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
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Stinger's Thoughts: Wrestling, Politics and More!
Stinger's Thoughts:
August 30, 2007
First off, I apologize for the lack of updates, specifically over our "Summer Slam Weekend Extravaganza". I was without Internet the entire weekend of Summer Slam because my modem/router died on me. There was no RAW thoughts because I didn't see the whole show, and no ECW thoughts as I did not watch it this week. Things are settling down for the moment though, and so I'm kick start the blog updates with this edition of Stinger's Thoughts: Wrestling, Politics and More!
From what I've read, Summer Slam turned out to be a real stinker of a show with only a couple of "good" matches. That's disappointing because the show could have been really good. Of course this means that I want be getting the DVD of the event, as I had planned on doing. What really amazes me, is that nothing changed. We're still stuck in the same nothing happening time. Cena is still champion, Khali is still champion. Umaga, whom I enjoy, retains his title pinning Kennedy in around eight minutes? Morrison is still champion. Absolutely nothing happened, outside of Triple H returning to squash King Booker and Mysterio coming back. What a waste of a perfectly good opportunity to have a good show, and a show where things change and set a new direction. It's like WWE and TNA are competing to see who can screw the booking up the most.
It's times like these that I am so glad to have the Internet, and so glad that a promotion like Ring of Honor exist. No matter how frustrated I get with wrestling because of WWE and TNA, I can also stick in a ROH DVD or watch some good Indy wrestling online and remember what I like and appreciate about the industry. In fact, if it weren't for ROH - and a few other Indy promotions - I doubt I would still call myself a wrestling fan. ROH actually gives me hope that one day WWE and TNA will smarten up and improve, just a little bit. I don't think asking for quality wrestling from the "Big Two" is asking too much. WWE ripped off ECW during the Attitude Era, it's about time they or TNA completely rip off Ring of Honor and produce quality wrestling. Hell, if WWE doesn't want to make RAW a wrestling show, then just dump all the trash and gimmicks in ECW on RAW, and bring over The Hooliganz, The World's Greatest Tag Team, Matt Hardy and call up Ace Steel and Colt Cabana (and Matt Sydal when he signs) and give that 1.5 audience that ECW gets a quality, ROH-like show.
Moving away from wrestling, the Texas GOP Straw Poll is happening is happening this Saturday, September 1st. If you live in Texas, and have been a Delegate or Alternate Delegate to at least one of the last 4 Republican State Conventions (2000, 2002, 2004 or 2006) or one of the last 2 Republican National Conventions (2000 or 2004), then be sure to show up at the Fort Worth Convention Center and vote for Ron Paul. There's a lot of Ron Paul events happening in Texas this week, so all you freedom-loving Texans get out and show your support for the only candidate worthy of the White House, Ron Paul. For more on the events happening this week in Texas, check out http://www.ronpaul2008.com/texas/
Speaking of Ron Paul, the good Doctor/Congressman recent published the latest edition of his weekly Texas Straight Talk column, talking about America's aging infrastructure. You can read the entire article at www.house.gov/paul or you can read it at the Ron Paul Library (which I recommend) at http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/document.php?id=936. It's a good read, and I'll quote the closing paragraph of it here:
"Even the most ardent liberal and passionate conservative can agree that when they pay gasoline taxes, the least they expect is a road and bridge system that won't crumble beneath their feet. Before any subsidies or welfare payments are paid out, before social security is handed out to illegal immigrants, or health care is given to everyone, before bridges to nowhere are built at home, or entire countries bombed and rebuilt abroad, before any other myriad of exotic government projects are even considered, infrastructure should be attended to and taken seriously."
Now is there anyone out there that can honestly tell me the above paragraph from Dr. Paul's column doesn't make sense and give me one reason why we shouldn't do that? I didn't think so. The so-called Mainstream Media might try and ignore Ron Paul as much as they can (with the exception of MSNBC, specifically Tucker Carlson), but as more and more American's become exposed to the message of Ron Paul, more and more will continue to join in support for him. The man makes way too much sense, and is way too honest to simply be ignored. We'll see how much the MSM ignores Paul this weekend when he finishes within, at least, the top two. If he finishes below third, then God help us all- the country will be undeniably full of morons who want government to control everything and taxes to pay for everything.
Thomas Jefferson once said that "The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first." Slowly but surely though, those chains of Constitution are coming undone. The Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, Presidential directives that give the President dictator powers in the case of a national emergency, secret acts and alliances being formed and signed without the consent of Congress or the American people, all of these (and many more) are seeing the Constitution fading away in the name of "safety". Only one man running for president will halt this push towards, basically, a police state, and that man is the "Champion of the Constitution" Ron Paul. So come on America, don't be idiots and give the country that Patriots and the Founders worked so hard to create away, be smart and VOTE for Ron Paul when the time comes.
College football is finally here, in just a few more days and I can't wait to watch some SEC action. The SEC is easily the toughest and most brutal conference out there, which is why it's just so much fun to watch. Of course I'll be pulling for my two favorite teams, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the defending National Champions, the Florida Gators.
I recently tried out the new iMac at a friends house, and I'm actually pretty impressed. I haven't been a fan of Mac's in the past, but I do like this new one. I like it so much in fact, that I plan on getting myself one sometime before Christmas. It's a slick and fast machine, though it certainly isn't a powerful gaming machine.
Since I was without Internet last Sunday, there was no Match of the Week this week. That will be returning this Sunday. UWF Forum staff member Jules has joined the UWF Blog staff and should get to posting stuff soon; as should the other members.
That's all for Stinger's Thoughts, more updates are coming throughout the week. Take care,
- Stinger
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Movie Review: Wild Hogs
Wild Hogs
Starring: Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy, Marisa Tomei
Director: Walt Becker
Writer(s): Brad Copeland
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
Runtime: 100 minutes
Rated: PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and some violence
Official UWF Score: 3 ½ Stars
What happens when you put Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William Macy together? You get a funny movie, that’s what.
The four stars play middle-aged friends with not a whole lot of excitement going on in their lives. Doug Madsen (Allen) is a dentist looking to impress his wife and son, who he feels thinks that he is lame. Woody Stevens (Travolta) seems to be a successful and wealthy man, but his life falls apart when his supermodel wife divorces him and he goes broke. Bobby Davis (Lawrence) is a janitor who gets no respect from his children or his successful and bossy wife. And there’s Dudley Frank (Macy), who is a computer software programmer and all around nerd who has no wife or girlfriend, or kids.
