From the Desk of Mr. V #117
April 24, 2011
By: Anthony J. Valvo of Wrestleview.com
Introduction
Welcome to the latest edition of “From the Desk of Mr. V”. I am Anthony “Mr. V” Valvo, your WrestleView resident teacher with the same material as last time, but different names, matches, and articles.
On a side note, there will be no detentions, gold stars, or honor rolls. This column will solely be about ROH’s recent Internet pay-per-views and the upcoming WWE Draft.
So sit back and grab some coffee, cider, or bottle water. Relax as you read the 117th Installment of “From the Desk of Mr. V”.
Quote of the Week
“The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast.” – Oscar Wilde
Teacher’s Lecture
I have a question actually to ask my WrestleView student body.
Question: Didn’t you hate it when a teacher in your school only lectured for the entire period?
I know I did, and with that I must apologize because this column is pretty much going to be a long lecture. In this lecture I will go over the ROH Internet PPVs from WrestleMania Weekend and also talk about the upcoming WWE Draft that will take place Monday.
So, let’s go with the big portion of the lecture, ROH’s “Honor Takes Center Stage”. Since I decided to work a little overtime, I decided to bring in an apprentice to help the workload since Mr. V (yes, I used third person, so what) has been studying in a quest to be a certified Middle School Social Studies teacher. So joining me in this lecture will be WrestleView’s Resident “Viper” Jason Namako. All it will be are some thoughts of each match that took place, and for a very cheap twenty dollars to watch both shows it was too good to pass up.
Listed below will be each match and what our thoughts of each match were. And because we will play the role as teachers, we will present a grade for each contest.
1) Honor Takes Center Stage Thoughts (Part 1)
Match #1: Michael Elgin def. El Generico via the 360 Powerbomb in a Singles Match.
Mr. V: I thought watching this match it was a solid opener to the card. The big stipulation was that Elgin’s faction, The House of Truth, was banned and was supposed to be a one-on-one bout. Though at times there was a lack of chemistry between the two (i.e. when Generico was set for a quick move they did a brief pause), the flow to the match was alright. I was a bit though disappointed that after one of the best feuds in recent memory with Kevin Steen, Generico in a way can’t get back into a top story. I liked the story of the masked man aiding Elgin near the end of the match and helping with the cheap victory. I think Elgin was the star in this match. He countered all of Generico’s top moves very well and kept the match at a decent pace throughout.
Grade: C+
Mr. Namako: I really liked how Elgin is becoming a shrunken version of Dr. Death Steve Williams with his raw power and athletic ability. It is a shame that Generico has been kind of in limbo since Final Battle, but as we are going to see later on, it seems as though he will finally have a direction heading forward. A solid opening match but with a stupid ending. Really, the best you can do to get around the ban from ringside of the House of Truth is Martini in a mask. Really? It got Elgin a high-profile win even with the interference, so the match worked for putting over Elgin.
Grade: C+
Match #2: Homicide def. Tomasso Ciampa, Colt Cabana, and Caleb Konley in a Four Corner Survival Match. Homicide ended it with The Cop Killer on Konley.
Mr. V: First off right off the bat after the result of the match, I am happy to see that Homicide got the win because the match he had with Strong on the previous iPPV was a frustrating one to watch. I was impressed with his work on this night, and the move of the match when he did three suicide dives to his opponents was done well. Colt Cabana wrestled his role nicely, as he was there to generate some positive noise from the crowd. The biggest reaction of the match came from him when he elbowed almost everyone and then paused to kiss Princess Mia. Tammaso Ciampa is a solid prospect on the ROH roster and from what I heard he is a pretty good powerhouse. However, I did not see much from him to generate anything. The only spot I was real impressed with was the Powerbomb into a Backbreaker move. I think in this match the story evolved around Konley’s attempt to be accepted into the House of Truth. Due to the defeat in the match, Truth Martini rejected him and Konley was destroyed by Michael Elgin in the process. It was a decent match, but it was a great one-day story that they booked with the House of Truth and Konley at the start and end of the contest.
Grade: C+
Mr. Namako: This match has been done to death in ROH, it almost is like when TNA would do this with the tag teams and the X Division back in 2008 where if they didn’t have a spot for you, they would throw in some multi-man cluster. However, every time they do this match, especially this year, it has brought good, solid, action from all men involved. This match was no different. Main goal was to rebound Homicide after his recent losing streak since the 9th Anniversary show loss to Strong. This match did just that. Homicide was super over with the crowd, and he seemed to have more fire in him than I have seen in recent months from him. Konley was there and did nothing for me. Ciampa, who this is my 1st time seeing anything from, really impressed me with his sheer presence and unique offense. Cabana was Cabana, which is always solid to good from him. So, match was solid as well.
Grade: C+
Match #3: Hiroyo Matsumoto* and Ayumi Kurihara def. Sara Del Ray and Serena Deeb* when Matsumoto used the Backdrop Driver on Deeb in a Women of Honor Tag Team Match.
Mr. V: Don’t let the grade fool you. In a way, this was one of the best women’s tag team matches I have seen since I started with WrestleView. My only complaint was the fact that there were good combos, but inconsistent tagging. I liked though how Del Ray and Deeb did their best to keep the match going. Del Ray and Deeb showed some good striking ability, but I was hoping to see a bit more that would catch my eye. Matsumoto was alright in her offense, but nothing stood out. Now the high-flying Aymi Kurihara? She was excellent with her spots. She did not miss a spot and showed a blend of attacks through the air and submission holds. I think there could have been a lot more done, but given the time for the match this was the best one could get.
Grade: C+ (leaned toward a C)
Mr. Namako: This match was just BRU-TAL. Just 4 women who are just beating the ever-loving crapout of each other. 1st time seeing the women from Joshi Wrestling, and I got to say, was really impressed with the stiffness in their strikes and their throws. Just vicious. Del Rey and Deeb have made a good tag team combo in ROH with it only being Deeb’s 2nd time in ROH, the 1st being at Final Battle. Del Rey is just awesome with her Queen character, and Deeb did good here as well, showing more athletic ability then we ever saw of her in the WWE. While I agree with the non-tagging that went on in this match, I almost wonder if that is just the Joshi style with less tagging, almost like those Lucha 6-man tag when you don’t have to tag in. Anyway, it was a good, hard-hitting from these 4 girls.
Grade: B-
Match #4: Jay Briscoe* and Mark Briscoe def. Adam Cole* and Kyle O’Reilly when The Briscoes (with Jay pinning at the end) hit the Doomsday Device on Cole in a Tag Team Match.
Mr. V: The one thing I noticed was the the crowd were really hoping for the upset and I was very surprised of the reaction that O’Reilly and Cole received when they hit their quick combinations. O’Reilly was very fluent on his leg strikes and it looks like he trains on the offense very hard. Cole got a couple kicks in, but outside of the kicks it was his partner that really shined in the match. The one thing that I liked was that the Briscoes did their best to slow the match down because near the end the action was too fast for my liking. For the most part, it was a well-executed tag team match with only one spot that I witness takes a bit too much time. Now the readers may wonder why it was a C+ and not higher. This is just me, but I don’t think the last few minutes anyone sold anything at all. As much as I like O’Reilly’s work when on offense, he was terrible at selling any attack by Mark and Jay. Also, I don’t know if this is what ROH does, but there was way too much “no tag combinations” for my liking as well. The match was ok and was a good way to end the first half of the show, but way too much offense and not a lot of defense.
