From the Desk of Mr. V #129
July 23, 2011
By: Anthony J. Valvo of Wrestleview.com
(Special Note: Mr. V would like to thank Gregory “Grash” Walek, our WWE NXT Recapper, for filling for me while I was away from the desk. I owe him one and the next time he needs a breather for his recap I will definitely volunteer. If he did not come in for me, “The Streak” would have ended at 127.)
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.
So sit back and grab some coffee, a cold beverage (I know I am, Pittsburgh is in a major heat wave this week), and buy some peanuts and/or cracker jacks. I hope you enjoy the 129th installment of “From the Desk of Mr. V”.
Enjoy some music as well. I almost went for Bruno Mars and Cee Lo Green. But since Grash took over my column, I will play some Dropkick Murphys to honor his work.
Quote of the Week
“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up some place else.” – Yogi Berra
The Teacher’s Lecture
The “fans” got what they wanted.
Last Sunday, the WWE had their highly-anticipated Money in the Bank Pay-Per-View. The show featured two Money in the Bank ladder matches, three championship matches, and two big men settling a grudge. I am sure my readers watched the event (hopefully by paying for it like I did) because in my opinion it was worth every penny if one was a fantasy booker, the “smarks”, and even the general professional wrestling fan (I fall in that department). I watched the show just to see what would happen with CM Punk. I had many questions also regarding the ladder contests and even Randy Orton vs. Christian. However, if anyone would complain about any of the outcomes in this pay-per-view, I suggest that those fans just give up on the business. Money in the Bank “gave the fans what they wanted”.
I have typed time and time again that the WWE really should not care about what we mere fans say about their product. They became a billion dollar industry listening to only themselves and that was perfectly fine. I purchased the show not because of the outcomes, but the card just had so many options that it was hard to predict what was going on.
So the first match is the Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder Match. The match was highlighted by Sheamus, Wade Barrett, and Sin Cara. Sure, there were others in this match as well but they were the underdogs. However, the diehard know-it-all (I use the term loosely, not meant to be an insult) wrestling fans wanted “Daniel Bryan” to win this match. Bryan is considered “The Best in the World” in his Ring of Honor days and I would go as far as saying he is one of the best. But let’s face it, in the WWE the “only people that get over are the big brawny guys”. So in the predictions column, no one picked Bryan and that was the smart thing to do.
Well, in the end we all saw it. Slater was just bumping around. Gabriel hit his 450 in a small space…and connected nicely. Kane and Barrett were there to showcase their power. Sin Cara was dazzling in and around the ring, until he was “injured” by a Powerbomb through a ladder by Sheamus (who I thought performed the best out of them all). Cody Rhodes even had a chance to win this contest, but not on July 17, 2011. This night went to Daniel Bryan, the man who accomplished pretty much everything in the independents and he quite possibly could be in a future main event. It was really a solid feel good moment.
So professional wrestling fans, you got what you wanted.
The second match was Kelly Kelly vs. Brie Bella. Was it match of the year? Of course not! Did people buy this show (or stream and if you did shame on you) to see them? No. But, there are many that are fans of Kelly Kelly and after an average divas match, Kelly won the match.
So, the WWE gave the fans what they wanted again. Kelly is the most marketable diva among the public and she scores the win and retains her much-deserved Divas Championship.
The third match featured a match that was weeks in the making. On one side, there was The Big Show, deemed The World’s Largest Athlete. One the other side we got Mark Henry who is regarded as The World’s Strongest Man. We saw moves that were surprisingly crisp. Heck, Mark Henry wearing down The Big Show was worth it. And after a pretty solid contest, Mark Henry powers his way to victory.
I remember a year or two ago a few wrestling fans, and maybe more, wanted to see Mark Henry get a stronger push. In the past few years, his work is so much better only to see him either get hurt or “de-pushed”. They wanted Mark Henry to beat a top star. Well, WWE fans, you got what you wanted. The Big Show is a past World Champion, and Mark Henry completely destroyed him.
The fourth match was the Raw Money in the Bank that featured former world champions (Rey Mysterio, Jack Swagger, and The Miz), those on the cusp of another title opportunity (Alberto Del Rio and R-Truth), and some upstarts trying to get a break (Evan Bourne, Alex Riley, and Kofi Kingston).
