Usually, Drew does the ppv predictions on The Irish Whip. However, for Backlash, Drew and I (Jared) have gotten together to do joint predictions. Let’s get started.
John Cena vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels
Cena: One of the two possible winners. Although his unnecessarily long title reign is quite boring, I could see WWE letting him retain.
Randy Orton: No chance. He was sent home from the European tour because of the mysterious hotel room problem (he apparently was found passed out in his hotel room that he had trashed and it ended up being 30,000 dollars in damages).
Shawn Michaels: I couldn’t see the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels holding titles at the same time. WWE recently is all about passing the torch so I couldn’t see Michaels winning. Plus there is the rumor that he is moving to Smackdown (I doubt it, but it is a rumor).
Edge: The other of the two possible winners. His title reign was extremely fun to watch (although he was fighting Cena for about half a year) and I am ready for another R-Rated champ.
Jared Pick: Edge
Drew Pick: Cena
Melina vs. Mickie James
Melina: Apparently she is in the doghouse right now, but that didn’t stop her win at Wrestlemania. WWE is certainly building her and Mickie James up to be their top divas.
Mickie James: Clearly she is the better wrestler out of the two, but Melina is receiving a strong push.
Jared Pick: Melina
Drew Pick: Melina
The Hardy Boyz vs. Cade & Murdoch
If Cade and Murdoch win this, the tag-team division is officially destroyed. I can’t see having Cade and Murdoch champs at the same time that Deuce and Domino are champs on Smackdown.
Jared Pick: The Hardy Boyz (please God)
Drew Pick: The Hardy Boyz
Undertaker vs. Batista
Undertaker: I keep hearing about how his title reign is going to be long, but there is no telling because WWE changes its mind in a second.
Batista: Vince loves him because he is big….but everyone else hates him. He has gotten much worse as a wrestler since his return from his injury, and even a few of the “face-faithful” fans are starting to join the boos.
Jared Pick: The Undertaker
Drew Pick: The Undertaker
Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, and Umaga vs. Lashley
Umaga: Will NOT move to ECW, because that would be ridiculous. Although they are pushing him, I can’t see this.
Vince McMahon: I hope Vince realizes that giving himself the belt would kill ECW.
Shane McMahon: Shane face turn??? I have been waiting for it for awhile now. He would be incredibly good in ECW as well.
Lashley: Is in the middle of the biggest push in wrestling right now. Obviously the favorite in the match.
Jared Pick: Shane
Drew Pick: Lashley
Chris Benoit vs. MVP
First of all I would like to say that this has been a fantastic rivalry to watch, and it has been the only reason that I have watched Smackdown in the past few weeks.
Chris Benoit: WWE is in the “pass-the-torch” mode and I could definitely see Benoit go down here to an up and coming MVP.
MVP: Receiving a push, young superstar, and good wrestler. That seems like the right combination for a United States title reign.
Jared Pick: MVP
Drew Pick: MVP
There is a rumored match between Deuce & Domino and London & Kendrick.
London & Kendrick: Held the titles for an ass-load of time. They were exciting and did some cool stuff, but they never reached “star” status.
Deuce & Domino: Maybe WWE is going to try out Deuce & Domino and see how the crowd reacts to the new talent. Only time will tell.
Jared Pick: London & Kendrick
Drew Pick: Deuce and Domino
Drew and I will check back in sometime after the ppv and look at how we each did. Thanks for reading and make sure you post your own views.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Backlash Predictions!
Who's The Greatest?
Guest article by Thomas Gerbasi:
If 2007 has taught us anything, it's that parity has hit the world of mixed martial arts. And it’s hit hard in a year rife with upsets, from Matt Serra’s stoppage of the seemingly unstoppable Georges St-Pierre to last weekend’s KO win by Gabriel Gonzaga over heavyweight heir apparent Mirko Cro Cop.
So in a sport where, to coin the NFL term, “on any given Sunday” any fighter has the chance to beat another one in the Octagon if everything goes right for him on that night, it makes you appreciate the fighters who are a step above that parity, who have proven that on any given night, you’re going to need your ‘A’ game and nothing less to even have a shot at getting the victory.
Throughout the UFC’s almost 14 year history, there have been a handful of fighters who fit that bill, who have made it to the top of the ladder and have dominated their particular segment of time in the organization. Who was – or is - the greatest, or most dominating, champion in UFC history though?
Let’s find out, breaking it down division by division. And for our discussion here, we will stick to fighters who competed from the time the first UFC Heavyweight Champion - Mark Coleman - was crowned at UFC 12 in 1997.
HEAVYWEIGHTS
There have been ten Heavyweight Champions crowned in the UFC. One, Randy Couture, won the title three times; Tim Sylvia has won the belt twice. Among the other title holders, five champions (Coleman, Bas Rutten, Josh Barnett, Ricco Rodriguez, Frank Mir) never successfully defended the belt, with Mo Smith (1), Kevin Randleman (1), and Andrei Arlovski (2) defending their titles, but not for an extended period of time.
That leaves us with Couture and Sylvia. Sylvia holds the UFC record for most heavyweight title defenses with three combined over his two reigns. He is also 3-3 in fights against fellow champions, beating Arlovski (twice) and Rodriguez, while losing to Arlovski, Mir and Couture. And therein lies the edge for ‘The Natural’. While his only two title defenses were against dangerous but underachieving Pedro Rizzo, and has lost his belt to Barnett and Rodriguez, he holds wins over fellow champions Smith, Randleman, and Sylvia, and when the comparisons are thisclose, you’ve got to go with the guy with the 5-2 championship fight record (compared to Sylvia’s 5-3) and the head to head victory. Greatest UFC Heavyweight ever? Randy Couture.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Five UFC Light Heavyweight Champions have ruled over the years, with Tito Ortiz leading the way in defenses with five, while Chuck Liddell and Frank Shamrock are close behind with four each. Randy Couture, a two-time champion, defended his title once technically (he won the interim title by beating Liddell and then beat Ortiz for the full title), with Vitor Belfort never having successfully defended the belt.
Though he’s fallen on hard times recently due to his inability to take out the man currently at the top (Liddell), Ortiz did dominate the 205-pound weight class in the early years after Zuffa took control of the company, making the second highest total of title defenses in UFC history. And there were good fighters in there for ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’, including the man he beat for the title, Wanderlei Silva, and Yuki Kondo, Evan Tanner, and Vladimir Matyushenko. Some would dismiss the easy wins over Elvis Sinosic and Ken Shamrock, but the fact remains that Ortiz has amassed an impressive body of work en route to a 6-3 title fight record.
A closer look though, shows that against his fellow champions at the weight (and he has fought all of them), Ortiz’ record drops to a paltry 1-4, with his only win coming against Belfort via a close decision. This hurts his all-time standing and leaves us with Liddell and Shamrock. Shamrock, who was champion when the division was called ‘middleweight’, defeated Ortiz, Jeremy Horn, and Igor Zinoviev, but despite his talent, he has to be penalized for dominating what was a weak division compared to the 205-pound weight class of the last few years.