In their lame, broken, dominated and lonely mid-life crisis, the four friends, known as the ‘Wild Hogs’, decide to take a bike trip in search of adventure and freedom, and to reclaim their youth. As always though, there’s a group of bad guy bullies (the Del Fuegos) who want to spoil their fun, especially after Travolta causes their biker bar to blow up in a huge explosion. Eventually, the group gets tired of running and hiding from the Del Fuegos and decide to take a stand for not only themselves, but for an entire town that is terrorized by the Del Fuegos. All this leads to a rather cheesy ending.
Cheesy ending aside, the film is solid from start to finish and is loaded with a lot of humorous moments and lines; most having to do with toilet humor, gay moments, and bike related incidents and crashes. If you’re looking for a good comedy filled with laughs and little bit of action, then you should definitely add Wild Hogs to your DVD collection.
- Stinger
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Stinger's ECW Thoughts: 08/21/07
Stinger's ECW Thoughts:
August 21, 2007
Having Armando as the GM of ECW just adds a little extra something to the brand, granted not a real lot. He’s an entertaining character, and he has the ability to be a great heel GM for the brand, if they choose to go in that direction. I had high hopes when he announced a Extreme Rules match, but sadly that was ruined once he brought Big Daddy V in for another squash of Tommy Dreamer.
Big Daddy V is quick and agile for a man of his massive size, but I just don’t care to see him squash people (here lately Dreamer) week in and week out. Let’s not forget, just a couple of months ago this guy was wearing pajamas and jobbing on RAW and Heat. In an Extreme Rules match, Tommy Dreamer should have been able to get in a lot of offense and at least seem like he has a shot of winning. Instead, they took the quick and easy route of letting Big Daddy V dominate a boring “extreme” match.
The McMahon soap-opera is bad enough when it just takes up time on RAW, stretching it out across all three brands just makes it all the more crappy. It’s already been taking over the top and well out of the realm of reality, we don’t need non-funny segments with every nut job and freak being introduced as someone who is possible McMahon’s son. They bring in Balls Mahoney for the segment to make up for his part of SNME being edited off the show, and all we get out of it is a predictable genital joke with Vince blurting out “I’ve got no balls”. Hardly classifies as entertaining.
Continuing with Balls Mahoney, his match with Elijah Burke was just flat boring, though it bordered on being decent. To top it off, Balls Mahoney actually won the damn match with a clean pinfall. That’s just a damn shame. Afterwards, we get even more Balls backstage with Miz and Kelly Kelly, continuing on that soap. Last week we get a double dose of Big Daddy V, this week an overdose of Balls Mahoney? What the hell?
Stevie Richards and Kevin Thorne continue their feud, this time with Richards attacking Throne backstage during an interview. I like this feud, these two should have gotten a spot on Summer Slam.
More McMahon garbage in search of his bastard son. The good news is, this time it involved CM Punk, who was quite entertaining in running down the chairman. It’s just too bad he didn’t tell McMahon he wasn’t his son because… he’s better than McMahon. Eh, I just want to hear that catchphrase in McMahon-land.
The main event was about as good as a match involving Boogeyman and The Miz could be. Thankfully, CM Punk did most of the work for his team. Of course heading into Summer Slam, John Morrison picked up the pinfall on Punk after making a tag without Punk seeing it. Normally, I don’t like watching Punk get beat, but with this being the last ECW show before Summer Slam, I’m hoping it sets up Punk’s revenge at the PPV; and Punk winning the title in the process.
If there’s one thing ECW needs right now, it’s CM Punk as ECW Champion. Hopefully that comes to pass this Sunday. Other than the Punk related stuff and the continuing of the Richards/Thorne feud, this was a show that didn’t offer anything but boredom.
- Stinger
August 21, 2007
Having Armando as the GM of ECW just adds a little extra something to the brand, granted not a real lot. He’s an entertaining character, and he has the ability to be a great heel GM for the brand, if they choose to go in that direction. I had high hopes when he announced a Extreme Rules match, but sadly that was ruined once he brought Big Daddy V in for another squash of Tommy Dreamer.
Big Daddy V is quick and agile for a man of his massive size, but I just don’t care to see him squash people (here lately Dreamer) week in and week out. Let’s not forget, just a couple of months ago this guy was wearing pajamas and jobbing on RAW and Heat. In an Extreme Rules match, Tommy Dreamer should have been able to get in a lot of offense and at least seem like he has a shot of winning. Instead, they took the quick and easy route of letting Big Daddy V dominate a boring “extreme” match.
The McMahon soap-opera is bad enough when it just takes up time on RAW, stretching it out across all three brands just makes it all the more crappy. It’s already been taking over the top and well out of the realm of reality, we don’t need non-funny segments with every nut job and freak being introduced as someone who is possible McMahon’s son. They bring in Balls Mahoney for the segment to make up for his part of SNME being edited off the show, and all we get out of it is a predictable genital joke with Vince blurting out “I’ve got no balls”. Hardly classifies as entertaining.
Continuing with Balls Mahoney, his match with Elijah Burke was just flat boring, though it bordered on being decent. To top it off, Balls Mahoney actually won the damn match with a clean pinfall. That’s just a damn shame. Afterwards, we get even more Balls backstage with Miz and Kelly Kelly, continuing on that soap. Last week we get a double dose of Big Daddy V, this week an overdose of Balls Mahoney? What the hell?
Stevie Richards and Kevin Thorne continue their feud, this time with Richards attacking Throne backstage during an interview. I like this feud, these two should have gotten a spot on Summer Slam.
More McMahon garbage in search of his bastard son. The good news is, this time it involved CM Punk, who was quite entertaining in running down the chairman. It’s just too bad he didn’t tell McMahon he wasn’t his son because… he’s better than McMahon. Eh, I just want to hear that catchphrase in McMahon-land.
The main event was about as good as a match involving Boogeyman and The Miz could be. Thankfully, CM Punk did most of the work for his team. Of course heading into Summer Slam, John Morrison picked up the pinfall on Punk after making a tag without Punk seeing it. Normally, I don’t like watching Punk get beat, but with this being the last ECW show before Summer Slam, I’m hoping it sets up Punk’s revenge at the PPV; and Punk winning the title in the process.
If there’s one thing ECW needs right now, it’s CM Punk as ECW Champion. Hopefully that comes to pass this Sunday. Other than the Punk related stuff and the continuing of the Richards/Thorne feud, this was a show that didn’t offer anything but boredom.
