Match One: ECW Championship -
CM Punk (c) vs. Elijah Burke
WINNER: CM Punk via pinfall
TIME: 11:52
Match Two: WWE Tag Team Championship -
MVP & Matt Hardy © vs. Deuce N' Domino
WINNERS: MVP & Matt Hardy when Matt pinned Deuce
TIME: 9:19
Match Three: Triple H vs. Carlito
WINNER: Triple H via pinfall
TIME: 10:40
Match Four: Women's Championship -
Candice Michelle (c) vs. Beth Phoenix
WINNER: Candice Michelle via pinfall
TIME: 7:17
Match Five: World Heavyweight Championship -
Great Khali (c) vs. Batista vs. Rey Mysterio
WINNER: Batista via pinfall
TIME: 8:01
Match Six: World Tag Team Championship -
Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch (c) vs. Paul London & Brian Kendrick
WINNERS: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch when Murdoch pinned Kendrick
TIME: 11:48
Match Seven: WWE Championship -
John Cena (c) vs. Randy Orton
WINNER: Randy Orton via DQ
TIME: 7:22
Match Eight: Undertaker vs. Mark Henry
WINNER: Undertaker via pinfall
TIME: 11:25
Announced for No Mercy: John Cena vs. Randy Orton in a LAST MAN STANDING match for the WWE Championship.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Complete WWE Unforgiven Results
Stumble it!Saturday, September 15, 2007
WWE Unforgiven Preview and Predictions
WWE UNFORGIVEN: RETURN OF THE DEADMAN
Sunday, September 16, 2007
WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP:
Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
London and Kendrick are a fast, exciting team that can awe the audience with their fast pace, high-risk style. Cade and Murdoch are the bigger brawlers, who really work well together and are a classic example of an old-school Southern heel tag team. Put these two teams together, and it's just fun to watch because their styles are so different, yet they complement each other in an exciting way. They swapped the titles around twice during the recent tour of South Africa, so this is the rubber match of their title match series. Cade and Murdoch have pretty much dominated the tag-team scene on RAW for the past few months, but now might be the time to get the titles off of them. The audience will be firmly behind London and Kendrick, and those two really deserve a major push and extending run with the championship. For this match, I'm liking Paul London and Brian Kendrick as the new World Tag Team Champions.
WWE WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP:
Candice Michelle vs. Beth Phoenix
Finally, WWE has built up a monster diva who knows how to wrestle. I'll give Candice all the credit and respect in the world, she's really went above and beyond what was expected of her in an attempt to be a better wrestler. With more time, she could even become a great women's wrestler like Trish Stratus. But, now is not her time. Now is the time that WWE really pushes a woman that knows how to wrestle and can have a great match with Mickie James or Jillian Hall, or another diva of similar skill (like Victoria). The Glamazon has really been impressive, even dominating as of late. The reign of Candice Michelle has come to an end, unless Phoenix just goes crazy and beats the hell out of her to get a DQ. I think the odds are overwhelming that we will see a new Women's Champion in Beth Phoenix.
WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP:
MVP & Matt Hardy vs. Deuce N' Domino
The MVP/Matt Hardy feud is the best storyline in all of mainstream wrestling today, and this match will just be another chapter of that. Realistically, neither man should want to lose the championship and their storyline is progressing along well enough where ending their title run now would probably hurt their competitive feud. I like Deuce N' Domino, their gimmick is awesome and they're pretty good in the ring as well... not to mention Cherry is smoking hott! Right now though, MVP and Matt Hardy are the best Smackdown has to offer, from a storyline and in-ring aspect. Having them lose the titles now wouldn't really make much sense, and would probably cause the feud to lose a little of its steam, unless something major happened to offset the lose. For those reasons, I think we'll be seeing MVP & Matt Hardy retaining the WWE Tag Team Championship.
THE RETURN OF THE DEADMAN:
Mark Henry vs. The Undertaker
After just a few months of being on the injured list, The Undertaker finally returns, and Smackdown could really use him. Mark Henry has been at his best ever recently, which means he's improved from sucking to being okay. I didn't hate their match at WrestleMania a year or two ago, so I assume this one will be a decent "big man" match up, plust Undertaker always makes something out of nothing. As dominant as Henry has been, you know there is no way in hell The Undertaker will lose his return match, it just ain't going to happen. I assume the Deadman will put an end to this feud and begin moving towards a program to get his World Heavyweight Championship back. Your winner, The Undertaker.
