3-22-01: ECW vs. WWF vs. WCW Feud?
Is a WWF vs. WCW vs. ECW fued looming? From what I've read on internet websites, the WCW landscape looks flat, and ECW (officially or unofficially) has folded. With that said, the only national wrestling promotion around now is Vince McMahon. If the WWF does acquire World Championship Wrestling, that means that, in essence, Vince McMahon for now IS the "Big Three." If Vince was holding all of the national wrestling promotions, what are the possibilities? I will attempt to figure that out now.
If Vince does happen to buy WCW, it would be wise to take Paul Heyman and Johnny Ace (or whatever booker he deems fit enough to run WCW) and have them as the rulers of the two promotions. It seems as if Paul Heyman will do anything in his power to get ECW over (even after it folded), so having him run a seperate ECW wouldn't be too much to ask of him. Besides, the increase in production value would make ECW look two times better. With the leverage that having Vince McMahon as a partner would provide, it wouldn't be too hard to book ECW shows in larger arenas.
Since the above thought has you thinking that WCW is alot bigger than ECW talent-wise, here's another thought. Make all of the ex-ECW wrestlers that are on the current WCW roster join the ECW roster. Should I name some of the wrestlers that would include? I will anyway. Mike Awesome, Lance Storm, Shane Douglas, Jason (EZ Money) Jett, (Kid) Cash, Bam Bam Bigelow, oh wait, WWF has it's fill of ex-ECW wrestlers also. So with the WWF roster being as full as it is, maybe they can send some wrestlers to the ECW promotion themselves. Such as Rh(Y?)ino, Justin Credible, Eddy Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Taz, Perry Saturn, Steven Richards, Dean Malenko and Lita. I know, I didn't include Chris Jericho and The Dudley Boyz. But I would obviously not send them to the "New" ECW because they are so much over on WWF TV. With Paul Heyman owning the "new ECW" he would probably have no problem re-hiring people like Steve Corino and all of the other wrestlers that left. (Notice that I haven't mentioned Rob Van Dam and Sabu yet.) The new WCW would bring back Goldberg and all of the other wrestlers that "left" and build towards an ECW vs. WCW vs. WWF on a PPV entitled "When Worlds Collide."
What? You say that that has already been used? Well find one that hasn't. Anyway, following is my dream card, that I think Vince should seriously consider.
ECW/WCW/WWF PPV
Yoshihiro Tajiri vs. Super Crazy
(Best Of Three Falls) Rob Van Dam vs. Rey Misterio Jr.
Eddy Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko
Rhyno vs. Raven (Strap Match)
X-Pac vs. Kidman
Jeff Jarrett vs. Shane Douglas
Edge vs. Chris Jericho
Edge & Christian vs. Dudleys vs. Hardys (TLC Match)
Booker T vs. The Rock
Scott Steiner w/ Midajah vs. Triple H w/ Stephanie McMahon Helmsley
Steve Austin vs. Bill Goldberg (Steel Cage Match)
I know that there are alot of other cards that look better than mine, but as you can see, the possibilities are endless. If Vince does purchase WCW, I think it will be a very unpredictable time for the wrestling community.
7-23-01: Invasion Match-By-Match Review
Invasion is just the build up for Summerslam. WWF does that every single time with these little PPV's (Backlash, Judgment Day etc.) I wasn't expecting anything huge to happen, and I was right for the most part.
INVASION REVIEW
Chavo Guerrero Jr. vs. Scotty Too Hotty (Heat) (**1/2)
I was surprised when I saw the heat Chavo Jr. got from the crowd when he first came out. Of course, he was masterfully playing to the crowd. When he kicked out of the Worm, I was the happiest man. Scotty Too Hotty's whole schtick is played out.
Chavo Guerrero wins.
Mike Awesome and Lance Storm vs. Christian and Edge (***)
I know everyone likes Lance Storm's (If I can be serious...) line, but it's REAL old to me. Are we going to go the route of Konnan and have the same line for 3 years? When I saw Christian slip near the beginning of the match, I thought to myself (damn!) If he would have hit that spot, I would have added another 1/2 star. Lance Storm looked like a ring general and was oddly calling the match. Christian and Edge must respect Storm to let him call the match as much as he was.
Edge and Christian win.
Earl Hebner vs. Nick Patrick (*)
This could have been Matt Hardy vs. Gregory Helms, or Mark Jindrak vs. Test; BUT NO! They run with old refs that looked like they were on Celebrity Deathmatch. What's Nick Patrick's problem anyway? Is he scared of anyone? Mick Foley will break him in half.
Earl Hebner wins.
Faarooq and Bradshaw vs. Sean O'Haire and Chuck Palumbo (**1/2)
This was nothing but punches and kicks, oh and that Razor Ramonesque fallaway slam by Bradshaw. I wonder why they didn't let O'Haire get in more offense. He did the same spot twice. (The ducking chop to the midsection into the high knee lift.)
Acolytes win.
Kidman vs. X-Pac (***)
The beginning of this match (when they were trying to show each other up) was classic. By about the 5th minute, it was pretty boring. I love X-Pac, his style is classic. The way he comes to the ring and the way he jumps in are classic. Kidman was that guy in Junior High that was real plain, wearing "Air Borden" discount sneakers, and seemed poor. But when it came to it, he was the best in sports, and he'd beat you down something awful if you fucked with him.
Kidman wins.
Raven vs. William Regal (**)
Raven seemed bored, and William Regal needs more variations to his English wrestling style (or as Jim Ross called it, "unorthodox style").
Raven wins after Tazz runs-in.