Which brings us to ‘The Iceman’. Liddell, at 37, is as dangerous as he’s ever been, and he shows no signs of slowing down. His title fight record stands at a stellar 5-1 and he holds non-title wins over Ortiz and Belfort, bringing his record against fellow champions to 7-1 if you count his stoppage of former heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman and former middleweight boss Murilo Bustamante. Simply put, at 205, Liddell has proven himself to be the most dominant light heavyweight, not only of this era, but of all-time.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
The Jan Brady division of MMA has risen from virtual obscurity to its rightful place among the most competitive weight classes in the game. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a Liddell, Hughes,
yet. Dave Menne and Evan Tanner didn’t fit the bill, both losing the title in their first defenses. Rich Franklin, with two title defenses before losing his belt to Anderson Silva, came close. Brazilian ground ace Murilo Bustamante had potential to be ‘that guy’ until he left the organization after his lone defense over Matt Lindland. But its the current man on top of the heap, Silva, who may be the one to have a long and dominating reign, especially if he gets through highly regarded Nate Marquardt, a rematch with Franklin, and whoever else the UFC throws at him in the coming months. If he loses his crown before 2007 ends, then it’s back to the drawing board.
WELTERWEIGHTS
After some close races, this is the one no-brainer of the group. In a division filled with quality fighters and quality champions, Matt Hughes stands high above the pack. And it’s a tough pack to get through. Hughes, with seven defenses and two non-title wins over two reigns is the leader, followed by his mentor, Pat Miletich, with three defenses, and the foursome of Carlos Newton, BJ Penn, Georges St-Pierre, and Matt Serra, none of whom have heard Bruce Buffer say “and still UFC Welterweight Champion.”
But when it comes down to it, even with his losses to Penn and GSP (whom he also holds wins over), there is no champion at 170 pounds who has a prayer of competing with Hughes’ resume. Look at the numbers. 9-2 in title fights, with wins over Penn, St-Pierre, Frank Trigg (twice), Sean Sherk, Newton, and Mach Sakurai. He has non-title wins over Royce Gracie, Joe Riggs, and Chris Lytle, and in fights against his fellow champions (including lightweight boss Sherk and former middleweight champ Dave Menne), he is 6-2. St-Pierre’s recent loss to Serra only magnified Hughes accomplishments and how hard it is to stay on top once you get there.
LIGHTWEIGHTS
A tough division to break down, especially given the fact that the lightweight class was dormant in the UFC for close to two years. Call it the curse of Jens Pulver, who left the organization over a contract dispute without ever having lost the belt in the ring, but a post-Pulver tournament to crown a new champion fizzled with a draw in the final between BJ Penn and Caol Uno, and then came the division hiatus from 2004 to 2006. So basically we’re looking at two eras and two champions in Pulver, who reigned in the early part of the Millennium when Zuffa took control of the UFC, and Sherk, the current champion, who has yet to defend his crown. Based on resume at 155 pounds alone, Pulver is the easy winner, just because of his title winning effort over Uno, and his defenses over quality opposition like Penn and Dennis Hallman. Plus, he never lost his title in the ring. Sherk a career-long welterweight, is just getting his feet wet at 155, and if his win over Kenny Florian to take the lightweight belt is any indication, we may have to revisit this discussion in a year’s time. But until Sherk proves himself against the contenders in a stacked division, the most dominating UFC lightweight champion of all-time is ‘Lil Evil’.
There you have it – Couture, Liddell, Hughes, Pulver, and a vacancy at middleweight. Who’s the best though? I think it comes down to Liddell and Hughes.
Chuck Liddell
Overall Record 20-3
Record in Title Fights 5-1
Title Defenses 4 (current)
Record against fellow champions 7-1
Current winning streak – 7 (all by KO or TKO)
Matt Hughes
Overall Record 42-5
Record in Title Fights 9-2
Title Defenses 7 (over two reigns)
Record against fellow champions 6-2
Current winning streak – 1
Too close to call? Most definitely. But in the ‘what have you done for me lately’ world of mixed martial arts, you go with the fighter currently on top, and that man is Chuck Liddell.
Of course, having said that...let the debates begin! Read More...
Friday, April 27, 2007
From our affiliates...
From prowrestling.com: "One of WWE's biggest stars has decided to leave the company in the near future. Also, an important behind-the-scenes person is also planning on leaving the company. The names should be revealed within the next few days."
Who do you think it is?
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Promotion Allegiance
Guest column by the MIT Comparative Media Studies program:
I cannot help but notice the strange relationship that has always existed between the wrestlers and promotions. For the guys on the top of the card, it makes sense to stay until the money dries up. But what makes wrestlers who are not getting a major push stay with a promotion?
Above all else, professional wrestling exists because there is money to be made. It's a business. Once a wrestler signs a contract, he needs to honor it like any other employee. If he doesn't have one, his allegiance should be trying to make as much money or getting seen by the right people. On the other side of the coin is the promotion itself, which strives to acquire the best talent and house them under one roof.
For most organizations, like the NWA in the 1950s, a wrestler emerged who could carry the organization, and the NWA World Heavyweight Title, for almost a decade. Lou Thesz held the title for seven years straight, in a relationship that was obviously beneficial for both parties. The NWA had a credible champion, one that could 
withstand most double-crosses, and Thesz was a national wrestling icon. As long as the two stayed together, the money continued to flow. WWE was able to create a similar experience in the 90s where as WCW faltered. Times of success in this business are usually produced by creating consistent allegiance to a brand.
Still the question remains: how much allegiance does a wrestler owe his promotion? This is a question that the TNA is trying to answer now. They recently issued a memo that all wrestlers under contract must get approval before doing any public interviews, and also warned against making any statements criticizing the promotion.
When TNA starts getting the TV ratings that WWE does, and when they work the number of dates WWE does, then the pay rate can compare. If I were TNA, I'd offer low-end contracts with performance incentives (for both talent and bookers). Will they have wrestler's allegiance at that point? Maybe some, maybe not. That's going to be the case at any point, really. Few wrestlers showed allegiance during the most popular and highest paid era of wrestling - the "Monday Night Wars." If TNA is lucky, it will be able to enjoy such a rivalry with the WWE. Even in this, the best case scenario for TNA, allegiance will be hard to come by.
Article written by the MIT Comparative Media Studies program, Article edited by Benjamin Zeidler
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Updated UFC cards
UFC 71: Liddell vs. Jackson
Chuck Liddell vs. Quinton Jackson (Light Heavyweight title)
Karo Parisyan vs. Josh Burkman
Sean Salmon vs. Eric Schafer
Chris Leben vs. Kalib Starnes
Ivan Salaverry vs. Terry Martin
UFC 72: Victory
Rich Franklin vs. Martin Kampmann
Forrest Griffin vs. Hector Ramirez
Jason McDonald vs. Rory Singer
Tyson Griffin vs. Clay Guida
Eddie Sanchez vs. Colin Robinson
Ed Herman vs. Scott Smith
UFC 73
Anderson Silva vs. Nate Marquardt (Middleweight title)
Tito Ortiz vs. Rashad Evans
Jorge Gurgel vs. Jamie Varner
UFC 74
Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (Heavyweight title)
Sean Sherk vs. Hermes Franca (Lightweight title)
Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck
UFC 75
Matt Serra vs. Matt Hughes (Welterweight title)
UFC 76
Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin (Middleweight title)
MMA and Pro Wrestling
Guest column by the MIT Comparative Media Studies program:
Interest in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) has increased significantly in the last few years. It has reached a point where wrestling organizations are monitoring the pay-per-view numbers of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and view it as a competitor in the pay-per-view arena. One topic that interests me is the lack of media coverage for MMA in the United States. Even professional wrestling was covered in papers in the early 20th century. Why can't you see coverage of the UFC on SportsCenter? First, we need to take a quick look at how MMA reached its current level of popularity.