Let’s face it, the match was sloppy. Did it have moments, yes it did but I am not here to analyze the show. But just to be brief I was never more disappointed in a MITB Ladder match than what I saw throughout the match. However, the ending was very satisfying. The Miz (who was down with a knee injury earlier) hopped down to the ring and teased a win until Mysterio blocked it. Then it was down to Mysterio and Del Rio, who always find a way to cross paths ever since Del Rio’s debut in the WWE.
In the end, just when Mysterio and Del Rio fought back and forth the unthinkable happens. Del Rio rips Mysterio’s mask off! Yes, I know it has happened before but it was a bit different this time. Yes, the ending was botched, but Del Rio maintained his composure, climbed up another ladder and won the case to earn himself a title shot whenever he wants.
Many wrestling fans throughout the World (yes, Mexico really loves Del Rio) were hoping for his moment. Del Rio won the Royal Rumble, but failed at his destiny. But now the quest continues. Once again, the fans got what they wanted in this match. It may not have been pretty, but Del Rio ended up winning the match.
The fifth match was Randy Orton defending the World Heavyweight Championship vs. Christian. I remember that Tuesday after Extreme Rules when Twitter blew up over the fact that Christian lost the title just days after winning it and though OH MY CHRISTIAN IS BURIED. Some fans even cursed at the WWE, words that I will not type in my column.
So the fans “suffered” through title shot after title shot after stipulation. And Orton won every single time until Sunday. I remember myself staying calm, that Christian will win another World Title because he is relevant in the title hunt. Christian knew it and the fans knew it as well.
Now I really enjoyed the match, especially near the end when Christian spat in the face of Orton, which caused Orton to completely lose it and get disqualified via a low blow. When the bell rang, the reaction was mixed but I feel the majority was still happy that Christian won his second World Championship (and this one is longer than his previous run already). Some professional wrestling fans need to calm down and let the stories play out. The payoff will be rewarding.
So for those fans that stuck with the program and watched Christian win another title, well, again those fans got what they wanted. Christian is not “buried”. He is “champion”. And if Daniel Bryan would have considered cashing in the case he would have won the title. Again, that could have been another scenario where most fans would not complain.
Then finally, there was probably the most anticipated wrestling match in 2011. John Cena, usually the fan favorite, is in the middle of a hostile environment. The challenger, CM Punk, is the hometown hero that promised to leave with the WWE World Championship.
Again, I am not here to go play-by-play. The reader can watch for themselves. All I can really type is that (to me) this was the best match I have seen since El Generico vs. Kevin Steen from ROH Final Battle 2010. Like Steen vs. Generio, Punk vs. Cena could very well be The Feud of the Year. Though it did not get my vote in the middle of the year, it could win a Golden Yardstick.
In the end, the predictable thing would be Vince McMahon screwing CM Punk out of the title. But NO! Cena would not let that happen. Punk then took the opportunity and finished a distracted Cena off and fulfilled his promise to the “WWE Universe”. He won the title and will go home with it. McMahon was then booked to call out Del Rio, but Del Rio never had the chance and CM Punk kissed McMahon good bye.
The Attitude fans, the ROH fans, even the WWE/TNA/Indie fans could not complain one bit of the outcome. It was something that I never witnessed before. It told just an amazing story and I give everyone involved credit for keeping me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.
Oh yeah, the WWE gave the fans what they wanted again. CM Punk won the World Championship and the WWE gave us a cliffhanger as to what Vince would do next. Would he fire Cena? Well, on Monday Night Raw we found out.
So the rest is history. This show will now be shown in the latest history book that is World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was one of the best PPV shows I have ever seen and I like to sum it up with a sentence or two. Will it be the best of the year? I don’t know, but it had a heck of a main event that will be considered as match of the year (nerd not Meltzer gave it the “5-Star” treatment). Will I remember it? Yes, I will and it will be forever known as…
…the Pay-per-view that the WWE did the unthinkable. It gave the fans what they wanted from start to finish.
Quick Notes from “The Notebook of Mr. V”
– How awesome was the ending to Monday Night Raw. If one thought Cena was actually going to get fired, well I shake my head at anyone who would believe that. How they did it was very original and played out well. Now in the storyline it is Triple H in charge and Vince was “dismissed” from his duties. There is not much to type but well done WWE, well done.