- Stinger
UWF Schedule: SummerSlam Weekend Extravaganza
The remainder of this week will see a fair amount of new content added to the blog, so here’s a sort of unofficial schedule of new post I’ll be making this week (this schedule doesn’t include any post that any other staff member may make).
Tuesday Night (08/21) or Wednesday Morning (08/22)
- Stinger’s ECW Thoughts: 08/21/07
Wednesday (08/22)
- Movie Review - “Wild Hogs”
- Wrestling DVD Review - “The Best of CM Punk: In Full Impact Pro”
Thursday (08/23)
- Video Game Review - “Super Paper Mario”
On Friday (08/24) we’ll kick off our SummerSlam Weekend Extravaganza with the following:
Friday (08/24)
- Stinger’s Top 5 SummerSlam Matches
- Daily Motion Video: Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog - Summer Slam ‘92
Saturday (08/25)
- Stinger’s Top 5 SummerSlam Events
- YouTube Video: SummerSlam 2002 Highlights
Sunday (08/26)
- The Wrestling Factor Special Edition: SummerSlam 2007 Thoughts & Predictions
- Live Event and TWF Prediction Results
* Schedule and post are subject to change.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Stinger's RAW Thoughts: 08/20/07
Stinger's RAW Thoughts:
August 20, 2007
I’m going to quickly move through my RAW thoughts this week, so this will be pretty short.
After months of bad RAW after bad RAW, we finally get a good one. The entertainment segments with Ron Simmons/Maria/Santino/Jillian were perfectly acceptable and mildly humorous. It’s just the kind of goofiness the show needs, not the over-the-top kind.
McMahon’s illegitimate child is a male, as pretty much predicted. I’ve tried, but I lost interest in the angle the second they announced that his bastard child was a WWE employee. That, to me, totally through out any sense of realism the angle could have had. I, like most everyone else, am anticipating and predicting that his son will end up being Mr. Kennedy. It’s just a shame that don’t use this to bring someone new into the company. As usual, there was a little too much McMahon on the show, and that’s a not a good thing to me.
Why the hell does Snitsky still receive a WWE paycheck? He sucks, be it talking or wrestling, he flat out sucks. So, despite the Cena/Orton storyline, having Snitsky in the main event with Cena killed the ending of the show. The sooner Snitsky’s “monster” push comes to an end and he gets off my television, the better we’ll all be.
Carlito and Mr. Kennedy had a very good, and lengthy, match to determine who will face Umaga at SummerSlam. I’m not usually a fan of double-pins and no contests, but given the circumstance, it was the right decision. Both Carlito and Kennedy deserve a big match at SummerSlam, and Umaga is just the man to face them. I’m predicting right now, this triple threat match for the Intercontinental Championship will be the SummerSlam show-stealer. I’m expecting something great from these three.
The Hooligans and The Rednecks had a nice little match until Cryme Tyme messed it up with their unentertaining BS. But, the fans in attendance seem to enjoy Cryme Tyme’s actions, so I can’t totally knock it. It just doesn’t come off well on TV, especially when it interrupts a solid tag match- which we don’t get to see often.
Shelton Benjamin gets jobbed out to Cody Rhodes. I like Rhodes, but Benjamin and Haas deserve a lot more than putting this kid over at the moment. I’ll be glad when this little feud ends and WWE (hopefully) pushes TWGTT to the tag team titles.
Candice Michelle continues to improve, even if she has become a tad bit more annoying. Oh well, the Diva’s Battle Royal at SummerSlam should be quick and decent enough, I just hope Victoria wins it and comes back to RAW. Then again, I also would like to see Beth Phoenix win it and then become Women’s Champion, because damn does she own.
Overall, a pretty solid RAW and a much better outing than previous weeks and months. Hopefully the trend continues next week with the RAW after SummerSlam and the RAW return of the King of Kings… Triple H.
- Stinger
August 20, 2007
I’m going to quickly move through my RAW thoughts this week, so this will be pretty short.
After months of bad RAW after bad RAW, we finally get a good one. The entertainment segments with Ron Simmons/Maria/Santino/Jillian were perfectly acceptable and mildly humorous. It’s just the kind of goofiness the show needs, not the over-the-top kind.
McMahon’s illegitimate child is a male, as pretty much predicted. I’ve tried, but I lost interest in the angle the second they announced that his bastard child was a WWE employee. That, to me, totally through out any sense of realism the angle could have had. I, like most everyone else, am anticipating and predicting that his son will end up being Mr. Kennedy. It’s just a shame that don’t use this to bring someone new into the company. As usual, there was a little too much McMahon on the show, and that’s a not a good thing to me.
Why the hell does Snitsky still receive a WWE paycheck? He sucks, be it talking or wrestling, he flat out sucks. So, despite the Cena/Orton storyline, having Snitsky in the main event with Cena killed the ending of the show. The sooner Snitsky’s “monster” push comes to an end and he gets off my television, the better we’ll all be.
Carlito and Mr. Kennedy had a very good, and lengthy, match to determine who will face Umaga at SummerSlam. I’m not usually a fan of double-pins and no contests, but given the circumstance, it was the right decision. Both Carlito and Kennedy deserve a big match at SummerSlam, and Umaga is just the man to face them. I’m predicting right now, this triple threat match for the Intercontinental Championship will be the SummerSlam show-stealer. I’m expecting something great from these three.
The Hooligans and The Rednecks had a nice little match until Cryme Tyme messed it up with their unentertaining BS. But, the fans in attendance seem to enjoy Cryme Tyme’s actions, so I can’t totally knock it. It just doesn’t come off well on TV, especially when it interrupts a solid tag match- which we don’t get to see often.
Shelton Benjamin gets jobbed out to Cody Rhodes. I like Rhodes, but Benjamin and Haas deserve a lot more than putting this kid over at the moment. I’ll be glad when this little feud ends and WWE (hopefully) pushes TWGTT to the tag team titles.
Candice Michelle continues to improve, even if she has become a tad bit more annoying. Oh well, the Diva’s Battle Royal at SummerSlam should be quick and decent enough, I just hope Victoria wins it and comes back to RAW. Then again, I also would like to see Beth Phoenix win it and then become Women’s Champion, because damn does she own.
Overall, a pretty solid RAW and a much better outing than previous weeks and months. Hopefully the trend continues next week with the RAW after SummerSlam and the RAW return of the King of Kings… Triple H.
