Here is are the DVD/Blu Rays WWE has planned for the next few months
OMG! The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History August 23
Randy Orton: The Evolution of a Predator September 6
The Ladder Match 2: Crash & Burn October 11
Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart October 25
All 4 titles are being released on DVD and Blu Ray. The Blu rays will include exclusive extras. The only upcoming PPV that will be released on Blu Ray is SummerSlam. WWE had started releasing all of their PPVs on Blu Ray but due to low sales have decided to only release the cornerston PPVs on Blu Ray for the time being.
Also in the works is the definitive Steve Austin set which is claiming to be the final Austin DVD and be 4-5 DVDs and will also be on blu ray. Along with tons of matches this will have a bunch of interviews and a tour of his ranch. This is scheduled to be their big holiday release scheduled for mid-December.
Other DVDs currently in the works
Austin/Rock Rivalary (rumored to be pushed back to March 2012 to play off of Rock headling Wrestlemania 28)
A New Triple H 3 dvd/2 blu ray set (this is rumored to be their Black Friday release coming out the Tuesday before Thanksgiving)
Million Dollar Man (this was originally scheduled for June but got pushed back Interviews and a documentary have already been filmed)
Gorgeous George (this will most likely be tied into the theatrical release of a movie about his life the WWE is working on.
DVDs being discussed but not yet in production
New Edge set with documentary (most likely being saved for 2013 with WM29 in Toronto Edge will most likely go into the hall of fame and this dvd will most likely come out then.
Brock Lesner (Heyman and Lesner have had discussions with Vince/WWE in the past few months about merchandising one would expect this to include a classic action figure and dvd/blu ray. Dana White was also at the WWE office recently it may have been to come to an agreement to make a DVD. UFC and WWE releasing best of Brock dvd/blu's the same time would be big sellers, but if somehow they made an agreement to release it as one set that could be huge!
War Games ( fans have been asking for this for ages, the WCW Nitro was the 2nd best selling non-ppv release by WWE in the past 2 years so they are definitely planning to release more WCW content. With the recent best of cage matches set we probably won't see this until next Summer. WWE has been releasing a cage match set on average of every 12-18 months.
Smackdown: The Best of 2010/11
Best of 2011 PPV matches
Shelved at this time
Raw: The Best of Seasons 3 & 4 shelved due to poor sales of Raw: best of Seasons 1 & 2
Nitro: Best of seasons 1 & 2 (converted to a Best of that covered the entire 1995-2001 run)
Goldberg (This was being planned for a March release when WWE hoped to put Goldberg into the Hall of Fame this year, when that didn't happen the DVD was shelved.
Partial credit: wwedvdnews.com
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
WWE MANAGAMENT AND TYLER REKS NEWS
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
-- WWE producer Kevin Dunn sold 20,172 shares of company stock this past week for $203,132. He still owns $1,457,087 worth of stock. John Laurinaitis sold $81,587 worth of stock this past week and still has $607,919 worth. Also this past week, Triple H was awarded 5,000 shares of stock worth $50,500. Stephanie McMahon currently has 51,945 shares of WWE stock worth $524,644.
-- Tyler Reks, who has portrayed a heel character since debuting last October on the SmackDown! brand, went on Twitter to defend himself for congratulating Rey Mysterio on his WWE Championship victory on Monday's RAW.
Reks wrote, "Lotta talk about me celebrating Rey's win with everyone last night. Bottom line is that Rey is my friend & I wanted to say congrats. No crime in that."
Partial Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
-- WWE producer Kevin Dunn sold 20,172 shares of company stock this past week for $203,132. He still owns $1,457,087 worth of stock. John Laurinaitis sold $81,587 worth of stock this past week and still has $607,919 worth. Also this past week, Triple H was awarded 5,000 shares of stock worth $50,500. Stephanie McMahon currently has 51,945 shares of WWE stock worth $524,644.
-- Tyler Reks, who has portrayed a heel character since debuting last October on the SmackDown! brand, went on Twitter to defend himself for congratulating Rey Mysterio on his WWE Championship victory on Monday's RAW.
Reks wrote, "Lotta talk about me celebrating Rey's win with everyone last night. Bottom line is that Rey is my friend & I wanted to say congrats. No crime in that."
Partial Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
SIX DIFFERENT SCRIPTS FOR RAW!
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
As everyone knows by now, this past Monday's RAW featured the first night that Triple H was "in charge" as well as the returns of John Morrison, Jim Ross and CM Punk.
We noted earlier here on the website that RAW was completely re-written prior to the show going live. In an update on this, there were actually SIX different scripts for RAW that had been circulating throughout the day. One of those scripts had Triple H laying out CM Punk with a pedigree. Of course, that didn't happen. This just goes to show you how much things change on a daily basis in WWE.
As most would assume, the obvious scenario would be to really push CM Punk to the top considering his recent storyline angle and fan interest. With that being said, most of the RAW scripts were not about having CM Punk go over. They were more about pushing Triple H's new "authority figure" role. Surprised?!
As noted, the original RAW script called for CM Punk to be attacked by Triple H with a pedigree. Alberto Del Rio would then have come out and cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase against John Cena at SummerSlam. This would have put Triple H over as a major heel and then led to a storyline with CM Punk.
Of course, all scripts besides one were scrapped and that's what you saw on Monday night.
Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
As everyone knows by now, this past Monday's RAW featured the first night that Triple H was "in charge" as well as the returns of John Morrison, Jim Ross and CM Punk.
We noted earlier here on the website that RAW was completely re-written prior to the show going live. In an update on this, there were actually SIX different scripts for RAW that had been circulating throughout the day. One of those scripts had Triple H laying out CM Punk with a pedigree. Of course, that didn't happen. This just goes to show you how much things change on a daily basis in WWE.