Grade: C+
Mr. Namako: This match was very well done in terms of getting Cole and O’Reilly over the hump as a force to be reckoned with in the ROH Tag Team scene. To me, they are now the 5th good to great team in that division after their performances over these 2 shows. Cole is really coming along in ROH as a underdog performer, his babyface in peril stuff is well done, his selling is solid, and his comeback offense is good because it gets the crowd off their feet and made people believe in both matches with this team, that they could knock off a top team in ROH, and that will get fans behind them as “their team” in a way. The Briscoes have been fantastic since going back to the hell side of things, with more viciousness to their offense, and getting the fans to really hate them, and you cannot teach that to any performer. Overall, match was pretty good and while I agree that the no-sell at the end was stupid, my only defense is that it shows the “never give up” attitude of Cole, and especially O’Reilly, who I will say this now, I think he is better right now than his trainer, Davey Richards. I really liked the post-match stuff to set up the match the next night and the hate that was shown between the Briscoes and The All Night Express. The whole segment was well done.
Grade: C+
Match #5: Davey Richards def. Roderick Strong via the Ankle Lock in a Singles Match.
Mr. V: First off, I credit both guys for their conditioning. From start to finish, I had my eyes glued to, well, my computer since this was an iPPV. The first thing I should compliment was that neither one looked out of it after the match because the chops, forearms, and kicks looked very stiff and full of impact. Both men had good chemistry and really did a nice job with the brawling aspect. Strong was the complete opposite that night than he was at the 9th Anniversary show, as I feel that between the ropes Strong worked wonders on Richards. Richards pretty much has all the tools to be that next World Champion for the Ring of Honor promotion. No matter what Richards does, he is going to get a huge reaction with the crowd.
Now the match almost got the best grade I can offer a match, but there were a couple things that were irritating to the contest. The first was that some of the moves were rushed and did not connect. As much as I enjoy Richards hitting the Handspring Enzugiri, it looked like it barely connected. Strong usually connected on this signature moves with not too much effort, but near the end it did not look right. I would probably say that selling was not involved, but during most of the match Richards sold a good bit of Strong’s attacks to his back and head area. However near the end it was just a bit too fast with the finisher and two counts. Still, I had no problem with what was inside of the ring. In this story, Richards is climbing that ladder to the top. Richards got through Strong (which may have been the hardest opponent he faced in this climb). I enjoyed the technical and brawling styles in this match, but the power moves were a bit hit or miss. Still, this was a pretty solid match that I would have no problem watching again.
Grade: B+
Mr. Namako: To me, their best match together, and both these guys best match in a long while. Everything just clicked here in this match, it almost seems like the ROH Title was actually kind of hampering Roderick in terms of his matches and overall performance when he was the champion. Now without, it looks like he has a renewed fire to him, and brings more passion to his matches. Davey was amazingly good at the selling aspect of Roddy’s vicious strikes and when Roddy was on his control segment. Match was very hard-hitting with the strikes, the counters were fluid, the selling was executed well, for a change by both, and the finish was fantastic where you didn’t know what it would to put either one down, and Davey with that superplex off the ropes and then holding on for the Falcon Arrow was awesome. Then, after many tries with the ankle lock, Strong finally tapped and Davey got his revenge from Final Battle. Good storytelling and a great ending to a very good match. I was really surprised by good it was and therefore.
Grade: B
Match #6: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas* and Shelton Benjamin) def. The Kings of Wrestling (Claudio Castagnoli* and Chris Hero) to win the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship when Haas applied the Haas of Pain on Castagnoli.
Mr. V: This was the match I was most looking forward to on this first card of the weekend, as their battle on the Glory by Honor show last September was one of the best tag team matches I watched in recent memory. And while this one was not as great as the match a few months ago, they still put on an excellent performance that was unlike any tag team contest I have seen this year.
Haas and Benjamin were very fluent with their work, and their styles complement each other pretty well. Both guys were hitting their strides and looked like the better tag team for most of the contest. They were able to work on Castagnoli’s knee for much of the time he was in there and the result was solid because Haas went for the injured part and after a bit of distractions, Castagnoli had no choice but to tap out. Shelton looked very impressive with his mat style wrestling in the beginning of the match, while Haas showcased some power and just looks like he re-invented himself in the ROH promotion.
The Kings gave a valiant effort as well. It looked like they need to do those “heelish” tactics to get even in the contest, but there were not as many and it made for a great story inside that ring. Each guy had the other’s back from the start to almost finish. One thing that I enjoy with this team was the ability to take the heads off their opponents, and what I saw was many elbows by Hero and European Uppercuts by Castagnoli. Those basic strikes delivered a bit impact on their opponents.
The story outside the ring was fine as well, with The Kings doing everything in their power to get the advantage. And even though there were those no tag combinations, for an over 20 minute match it was actually not bad and definitely changed the mood and momentum of each team. For that, I had no problem. It was not spotty at all and booked very well. Benjamin and Haas winning the titles on that night were perfect and even though The Kings did not win on that night, they looked very strong and hopefully will continue a nice feud with them at the next couple shows.
Grade: B+ (leaned toward A-)
Mr. Namako: To me, this was the worst match out of their 3, but it was still really damn good. I don’t know of a better 3 match tag series in recent memory than the matches these two teams have had. Glory by Honor was outstanding, the SoCal Showdown was even better, and even though the 3rd couldn’t be better, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t good because it really was. I honestly have no words, just my recommendation that everyone should watch all 3 matches in succession and make your own distinction of what you thought, because this is modern-day tag team wrestling at its finest. Haas and Benjamin have shown more intensity and charisma than they ever showed in WWE, and Hero and Claudio are IMO, the backbone of ROH right now. If they were to leave before the year closes, ROH would be in serious trouble. Those two had probably the greatest title run, outside of Samoa Joe that the company ever had, with their awesome matches on every single show for the last year. Highly recommend seeing this match, and the title change was the biggest pop I heard all weekend, yes folks, all weekend. Crowd went ape, as Pat Patterson would say for the title change, and Haas and Benjamin looked legitimate in terms of their emotions winning the title, which made the moment even more memorable.
Grade: A-
Match #7: Eddie Edwards retains the ROH World Heavyweight Championship; defeating Christopher Daniels with a couple of 2K1 Bombs.
Mr. V: With ROH, it is expected that the match with the most praise ends up concluding the show. ROH prides themselves at giving the fans the best wrestling at the best value, and honestly this match did not disappoint.
Daniels may not have won this match, but he did put on a pretty impressive effort. He used all areas of wrestling to wear down Edwards in the contest (he did hit his trademark stuff of Angel’s Wings and the Best Moonsault Ever), he just came up a bit short. People can rip on Daniels all they want, but the one thing that always impresses me with Daniels is that he goes 100% in every big match he is involved in. Probably his work outside the ring is what caught my eye with the Ura-Nage to the table and then slamming Edwards on the chair. Seriously, Daniels did everything he possibly could to score a victory, but came close.