NO DQ FOR CARLITO:
Triple H vs. Carlito
Interesting match up here, with the stipulation being that Carlito can do anything he wants to Triple H without being disqualified, while Triple H has to follow the rules. Triple H has been his typical self since coming back. He's a great wrestler and entertainer, but you just can't get anything over on the guy because he's treated like God... which is worse than Super Cena. Carlito has looked good for a while now, and this could be a major break for him. Unfortunately, this match is just something for Triple H to do since Booker quit and Kennedy is suspended. I'm sure we'll see Triple H bleed like a pig in this match, yet never enough damage to pin him. Eventually, he'll get pissed and nail Carlito with a chair or sledgehammer, and thus get disqualified yet still come out on top. Your winner, via DQ, Carlito!
ECW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP:
CM Punk vs. Elijah Burke
Could be the most exciting match of the night, if they're given more than seven minutes. CM Punk has really become a bonafide superstar since being brought up to the main roster a little over a year ago. Elijah Burke has continuously improved during his stint in ECW to the point where he is now the second most exciting wrestler on the brand. This was my favorite feud of the year earlier, until they brought Morrison over to ECW and dropped it in favor of Punk/Morrison, so these two getting back together is a treat for me, although I won't be watching the event. I still would like to see these two compete in a ladder match for the ECW Championship, and hopefully one day I will get the match (possibly a triple threat with Morrison). Punk just captured the title, and Burke hasn't really done anything, so it's pretty much a given that CM Punk will retain the ECW Championship.
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP:
The Great Khali vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Batista
I like Mysterio, I dislike Batista and I really dislike Khali. I'm not expecting much of anything from this match, and so I won't write much on it, other than it's likely to be the worst match of the night (and yes, I realize their is a women's match on the card). No one wants to see Khali will the title any longer, in fact he's held it a little too long as is. And no one wants to see Batista get the title back, and he's probably the worse guy in the world to give the title too at the moment anyways. So that leaves Rey Mysterio, who won't really have anyone to defend the title against until Edge gets back. What a horrible main-event scene Smackdown has. Winner and NEW World Heavyweight Champion, Rey Mysterio.
WWE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP:
John Cena vs. Randy Orton
John Cena has really won me over this year. Yeah, I'm tired of seeing him as champion, but at this point he really is the WWE. You think WWE now, you think John Cena. He really gives 110% every time he goes out there and he's the perfect face for the company... he's a model employee, unlike his opponent. Randy plays the vicious jackass heel perfectly, and has really cemented himself as a legit main-eventer for the first time in his career. Cena is coming into this match pissed off over what Randy did to his father a few weeks ago, and he hasn't really gotten his revenge yet. They like to put over Orton as ruthless, as well as a guy who plays mind games. Well, Cena's anger could well be what causes him to lose the championship if he loses focus in an attempt to get revenge. Of course, this is Super Cena that we're talking about here, so you can NEVER safely assume that he will lose the title. I'm going to go against my gut here and predict that WWE doesn't change things up and that John Cena will retain the WWE Championship.
Overall, this looks like it could be the best pay-per-view WWE has had in a while, it only has one really ugly match and that's the World Championship match. It's not worth 40 bucks, though it should easily be worth the $15-20 on DVD. I'm going to give this PPV a prediction grade of a B. We'll be posting the results (winners only, not detailed match recaps) as they happen.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP:
Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
London and Kendrick are a fast, exciting team that can awe the audience with their fast pace, high-risk style. Cade and Murdoch are the bigger brawlers, who really work well together and are a classic example of an old-school Southern heel tag team. Put these two teams together, and it's just fun to watch because their styles are so different, yet they complement each other in an exciting way. They swapped the titles around twice during the recent tour of South Africa, so this is the rubber match of their title match series. Cade and Murdoch have pretty much dominated the tag-team scene on RAW for the past few months, but now might be the time to get the titles off of them. The audience will be firmly behind London and Kendrick, and those two really deserve a major push and extending run with the championship. For this match, I'm liking Paul London and Brian Kendrick as the new World Tag Team Champions.
WWE WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP:
Candice Michelle vs. Beth Phoenix
Finally, WWE has built up a monster diva who knows how to wrestle. I'll give Candice all the credit and respect in the world, she's really went above and beyond what was expected of her in an attempt to be a better wrestler. With more time, she could even become a great women's wrestler like Trish Stratus. But, now is not her time. Now is the time that WWE really pushes a woman that knows how to wrestle and can have a great match with Mickie James or Jillian Hall, or another diva of similar skill (like Victoria). The Glamazon has really been impressive, even dominating as of late. The reign of Candice Michelle has come to an end, unless Phoenix just goes crazy and beats the hell out of her to get a DQ. I think the odds are overwhelming that we will see a new Women's Champion in Beth Phoenix.
WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP:
MVP & Matt Hardy vs. Deuce N' Domino
The MVP/Matt Hardy feud is the best storyline in all of mainstream wrestling today, and this match will just be another chapter of that. Realistically, neither man should want to lose the championship and their storyline is progressing along well enough where ending their title run now would probably hurt their competitive feud. I like Deuce N' Domino, their gimmick is awesome and they're pretty good in the ring as well... not to mention Cherry is smoking hott! Right now though, MVP and Matt Hardy are the best Smackdown has to offer, from a storyline and in-ring aspect. Having them lose the titles now wouldn't really make much sense, and would probably cause the feud to lose a little of its steam, unless something major happened to offset the lose. For those reasons, I think we'll be seeing MVP & Matt Hardy retaining the WWE Tag Team Championship.
THE RETURN OF THE DEADMAN:
Mark Henry vs. The Undertaker
After just a few months of being on the injured list, The Undertaker finally returns, and Smackdown could really use him. Mark Henry has been at his best ever recently, which means he's improved from sucking to being okay. I didn't hate their match at WrestleMania a year or two ago, so I assume this one will be a decent "big man" match up, plust Undertaker always makes something out of nothing. As dominant as Henry has been, you know there is no way in hell The Undertaker will lose his return match, it just ain't going to happen. I assume the Deadman will put an end to this feud and begin moving towards a program to get his World Heavyweight Championship back. Your winner, The Undertaker.
NO DQ FOR CARLITO:
Triple H vs. Carlito
Interesting match up here, with the stipulation being that Carlito can do anything he wants to Triple H without being disqualified, while Triple H has to follow the rules. Triple H has been his typical self since coming back. He's a great wrestler and entertainer, but you just can't get anything over on the guy because he's treated like God... which is worse than Super Cena. Carlito has looked good for a while now, and this could be a major break for him. Unfortunately, this match is just something for Triple H to do since Booker quit and Kennedy is suspended. I'm sure we'll see Triple H bleed like a pig in this match, yet never enough damage to pin him. Eventually, he'll get pissed and nail Carlito with a chair or sledgehammer, and thus get disqualified yet still come out on top. Your winner, via DQ, Carlito!
ECW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP:
CM Punk vs. Elijah Burke
Could be the most exciting match of the night, if they're given more than seven minutes. CM Punk has really become a bonafide superstar since being brought up to the main roster a little over a year ago. Elijah Burke has continuously improved during his stint in ECW to the point where he is now the second most exciting wrestler on the brand. This was my favorite feud of the year earlier, until they brought Morrison over to ECW and dropped it in favor of Punk/Morrison, so these two getting back together is a treat for me, although I won't be watching the event. I still would like to see these two compete in a ladder match for the ECW Championship, and hopefully one day I will get the match (possibly a triple threat with Morrison). Punk just captured the title, and Burke hasn't really done anything, so it's pretty much a given that CM Punk will retain the ECW Championship.
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP:
The Great Khali vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Batista
I like Mysterio, I dislike Batista and I really dislike Khali. I'm not expecting much of anything from this match, and so I won't write much on it, other than it's likely to be the worst match of the night (and yes, I realize their is a women's match on the card). No one wants to see Khali will the title any longer, in fact he's held it a little too long as is. And no one wants to see Batista get the title back, and he's probably the worse guy in the world to give the title too at the moment anyways. So that leaves Rey Mysterio, who won't really have anyone to defend the title against until Edge gets back. What a horrible main-event scene Smackdown has. Winner and NEW World Heavyweight Champion, Rey Mysterio.
WWE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP:
John Cena vs. Randy Orton
John Cena has really won me over this year. Yeah, I'm tired of seeing him as champion, but at this point he really is the WWE. You think WWE now, you think John Cena. He really gives 110% every time he goes out there and he's the perfect face for the company... he's a model employee, unlike his opponent. Randy plays the vicious jackass heel perfectly, and has really cemented himself as a legit main-eventer for the first time in his career. Cena is coming into this match pissed off over what Randy did to his father a few weeks ago, and he hasn't really gotten his revenge yet. They like to put over Orton as ruthless, as well as a guy who plays mind games. Well, Cena's anger could well be what causes him to lose the championship if he loses focus in an attempt to get revenge. Of course, this is Super Cena that we're talking about here, so you can NEVER safely assume that he will lose the title. I'm going to go against my gut here and predict that WWE doesn't change things up and that John Cena will retain the WWE Championship.