As most would assume, the obvious scenario would be to really push CM Punk to the top considering his recent storyline angle and fan interest. With that being said, most of the RAW scripts were not about having CM Punk go over. They were more about pushing Triple H's new "authority figure" role. Surprised?!
As noted, the original RAW script called for CM Punk to be attacked by Triple H with a pedigree. Alberto Del Rio would then have come out and cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase against John Cena at SummerSlam. This would have put Triple H over as a major heel and then led to a storyline with CM Punk.
Of course, all scripts besides one were scrapped and that's what you saw on Monday night.
Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
NEWS ON WWE PERSONALITIES -- JOHN LAURANITIS AND HARLEY RACE
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
-- WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race is advertised to host SmackDown live events on August 27th, 28th and 29th in the state of Missouri as WWE stops in Cape Girardeau, Springfield and St. Joseph.
-- A profile on John Laurinaitis, WWE's Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, has been added to the Alumni section on WWE.com.
Contrary to CM Punk's derisive remarks concerning the corporate executive during a pseudo-shoot promo last month on RAW, Laurinaitis is referred as "a respected WWE employee" in his bio. His previous life as "a successful sports-entertainer" in both Japan and the United States is also acknowledged.
-- WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race is advertised to host SmackDown live events on August 27th, 28th and 29th in the state of Missouri as WWE stops in Cape Girardeau, Springfield and St. Joseph.
-- A profile on John Laurinaitis, WWE's Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, has been added to the Alumni section on WWE.com.
Contrary to CM Punk's derisive remarks concerning the corporate executive during a pseudo-shoot promo last month on RAW, Laurinaitis is referred as "a respected WWE employee" in his bio. His previous life as "a successful sports-entertainer" in both Japan and the United States is also acknowledged.
MICK FOLEY/WWE, BIG SHOW TAKING TIME OFF AND SHEAMUS NEWS
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
-- We can now confirm that Mick Foley and WWE are in negotiations for a return. More as we get it.
-- According to a backstage source, The Big Show is currently set to take several months off to rest his body. Big Show is 39 years old and is to the point where he is going to take time off from time to time for the benefit of his long-term health.
-- Sheamus will be turning babyface in the near future. He'll be working a program with Mark Henry.
Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
-- We can now confirm that Mick Foley and WWE are in negotiations for a return. More as we get it.
-- According to a backstage source, The Big Show is currently set to take several months off to rest his body. Big Show is 39 years old and is to the point where he is going to take time off from time to time for the benefit of his long-term health.
-- Sheamus will be turning babyface in the near future. He'll be working a program with Mark Henry.
Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
NEW JR BLOG IS ONLINE -- HIS RETURN, SCSA AND A LOT MORE
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
Jim Ross posted a new blog on his website, and covered a bunch of topics. Below are some of the highlights:
On his Return to RAW: "I arrived at the Hampton Coliseum after the matches had started Monday night and stayed on a TV crew bus until just moments before I was introduced by HHH. Sort of flew by the seat of my pants for the broadcast which keeps one of their toes. Bottom line is that I had a blast and can't wait to do it again next week even though I fully realize that Michael Cole won't make things easy at the announce table."
On the Thesz/Gragos Museum: "BTW...if you're ever traveling and you can make it by the Dan Gable Museum/Lou Thesz-George Tragos Museum in Waterloo, Iowa make sure that you stop and take the tour. The facility has some cool memorabilia and one of a kind items that chronicle the history of the sport of amateur wrestling and the business of pro wrestling."
On Austin vs. Punk: "Do I think an Austin vs. Punk match would ever happen? Same old story, never say never. Punk would love it and Austin likely would as well if all the pieces fell into place such as Steve's professional schedule, etc. I don't know the answer but right now I'd say it's somewhat of a long shot."
To read the entire blog, go to http://www.jrsbarbq.com/
Jim Ross posted a new blog on his website, and covered a bunch of topics. Below are some of the highlights:
On his Return to RAW: "I arrived at the Hampton Coliseum after the matches had started Monday night and stayed on a TV crew bus until just moments before I was introduced by HHH. Sort of flew by the seat of my pants for the broadcast which keeps one of their toes. Bottom line is that I had a blast and can't wait to do it again next week even though I fully realize that Michael Cole won't make things easy at the announce table."
On the Thesz/Gragos Museum: "BTW...if you're ever traveling and you can make it by the Dan Gable Museum/Lou Thesz-George Tragos Museum in Waterloo, Iowa make sure that you stop and take the tour. The facility has some cool memorabilia and one of a kind items that chronicle the history of the sport of amateur wrestling and the business of pro wrestling."
On Austin vs. Punk: "Do I think an Austin vs. Punk match would ever happen? Same old story, never say never. Punk would love it and Austin likely would as well if all the pieces fell into place such as Steve's professional schedule, etc. I don't know the answer but right now I'd say it's somewhat of a long shot."
To read the entire blog, go to http://www.jrsbarbq.com/
THE KINGS OF WRESTLING ARE WWE BOUND
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
-- Multiple sources believe Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero, who perform as The Kings of Wrestling for Ring of Honor, will conclude their obligations with the organization next month and join WWE immediately thereafter.
Though they are advertised for the August 13th Ring of Honor television taping in Chicago Ridge, Illinois, one source says it's possible they will debut for WWE—bypassing developmental—before the end of the month. There are also rumors that they could be involved in CM Punk's current storyline.
Source: The Wrestling Observer
-- Multiple sources believe Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero, who perform as The Kings of Wrestling for Ring of Honor, will conclude their obligations with the organization next month and join WWE immediately thereafter.
Though they are advertised for the August 13th Ring of Honor television taping in Chicago Ridge, Illinois, one source says it's possible they will debut for WWE—bypassing developmental—before the end of the month. There are also rumors that they could be involved in CM Punk's current storyline.
