From the Desk of Mr. V #24
July 16, 2009
By: Anthony J. Valvo of WrestleView.com
Greetings to everyone for the first time to the twenty fourth time!! It is I, WrestleView’s resident teacher Mr. V and I am here once again to present a summer-like column for the week that was in professional wrestling. So relax, and enjoy youselves, summer school is in session.
First off, I am still finalizing my big middle of the year column. I am sorry for not posting it this week. I had a birthday week to celebrate and as you all know I put my family first and foremost. So the records are set and the article for my mid-2009 report is in the rough draft stage. I should get it done before this weekend’s Predictions from the Faculty. If I don?t get it done there, please forgive me. I never knew that July can be a real busy month outside the classroom.
Quote of the Week
Well, this is not a quote of the week. However, it is a message I got back from Jim Ross after I asked if I can have him ‘sponsor? my weekly column. I told him that he did not have to pay me or supply me with his restaurant quality Bar-B-Q Sauce. All I wanted was typed proof that I can do this. I did this not to be a humorous guy, I just like the Bar-B-Q sauce and the Chipotle Ketchup. I also asked him about John Morrison and Todd Grisham. This is the quote of the week, coming from none other than Good Ol? JR?..
?I gladly accept any BBQ promotion that we can receive as we are extremely proud of our products. I’m not sure that I am legally able to be a “sponsor” but I certainly would not be offended by any mentions to drive traffic to our on line store. Nonetheless I do feel Morrison has the opportunity to be really good. Time will obviously tell but he’s in a good place right now on the right show for him to establish his persona and to develop his skills. Todd is a very bright young man who is a quick study and because we travel together we have had the opportunity to discuss the business and to enhance our team chemistry. He is a good “student” for the lack of a better term. I think Todd will have a long, productive career in WWE that will extend long after I’m gone. I feel that it is every veteran’s obligation in wrestling to help those that follow us no matter our role within the business.?
– Jim Ross 7/10/2009 on JR’s Q&A
To be honest, I was not expecting a reply from him on this. But since he answered it and put time into his answers, I can only say that Mr. Ross is a true professional and I hope if any of you want to try some BBQ Sauce, check out JR’s page. If his website drives traffic, who knows what he can do for WrestleView.
Alright class, It is time to move on to classroom rules?.
Classroom Rules
65) If it’s painfully obvious that a storyline/angle or recurring segment is going nowhere, have an exit strategy and go to Plan B. (From e-mailer Bond7)
Student’s Take on this (in modified form): This whole Abraham Washington talk show and how God AW-FUL it is got me thinking that there needs to be a rule concerning the necessity to put a dying segment out of its misery. This could just as easily apply towards a storyline or angle that isn’t going well, but right now it’s squarely aimed at Abraham. I know it’s been only two weeks, but there’s no doubt in my mind that every week on ECW they’re going to devote about 15 minutes to shovel this slop down out throats?.. No matter how much this talk show segment bombs week after week, WWE’s probably got it scheduled for months. And you’d better believe they’re going to go through with it, no matter how much it stinks, and no matter how much they should no better.
Mr. V’s Take: Bond, you are not the only one to think about this. I went really brief on the Abraham Washington show with the Bella Twins last week, and I said it does take two to tango and the Bellas are as guilty for this terrible show as Wasington was. Now this past week, when he interviewed Dreamer, it was not all that bad (especially when Dreamer called his a lego block head or something like that). But still, in FCW Abraham Washington is a great mouthpiece. The transition to ECW (on cable TV) is not going as planned and maybe the WWE took notice on this matter last Tuesday. But I think they are going to add more star power in this in the future and if it takes off, it takes off. However if there is no true crowd reaction when the host of a show gets arguably the two most popular wrestlers on ECW, then it is in fact time to pull the plug. Don?t quote me on this, but my take on it is Washington will cancel his show within a couple months and become the mouthpiece of Vladimir Kozlov or Ezekiel Jackson. My bet would be on Kozlov though.