Billy Gunn, Albert, and Big Show vs. Chris Kanyon, Hugh Morrus, and Sean Stasiak (1 1/2*)
This match was worse than the last match, but not by much. Mostly filler material. I thought Gunn was about to mess up that press slam, if he did, then this match would have gotten 1 star.
WCW Team wins.
Tajiri vs. Tazz (***1/2) This match wasn't as stiff as everyone said it would be, but it was still pretty stiff. Tajiri, RVD, and Tazz are the three top guys from the old ECW. Tazz doing the J-o-b to Tajiri was a smart move. I was looking for the tree of woe baseball slide that Tajiri does, but I guess he'll save that move for a later date.
Tajiri gets the clean victory over Tazz
Rob Van Dam vs. Jeff Hardy (****)
Jeff Hardy is out of his mind. I wouldn't go halfway up that ladder, and he's on the second to last rung posing. RVD was destined to be a superstar since "A Matter Of Respect" (order it on ECW Home Video.) It was hilarious when he knocked that kid down when he went for the Asai Moonsault in the crowd. RVD is talented, and the fans like talent, so RVD getting over as quick as he has isn't surprising to me. He might be the fastest guy to get over in wrestling's modern history. (Even Scott Hall was booed when he first formed the NWO.)
RVD wins the Hardcore Championship from Jeff Hardy.
Trish and Lita vs. Stacy Kiebler and Torrie Wilson (*) That one star is because we get to see these chicks stripping each other.
Trish and Lita win.
Team WWF (Austin, Angle, Undertaker, Kane, and Jericho) vs. Team WCW/ECW (Booker T, DDP, Rhyno, and The Dudley Boys) (****)
This was a fast paced, psychology filled 10 Man Tag match. Vince, Steph, Paul, and Shane were all on the outside of the ring, making it look they all had a vested interest in their wrestlers. The ending was predictable, but it makes sense storyline-wise. Rock vs. Austin is where it should be at this time.
Team WCW wins when Austin turns on the WWF.
7-28-01: Kurt Angle Wins WCW Championship; The Rock Says...?
OK, A WWF Wrestler wins the WCW Championship prematurely. Tell me where I'm supposed to be mad. Kurt Angle won the WWF title within a year of his wrestling within the company. He won the King Of The Ring within a year of signing, so where was the outrage?
Oh, I should be mad because this is the first time a WWF wrestler has held a WCW title? Damn. Some people are so into what they're talking about that they don't hear what's being said. If you want to talk REAL pro wrestling, I'll say this. Ric Flair won the WWF title, and not too long after, Hulk Hogan won the WCW title. How important were those events? Pretty important at the time, but who are we kidding?
We have people talking about this victory spoiling title lineages, but David Arquette was deemed a more important wrestler than Chris Benoit?
Sometimes people should stop overthinking, and start thinking. Kurt Angle was in Pittsburgh, his hometown. With Chris Benoit injured, WWF is making Kurt Angle into a top face. Giving him the WCW title does two important things at once:
(1) It makes the WCW WORLD Championship look important.
(2) It makes Kurt Angle look like a champion of the calibre of Austin, because he beat the man who Austin ducked, Booker T.
People always talk about the holes in WWF storylines, but they never mention the plateaus.
Shadrick got booted from Tough Enough this week, watching Jacqueline crying was pretty disturbing to me though...The contestants seem to really be into each other, when someone gets booted (like Darryl) they show alot of emotion...
WWF fooled alot of internet writers with their latest episode of Byte This. They announced a major announcement would be taking place, and of course websites jumped on the potential story. Here's what will happen: Kurt Angle will grant Booker T a rematch on Raw Is War...Rob Van Dam was on the mentioned episode of Byte This. Here are some stand-out things from his interview:
-RVD thought that his match at Invasion was so good because he was able to have his kind of match.
-He thinks that Jeff Hardy is a great match for him, as Hardy works a similar style.
-RVD is looking forward to returning to Philadelphia this week. He also thinks that fans demand more due to more knowledge of the business.
-RVD says that he believes that the bar has been raised in wrestling since the '80's.
-He had slot of fun doing Spy TV, he also said that his agent booked it for him.
-He has done some acting in the past. They wanted him to wear pads during his martial arts movies, which are 3 in number.
-He loves kickboxing, he learned martial arts as a kid in Michigan.
-He believes that the Van Terminator's shock value would be decreased because of Shane McMahon using the move at Wrestlemania (X-Seven).
My personal opinion on RVD is this: He will be a World Champion one day. He's that good.
...Smackdown got a 4.3 broadcast rating this week, up .3 points...
WWF Sends Out Rocky Press Release
STAMFORD, Conn.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--July 27, 2001--After a nearly four month hiatus, The Rock will make his long-awaited return to the World Wrestling Federation this Monday on Raw Is War.
The show will be broadcast live on Monday night from the First Union Center in Philadelphia on TNN at 9:00pm ET. During his hiatus, The Rock filmed a new Hollywood action epic, "The Scorpion King," based on the role he portrayed in the movie blockbuster, "The Mummy Returns."
"We've had a tremendous couple of months with the WCW/ECW storyline and our Invasion pay-per-view last Sunday. Fan interest continues to increase on a weekly basis and we believe that The Rock's return will further increase the visibility of our programs and our brand," said Stuart Snyder, President and COO of World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. "This Monday will be a very special night for the World Wrestling Federation and our millions of fans."
Last Monday, Raw is War achieved a 5.4 rating / 9 share in 4,344,000 households, according to Nielsen Media Research. Household ratings grew consistently quarter-hour to quarter-hour, ranging from a 4.5 to a 6.1.