In the mid 1990s, a new combat sport was created by the Gracie family in
On the brink of bankruptcy, the company was sold to Dana White and Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta in 2001. With new leadership and new rules, the company has seen a huge jump in popularity and acceptance, with pay-per-view buyrates matching all but the largest of WWE events.
How do you feel about MMA? Is it a fad? Will it gain the mainstream recognition that wrestling has not had since the late 90s? Will it affect wrestling in America?
Article written by MIT Comparative Media Studies Department, Article edited by Benjamin Zeidler
Read More...
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Mistaaaaa Kennedy!!!...
I know that here at The Irish Whip we often hype Mr. Kennedy and say that he is the next Stone Cold, or the man who will save wrestling, or however you want to put it. I decided that I would add to the hype and compare him to the self-proclaimed "greatest of all time", the Rock.
Mic Skills: The Rock’s mic skills are without a doubt amazing. When he recently came back to RAW to hype the “hair vs. hair” match, he totally ad-libbed his promo. Also, he had/has the greatest catchphrases not only in wrestling, but on television overall. However, Mr. Kennedy is catching up with his mic skills. His ring entrance is extremely creative and allows him to use his skills to taunt the fans. And when Mr. Kennedy was feuding with the Undertaker, he did some of the best promos that I have ever seen. The promo with the bloody mic was absolutely wonderful, so much that I almost cried. If you don't believe me, then let him tell you himself.
Wrestling Skills: The Rock is one of the most exciting wrestlers of all time. He has been in classic matches with Stone Cold, Hulk Hogan, even Goldberg. He also has the most creative and unnecessarily elaborate finishing move of all time, the People's Elbow. This move is so ridiculous that I don't know where to start, but almost nothing has ever gotten the fans up out of their seats quite like the People's Elbow does. Mr. Kennedy has defeated the likes of the Undertaker, Batista, Booker T, etc... Also, he is almost as interesting in the ring as the Rock is. Actually he is very similar to when the Rock was a heel. Kennedy's illegal actions in the ring (steel chairs, low blows) remind me of the Rock, because the Rock would purposefully wait till it seemed like the face would surely win to deliver the low blow or the rake to the eyes. This creates great excitement to what could be horrible and boring matches. Kennedy is great at executing in the ring and he makes most of his matches flow extremely well.
Although the Rock truly is “the jabroni beating, pie eating, trail blazing, eye brow raising, the best in the present, future and past, and if ya'll don't like him you can kiss the people's ass”….Mr. Kennedy is definitely following in his footsteps. In fact, Smackdown is no longer “the Rock’s show”…it is Kennedy’s. All that WWE has to do is make him a storyline and put him up for the title, and the Kennedy era will officially begin.
...Kennedy
(You have 5 seconds, and the Rock means 5 SECONDS, to comment on this post)
Counterpoint: Wrestling is not dead
Guest column by the MIT Comparative Media Studies program:
From the few matches that I've seen from the 90's and beyond, I can see that now, more than ever, wrestling is a form of pure entertainment. Ole Anderson writes in his most recent book that modern wrestlers just don't know how to wrestle. The idea of appearing to pull off a shoot, of really working the audience, seemed beyond the likes of Ric Flair and Lex Luger. I must admit that older wrestlers sold the athleticism of wrestling a lot better than most of the new guys. Sure they didn't incorporate the high-flying antics that are the staple of the modern wrestling program; but they were more, as they say, "scientific" about their moves.
In saying that wrestling today exists purely for its entertainment value, I admit that wrestling has always existed, to some extent, as a form of entertainment. When I sit down to watch a match today should I judge how well these guys carry out a fight, or am I missing the point? Should I just let slide the fact that most punches will never connect or that some guy purposely drew his own blood? I guess it comes down to me wondering what really constitutes wrestling's "entertainment value."
There are some elements to wrestling that will never change, such as the actual matches and the core wrestling that will always be there. But you'll always have the older generation that gripes that it's not the same - it's changing, it's different, it's dying. But everything changes, and as we've seen, if you don't change with the times, you don't make it. This is appealing to wrestling as purely business - you have to market to the current generation, who has a new standard.
In this day and age when everyone knows that it's fixed, wrestling has to be extra creative to get a rise out of fans that maybe it didn't need in the past. With the internet "smarks" around and making up a good part of your hardcore longtime fans, they seem to step up their game and try to keep on top of it. In the 80s, I don't think they had to deal with results being leaked before things actually happened. Times are different, and to pretend that no one can see past the rosy lenses now would be an insult to the fans.
So what do they do? They get flashier. The matches get shorter to have more backstage segments. The finishes are rarely ever clean. Wrestlers must be stronger, faster, and smarter in an effort to impress and appease the fans. The result is a more complete and entertaining product. They blur the line between reality and work, making you wonder. Wrestling today is completely different from what it used to be, even though the goal to entertain is still the same. That much hasn't changed and won't ever change so long as the goal in the end is to make money.
If you're a fan of today's product, I think you just have to accept that it's different. Is it always better? Well, that's personal opinion, but realizing that it's different and will still keep changing will make it more enjoyable overall.
Article written by the MIT Comparative Media Studies department, Article edited by Benjamin Zeidler
Point: When Kayfabe Ruled
A guest column by Josh Watts:
If you missed the wrestling in the days of Kayfabe, then you missed the very essence of what wrestling is all about. You can't blame yourself for your birthday, so instead of dwelling on your bad hand lets spend sometime catching you up.
Let's start at the top: the word "Kayfabe" as described by Wikipedia; In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced KEI-feib; IPA: ['keifeib]) refers to the portrayal of events within the industry as real, that is the portrayal of professional wrestling as not staged or worked. Referring to events as kayfabe means that they are worked events, and/or part of a wrestling storyline. In relative terms, a wrestler breaking kayfabe during a show would be likened to an actor breaking character on camera.
Unfortunately these days kayfabe is broken much more often than to explain the occasional absence. It is broken in every aspect of "Sports Entertainment." When Vince McMahon admitted that the shows were choreographed and scripted, he effectively killed kayfabe. I am by no means saying that we were oblivious to it, we just turned and looked the other way, if you will. I hate to use the phrase "suspend our disbelief" because it has been beaten into the ground. You just believed, though somewhere, deep in your heart of hearts you knew that Randy Savage did not crush Rick Steamboat's throat with a ring bell. It was a different era.In those days wrestling was wrestling. It was not over-scrutinized and it was not judged for its "racy" content. The wrestlers were immortal, larger than life figures, not people like you and me. There was no internet, no way to be over-informed if you were the average fan. If you were told that Hulk Hogan was in the hospital because the Earthquake broke his ribs, you believed. You did not go on the internet and find out that Hulk needed time off for a knee replacement. They sold it; you bought it.