This is the first time I watched Edwards since he won the ROH World Heavyweight championship and I was a bit skeptical. But after what I watched in Edwards, ROH did a great job in booking the upset championship win for Edwards back in March. Edwards is the real deal for ROH and he represents everything ROH stands for. You can feel the emotion in Edwards when he lit up Daniels’ chest with those chops and the way he would apply a submission or use his improved power moves. Overall, and I am sure they are not reading this but I thought this was Eddie Edwards’ best Singles match since I started watching the ROH product.
What helped this get an “A-” grade was the emotion between the two. Sure, we know this is all booked, but both wrestlers in the ring did their best to show the crowd that it was unpredictable. Daniels is a proven star that has shown emotion in TNA and ROH. When he refused the handshake after the match, it opened the door to another chapter in this storyline. Edwards has improved drastically in the way he presents himself in the ring. He does have it when it comes to performing at a high level in all aspects of a wrestling character. Overall, this is a match that I would watch again and easily one of the best I have seen in 2011.
Grade: A-
Mr. Namako: This was the 2nd best match on this 1st night, behind the Tag Title match. It started off slow with some good chain wrestling by both men, feeling each other out as they have met each other numerous times. But once Daniels flipped that switch and turned into a heel with slamming Edwards from the apron thru the ringside table below and then slamming him thru 2 chairs he had set up.After that, the match was awesome. Just loved how Daniels was able to turn on the fly and become this vicious heel on Edwards, and then egging on the “F TNA” chants that were being thrown at him, just made that match go from 1st gear to 3rd or 4th in a matter of minutes. The rest of match with Daniels in control and Edwards selling like the champ he is was well done, Edwards comebacks were real fluid, and the home stretch was fantastic with the counters and nearfalls till Edwards finally put Daniels away to solidify himself as the face of ROH as its champion. Like V, I wondered why Edwards got the belt instead of Davey, becaue he has always been seen as the Owen Hart of the American Wolves, where Davey is always getting the praise and glory, and Edwards is in the shadow of him. I believe after this match, Edwards has stepped out of the shadow and proved to everyone that he will make a very good to great ROH champion. Overall, it was very good main event to a very good match that I give a grade of an A-.
Grade: A-
2) Honor Takes Center Stage Thoughts (Part 2)
Match #1: The Kings of Wrestling (Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero*) def. Kyle O’Reilly* and Adam Cole thanks in part to a Double Bicycle Kick by the Kings to O’Reilly. Hero got the pin to win in a Tag Team Match.
After a defeat to Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team the night before, The Kings of Wrestling nearly controlled all of the opening contest tonight. I believe that the goal in this match was for the Kings to regain some momentum after yesterday’s loss and it was an effective job by the booking department.
Hero and Castagnoli once again worked on the head of their opponents. Though some of the bigger spots they hit were not done that night, the offense they administered were done well. Also, after watching more European Uppercuts from Castagnoli makes me believe that he has the best Euro ‘Cuts in professional wrestling today.
O’Reilly and Cole did go 0-2 on this particular weekend, but they might be a tag team to watch in the coming months for ROH. Right now, the only thing I can type about this group is that when they are doing a “hot tag”, they hit their spots very well. Though they do struggle at times with slowing a match down, they do enough to grab the attention of the fans and viewers. That is a good sign.
Again, the grade was a bit down because in a way I felt that it was a squash between the up and comers and the dominant tag team that got angry from previous events. Despite the “C”, it should not be discouraged. Both had worked a good program that did build the Kings for another title chance while giving O’Reilly and Cole much needed experience on the ROH roster.
Grade: C (leaned toward a C+)
Mr. Namako: This match was yes to rebound the Kings after their loss the night before, it was shown with them not prancing around coming out of the curtain, and just going right on the attack as the bell rang. Cole and O’Reilly though, solidified their place in the ROH tag team scene by not only holding their own against the Kings, but almost pulling off the upset with the finishing stretch. O’Reilly was the definite star in this match as he was relentless in not letting go of the choke applied on Claudio, even after Hero nailed many times right square in the face. It encompassed the character of O’Reilly that he will never give up and that took a double team from the Kings to beat him. O’Reilly as I have said, is to me, better right now the man who trained him, Davey Richards. Only see bright things in the future for he and Cole, who was good in this match. Yes, the match was only here to rebound the Kings, but Cole and O’Reilly pushed them to a good pseudo squash and made fans and management that they are here to stay in ROH, Overall, a good opening tag match and great efforts from all 4 involved.
Grade: B-
Match #2: Colt Cabana def. Dave Taylor via a Rollup in a Singles Match
Mr. V: This was the most technical ROH match I have seen, as it was in a way pure wrestling. There was not much quick segments in this, just a hold-for-hold wrestling that I remembered when I was a young wrestling fan.
Taylor was in pretty good shape, despite the fact he is in his 50s. He actually hit a dropkick and was devastating in the European Uppercuts.
Cabana was good at keeping the match in the ring. Though he did not have much time to control in this match, he did hit on The Flying Apple and went hold-for-hold with Taylor. I enjoyed how he went after Princess Mia right after the opening bell (he planted a kiss on her the night before)
Overall, I wanted to give this a high grade but the match was pretty short. However I was presently surprised with this match because I did not expect much, but the viewers got a good, short technical match that kept the audience interested.
Grade: C
Mr. Namako: I agree, a real good technical match that you don’t normally see in ROH, because guess what, and this will be mean to ROH fans, but whatever, they slowed down. They were methodical in their offense and Taylor, who at 50 or so years of age, can still pull out dropkicks and head scissors is just astonishing to me. Cabana really shined here by getting to work with someone who is a master of Cabana’s favorite style, the technical European style of wrestling. While it was short, it cannot be denied how fun this match was and hope that we will get to see more of this in a longer setting on future ROH shows.
Grade: C+
Match #3: Tomasso Ciampa def. Homicide via the Northern Lights Suplex/Bridge Pin combination in a Singles Match
Mr. V: Yes, I went there to give this a B- grade and here is why. The Embassy was in a funk for over a year and the story was to eliminate all that was associated with The Embassy and bring it back powerful than ever. When it was all said and done, The Embassy welcomed Tomasso Ciampa and the rest could be history.
Homicide does his best work outside the ring, and boy did we get a ton of outside the ring brawling by Homicide. He looks to be healthy and was able to his some pretty good stuff outside the ring such as the Cannonball off the stage. The story of Homicide’s gimmick also is that he “must say what is on his mind”. Homicide barked many times at Mia and Prince Nana which led to an upset and a breakout win for Ciampa.
The goal was to get The Embassy over in my opinion. It was supposed to be the rebuilding of the once powerful faction in ROH. And it reached its goal without hurting the momentum of Homicide. The Embassy did what it took to get their guy to the upset, and it happened. Ciampa bumped real well, took a lot of offense as well when outside of the ring. However, Ciampa has some pretty solid power and on this night he was pretty good in the ring (he really connected on the lariat to get some control midway in the match).
