no better way to start off my week than with RAW. Now remember guys i'm not rating the matches i'm rating the booking and the segments/promos involved in the show.



I'm rating from 1 to 5, 1 being boring , 2 being lackluster, 3 being average, 4 entertaining, and 5 being must watch.





Let's start off with Randy Orton vs. Edge vs. Chris Jericho, Coming out of the MITB PPV this a good match to start off with. These three are obviously top contenders for the WWE Title(mainly because Cena is tied up with the Nexus angle). Good to determine a new #1 contender at the beggining of the show while playing into Edge and Jericho's feud, while giving the crowd endless reasons to mark for Orton early in the show. I was surprised to see this first being that the Nexus angle seems to be dominating RAW right now. But all in all good way to start the show. So I give the booking of Randy Orton vs. Edge vs. Chris Jericho a 4 out of 5.



When we return from commercial, Edge is in the ring demanding that Jericho come back out to the ring. The two jaw at each other for a minute, and i'm thinking they are going to go at it at SummerSlam.....Then Jericho mentions Nexus and then it got interesting, Jericho? Leader of the Nexus??? Enter the Nexus and with the snap of a finger my interest returns. Wade Barrett speaks and of course they quickly jump on Edge, lolz at Jericho cheering them on. Wade Barrett speaks again berating Jericho for claiming their own and they quickly jump on him as well. Nice way of tying the Nexus angle into the Jericho/Edge feud, And an even better way of separating Barrett from his pro. Its a breath of fresh air from the "usual" random Nexus attacks. I say i'll give that segment a 4 out of 5 and later on I'll tell you why.



When we return once again The Nexus are heading into their locker room and Barrett is approached by Josh Matthews. Matthews questions if any individual in Nexus can beat Mark Henry, Barrett quickly says Henry is quaking in his boots and that he will write a new chapter in WWE history. As Barrett tries to enter the locker room again he is approached by Sheamus and Sheamus offers a proposal, Barrett offers for him to step into his office, Sheamus quickly decides to wait outside. I have to say didn't like the placement of this segment I thought a match should have been in this spot so I give the Nexus/Sheamus/Matthews segment a 3 out of 5



When we come back again we are joined by John Cena on the Titantron.....hey WWE where are the matches at? anyway Cena ends his interview through titantron by saying if you can' beat em.... and we are off to another commercial. I understand pushing the Nexus angle but a Titantron interview.....2 out of 5



Finally another match.. Eve Torres vs Maryse with the winner becoming #1 contender to the Divas Title....Although the match was short, booking these two is an awesome idea and it had some intrigue going into it if you pay attention to the Divas. So I give the booking of this match a 4 out of 5

Post match Ted DiBiase storms into the ring and yells at the referee for not noticing Maryse's foot on the ropes. John Morrison runs out in street clothes(good to see him) and delivers imo a nearly botched StarShip Pain. Good way to remind us of this mid-card feud by giving Morrison camera time after a very short Diva match. But I give that segment a 3 out of 5

Next up is our current WWE Champion Sheamus coming out and bragging of his dominance over John Cena. Again another Nexus mention comes about when he mentions that him and Wade Barrett agreed to stay out of his way. Miz interrupts and the entertainment value of this promo/segment goes up as The Miz is Mr Money In The Bank, all the while Sheamus says The Miz is nothing and he is the WWE Champion and promptly leaves the ring. As he is leaving the GM sends an email saying Sheamus will be in action. Good segment, intrigue added by Mr. Money in the Bank making an appearance making us think he would cash in...... 4 out of 5

Sheamus is immediately put into action against Evan Bourne. It's always good to see Evan Bourne's high flying antics in action so I wasn't complaining. Obviously a filler match was saved by good booking as the WWE Champion kicked Bourne in the ribs out of the refs view and the hits him with the Brouge Kick to finish the match. 4 out of 5.

A nicely booked match was followed by an even more entertaining post-match segment. The Miz is sarcastically clapping for Sheamus as he gets into the ring. The Miz whacks Sheamus with the MITB breifcase while he wasn't looking. As he was waiting for Sheamus to get up(and i'm thinking he's gonna cash in) R-Truth returns and chases The Miz off. Only a 5 out of 5 because of The Miz's possible cash in and the return of a superstar that I thought would be out longer??