- Stinger
Sunday, August 19, 2007
MOTW#2: El Generico/Human Tornado vs. Chris Bosh/Scott Lost
Match of the Week: August 19-25
El Generico & Human Tornado vs. Chris Bosh & Scott Lost - PWG Zombie's Shouldn't Run
El Generico & Human Tornado vs. Chris Bosh & Scott Lost - PWG Zombie's Shouldn't Run
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Stinger's ECW Thoughts: 8/14/07
Stinger's ECW Thoughts:
August 14, 2007
August 14, 2007
Armando Alejandro Estrada was named the General Manager of the ECW brand, which is a smart decision because Estrada is entertaining and ECW desperately needed the direction a GM can bring. This was a good decision by WWE, and it will be interesting to see how big a role Estrada plays as the GM.
The CM Punk/John Morrison Summer Slam contract signing was as good as a contract signing can be. Morrison is coming into his own during his promos, he seems to have gained a little confidence in himself, which has helped. Punk is always good on the stick, though I was really hoping he’d say “I’m straight-edge, and that means I’m better than you”. One day, he will get to utter some variation of that saying on WWE television… and I will mark out when he does.
Armando made two matches after the contract signing, CM Punk vs. Big Daddy V and John Morrison vs. The Boogeyman. Punk/V was up first, and was about what you would expect a match between the two to be like. They’re in the process of trying to push Big Daddy V, so CM Punk had to sell that by not getting in much offense. Big Daddy V wins via count-out, which makes sense in that neither man needs a clean loss at the moment.
Big Daddy V has some agility for his size, and in his current role I don’t have any problem with him. However, there’s no reason we should have to sit through TWO matches featuring Big Daddy V in one show. Big Daddy V squashed Tommy Dreamer in under a minute, for no reason at all.
It appears Balls Mahoney is in a cheesy, high school like storyline with Kelly Kelly, Miz and the rest of the Extreme Expose. So Balls has a “crush” on Kelly, who cares?
The Stevie Richards/Kevin Thorne feud continued, as it should because I like it. Unfortunately, WWE saw fit to have Thorne completely dominate the four minute match. Thorne picks up the pinfall victory, continues the assault, and the referee reverses his decision and declares Stevie Richards the winner; giving Stevie his third “victory” in a row over Throne. Kinda pointless if you’re just going to have Richards get squashed the whole match. WWE needs to treat these feuds like real feuds, and not just time-fillers. Just because ECW only gets one matches on these tri-branded PPV’s, doesn’t mean they have to just not care about things outside of the ECW Championship scene.
Elijah Burke thinks he could be Vince’s son? They really need to get Burke in the ring again, because he is easily one of the best talents on the ECW brand. Do something with him WWE, he doesn’t have to be feuding with Punk to get airtime… does he? This show needs a weekly dose of the Elijah Experience, and that’s just all there is to it.
The main event was as crappy as any Boogeyman match. Of course it had a predictable DQ victory for Boogeyman. You knew when Punk got counted out that Morrison would get disqualified. Boogeyman needs to stick to short, comedic skits backstage- and stay out of the ring because he sucks.
Overall, this was one of the weaker ECW shows in recent memory, as nothing outside of the announcement of Estrada as GM and the Punk/Morrison contract sighing was worth watching. Hopefully next weeks show will be better
- Stinger
The Wrestling Factor: Quick Thoughts on Brian Adams
Yesterday, the wrestling world was stricken with another death of a wrestler under the age of 45. Already, mainstream media outlets such as FOX News are running with the story of the death of Brian “Crush” Adams. Coming less than two months after the Chris Benoit double murder-suicide, FOX News is running the headline “WWE Wrestler Brian Adams Found Dead”. Despite the headline, if you actually click it to the read the article, you’ll see that they now say Adams last performed for WWE in 2001. I’m going to assume they got a few emails from folks, because initially they seemed to be running with it as if here were a current WWE superstar. Media coverage aside, it is another sad time for wrestling fans.
Crush was no favorite of mine, and to be honest, I haven’t missed him since his failed WWE run in 2001. However, the man did have some talent and was part of a tag team that I really did like in WCW; KroniK.
I look back at him becoming the third member of Demolition, turning into the baby face Kona Crush, to the man that was in the final three of the 1995 Royal Rumble and a man that was a member of the famed New World Order. Despite all his runs in WWE and WCW, I’ll always remember his time as one-half of KroniK as being the one time I was really behind him.
KroniK was a WCW highpoint during their troubled times at the end, as far as I’m concerned anyway. They (Adams and his friend Bryan Clarke) were a dominating power-house tandem who tore through the WCW tag division on their way to becoming WCW World Tag Team Champions. The fact that I liked the KroniK team so much towards WCW’s end, is probably why I was really disappointed with KroniK’s run in WWE after WCW was bought out.
I said earlier that I haven’t missed Brian Adams since his failed run in 2001, and I meant it. KroniK was a team I really liked, and I remember thinking they would be huge back in WWE (this is Crush and Adam Bomb after all). When they came in, I was happy, thought that was exactly what the Invasion needed. Sadly, they had a really bad match against the Brothers of Destruction at the Unforgiven pay-per-view and was released from WWE in about twenty days, so they didn’t even get a month.
And now, Brian Adams is dead at 43 and the cause is still unknown at the moment. Another wrestler has left us way too early. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
- Stinger
Snowman's Rant: Raw 8/13/07
Let's be honest...this edition of RAW should have been big. You are in Madison Square Garden, just shy of Summerslam, your second biggest PPV of the year, and you do a complete face plant. Where do I begin? Well the opening was the same as last week, but for obvious reasons. You bring in Stephanie, who's voice should be used as a form of torture in Iraq. You announce that the fruit of Vince's loins is standing by ring side. So far, 2 outta 3 ain't bad, but you don't announce it....you save it for Saturday Night's main event. Ok, fine, I can accept that, you want to boost ratings because your last couple of attempts have been DOA. So what should you do to make it up to the crowd? GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT. But that doesn't happen. You give us a card of boring matches, you give us a tag match that ends in a blatant DQ, a match with Kennedy and Sandman that looks as if it should be on Heat, WWE IDOL?!, a slew of Randy Orton videos, a main event that was sub par at best, and my personal favorite....NO TRIPLE H?! You are at the hottest venue in the country, the one Vince has wet dreams about, and you don't bring back your big gun?! What the hell are you thinking?! You deny them what they came to see, and then you give them a main event in which Cena wins after playing the face in trouble for the 20 mins?! I'm surprised the New York faithful didn't start tearing the seats out! I'd be pissed if I just paid 50 dollars or more on a ticket to that show! Vince, your constant melodrama is getting beyond boring, no one cares about your family issues. This was entertaining back in 2001....not now. Oh, and Vince, btw....WHAT THE HELL DID The World's Greatest Tag Team and The Hooligans do to deserve their jobber status huh? Oh that's right, they are all WRESTLERS....you only have tv time for "Sports Entertainers". That explains why Snitsky, Big Daddy V, The Boogeyman, and Khali get all the air time...they lack talent, and that afterall is what we fans want to see. A bunch of no talent, stupid gimmick, ZERO fan following hacks take up our precious time each and every week.