– The WWE suspended Sin Cara for 30 days due to a violation in the company’s policy. Since then, I read a report that after the suspension is completed he may not be brought back. Let me say this about Sin Cara, he is an outstanding wrestler if in the right program. However, he has yet to live up to the hype in the WWE ring.
I wish Sin Cara well if he is in fact gone from the WWE, but I do not want to see him out like this. If anything, this should be a HUGE wake up call for Sin Cara. I would like to see how he reacts in the ring once the suspension is done. He is still pretty popular with fans when I watch him wrestle on Smackdown and get the crowd’s attention. My opinion would be simple. Let him ride the suspension and see how he reacts to it. This could light a fire in Sin Cara. If it does not, then regardless of fan support the WWE would have no choice but to let him go.
– TNA and Ric Flair are (according to The Wrestling Observer) in a rocky relationship. It all started with the Brooklyn house show earlier this month in which, despite being advertised, Flair refused to show up. TNA made a huge gamble signing Flair to this contract and gave him huge money. Flair since then went from being a beloved retired wrestler to someone that is somewhat a sad story. He went to ROH for a cup of coffee and then went to TNA. While he is a good promo cutter, he should not be in the ring (and the blood, ugh). TNA is overpaying for Flair, pure and simple. And if Flair is causing problems with TNA, they do not need him. Flair is the one that needs the cash and he should not be acting like someone who is a big deal anymore. His time as a prime time player has passed years ago. In my opinion, Flair better quit acting like this or TNA should (and deservedly so) let him go.
– TNA’s Bound for Glory will be held in my home state, Pennsylvania. However, it is about five or six hours the other way as it will be held in Philadelphia, PA. It worked with a previous Lockdown show and since the Eastern Pennsylvania region is a hotbed for professional wrestling, I think it will much better for the company than taking it any other region.
– It appears that The Kings of Wrestling are “WWE-Bound” if you read various reports. If they stay a tag team, I think they can make some serious noise in a very thin (and at times non-existent) division. Like I said before, Castagnoli I think would fit right in with the WWE product. He has the look and the talent to go a pretty decent way. If Hero is fighting alone, he has some potential. He is a very competitive, intense guy that also fits the mold of a WWE Superstar. Both have the talent, but I think Hero may have a more difficult time to adapt to the WWE.
– UFC President Dana White visited WWE Headquarters. I am better White thought it would be a cool place to visit. If you are in depth with that news, please stop.
– Finally, there is some online campaigning for TNA Knockout Velvet Sky to appear on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Also, there is someone that really wants Melina from the WWE to dance there as well. If I had a choice, it would honestly be Velvet Sky. Why not? She has the look and I think could last a couple weeks to give the company some exposure. So if Sky would actually be a part of the DWTS cast, then she will get a decent payday (and of course I will watch the show).
Detentions
WWE Divas outside of Kelly Kelly, Beth Phoenix, and Maryse – What I saw this past week from the majority was pretty bad.
Jinder Mahal – He was on Smackdown for slightly over a minute. That was slightly over a minute too much.
NXT Rookies – Titus O’Neil, Darren Young, and Derrick Bateman had a terrible showing on the 7/12 edition of NXT.
The RAW Money in the Bank match – I liked the result, but the match was not so good. I saw a lot of sloppy work. I expected it to be high octane, but it was not clean.
The NBA – Let them have a lockout all year. It will do wonders for that support. It worked for the NHL, right?
Impact Wrestling – Really? Are you giving Immortal a DVD set already?
PETA – For their comments regarding Shawn Michaels and his new show. I am completely fine with them wanting to make people aware of their cause, but not in the way they conduct themselves.
Sin Cara – So the WWE gave this guy whatever he wanted and now he is out for thirty days due to suspension. Let’s just hope this is a wakeup call.
Ric Flair – If you walk out on fans, then you deserve to be on this list.
The Time Out Chair – Linda Hogan. Once again, I read a story on FoxSports.com and Linda is trying to say that “Hulk treated her poorly and almost killed her”. I know she said this on “The Today Show” as well, but seriously the lady needs to get away from the spotlight. If Hulk Hogan did these things (which I don’t know about right now), then I will rescind this and put myself in detention.