That is all the classroom rules we have this week, and if you want to share a new classroom rule with Mr. V and his students, you may do so at mistervwv@yahoo.com. Make sure you make the subject ?New Classroom Rule? After 100 rules are made, I will make a special column based on these rules. Thanks to all who have done it in the past and for Bond7 for sharing a rule today.
Headlines! (Presented by That’s A Wrap! from WV’s own David Stephens)
1) Brock Lesnar’s epic UFC squash and heel turn.
Mr. V’s Take: I am slowly getting into UFC, and not only because Edinboro University Alumni Josh Koscheck performs there. Last weekend was the epic UFC 100 and it featured a main event between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir. I was on a lot of websites seeing their pick for this fight and I was surprised of how many went with Mir to be the undisputed heavyweight title.
Boy were they wrong! The man formerally known as ?The Next Big Thing? just manhandled Mir striking blow after blow and winning early in the 2nd Round. From what I heard, Mir did not stand a chance. But the talk was what went on after the fight. If you don?t remember, Lesnar went total heel (such as refusing to shake his opponent’s hand, giving the fans the finger, drinking Coors Light, and something about a friendly encounter with his wife). Between my class and myself, I loved it! Brock was caught up in the moment and let his emotions pour out. It made for great PPV, to in a way tell the fans shut up and don?t judge him based on his WWE run. Heck, I watched ESPNews after the UFC fight and even Jonathan Coachman was gushing over the fact that Brock Lesnar tenderized Mir’s face like a slab of high quality steak (make sure you use some of JR’s BBQ Sauce by the way).
Dana White then blasted Brock Lesnar after his comments and I don?t know what went on, but Brock then said he was sorry with a bottle of Bud Light right in front of him. In a way, I just thought it was classless for White to call out Lesnar in front of the media. I would have done it in-house, but whatever to make the sponsors happy, right? Besides, White’s making a TON of money with Lesnar and you don?t want to make your top draw frustrated at you, because that looks like the egg hit your face and not Lesnar’s.
Where does Lesnar go from here? The sky is the limit for Brock after this fight. To me, it does not matter how big or how quick they are. Brock Lesnar is the real deal for years to come if he stays dedicated to the sport. I had an e-mail asking me if Bobby Lashley has a chance against Lesnar. My answer to that e-mail was NO (at least for now). But then again, no one predicted James ?Buster? Douglas to KO Mike Tyson almost 20 years ago in Japan either.
2) Brian Lawler is going to JAIL!!
Mr. V’s Take: Not to be funny but Jerry Lawler, his father obviously, is running for mayor in November. Now I am no politician and I know that some readers don?t like it when I talk politics, but I have to in this case. Jerry Lawler already had some bad press about him in the past, and with this coming to life, I think there now is a slim chance he will be elected. As a matter of fact, I see The King dropping out of the race before the election starts so he can be more concerned about puppies in the WWE. But what happens if The King DOES get elected? Will Kelly Kelly be the first lady of Memphis? Still, it is doubtful.
The Future of Brian: I will admit, I was a big fan of his when he formed II Cool with Scotty 2 Hotty. But I was young and stupid then. Still as an in-ring performer, he was impressive at times and deserved to be nothing more than a tag team champion. As for his future, I just hope this time in jail will benefit him and make him a better person once his time is up. I don?t want to see anyone become a train wreck in reality, and I hope he recovers from this and cleans his act up.
3) Seth Green hosted RAW
Mr. V’s Take: I really enjoy Green’s work in Robot Chicken and all, but why was he in the WWE? I am sorry if this offends readers who like it when celebrities show up to events, but it needs to be told. The WWE does NOT need Hollywood to help them. I think if you can establish superstars and creative excellent storylines that can tell a story in and out of the ring, then your product will be successful for the long term.
Right now, Monday Night Raw is getting better, but the pipe is still leaking. Putting Seth Green on RAW was like putting a piece of bubble gum on the pipe. But eventually with short term success, the gum falls off and the leak continues. Only if the WWE can realize that they don?t need to pay big bucks for guys like Mickey Rourke, Seth Green, or even Kid Rock to create a long-term successful product. It is time to look forward to that rather than have guys that just don?t belong in a wrestling ring.