The Miz is now back stage flipping out over R-Truth costing him a shot at cashing in his MITB oppurtunity. 3 out of 5

Next Sheamus is walking backstage with ice on his head and he runs into "The Viper" Randy Orton. Orton tells him that its too bad what happened and that Sheamus is a target now, and that he won't hit with an arrow but with an R.....K......O......... 4 out of 5

Next is Santino and Koslov vs William Regal and Zack Ryder, I can see that the WWE is trying to put over the tag team of Santino and Koslove right now. Although they could be battling any other team, I like the fact that Zack Ryder was booked in this match because you don't see him too much on RAW these days. The booking of this match gets a 3 out of 5.

Next is Wade Barrett vs Mark Henry now this is not main event material so excellent booking to put it at the point of the show where there could be room for a final segment heavily involving the Nexus angle. Henry gets distracted by Nexus who is standing on the stage before the entrance ramp(good play on Henry being distracted because of a possible attack) and Barrett(barely) hits The Wasteland and pins Henry for the victory....I like the placement of this match being that it wouldn't have been possible for Cena's summit with Nexus to occur before it..... 4 out of 5

Barrett continues to attack Henry as the rest of Nexus makes their way to the ring. Barrett calls out Cena. Tarver gets on the mic and say they have made one truce already and Nexus gives their word that they will listen to what Cena has to say. Cena comes out and thanks them for meeting with him and offers a truce as Sheamus did earlier. Barrett answers no and proposes something bigger....and that is that Cena joins Nexus. Cena declines and Barrett tells him he can either leave a coward or get into the ring and take the most vicious beating he can imagine. Cena leaves the ring and states that he has help now as Edge, John Morrison, R-Truth, The Great Khali, and Chris Jericho make their way out and Cena say's there's one more to go and it's BRET HART and they all make their way to the ring as Nexus bails out. Nexus gets high up into the stands as Cena and his team yell at Nexus from the ring. Excellent segment to end a nicely booked show as no matter what most of the faces and Edge and Jericho were through out the show heavily pusing the Nexus angle....hell I thought Cena would join Nexus....5 out of 5

See you guys in a few days for my review of the booking and segments for TNA Impact......

WWE: My 2 Cents (#1) by Matt Dunn

Hi all. Matt Dunn here. I guess I'll just put my thoughts on WWE at the moment. I don't catch TNA so I won't be talking about them. Here goes.

Alright, Money in The Bank was Sunday Night. From all indications, it was a pretty darn good PPV. With that being said, I think they should make up their darn minds about whether to have MITB as it's own PPV or to have it at WrestleMania every year. You can't have both, it doesn't seem as special that way. With THAT said, WWE should limit the amount of gimmick PPVs. MITB would be okay because it is similar to Royal Rumble in the fact that the competitors get a title shot. But, I don't think a Hell in a Cell (for example) PPV is necessary if you book the feuds right.

Okay, I will go ahead and put down some opinions. In no particular order.

Sheamus vs Randy Orton for SummerSlam was the right way to go. I know some people would LOVE to put the WWE strap on Evan Bourne but Orton is THE guy right now. Just listen to the pops the guy gets! Up to one week ago, I was more interested in Orton/Edge/Jericho/Bourne than the Nexus saga (more on that in a sec.)

Not putting the belt on Miz was the right thing to do. It didn't seem as predictable. I mean, for pretty much all the winners except one or two, they cashed in on the Champion pretty early on. A lot of times they were either cheap shotted before hand or just competed in a grueling match. If they hold off until Mania, fine. I don't think he should cash it in at Summerslam, perhaps Survivor Series.

I also think that Evan Bourne should take the US title off of Miz when they get to that point.

Nexus FINALLY picked up some steam for me with the announcement of the big 7 on 7 match at SummerSlam. Before, it seemed like the same old crap. Now, with the attacks on Jericho and Edge, it brought some unpredictability back. Very good.

Onto Smackdown, I am pleasantly surprised that Kane is World Heavyweight Champion. It is well deserved. Guys like Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, and Drew McIntyre presumably still have a few years left. And, we've never seen Kane vs Undertaker for a Championship where the Championship wasn't vacated and the match didn't end when Stone Cold pinned the two of them. So, that would be different.