Eternal Detention
Praxis and the ETS Series
Teachers that get arrested
Stinkbugs
2010 French Soccer Team
Jeff Hardy and “The Other” Hardy
“Undefined” Alicia Fox
Mike Tenay
Westboro Baptist Church
Toni Morrison
“Roggio”
GLAAD (New Addition – Be sensitive to others as most of the world are sensitive to GLAAD)
“The Brody”
As previously announced on Mr. V #120, this is a feature to the column after given the blessing by Editor-In-Chief Adam Martin. This is not a direct insult to anyone, but more of a “warning” to those who post ridiculous, uneducated, and puzzling comments under articles, columns, or recaps on WrestleView.com. I have a team of scouts who will be looking around to see who truly earns a “Brody” as the dumbest comment poster of the week.
I will be honest. I had a difficult time trying to find a “Brody” this week. However, a few of my readers wanted me to check out some comments under the link: Chris Jericho: “Cena is a great worker”.
Now, we all know that John Cena is a target to many male fans, and notably trolls that lure under the sights of WrestleView. And while there are many smart and intelligent fans out there that commented under this link, some people are still too stubborn to realize that the WWE is a business and that Cena busted his tail off to get where he is at.
Sure, 2011 was not Cena’s best year. But Cena has accomplished more in one year than 99% of the world accomplished in their lives. He loves what he is doing, works as well as he can, and is a face of the company that the WWE can depend on. What is wrong with that?
Well, we got a couple “Brodys” this week and I will try and debunk their comments. The first one came from Lex Lybrand who posted this comment under the article.
“That match was CARRIED by Punk. Big time. Cena is NOT a ‘great worker,’ no matter who it is claiming he is. I’m a huge Jericho fan… but he’s wrong.”
Mr. V’s thought: Based on what I watched during the match, I thought it was very good and both men told a great story. I don’t know what Lybrand’s comment meant, but Jericho was right on when he mentioned that Cena is a great worker. Lybrand is living a fantasy, I thought both carried each other well in CM Punk’s farewell match.
Now here is the REAL Brody winner, the mystery “Facebook User” because he is afraid to post his name. I will just call him “Mr. Potty Mouth that does not know what a “Capital Letter” is. So class, here is a comment that I think you will all get a good laugh. Where’s Tony Atlas when you need him?
“just because the guy shows up to work every night doesn’t make him a good worker. he is so f***ing lazy in the ring and you would have to be blind or ignorant to not see that. every one keeps talking about having a good match with khali. who cares? it was one match, i never said the man isn’t capable of having good matches, he is just lazy and refuses to better himself or any of his matches.”
Mr. V’s thought: (legitimately laughing) Well, first off Cena is not lazy in the ring. If he “does” look lazy, give him a break. Cena works the most difficult schedule than any other WWE Superstar when you count not just what he does in the ring, but outside of the ring with various charities and promotional appointments.
I will be one of these “everyone (that is how you spell it)” people and say that his match with The Great Khali (the “K” is capitalized) was good. Cena also had good matches with Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, Edge, Wade Barrett, and more names that if I mentioned them they would probably exceed my word limit for a column. Trust me “Facebook User”, he has been in more than one good match. How dare you not even mention his match with CM Punk last Sunday?
Cena “refuses” to better himself? Seriously, this guy is making me laugh louder than I have in months. Cena does not need to better himself. He is already the face of the company and if asked to improve on be certain that John Cena would do it.
That is it. Is Cena the best wrestler? No, he is not. Is he the best storyteller? He is one of the best in the business. Is he the best worker? Jericho nor anyone said that, but Cena does enough for what is best for the WWE brand.
So there is my two cents on Cena, I guess I am one of those “ignorant” or “blind” people that can use capital letters. But when it comes to making decisions, be certain my vision is “20/20”. If Cena was not a great worker, McMahon would have found someone years ago.
Glad you made it, Tony!
Let’s get the failure clips going.
I also take suggestions for “The Brody”. Send your picks to mistervwv@hotmail.com. Subject: The Brody. Thanks.
Mr. V’s Weekly Honor Roll For the Week of July 11 – July 17, 2011
7/11 – WWE Monday Night Raw
7/12 – WWE NXT
7/13 – OFF DAY.
7/14 – WWE Superstars and Impact Wrestling
7/15 – WWE Friday Night Smackdown
7/16 – This was the day you planned on listening to the “The Teacher’s Lounge”
7/17 – OFF DAY.