Also, it was very important that The Embassy interfered in the match. If this was booked one-on-one, it would not be believable if Ciampa won over a past ROH World Champ. But this is why I like managers in professional wrestling. They are there to help a young guy get their feet wet in a promotion. Overall, the brawling outside the ring was very good. The work by both guys inside was good as well. But I think the opportune interference by Nana and Mia really turned a C+ match into that B-. It was an impressive mid-card effort by all involved.
Grade: B- (leaned toward a C+)
Mr. Namako: This weekend as a whole was to get over two stables in Ring of Honor, The Embassy and The House of Truth, as we will look at later. The match was very good and again, Homicide seems to be back on track after a lackluster beginning to his 2nd run in ROH. He has more intensity and fire in his matches the moves look crisper, and his selling has gotten immensely better. Ciampa was on fire here and was out to prove that be belongs on the ROH roster, and IMO, he did just that. Like Elgin, who we will talk about in the next match, Ciampa has that raw power and athletic ability that people love to see in big, young talent. His selling is decent for a bigger guy, and made Homicide a viable threat to him, even though Homicide has been there longer and is the smaller of two. Really like this new look to the Embassy, and with another one or two guys or gals added to bring more depth to them as a whole, The Embassy, like the House of Truth, will play a major role in ROH for the rest of this year. Overall, a good match and great way to put over a young talent by giving him a clean win, while not losing any steam to Homicide.
Grade: C+
Match #4: Christopher Daniels def. Michael Elgin via The Best Moonsault Ever in a Singles Match.
Mr. V: This was a mid-card match that I was anticipating. On one side there was Christopher Daniels, a founding member of the ROH roster and pretty much can give anyone a good match due to his experience. On the other is a man with impressive upside in Michael Elgin. In the end, we got a pretty solid match and a new (but done already) twist to the Daniels character in ROH.
First off, Elgin has shown hopefully others that watched him that he was a great hire by ROH. The guy is extremely powerful and connected on every power spot well. One move that I am amazed with is the Delayed Vertical Suplex and Elgin held up Daniels in that position for at least twenty seconds. He also has a few other tactics that could help him in the future (i.e. He did a Boston Crab on the corner and attempted some high-risk moves). In time, if fans are patient we could be seeing the next big powerhouse for ROH.
Daniels told a pretty good story as well in this match. The moment the bell rang he was right in Elgin’s face because speed and quickness is effective over power if done right. Daniels’ experience also helped him counter some of the moves and holds of Elgin (especially the STO out of nowhere). Really thought the low-blow was a good twist, as it is expected that Daniels will be turning heel in the near future (looked like days after the show he aligned himself with the House of Truth). Daniels was booked to “win at all costs” on that night, and he executed the game plan very well.
Overall, there was just a few spots where Elgin took the flow out of a move or two, but it was minimal. Elgin is still learning the ROH product, but so far he passed with flying colors in my eyes. I just hope the fans in attendance don’t just blow him off. Daniels was good as well, and despite working a 30 minute match the previous night was spot on with his match against the more powerful opponent.
Grade: B-
Mr. Namako: A good match to get over what was to come later on in the show. Daniels and Elgin had a good match that got over 2 things. 1) The sheer power of Elgin in his control segment with the moves that V previously mentioned, and the fact that he, like Ciampa, has settled nicely into the role of the “Enforcer” of the group. While Ciampa is being made the star of the Embassy, Elgin is the powerhouse that is there to soften up opponents and most of the time, wind up losing. But Elgin will eventually get his due and I think the ROH fans will soon come around to him. 2) It was to get over the new attitude of Daniels, which much like when he was in ROH in the beginning would do whatever it takes to win the match, and that led to the finish. Match was worked well, told a nice story, and was a catalyst for what was to come later in the show.
Grade: B-
Match #5: Daizee Haze* and Tomoka Nakagawa def. Hiroyo Matsumoto and Ayumi Kurihara when Haze hit a Tiger Suplex with a Bridge pinfall on Matsumoto to retain the SHIMMER Tag Team Championship.
Man, I actually wished this match went a few more minutes because I thought it was a good effort to kick off the 2nd half of the show.
Kurihara was the star of this match, as the crowd was really into what she was doing in the ring. I can’t blame them because she did some moves in the ring that I never seen a woman accomplish. If you get a chance to watch Ayumi Kurihara, you must check her out. Matsumoto showed some strong power and speed as well, she was the powerhouse in the match, and showed great strength when she had Haze and Nakagawa on her back and she still delivered a solid kneedrop.
Nakagawa took some serious bumps in the match, but a couple of heelish tactics help her team retain the championships. Still, it was good to see her deliver a few kicks to even things out. Haze was not bad in the ring as well. I can’t stand it when fans verbally abuse a wrestler for no apparent reason, and Haze was very quick and did everything she could in this contest to win the match.
Overall though, it went way too quick for this fan. As someone that likes to see a story play out it just went by way too fast. However, I give ROH a ton of credit for giving the viewers two very good women’s matches on their card. Also, in conclusion despite not winning the tag belt, keep an eye on Kurihara. She is a star in the making.
Grade: C
Mr. Namako: Just as good, if not better, than the match the previous night. Haze and Nakagawa were really good here as the heel champs just getting the stuffing knocked out of them by the constant offense of the challengers, but just kept coming back for more and holding their own to make a really well done, fast-paced spotfest of a match. Like the match the night before, the match had vicious bumps and strikes thrown between all 4 women, which made the match more enjoyable for me. Haze was preparing for a fitness contest, which explains the lean look to her, and you are right V, there is no need for that in a crowd, those fans should have been ejected IMO. Overall, 2 great women’s performances on the weekend shows by 6 skilled females and I hope they bring back all of the Joshi to be able to beef a potential ROH Women’s Division, because I think that is something the company can add as an extra bonus to all the other stuff on the show.
Grade: C+
Match #6: The Briscoes (Jay* and Mark) def. The All Night Express (Rhett Titus and Kenny King*) when Jay hit the Jay Driller on King in a Tag Team Grudge Match
Mr. V: In grudge matches, you want to see all the shots. It does not matter to me if it was full of spots and spills, but if it told a story. In the end of the match, I think not only the wrestlers told the story but the crowd as well when the Briscoes in a way turned on the fans in attendance and the ANX won by defeat if that made sense.
Kenny King was pretty good in this match, but a couple of things he tried to do to escape kind of went wrong. Still when it came to the kicks and clothesline he was able to connect. Titus went through a transformation here as well as one that will take one for the team. The guy seriously took more bumps than I think any of the wrestlers up to this point. Titus’ Sex Factor onto the table was amazing to watch. The combinations by the ANX were great as well, especially the Powerbomb/Blockbuster spot. The ANX is all business now, and I like this transformation.
Jay and Mark Briscoe gives any tag team or singles wrestler a fight. It was the same way on this night. Jay in a way outshined his brother in the ring and in character. Jay’s consistent brawling and those Jay Drillers really told a story of their dominance in ROH. Mark was the silent brawler in this, he was good with the punches and the double team attacks, but Jay’s star shone brightly in this tag team.