Finally, let me provide numbers: Raw’s rating with Seth Green was a 3.5. Raw with Ted DiBiase Sr. scored a 3.6. It proves to me at least that you don?t need to bring in celebrities just to promote your product.
4) Nick ?Eugene? Dinsmore reportedly signs on with the WWE once again.
Mr. V’s Take: I like this move. The reason for the WWE to sign him apparently was to help improve their talents among the younger superstars. I know that Finlay is very good at training within a wrestling match, and if they drop the Eugene gimmick, I think Dinsmore can do the same thing. He is a type of guy that is just happy to be working for the WWE and he has experience a few years back when he wrestled for a long time in OVW (WWE’s minor leagues back then). I think this is a good hire, if only it is to help younger talent get over him.
DETENTIONS AND ETERNAL DETENTION (Presented by the Pittsburgh Pirates owners?because they deserve to be here)
DETENTIONS
For the short term, I am taking out the Demerits portion. However, the Detentions are many this week, as I did not forget to appoint the things that just flat out are bothersome throughout professional wrestling.
That Guy #1 – The fan on the 7/6 Episode of RAW who was waving around a $100 bill while Ted DiBiase Sr.’s music was playing at ringside. Great?.we get it?you are rich?don?t rub it in our faces.
Jerry Lawler – All of the sudden, his commentary seems to be one joke after one joke. Think of the worst comedian you ever heard of, please. Lawler is worse than the one you are thinking of. In case you wondered, I think the worst is Jason Alexander.
Sign Guy – I saw your sign on the 7/13 episode of RAW. Face it though, you will NEVER be a guest host for RAW.
Michael Cole – He lost his identity. He tries to be something that he is not?and that is a competent announcer.
ECW Announce Team – What happened to your chemistry? I thank the man who e-mailed me addressing this and after the 7/9 episode of Superstars, I am starting to agree with him.
E. Stanley Kronke – I hear you plan on buying a Premier League team. Please don?t do that.
Total NonStop Action Wrestling – For canceling Epics! There may be a real British Invasion heading towards the Orlando offices for this one.
WWE and Hulu – I don?t get this! But please watch the 7/10 episode of Smackdown and fast forward to the Khali/Kane chair altercation. When the chair makes contact, THEY EDIT OUT THE CHAIR SHOT!! I guess ramming an opponent’s head to a ring post is worth watching, but a chair shot is not anymore. I am cool with WWE keeping it PG, but don?t edit out any action. To me, it looks bad.
Anyone in TNA or WWE named Jesse – Jesse Neal has no character, while Jesse in the WWE is totally buried now and how he has a job puzzles my mind.
Brett Favre – Look, no one cares outside of John Madden and ESPN about you coming back to Minnesota. You are washed up and can?t just let it go. So please, don?t come back.
Chris Berman – I wish they would fire this brodcaster. I would love if (or when) they do, as he walks away they should go ?Back Back Back Back GONE!!?
ETERNAL DETENTIONS
Sharmelle vs. Jenna Morasca – TNA, it will be ok if you want to pull the plug on this before it actually happens.
Vince McMahon – No More Celebrities! Find a way to get The Million Dollar Man to be the RAW GM for the long term!
Abraham Washington and the Bella Twins – I know it was your first time on there, Abe. I have to do it?it was THAT bad!
TNA Creative – for setting the record for the lowest PPV buyrates for Victory Road 2009 (it is a bold prediction and I will stand by this!)
That fan in Green Bay during the 6/22 Edition of RAW – The true definition of how NOT to act at a wrestling show. Just watch this guy and realize how many people who watched it on TV made fun of him.
Pittsburgh Pirates ownership – I can see it now: Pirates trade LHP Zach Duke to the St. Louis Cardinals for a row of seats at the Original Busch Stadium and a case of Budweiser (just because the Pirates owners are tired of drinking that cheap beer).
ETS and The Praxis Series – No need to complain about them this week. I just want to place them there.