Source: The Wrestling Observer
MORE CM PUNK NEWS -- CONTRACT SPOILER
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
-- During Triple H's promo that was taped at the SmackDown! tapings, he stated specifically that he had "re-signed Punk late Monday night".
-- Kenneth sent this one in: Living Colour's "Cult of Personality" is currently number 51 on iTunes in the UK. It wasn't within the top 150 at all yesterday lunchtime.
-- CM Punk's appearance on the BS Report with Bill Simmons is now online. You can listen to the show at http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=6808291
-- The Peoria Journal Star has an article up on CM Punk being added to the house shows this weekend, which you can read at http://blogs.pjstar.com/
Partial Source: Pwinsider
-- During Triple H's promo that was taped at the SmackDown! tapings, he stated specifically that he had "re-signed Punk late Monday night".
-- Kenneth sent this one in: Living Colour's "Cult of Personality" is currently number 51 on iTunes in the UK. It wasn't within the top 150 at all yesterday lunchtime.
-- CM Punk's appearance on the BS Report with Bill Simmons is now online. You can listen to the show at http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=6808291
-- The Peoria Journal Star has an article up on CM Punk being added to the house shows this weekend, which you can read at http://blogs.pjstar.com/
Partial Source: Pwinsider
VARIOUS MICK FOLEY NEWS -- WWE RETURN?
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
-- On August 4th, Mick Foley will do stand up comedy at McGuire's in Bohemia, Long Island, NY. He will also do his act during the Insane Clown Posse's Gathering of the Juggalos weekend in August.
-- Photos have surfaced online of Mick Foley purportedly leaving last night's SmackDown taping at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Hardcore Legend was asked on Twitter earlier this week if he would be returning to WWE. Foley replied, "VERY soon, but just as a fan. I'm taking my kids to a show this summer - they are HUGE fans."
-- Fans once again asked Foley today if he would consider a return to WWE, and his response was, "considering it right now."
-- On August 4th, Mick Foley will do stand up comedy at McGuire's in Bohemia, Long Island, NY. He will also do his act during the Insane Clown Posse's Gathering of the Juggalos weekend in August.
-- Photos have surfaced online of Mick Foley purportedly leaving last night's SmackDown taping at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Hardcore Legend was asked on Twitter earlier this week if he would be returning to WWE. Foley replied, "VERY soon, but just as a fan. I'm taking my kids to a show this summer - they are HUGE fans."
-- Fans once again asked Foley today if he would consider a return to WWE, and his response was, "considering it right now."
THE WWE'S NEW SURVEY, VICKIE GUERRERO AND RAW NEWS
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
-- WWE has sent out a new survey to fans on their mailing list. They wanted feedback on Monday's RAW, PPV prices, interest in Summerslam, Rock vs. John Cena at Wrestlemania, whether NXT is watched online, WWE.com and WWE's Facebook Page and of course, they asked how interested fans were in the return of the WWE Ice Cream Bars.
-- Monday's RAW featured 40 minutes and 6 seconds of in-ring action. That is up from the previous week.
-- Vickie Guerrero will make an appearance at the SmackDown! Live Event in Amarillo, TX on September 24th instead of Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes will be appearing at the RAW live event the previous night in Albuquerque, NM.
-- WWE has sent out a new survey to fans on their mailing list. They wanted feedback on Monday's RAW, PPV prices, interest in Summerslam, Rock vs. John Cena at Wrestlemania, whether NXT is watched online, WWE.com and WWE's Facebook Page and of course, they asked how interested fans were in the return of the WWE Ice Cream Bars.
-- Monday's RAW featured 40 minutes and 6 seconds of in-ring action. That is up from the previous week.
-- Vickie Guerrero will make an appearance at the SmackDown! Live Event in Amarillo, TX on September 24th instead of Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes will be appearing at the RAW live event the previous night in Albuquerque, NM.
CM PUNK --- ESPN INTERVIEW
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
CM PUNK appeared on the BS Report radio show this wee, hosted by ESPN's Bill Simmons. You can listen to audio of the interview at ESPN.com. Here's a recap of what CM Punk said about:
Why he returned so soon:
It would be cool to stay off television for a while but SummerSlam is now and he wanted to capitalize on the momentum of the angle. He enjoys working with John Cena and likes their feud. He still loves what he does.
Wrestlers boring him:
He grew very bored of pro wrestling and still is at times. Certain guys on the roster do the same thing day-in and day-out and that's not him. He questions everything and tries new things - and whatever he's doing right now is working.
His epic shoot promo on RAW several weeks ago:
He knew WWE would cut him off at some point - but he wanted to push the envelope as much as he could. It was not scripted - everything he said was from the heart. He understood certain things are off limits - and he did go too far with a few of his comments.
Whether he was really leaving WWE:
His mind was made up to leave WWE. He made the decision to stay in WWE the day of the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. He wasn't playing games or trying to get more money from WWE - he was very burnt out and spent a lot of time weighing his options.
His new theme song "Cut of Personality":
He's a big advocate of wrestlers changing their characters - their look, their music, etc. It was time to change. It probably cost WWE a lot of money to license the song and he's worth it.
* LISTEN HERE: "Cult of Personality"
CM PUNK appeared on the BS Report radio show this wee, hosted by ESPN's Bill Simmons. You can listen to audio of the interview at ESPN.com. Here's a recap of what CM Punk said about:
Why he returned so soon:
It would be cool to stay off television for a while but SummerSlam is now and he wanted to capitalize on the momentum of the angle. He enjoys working with John Cena and likes their feud. He still loves what he does.