The Rock's return couldn't come at a better time as the battle for supremacy in sports entertainment continues between the World Wrestling Federation and the WCW/ECW Alliance. The recent defection of World Wrestling Federation Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin to "The Alliance" has further complicated matters. In order to control what is becoming a chaotic situation, World Wrestling Federation fans are counting on The Rock to reconcile with World Wrestling Federation Chairman Mr. McMahon - the man who helped steal the World Wrestling Federation title from him and handed it to Austin at WrestleMania X-Seven. Now, Mr. McMahon needs The Rock to help fend off "The Alliance." Can The Rock put aside their differences for the good of The Federation or will he join Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley and Stone Cold Steve Austin to help them destroy the World Wrestling Federation and take over the sports entertainment industry?
World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWF) is an integrated media and entertainment company headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with sales offices in New York City, Chicago and Toronto. Additional information on the company can be found at wwf.com and wwfecorpbiz.com
From The Charlotte Observer
Title: Former WCW executive testifies about encounter with Gold Club dancer
ATLANTA (AP) -- Former professional wrestling executive Eric Bischoff testified Tuesday that he and his wife once left the Gold Club with a stripper and he later watched while the two women had sex in a hotel room.
Bischoff lived in Atlanta when he was president of World Championship Wrestling, which has been taken over by the rival World Wrestling Federation. He said he and his wife left the strip club March 21, 1999, with dancer Jana Pelnis and paid her $75 to $100 when they dropped her off at the club later.
Bischoff said he gave Pelnis the money not for sex but for drinks and the time she spent with them in a private room at the club. He said he thought the sex between the two women was consensual.
Pelnis testified Monday about the encounter with the Bischoffs, saying that they paid her $200 afterward and club owner Steve Kaplan later paid her another $800.
Pelnis, 29, also said she witnessed or performed sex acts on pro basketball stars Patrick Ewing and Dikembe Mutombo, former NBA player Dennis Rodman, Denver Broncos and former University of Georgia running back Terrell Davis and others. She said Kaplan paid her varying amounts of money after those encounters.
Prosecutors say Kaplan used the lure of sex to attract professional athletes and celebrities while cheating customers to funnel cash to New York's Gambino crime family. He and six others are standing trial in federal court, charged with obstruction, credit card fraud, loan sharking and other charges.
Bischoff said he consumed as many as 20 drinks at the club that night.
"I don't even remember driving to the hotel," he said.
Earlier Tuesday, Pelnis, who is cooperating with government prosecutors as part of plea agreement, admitted under cross-examination that she had lied in her grand jury testimony because she was embarrassed about things she had done.
"If you lied under oath because you were embarrassed, would you lie under oath to stay out of jail?" Kaplan's attorney, Steve Sadow, asked.
Pelnis replied, "I can't answer that."
Sid Vicious isn't so "Psycho" now is he?
---2001 WWE No Mercy Predictions
No Mercy is coming up this Sunday from St. Louis Missouri. It seems to be a good card on paper, but it will be the in-ring action that ultimately determines if this card will be remembered in our year-end thoughts. The card is off paper a new direction in the WWF, and hopefully, all the critics will just tune in, and not over-analyze everything. Imagine what casual wrestling fans think about wrestling by reading all the internet wrestling critics on all the giant wrestling websites. We should honestly think about that when we're talking on the internet about how The Hurricane's eyeshadow is not befitting a real superhero, or how Chris Benoit marrying Woman in real life is a work. Before I destroy any semblance of civilization in this article, allow me to predict the upcoming WWF PPV, No Mercy.
No Mercy, St. Louis, MO.
10-21-01
Lingerie Match: Stacy Keibler vs. Torrie Wilson
Look back at my Invasion preview. I said back then that Wilson vs. Keibler is always a good match. Any match. Wilson has never looked hotter, and Keibler is every wrestling fans' dream screw, so no one can lose with this one. (Unless the ref has a hard time getting "In Position."
Winner: Any testosterone overdosed male who is watching.
WCW Tag Team Championship: Jeff and Matt Hardy (we are the champions) vs. The Hurricane and Lance Storm
I swear, if Lance Storm doesn't get the pinfall, he is officially in the doggy dogg house. He STILL hasn't explained his reason for being in the WWF, and he has Mighty Molly higher on the roster than him. Please, let him get the victory. He needs the heat.
Winner: Lance Storm and The Hurricane.
Kane vs. Test
Test will lose handily. I wish I was original in saying that, but every PPV I see, Test gets screwed. More of the same for No Mercy.
Winner: Kane
WWF Intercontinental Championship: Edge d. Christian by dq. Christian retains.
Christian would lose just about all of his heat if he lost the belt now. He was just introduced to the Alliance, so look for an interference. No blow-offs here though.
Winner: Christian
Undertaker vs. Booker T
Booker T will win this, and Undertaker will finally do a legit clean job. This will lead to Booker being a main guy at Survivor Series.
Winner: Booker T
WCW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: The Rock vs. "Y2J" Chris Jericho
I'm not too sure that The Rock will give Jericho the rub. Even though Rocky wouldn't lose heat by giving Jericho the victory, I think the Rock will win it. On the other hand, Vince may want to elevate Jericho while keeping The Rock where he is. Rocky could lose the belt and run after Austin's WWF belt along with Angle and RVD.
Winner: Whoever interferes with this match.
WWF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle vs. Rob Van Dam.