This was a time when you could actually believe that Kamala was an uncontrollable Ugandan Giant. If they tried to fly that today, the first day he appeared on television most of us would go to any of the millions of wrestling websites and find that "Kamala" was actually Jim Harris. Nice information to know, but once you know he is a regular guy from Mississippi, it kills the mystique. Who needed to know that Brutus Beefcake was actually Ed Leslie and basically got a job to appease Hulk Hogan? I can answer that: no one. When there was a feud, it was real. Those guys hated each other. You didn't watch to see if they were going to blow a spot. You did not because you ,as an average fan, had never heard of a spot. It was a fight, if some body missed a dropkick, well, that's what happens. Nobody yelled "YOU FUCKED UP!"In the days of kayfabe, a steel cage match was the end all be all of any feud. There was nothing left after that. The steel cage was not used to try and get the fan interested in a feud because by that point, you could not look away. Not every match ended in a DQ, most were clean pinfall victories. The good guy wins, the bad guy loses, end of story. If a guy won the world heavy weight title, you believed that he was the best. You did not down play his match "because he married the bosses' daughter." Watching wrestling was like walking into a mythical land. Good vs. Evil and the larger than life super-humans would battle it out in the squared circle. The fans did not need to know Sting was actually Steve Borden and he had a wife, a family. He was Sting, that was all you needed to know. You liked his music, you liked his entrance and you liked that he always did the right thing.
Obviously those days are gone . With the invention of the internet, the limits to the information you can find are endless. I enjoy reading about wrestling as much as anyone on here. Though I must admit, I miss the days when professional wrestlers were larger than life super-humans and when we, the fans, just believed.
Article written by Josh Watts, Article edited by Benjamin Zeidler
Read More...
Vengeance poster released!
The promotional poster for WWE Vengeance has been released. As you can see, it features The Undertaker, John Cena and Bobby Lashley, all still holding their respective titles. Vengeance 2007 will take place on June 24, 2007 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. This poster would suggest the Champions to hold their titles through this month's Backlash and May's Judgment Day.
Why does the WWE do this? You would think that they'd want to have some sort of mystery going into the next TWO PPVs. Why even buy them now? I hope this was a mistake or a leak or something, because if this was a conscious decision on the part of the WWE, it was a poor one.
HBK and Cena: An Epic Battle
- Firstly, I can't remember the last time in WWE that during a feud both wrestlers won clean. Obviously in the Cena-HBK feud, Cena won clean at Wrestlemania and Michaels won clean tonight. And what's even more astounding...WWE let Cena lose clean! When is the last time he lost clean? I have no idea! If somebody can find this information for me, you will forever gain my respect.
- Secondly, the fact that WWE put on an hour-long main event was as surprising as the fact that Cena lost. Normally to watch an hour-long match, you have to pop in a Ring of Honor DVD. WWE normally makes a huge deal out of matches like these, calling them "Iron Man" matches, making this a big surprise.
Overall, they did a great job with tonight's RAW. The beginning of the show was a little slow but the main event was truly epic. Final note: Cena wrestled well. Everybody likes to hate Cena (me too) but Cena has become a better wrestler over the course of this feud with HBK. We're seeing the same thing with MVP feuding with Chris Benoit and Carlito almost feuding with Ric Flair. It's a great way to improve these guys' skills in the ring.
Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip
Monday, April 23, 2007
As Usual...Predictions for Tonights RAW!
- I think HBK gets the win here only because Cena is coming off the victory in the handicap match last week. Edge will most likely interfere with the match somehow, as WWE wouldn't let Cena lose clean. Keep in mind that Orton has been sent home from the European tour for drunkenly destroying his hotel room! He definitely won't make an appearance. This match probably won't result in anything of substance, just like last week's handicap match. It's probably just there to further progress towards Backlash.
- I predict that Santino Marella will put his Intercontenental belt on the line to night...and retain it. Most likely with help from Bobby Lashley.
- Khali is back! I'm not a fan of his, but I still predict a squash match in favor of the Great Khali tonight.
- Mickie James and Melina will continue their feud heading into Backlash. Contrary to what some folks are saying online, I like this feud a lot. They're two good wrestlers (especially Mickie James) and Melina has a great gimmick.
- Apparently Mick Foley will be on RAW tonight...look for him to have a continued push for a leadership position on the show. I can see him being RAW GM.
- I think they're finally pushing Johnny Nitro again - another squash match for him tonight? Or maybe the seeds for a feud with Mick Foley? We'll see...
That's all I've got! Let me know if your predictions differ from mine. And of course, I will post a RAW response after the show and see which of my predictions happened to come true.
Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip
Serra's been a "terra" long before recent TKO
With the knockout of Georges St. Pierre at UFC 69, Matt "The Terra" Serra (what a cool nickname...) quickly vaulted to the top of UFC recognition, as if this were his first big fight. Most of those who know him, do so through his victory during the fourth installment of "The Ultimate Fighter." However, unlike Michael Bisping, who had fought infrequently and with little attention before his TUF5 win, Serra has been around for a long time. He shouldn't be confused with the youngsters who use the hit reality series to propel them into the spotlight. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened, as many chalked his victory up to an unprepared St. Pierre or a competent fighter who won with his puncher's chance. Little do they know, Serra has been fighting some of the best in the game in a career which dates back to UFC 31. Notable fights include Shonie Carter, Yves Edwards, BJ Penn, Ivan Menjivar, and Karo Parisyan. With his recent win against St. Pierre and his upcoming bout with Matt Hughes, Serra's fight list closely resembles the "Who's Who" of the Welterweight division in the last 10 years. When Serra enters the octagon again in a few months, remember that he's a savvy veteran who deserves respect, not just some lucky puncher praying for a win.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Backlash matches added
As if it even matters, the WWE just added new matches to its post-WrestleMania PPV, Backwash -oh, I'm sorry- I meant Backlash. Anyway, they need to just put this thing on SpikeTV or some shit already. I wouldn't pay to see this card if Drew had a title shot on it; that's how boring it's to be. The added match is a Women's Championship match between some bitch with biceps bigger than mine and another bitch who may or may not have appeared in Playboy any number of times. Also rumored is something or other between MVP and Benoit. If MVP beats Benoit clean, I will personally go to Vince Russo's house with a dozen red roses and ask him to return to the WWE. God this is going to suck. Please add a cage or something with an electric current running through it or strippers or something.
It's all Over! Gonzaga knocks Cro Cop out cold!
First of all, I want to say that I hate Direct T.V. Last night, my satellite had problems picking up Spike T.V. at 8:00 pm, so I figure I will leave it on Spike and it will come in later that night. So I sit there watching a blank screen, I call Direct T.V., they tell me to reset the box, and that doesn’t work. So they tell me it will clear up soon, but they don’t know when. At 9:00 pm, I go to sleep out of rage. I wake up around 12:00 am and Spike comes in a little bit, I clear my eyes and I see Cro Cop vs. Gonzaga.Then, without warning, I watch as the relatively-unknown Gonzaga throws a high kick and ends the fight! Cro Cop falls in such a way that I've never seen, his leg and ankle are bent backwards while his arms are stretched out. Cro Cop is clearly out cold prompting the medics to come running over while an animated Gonzaga celebrates around the octagon and becomes the number one contender for the UFC Heavyweight Championship Title.