MISTER V?S HONOR ROLL FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 4 – JULY 10, 2009
I got a few e-mails saying they actually like the quick version of the Honor Roll. So I will do this again. Remember, a match that has a blend of everything and tells a story in the ring usually get a real high grade. A match that had no structure, a low degree of difficulty, and does not tell a story usually scores low. So, here are my top three matches this week, as well as my worst match (in abbreviated form):
DISTINGUISHED HONORS – Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio, Friday Night Smackdown, July 10.
HIGH HONORS – Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase, Jr., Monday Night Raw, July 6.
HONORS – Jeff Hardy vs. Kane, Friday Night Smackdown, July 10.
To add on this, I thought the best match of the week was very obvious. Jericho and Mysterio continue to tell a great story inside the ring and if it is the final chapter between the two for 2009, it was a great way to end it. It was a close call for the other two matches, as none of the others stood out ahead of anyone else. Maybe it was fatigue since all the shows were taped in order for the WWE tour overseas. Even though there might be some people out there that may disagree, but I wish ROH had a show on TV July 4th. I say this because from a wrestling standpoint, the guys (and divas) all looked very tired into this past week.
Honorable Mention goes to: Kofi Kingston vs. Evan Bourne on 7/6; John Cena vs. HHH on 7/6; Yoshi Tatsu vs. Shelton Benjamin on 7/9; Christian vs. Vladimir Kozlov on 7/9 R-Truth vs. Ricky Ortiz on 7/9; Motor City Machineguns vs. Beer Money Inc. on 7/9; Velvet Sky vs. Tara on 7/9; Angelina Love vs. Tara on 7/9; Matt Morgan/Kevin Nash vs. AJ Styles/Daniels on 7/9; Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Mick Foley on 7/9; and Dolph Ziggler vs. John Morrison on 7/10.
**Wow, it was then I noticed that none of my top three matches occurred during the four hours of wrestling programming on July 9, 2009.**
WORST MATCH OF THE WEEK: Chavo Guerrero vs. Hornswoggle, WWE Superstars, July 9.
Seriously, I feel bad for Chavo. Last year, he was ECW Champion. Now he is just getting buried by someone smaller than Seth Green. This is not right?
Dishonorable Mention goes to: Cody Rhodes vs. Mark Henry on 7/6; Nikki Bella vs. Katie Lea Birchill on 7/9; Ezekiel Jackson vs. Jack Meridol on 7/9; Doug Williams vs. Homicide on 7/9; CM Punk vs. The Great Khali on 7/9; and Cryme Tyme vs. Hart Dynasty on 7/9.
WEEKLY TV WARS
As always, reader feedback is welcomed in this column. Please share what you believe the best show this week would be by e-mailing me at mistervwv@yahoo.com.
ROH on HDNet (July 4) – There was nothing to go over, as the show was not available due to other obligations by HDNet. Sorry? Zero Points.
Monday Night Raw (July 6) – As you already know, I loved the Million Dollar Man as the guest host. How he started as heel and became a face in a matter of one day was simply remarkable. There were some good moments on this card in a wrestling standpoint. The match that stood out was Randy Orton and Ted DiBiase Jr. I think this can be a start of Ted Jr. becoming a face and possibly Carlito joining Legacy. I really thought the MVP/Jack Swagger segment was good and it started off what could be a lengthy rivalry between the two. A solid show this past week for RAW.
ECW (July 9) – This show was hot and cold for me. They had a good quick segment with Hurricane Helms saving the day, then they had another Washington talk show segment. That segment was only saved by the funny lines Tommy Dreamer gave the host of the show. Wrestling wise, Tatsu, Shelton, Christian, and Kozlov performed real nice in the ring. But Ezekiel Jackson and Nikki Bella did not impress. The show was simply average at best. I expect it to be like this for a few more weeks, then ECW will be much better once the new superstars establish themselves. Zero Points.
WWE Superstars (July 9) – Out of all the shows, this was the worst. The show received a below average score from the desk of Mr. V. Give them credit; they did have a segment in which Hornswoggle bit Chavo. Too bad they made a match between the two. Zach Ryder is starting to really lose the fans and Tyler Reks will have to show more in the future to grab the interest of the viewer. The only saving grace in this show was the entertaining opener with Ricky Ortiz and R-Truth. Overall as I mentioned before, not their best showing on this program. Zero Points.
