Week of March 23rd ? 29th 2009
By: David Stephens of WrestleView.com
Ousta! Welcome back to the only WrestleView column covering topics both nowhere yet everywhere at once. If you are new to the column you are probably going to hate us for the first couple weeks, but then you are going to hit a point where you say ?oh wait a minute, I think he gets it?. Don?t worry, that’s exactly how it is designed to be. This column is all about gut reactions and traveling thoughts. As the great Andy Kaufman once said: ?I just want real reactions. I want people to laugh from the gut, be sad from the gut, or get angry from the gut?.
I promised after my recap of ECW last night that I would make sure to put a positive spin in this week’s column. I have an absurdly large amount of ideas that sprang into my head this week. But, I?m intelligent enough to know that none of them are relevant until we get past Wrestlemania. The bulk of you are interested in my picks for this year’s grand spectacle. You can look forward to seeing my picks along with the rest of WrestleView’s staff in Mr. V’s prediction column later this weekend.
Thoughts of Fantasy
This week’s pick continues my trend of non-US talent. I?m actually surprised about how that happened, because it wasn?t an intention I had planned. This week’s draftee is Japan’s own Kota Ibushi!
Let’s take a look at his vitals:
Kota Ibushi
Debut: July 1, 2004
Real Name: Ibushi Kota
Hometown: Japan
Height: 5? 9?
Weight: 180 lbs.
Finisher: Golden Star Press [Corkscrew 450 Splash]Signature Moves: Corkscrew 630 Senton, Sitout Powerbomb, Standing Shooting Star Press, Standing Corkscrew Moonsault, Deadlift German Suplex, Half Nelson Suplex, Ankle Lock, Dropsault, Matrix evasion into a Roundhouse Kick, Feint Moonsault into a Standing Moonsault
Championships Held: Chikara ? Rey de Voladores (2009)
Dramatic Dream Team ? DDT KO-D Tag Team Championship (2 time)
DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (2 times)
Independent Junior Heavyweight Championship
El Dorado Wrestling ? UWA World Tag Team Championship
Toryumon Mexico ? Young Dragon Cup (2006)
For lack of a better comparison, Kota is the ?Japanese Paul London?. He moves about the ring with unprecedented grace. There are plenty of stars in the junior heavyweight style of wrestling who lose story telling with their ring work. Ibushi is exactly the opposite. His matches are beautiful works of art.
He already has tagged and feuded with Kenny Omega, so there is a built in relationship already in place. His match against PAC will surely be an impressive site to be hold. Like always this is the part where I heartedly suggest that you go look my draftee up on You Tube. That’s the best way to get a feel for his style.
Roster as of April 1st 2009
Wrestlers: PAC, Kenny Omega & Ibushi Kota
Look forward to the additions of Commentators, Referees and Ring Announcers in the near future. Keep sending me your wrestler suggestions as I do take them all into consideration and check them out.
What’s in the News?
Vince McMahon is still acting insane and driving the creative team nuts by changing meeting times, locations, and storylines at his whim
ROH Champion Nigel McGuinness remains in bad shape following his recent arm injury
Kevin Nash recently made his in ring return at an independent event at which he and Scott Hall teamed up against BG & Kip James for a Outsiders v. New Age Outlaws Dream Match
-Nash actually made fun of Scott by saying that ?at least he showed up?
TNA talent no longer available to ROH
-this makes sense, I don?t blame TNA since ROH is now on TV, this is a continuation of the trend that TNA has had of pulling its talent as in the past they pulled talent when ROH got a PPV deal, and also of course in the wake of the Rob Feinstein scandal
Kid Rock and Nicole Scherzinger will be performing at Wrestlemania 25. Kid Rock will be doing a medley of his hits and Nicole will be opening the show with ?America the Beautiful?
-I look forward to the guest artists every year but even I had to laugh at this comparison by the WWE: ?In WrestleMania tradition, Scherzinger will open the show with a heartwarming rendition of ?America the Beautiful.? Scherzinger joins many musical legends, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Ashanti and John Legend, who have kicked-off the pop culture extravaganza.?
Yeah sorry, she’s just not on that level
Sting will set a new record for TNA with the longest TNA World Championship run if he makes it to Lockdown on April 19th as Champion
-this will also surpass his own personal record by one day of his NWA Championship run at 188 days.
MizMo vs. Colon Brothers Tag Match at Wrestlemania changed to a lumberjack match
-if I?m to guess this is being done to get as many wrestlers on the card as they can, but the match really doesn?t need this
Chris Jericho will not be charged for the incident in Canada in which he was swarmed by fans and punched a woman in the face.