Overall, I was expecting a good fight and got a great one with more storytelling that I expected. Titus and King were all flash in the last match I watched of theirs was against the Kings of Wrestling. This time, they showed supreme toughness and did all they could but win. The transition of sides (face and heel) came out between both teams. From start to finish, I was hooked on this match. From the out of ring fighting to the bleeding to the end, this was one of the hardest fought tag team matches I have seen since I started on WrestleView.
Grade: B+.
Mr. Namako: Just an unbelievable hate-filled slug fest between these two teams. You could tell that these 4 did not like each other with the viciousness and the stiffness of their shots. The story as great in that the Briscoes had changed from ROH crowd favorites to jealous trash-talking machines that were hell-bent on showing the crowd how much they hated them and whoever the crowd would cheer against them. ANX were made as a babyface team in this match, especially Rhett Titus. This dude bumped his ever-loving ass off for the Briscoes, and played the sympathetic face in peril role to a tee, sitting up the hot tag to King, and while King did miss on a few things, he rebounded nicely. But to me, the most memorable visual from the whole weekend of shows was the sight of Jay Briscoe and Rhett Titus, a complete bloody mess, standing face to face and Jay spitting blood in the face of Rhett, and then Rhett just destroying him with a lariat. It encompassed their characters in that one moment, and made that match worthy of a MOTY contender IMO. Overall, great brawl between these 2 teams that I highly recommend checking out and I myself cannot wait for their next match, and I don’t think that way a lot. The match gets a grade of an A- , just a great match.
Match #7: El Generico def. Roderick Strong via The Brainbuster
Mr. V: This match to me was a bit confusing. I thought that booking a guy who came off an intense feud and a former champion would not make sense. However, in the end I thought they put on a solid effort in the ring. It was tough to follow what was the best match on the card, and I thought that while Strong and Generico did not receive the higher grade they did tell a pretty good story that after the match added another chapter.
Strong is a hot or cold kind of guy. There are opponents in which he does very well against, and there are guys that he really struggles with. I was impressed with the basic stuff that he did with the strikes and holds. However, I think he had to have been worn out a bit after his encounter with Davey Richards the night before. This in a way lowers Strong down on the card because of the fact that he is in a funk since losing the title, but the new addition to the faction he is associated with will do wonders for him.
Generico is probably one of the most underrated guys in professional wrestling. He has a lot of talent and surprisingly went move for move with Strong. He continues his feud with the House of Truth with the Brainbuster finisher, but throughout the match it was not nearly as a highlight reel style that I am accustomed to with Generico.
This match could have been lower, but I give credit to the booking team for allowing Truth Martini interfere on a few occasions. He was good for what he is doing for his associates. He was pretty subdued despite the fact that both Strong and Elgin lost their matches, but it was all due to new chapter of the faction, the addition to Daniels. And while it was not a terrific showing by the wrestlers in the ring, the moments after with the involvement of The House of Truth and Colt Cabana makes this storyline very interesting.
Grade: B- (leaned toward a B)
Mr. Namako: This was simply here to be a go between the slugfest of the ANX and The Briscoes, and the main event coming up afterward. But this as a slowed down wrestling match, was pretty good. To me, this is the style that should be used for this company, and they kind of did it back at Glory by Honor, but since then it’s gone back to the usual “ROH” style. Strong did well with his control segment, and Generico sold well for him. Liked the involvement of Martini, and as I said previously, the goal of the weekend was to get over The Embassy and The House of Truth has major stables in Ring of Honor. And while Generico got his win back over Strong clean with the Brainbuster, the aftermath was awesome with Daniels making his full-fledged heel turn by joining the House of Truth with Strong and Elgin. The beatdown of Generico and Cabana, who came in to help was really well done, and that Urnange spot by Strong to Generico thru the chair was sickening. Truth Martini has become in a way, the James Mitchell of ROH, at first people saw him as a joke, but after this weekend, he has turned into this mind-controlling cult leader of these 3 guys and turned them into machines which will be the focal point going forward. Overall, a good wrestling match to bring the crowd down for the main event but had a great post-match angle to set up the summer for ROH. The match gets a grade of a B.
Grade: B
Match #8: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin* and Charlie Haas) def. The American Wolves (Davey Richards* and Eddie Edwards) after Benjamin hit Richards in a Tag Team Dream Match.
Mr. V: Wow, what a main event. The controls through most of the match were great, the technical work by all four was spot on, and the flow was nearly perfect throughout.
Edwards and Richards did some great storytelling inside the ring. It started off well with the friendship and ended with a bit of turmoil. That starts a whole new story and the possible hunt by Richards for Edwards’ ROH World Title. Edwards was all-around excellent and seriously earned every penny ROH paid him for wrestling for a combined sixty minutes-plus between the two days of wrestling. Edwards looked fresh on this day than he did the previous night. Also, I liked how Edwards really sold the knee that Haas and Benjamin worked on. The combinations by The Wolves are always crisp and never missed a beat. My only problem was probably a moment near the end where right after Richards sold he just got right back up and applied an Ankle Lock. But honestly, I was just being too strict; both guys went hard in defeat.
Haas and Benjiman, how I missed them after all these years. They put on two impressive matches in Atlanta and slowed down the match to make it very entertaining. I think out of all the matches that they had in ROH, I actually enjoyed this match more than their other matches with The Kings of Wrestling. The Wolves were the best hold-for-hold team on the roster, and WGTT did a great job at that.
Overall, there is not much I can say other than this was the best tag team match I watched this year. All four played the part well and showed how bad they wanted to win this match. While the Wolves look to focus on singles stuff from here on after this show, Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team is showing at least to the ROH crowd that they are the best thing going right now. If any of my readers like submission holds and great tag team wrestling, please pick this one up. This match alone was worth the money I laid down for the show.
Grade: A
Mr. Namako: This was the best match on the card, with 4 guys who do not hate each other, but are just going out of their way to beat the ever-loving crap out of one other. The strikes in this match were cringe-worthy and added to the intensity that these 2 teams were trying to prove who the best tag team in ROH was. While I felt it went on just a little too long, the finish was what made it great for me, as it planted the seed for the eventual break-up of the American Wolves and the chance to see some kick-ass matches from Richards and Edwards. The match was very good, one of the best matches throughout the entire weekend of shows, and that is including WrestleMania, and like the matches before it, put a great cap-off to an amazing weekend of action by Ring of Honor. The match gets a grade of a A-, and both shows combined get an overall grade of an A, just a good weekend of shows by ROH, and IMO, were better than WrestleMania 27.
Grade: A-
In Closing
Mr. V: Since I went way too long on my reasoning I will say after being a bit disappointed with my $14.99 purchase for the 9th Anniversary show, I was a VERY satisfied customer by paying the $19.99 for both shows. If you want to watch the replay of both shows, I would recommend it. I was more entertained watching these shows than I actually was with WrestleMania. It would be a disservice to say which one was better because quite frankly I was impressed that ROH put on a great show on both days.