TNA Impact (July 9) – This show always is a mixed bag. Some weeks they are on, and others nothing falls into place. This show was as good as they had in a few weeks. Every segment on that show tied to a good storyline. The debut of Sarita has my attention. What worries me about TNA is that they are debuting new women athletes. It is not a bad thing at all, but name on TNA Heavyweight male that is under 30 years old (Jesse Neal does not count). The future of TNA does worry me, but not now. The wrestling card was good, balanced, and unpredictable. First, Homicide grabs his Feast or Fired briefcase that was held hostage by the British Invasion. Then later on, Tara (or Victoria) wins two matches and becomes the TNA Knockout’s Champion. Also, there was solid tag team action and a triple threat match that was adequate. A good showing this past week from TNA and I am sure it did not disappoint the TNA fans out there. One Point From Mr. V.
Friday Night Smackdown (July 10) – Once again, the students of my classroom and I agree on the best show of the week. Jeff Hardy and CM Punk really are standing out with this controversial storyline about being on two strikes. I know it has been used on Jeff Hardy before, but CM Punk has done a much better job in that particular storyline compared to others. John Morrison had a good segment with Teddy Long, and though he lost to Dolph Ziggler it did not hurt his push at all. The card had six matches, and all of them had their moments, except for Punk vs. Khali. Khali is really unimpressive as of late and could be one of those guys that are released by the end of 2009. I wish they would give The Hart Dynasty some more time in the ring. Also, R-Truth acting like ?Pretty Ricky?, it’s got to stop. Same goes with Word Up, that should be for WWE.com, not for national television. This show scored the highest mark in my official gradebook based on one ingredient, the main event. I am going to miss seeing Rey and Jericho battle each other. In my opinion, that is the rivalry of 2009 right there. Two Points from Mr. V and One Point from the students of Mr. V.
Overall Standings
1) Friday Night Smackdown (39 Points)
2) Monday Night Raw (32 Points)
3) ECW (14 Points)
4) TNA Impact (12 Points)
5) ROH on HDNet (6 Points)
6) WWE Superstars (0 Points)
MR. V?S COMMENTARY REPORT CARD (Presented by JR’s Bar-B-Q Sauce)
Some thoughts in Mr. V’s head as he went along with the report card this week:
1) Mike Hogewood was at his best?oh wait he was not on the air last week.
2) I really missed the commentary of Dave Prazak
3) We get it Michael Cole, the Big Show is almost 500 hundred pounds?.
4) Jerry Lawler loves those divas
5) Josh Mathews needs to quit depending on that ear piece, he was off his game last week.
6) This was by far Matt Striker’s worst performance of 2009. No ?A? for you!
7) Mike Tenay had his moments once again, a much better job calling the match in front of him.
8) Don West STILL does not have a clue, but did call occasional moves and was humorous at times.
9) Friday Night Smackdown’s Commentary team was almost flawless last Friday (and not because JR sent me approval to promote anything).
Commentator Grades:
WWE
Michael Cole: D+ (2009 Grade: C-)
Jerry Lawler: C- (2009 Grade: C)
Josh Matthews: C- (2009 Grade: C)
Matt Striker: C (2009 Grade: A-)
Todd Grisham: A- (2009 Grade: B)
Jim Ross: A (2009 Grade: A-)
TNA
Mike Tenay: C+ (2009 Grade: C+)
Don West: C- (2009 Grade: D)
ROH
Mike Hogewood: Did not perform (2009 Grade: C-)
Dave Prazak: Did not perform (2009 Grade: A-)
Mister V’s Gold Star Segment (Presented by ______)
Not much this week to really award a gold star to, but here we go:
Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho – If this is the ending to a feud, nice job on ending it on a high note.
Jim Ross – You are a real class act.
Todd Grisham – For taking JR’s advice and thus making himself a better commentator.