Wrestlers boring him:
He grew very bored of pro wrestling and still is at times. Certain guys on the roster do the same thing day-in and day-out and that's not him. He questions everything and tries new things - and whatever he's doing right now is working.
His epic shoot promo on RAW several weeks ago:
He knew WWE would cut him off at some point - but he wanted to push the envelope as much as he could. It was not scripted - everything he said was from the heart. He understood certain things are off limits - and he did go too far with a few of his comments.
Whether he was really leaving WWE:
His mind was made up to leave WWE. He made the decision to stay in WWE the day of the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. He wasn't playing games or trying to get more money from WWE - he was very burnt out and spent a lot of time weighing his options.
His new theme song "Cut of Personality":
He's a big advocate of wrestlers changing their characters - their look, their music, etc. It was time to change. It probably cost WWE a lot of money to license the song and he's worth it.
* LISTEN HERE: "Cult of Personality"
MARYSE AND HER STALKER
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
WWE's Maryse has asked a judge for protection from a crazed fan. Maryse has filed a request for a permanent restraining order against 61-year-old Lee Silber. She claims that he has sent "numerous terrifying letters to my home and left more than 50 voicemails on my personal cell phone all of which are extremely disturbing and delusional."
Maryse goes on to claim that she has received letters from Silber, and in the letters, he states that he will, "not only give you a check for $100,000, but give you a 100 carat diamond ring worth $20,000,000 to prove I am your friend." Maryse says that the messages and letters have gotten scarier over the last few weeks, noting that he says he will "come to LA for me" and that he will, "take me to heaven with him."
In the filed documents, Maryse states that. "I fear for my life." She also explained that she had beefed up her security, and noted that Silber is a, "crazy stalker ... who needs to either be in a psychiatric hospital or jail!" Maryse will return to court on August 3rd to deal with the situation.
WWE's Maryse has asked a judge for protection from a crazed fan. Maryse has filed a request for a permanent restraining order against 61-year-old Lee Silber. She claims that he has sent "numerous terrifying letters to my home and left more than 50 voicemails on my personal cell phone all of which are extremely disturbing and delusional."
Maryse goes on to claim that she has received letters from Silber, and in the letters, he states that he will, "not only give you a check for $100,000, but give you a 100 carat diamond ring worth $20,000,000 to prove I am your friend." Maryse says that the messages and letters have gotten scarier over the last few weeks, noting that he says he will "come to LA for me" and that he will, "take me to heaven with him."
In the filed documents, Maryse states that. "I fear for my life." She also explained that she had beefed up her security, and noted that Silber is a, "crazy stalker ... who needs to either be in a psychiatric hospital or jail!" Maryse will return to court on August 3rd to deal with the situation.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
STATE OF THE 'E: A SUMMER TO REMEMBER
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
One of my first blogs was "A Spring/Summer To Be Leary Of" and I focused on the problems of Spring and what they could do to fix their problems leading into the Summer. They fixed all of that and have been producing some of the best television around.
Now, I said a few weeks ago that I felt a change coming to THE 'E and everyone just wanted to sit there and laugh. I said that I was going to invest fully into this, that I knew they were going to steer us in the right direction. I knew that there was going to be amazing swerves and an awesome Summer coming along. The get it, they messed up last year when they "dropped the ball" with The Nexus. They knew they had to do something great with the summer of 2011. And they're doing it now.
1.) THE CM PUNK ANGLE -- What started as a head scratching segment that people didn't know what was going on, no one knew what to expect, everyone was going crazy over it. They continued to pique our intrest week in and week out for the last month. They've made everything worth while from the "shoot" interview, to him being suspended, to the VKM segment, to him finally winning the Championship and walking out.
Now, we have him coming back with Championship in hand looking at Cena for a match to determine the REAL Champion... even though Cena literally ran away from him. Great mixture of real life/kayfabe here, many things are going on and we are realistically up in the air on this one. The only way this will end badly is if Cena is victorious. But then ask yourself this, even if Cena is victorious, would it make it a horrible angle?
2.) THE RETIREMENT OF VKM/HAITCH BECOMING "THE MAN" -- This may still be a few years off in real time but in the world of television, it's now. Vincent Kennedy McMahon is finally done. Kaput. No longer in charge of WWE TV. The implications of this is definitely far reaching. Haitch is now the shot caller, when he himself was a rebel and against the establishment during his career. Now he is the establishment.
It's literally a case of "The Inmate Running The Asylum". The way this plays out is still TBD but still, the beginning of this angle has been brilliant with two Championship matches in one night, two Champions and everything inbetween JR coming back and Morrison too. I'm glued to the TV now waiting to see how all of it plays out from week to week.
3.) THE RETURN OF "WRESTLING" -- Two weeks ago they gave us a show with literally nothing but wrestling, two hours of a Tournament. A Tournament. They haven't had one of those in forever. And we were treated to a lot of good matches all in one night. And this week we were treated to a few more great matches this past Monday as well.
With CM Punk coming back and Daniel Bryan Danielson winning MitB things are definitely looking up. Not to mention "The Kings Of Wrestling" are bypassing FCW an main rostering it. You already have Bourne, Ziggler, McIntyre, and a slew of others who can actually "wrestle". It seems to be more of a focus again and especially on shows like RAW and SMACKDOWN! as well.
4.) BRINGING BACK THE "SWERVE" -- The last two Monday's there have been significant swerves during RAW. When VKM retired, when Morrison and JR returned and even when Punk cam back. No one. NO ONE expected all of that to happen in the course of a couple weeks. Not to mention all of the swerves leading up to Money In The Bank. Not to mention now we have two WWE Champions. I don't think there's been a time where we've actually had this going on in the WWE.