-no surprise here, I don?t think anybody thought he would end up charged but the whole incident is rather unfortunate
Kurt Angle’s new film ?End Game? trailer released
-seeing him in a clown outfit with a creepy voice is going to give me nightmares
Wrestlemania will cost $55 for standard broadcast and $65 for the HD broadcast
Vince McMahon officially announced as the person to induct Steve Austin confirming months of speculation
Jimmy Hart is launching an all-female wrestling promotion called Wrestlicious to premiere in the Fall of 2009
-they sing and are being financed by the youngest Powerball winner in history, ?nuff said
Don West heel turn toned down to allow room to grow down the road
Shane Douglas announces a new and FINAL ECW Reunion to be held this fall at the ECW Arena in Philly
Dory Funk Jr. called Bret Hart and asked Bret to induct him into the Hall of Fame, reportedly Bret agreed but Dory was informed by the ?E that Dusty Rhodes would be inducting him and Terry
-an interesting story, one is left wondering whether Bret agreed knowing he wouldn?t be able to do it in the end, or if he truly would have come down to Texas
Kevin Nash had the following to say about critics of TNA creative:
“But, by who? The smarks? It’s like anything else, man. One point one percent of the people who watch television know a good match from a bad match and know who can work and who can’t work. My kid’s 12 years old. He occasionally watches it. He doesn’t know if Cena can work or if Khali can work, but he would rather see Khali because he’s a freak. Kids are kids.”
Ratings
WWE RAW ? 2.1
ECW on Sci-Fi ? 1.3
TNA Impact ? 1.3
WWE Stock Update
Week Ending March 27th 2009
Open ? 10.80
Close ? 11.74
Low ? 10.80
High ? 12.22
Quick Results
RAW
-WWE Champion Triple H vs. Randy Orton & Ted DiBiase ended in a no contest
-Mickie James def. Santino Marella (Intergender Match)
-Rey Mysterio def. William Regal
-World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. Big Show ended in a no contest
-CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Christian & United States Champion MVP def. Kane, Mark Henry, -Finlay & Shelton Benjamin
-Jeff Hardy def. Dolph Ziggler (Extreme Rules Match)
ECW
-WWE Tag Team Champion Carlito def. World Tag Team Champion John Morrison
-Tommy Dreamer & Evan Bourne def. ECW Champion Jack Swagger & Tyson Kidd
TNA Impact
-TNA X-Division Championship: Suicide (c) def. Kiyoshi w/No Limit
-The Beautiful People w/Madison Rayne def. Awesome Kong & Raisha Saeed
-Samoa Joe def. AJ Styles vs. Abyss vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jay Lethal vs. Chris Sabin vs. Matt Morgan vs. Homicide vs. Scott Steiner vs. Consequences Creed vs. Rhino vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Yujiro vs. Kurt Angle vs. Shane Sewell vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir vs. Booker T. vs. Tetsuya Naito vs. Eric Young vs. Hernandez in Six Sides of Steel Cage Gauntlet Captains Match (Joe & AJ are the captains)
Smackdown
-Kane, Finlay, Christian & Shelton Benjamin def. United States Champion Montel Vontavious Porter, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, & Mark Henry (Eight-Man Tag Team Match)
-Big Show def. Jesse & Festus (Handicap Match)
-Rey Mysterio def. Chavo Guerrero
-Matt Hardy def. R-Truth
-Brie Bella & WWE Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo def. Nikki Bella & World Tag Team -Champions The Miz & John Morrison (Six-Person Tag Team Match)
-Divas Champion Maryse vs. Michelle McCool (No contest) (Divas Championship Match)
Must Read WrestleView Column of the Week
The Rise & Fall of an Underdog #7 by: AJ Pearce
There is no way around this one folks; his story has turned out to be both captivating and entertaining. I had briefly read the first part when it came out and was interested, but fell behind and wasn?t caught up with the story. I printed out all 7 parts released thus far and sat down to read them. I was honestly floored and left wanting the next episode with the giddiness of a school boy. This was a bold risk WrestleView took in hiring Pearce and allowing him to write a fictional series, but it paid off quite well. For lack of better words it is a beautiful story that AJ is weaving. Rise & Fall is quickly becoming my favorite WrestleView Column.
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So ?that’s a wrap??. Love it? Hate it? Disagree with everything I said? Just want to chat wrestling? I?m always up for reading your thoughts so send them ?em on over.