Most people won’t believe me, but I thought all along that Cro Cop was going to lose this fight by knockout via punches, just not one kick. I thought Cro Cop would get caught with a wild punch like he did against Kevin Randleman in his first fight. I predicted this victory after seeing the “eye of the tiger” in Gonzaga in “The Countdown to UFC 70” video packages. Gonzaga looked very strong with comparable knockout power. He is also the younger fighter and seemed more hungry for the win. I have watched Cro Cop for years now, and I have decided that he fights his best when he is cautious of his opponent. Cro Cop annihilated every opponent in the Pride FC 2006 Grandprix tournament, which was not an easy task. Cro Cop was fast on his feet and used a variety of combinations in the 2006 Grandprix tournament. The little bit of the fight I saw last night featured Cro Cop standing right in front of Gonzaga and showing little respect. Generally, when a larger fight is in the distance, such as Cro Cop vs. Couture, people tend to overlook the present bout. This past summer MMA fans were getting excited to see Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva. What happened next? Cro Cop knocked out Wanderlei in the Grandprix tournament and squashed that fight. So what is next for both fighters?
The way Cro Cop was knocked out, I believe his career could be over! Cro Cop has one of the best highlight reels in MMA, beating some of the best fighters with his devastating left high kick and fast hands. Cro Cop was, in my opinion, the second best heavyweight in MMA until this knockout by Gonzaga. This knockout is one of the best knockouts in UFC history. How ironic Cro Cop is finished by one of his own moves and maybe will be featured on UFC Ultimate Knockouts 5, if I’m counting correctly. When Randy Couture was knocked out twice, we all said it was his age. When Wanderlei Silva lost his two pervious fights, his excuses were the weight difference and he was sick, respectively. For Cro Cop, there are none. In North America, Cro Cop will be known as the guy who got knocked out by Gonzaga unless they have followed Pride FC. If Cro Cop comes back, he will never win the UFC Heavyweight Championship or return the to level of success he had been accustomed to. Gonzaga will face Couture in a few months and lose by decision or win by submission in a shocking match.
My finals words are this: I respect Cro Cop for just getting in the octagon -- MMA is no joke and anyone can win or lose on any night. Gonzaga could shock the world again and beat Couture and become the UFC Heavyweight Champion. Whether its Pride FC or UFC, it only takes one punch, kick, or submission to end a fight.
Donald "Diddy Kong" Davenport writing for The Irish Whip
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Who will end The Undertaker's streak?
A guest column, by Langdon Beck:
For nearly on a decade and a half now, The Undertaker has been my favorite wrestler. I love the entrance, I love the character, I 
love the moves and for the most part, I love the matches. And every year when the Road to WrestleMania kicks off, I hope that whoever he's facing at that year's event doesn't end his winning streak. This is not because I'm fundamentally opposed to the streak ending; I'm not. I think that it should happen at some point. It's not like The Undertaker character will be forgotten without it, and it could literally make an entire career of whoever manages to achieve the feat. I don't think it'll happen this year but if it's going down, it's going down relatively soon. And it must, and this is the important thing, be to the right man. For simplicity's sake, I've narrowed the potential streak-enders down to the males currently on the active WWE rosters. Including Johnny Jeter, Paul Burchill, and Vladimir Koslov who are not currently committed to any one brand, there are 84 possibilities for the position of the man who ends the streak. Now, we begin the task of narrowing it down to the most likely contenders.
First of all, we can forget about those who have been established for a few years now, but have made no significant impact, i.e. the guys who appear on the flagship shows so infrequently that if you didn't check the internet, you'd barely know they were under contract at all. While we're at it, best forget about the cruiserweights too because, let's face it, a cruiserweight ending the streak just ain't happening (but for the moment, we'll keep the more high-profile members of the weight class in mind). Without these wrestlers, we now have 64 possibilities.
Next, we'll eliminate those who don't wrestle full time, or may be nearing the end of their careers. As good as Undertaker vs. Finlay or Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels would be, someone who's not going to be around for years and years to come shouldn't really be the one to beat Taker at WrestleMania. The man who wins has to have enough years of active competition left to really take advantage of the claim for a long time. Ending The Undertaker's winning streak should be enough to get, or keep, a younger guy over for a sustained period of time. If you're a part-timer, or if you're winding down or retiring in six months anyway, what good would ending the streak do your career in the long run? When we put this logic into action, we eliminate not only the likes of Finlay and HBK, but also Chris Benoit, Kane, and Batista, as well as the chance of returns from, or dream matches with, anyone from Stone Cold to The Rock to JBL, taking us down to approximately 35 contenders. We're more than half way there!
In the field of WWE, turning from a good guy to a bad guy and vice versa is a fairly regular occurrence (just ask Kurt Angle; he did it about three times a year. Of course, he does it three times a month in TNA right now, but I digress). Therefore, it's difficult to predict who's going to be cheered and who's going to be booed in a few months time, let alone in a couple of years, but it seems sensible to conclude that it's going to be a heel that'll beat Undertaker at Mania. Whoever does it will be booed for life (at least Id hope so -- I know I'd hate them forever) so not even WWE could expect the ending of the streak to be cheered. It's not necessarily that a face ending the streak would be a bad thing in itself - it's just that a heel would be able to take more advantage of it for a longer period of time. There's only so much momentum you could gain from it as a face. So, we can remove from the list anybody who looks like they'll be babyfaces or should be babyfaces for a long time to come. Consequently, RVD, Rey Mysterio and the Hardys are out of the running.
The streak-ender should, as I've said above, have longevity in terms of his career. That means no pulling a Brock, and nobody who's susceptible to injury, and nobody with short-term appeal, both in terms of gimmick and as a wrestler in general. This gets rid of a trio of monsters; Mark Henry, the Great Khali, and Umaga (who, good as he is, would be quite a likely candidate were it not for the fact that I can't see the gimmick being a long-term thing).
We're left with a pretty good couple of dozen guys now, but to narrow the field down further, it's going to get ruthless, so I'll get rid of anyone who has very little chance of becoming a World Champion in WWE during their career, because the man that beats Undertaker would surely have at least one championship reign in their future. If I also take Triple H out of the equation - as he's been at the top long enough to have absolutely no need to beat Undertaker at WrestleMania and doing so would do nothing for him - we're left with just over a dozen wrestlers. They are:
Carlito, CM Punk, Edge, John Cena, Johnny Nitro, Ken Kennedy, Kenny Dykstra, Lashley, Marquis Cor Von, Mike Knox, Randy Orton, Shelton Benjamin, and Test.
Hold on now. Mike Knox. MIKE KNOX? There'd be no way, right? Well? I'm not so sure about that, myself. From the sounds of Deep South Wrestling TV reports, the Knox we've seen on WWE TV is nowhere near the standard of DSW's Mike Knox. DSW's Mike Knox can wrestle and he can talk. Given the right opportunity he could shine in WWE, so he's in. For now. Except that since I've just taken him, Shelton Benjamin, Johnny Nitro, and Carlito out of the running.