That's all I got for now. I'll have some more opinions later.

Matt Dunn

Review: WWE Money in the Bank PPV, 18th July

The WWE has decided that all of its non-‘big four’ PPVs should now be named after lame gimmicks, it would seem. We’ve had TLC, Elimination Chamber, Extreme Rules, Fatal Four Way and now we have Money in the Bank.

The Money in the Bank gimmick came in to WWE in about 2005 (I’m sure someone will correct me on this), and has done no end of damage to the integrity of the championship titles. Indeed, not only did the WWE decide to have two championship belts, they also decided that any mid-carder who needs a quick push can win the Money in the Bank match at Wrestlemania. What has made the Money in the Bank gimmick so interesting in the past, however, is that it brings together the wrestlers from Raw and Smackdown, and allows the winner to cash in on either brand (as Jack Swagger did with his move over to Smackdown). With two (yes two) MiB matches (one for each brand) the value of the gimmick and the value of the belts has been further diluted.

At the beginning of MiB, we were shown one of the most dangerous things in professional wrestling. No, I’m not talking about Hell in a Cell or the Elimination Chamber, and I’m not talking about barbed wire ropes or exploding turn buckles: I’m referring, of course, to the Spanish announce table. I think I’ve said before that WWE has lost any sense of subtlety in its storytelling and in its matches, if I haven’t, I’ve certainly thought it. It’s almost as if WWE management went: “Right, we need to do a spot where someone goes through the Spanish announce table,” the board members look on blankly, another one chirps up: “I’m not sure our demographic know what a Spanish announce table is, and I’m not sure they could picture such a thing.” And so they show, for those fans who can’t picture what an announce table looks like with people commentating in Spanish rather than English.

First up was the Smackdown MiB match. We had Dolph Ziggler, Christian, Cody Rhodes, Kofi Kingston, Kane, The Big Show, Matt Hardy and Drew McIntyre in what was actually a well-booked match... until the end that is. Unlike most recent WWE PPVs, the crowd were really into this one, and the crowd were hot for this match in particular. The match started with most of the guys beating on Show, even though when he tried to climb a ladder it broke. Christian and Hardy did some great stuff on top the ladders, reminiscent of some of their matches back in their tag team days. Kofi did a really cool Leg Drop from the top of ladder, onto Drew McIntyre who was spread out on... the Spanish announce table, woo! With Show unable to climb a regular ladder, he went under the ring to pull out a big ladder made of ‘reinforced steel’ – this thing looked heavy, this thing looked so heavy in fact that Show could hardly lift it into the ring, if you missed it I’m sure it will be on the next Botchamania. Indeed, the Big Show’s frustration was clearly evidenced when the words ‘fuck me’ left his lips. Naughty Big Show, that’s not very PG now, is it? Then came what was probably the highlight of the match for me, Show got thrown out of the ring and the rest of the wrestlers came over and buried him in a pile of ladders. I’m not sure if it was meant to be funny, but I was pissing myself. It reminded me of that ECW thing were the crowd were throwing the chairs. Awesome. Then came the ending... Kane won. Fucking Kane. Easily the worst guy possible to win this won. What the fuck?

Next up was the Divas. Don’t care. Enough time to put the kettle on.

The next match was the Hart Dynasty versus the Uzos for the tag titles. To be honest, I’m not sold on either team in this one and really didn’t care what the result was, it seemed the crowd agreed with this sentiment. The match ended with Davey Hart Smith doing the Sharpshooter (why not a Bulldog?) for the win. Pretty dull match, but luckily it was only 6 minutes long.