Mr. Namako: Overall, the shows from Atlanta for ROH were a great success. It helped close chapters in some feuds, and opened doors in the slight to potential new ones for the summer. Production on GFL was the best it had ever been so far for ROH’s use of their company. Little to no glitches happened during the live broadcast and the audio problems were non-existent as well that had taken place on previous shows. In closing, it was a great weekend for ROH and while they are no longer on TV with HDNet, they are in no way done as a company, they are only getting started and bigger and better things are sure to come their way as the year 2011 keeps rolling. I would highly recommend everyone checking out these shows when you get a chance, because after February’s blunder of a show, they rebounded nicely as Ring of Honor took Center Stage. I want to thank Mr.V and Mr. Adam Martin for allowing me 1) to recap these shows and I have so much more respect for what all the recappers do for these shows, and 2) for allowing me to give my thoughts on the shows with this column. Been an enormous pleasure to be able to contribute on the WrestleView site and hopefully I can continue doing so going forward.
3) A Look at 2010’s WWE Draft
Mr. V’s Thoughts: With the 2011 WWE Draft just hours away many tend to forget what happened in 2010 and even years before that. This week, I will only take a look back into last year’s draft between the Raw and Smackdown brands. This is a way to “shake things up” in the WWE and while some years they accomplished that, last year had its ups and downs for the WWE Superstars. So allow me to just quickly look at who was drafted and determine if it was a GOOD or BAD Decision. Please make a note of this whenever you see your favorite WWE Superstar move to the other show.
The 2010 WWE Draft that took place on the April 26, 2010 Edition of Monday Night Raw
Selection #1: Kelly Kelly To Smackdown.
This selection drew fire from Raw Recapper Dave Stephens, but with Kelly not doing much of anything on Raw the move to Smackdown may have been the right choice. In her stories, she was feuding with LayCool surprisingly (but inconsistent) feuded with Vickie Guerrero and LayCool between these drafts. Kelly was involved in a flirting angle with Drew McIntyre and was “fired” for a couple weeks by Guerrero. Despite not appearing on television at times, this was a GOOD move by the WWE to move Kelly over to The Blue Brand. She was showcased in the Divas division and spent significant time feuding with the top divas on Smackdown.
Selection #2: The Big Show to Smackdown
The Big Show turned babyface on the same Raw after he and The Miz lost the Tag Team Championships to Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith. The Big Show was a top contender instantly after being drafted over to Smackdown and was a torn to Jack Swagger’s side. After failing to defeat Swagger for the World Heavyweight Championship, Big Show was a part of taking down CM Punk’s Straight Edge Society and was the one to remove the mask off of CM Punk’s then bald head. Since then, he was a part of a secondary story on Smackdown in his feud with Wade Barrett and The Corre. At the end of this previous draft year, he pretty much is consistent. He was in that upper part of the roster that dominated at times and helped guys get over (particularly Ezekiel Jackson). He is currently the WWE Unified Tag Team Champion with Kane. Overall, moving The Big Show to Smackdown was easily a GOOD decision because the WWE definitely drafted star power to a somewhat depleted roster.
Selection #3: John Morrison to Raw
At one point, Morrison was destined for stardom when he was drafted to Raw after an Intercontinental Title run in 2009 and had a partnership with R-Truth (which lost the Tag Team Championship match at WrestleMania). He was in bits of a big storyline, as he was part of the Elmination Tag Team vs. Nexus at SummerSlam. Also, he was a finalist for the 2010 King of the Ring and even earned a couple championship opportunities (I know of at least the U.S. and WWE titles, but he never won them). Currently, Morrison is a top contender for the WWE Championship as he defeated R-Truth for the right to face John Cena and The Miz at Extreme Rules. Still, despite all the highlights there were times he was stalled, and perhaps it was a BAD decision to place Morrison on Raw in 2010-2011. It seemed that Morrison has regressed to a mid-carder when on Smackdown he was one of the brightest.
Selection #4: R-Truth to Raw
When he was drafted to Raw, he was paired with John Morrison. They started him off with a feud against Ted DiBiase, Jr and I believed concussed his rival at the time. A month after the 2010 Draft, R-Truth won the United States Championship but lost it less than a month later. He also teamed with John Cena when they defeated Nexus at Summerslam. Outside of Raw, he was the “pro” to NXT Season 4 winner Johnny Curtis in which there may be a WWE Tag Team Championship in the future for both. One of his highlights actually occurred when he became the #1 Contender after surviving the Gaunlet (which he and John Cena earned a WWE Title Shot). However, it was easy come/easy go as John Morrison took Truth’s spot the following week. Now, R-Truth may have a new identity with his refreshing role as a heel. The WWE used R-Truth as the mid-card guy well on Raw, and despite what some of my readers think I think that placing R-Truth on the Raw roster was a GOOD decision.
Selection #5: Edge to Raw
Things looked up for Edge after he won the 2010 Royal Rumble. On Smackdown, Edge challenged Chris Jericho to a title match at WrestleMania, in which he lost. He made his presence felt on the day of the WWE Draft, spearing Randy Orton and costing him a change at the WWE Championship. He went full heel days later on Smackdown and ripped on the fans quite a bit. After that, he went into a feud with none other than…The Make-Believe Raw General Manager. After many matches lost on Raw and destroying the Raw GM Computer, he was traded back to Smackdown for CM Punk and the rest was history. Since this is about the draft and Edge’s time on Raw ended in October, I would say that adding Edge to Raw for those few months was a BAD decision. Now moving him back to Smackdown was brilliant, but during the time in Raw he was lost in the shuffle, and I think the WWE realized that and made the right choice actually for both Edge and CM Punk.
Pick #6: Kofi Kingston to Smackdown
After being considered a star-in-the-making after his intense feud with Randy Orton, it seemed that this move to Smackdown was going to help Kingston get to the main event. However, he went out like a lamb after his feud with Orton ended and immediately competed for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Kingston was involved in a strong story with Drew McIntyre in which he was chasing for the title despite all the obstacles in his way. Also during his time on Smackdown, he was the “pro” to Michael McGillicutty, who ended up in second during Season 2 of NXT. Despite a couple of reigns as Intercontinental Champion, I just saw Kingston lost in the shuffle on the Smackdown brand, kind of similar to what was going on with him over on Raw. A possible lowlight of the past 12 months was when he was not even booked for WrestleMania until the last days leading to the show. So while his time in Smackdown was successful, I thought he was going to be a big player on the brand. He ended up just battling in mid-card feuds, and therefore I thought the move to Smackdown was a BAD decision for Kingston.
Pick #7: Christian to Smackdown
After ECW folded in early-2010, Christian was brought onto the Raw roster and he was struggling to find time on the show. A couple of months later, he was drafted to Smackdown and earned some time in the title hunt which was the right decision. It seemed that his run on Smackdown derailed a good bit due to an injury that sidelined him from September – February (about five months). Since returning, he was there to protect Edge from the man that injured him in the storylines, Alberto Del Rio. Now, Christian is in the World Heavyweight Championship picture due to the sudden retirement of his best friend, Edge. Christian got some lucky bounces his way, as he was stalled before the injury and now since then (and Edge’s departure) he may be the most popular wrestler on the Smackdown brand and it is possible that after all those years he will win a World Title in the WWE (remember, he won a World Title elsewhere). So, the move here was a GOOD decision by the WWE. Let’s face it, he was flat on Raw after his run with ECW. Also, had Edge retired without Christian on that roster, who could have been a credible contender to the World Heavyweight Title on the babyface side outside of Rey Mysterio?