Jonathan Coachman – This guy should be anchoring SportsCenter instead of these so called ?A? list team for ESPN.
American League – Nice job on beating the NL in this year’s mid-summer classic, the 2009 Major League Baseball All Star game.
Homicide – Congrats on earning your X-Division Title opportunity again.
Tara (or Victoria) – You made the right move in going to TNA. Kudos to you as you are now the Knockout’s Champion.
Ted DiBiase Jr. – For going toe to toe with the one of the best superstars in the WWE. See you main event-ing WrestleMania 30, if not sooner.
Ted DiBiase Sr. – You were great at RAW GM for that night. Now, it would be absolutely perfect if Virgil came out and did everything you told him to do.
Million Dollar Championship – STILL looking great after all these years.
To all that completed the Homework Assignment – To Suzanne Abshire, Paul Meade, Erran, Chris Kelly, Halfsized, Ben Phillips, Paul Pomykala, Robert Downing, Mark Turland, Austen Allen, and John Giammarino; many thanks for completing this homework assignment. If I missed anyone, I am sorry.
To all the people that e-mailed me in general – I thank you. I read them all and I really appreciate the feedback.
That is it, I am sorry, but there will be more once the Predictions from the Faculty Article gets posted. Look for that to be posted Sunday Morning or Afternoon.
The Homework Assignment Analysis (Brought to you by ?The Shoot? by Josh Piedra?If you don?t do it you will be SHOT!)
On column #22, I shared with you my thoughts on the ?Donald Trump? 15 superstar trade and how it hurt and helped a few of the rosters. I don?t want to dominate this topic, because I already went over who I thought were the winners and losers of the Trade were a couple weeks ago. So out of 11 readers who have turned in their homework assignment, here are the final results.
1) Who benefited the most in the WWE 15 superstar trade?
The classroom make their picks, and it is suprising:
1) Mark Henry (5 votes)
2) Jack Swagger (3 votes)
3) Evan Bourne (3 votes)
4) Natalya (2 votes)
Those receiving one vote: Hart Dynasty, Shelton Benjamin, Sheamus, Gail Kim, Matt Hardy, Vladimir Kozlov, and the FCW roster.
Mr. V’s Take: Nice Job, my loyal readers! I agree with all of them, however Mark Henry as the one who benefitted the most out of all of them? I was shocked about that, but I can see it. Mark Henry has improved a ton and, from what a few e-mail stated, resurrected his career in ECW.
2) Who do you think this trade backfired the most?
Once again, an excellent job by the students (aka my loyal readers)
1) MVP (3 votes)
2) Goldust (2 votes)
3) Evan Bourne (2 votes)
4) Hart Dynasty (2 votes)
5) Shelton Benjamin (2 votes)
Those receiving one vote: Mark Henry, ECW’s roster, Hornswoggle, Tony Atlas, Matt Hardy, and the Bella Twins.
Mr. V’s Take: I can?t complain on this one, MVP did suffer the biggest blow in this trade. Once a threat to Orton’s title, not MVP is back on the mid-card for no real reason.
This week’s Homework Assignment (Due July 23rd or 30th, 2009)
As we all know, my long-awaited middle of the year column featuring the best of the half year is less than a week away (I promise this time). I want your suggestions for the following two questions:
1) Who is the most outstanding wrestler of the year? (It could be any type of wrestler on any brand in professional wrestling)
2) Not including PPV matches, what do you think was the best match of the year so far? (If you don?t know the answer, just answer question #1).
Please complete this by next week or the week after. Signed by: AJV.
That sums it up this week. Thank you all for reading and participating in this professional wrestling classroom. And as always if you have questions regarding my column or want to send your thoughts, you can do so at mistervwv@yahoo.com. Until Mr. V’s middle of the year awards or Predictions from the Faculty, this is Anthony Valvo telling you to enjoy the week that approaches. You are officially?.Dismissed.
Facebook: Under Anthony J. Valvo from the Pittsburgh, PA Network
**Mr. V does not do MySpace or Twitter**
If not for the students, there would be no Mr. V. Thank you all for reading this week.
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