I don’t know if it was because of jetlag or what (because traveling in Austrailia, New Zealand, and South Africa should drain a WWE superstar), but the wrestling on WWE programming was very very subpar. However, with some strong buildup throughout Raw and Smackdown it made for a pretty nice payoff this past Sunday. Impact had a chance to really stand out this past week, but what I saw was pretty average wrestling on their side. However, the storylines look to be gelling nicely and I just hope it is not a tease because I don’t know how much I could stand the product.
Once again, the WWE monopolized the Honor Roll. And as the norm recently Smackdown had some solid matches on their show. Also, if you have time on the Internet check out the final match on WWE Superstars that involves…divas? Here is what I thought were “Honor Roll” worthy for the week in professional wrestling.
Distinguished Honors – Cody Rhodes vs. Daniel Bryan, WWE Friday Night Smackdown, July 15.
How did it end? Most of the match was pretty solid with some good exchanges and segments by both wrestlers. The match ended when Rhodes moved away from a running dropkick to the corner by Bryan and then Rhodes connected with the Beautiful Disaster Kick to win the match by pinfall.
Grade: B (leaned toward B-).
High Honors – Sin Cara vs. Sheamus, WWE Friday Night Smackdown, July 15.
How did it end? First off, give Sheamus a ton of credit for carrying Sin Cara from start to finish with the brawling and overall this was Sin Cara’s best match since entering the WWE. The match ended when Sheamus waited too long to hit the High Cross. Sin Cara countered it to a rollup and got the pinfall victory.
Grade: B- (leaned toward B).
Honors – Beth Phoenix vs. Maryse, WWE Superstars, July 14
How did it end? This was another solid showing by two of the WWE’s best divas. Both provided an excellent story from Phoenix’s power to Maryse’s opportune tactics. The match ended when, after a few counters, Phoenix his the Glam Slam for the pinfall victory.
Grade: C+
Mr. V’s Grade Book for the week of 7/11/11 – 7/17/11
A+, A, or A-: None to Report.
B+: None to Report.
B: Cody Rhodes vs. Daniel Bryan (Smackdown).
B-: Sin Cara vs. Sheamus (Smackdown).
C+: Yoshi Tatsu vs. Tyson Kidd (NXT); Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso vs. David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty (Superstars); Beth Phoenix vs. Maryse (Superstars); Hernandez and Anarquia vs. Magnua and Douglas Williams (IMPACT); Sting vs. Mr. Anderson (IMPACT); Ezekiel Jackson vs. Ted DiBiase, Jr. (Smackdown).
C: John Cena vs. David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty (RAW); Alex Riley, Kofi Kingston, and Evan Bourne vs. The Miz, R-Truth, and Jack Swagger (RAW); Zack Ryder vs. Santino Marella (Superstars); Bobby Roode vs. Samoa Joe vs. D’Angelo Dinero (IMPACT); Austin Aries vs. Shannon Moore (IMPACT); Tara vs. Madison Rayne (IMPACT); Justin Gabriel vs. Heath Slater (Smackdown).
C-: Wade Barrett vs. Trent Barreta (Superstars); Kane vs. Randy Orton (Smackdown).
D+, D, or D-: Kelly Kelly vs. Melina (RAW); The Big Show vs. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre (RAW); Derrick Bateman vs. Darren Young vs. Titus O’Neil (NXT); Kelly Kelly vs. Rosa Mendes (Smackdown).
F or INC: None to Report.