Pick #8: Chris Jericho to Raw
Weeks after losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Jack Swagger, Jericho was moved back to Raw and was consistently in the main storylines. Jericho was always a game wrestler, and even had a pay-per-view match in which he lost to Evan Bourne (WWE Fatal 4-Way). Jericho was involved with in a fued with Cena over the course of Summerslam and refused to take part on Cena’s team. However, he rejoined the team (along with Edge) in a winning effort vs. The Nexus. It also seemed at times they would have him call-out this “Raw GM”, crying a conspiracy against him. Jericho was involved in the WWE Championship picture, but he would never win the title. The one thing that Jericho did was be involved in various stories on Raw and helped the others around him. That is one thing that many will remember during this run on Raw. He left the WWE on September 27, 2010 after being (storyline) punted in the head by Randy Orton. You can still he him on Monday Nights, as he is competing on Dancing with the Stars in the U.S. However, despite only being drafted to Raw then taking time off in six months span, when Jericho was on television one felt compelled to watching. And that is great for live television. With that typed, it was a GOOD decision to move Jericho to Raw even though it really hurt Smackdown.
Supplemental 2010 WWE Draft Picks
To Raw: The Great Khali (#9); Natalya (#12); Ezekiel Jackson (#14); Goldust (#15); David Hart Smith (#18a); and Tyson Kidd (#18b).
Great Khali – GOOD. By adding The Big Show to Smackdown there was no need for a giant-type guy on Smackdown. He was used on Raw for comedic value and to squash the low-card talent.
Natalya – GOOD. She finally got the opportunity to wrestle on this brand and actually capture the Divas Championship seven months after being drafted to Raw. Despite the lack of time for the WWE Divas on Raw, she did get a lot of time on the Raw portion of WWE Superstars. While the Hart Dynasty is no more, Natalya may have benefited more than the others.
Ezekiel Jackson – BAD. Hey, I like the presence and power of Jackson, but he did his most damage on Smackdown. Also, Jackson missed six months due to injury (which was most of his tenure on Raw). His power is unlimited and when he was brought back to Smackdown, it benefitted the brand.
Goldust – GOOD. It was only good because Goldust had a couple decent storylines since being drafted to Raw. He was involved in a love angle with Aksana on NXT and was a torn to Ted DiBiase’s side during their feud. Also, Goldust was in great shape and motivated to entertain. Currently Goldust is injured and might be returning soon.
David Hart Smith – BAD. Once the team broke up the moment they lost the tag team championships, he struggled to find a spot on the Raw roster. He also needs to work on a personality, which he lacks in the ring.
Tyson Kidd – BAD. Kidd would be better on the Smackdown brand, as there are several agile wrestlers on that brand. He turned heel in December, but no one really knew (or unfortunately cared) about the turn. He is currently the “pro” to Lucky Cannon on NXT Redemption.
To Smackdown: Chavo Guerrero (#10); Cody Rhodes (#11); Chris Masters (#13); Hornswoggle (#16); Rosa Mendes (#18); and MVP (#19).
Chavo Guerrero – GOOD. Sure, I went to placing Guerrero on Smackdown as a “good” decision. We have not seen much of him, but at this point of his career he is pretty much filler time. Besides, he was the Swagger Soaring Eagle so that adds a point or two. He is more of a backstage character than in the storylines at this point in his career.
Cody Rhodes – GOOD (best of the bunch). I did not expect much when they moved Rhodes to Smackdown, but I think this was the best move out of all the choices. Rhodes was just breaking up with Legacy at the time of the draft and seemed to be “buried” on the Raw brand. He went from “average” to “Dashing” to “morbid” in this cycle. He won a WWE Tag Championship with Drew McIntyre, developed into a household name to those who watch Smackdown, Appeared on Syfy’s “Warehouse 13”, and could potentially be a bonafide superstar after defeating Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania. In my opinion, no mid-card wrestler in the WWE had a better year than Cody Rhodes.
Chris Masters – GOOD. Let’s face it, Masters was not going anywhere on Raw and it was almost curtains for him until the Supplemental Draft. Master got his groove on Smackdown, winning his fair share of matches and telling some very good stories inside the ring (watch his feud with Tyler Reks on episodes of Superstars). He used to be all power, but now one of the most improved, well balanced wrestlers in the world today. Off the thoughts, he is only 28 so there is loads of potential for Masters.
Hornswoggle – GOOD. His antics are good for the younger demographic and unlike the overexposure on Raw, the timing for a Hornswoggle run-in or sneak attack is just about right. He does most of his antics now on NXT Redemption, helping out his “rookie” Titus O’Neil.
Rosa Mendes – BAD. I don’t know what else to type, she rarely is on television (outside of trying to be in the LayCool faction) so it is by default that it was a bad decision.
MVP – GOOD (while it lasted). This was one of the better moves by the WWE at last year’s draft. He arrived on a hot streak, helping Rey Mysterio feud with The Straight Edge Society. MVP was also in the Intercontinental Title Picture but failed to claim the championship over Dolph Ziggler. His time in the WWE ended early December 2010 when he asked (and was granted) his release. MVP is now competing for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is having success with that promotion. Still, at first it was a good idea for MVP to enter Smackdown, but he went out very quickly and it was a shame because he did have the talent to go far on a show like Smackdown.
4) Who is going to Raw? Who is going to Smackdown?
Well, after looking at the rosters for both Raw and Smackdown I have to say that the draft has the potential to be shocking, but I doubt there will be many moves in the top spots. However, perhaps the mid-cards could be shaken up quite a bit.
So, who is going where? I decided to take a shot and answer the question. I came up with eight superstars (2 main eventers, 4 mid-carders, 2 divas) that have the best chance at moving to a different show. I will start with the Divas, then the mid-card, and finally the main guys. I will also add a short list of those that have a chance to switch via the Supplemental Draft.
Divas that will be switching brands
Alicia Fox to Smackdown – She went from being a diva that was featured almost every week to being nonexistent. I wanted to go Maryse to Smackdown, but more on that later. Out of the heel divas, I think it will be best to throw in Alicia Fox on the brand. Besides, you can always edit her wrestling.
Michelle McCool to Raw – Why not? She has done everything she could on Smackdown so I think now is the best time to put her on Raw and possibly for a new duo (possibly with Melina) and reunite with Vickie Guerrero. This is not to do damage to Layla, as if McCool does not get drafted it could make for a very good story between their breakup.
Mid Carders switching brands
Sheamus to Smackdown – If I would made a bet with who is most likely to switch brands, Sheamus would be at the top of the list. Sheamus is a guy that would be better suited for Smackdown, as it would create new feuds and he could put on a good match against the lightweights (Mysterio and even Trent Barreta) to the Heavyweights (Masters and Kane).
Jack Swagger to Raw – Michael Cole as the play-by-play helps this move happen. Swagger went from World Champ to being completely lost on Smackdown. They tried everything with him to be successful on that brand. They added his “daddy” and awards during his championship run. He introduced us to the Swagger Soaring Eagle for a few weeks. But neither really helped him long term. This is where Michael Cole can really help Swagger, as we saw glimpses of it on Raw.