I for one am very apprecitave that they brought this back. It's proof that you don't need "Crash TV" to make something good. The blood, and "ultra-violence" is not needed you know? This has been compelling for almost 2 months now. And I for one don't see it stopping at any time either.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm happy with the current television product THE 'E is putting out there right now. Like I said above, you dont need "Crash TV" to provide interesting TV. They have all of the formula's in place like I hoped they would. They've utilized the internet with CM Punk invading Comic-Con, and also with Ryder on his YouTube, and all of the other SuperStars coming forward to use it as well. Many things are on the horizon and I'm glad I put all of my eggs into one basket this time around. I knew a while ago that it was a good idea to invest with THE 'E this Summer and the majority of you scoffed at me for predicting that they'd do well.
I'm not going to say I told you so but I am going to say that hopefully people are getting the word out and that the resurgence will happen. With the actualality of "Professional Wrestling" coming back into the forefront and with them pushing guys that aren't 'roided up or even just muscle bound taking up the main even scene, it's very refreshing. The new crop may be smaller but in all honesty, that's a good thing. They look more human than cartoon character. They look more relatable. I understand you need the musclebound freak-o as well but at least they're not as dominant anymore.
I'm standing by their side like I've done for the last 20 odd years and I'm wondering how many more will do the same. They're quickly becoming "The Cult Of Personality"
As usual, please leave comments, questions, suggestions, reamings down below and if you have something you want answered or discussed e-mail me at: stateofthee@gmail.com
One of my first blogs was "A Spring/Summer To Be Leary Of" and I focused on the problems of Spring and what they could do to fix their problems leading into the Summer. They fixed all of that and have been producing some of the best television around.
Now, I said a few weeks ago that I felt a change coming to THE 'E and everyone just wanted to sit there and laugh. I said that I was going to invest fully into this, that I knew they were going to steer us in the right direction. I knew that there was going to be amazing swerves and an awesome Summer coming along. The get it, they messed up last year when they "dropped the ball" with The Nexus. They knew they had to do something great with the summer of 2011. And they're doing it now.
1.) THE CM PUNK ANGLE -- What started as a head scratching segment that people didn't know what was going on, no one knew what to expect, everyone was going crazy over it. They continued to pique our intrest week in and week out for the last month. They've made everything worth while from the "shoot" interview, to him being suspended, to the VKM segment, to him finally winning the Championship and walking out.
Now, we have him coming back with Championship in hand looking at Cena for a match to determine the REAL Champion... even though Cena literally ran away from him. Great mixture of real life/kayfabe here, many things are going on and we are realistically up in the air on this one. The only way this will end badly is if Cena is victorious. But then ask yourself this, even if Cena is victorious, would it make it a horrible angle?
2.) THE RETIREMENT OF VKM/HAITCH BECOMING "THE MAN" -- This may still be a few years off in real time but in the world of television, it's now. Vincent Kennedy McMahon is finally done. Kaput. No longer in charge of WWE TV. The implications of this is definitely far reaching. Haitch is now the shot caller, when he himself was a rebel and against the establishment during his career. Now he is the establishment.
It's literally a case of "The Inmate Running The Asylum". The way this plays out is still TBD but still, the beginning of this angle has been brilliant with two Championship matches in one night, two Champions and everything inbetween JR coming back and Morrison too. I'm glued to the TV now waiting to see how all of it plays out from week to week.
3.) THE RETURN OF "WRESTLING" -- Two weeks ago they gave us a show with literally nothing but wrestling, two hours of a Tournament. A Tournament. They haven't had one of those in forever. And we were treated to a lot of good matches all in one night. And this week we were treated to a few more great matches this past Monday as well.
With CM Punk coming back and Daniel Bryan Danielson winning MitB things are definitely looking up. Not to mention "The Kings Of Wrestling" are bypassing FCW an main rostering it. You already have Bourne, Ziggler, McIntyre, and a slew of others who can actually "wrestle". It seems to be more of a focus again and especially on shows like RAW and SMACKDOWN! as well.
4.) BRINGING BACK THE "SWERVE" -- The last two Monday's there have been significant swerves during RAW. When VKM retired, when Morrison and JR returned and even when Punk cam back. No one. NO ONE expected all of that to happen in the course of a couple weeks. Not to mention all of the swerves leading up to Money In The Bank. Not to mention now we have two WWE Champions. I don't think there's been a time where we've actually had this going on in the WWE.
I for one am very apprecitave that they brought this back. It's proof that you don't need "Crash TV" to make something good. The blood, and "ultra-violence" is not needed you know? This has been compelling for almost 2 months now. And I for one don't see it stopping at any time either.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm happy with the current television product THE 'E is putting out there right now. Like I said above, you dont need "Crash TV" to provide interesting TV. They have all of the formula's in place like I hoped they would. They've utilized the internet with CM Punk invading Comic-Con, and also with Ryder on his YouTube, and all of the other SuperStars coming forward to use it as well. Many things are on the horizon and I'm glad I put all of my eggs into one basket this time around. I knew a while ago that it was a good idea to invest with THE 'E this Summer and the majority of you scoffed at me for predicting that they'd do well.
I'm not going to say I told you so but I am going to say that hopefully people are getting the word out and that the resurgence will happen. With the actualality of "Professional Wrestling" coming back into the forefront and with them pushing guys that aren't 'roided up or even just muscle bound taking up the main even scene, it's very refreshing. The new crop may be smaller but in all honesty, that's a good thing. They look more human than cartoon character. They look more relatable. I understand you need the musclebound freak-o as well but at least they're not as dominant anymore.
I'm standing by their side like I've done for the last 20 odd years and I'm wondering how many more will do the same. They're quickly becoming "The Cult Of Personality"
As usual, please leave comments, questions, suggestions, reamings down below and if you have something you want answered or discussed e-mail me at: stateofthee@gmail.com
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
CURRENT PLANS THROUGH THE FALL
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
Alberto Del Rio has once again been victimized by WWE's haphazard booking as his long planned match with John Cena at SummerSlam was nixed hours before Monday night's RAW telecast in Hampton, Virginia.