RVD is a world class wrestler who is finally getting the respect he deserves. Kurt Angle is playing an enraged character who will break the leg of anyone he's pissed at, Austin is the best in the business at this time. I expect that RVD will teach Angle and Austin (literally) but Austin will retain his title. How? RVD helps him in the end, and challenges him on Raw.
X-Facts: Vince McMahon will apparently be on RVD's side.
Stephanie McMahon said that she hated The Rock and Chris Jericho
RVD seemed just as skeptical in Vince's limo as when he was in the Alliance.
RVD was in the limo with Vince.
Vince pointed to his head to end Smackdown.
Vince was beaten by a move invented by RVD at Wrestlemania by WCW owner Shane, the Van Terminator. Live that down? NEVER!!!
---10-28-01: Get Off The WWF's Back!
Everywhere I go on the internet (wrestling websites at least) we have writers continually bashing the WWF's current product. Like military ants on a dead horse, they jump on every single little storyline and missed opportunity that the WWF produces. Like scavengers, they pick apart any kind of meat the WWF can put on National TV. Perhaps all the WCW fans that have left their televisions when wrestling comes on have jumped to their monitors instead.
The WWF looks like a brand new company these days. With some of their most talented acts injured right now, they have decided to mix the soup, and go for more unorthodox television. The WWF is testing a whole lot of concepts that previous wrestling programs haven't done in the past. Right now, WWF is about as revolutionary as it has been in it's history.
Points to back up the last sentence. The WWF does have a pretty full roster, but the people that complain that there is only one promotion refuse to suspend the disbelief of their being an Invasion storyline. During the NWO invasion angle in the WCW's glory days, the wrestling populous "forgot" about the fact that the leading wrestlers in the NWO were not from an invading WWF. They also forgot that NWO couldn't take over the WCW or vice versa because they were all signed to WCW all along. The current Invasion angle is even more interesting than the beginning of the NWO angle, because there are legit company lines in the WWF right now. The ECW guys probably hang and play cards with other ECW guys, and the same with WWF and WCW guys. This should be brought out effectively in storylines by having them all backstage on camera talking about the other promotions, and plotting on both of the other companies. Instead, the Alliance is the Alliance, and WWF is WWF, making it one on one. Even though this column is to get people to jump off the WWF's shoulders, that would have helped naysayers to understand the current product further.
People also seem to forget that one main eventer and two upper-carders are returning soon. They're also forgetting all the WCW wrestlers that are in the developmental territories. WWF has the strongest talent pool in the world, with such remarkable and talented wrestlers as Shane Helms (minus the Hurricane gimmick), Billy Kidman, Lance Storm, and Jerry Lynn on the roster. Alot of these wrestlers are under-used, but that's likely when there are so many wrestlers in the promotion. The WWF should really be looking into forming another developmental territory, or better yet, build another national promotion to split the groups up. Vince should allow Shane or Jim Ross to take some wrestlers that Vince seems reasonable to another promotion and run themselves independent of the WWF. This will be hard to do, but if Vince wants to, he can easily swap talent sometimes, or have the yearly interpromotional matches.
The wrestlers that the fans want to see get the TV time. Jerry Lynn is a great wrestler, but he has 0 personality. He made a good splash earlier in the year with a light-heavyweight championship win, but his momentum quickly ended, and he was pulled from TV. His arch-nemesis RVD on the other hand, got over with the live crowd faster than anyone in memory, and gained enough momentum to grab victories over the biggest stars, such as Steve Austin, The Rock, and Kurt Angle. They're pushing the right wrestlers right now, such as Test, RVD, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, and Christian, but no one gives credit to them for that. Sheesh, they're even giving Shane Helms a push. Where are all the "push these guys" rants on the message boards and web columns?
Following is a list of some recent WWF matches on their shows. Some matches weren't great matches, but the name power should gain ratings for the WWF if they made sure to announce their complete match listing in advance on all of their previews. Here are some matches you would have seen listed if they would have used that idea.
Recent WWF matches. (No particular order.)
Tajiri vs. Billy Kidman
Edge vs. Christian
Booker T vs. The Undertaker
Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Jericho
William Regal vs. Lance Storm
Kurt Angle vs. William Regal
Kurt Angle and The Rock vs. The Dudley Boys
Kurt Angle vs. Christian
Kurt Angle vs. Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam vs. Raven
Chris Jericho vs. Rhyno
Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle
The matches need to be promoted heavily in the future, then hopefully people will respect the product more. With Hall and Nash reportedly thinking about signing, I have a feeling the WWF's backload will get heavier and heavier into the new year.
---2001 Survivor Series Predictions
WWF is running it's annual Survivor Series PPV tomorrow night. Last week, everyone was thinking that this PPV would be a horrible one, with the main-event being singled out as the reason. But then on Smackdown, Paul Heyman pulled the best "shoot" in recent history. He ran down McMahon right to his face, bringing up McMahon's past history of ruthlessness. He spoke about Vince Sr. promising the promoters of the time that neither him or his son would compete. Heyman accurately pointed out that the second Vince Sr. died Vince Jr. went back on his father's word and went buckwild in other territories. (He signed wrestlers like Junkyard Dog, Barry Windham, and even Ted Dibiase which closed the doors of many territories.) Heyman also said that Vince's own children wish that he would burn in hell and that he didn't blame them. Heyman drew emotions that alot of present-day wrestling fans can't relate to bringing up three of McMahon's most controversial past employees. He spouted that he built the Titan Towers from the blood of Hulk Hogan, took away Shawn Michaels' smile and bought a WWF airplane, and screwed Bret Hart, who only wanted to live a dream. Then he showed what his true gripe with McMahon was. He told everyone about how Vince stole his legacy and stole his ideas from ECW. He was referring to the WWF's "Attitude" re-marketing campaign of the late 90's when he was getting stiff competition from the WCW. Heyman said that Vince stole most of his talent, which ultimately led to ECW going out of business. This led to Heyman taking off his hat, throwing it at Vince, and showing the world his balding head (to the surprise of alot of people.) All the while Vince just stood there silent and took the avalanche of verbal abuse. Heyman finally told Vince to look at Tazz, who was the color-commentator. Heyman yelled at McMahon, saying that Tazz was at one time a killer. He was once a great wrestler, reasoned Heyman, but now he was just a fat color-commentator, and not even a good one. This prompted Tazz after a few moments to step into the ring and put Heyman in the Tazzmission. Vince took the mic proclaim that Heyman is the epitome of what the Aliiance will do at Survivor Series. Choke."