Overall, this looks like it could be the best pay-per-view WWE has had in a while, it only has one really ugly match and that's the World Championship match. It's not worth 40 bucks, though it should easily be worth the $15-20 on DVD. I'm going to give this PPV a prediction grade of a B. We'll be posting the results (winners only, not detailed match recaps) as they happen.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
TNA No Surrender is LIVE Tonight on PPV
TNA Wrestling presents Kurt Angle, LIVE Tonight on Pay-Per-View.
Witness Kurt Angle vs. Black Machismo for the X-Division Championship!
See Kurt Angle and Sting battle Ron Killings and Pacman Jones for the TNA Tag Team Championship!!
And then the epic battle, Kurt Angle vs. Abyss for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship!!!
In all seriousness, TNA's No Surrender is tonight on PPV, and as usual, the card sucks... much like all of TNA's product at the moment.
In addition to the three matches listed above, the following will take place tonight:
Samoa Joe vs. Christian Cage - Could be and should be very good.
Rhino vs. James Storm - Meh.
Kazarian vs. Robert Roode - zzzZZzzzz
Chris Harris vs. Black Reign - Piss break.
And a 10 Team Gaunlet for the #1 contendership to the Tag Team Titles, involving:
VKM, LAX, Team 3D, Motor City Machineguns, Triple X, AJ Styles & Tomko, Sonjay Dutt & Petey Williams, Raven & Havok, Eric Young & Shark Boy and Lance Hoyt & Jimmy Rave (making his debut)
And there's going to be a "Major Announcement", likely Impact expanding to two hours, and they've teased about an announcement that a former "World Champion" will be coming to TNA.
Save your $30 folks, this looks like a dud.
XtremeGirl's 5 Movies You Have To Rent This Week
1. Perfume- The Story of a Murderer
* Be forewarned, if you don’t like movies that are deep and meaningful and have a somewhat different plot, then this movie isn’t for you. *
Basically, this young boy has an outstanding sense of smell, that causes him to be one of Paris's best perfume makers. And he become obsessed with the scent of women, and tries to capture their scent by killing them.
2. Spaceballs
Think Starwars as it should have been done.
3. 3 Iron
*A Korean film, so there will be subtitles*
Basically, its about a love triangle. But, its deep and meaningful and everyone needs to see it.
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4.
It’s not as good as the old movies used to be, but it’s really fun to watch and it looks amazing to those of you who have a nice TV,.
5. Black Snake Moan
You get to see Samuel L Jackson play an electric guitar in a thunderstorm and sing the blues, and Christina Ricci takes off her top in every other scene.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Movie Review: 300
300
Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Vincent Regan
Director: Zack Snyder
Writer(s): Zack Snyder (Screenplay), Kurt Johnstad (Screenplay), Frank Miller (Novel)
Studio: Legendary Pictures (Warner Brothers)
Runtime: 117 minutes
Rated: R for graphic battle sequences throughout, some sexuality and nudity
Official UWF Score: 5 Stars
The Plot:
When the power hungry King Xerxes of Persia invades Greece with his massive army of over 100,000 to extend his vast slave empire, the brave King Leonidas brings his personal body guard army composed of 300 warriors to defend the passage of Thermopylae, the only way by land to reach Greece. Using unmatched courage and the great battle skill of his men, he defends Thermopylae until a treacherous Greek citizen tells King Xerxes a secret goat passage leading to the back of Leonidas's army. Meanwhile, his wife Queen Gorgo of Sparta tries to convince the council to send the Spartan army to fight against the Persians. This story is based off of the legendary battle, and is adapted through the mind of Frank Miller.
My Two Cents:
Just when you thought battle movies had reached as far as they could, 300 takes it to the next level. With new technology, 300 is able to create images of battle not seen before. Butler provides possibly the greatest battle role to date as Leonidas, delivering a fevered and passionate portrayal. The battle seens are incredible, the soundtrack is fantastic, the action non-stop. In my opinion, this is easily on the level of Braveheart and Gladiator. Amazing movie. A war classic.
Snowman
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Stinger's Thoughts on CM Punk's ECW Championship Win
This weeks ECW was good for one thing, CM Punk finally winning the ECW Championship. Sure, he only won it at this time because Morrison is suspended for the whole Signature scandal, but that doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is WWE just made the best decision ever, as it relates to the ECW brand.
The rest of the show was a stinker, same old stuff. But I'm a mark for CM Punk and have been for quite some time, so I'm very pleased with WWE at the moment.
Punk is an extremely talented wrestler, and is just as good as an entertainer. Now, he's a champion in the WWE, becoming the only man in history to hold the ROH and ECW Championship.
If you didn't see the title change, I suggest you go to WWE.com later this week and watch the complete match on the Hardcore Hangover webcast. It was a very good TV match, and I'm not just referring to Punk winning the ECW Championship either.