R-Truth to Smackdown – This will likely not happen because of the potential secondary feud with him and Morrison, but there are more possibilities for Truth on the Smackdown brand than the Raw brand. If he stays on the Raw brand, I expect maybe a another couple months and a possible call from “Johnny Ace” in his future. The move to Smackdown would be best, perhaps a makeshift heel tag team with him and JTG I really don’t know.
Ted DiBiase to Smackdown – This is the change that DiBiase needs. At one point, he looked to be heading places on Raw, only to fall down time and time again. Now that he is free from Maryse in his past storyline (which was ending was disappointing) he can get that fresh start on Smackdown.
Main Event
Randy Orton to Smackdown – I can’t see Cena going to Smackdown because the WWE wants Cena to be on the top show. Let’s face it, the biggest ratings are on Mondays still and it would not be a bright idea to have Cena switch. Now Orton is a guy that can truly benefit with a move to Fridays. Let’s face it, where will he go after this feud with CM Punk ends? He has pretty much accomplished all he can on Raw (same as Cena), but Cena makes the WWE more money than Orton. Besides, Orton can easily be the face of Smackdown if he is placed there.
The Undertaker to Raw – Look, I know that he is injured now and that he won’t be wrestling until at least the summer. But this is more of a long-term story in which if the WWE truly wants Undertaker vs. HHH for next year’s WrestleMania, they can build up the story to epic proportions. Also, The Undertaker’s days as being the top dog are over. There would be less stress to carry a show for him, something he did on Smackdown way too many times. I would say move The Undertaker to Raw and built up the story with HHH months before WrestleMania XXVIII.
Who could be moving in the Supplemental Draft?
To Smackdown: Daniel Bryan, Evan Bourne, The Usos, Eve Torres, and Zack Ryder
Bryan – This would be a good spot for Daniel Bryan to just do what he does best, let his actions do the talking. Raw is talking a game. Smackdown is talking a game in the ring.
Bourne – He could easily add electricity on Smackdown. Besides, I am keeping Justin Gabriel on Smackdown so the time to put him on The Blue Brand is a good choice
The Usos – They are not doing anything with this tag team and I am puzzled. The Usos are a very good tag team and have to stay together in order to succeed in the WWE. I don’t think there is a middle and in a few months they either will be on TV a lot or they will be gone.
Eve – The little segment she had where she said “everyone is the same” pretty much tells me she is on the move. If she turns heel, he will be on this show. There are too many babyfaces on that show.
Zack Ryder – Primo drafted here would be a bonus, but at least on Smackdown the writers would find a way to add him on the show.
To Raw: Drew McIntyre, Ezekiel Jackson, Wade Barrett, and Kaitlyn
McIntyre – I think he is ready to be pushed on Raw. He has stalled in Smackdown because there is nothing for him on the show. I say if they throw him on Raw, something will stick for McIntyre. Heck, make him Cena food for the first few weeks.
Ezekiel Jackson – I agree with my WrestleView peers that he has natural charisma. Plus, his uncanny power and potential is just too good to pass up. Raw can promote this guy to the moon if used correctly.
Wade Barrett – Since Sheamus, the US Champion, will be on Smackdown it would make sense for Barrett to return to Raw. Barrett can also add a couple pages to a story with CM Punk or even John Cena. Also, Barrett’s talents are much better for Raw (he is an excellent talker) than on Smackdown (where wrestling does the talking)
Kaitlyn – I don’t know why I chose her to go to Raw, maybe to foil Vickie and Dolph once again. Either that, or she will quietly spend time in FCW for a bit.
So, those are our thoughts on Ring of Honor’s Honor Takes Center Stage Internet PPVs and the WWE Draft. I would like to thank Mr. Namako for helping me with this portion of the lecture. Let me know what you thought of the show or column by sending me an e-mail to mistervwv@hotmail.com.
Any Questions?
I did not get any questions, so therefore I will postpone this portion of the column.
However, the next column (#118) will have questions so please send them away to mistervwv@hotmail.com. Gold Stars to those who send me a question.
Dismissal
Well, that does it for me this week. I thank you all for reading this column and I hope you enjoyed this column as much as I typed it out. If you want to get a hold of me during the week, please e-mail me at mistervwv@hotmail.com or at lounge@wrestleview.com, or by leaving me a message on Facebook. I do get a lot of e-mails and may not reply in a timely fashion, but I will do my best to give you a quicker reply.
Now, students you are allowed to leave the classroom. Please push in your chairs, line up straight, and exit to the closest door around you. Until next week, you are all……DISMISSED!
Facebook: Add me if you want. I am Anthony J. Valvo in the Pittsburgh, PA network
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E-Mail: mistervwv@hotmail.com or lounge@wrestleview.com
THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE IS NOW AIRING ON SATURDAYS!
Along with WrestleView’s Raw Recapper and Columnist Dave Stephens, The Teacher’s Lounge gives the WrestleView Radio Network Audience a complete rundown of the past week’s events in professional wrestling all in a two-hour program. We even have a few games, a detention segment, as well as interviews.
This Week’s Guests (on the 4/2 FREE edition of The Teacher’s Lounge)
Author L.Anne Carrington, WrestleView Owner Paul Nemer, and WreslteView Smackdown/WWE Superstars Recapper Mike Tedesco
On the 4/2 edition of The Teacher’s Lounge, we talked about L.Anne Carrington’s novel “The Crusierweight”, which I think is a very good wrestling/romantic novel. It seriously is a book that I can’t keep down. You can purchase the book via eBook or Paperback right here.
Also, we had “The Boss” of WrestleView.com himself, Paul Nemer and we went over the history of WrestleView.com, past WrestleManias, and hockey.
Finally, we had Mike Tedesco on The Teacher’s Lounge to provide predictions for WrestleMania XXVII. We also found out that Mr. Tedesco did a very good impression of a legendary manager in professional wrestling.
Already on the archives we interviewed WrestleView.com staff members, including:
Jose Marrero (Wrestling Rumblings and FYB Radio host)
Matt O’Brien (Notes from the Nosebleeds)
Josh Boutwell (TNA Recapper and Viva La Raza columnist)
Mike Tedesco (WWE Smackdown and Superstars recapper)
CJ Bowman (The Velvet Room and one-time guest host)
Nicholas Gray (The Velvet Room)
Adam Martin even guest hosted an episode (find out which one) (Editor-In-Chief)
Paul Nemer (Site Owner)
But wait, here is plenty more!
The Teacher’s Lounge also interviewed professional wrestlers and amazing writers, including:
Ring of Honor Wrestler and NWA World Heavyweight Champion Colt Cabana.
TNA Superstar Hernandez
Isis The Amazon (formerly Aloisia of WWE)
Lori Carrington (Author of “The Crusierweight)
Crystal Mai (from Diva-Dirt.com)
As always, Dave Stephens and I thank all our listeners as well as our readers. For $4.99 a month, you get all of this along with many other hours of content from the other shows on the WrestleView Radio Network. It does cost a bit of money, but we will do our best to make it worth it. If you want to be a part of the Lounge for our “E-mails” section, you may drop us a line at lounge@wrestleview.com. To sign up, click here.