Creative overhauled the match line-up for SummerSlam Monday afternoon after deeming their creative plans for CM Punk for the event as "awful." Del Rio was effectively removed from the title picture as a result. WWE's braintrust felt that had Punk not been slotted in the title match, his much talked about storyline would extinguish.
Though Del Rio had the rug pulled out from under him once again, creative has the 34-year-old pegged for a title run this fall. WWE announced today they will present a landmark tour across Mexico this October and a number of high ranking officials feel the countryman returning as a conquering hero will garner a great deal of media attention.
Meanwhile, The Miz was at one point scheduled to reign supreme in the WWE Championship Tournament on RAW. Creative later changed their mind and the WWE Championship was awarded to Rey Mysterio, who got to hold the belt for approximately an hour and a half.
Source: The Wrestling Observer
Alberto Del Rio has once again been victimized by WWE's haphazard booking as his long planned match with John Cena at SummerSlam was nixed hours before Monday night's RAW telecast in Hampton, Virginia.
Creative overhauled the match line-up for SummerSlam Monday afternoon after deeming their creative plans for CM Punk for the event as "awful." Del Rio was effectively removed from the title picture as a result. WWE's braintrust felt that had Punk not been slotted in the title match, his much talked about storyline would extinguish.
Though Del Rio had the rug pulled out from under him once again, creative has the 34-year-old pegged for a title run this fall. WWE announced today they will present a landmark tour across Mexico this October and a number of high ranking officials feel the countryman returning as a conquering hero will garner a great deal of media attention.
Meanwhile, The Miz was at one point scheduled to reign supreme in the WWE Championship Tournament on RAW. Creative later changed their mind and the WWE Championship was awarded to Rey Mysterio, who got to hold the belt for approximately an hour and a half.
Source: The Wrestling Observer
CM PUNK'S SCHEDULE + SNUKA @ A PHILLIES GAME
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
-- CM Punk is now added to the RAW Live Events this weekend in Illinois. The Rockford MetroCentre website is advertising a Champion vs. Champion main event between Punk and John Cena, which means it will likely be the main event for the other two shows.
-- Following the events this weekend, CM Punk is only scheduled for RAW tapings. They are not advertising him for SummerSlam or any other PPV's.
-- Jimmy Snuka was spotted at the Philadelphia Phillies game today. He was photographed in the dugout before the game.
Credit: Devin Cutting
-- CM Punk is now added to the RAW Live Events this weekend in Illinois. The Rockford MetroCentre website is advertising a Champion vs. Champion main event between Punk and John Cena, which means it will likely be the main event for the other two shows.
-- Following the events this weekend, CM Punk is only scheduled for RAW tapings. They are not advertising him for SummerSlam or any other PPV's.
-- Jimmy Snuka was spotted at the Philadelphia Phillies game today. He was photographed in the dugout before the game.
Credit: Devin Cutting
WWE SMACKDOWN! *SPOILERS* -- JULY 29TH, 2011
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
HHH starts off the show in the ring talking about the title situation on Raw. He is interrupted by Christian who welcomes him to SD. HHH says its a slap in the face to interrupt him & tells him at SummerSlam he'll be defending his title against Randy Orton in a No Holds Barred match.
R-Truth comes out & says he followed HHH from Raw & talks about the conspiracy against him. HHH makes a match for tonight, R-Truth vs. Orton. He tells Christian he brought someone from Raw to face him, John Morrison. They have a good match, Christian wins with his finisher.
Backstage Teddy Long is with HHH & Zack Ryder interrupts them. HHH says he's gotta take a call but appoints Ryder as Teddy's assistant.
Wade Barrett is in the ring talking about how he should have won MITB & gotten a WrestleMania paycheck, not Daniel Bryan. Bryan interrupts & says he's gonna main event Mania. Barrett attacks him. Bryan is able to get the LaBell lock on him, Barrett taps & Bryan lets him go.
Backstage Mark Henry walks into Long's office & wants a match. Long says no one wants to get in the ring w/ him after what he did to Big Show & Kane. Ryder says he'll find him an opponent.
Tamina, Rosa & Alicia Fox def Kaitlyn, AJ & Natalya.
Video package on Justin Gabriel is shown (highlights of WWE's recent tour of South Africa).
Mark Henry defeated local guy Bobby Howard. After the match he tries to attack him with a chair but Long comes out & stops him. He says there's already one lawsuit pending & he'll find him competition. Sheamus comes out & says if he wants competition he'll fight him & slaps him. Henry goes after him but Sheamus throws him over top rope. Sheamus tries to hit him w/ chair but Henry leaves.
New Nexus defeated The Usos in a title match, so they kept the titles.
Backstage Ryder tells Long he made a match for tonight, Ezekiel Jackson vs. Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes in a handicap match.
Backstage Striker interviews R-Truth. Truth says he's ready for his match with Orton tonight.
Cody & DiBiase def Zeke.
Jinder Mahal & The Great Khali appear in crowd & talk Indian to the crowd so I don't know what was said. Everyone booed.
In the main event, Truth beat Orton via DQ.
Credit: Billy Krotchsen/Pwinsider
HHH starts off the show in the ring talking about the title situation on Raw. He is interrupted by Christian who welcomes him to SD. HHH says its a slap in the face to interrupt him & tells him at SummerSlam he'll be defending his title against Randy Orton in a No Holds Barred match.