Nine left. I'm hoping to be left with three contenders by the end of this, but that's probably not going to happen. I will now have a look in more detail at each of these wrestlers and what ending the streak could do for them.
CM Punk: It could do the world for him. People like Punk, but in my opinion, he's a better heel than a babyface. A move to one of the two big brands is likely forthcoming, and let's say he took on Undertaker as a good guy. It'd be a competitive match - a size difference for sure, but that didn't affect Shawn Michaels or Bret Hart in their matches with Taker. Punk might pull off the upset win and follow it with a cheap attack and a variation on his "you stupid old man, I'm a snake" promo from ROH. Instant mega-heel, which, with Punk's charisma, would continue for a long time. It'd make him.
Edge: He's been WWE Champion a couple of times, sure, but in between reigns, he's been shifted up and down the card in various places. A win over Undertaker would cement him firmly at the very highest echelon. The match would be one to remember (I can't be the only one who thinks they'd match up well?) and hey, if I remember correctly, Edge is unbeaten at WrestleMania too. It writes itself.
John Cena: It'd only work if Cena became a long-term heel. I don't see that happening, so Cena is officially out of contention.
Ken Kennedy: Like with Punk, ending the streak would make Kennedy. But he and Undertaker have already had a big rivalry, and Kennedy already has plenty going for him (the nearly-legit claim to have defeated half a dozen World Champions, for one thing). A win would undeniably do him wonders, but does he need it? I'm not 100% sure, so I'm afraid he's out.
Kenny Dykstra: He did, in years past, describe himself as a WrestleMania Moment Waiting To Happen, and this could be that moment. He's got the personality and attitude to pull it off, and would benefit magnificently from a win. My only concern would be age. The streak-ender should be young, but would Dykstra, in his early twenties, be TOO young? Taker's streak should probably end while he's still relatively young, but while that's true, if Dykstra were to beat him at age 24, he still has decades of career left. If WWE were to wait until Kenny was in his late twenties, Undertaker will be nearing, if not in, his fifties, and beating him might become like beating Ric Flair is now; still an accomplishment, but not as big an achievement as it once was. Sadly, Dykstra's out.
Lashley: First things first, if Lashley were to do this he'd need a manager or a mouthpiece. Good mic skills are essential for whoever ends the streak to fully capitalize on it, and Lashley can't do that - at least, not by himself. Other than this problem, if Lashley were a heel, this would be all he needed to keep himself right up at the top of the heap. But if not, the honor would be wasted on him. I have a feeling Lashley's future will favor being the good guy, so, despite a Taker-Lashley contest likely being an entertaining one, he's out of contention.
Marquis Cor Von: Can I just call him Monty Brown? It just sounds so much less ... I don't know ... ridiculous. But anyway, this is another guy for whom ending Undertaker's streak would be a career maker - in a few years' time when he's more established, that is. He's certainly got the charisma to pull it off. Could be another one of those "a new era has begun" moments. The Alpha Male is definitely in the running.
Randy Orton: It has been done before, but it could be done again with the outcomes reversed. But I have reservations - Orton's been near or at the top a number of times before and has never really been able to keep himself there effectively. Winning against Undertaker would be great for him, but he may not be able to take advantage of it as successfully as someone else. Orton's out.
Test: Test? Seriously? Yeah, seriously. WWE likes him (when they're not firing him, that is) and he'll probably be around for a while, but he's never really been able to get over. This could be the thing that does it for him. It's a long shot, so Test is out.
CM Punk. Edge. Marquis Cor Von. Test. If The Undertaker is to lose a WrestleMania match, I think (or perhaps I hope) it will be one of these men. They would make the most out of it, and in turn, it would make the most out of them.
Article written by Langdon Beck, Article edited by Benjamin Zeidler
Friday, April 20, 2007
The Pitbull Returns!
Behind the massive story lines of Cro Cop's final fight before a title shot and Michael Bisping appearing before his home nation, there's an imposing 6'4" pitbull who doesn't want you to forget him. At UFC 70, he'll do his best to make sure he's never forgotten again. Despite his impressive victories, championship title, and brilliant Sambo skills, Andrei Arlovski has been pushed into the basement of the Heavyweight division.
After losing two of his first three fights to superstars at the time, Ricco Rodriguez and Pedro Rizzo, the bear-like Arlovski went on an absolute tear, winning his next 6 fights over the course of more than 3 years. During this run, he impressively tapped out 6'8" Tim Sylvia at UFC 51. To Sylvia's credit, he avenged the loss against Arlovski with a TKO win at UFC 59. This set up the much-hyped rubber 
match at UFC 61. On only two PPVs notice, Arlovski lost a close split decision to Sylvia, with two of three judges scoring the bout 48-47. Arlovski apparently had been hit by a leg kick sometime in the second round which left him unable to kick or make any takedown attempts. After the fight, the injury caused his ankle and knee on his left leg to swell up to about four times its normal size. (How bad ass is he?). Sylvia also had injuries after the fight, fainting at his hotel room. Upon hospital examination, doctors discovered a concussion which was undetected after the match. That's what happens when you beat Andrei Arlovski: you lose anyway.
Even though Sylvia lost the title two PPVs later to Randy "Father
Time" Couture, he remained at the top of the division and was still regarded as a top fighter in the division. However, Arlovski, who owned the more impressive of the wins in the split between him and Sylvia, was cast to the bottom of the pool. Without notice, he was facing the likes Mario Cruz (who only beat Frank Mir because of the motorcycle accident). Meanwhile, Sylvia, who was on the lucky end of a one point decision, is being considered for a title rematch.
I easily consider Arlovski the better fighter between the two, making him the better choice to line up for fights against guys like Cro Cop, Couture, and Nogueira...not the boring, generally disliked, and out-of-shape Tim Sylvia. Also, the man has fangs. As Carlito would say, "Now that's cool."
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Why would he go home and watch basketball?
The war of words first described in my award-winning column Articulation of the year: "UFC ain't shit." has, fortunately, continued. To recap, Mayweather bashed on Chuck Liddell, stated he would give Liddell a million dollars if he beat a heavyweight boxer from his promotion, and said that the UFC “ain’t shit”. White came back with a challenge of having one of Mayweather Promotions’ heavyweights fight Liddell under MMA rules.
Mayweather was asked again about the UFC during an open workout this past Tuesday and once again, he didn’t shy away from giving his thoughts on the subject: "UFC’s champions can’t handle boxing. That’s why they are in UFC." Mayweather said. "Put one of our guys in UFC and he’d be the champion. Any good fighter, he’d straight knock them out. Take Chuck Liddell. Put him in the ring with a (boxer) who is just 10-0 and Chuck Liddell would get punished. They wouldn’t have a chance to grapple (us) because we’d knock them out."
White was given the opportunity to fire back at a press conference on Wednesday and he certainly delivered: "Boxers couldn’t become mixed martial artists. That’s why they’re boxers," said White. 'They are one trick ponies. Our guys can do everything. They can box, they can kick box, they can wrestle and do jiu-jitsu. They are much better athletes than boxers. I used to talk like Floyd Mayweather when I was involved in boxing," White said. “I talked just like him, until I educated myself about this sport. These guys are amazing athletes, Floyd Mayweather is one of the best boxers ever, (and) Sean Sherk will whoop his ass in under two minutes. Any day that Mayweather wants to put his money and his ass where his mouth is, I’m ready," White continued. "If he wants to step up, let’s do it."