This segment of Smackdown sparked alot of interest in the WWF PPV. Of course, with this being a "Winner Takes All" main event, it will be very hard to predict the results.
WWF Survivor Series 2001 Predictions
WWF Women's Championship
Jacqueline vs. Trish Stratus vs. Lita vs. Mighty Molly vs. Ivory vs. Mystery Opponent (Jazz from ECW)
Winner: Lita
Immunity Battle Royal
This battle royal will take place so that the winner will receive immunity from being fired for one year if his side loses in the main event. Here are the wrestlers who will be in the match.
Albert, Billy Gunn, Bradshaw, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Chuck Palumbo, Crash, Diamond Dallas Page, Faarooq, Funaki, Hugh Morrus, Justin Credible, Kidman, Lance Storm, Raven, Saturn, Scotty 2 Hotty, Shawn Stasiak, Spike, Steven Richards, Tazz, The Hurricane, and Tommy Dreamer
Winner: Kidman
WWF/WCW Tag Team Unification Match; Steel Cage
WCW Tag Team Champions; The Hardy Boys vs. WWF Tag Team Champions; The Dudley Boys
Winners: The Hardy Boys
This will be a brutal match, with the cage being the primary weapon. These guys have to go all out, so I have the Hardy's winning it.
WCW U.S. Championship/WWF Intercontinental Championship Unification Match
WCW U.S. Champion; Test vs. WWF Intercontinental Champions; Edge
Winner: Edge
Edge will get the win in what may be the show stealer.
10 Man Elimination Tag Team Match; Winner Take All
Team Alliance: Shane McMahon, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Kurt Angle, and Steve Austin vs. Team WWF: Big Show, Kane, Undertaker, Chris Jericho, and The Rock
Winners: Team WWF
This match will be a classic. Hopefully Ric Flair will be in attendance and make himself seen. The Rock and Austin will be the last competitors, and should put on a twenty minute match after everyone else is eliminated. Ric Flair will cost Austin the match and side with the WWF in a shocker.
Overall this should be a good PPV, also, in the recent Ross Report, Jim Ross stated that a couple more matches may be added.
---12-11-01: Vengeance Goes Off Without A HHH
WWF ran their annual Vengeance PPV (this PPV was formerly called Armageddon) on Sunday Night, and followed it up with a pretty good Raw show the next night. They kept one of their promises by giving us an "undisputed" World Champion for the first time since the NWA split, but where is the Game? In last week's TV Guide, in the PPV section, we see a pissed looking Triple H with his trusty sledgehammer. We watched Triple H keep kayfabe on NBC's syndicated "The Other Half." We even saw Triple H's comedy potential on MadTV. I had a feeling HHH wouldn't show up on Vengeance, but I just KNEW he would be on the following Raw ala Ric Flair. Raw played a video of Triple H before their over-run started so I rubbed my hands together maniacally and sat in wait during the Jericho/Austin cage match. No Game. So the question is, where is Triple H?
Vengeance wasn't a bad PPV, with the three main-events, the RVD-Undertaker match, and the Hardy Boys fued being the focal points. Here's a review of the show, with a Raw review following.
WWF Vengeance PPV
The show started with a video tribute to WWF and WCW champions of yesteryear. Some of the people that we saw were Flair, Sammartino, Backlund, and Iron Sheik. They also showed some closer to present-day champions such as Kevin Nash, Sting, Austin, and The Rock.
The PPV officially starts with a Vince McMahon/Ric Flair promo. Vince basically said that there was no man in the business that could make him kiss their ass. Ric Flair came out and said the fun was about to begin.
Scotty Too Hotty and Albert vs. Christian and Test
Albert got the victory over Christian to end this boring tag team affair.
Edge vs. William Regal for the WWF Intercontiental Championship
Edge and Regal went at it for close to 10 minutes, with the psychology of the match revolving around William Regal's propensity to use brass knuckles on unsuspecting opponents. (More of his brass knux chicanary can be seen on the following episode of Raw.) Regal would have won the championship using his brass friend, if it wasn't for the instincts of Edge allowing him to put a foot on the rope. Regal wasn't swayed and tried to wear Edge down. Edge would not stay down and he hit a spear out of the blue to get the pinfall on Regal and retain his belt.
Kurt Angle and Ric Flair promo with Kurt telling Flair that not even he could unify the championships, and that Angle would be the man to do it. Flair responds by telling him to do it. (As opposed to talking about it.) Meanwhile, Matt Hardy and Lita were having a conversation in the back, with Matt apologizing to Lita for pulling her into the middle of his heat with Jeff. He also recommended that after tonight they put all their differences behind them.
Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy with Lita as special referee.