Way to go Punker!
Friday, August 31, 2007
A View From the Rafters: It's Time For WWE To Make Some Changes
It’s been almost three months since the last edition of A View From the Rafters in its column forum, today AVFR debuts as a new weekly feature of the UWF Blog. So how does AVFR: The Blog differ from the column version? Well, it’s much shorter for starters, concentrates on only one to two topics and is only about wrestling. Other than that, nothing else has changed, just don’t expect to see a full length column version of AVFR anytime soon. Onwards.
- Here’s wishing Ring of Honor star, and probably the best wrestler today, Bryan Danielson a speedy recovery after his injury a week ago, which involved damage to his retina and required laser surgery. The ROH Newswire stated that he is expected to be out from 4-6 weeks, and that there’s a 90% change he’ll regain eyesight, though it may be blurred. Danielson is an absolute beast, a super human competitor. The thing with Danielson, is he’ll come back as soon as possible and still kick ass and work hard and stiff. He’s a warrior, and I hope he regains his eyesight in his damaged eye and that it isn’t blurry.
- Good to see Triple H and Rey Mysterio back, and soon The Undertaker. Needless to say, with the events that have transpired the past couple of days, WWE can desperately use them.
- Still boycotting TNA, as I’ve done for much of the year. It’s amazing they can continue to push older guys, like Kurt Angle and Sting, over the younger talent that actually makes TNA enjoyable. Less WWE sendoffs, less Sting and the Steiner’s, and more of guys like Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Motorcity Machine Guns, etc. I want to see an alternative, not WCW mixed with WWF.
- Be sure and check out the forums if you aren’t already a member; http://z14.invisionfree.com/uwf_forums
With the announcement that 10, possibly 12, superstars have been suspended due to violations of the “Wellness Policy”, and the subsequent release of 15 WWE contracted workers tied to the Signature Pharmacy scandal, WWE is in a bad way heading into the Congressional hearings coming up in September. Obviously, WWE is still under a microscope by the media and Congress, and they aren’t going away. So what are some things WWE can do to make life easier on the wrestlers, and possibly reduce the drug intake?
Right off the bat, they should do away with the popular notion of “bigger is better”. It’s time to lay off the muscle heads who really can’t wrestle very well, and start pushing the smaller guys. You gotta remember, small guys take this stuff with the hope of getting bigger and getting that push. Now’s the time to change that perception, and curb that habit. Push the smaller guys; CM Punk, Brian Kendrick, Paul London, Shelton Benjamin and others should start getting major pushes.
Another problem, is life on the road. How do you ease that? Well, some folks might say cut house shows, but that’s not realistic; and it doesn’t do anyone any good either. So you need a compromise of sorts that cuts back on the number of house shows.
4 house shows on most weeks; 2 on PPV weeks. That's fair. It gives the wrestlers more dates and matches than TV and PPV, allows WWE to make a little extra money, and gives fans the chance to go see a non-televised event.
4 house shows a week may sound like a lot, but it's really not when you look at like this: 1 RAW and 1 Smackdown/ECW house show on Saturday; on non-PPV Sundays you have 1 RAW and 1 Smackdown/ECW house show. 4 shows in 2 days, which is really only 2 house shows a week for the rosters.
Compare running shows on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday to just running shows on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Under my plan, the wrestlers could take a flight out Friday night, possibly even Saturday morning to make the first house show. Wrestle, go to the Sunday show, and then go to the ECW/Smackdown/LIVE RAW event on Monday. Yes, all three TV shows in one day, it has been done before. You can tape backstage segments for ECW and Smackdown throughout the day and night, and only have the matches and important segments in front of the fans, this way fans aren’t completely burned out by three full TV shows in one night.
If they're not needed any more, let the ECW and Smackdown guys leave during RAW. Fly home after or during RAW, and the wrestlers have Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to spend at home with their families and to heal from injuries, and make whatever appearances are necessary.
I think that is a fair schedule, and certainly much healthier for the wrestlers.
Add in a few extra items:
NO Dress Code - I can understand the need to "look professional", but come on. These guys wrestle in small tights, it's not going to kill anyone to see the wrestlers arrive to the arena dressed comfortably in blue jean shorts and a T-shirt. Let the wrestlers dress the way they want and have fun.
NO Bans on Video Games - Let the wrestlers play video games backstage. They're at the arena for hours before the shows begin, let them have their fun before time to get serious.
Regular, Tough Drug Testing - A regular testing for all kinds of drugs, that's completely ran by an outside party. Any wrestler that fails, 30 days at home without pay. Fail it a second time, rehab clinic. Fail it a third time, released.