R-Truth comes out & says he followed HHH from Raw & talks about the conspiracy against him. HHH makes a match for tonight, R-Truth vs. Orton. He tells Christian he brought someone from Raw to face him, John Morrison. They have a good match, Christian wins with his finisher.
Backstage Teddy Long is with HHH & Zack Ryder interrupts them. HHH says he's gotta take a call but appoints Ryder as Teddy's assistant.
Wade Barrett is in the ring talking about how he should have won MITB & gotten a WrestleMania paycheck, not Daniel Bryan. Bryan interrupts & says he's gonna main event Mania. Barrett attacks him. Bryan is able to get the LaBell lock on him, Barrett taps & Bryan lets him go.
Backstage Mark Henry walks into Long's office & wants a match. Long says no one wants to get in the ring w/ him after what he did to Big Show & Kane. Ryder says he'll find him an opponent.
Tamina, Rosa & Alicia Fox def Kaitlyn, AJ & Natalya.
Video package on Justin Gabriel is shown (highlights of WWE's recent tour of South Africa).
Mark Henry defeated local guy Bobby Howard. After the match he tries to attack him with a chair but Long comes out & stops him. He says there's already one lawsuit pending & he'll find him competition. Sheamus comes out & says if he wants competition he'll fight him & slaps him. Henry goes after him but Sheamus throws him over top rope. Sheamus tries to hit him w/ chair but Henry leaves.
New Nexus defeated The Usos in a title match, so they kept the titles.
Backstage Ryder tells Long he made a match for tonight, Ezekiel Jackson vs. Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes in a handicap match.
Backstage Striker interviews R-Truth. Truth says he's ready for his match with Orton tonight.
Cody & DiBiase def Zeke.
Jinder Mahal & The Great Khali appear in crowd & talk Indian to the crowd so I don't know what was said. Everyone booed.
In the main event, Truth beat Orton via DQ.
Credit: Billy Krotchsen/Pwinsider
WWE PRESSER: WWE IN MEXICO
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
WWE issued the following press release for their upcoming Mexican tour. It's worth nothing that Sin Cara is advertised for the tour:
MEXICO, July 26, 2011 – WWE announced today they will present live events in six cities across Mexico from Oct. 12-15 with the WWE World Tour. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, July 26 at 11:00 a.m. local time.
This landmark WWE World Tour will bring the first ever WWE TV tapings to Mexico City and WWE debut live events to Merida, San Luis Potosi, and Veracruz.
Don’t miss WWE Superstars John Cena, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Alberto Del Rio, Sin Cara, Kelly Kelly, and many more in Mexico this October.
Event Line-up
-- Wednesday, October 12: Raw in Monterrey
-- Thursday, October 13: Raw in Merida
-- Thursday, October 13: Smackdown in Monterrey
-- Friday, October 14: Raw in Puebla
-- Friday, October 14: Smackdown in San Luis Potosi
-- Saturday, October 15: Raw TV taping in Mexico City
-- Saturday, October 15: Smackdown in Veracruz
-- Sunday, October 16: Smackdown TV taping in Mexico City
WWE issued the following press release for their upcoming Mexican tour. It's worth nothing that Sin Cara is advertised for the tour:
MEXICO, July 26, 2011 – WWE announced today they will present live events in six cities across Mexico from Oct. 12-15 with the WWE World Tour. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, July 26 at 11:00 a.m. local time.
This landmark WWE World Tour will bring the first ever WWE TV tapings to Mexico City and WWE debut live events to Merida, San Luis Potosi, and Veracruz.
Don’t miss WWE Superstars John Cena, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Alberto Del Rio, Sin Cara, Kelly Kelly, and many more in Mexico this October.
Event Line-up
-- Wednesday, October 12: Raw in Monterrey
-- Thursday, October 13: Raw in Merida
-- Thursday, October 13: Smackdown in Monterrey
-- Friday, October 14: Raw in Puebla
-- Friday, October 14: Smackdown in San Luis Potosi
-- Saturday, October 15: Raw TV taping in Mexico City
-- Saturday, October 15: Smackdown in Veracruz
-- Sunday, October 16: Smackdown TV taping in Mexico City
CM PUNK MERCHANDISE
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
On the WWEShop.com website, all of the CM Punk items that they offer are either out of stock and backordered or completely sold out.
The T-Shirt CM Punk donned at Money in the Bank, "Best in the World," is now on sale via WWEShop.com. The shirt has been slightly modified from the original sold at the pay-per-view event as the date of 7/17/11 and "Chicago" have been removed. The original shirt is a hot seller on eBay, regularly fetching between $300 and $500. Some sellers have even manufactured counterfeits.
On the WWEShop.com website, all of the CM Punk items that they offer are either out of stock and backordered or completely sold out.
The T-Shirt CM Punk donned at Money in the Bank, "Best in the World," is now on sale via WWEShop.com. The shirt has been slightly modified from the original sold at the pay-per-view event as the date of 7/17/11 and "Chicago" have been removed. The original shirt is a hot seller on eBay, regularly fetching between $300 and $500. Some sellers have even manufactured counterfeits.
A BUNCH OF CM PUNK NEWS
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
-- Dave Lagana sent out he following today… "I'm a Paul Heyman Guy!" CM Punk – 6/27/11 Monday Night Raw. That one line in Punk's promo kicked off this whirlwind ride we're on in the "Summer of Punk" story. This period is being talked about as having lead to resurgence of interest in pro wrestling. Over the next three days, I'm going to look back at three different periods in 2007 when CM Punk became the center piece of the ECW Brand. These stories will shine a little light on the frustration surrounding Punk's early run in WWE. This article looks at the time period around the ECW PPV December to Dismemeber including how Heyman wanted to book Punk, how the agents did book Punk against Hardcore Holly and the WWE Hall of Famer who spoke up to save Punk. Read the whole article at http://iwantwrestling.com/
-- Highspots.com has released a "Best of CM Punk DVD," which features his work in IWA Mid-South.