Current Wrestleview Prediction Standings (As of WWE’s Money in the Bank)
2011-2012 Predictions from the Faculty Roster
1) Jose Marrero (Wrestling Rumblings/The Eye Gouge)……………55-30 (4-2)
2) Ryan Rivera (ROH on HDNet Recapper)…………………………..54-32 (2-4)
3) Dave Stephens (Raw Recaps/That’s a Wrap/Teachers Lounge….54-32 (3-3)
4) Wrestleview Students (The Readers of the article)………………54-32 (4-2)
5) Nicholas Gray (The Velvet Room)…………………………………..53-33 (3-3)
6) Gregory “Grash” Walek (WWE NXT Recapper)……………………52-34 (3-3)
7) Mike Tedesco (WWE Smackdown Recapper)……………………..51-35 (4-2)
8) Josh Boutwell (TNA Impact Recaps/Viva La Raza)………………50-30 (NR)
9) Greg McNeish (The Velvet Room)………………………………….50-36 (3-3)
10) Anthony Valvo (From the Desk of Mr. V/Teacher’s Lounge)…..48-38 (3-3)
11) Darragh O’Connor (WV International Desk)……………………..46-29 (NR)
12) Evan O’Brien (WV International Desk)……………………………47-39 (2-4)
13) Matt O’Brien (Notes from the Nosebleeds)……………………….46-40 (3-3)
14) Andrew Hayman (WWE Superstars Recapper)…………………..43-30 (4-2)
Tie-Breaker Points – Which are based on Championship matches correct
26: Nicholas Gray
25: Gregory Walek; Mike Tedesco
24: Jose Marrero
23: Ryan Rivera; Dave Stephens
22: Josh Boutwell; Greg McNeish; Anthony Valvo
21: Evan O’Brien
17: Darragh O’Connor; Andrew Hayman
16: Matt O’Brien
All the matches for the WWE Money in the Bank PPV counted. All advertized matches for TNA’s Destination X PPV were counted as well.
Ryan Rivera had the best score for TNA’s Destination X going 6-1. Jose Marrero, Mike Tedesco, and Andrew Hayman scored the best record for WWE Money in the Bank with a 4-2 record.
Out of all the predictions that I recorded, only TWO people predicted Daniel Bryan to win the Smackdown Money in the Bank. They were WrestleView “students” Sam Newstone and Chad Robbins.
Randy McWilliams defeated all eight students of the week for earn the Student of the Week title after Destination X with a 6-1 record. However, he was defeated by going 4-2 for WWE’s Money in the Bank PPV.
The NEW Students of the Week will be Sean McNally and Wade Bradford. Both went 5-1 in the predictions for Money in the Bank, only missing on the Daniel Bryan victory.
Jose Marrero reclaimed the top spot as the “Dean” of WrestleView for this season. He lost it after Destination X to Ryan Rivera, but got it back after Money in the Bank.
There were 27 predictions collected by the WrestleView Students and they averaged out 3.48 wins. So I had to estimate twice. Once to make it 3.5, then again for their estimated record of 4-2
Who’s in line for the Predictions Prize?
See the latest Predictions article for details on how to compete.
First Place will win a wrestling DVD.
Second Place will win a T-Shirt.
Third Place will win a Coffee Mug.
Last Place will win TNA’s Victory Road 2009 (or now even 2011 whichever costs less), as it was as bad a PPV as what potentially someone’s picks will be.
I will just type out the Top Five readers at this time. The first set of parentheses is the W/L record for WWE’s Money in the Bank. The second parentheses are the Tie-Breaker points.
1) Nick Latham…………………………………………………….59-27 (4-2) (27) – #1
2) Paul Meade……………………………………………………..58-28 (4-2) (26) – #2
3) Jordan Benterman…………………………………………..58-28 (3-3) (25) – Tie #3
4) Jason Namako…………………………………………………58-28 (2-4) (25) – Tie #3
5) Goose Oberstar………………………………………………56-30 (2-4) (25) – Tie #5
6) Michael Fox……………………………………………………56-30 (2-4) (25) – Tie #5
The person with the most picks incorrect is currently 50-36.
The next PPV that we will be keeping score on will be TNA’s Hardcore Justice on August 7th. Enjoy the small break, students. We all needed it.
Mr. V’s Gold Star Segment
Gold Stars brought to you by: ColtMerch.com! Take a look at Colt Cabana’s merchandise and you won’t be disappointed. How are you, Colt?
Also, while you are at it check out www.jrsbarbq.com. Jim Ross has some specials on all the Beef Jerky you can consume. Look at his blog and maybe buy a product or two.
Finally, some Gold Stars! These are the people, teams, and many other things that I think did a great job in wrestling, sports, news, and even charity. So, here is who I am giving a Gold Star to.
CM Punk – From the start of the year to the end, he was one of only few wrestlers to keep you on the edge of your seat with his in-ring work and his skills on the microphone. It will be hard (even if they can do it) to find another one like Punk. Congrats on leaving with the WWE World Championship.
Vince McMahon, Triple H, and John Cena – They all earned one for the performance the night after Money in the Bank. It was amazing.
Gregory Walek – Once again, I thank him for taking the helm on Mr. V #128. I wanted to truly enjoy my vacation and he was willing to take the reins and keep “The Streak” alive! And here we are, 129 weeks and still counting.