Company Hired Therapist at the shows on Monday. - A mental doctor for the wrestlers to talk too in private about any problems they're having. Plus routine mental health checks.
How about a "study hall" backstage? A room where wrestlers can take college classes, paid for by WWE; Mickie James takes these classes, WWE should pay for it and offer the service to all wrestlers who didn't go to college or who want to do it. Give those wrestlers that didn’t go to college, something to fall back on in the event of an career-ending injury
There's no reason WWE can't be a fun and safe, drug free, place to work.
Now what about the brand extension? Well, I have a plan for that too, right down to the rosters for each show.
RAW Exclusives:
General Manager -
William Regal
Women’s Division w/ Women’s Championship -
Victoria, Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Melina, Jillian Hall, Candice Michelle, Katie Lee, O.D.B, Nattie Niedhart, Shantelle Taylor and Maria (I’d also try and get Gail Kim back)
Intercontinental Championship
Smackdown Exclusives:
General Manager -
Theodore Long
Cruiserweight Division w/Cruiserweight Championship
Chavo Guerrero, Funaki, Gregory Helms, Jamie Knoble, Jimmy Yang, Kenny Dykstra, Shannon Moore, Daivari, Johnny Jeter, Nunzio, Super Crazy and Rey Mysterio*
* = Wildcard, moves in and out of division
United States Championship -
I’d really build this title as a TV title, defended every week on Smackdown and pushed to actually mean something.
RAW and Smackdown:
WWE World Heavyweight Championship
WWE World Tag Team Championship
Talent That Can Appear On Both Brands -
John Cena, Bobby Lashley, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, King Booker, Mr. Kennedy, Umaga, Randy Orton, Carlito, Charlie Haas, Jeff Hardy, JTG, Lance Cade, Paul London, Brian Kendrick, Robbie and Rory McAllister, Santino Marella, Shad, Charlie Haas, Trevor Murdoch, Val Venis, Batista, Brett and Brian Major, Chris Masters, Dave Taylor, Deuce, Domino, Edge, Eugene, Finlay, Hardcore Holly, Kane, Mark Henry, Matt Hardy, MVP, Rey Mysterio, Ric Flair, The Undertaker, Harry Smith, TJ Wilson and Teddy Hart
Extreme Championship Wrestling:
General Manager -
Armando Estrada
ECW World Heavyweight Championship
ECW TV Championship
ECW Talent Roster -
Balls Mahoney, Big Daddy V, CM Punk, Elijah Burke, John Morrison, Kevin Thorne, Marcus Cor Von, Matt Striker, Mike Knox, Stevie Richards, Tommy Dreamer, Colt Cabana, Cody Rhodes, “The Ripper” Paul Birchall, Ace Steel, Chet The Jett, Mike Mondo, Nick Nemeth, Shawn Spears, Sonny Siaki and Steve Lewington
Now that we have the rosters and all that out of the way, we can take a look at everything.
ECW would be a distinct and separate brand, getting one or two matches on the PPV’s and having one ECW only event all year (ran from a small venue and a lower price). It would be a developmental organization mostly, introduce new guys to the WWE audience and give them experience working in front of WWE crowds and doing live national television. Ideally, it would get a second hour to make room for the TV championship and allow for stories and feuds to really develop.
RAW would have the Women’s division exclusively, meaning the wrestling divas would not appear on Smackdown. The above listed women’s division is filled with women who can work damn good matches, so this division would be built to showcase that these women can wrestle; the division would be a RAW signature, featured each week with attention paid to it and feuds and stories actively going and involving multiple divas. RAW would also have exclusive control of the Intercontinental Championship; if you wear the IC title, then you appear exclusively on Monday Night RAW.
Over on Smackdown, you have the exclusive Cruiserweight division, which would be featured multiple times each week on Friday Night Smackdown. The CW division would focus on fast paced and exciting matches, in the vain of the cruiserweights of the Nitro days. Cruiserweights, unless they move out of the division (tag teams or Rey Mysterio), appear exclusively on Smackdown. Smackdown also has exclusive control of the United States Championship, which would be defended every week under a 15 minute time limit (unless special stipulation). This would actually be a highly contested championship, where the champion appears exclusively on Smackdown.
Other than that, RAW and Smackdown work much the same way they do now; each has a roster that appears mostly on that show. However, unless you’re a women’s wrestler, cruiserweight or IC/US champion, you’re free to move between shows. That doesn’t mean the top guys appear on both shows every week and take all the TV time, it just means they can appear to keep things fresh and fill out the card without limitations of a “specific brand” and without the need for drafts, trades, etc. With the amount of injuries and suspensions WWE have encountered this year, this could really help mask that. The WWE World Championship and the WWE World Tag Team Championship would be defended across both shows.