Kudos Vince....you're an idiot.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Stinger's RAW Thoughts - 8/12/07
Stinger's RAW Thoughts:
August 12, 2007
August 12, 2007
The Matches:
Sandman vs. Mr. Kennedy - Of course Kennedy wins a meaningless squash against a washed-up ECW original, as he should. Fortunately, the match wasn’t very long. Wasn’t very good either, but that was to be expected once Sandman’s music hit. Hopefully Kennedy moves on to better things, very soon.
Cryme Tyme vs. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch - This was a decent-to-good tag team match, and a prime example of two different styles and two reasons why WWE should push the tag division. Cryme Tyme can be an exciting team, as well as entertainers if they don’t gone on for too long. Cade and Murdoch are a good old-school Southern style team, and being from Alabama and growing up on NWA and early WCW, it’s nice to see again. Cade & Murdoch win via DQ.
Snitsky vs. Robbie McAllister - Someone tell me why Snitsky still has a job, and why a decent team like the Highlanders are being fed to this waste of time. Snitsky wins in less than twenty seconds. Like everything Snitsky does, it sucked.
Charlie Haas vs. Cody Rhodes - This was actually a decent little match, but unfortunately the crowd didn’t care very much for it, though there was a “Let’s Go Cody” chant. I’d like to see more from these two, though I suspect the eventual Cody Rhodes vs. Shelton Benjamin match will be better and will have some crowd support. Poor Charlie, he picks up another lose, this time via a simple small package.
John Cena & Umaga vs. Randy Orton & Carlito - Good main event, though nothing better. Cena played the face in peril, being dominated by Carlito and Orton for the majority of the match. Cena and Umaga botched a tag, which offered up a moment of confusion, before Umaga came in and clean house. Apparently Super Cena tagged Umaga on the back while he was running the ropes, as Cena came in and hit the FU on Carlito to pick-up the pinfall. Umaga is on fire, I see big things in his future.
The Entertainment:
The Vince McMahon Soap Opera - Naturally, WWE takes an angle that could be realistic and blows it way out of proportion by revealing that Mr. McMahon has been sexually active since at least twelve (12) years of age, and that his illegitimate child is a WWE superstar; and it can be anyone, even Rick Flair! So not only is anyone on the roster a potential “bastard”, we’re suppose to believe that it’s sheer coincidence McMahon’s child is a current WWE superstar. They never cease to amaze by taking the stupidest possible route and going way over the top. Many unentertaining segments of Vince talking about his sexual activity (including doing it in corn fields, on Mount Rushmore and on an iceberg) and Boogeyman singing “Cats In The Craddle”, and Coach trying to figure out who the child is. Not really entertaining stuff, certainly nothing that would logically increase ratings.
WWE Idol - Much like “The Dating Game” last week, this was a genuinely fun segment where William Regal shinned. These are the types of segments WWE should do if they want funny and entertaining segments, not over the top McMahon soaps. Regal, Maria, Ron Simmons and Mick Foley all made this segment work (and sadly, even Santino played his role well). I hope these little game shows continue, they’re quite fun; especially when you’re a mark for Regal, Maria and Simmons.
King Booker/King Lawler Segment - This only served to have Booker attack King Lawler and announce the Booker vs. Triple H match at Summer Slam. WWE wasted a perfectly good opportunity to boost the ratings by bringing Triple H out there, like the fans wanted. But now, we’ll have to shill out $40 to see the return of the King of Kings. No thanks, I’ll skip.
Overall, while this was one of the better RAW’s of the past couple of months, it was still nothing to write home about. McMahon just isn’t entertaining in this story, and nothing is exciting about the road the angle is taking. It’s just the same old, same old McMahon soap that’s heading down the predictable path. This RAW, like most others, was also lacking in the wrestling department. From my view point, it seems like it would be in WWE’s best interest to cater to all types of fans. So with that said, how come they can’t give us fans that love to see GOOD wrestling one good to great match a week? It’s really not that much to ask, especially when you show that much crap and make folks pay $40 for a two and a half hour PPV.
- Stinger
R.I.P. Brian "Crush" Adams
World Wrestling Entertainment has learned that Brian Adams, also known to our fans as Crush, has been found dead today.
All of us here at the United Wrestling Front send our condolences to Mr. Adams' family, friends and fans. Tomorrow we'll take a brief look back at the career of the man known as Crush in a special Crush tribute edition of The Wrestling Factor.
All of us here at the United Wrestling Front send our condolences to Mr. Adams' family, friends and fans. Tomorrow we'll take a brief look back at the career of the man known as Crush in a special Crush tribute edition of The Wrestling Factor.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
TNA Hard Justice/TWF Predictions Results
TNA Hard Justice Results
Motorcity Machine Guns vs. Triple X (Daniels & Senshi) vs. Sonjay Dutt & Black Machismo
Predicted Winner: Triple X
Actual Winners: Sonjay Dutt & Black Machismo @ 15:36 when Machismo pinned Daniels.
Kaz vs. Raven
Predicted Winner: No Prediction
Actual Winner: Kaz @ 5:37 via pinfall
Barroom Brawl: James Storm vs. Rhino
Predicted Winner: Rhino
Actual Winner: James Storm @ 13:03 via pinfall
VKM vs. LAX
Predicted Winner: LAX
Actual Winner: LAX @ 5:06 via pinfall
Humiliation Match: Eric Young vs. Robert Roode
Predicted Winner: Eric Young
Actual Winner: Robert Roode @ 9:26 via pinfall
Chris Harris vs. Black Reign
Predicted Winner: Black Reign
Actual Winner: Chris Harris @ 4:40 via DQ
The Steiner Brothers vs. Team 3D
Predicted Winner: Steiner Brothers
Actual Winner: Steiner Brothers @ 11:01 via pinfall
Doomsday Chamber of Blood: Christian Cage, AJ Styles & Tomko vs. Sting, Abyss & Andrew Martin
Predicted Winners: Christian Cage, AJ Styles & Tomko
Actual Winners: Sting, Abyss & Andrew Martin @ 10:10 when Abyss pinned Styles
Winner Takes All: Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe
Predicted Winner: Kurt Angle
Actual Winner: Kurt Angle @ 18:31 via pinfall
Match of the Week #1: AJ Styles vs. Petey Williams
Match of the Week: August 12-18
AJ Styles vs. Petey Williams - TNA Victory Road 2004
AJ Styles vs. Petey Williams - TNA Victory Road 2004
The Wrestling Factor Special: Hard Justice Predictions
The Wrestling Factor Special Edition:
TNA Hard Justice Thoughts & Predictions
TNA Hard Justice Thoughts & Predictions
Adam “Pacman” Jones To Appear Live -
If Pacman isn’t going to be able to wrestle, then he really has no business being on a wrestling program, let alone taking up time on an event that people to pay to see. Pacman isn’t going to bring in the ratings for TNA, nor will he pop a buyrate. It’s wasted time on a marginal publicity stunt at best.