Mayweather caught wind of White’s comments about Sherk and responded: "I’ll beat him and come home and watch basketball. Why would I go into a sport paying hundreds of thousands when I’m in a sport paying $20 million?" Mayweather said.White says however that he can offer Mayweather the type of money he would be interested in: "I’m willing to put together a fight for Sean Sherk and Floyd Mayweather with numbers that would make sense for Floyd," White said. "And I guarantee you he would not accept it. Floyd Mayweather would never fight in the UFC because he would get his head ripped off."What a bad ass thing to say. Dana White is the fucking man. Also, anyone who can explain what the hell Floyd Mayweather was talking about when he said he would come home and watch basketball will win a lifetime subscription to The Irish Whip.
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WWE drops Deep South Wrestling
The WWE just cut all ties with Deep South Wrestling, one of just two "minor league" schools they tend to pull from. However, I wouldn't get too nervous over this downsize. Deep South alumni include The Miz, William Regal, Rene Dupree, Vito, Matt Striker, and MVP.
Let's compare this with Ohio Valley Wrestling, the other minor league school and check out their alumni. Their list includes Shelton Benjamin, Carlito, John Cena, Johnny Nitro, Randy Orton, Batista, Mr. Kennedy, Bobby Lashley, and CM Punk. That's all I really have to say.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson: Confident or Cocky?
There is just something about this man. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is damn exciting as a fighter. I don't know, it might be his huge chain, or his swagger, or his amazing WWE-like power slams on opponents, or maybe it is the fact that he is the self-proclaimed "werewolf" of mixed martial arts, but something about this man is making him a huge fan favorite in the UFC.
If you look at the top 10 rankings for the Light Heavyweight division in the world, there are 2 names you will see: Chuck " The Iceman" Liddell and Quinton " Rampage" Jackson. Both men deserve to be there, and Chuck has been at the top for a long time. I believe it is time for a change. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson strolls into this fight with tons of confidence, winning his last 2 fights including a fight against top prospect Matt Lindland in the WFA, then a win against Marvin Eastman in his UFC debut. Chuck is a great fighter, no one is taking anything away from him, but it is Rampage's time.
So the question is, with a win over Chuck Liddell already, and a win in his debut in the UFC, is Rampage entering this fight confident or cocky? Well, I believe Rampage has always been a cocky man, there is no doubt about that. He used to be a street brawling kid who came into mixed martial arts with heavy fists and huge slams. With every fight, Rampage is training harder and gaining more experience. He has learned a lot from his 2 title bouts against Brazilian Wanderlei Silva (both hard-fought losses). If nothing else, everyone can expect Rampage to come into the ring and make things exciting. He is without a doubt a fan favorite in the UFC, and happens to be my favorite fighter of all time. Rampage is going to bring the pain, and he is going to melt The Iceman. The Rampage era in the UFC begins May 26th. Don't miss it.
UFC 71: Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
Dana White has put together an explosive main event at UFC 71, matching the current UFC Lightweight Champion Chuck “Iceman” Liddell against the last man to beat him in MMA, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Let me take a minute to inform those readers who are just UFC fans, and only know “Rampage” from UFC 67-All or Nothing, during which he destroyed his opponent, the ninja turtle looking Marvin Eastman. Jackson spent the majority of his career fighting for Japan’s Pride Fighting Championships organization, losing his first fight but winning the next nine. Following this tear, he lost in the Middleweight tournament final match against Brazil's Wanderlei Silva by knockout. Of those nine fights he won, the most notable is a TKO victory over current UFC Champion Chuck Liddell in the semi finals of that same Middleweight tournament.
The Next Big Thing: Elijah Burke
It flows so beautifully: The Elijah Experience. Simple alliteration that tells everything a viewer needs to know. His name is Elijah and you are ready for a show. Self-indulgent slogans like this are soaked with arrogance, something the leader of the New Breed has plenty of.
Since the WWE canned tag team partner Sylvester Terkay, Elijah Burke has flourished and shown that he has what it takes to be the next great menacing heel. It all began when he got the ultimate heel rub when he was introduced by one Vincent Kennedy McMahon as the future of the company. Doesn't get much better than that. What followed proved Burke's potential.
He stood alongside the biggest, most powerful name in the industry, and candidly cut a promo with McMahon. He was still a new face. Not many viewers knew much about him. But we were sold. He didn't look at all out of place. Without missing a beat, Burke has established himself as one of the most important pieces of the ECW product. Hardly an "Extremist," Burke is a throw-back with an up-to-date flair.
As the leader of the New Breed, he is the centerpiece of ECW's only hot angle. (I do not count Lashley against Umaga as an ECW angle.) This feud was a necessity to the show. Everybody knew it was coming. Anybody could write the storyline. New Skool vs. Old School. It's simple. The question mark was whether or not there were the proper characters in place to carry out the mission.
The Originals have been less than impressive. Dreamer has never appealed to me. Sandman, while he may have had the character earlier, is a poor-man's Stone Cold. Van Dam and Sabu are great in ring performers but when asked to cut a promo they fall short.
The New Breed has all the mic skills needed between Burke and Matt Striker, but Burke has taken the lead. Burke's recent interactions with C.M. Punk have been fantastic. These two, if given the opportunity, have the potential to be exactly what WWE needs. They are young and talented in the ring with great charisma. Punk will surely align himself with the Originals, sparking a feud between himself and Burke through the summer, which could be the first of a lineage of great battles between the pair.
Article written by Joe W., Article edited by Benjamin Zeidler
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Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Overrated/Underrated Superstars
Since the Matt Hardy post generated a good deal of commentary and Drew reminded us all of the classic literary form of the list, I thought it would be fun to combine both and take a look at the most overrated and underrated wrestlers currently employed by the WWE.
Overrated wrestlers:
5. King Booker. He used to be a good wrestler in his WCW days, but age and a terrible gimmick have taken a serious toll on the man who used to delight us with that spinning thing. He shouldn't be anywhere near a title shot.
4. Umaga. I know he's from the family that produced The Rock, Rikishi, The Wild Samoans, and Yokozuna, but he's just not interesting to watch. Thank God that the powers that be prevented him from ever beating Cena for the title.
3. Matt Hardy. See previous post.
2. Batista. Another one of McMahon's over-muscled favorites, Batista features a limited move set and virtually no mic skills. Without his huge push, he'd just be another Chris Masters.
1. John Cena. The current champ spends his time defeating future legends with a crappy finisher and generally not being able to wrestle. His good mic skills make him a serviceable champion, but not a good wrestler, and certainly not the Hall of Famer he is painted to become.
Underrated wrestlers:
5. Kenny. I think Kenny has been mishandled. First, he was put with the misfit Spirit Squad. Next, he was forced to wear pink tights and main card RAW. What we really have here is a young Owen Hart: whiny, athletic, and trained by the best (Stu Hart and Killer Kowalski, respectively).