That’s all for this edition of A View From the Rafters: The Blog. Until next time, this has been Stinger, bringing you all my view.
- Stinger
Quick Tidbits and Random Thoughts:
- Here’s wishing Ring of Honor star, and probably the best wrestler today, Bryan Danielson a speedy recovery after his injury a week ago, which involved damage to his retina and required laser surgery. The ROH Newswire stated that he is expected to be out from 4-6 weeks, and that there’s a 90% change he’ll regain eyesight, though it may be blurred. Danielson is an absolute beast, a super human competitor. The thing with Danielson, is he’ll come back as soon as possible and still kick ass and work hard and stiff. He’s a warrior, and I hope he regains his eyesight in his damaged eye and that it isn’t blurry.
- Good to see Triple H and Rey Mysterio back, and soon The Undertaker. Needless to say, with the events that have transpired the past couple of days, WWE can desperately use them.
- Still boycotting TNA, as I’ve done for much of the year. It’s amazing they can continue to push older guys, like Kurt Angle and Sting, over the younger talent that actually makes TNA enjoyable. Less WWE sendoffs, less Sting and the Steiner’s, and more of guys like Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Motorcity Machine Guns, etc. I want to see an alternative, not WCW mixed with WWF.
- Be sure and check out the forums if you aren’t already a member; http://z14.invisionfree.com/uwf_forums
It’s Time For WWE To Implement Serious Changes
With the announcement that 10, possibly 12, superstars have been suspended due to violations of the “Wellness Policy”, and the subsequent release of 15 WWE contracted workers tied to the Signature Pharmacy scandal, WWE is in a bad way heading into the Congressional hearings coming up in September. Obviously, WWE is still under a microscope by the media and Congress, and they aren’t going away. So what are some things WWE can do to make life easier on the wrestlers, and possibly reduce the drug intake?
Right off the bat, they should do away with the popular notion of “bigger is better”. It’s time to lay off the muscle heads who really can’t wrestle very well, and start pushing the smaller guys. You gotta remember, small guys take this stuff with the hope of getting bigger and getting that push. Now’s the time to change that perception, and curb that habit. Push the smaller guys; CM Punk, Brian Kendrick, Paul London, Shelton Benjamin and others should start getting major pushes.
Another problem, is life on the road. How do you ease that? Well, some folks might say cut house shows, but that’s not realistic; and it doesn’t do anyone any good either. So you need a compromise of sorts that cuts back on the number of house shows.
4 house shows on most weeks; 2 on PPV weeks. That's fair. It gives the wrestlers more dates and matches than TV and PPV, allows WWE to make a little extra money, and gives fans the chance to go see a non-televised event.
4 house shows a week may sound like a lot, but it's really not when you look at like this: 1 RAW and 1 Smackdown/ECW house show on Saturday; on non-PPV Sundays you have 1 RAW and 1 Smackdown/ECW house show. 4 shows in 2 days, which is really only 2 house shows a week for the rosters.
Compare running shows on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday to just running shows on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Under my plan, the wrestlers could take a flight out Friday night, possibly even Saturday morning to make the first house show. Wrestle, go to the Sunday show, and then go to the ECW/Smackdown/LIVE RAW event on Monday. Yes, all three TV shows in one day, it has been done before. You can tape backstage segments for ECW and Smackdown throughout the day and night, and only have the matches and important segments in front of the fans, this way fans aren’t completely burned out by three full TV shows in one night.
If they're not needed any more, let the ECW and Smackdown guys leave during RAW. Fly home after or during RAW, and the wrestlers have Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to spend at home with their families and to heal from injuries, and make whatever appearances are necessary.
I think that is a fair schedule, and certainly much healthier for the wrestlers.
Add in a few extra items:
NO Dress Code - I can understand the need to "look professional", but come on. These guys wrestle in small tights, it's not going to kill anyone to see the wrestlers arrive to the arena dressed comfortably in blue jean shorts and a T-shirt. Let the wrestlers dress the way they want and have fun.
NO Bans on Video Games - Let the wrestlers play video games backstage. They're at the arena for hours before the shows begin, let them have their fun before time to get serious.
Regular, Tough Drug Testing - A regular testing for all kinds of drugs, that's completely ran by an outside party. Any wrestler that fails, 30 days at home without pay. Fail it a second time, rehab clinic. Fail it a third time, released.
Company Hired Therapist at the shows on Monday. - A mental doctor for the wrestlers to talk too in private about any problems they're having. Plus routine mental health checks.