Winner Takes All, Every Title on the Line: Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe -
Let’s see, we’ve got the TNA World Championship, the “IWGP” Championship, the TNA X-Division Championship and the TNA World Tag Team Championship all on the line in this one-on-one match. Okay then. Sure, Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe are arguably the two best wrestlers in TNA, but I’ll be glad when they end this and give the titles to other people, which I suspect will happen very soon. Samoa Joe deserves this win, big time. He’s been TNA’s single greatest asset since his debut in 2005. It’s a shame he hasn’t held the World Championship yet. However, I fully expect Karen Angle to have a “change of heart” and help Kurt win all the titles. I want to think the match will be very good, and it likely will be, but I fear the ending will crap all over a potentially great match. I hope I’m wrong.
Predicted Winner: Kurt Angle
Doomsday Chamber of Blood: Sting, Abyss & Andrew Martin vs. Christian Cage, AJ Styles & Tomko
Another crazy ass gimmick match from TNA, this time a six-sides of steel with barbed-wire across the top where you have to make your opponent bleed before you can beat him. Would be pretty if cool if it were one-on-one, but of course it has to be a six man train wreck. Train wreck notwithstanding, this Doomsday Chamber should be quit entertaining. With the exception of Andrew Martin, I like everybody in the match. You have to believe that AJ Styles is going to do some crazy stunt, he always does. The match could really go either way, though I suspect James Mitchell’s new guy will play a role in helping Team Cage win.
Predicted Winners: Christian Cage, AJ Styles & Tomko
The Steiner Brothers vs. Team 3D -
I don’t know why, but I can’t help marking out for the reunion of the Steiner Brothers. Of course that doesn’t change the fact that they are way past their prime and the match probably won’t be very good. Either way, TNA is right in that it is a dream match, as both the Steiner’s and the former Dudley’s are Hall-of-Fame bound tag teams that are an important part of tag team wrestling history. Sadly, the match is just taking place to ten to fifteen years late. For nostalgic reasons, and the fact that I don’t like Team 3D, I’m hoping Rick and Scott Steiner pull out the win here.
Predicted Winners: The Steiner Brothers
Barroom Brawl: James Storm vs. Rhino -
I always thought James Storm to be the weak link of America’s Most Wanted, the guy playing second string to Chris Harris. However, since the break-up of AMW, Storm has developed into a nice heel character that I actually like. I’ve liked Rhino since the first time I saw him in the original ECW, and would love to see him back in the TNA main-event scene. The problem with this match though, it’s another gimmick match. TNA has a major problem of loaded up gimmick matches on pay-per-views. Just put these two in a wrestling ring, and let them go at it. With that said, this should be a pretty good “fight” and bloodbath at that (or at least it should be).
Predicted Winner: Rhino
Humiliation Match: Eric Young vs. Robert Roode -
How long has this feud been going on now? Months? Does anyone really care anymore? Neither do I. This entire feud is a prime example of everything that is wrong with TNA; they spend far too much time on crap that is meaningless. With any luck at all, this match will be Preshow fodder, because it doesn’t deserve to be on the actual PPV. Both of these wrestlers deserve far better, Robert Roode especially.
Predicted Winner: Eric Young
LAX vs. VKM -
Homicide and Hernandez is quite possibly the best tag team in wrestling today, I say “possibly” because ROH’s Briscoe Brothers are equally as in impressive. On the other side of the six-sided ring, BG and Kip James, the former New Age Outlaws. I was quite the mark for the Outlaws back in the day, but they just aren’t the same as they were nine years ago. I’m hoping TNA frees up the tag team championship sometime soon, and we can get a LAX vs. Motorcity Machine Guns feud going. This match probably won’t go very long, but LAX will likely still find a way to shine.
Predicted Winners: LAX
“Wildcat” Chris Harris vs. “Black Reign” Dustin Rhodes -
I like to think that the Wildcat is moving up the ranks of singles stardom in TNA, eventually to the main-event scene, so he needs a strong showing and victory here. Harris is one of the “TNA Originals” that is good enough, at least in the ring, to headline events down the road. He’s just coming into his prime, while Dustin Rhodes’ better days are long gone. I don’t expect much out of this match, it’ll probably end up being storyline fodder for Dustin’s character’s “evolution”. Whatever. If they keep it under six minutes, it should be fine.
Predicted Winner: Dustin Rhodes
Motorcity Machine Guns vs. Triple X vs. Sonjay Dutt & Black Machismo -
If this match gets ten minutes, then it could very easily steal the show and be the best match of the night. Being teamed up with Alex Shelley in TNA is the best thing that has happened to Chris Sabin throughout his entire stint in TNA, as he’s just better and more entertaining when he is part of a team with the always brilliant Shelley. The Motorcity Machine Guns definitely deserve to be pushed straight towards the TNA World Tag Team Championship.
Triple X brings the unpredictability factor into the match, as the team is comprised of three members and you don’t know which two will be wrestling until bell time. Primetime Elix Skipper is good, but he’s not as good as Christopher Daniels and Senshi, so naturally I’d rather Daniels and Senshi participate in this match up. There are few better in all of wrestling than The Fallen Angel, and being a mark for the guy, I’d love to see him get a win here and then go on to better things.
Black Machismo is highly entertaining, and a good wrestler to boot. Sonjay Dutt is good at wrestling, though he does a better job at being a spot monkey; and that should add a little bit more to what is sure to be a fast paced match-up. Compared to the other two teams though, Dutt and Machismo just don’t match up. With that said, this match should be a really good and really fun match, probably the highlight of the night if it gets the time.