Lita added a little psychology to this match-up by seeming to be genuinely concerned about these two guys hurting each other. More Lita-ology later on as she keeps breaking up illegal holds by Matt with Matt getting more and more frustrated with her officiating. The end came when Matt had a foot on the rope before Jeff hooked it and Lita not seeing it. She counted the three, awarded the match to Jeff and Matt high-tailed it to the back obviously feeling betrayed.
Trish Stratus entered The Rock's locker-room and kissed him on the cheek to wish him good luck. He said that he was concentrating on unifying the titles and afterwards there would be plenty of time to celebrate.
D-Von and Buh Buh Ray Dudley vs. Big Show and Kane for the Tag Team Championship.
Pretty predictable match being that the four competitors don't show too much variety in their respective offense. The match came to an end with the Dudley's dropping Show face first on an exposed turnbuckle and getting the pin.
Lita went to the back to try to reconcile with Matt, be he would have none of it, grabbed his bags and retreated.
Rob Van Dam vs. Undertaker for the WWF Hardcore Championship
Undertaker and RVD went back and forth in a pretty brutal hardcore match. The finish came when Undertaker chokeslammed the Whole F'N Show off the stage and onto various plunder below. Undertaker takes the hardcore title home to Death Valley with him after the match.
Chris Jericho practiced his new (new?) "egomaniac" gimmick with one of the true psychology masters in the game, WHHOOOO!, the Nature Boy. Jericho said that tomorrow night on Raw he expects Flair to present him with the Undisputed Championship.
Trish Stratus vs. Jackie for the WWF Women's Championship
Trish Stratus retains after Jackie gives her a stiff rub. You're not the true Women's Champion until Jackie lays into you with some stiff shots. Ask Crash.
They showed clips of Vince McMahon joining Rikishi's stink-ass club.
WWF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH, Steve Austin defends against Kurt Angle
Angle and Austin, who seem to be unable to have a bad match, took it slow tonight. They had a pretty good technical match with the end coming clean with a stunner to Angle. A highlight of the match, though, was Austin hitting Angle with 5 Benoit German suplexes.
Trish Stratus was hit on by Test, leading to him receiving the "Big Boot" from the room. Test wasn't pleased with her reaction.
The Rock defends the World Championship against Chris Jericho
Fast paced match-up with the oft-despised Jericho getting the victory after a low-blow and and Rock Bottom to win it. This sets up Austin vs. Jericho in the main event for the "Globally Honored" oh wait, the "WWF World and Formerly WCW Championship, with the NWA-look Belt"
Steve Austin vs. Chris Jericho to determine the Unified World Championship.
This match was a good match, with Booker T costing Austin the championship at the end. The PPV goes off the air with Vince McMahon smiling as Jericho grabs his new properties.
What could this all mean?
Could it mean that this is a set up for next year's top fueds?
Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle; Triple H vs. Chris Jericho; and the only main event they can run at the next Wrestlemania: Test vs. The Rock? Just wishful thinking, I guess.
---2002 WWE Vengeance Predictions
Vengeance has alot of hype surrounding it. It's the beginning of the GM Wars that is sure to be a huge storyline for the next few months, and with Triple H riding away in Eric Bischoff's limo in the last seconds of Smackdown, signs point to Trips joining Bischoff's Raw show. Of course, Triple H did say he'd hear everything, from all sides, so don't be surprised if Triple H is playing defense and keeping a close eye on the guy that tried to sign him. All in all, an nice beginning to a storyline that has alot of potential, but that's not the post. That reason, of course, is to predict the upcoming Vengeance PPV.
Tag Team Table Match
Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit vs. Bubba Ray and Spike Dudley Here we have a storyline that didn't come together too well. I have no idea what their beef is, except that they competed in matches during the past few weeks, usually ending with a painful looking Crippler Crossface on one of the Dudleys. With Big Dick in the Dudleyville in the sky, and D-Von fulfilling his Reverend duties, the Dudleys are trapped in a corner. Being that this is a table match, it should play to their advantage. But they're facing two World class wrestling athletes in the Radicals, and I think that the team of Guerrero and Benoit will prove too resourceful to be defeated on PPV. After this, hopefully the team will be split up, allowing Guerrero and Benoit to go off on their singles careers.
PREDICTION: Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero win, putting the Dudley's through tables.
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Jamie Noble (c) vs. Billy Kidman
Billy Kidman absolutely does not need this match. He is already solidified as a bonafied cruising weight threat, so expect Noble to win with the help of Nidia, perhaps setting up a Misterio Jr/Noble Cruiserweight Championship battle at Summerslam.
PREDICTION: Jamie Noble retains after Nidia lends her services.
WWE Tag Team Championship
Hulk Hogan and Edge (c) vs. The Anti-Americans (Lance Storm and Christian) How else would you make the Detroit fans hate the Anti Americans more, than having Edge turn on Hogan and embrace the Pro Canada team? Too bad I don't see that happening. But what I do see will infuriate the fans nonetheless as Lance Storm and Christian will be wearing American tag team belts as they trash the United States.
PREDICTION: Hulk and Edge come up short, losing the belts to the Anti-Americans.
No DQ, No Countout Match
Big Show vs. Booker T
Expect a breakout performance coming out of the former 5 time WCW Champion this Sunday at the PPV. He will be looking to avenge Big Show's heinous chokeslam through the announce table. The fans seem to be ready to pop huge for the Booker man everytime he comes out, so be ready to see Booker grab a decisive victory over Big Nasty.
PREDICTION: Booker T defeats Big Show, regaining the heat he lost on Raw.