The Pittsburgh Pirates – Because they are “mocking” the NL Central. Seriously, I never saw this coming from this group of players. They might be MLB jokes no more.
Ryan Rivera – He earned one for scoring the best record among the WrestleView Staff for Destination X with a 6-1 record. That record helped him score first place in the standings. Though it lasted a week, it is something I dream of hitting one week.
Randy McWilliams – He earned the best Destination X record out of the WrestleView Students and became the Student of the Week with a 6-1 mark. That too lasted only a week, but he earned it.
Mike Tedesco and Andrew Hayman – They both got a 4-2 record for WWE Money in the Bank, the best among the WrestleView Staff.
Jose Marrero – A good friend of mine and of the column got a double star this week. Not only did he get a 4-2 record for Money in the Bank as well, but he climbed back to the top spot in the WrestleView Standings.
Sean McNally and Wade Bradford – Both got a 5-1 record among the WrestleView Students for Money in the Bank (both missed on the Smackdown MITB match). Still, they will be providing predictions for TNA’s Hardcore Justice if they accept.
Nick Latham – He is the current leader among the “WrestleView Students” at the official half-way point.
Sam Newstone and Chad Robbins – Both were the only ones to predict Daniel Bryan as the winner of the Smackdown Money in the Bank.
Daniel Bryan and Alberto Del Rio – Both wrestlers won their Money in the Bank briefcases and now have a chance to cash it in when they want.
Christian – He is the NEW World Heavyweight Champion after a DQ win over Randy Orton.
Randy Orton – I will still give him a Gold Star because of the emotion he displayed after losing the title. That is the Orton that I remember.
Mark Henry – He rarely gets a Gold Star, but he was very impressive last weekend.
HHH and Vince McMahon – What an amazing segment they had at the end of Raw. It was a good way to have a storyline “changing of the guard”.
Vickie Guerrero – I will give her a gold star not because of what she does for the Raw brand (which she should get one for that anyway). But she really lost a lot of weight and deserves credit for sticking to her diet.
Beth Phoenix and Maryse – They had a pretty good match on July 14th’s WWE Superstars. Check it out for yourself if you have free time.
Claudio Castagnoli – He earns one for staying “Very European”.
Austin Aries – He is going to light a fire in the X Division for TNA, at least I hope.
Sting – He is the NEW TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Now I am curious to see what happens next. By the way, the “Joker” Sting grew on me. I am sold on this gimmick.
Kenny King and Rhett Titus – They both signed new deals with Ring of Honor. They both are some of the best young wrestlers in the business today and fit the ROH product very well.
Delirious – Not only is he an underrated wrestler, but he should get a LOT of credit for booking some pretty good Ring of Honor shows for the past few months.
And that is all for now. If you want me to give out a Gold Star let me know at mistervwv@hotmail.com.
This Week’s Homework Assignment (Due July 14th)
This week, there will be NO homework as I will be working on the 2011 WrestleView Readers’ Choice Mid-Year Awards. You still have another day to work on this.
The ballot is right here.
http://www.wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1310321315
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 like it, tell a friend! My classroom has many desks inside. 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
Twitter: @TheMisterV
E-Mail: mistervwv@hotmail.com or lounge@wrestleview.com
To Send Predictions for “Predictions of the Faculty”: mistervwv@hotmail.com or Private Message via Facebook.
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 one to two-hour program. We even have a few games, a detention segment, as well as interviews.
Most Recent Guest (Will appear on the 7/23 edition of The Teacher’s Lounge)
WrestleView Smackdown Recapper Mike Tedesco!
With Dave Stephens still out due to computer problems that will be fixed in due time, the July 23rd edition of “The Teacher’s Lounge” will feature a guest host! On July 23rd, I’ll welcome Mike Tedesco in The Teacher’s Lounge and we will talk about various topics in WWE, TNA, ROH, and other important information. Games will be played as well. It will be a fantastic episode that you don’t want to miss.
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 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 Former NWA World Champion Colt Cabana.
TNA Superstar Hernandez
Isis The Amazon (formerly Aloisia of WWE)
Lori Carrington (Author of “The Cruiserweight)
Crystal Mai (from Diva-Dirt.com)
ROH, SHIMMER, and Chikara Professional Wrestler Sara Del Rey
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.