Predicted Winners: Triple X
TNA Hard Justice is LIVE TONIGHT on Pay-Per-View. This has been a special edition of The Wrestling Factor.
- Stinger
UWF Official Review: Nintendo Wii
United Wrestling Front Official Review: Nintendo Wii - Console Review
Graphics: If you’re looking for a console with the best graphics around, the Wii is not for you. With that said, the Wii is very capable of producing some kick-ass next-generation graphics. For the most part, the Wii’s graphics are basically similar to that of its predecessor- the GameCube. As the case with all consoles, the graphics depend largely on the game developers. Some games look awesome, others not so much. On the whole, the Wii just doesn’t match up to its next-generation competitors, not that Nintendo wanted to compete on the graphics front. Despite being behind the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3, Wii games can look very impressive and certainly modern. Some games more so than others.
UWF Official Score: 8.5/10
Backwards Compatibility: The Wii shines in this department. Essentially being an upgraded “next-gen” version of a GameCube, the Wii can play all GameCube games without problem. You do need a GC controller and a GC memory card (if you wish to save games), both of which can be easily plugged into the ports located on the side or top of the Wii (depending on how you have your system set up). The GameCube does have some really good games, so if you never got around to getting a GC, the Wii is very much a two-in-one deal for you.
In addition to playing GameCube games, the Wii has the awesome Virtual Console, which allows to download games for the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis and TurboGraphix 16. Three new games are added to the Wii VC every Monday (here in the USA), so you get new releases every week. The pricing structure can be a little steep, considering these are old games. NES games cost 500 points, TurboGraphix 16 cost 600 points, Super NES and Sega Genesis games cost 800 points and N64 games cost 1000 points. In terms of dollars, that would be $5, $6, $8 and $10. You can buy Wii Points directly through your Wii using a credit card, or purchasing point cards in retail stores (2000 points for $20). For some VC games, you do need the classic controller (which is sold separately), while others you can use the Wii controller or a GameCube controller.
Virtual Console games are stored in the Wii’s 512 MB Flash Memory, which means there is very limited space for storing your VC games. Luckily, you can store your VC games on a removable SD Card, but you will have to transfer the game back to your Wii console before you are able to play it. Another option you have if you run out room, is to simply delete games. Don’t worry, you can return to the VC store and re-download any game you’ve purchased at no further cost. So once you purchase the game, it is yours and you won’t have to ever purchase it again (unless you want it on another Wii).
UWF Official Score: 10/10
Wii Online: The Wii currently lacks, severely, in the online-multiplayer realm. When it comes to online, Nintendo has taken a few “safety precautions” to try and prevent any pedophiles from trying to hook up with kids over the system. That is a good thing, but if all multiplayer games require the exchange of Wii Numbers, then things will get tedious to those who just want to play some games online with other gamers around the world. Obviously, if your friends have a Wii then there is no problem exchanging numbers and mingling with them on the Wii. For online gaming, you’re better off with a PC or Xbox Live.
Using the built-in WiFi connection, you can browse the Internet on the Wii using the “Internet Channel”, which is a version of the Opera 9 web browser built for the Wii. While the Internet Channel was free for a couple of months, it’ll now cost you 500 Wii Points ($5). The question is, is it worth 500 points? The answer, if you have a computer, then no, it’s not good for much and you can live with out it. Websites don’t translate well onto TV screens using the browser, therefore leaving you with no other option than zooming in to read. It can get very tedious and tiring, so for that, it’s not recommend for surfing or reading. It can be very good for watching videos from YouTube on your television though. Depending on the quality of the video, you can watch videos very clearly in almost full screen. Since the Internet Channel’s arrival, a number of Flash Game sites have went online, allowing you to play free Flash games using your Wiimote, which is kind of cool. YouTube videos and Flash games are about the only thing the Internet Channel is good for though.
UWF Official Score: 5.5/10
Controls: The Wiimote & Nunchuk: The Wii’s controller is what got everyone talking about the system to begin with, because it is gimmicky and very different than what you are traditionally accustomed too. Different can be a very good thing though. The Wii’s slender TV-remote style control and motion-sensors makes for very fun and interactive game play. You can swing the Wiimote like a baseball bat, golf club, sword, etc. Hold it like a gun, and point it at the bad guys. You can sit and play just fine, or you can really allow yourself to get caught up in the interactivity and become the character you are controlling (which can be a very good workout). You can different things with the Wiimote depending on the game; some guys require you to move around, others like Super Paper Mario have you holding the controller horizontal like a regular controller for easy familiar gameplay, while still making use of the motion-sensing compatibilities at different times. The Nunchuk is an accessory used by some games to give you more control, such as walking, easily cycling through weapons, opening doors, etc.
Overall, while it can be traditional, the Wii control is very different than anything else out, and it makes for a fun experience and you get use to it very quickly (it is after all simple motions that you already do, for the most part).
UWF Official Score: 9/10
Games: The Wii appeals to all kinds of people, even those who aren’t traditionally gamers, with such titles as Wii Sports and Wario Ware: Smooth Moves. Unfortunately, for the more hardcore gamer, the Wii is seriously lacking in good games. There are a few gems out there, such as Super Paper Mario, Resident Evil 4: Wii, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It seems that for the moment, the Wii is getting mini-games that make you do all sorts of things with the Wiimote and kiddie games. Currently announced games for the remainder of 2007 do lend some hope though, such as: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire, Fire Emblem: Goddess of Dawn, Super Mario Galaxy, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles and to some extent Crash of the Titans and RAW vs. Smackdown 2008. Hopefully game developers take advantage of the Wii’s compatibilities and produce some good games geared towards the young adults who like T and M ratings over E-rated mini-games (even if they can be very fun).
UWF Official Score: 7.5/10
Final Thoughts: Bottomline, at $250 the Nintendo Wii is an affordable and formidable competitor to the other next-gen consoles of Microsoft and Sony. A lot has been said about the Wii’s inability to (currently) play DVD movies or CD’s, like the 360 and PS3 can. However, the Wii is what it is, and that’s a video game system. It’s not “the only electronic you’ll ever need”, and it doesn’t need to be that. It is a very simple system that offers innovative and exciting gameplay, and it comes packed with one of the Wii’s best games , Wii Sports, which is really designed to merely showcase and get you use to the Wiimote (and Nunchuk in boxing). Of course there are things that could be improved upon for the Wii, and most of those are geared towards the game developers (making good games, and making sure the game interfaces with the Wiimote better). If you’re looking for a fun gaming system - and a great system for couples, parties and families - then the Wii is definitely for you.