WWE Intercontinental Championship
Rob Van Dam (c) vs. "The Next Big Thing" Brock Lesnar
Rob Van Dam and Brock Lesnar have been at each other's throat since King Of The Ring, except that they've been kept away from each other. Brock will definitely be put to the test in this one, as RVD has answered every one of Lesnar's punches with a kick. The crowd will be standing room only for this one, and I have RVD winning in a surprisingly good match.
PREDICTION: RVD defeats Lesnar, retaining his Intercontinental Championship. Or, if the writers are really that anal about booking Lesnar as a monster, RVD will win by DQ.
WWE Undisputed Championship
The Undertaker (c) vs. The Rock vs. Kurt Angle
They've built this one up pretty good over the past two or three weeks, and remember, Angle was inserted into this match late. Going into Vengeance, this match is literally a toss up between most fans. But I'm a wrestling follower, so I'll tell you who I believe will win this match. The Undertaker will retain his title in a great match, setting up Undertaker vs. Lesnar in Summerslam. Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar would be a better match, but I think that the WWE will hold off on that one until a much later date (2003 perhaps?)
PREDICTION: The Undertaker defeats The Rock, and Kurt Angle and retains his championship.
EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
The Triple H/Stephanie McMahon/Eric Bischoff love triangle promises to get juicier as Triple H has promised to make a decision before Vengeance is over. I have no idea which side he will choose, but logic would denote that Triple H still has beef with Stephanie. I have no idea if he will be rash enough to join Bischoff's group just to spite Steph.
MATCHES THEY SHOULD CONSIDER FOR HEAT OR EARLIER MATCHES
Chris Jericho vs. John Cena
WWE Women's Championship: Molly Holly (c) vs. Trish Stratus
Hardcore Holly and Val Venis vs. Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo
WWE Hardcore Championship: Bradshaw vs. Johnny The Bull
---2002 WWE Survivor Series Predictions
This year's Survivor Series will be taking place from the World's Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City. Sunday, November 17th is the date for this PPV event, and the Garden has been sold out. Fans have been anticipating the Elimination Chamber, which is said to rival Hell In A Cell as the largest structure the WWE has produced. Eric Bischoff announced that the structure will be a combination of three matches from the past, which are the original Survivor Series match, the Royal Rumble match, and the War Games match, which are all unique and interesting matches all on their own. The Elimination Chamber will be a sight to behold, and the whole PPV is loosely based on the success of this match. Triple H will be defending his World Heavyweight Championship against five other competitots, including Shawn Michaels, Kane, Rob Van Dam, Booker T, and Chris Jericho.
Big Show and Brock Lesnar have been locked in a feud since Big Show arrived on the Smackdown roster and challenged him for the WWE World Championship. After impressively press-slamming Undertaker off of the stage and putting him out of commission, he has seemed unstoppable squashing Rikishi and Matt Hardy. Big Show may have made an error in judgment, possibly misjudging Brock Lesnar's resolve by throwing him off of the other side of the stage. Also, during the week, Show mistakenly cracked some of Lesnar's ribs at a house show. But as we saw on Smackdown, Lesnar got a measure of revenge, once again not listening to his manager Paul Heyman and brutally attacking Big Show with a chair. This rivalry is heating up, and Lesnar's belt is on the line in a co-main event.
The rest of the show is pretty good on paper, and includes Rey Misterio and Edge defending the Smackdown Tag Team Championship against two other teams, the feuding Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit, and Eddie and Chavo Guerrero. This match may steal the show, as all six competitors have been running on all cylinders for the past weeks. Trish Stratus will be defending her WWE Women's Championship in a hardcore match against the rampaging Victoria. Jamie Noble will be defending his Cruiserweight Championship against Billy Kidman, who has pinned him two weeks in a row. In a match that will no doubt be a spotfest, Three Minute Warning (Rosey and Jamal) will team with Rico Constantino to face the unorthodox Jeff Hardy, Buh Buh Ray Dudley, and his little brother Spike in a table match. Look for some big bumps in this one, to keep the crowd honest. Also, a bizarre team will be facing the former Un-Americans as Goldust and The Hurricane will be wrestling Lance Storm and William Regal, in a match that will most likely be better than most fans believe it will be.
Finally, here are my predictions. Also, the order of the matches is the order that I would book the card.
(WWE Cruiserweight Championship) Jamie Noble w/ Nidia (c) vs. Billy Kidman
As I stated above, Billy Kidman has pinned Noble two weeks in a row, and Noble will be looking to avenge those losses. I have to think that Noble has held the belt long enough, and Kidman is more than qualified to take over the reigns as Cruiserweight Champion. Therefore, my prediction is that Kidman will win in a hard fought match and take the belt to Nidia's dismay.
Prediction: Billy Kidman wins the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
Lance Storm and William Regal vs. Goldust and The Hurricane
All four men are talented technical wrestlers, but I expect this to be a breakout match for the Hurricane. Hopefully he will show some moves (remember his WCW days?) and perhaps hit his dreaded Vertebreaker on one of his opponents. This is a hard one to predict, but I'll pick Lance Storm and William Regal.
Prediction: William Regal and Lance Storm win.
Six Man Table Match- Three Minute Warning and Rico Constantino vs. Jeff Hardy, and Buh Buh Ray and Spike Dudley
As I said earlier this will be a spotfest, with Hardy and Spike being the ones taking most of the bumps in my opinion. We might be able to see another side of Rosey and Jamal, as they haven't really been established as a monster team. This match will be unpredictable, but I have to go with the faces to win.
Prediction: Jeff Hardy, and Buh Buh Ray and Spike Dudley win.