How about a "study hall" backstage? A room where wrestlers can take college classes, paid for by WWE; Mickie James takes these classes, WWE should pay for it and offer the service to all wrestlers who didn't go to college or who want to do it. Give those wrestlers that didn’t go to college, something to fall back on in the event of an career-ending injury
There's no reason WWE can't be a fun and safe, drug free, place to work.
Now what about the brand extension? Well, I have a plan for that too, right down to the rosters for each show.
RAW Exclusives:
General Manager -
William Regal
Women’s Division w/ Women’s Championship -
Victoria, Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Melina, Jillian Hall, Candice Michelle, Katie Lee, O.D.B, Nattie Niedhart, Shantelle Taylor and Maria (I’d also try and get Gail Kim back)
Intercontinental Championship
Smackdown Exclusives:
General Manager -
Theodore Long
Cruiserweight Division w/Cruiserweight Championship
Chavo Guerrero, Funaki, Gregory Helms, Jamie Knoble, Jimmy Yang, Kenny Dykstra, Shannon Moore, Daivari, Johnny Jeter, Nunzio, Super Crazy and Rey Mysterio*
* = Wildcard, moves in and out of division
United States Championship -
I’d really build this title as a TV title, defended every week on Smackdown and pushed to actually mean something.
RAW and Smackdown:
WWE World Heavyweight Championship
WWE World Tag Team Championship
Talent That Can Appear On Both Brands -
John Cena, Bobby Lashley, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, King Booker, Mr. Kennedy, Umaga, Randy Orton, Carlito, Charlie Haas, Jeff Hardy, JTG, Lance Cade, Paul London, Brian Kendrick, Robbie and Rory McAllister, Santino Marella, Shad, Charlie Haas, Trevor Murdoch, Val Venis, Batista, Brett and Brian Major, Chris Masters, Dave Taylor, Deuce, Domino, Edge, Eugene, Finlay, Hardcore Holly, Kane, Mark Henry, Matt Hardy, MVP, Rey Mysterio, Ric Flair, The Undertaker, Harry Smith, TJ Wilson and Teddy Hart
Extreme Championship Wrestling:
General Manager -
Armando Estrada
ECW World Heavyweight Championship
ECW TV Championship
ECW Talent Roster -
Balls Mahoney, Big Daddy V, CM Punk, Elijah Burke, John Morrison, Kevin Thorne, Marcus Cor Von, Matt Striker, Mike Knox, Stevie Richards, Tommy Dreamer, Colt Cabana, Cody Rhodes, “The Ripper” Paul Birchall, Ace Steel, Chet The Jett, Mike Mondo, Nick Nemeth, Shawn Spears, Sonny Siaki and Steve Lewington
Now that we have the rosters and all that out of the way, we can take a look at everything.
ECW would be a distinct and separate brand, getting one or two matches on the PPV’s and having one ECW only event all year (ran from a small venue and a lower price). It would be a developmental organization mostly, introduce new guys to the WWE audience and give them experience working in front of WWE crowds and doing live national television. Ideally, it would get a second hour to make room for the TV championship and allow for stories and feuds to really develop.
RAW would have the Women’s division exclusively, meaning the wrestling divas would not appear on Smackdown. The above listed women’s division is filled with women who can work damn good matches, so this division would be built to showcase that these women can wrestle; the division would be a RAW signature, featured each week with attention paid to it and feuds and stories actively going and involving multiple divas. RAW would also have exclusive control of the Intercontinental Championship; if you wear the IC title, then you appear exclusively on Monday Night RAW.
Over on Smackdown, you have the exclusive Cruiserweight division, which would be featured multiple times each week on Friday Night Smackdown. The CW division would focus on fast paced and exciting matches, in the vain of the cruiserweights of the Nitro days. Cruiserweights, unless they move out of the division (tag teams or Rey Mysterio), appear exclusively on Smackdown. Smackdown also has exclusive control of the United States Championship, which would be defended every week under a 15 minute time limit (unless special stipulation). This would actually be a highly contested championship, where the champion appears exclusively on Smackdown.
Other than that, RAW and Smackdown work much the same way they do now; each has a roster that appears mostly on that show. However, unless you’re a women’s wrestler, cruiserweight or IC/US champion, you’re free to move between shows. That doesn’t mean the top guys appear on both shows every week and take all the TV time, it just means they can appear to keep things fresh and fill out the card without limitations of a “specific brand” and without the need for drafts, trades, etc. With the amount of injuries and suspensions WWE have encountered this year, this could really help mask that. The WWE World Championship and the WWE World Tag Team Championship would be defended across both shows.
That’s all for this edition of A View From the Rafters: The Blog. Until next time, this has been Stinger, bringing you all my view.
- Stinger
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