UWF Official Overall Wii Score: 8.1/10
- Stinger
Graphics: If you’re looking for a console with the best graphics around, the Wii is not for you. With that said, the Wii is very capable of producing some kick-ass next-generation graphics. For the most part, the Wii’s graphics are basically similar to that of its predecessor- the GameCube. As the case with all consoles, the graphics depend largely on the game developers. Some games look awesome, others not so much. On the whole, the Wii just doesn’t match up to its next-generation competitors, not that Nintendo wanted to compete on the graphics front. Despite being behind the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3, Wii games can look very impressive and certainly modern. Some games more so than others.
UWF Official Score: 8.5/10
Backwards Compatibility: The Wii shines in this department. Essentially being an upgraded “next-gen” version of a GameCube, the Wii can play all GameCube games without problem. You do need a GC controller and a GC memory card (if you wish to save games), both of which can be easily plugged into the ports located on the side or top of the Wii (depending on how you have your system set up). The GameCube does have some really good games, so if you never got around to getting a GC, the Wii is very much a two-in-one deal for you.
In addition to playing GameCube games, the Wii has the awesome Virtual Console, which allows to download games for the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis and TurboGraphix 16. Three new games are added to the Wii VC every Monday (here in the USA), so you get new releases every week. The pricing structure can be a little steep, considering these are old games. NES games cost 500 points, TurboGraphix 16 cost 600 points, Super NES and Sega Genesis games cost 800 points and N64 games cost 1000 points. In terms of dollars, that would be $5, $6, $8 and $10. You can buy Wii Points directly through your Wii using a credit card, or purchasing point cards in retail stores (2000 points for $20). For some VC games, you do need the classic controller (which is sold separately), while others you can use the Wii controller or a GameCube controller.
Virtual Console games are stored in the Wii’s 512 MB Flash Memory, which means there is very limited space for storing your VC games. Luckily, you can store your VC games on a removable SD Card, but you will have to transfer the game back to your Wii console before you are able to play it. Another option you have if you run out room, is to simply delete games. Don’t worry, you can return to the VC store and re-download any game you’ve purchased at no further cost. So once you purchase the game, it is yours and you won’t have to ever purchase it again (unless you want it on another Wii).
UWF Official Score: 10/10
Wii Online: The Wii currently lacks, severely, in the online-multiplayer realm. When it comes to online, Nintendo has taken a few “safety precautions” to try and prevent any pedophiles from trying to hook up with kids over the system. That is a good thing, but if all multiplayer games require the exchange of Wii Numbers, then things will get tedious to those who just want to play some games online with other gamers around the world. Obviously, if your friends have a Wii then there is no problem exchanging numbers and mingling with them on the Wii. For online gaming, you’re better off with a PC or Xbox Live.
Using the built-in WiFi connection, you can browse the Internet on the Wii using the “Internet Channel”, which is a version of the Opera 9 web browser built for the Wii. While the Internet Channel was free for a couple of months, it’ll now cost you 500 Wii Points ($5). The question is, is it worth 500 points? The answer, if you have a computer, then no, it’s not good for much and you can live with out it. Websites don’t translate well onto TV screens using the browser, therefore leaving you with no other option than zooming in to read. It can get very tedious and tiring, so for that, it’s not recommend for surfing or reading. It can be very good for watching videos from YouTube on your television though. Depending on the quality of the video, you can watch videos very clearly in almost full screen. Since the Internet Channel’s arrival, a number of Flash Game sites have went online, allowing you to play free Flash games using your Wiimote, which is kind of cool. YouTube videos and Flash games are about the only thing the Internet Channel is good for though.
UWF Official Score: 5.5/10
Controls: The Wiimote & Nunchuk: The Wii’s controller is what got everyone talking about the system to begin with, because it is gimmicky and very different than what you are traditionally accustomed too. Different can be a very good thing though. The Wii’s slender TV-remote style control and motion-sensors makes for very fun and interactive game play. You can swing the Wiimote like a baseball bat, golf club, sword, etc. Hold it like a gun, and point it at the bad guys. You can sit and play just fine, or you can really allow yourself to get caught up in the interactivity and become the character you are controlling (which can be a very good workout). You can different things with the Wiimote depending on the game; some guys require you to move around, others like Super Paper Mario have you holding the controller horizontal like a regular controller for easy familiar gameplay, while still making use of the motion-sensing compatibilities at different times. The Nunchuk is an accessory used by some games to give you more control, such as walking, easily cycling through weapons, opening doors, etc.
Overall, while it can be traditional, the Wii control is very different than anything else out, and it makes for a fun experience and you get use to it very quickly (it is after all simple motions that you already do, for the most part).
UWF Official Score: 9/10
Games: The Wii appeals to all kinds of people, even those who aren’t traditionally gamers, with such titles as Wii Sports and Wario Ware: Smooth Moves. Unfortunately, for the more hardcore gamer, the Wii is seriously lacking in good games. There are a few gems out there, such as Super Paper Mario, Resident Evil 4: Wii, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It seems that for the moment, the Wii is getting mini-games that make you do all sorts of things with the Wiimote and kiddie games. Currently announced games for the remainder of 2007 do lend some hope though, such as: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire, Fire Emblem: Goddess of Dawn, Super Mario Galaxy, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles and to some extent Crash of the Titans and RAW vs. Smackdown 2008. Hopefully game developers take advantage of the Wii’s compatibilities and produce some good games geared towards the young adults who like T and M ratings over E-rated mini-games (even if they can be very fun).
UWF Official Score: 7.5/10
Final Thoughts: Bottomline, at $250 the Nintendo Wii is an affordable and formidable competitor to the other next-gen consoles of Microsoft and Sony. A lot has been said about the Wii’s inability to (currently) play DVD movies or CD’s, like the 360 and PS3 can. However, the Wii is what it is, and that’s a video game system. It’s not “the only electronic you’ll ever need”, and it doesn’t need to be that. It is a very simple system that offers innovative and exciting gameplay, and it comes packed with one of the Wii’s best games , Wii Sports, which is really designed to merely showcase and get you use to the Wiimote (and Nunchuk in boxing). Of course there are things that could be improved upon for the Wii, and most of those are geared towards the game developers (making good games, and making sure the game interfaces with the Wiimote better). If you’re looking for a fun gaming system - and a great system for couples, parties and families - then the Wii is definitely for you.
UWF Official Overall Wii Score: 8.1/10
- Stinger
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