4. The Undertaker. I know, I know. How could one of the most decorated champions of all-time make it onto my underrated list? Well, people still doubt The Dead Man. Every year, there are more and more groans about the age and ability of Taker, and yet he continues to show up, most recently evidenced by his over-the-top-rope dive onto Batista at WrestleMania 23.
3. Shelton Benjamin. Another case of names gone wrong (Does anyone know anyone named Bobby Lashley or Kenny Dykstra?!). Benjamin, a two-time state wrestling champion and Ohio Valley product, has all the moves and the looks to make it big in the WWE. Now all he needs is a name and a push.
2. Carlito. Carlito has a downright nasty move set and yet he's stuck with Ric Flair. I know that the Flair dynamic was supposed to make him a better wrestler and more recognizable, but he didn't even make WrestleMania this year. Missing chances to perform on the greatest stage in the world is going to hurt Carlito in the long run, keeping him as one of the most underrated wrestlers.
1. Mr. Kennedy. Yes, the future of the sport (according to Drew's list) is also the most underrated (according to me). Again, I have a problem with the generic yet odd gimmick name. Mr. Kennedy has a unique mix of power, speed, and flight which is seen in few wrestlers. Some of the most versatile (Rob Van Dam, Shawn Michaels) can combine two, but not three. Kennedy needs to develop a more defined personality so he can avoid showing up on this list in a few months.
Please comment on the board with your own lists.
"Matt Hardy is the most overrated piece of crap on this roster."
Have truer words ever been spoken? Sharp-witted Edge made this fairly obvious assessment during the November 27, 2006 episode of RAW. Does Matt Hardy suck for a reason or was he just born untalented? The answer, sadly, is both. His career is marked by instance after instance in which Matt was close to some sort of recognition, but ending up falling short. Unless he has his brother Jeff to drag him along, Matt is useless and clueless by himself.
Following a successful tag team career, in which Jeff Hardy won matches and Matt Hardy wore the belt, Matt embarked on his own singles path. This involved a very impressive...European championship run. Matt then turned on Jeff Hardy after being frustrated for not receiving a number 1 contender shot to face RVD. I don't even think Matt Hardy's mother was surprised that he didn't get that spot. But Matt was.
After confusingly naming himself "Matt Hardy-Version 1.0," he went on to win the highly competitive Cruiserweight championship, one of the most storied and sought-after titles in professional wrestling. Past champions include Tajiri, The Hurricane, Spike Dudley, and Funaki.
Then, on April 11, 2005, Matt Hardy received the most attention to his character to date as he was released by the WWE. This action followed Matt's realization that his girlfriend of five years, Lita, was having a legitimate affair with the more successful and better looking Edge.
Hardy would return to the WWE a year later, only to lose to Edge in a loser leaves RAW match. He then went on to compete in the 2006 King of the Ring tournament, losing in the first round to Booker T. Matt then was taken out of action due to a recurring staph infection.
So there you have it. A career defined by piggy-backing off of a more talented brother, losing to just about everyone in the business, being cheated on by a better wrestler, and becoming infected. Twice. If that laundry list doesn't scream "WWE Hall of Fame," then I don't know what does.
Monday, April 16, 2007
WWE's Future Superstars: My Top Ten List
WWE’s Future Superstars: My Top Ten List
Firstly, I would like to say that I sincerely believe that WWE will be as big a part of pop culture as they were during the Attitude Era within the next few years. They have some stars on their way up who are great wrestlers but also more importantly have great gimmicks and mic skills.
Who will be the top ten WWE superstars in five years? Here they are:
1. Mr. Kennedy– I honestly think he will be the face of WWE in five years. I can only imagine what the hallways of middle schools will sound like with so many kids yelling, “Mistaaaaaa Kennedy! Kennedy!”
2. Edge – He is clearly a fantastic heel and a great wrestler. He’ll be around.
3. Randy Orton – I would say that he’s still “on his way up.” He’s almost at the top…look for the Legend Killer to be WWE champ again soon.
4. Rey Mysterio – I almost forgot to put him on the list. He is apparently set for a huge push upon return from his injury, and WWE never forgets that a huge amount of its fans are Hispanic…and they love Rey!
5. CM Punk – This straight-edge Ring of Honor product has certainly paid his dues and he is probably the best pure wrestler on this list (seriously). He is already hugely popular as well, and look for him to work with…
6. Colt Cabana – Also a product of Ring of Honor, Cabana has the same amount of charisma that CM Punk displays, if not more. He just recently signed a developmental deal but I would expect him to be a star soon.
7. Elijah Burke – Unlike another writer for our blog (Jared), I think that Burke has a ton of potential. “If Elijah said it, it must be true” – what a great line.
8. Bobby Lashley – I’m very saddened to say, as I’m clearly not a fan of Lashley. But he is currently the (somewhat unworthy) recipient of a MASSIVE push that should keep him around for years.
9. MVP – Great on the mic, a great wrestler (as seen with Benoit), great gimmick. He, Kennedy, Benoit, and Taker are my reasons to watch Smackdown.
10. Johnny Nitro – Awesome to watch in the ring and a great heel. He and Melina could be similar to how Edge and Lita were.
Now, this isn’t to say that guys like HHH and HBK won’t be around, of course. They’ll still be main event guys, how could they not be? However, it would not surprise me at all to see Cena booed out of wrestling and into a full-time acting career. I also think that Batista will be more or less phased out.
It was also difficult for me to not include Carlito and Shelton Benjamin on this list, but due to their supposed “attitude problems” they are at a disadvantage.
Post responses / correct me. Tell me what you think. Did I seem to forget anybody?
Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip
RAW Reaction: Cena Booed!
You know something is wrong when your audience is cheering your heels and booing your faces. I think that WWE has been getting the hint for a while and it will only get worse. It makes me seriously ponder who will come out of Backlash as the WWE champ. Will they continue to try to shove Cena down the unwilling throats of the WWE fans? Or will they put the belt on a wrestler that the crowd actually likes to watch? We’ll see, and you’ll get my predictions when we get closer to Backlash…
One thing to note: I seriously hope that if they are going to give Santino Marella an Intercontinental Title reign they don’t do a storyline in which he is fortunate to win all of his first several matches and then “miraculously becomes a fantastic wrestler!” That would be a fairly ridiculous storyline, but I can see it happening. Of course, they might have Santino lose the title before they leave Italy.
Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip
Fantastic....
Let's go through a few names of wrestlers who have held the Intercontinental Championship...Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Edge, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Kane, RVD, Randy Orton, etc... (all of these names have also held the WWF/WWE/World Heavyweight Championship)
Now, with all of those great wrestlers that I just named...put a name like Santino Marella in there and it just doesn't fit. This shows that WWE is making the Intercontinental Championship a belt for mid-carders who show a little potential (Carlito, Shelton Benjamin, freakin' Santino).
I've heard many people say that the Intercontinental Championship has always been a belt for up-and-comers; but Triple H, Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, and Kane all held the WWF/WWE/World Heavyweight Championship before they held the Intercontinental Championship.
I understand that WWE wants to put over a new superstar in his home country, but giving him a belt on his first appearance is just dumb, pointless, and unfair to the wrestlers who work their way up to a title.