(WWE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP) Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman (c) vs. Big Show
This will be a pretty interesting match, the way Big Show's character has evolved over the past few weeks. Brock Lesnar put a monkey wrench in Big Show's momentum in the last moments of Smackdown, busting him open with some stiff shots with a chair. Show will be looking for revenge, and this will be a hard-hitting matchup. Will Lesnar be able to get Show up for the F5 with his cracked ribs?
Prediction: Brock Lesnar retains.
(WWE Women's Championship; Hardcore Match) Trish Stratus (c) vs. Victoria
Trish and Victoria have been going at it for a few weeks now because Victoria believes that Trish has been holding her back in the past. This will be a good match, with two women who know how to get it done in the ring. I expect Victoria to destroy Trish for the whole match, only to have Trish make a surprising comeback victory.
Prediction: Trish Stratus retains.
(WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP; Elimination Chamber Match) Triple H w/ Ric Flair (c) vs. Kane vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Booker T vs. Chris Jericho
This is the most unpredictable match of the night, and literally anyone could come out the victor. I've noticed that RVD has been the poster boy for the Survivor Series commercials, but usually that is just to throw you off. I don't think that will be the case this time, as they've been keeping RVD quiet for the past few weeks, teaming with Tommy Dreamer.
Prediction: Rob Van Dam wins the World Heavyweight Championship.
X-Factor: Scott Steiner is rumored to make an on camera appearance. The Garden will explode when they see the Big Bad Booty Daddy. Will he reveal which show he will be on? Tune in tomorrow night and find out. Also, after the event is over, visit the site and see some WWE Survivor Series Results.
---2003 Royal Rumble Predictions
Here it is, WWE's second biggest show of the year is right around the corner, and The Wrestling Follower has the predictions. Royal Rumble 2003 emanates from the Fleet Center in Boston this year, and on paper, the card doesn't look as good as it could, but that doesn't mean a thing, since WWE always does something special on their big shows. As usual, I will be predicting the order of the matches as well as their winners. So here it comes, and enjoy the PPV.
(Winner Enters The Royal Rumble Match) Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show
My mellow my man Ant told me that he thinks that this match will be the forum for The Undertaker to come back. He believes that Mark 'Taker will interrupt and cost Big Show the match, which will subsequently lead to Taker and Show reprising their feud. I agree with his logic, but disagree with his prediction. This match will obviously be low on the card, so hyping Undertaker's return would be wasted if he came back simply to disrupt Show's title plans. There are only 29 men announced for the Royal Rumble match, and since Damaja (from OVW) has been written out of the match, Undertaker would be the obvious choice for the 30th spot, but WWE never makes it that easy for us.
Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins with an F5.
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship) William Regal and Lance Storm (c) vs. The Dudley Boys
William Regal and Lance Storm are a great tag team, simple as that. The Dudley Boys are looking for revenge on all of Bischoff's friends. This will be a pretty good match with the former Un-American's teasing losing the belts for some time. The Dudleys will come up short, and the Can-UK Connection will win the match cleanly. Yep, I said cleanly, WWE needs to develop this team as a legitimate team.
Prediction: William Regal and Lance Storm retain clean.
(Stepmother vs. Stepdaughter) Dawn Marie vs. Torrie Wilson
The late Al Wilson is apparently the booker of this match. Dawn Marie turned her and Al's honeymoon into a massacre, and Mr. Wilson's heart apparently couldn't take it. How did both of these diva's repay the man who made all of this possible? They fought over his dead body and almost made him fall out of his coffin. Hopefully this match will be done fast, but I definitely predict that Torrie Wilson will take the victory to avenge her dad's death.
Prediction: Torrie Wilson deals death dame Dawn Marie defeat as the diva's dad's death is deemed done. (Storyline wise.)
(WWE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP) Kurt Angle (c) vs. Chris Benoit
These are the two most evenly matched wrestlers in the world. They should be given the floor and given the chance to put on a five star classic. This is the Royal Rumble, so not too many people believe that this will be an average match. Hopefully Team Angle will be banned from ringside so this will be a one on one classic. WWE needs this match to show that they are still the best promotion in the world. I believe that they will let this two stars shine, and both superstars (and the promotion) will get a rub off of this one.
Prediction: Chris Benoit defeats Angle to win his first WWE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
(Royal Rumble Match)
Raw: Batista, Booker T, Chris Jericho, Christian, Christopher Nowinski, Goldust, Jamal, Jeff Hardy, Kane, Maven, Rob Van Dam, Rosey, Shawn Michaels, Test, and Tommy Dreamer.
Smackdown: A-Train, B2, Bill DeMott, Charlie Haas, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Eddie Guerrero, Edge, John Cena, Matt Hardy, Rey Mysterio, Rikishi, Shelton Benjamin, Yoshihiro Tajiri and Big Show or Brock Lesnar. For the benefit of these predictions insert Brock Lesnar's name.
Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins.
(WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP) Triple H (c) vs. Scott Steiner
This is the biggest match since The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan. Scott Steiner has dominated Triple H in all of their little competitions, and the fans are loving it. The fans legitimately hate Triple H, and this is ironic, since most of the internet writers who now claim that H isn't shit were the same people who said that the fans won't be able to boo him after his injury. Well, Triple H will not drop the belt to Steiner as of now, but this will be a great match even though everyone is talking about how both men aren't what they used to be. The psychology will be more than enough in this match as Steiner/H will steal the show with their competitive style of grappling. Don't be surprised to see Triple H get a hold of the ropes to get out of a Steiner Recliner.
Prediction: Triple H retains by cheating.