Next up was Rey Mysterio versus Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Title. Hang on, Kurt Angle? Lets work this out carefully: Amateur style ring attire? Check. Ankle Lock? Check. All-American gimmick? Check. That sounds like Kurt Angle to me! But wait, it’s Jack Swagger, not Kurt Angle... my mistake. Anyway, this match was pretty decent. Rey was selling an injured ankle throughout the match, which made him change his style. There were some pretty cool spots in the one like Rey getting Swagger with the Lou Thez Press of the top rope and Rey countering a superplex into a DDT for a near fall. The match culminated in Angle, sorry, Swagger getting Mysterio into an Ankle Lock. After squirming for a few moments, Rey shimmied out of his boot and took Swagger down with a Hurricianrama for the pin. This was not the end for Swagger though, he went back to work on Rey’s ankle, and Kane ran in for the save and chased Swagger to the locker-room. With Mysterio still reeling in the ring, who should return the ring but Kane, MiB briefcase in hand and cashed it in. Kane quickly worked on Rey’s ankle, put him in a Tombstone and got the pin. For fuck’s sake. That’s right, Kane, yes Kane, is now the World Heavyweight Champion. I predict, hmm, Undertaker getting the title, hmm, at Summerslam, hmm, 12 year old feud gets reignited, hmm, fans don’t care. I would care if they brought back Paul Bearer to fuck around with the Undertakers head a bit though. So let’s get this straight: rather than using this opportunity to get a young guy over, they use it to reignite a feud which has been done, four, maybe five times before, which doesn’t even need a title to establish a match... for fuck’s sake.

Another Divas match, but this time I made the mistake of watching it. Oh dear, this was bad. This was Rob Terry doing Lucha Libre bad. This was Warrior verus Hercules bad. Kelly Kelly versus Layla could go down in history as the worst thing to ever appear on a PPV. Now don’t get me wrong, Layla is hot, but God damn it, this is a wrestling show. If I wanted to watch hot girls wrestle I’d... anyway...

Next up was the Raw MiB match with Randy Orton, Miz, Mark Henry, John Morrison, Jericho, Ted Dibiase, Edge and Evan Bourne. This was actually an excellent match, and the ending was so much better than the Smackdown MiB match. There were some really good spots during this match, probably too many to go into. There was one where two guys were each on a ladder and Mark Henry came in between them and sent them flying. The commentator said something dumb along the lines of “It’s Hercules parting the Red Sea!” Because Hercules and Moses are the same, you fucking moron. Everyone seemed to get in their signature moves and Morrison did some great acrobatics between ladders before getting socked by the Miz and Edge. The worst bit of the match came when DiBiase’s lady Virgil, Maryse came in to try and grab the case for DiBiase. Morrison then fireman’s lifted her away. The ending came with a battle on the ladder between Orton and Miz with Miz unhooking the case and giving a pretty decent promo afterwards. I really wanted Miz to win this, the MiB suits an up and coming heel, but I want Miz to be the first person to cash in his case and not get the belt.

Finally, the main event was Cena versus Seamus in a cage match for the WWE title. This match had some really dumb moments. There was one where Seamus put Cena into a Sleeper Hold, with his last few breaths, Cena started Hulking up, brother. With the Sleeper Hold still tightly in place, Cena started to climb out of the cage with Seamus on his back. For fuck’s sake. Like a lot of cage matches, this one also had a number of opportunities when either competitor could get a clean win and simply escape the cage, but would rather do some spots instead. For fuck’s sake. The match went on, both did their finishers and then the NXTWo came in, bolt cutters in hand, no doubt to break into the cage and mess up the match. A little old referee came over to try and stop them and snatched the bolt cutters and made a hasty exit. Remember that this group had beaten up most of the roster, had beaten up management and had beat up legends, but it was a little referee who got the better of them. For fuck’s sake. The NXTWo then demanded that a referee gave them the key to the cage. Obviously having watched the Angle versus Anderson cage match on TNA, the ref threw the key into the crowd, and again a little ref got the better of the NXTWo. The climax to the match came when the ref in the ring got bumped and Cena got Seamus to tap out to the STF. With the ref out, Cena attempted to climb out, but Justin Gabriel of the NXTWo climbed the outside and started fighting with Cena. Meanwhile, that sneaky Irish heel managed to climb out and get the win. Seamus then legged it into the crowd.

Overall, this was a pretty good PPV. Both of the MiB matches were very good, the Swagger versus Mysterio match was also pretty decent, the Divas match I saw was bad as they come, and the main event was also pretty good. This is probably the best PPV WWE have put on this year.

Ratings:

Smackdown MiB:
***1/2

Harts versus Uzos
*

Mysterio versus Swagger
***

Kelly Kelly versus Layla
Minus *****

Raw MiB
****

Cena versus Seamus
***

PPV Rating:
***1/2