Wrestling Rumblings #64
April 23, 2010
By: Jose Marrero of WrestleView.com
This is a week for wrestling columnists to really sink their teeth into. We have had TNA Lockdown, RVD’s world title win, the Volcano in Iceland changing Raw and WWE Extreme Rules to dissect and discuss. Of course because as I have always said I aim to be different and get you to think about things that you may not even hear about all week I will not be discussing any of that. What will I discuss this week? The things that have happened right under your nose that you should think and care about…this is “Wrestling Rumblings”.
Jack Swagger does two clean pinfall losses in the same week
I apologize for anyone who has not seen Smackdown yet thanks to some very cool friends I am fortunate enough at times to see Smackdown a day or two early and am actually writing this column on Thursday after watching this Fridays Smackdown and was not happy with what I saw. Jack Swagger the World Heavyweight Champion lost clean in two separate matches, two very good matches mind you but with the same result and I find myself asking when did the world title stop meaning anything in WWE? I have rallied and complained for years when WWE has decided to have its US, Tag Tea, and Intercontinental Champions do clean pinfall losses on TV and not have the moment lead to anything but my saving grace has always been that with the exception of Rey Misterio and Kurt Angle in recent years WWE has not made a habit of having their world champions lose matches clean and well why should they? They are the world champion, you would figure that would mean they are the best the company has to offer and they are the face of their particular brand. In theory you would want to keep them as strong as possible. Times have definitely changed. I recognize that unlike days past fans no longer buy a ticket to see a main event like they used to and in actuality would attend a WWE show without even knowing the card but what about the long-term damage you do to your world title? Was I the only one it bothered to see the Undertaker defeat Swagger and know that the follow up to his defeating the world champion is just the continuation of his break? Shouldn’t he want to be the world champion? Have we finally got the point where the world titles in promotions are truly just props? I never thought I would say this but the most legitimate title in wrestling in my opinion is the WWE Women’s championship? Why you ask? Because I have never ever seen the WWE Women’s Champion (or Divas Champion for that matter) loses a one on one match clean in the ring. Every time the champion loses a match it usually is for the title. Sure you may have the champion lose a tag team match and you know what? Unlike the times that all the other belt holders lose the falls in matches they always lead to a title match it’s a sad day in wrestling when the title that most fans take a bathroom break on is the most legitimate title in the promotion.
TNA is contemplating ridding themselves of the Global Championship
I was very shocked when I first heard about this from a reliable source over the weekend that TNA management is contemplating ridding themselves of the Global Title. Sure the Global Title hasn’t really meant much since its debut but it’s still a relatively new title and I thought for sure that the Hogan/Bischoff regime would want to do something with it to use it to help elevate talent. Of course the first thing that the Hogan/Bischoff regime would do was put it on Rob Terry whose ability to pull off a decent match and lack of drawing power has cause that title to be defended once on PPV in a very forgetful match so that title has been lost in the shuffle. I didn’t believe my source and then I happened to notice on Impact this week that Rob Terry in the biggest moment of his career to date never came out with the TNA Global Championship nor was it mentioned that he was the Global title holder at any point during the show. It should be mentioned that as of this column TNA still lists the Global Championship on its website and has had that title defended on its house shows. This is all still speculation but its something that I am fearful is going to happen. Let’s face it the X Division has become meaningless and for that matter so has the tag team titles which I will get to in the next topic. There has to be something else other than the TNA World Title to entice viewers and while they are nice to look at the TNA Knockouts championship cannot be that piece of the puzzle. Take that title off Rob Terry and put it on someone else like Ken Anderson and make that title mean something so that wrestlers can have a secondary title to help them ascend up the card and avoid relying on WWE to release main event ready wrestlers.
Matt Morgan becomes the 3rd man to hold the TNA World Tag Team Championships by himself
This is just sad, TNA used to have an outstanding tag team division and to see it reduced to this is pathetic. Matt Morgan joins Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle as the only men to hold the TNA Tag Team Championships by himself. I know people are going to email me and argue that Morgan has not technically defended those titles by himself but being that he seems to have the gimmick where he is choosing partners only to turn on them he is technically a solo champion and I find that fact to be tarnishing whatever shine can be put on the TNA tag team division. The TNA Tag Team titles are not even 3 years old yet and nearly 25 percent of its lineage is made up of solo wrestlers holding the tag team titles. Guess how many times the titles that make up WWE’s Unified Tag Team Championship have been held by just one person? I’ll give you a hint it’s the same as the ECW, AWA, WCW, and ROH Tag Team titles that’s right none. Get it together TNA.
Jose has to eat his words and retract something
Well maybe not eat my words but definitely further clarify something that was written in last weeks column and that was regarding Jim Cornette working for free for ROH. Jim Cornette does work ROH shows for free BUT gets compensated for travel expenses to regular ROH shows and is paid for his role as Executive Producer for ROH on HD Net. Unlike others who make statements that are proven to be false or incorrect and keep trudging along I will call a foul on myself and get it right.
The March for Babies event in NYC is this Saturday
Yes the same March for Babies event that I have been mentioning for the better part of 2 months now is finally upon us but I hope that it does not mean you will not donate in the future to March of Dimes. For those that have asked me Noemi has exceeded her team goal for the march by more than 50% but that is no reason for those who can find it in there hear to donate not to. This march will go to help:
…support all-important research offering preventions and solutions for babies born too soon or with birth defects
…educate women on things they can do to increase their chances of having a healthy baby
…provide comfort and information to families with a newborn in intensive care
…push for newborn screening and health insurance for all pregnant women and children.
I hope that everyone continues to give their support and continues to support March of Dimes in their efforts to raise money. For those who haven’t been to Noemi’s page here is the link: click here. I think you will find her son Antonio’s story to be very heart wrenching and in some ways inspirational. For people that may not necessarily want to just blindly give money without getting something and would still like to help there has been a online Avon event set up in Antonio’s name where 15% of the proceeds will go to March of Dimes. Ladies you may want to buy something, Men you may want to buy something for your ladies or even yourselves for more information go to www.youravon.com/jessicamarcano and click on “Online Event” every dime helps.
On that note I am going to wrap this week’s column up as always I have to give you guys something to do for the weekend. Of course you do have the WWE Extreme Rules PPV on Sunday but again on Saturday there will be a March for Babies here in NYC. The march starts at Lincoln Center and you have to be there by 8AM to register. Don’t live in NYC don’t worry March of Dimes has event’s all over that you can take part in for more information go to marchofdimes.org and well if you want to email me on anything that I said this week, last week or just anything in general feel free to do so at wrestlingrumblings@hotmail.com and well that’s it for this week, next week I will try to do better and until then I am out.