-- Dave Lagana sent out he following today… "I'm a Paul Heyman Guy!" CM Punk – 6/27/11 Monday Night Raw. That one line in Punk's promo kicked off this whirlwind ride we're on in the "Summer of Punk" story. This period is being talked about as having lead to resurgence of interest in pro wrestling. Over the next three days, I'm going to look back at three different periods in 2007 when CM Punk became the center piece of the ECW Brand. These stories will shine a little light on the frustration surrounding Punk's early run in WWE. This article looks at the time period around the ECW PPV December to Dismemeber including how Heyman wanted to book Punk, how the agents did book Punk against Hardcore Holly and the WWE Hall of Famer who spoke up to save Punk. Read the whole article at http://iwantwrestling.com/
-- Highspots.com has released a "Best of CM Punk DVD," which features his work in IWA Mid-South.
JOHN CENA'S RECORD AND WWE DVD NEWS
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
-- Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century is officially out today on DVD and Blu-ray. Twenty of the greatest WWE Superstars of the new millenium are profiled including Chris Jericho, Edge, Triple H, John "Bradshaw" Layfield, Kane, Kurt Angle, The Rock, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, Trish Stratus, Jeff Hardy, Big Show, Eddie Guerrero Shawn Michaels, Booker T, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, Batista and John Cena.
-- John Cena has now held the WWE Championship a record nine times following his title victory last night on RAW . The previous record holder was Triple H, who held the WWE Championship on eight occasions.
If Cena holds the belt through Thursday, he will move past Pedro Morales into fourth place as most combined days as WWE Champion at 1028.
-- Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century is officially out today on DVD and Blu-ray. Twenty of the greatest WWE Superstars of the new millenium are profiled including Chris Jericho, Edge, Triple H, John "Bradshaw" Layfield, Kane, Kurt Angle, The Rock, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, Trish Stratus, Jeff Hardy, Big Show, Eddie Guerrero Shawn Michaels, Booker T, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, Batista and John Cena.
-- John Cena has now held the WWE Championship a record nine times following his title victory last night on RAW . The previous record holder was Triple H, who held the WWE Championship on eight occasions.
If Cena holds the belt through Thursday, he will move past Pedro Morales into fourth place as most combined days as WWE Champion at 1028.
ROH NEWS: RESIGNED ADAM COLE AND KYLE O'REILLY
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
ROH has announced that they have re-signed Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly. Here is the announcement…
Ring of Honor officials are happy to announce that two more athletes have signed on the dotted line with ROH. Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly, fresh off the biggest weekend of their careers at "Tag Team Turmoil 2011" & "No Escape", have put their signature to paper and have re-signed with ROH.
Cole & O'Reilly recently earned a future Tag Team Title opportunity in Richmond, VA with their victory over The Bravados in the Tag Contenders Lottery, and proved their mettle against The American Wolves the following night in Charlotte, NC. Unfortunately O'Reilly suffered an accidental injury at the hands of Eddie Edwards in that match, and had been ordered to rest it.
"Adam and Kyle have proven themselves against the best teams in ROH this year." stated Executive Producer Jim Cornette, "With their fights against The Briscoes, the Kings, Haas & Benjamin, and the Wolves…not to mention earning themselves a title shot, Cole and O'Reilly are poised to make 2011 their year here in ROH."
Cole & O'Reilly are scheduled to be in action when ROH returns to Chicago Ridge, IL on August 13th for our 1st ever SBG TV Tapings and Kyle assures ROH officials that he will be 100% and ready to go in time for that historic date. Tickets for that live event can be found here, http://www.rohstore.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=201, and keep an eye on ROHWrestling.com for all the details about the TV Tapings!
ROH has announced that they have re-signed Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly. Here is the announcement…
Ring of Honor officials are happy to announce that two more athletes have signed on the dotted line with ROH. Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly, fresh off the biggest weekend of their careers at "Tag Team Turmoil 2011" & "No Escape", have put their signature to paper and have re-signed with ROH.
Cole & O'Reilly recently earned a future Tag Team Title opportunity in Richmond, VA with their victory over The Bravados in the Tag Contenders Lottery, and proved their mettle against The American Wolves the following night in Charlotte, NC. Unfortunately O'Reilly suffered an accidental injury at the hands of Eddie Edwards in that match, and had been ordered to rest it.
"Adam and Kyle have proven themselves against the best teams in ROH this year." stated Executive Producer Jim Cornette, "With their fights against The Briscoes, the Kings, Haas & Benjamin, and the Wolves…not to mention earning themselves a title shot, Cole and O'Reilly are poised to make 2011 their year here in ROH."
Cole & O'Reilly are scheduled to be in action when ROH returns to Chicago Ridge, IL on August 13th for our 1st ever SBG TV Tapings and Kyle assures ROH officials that he will be 100% and ready to go in time for that historic date. Tickets for that live event can be found here, http://www.rohstore.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=201, and keep an eye on ROHWrestling.com for all the details about the TV Tapings!
AFTER RAW, JR'S BLOG, SMACKDOWN! AND UNDERTAKER NEWS
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
-- After RAW went off the air, John Cena left the ring and left CM Punk alone. Punk then grabbed the mic and stated, "I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaack!"
-- WWE tapes SmackDown!, NXT and Superstars in Philadelphia, PA tonight.
-- Final Destination 5 is doing a promotional tie-in on WWE.com, and are sponsoring clips of the 25 greatest Undertaker moments.
-- Jim Ross has a new blog up, which you can read at http://www.jrsbarbq.com/
-- After RAW went off the air, John Cena left the ring and left CM Punk alone. Punk then grabbed the mic and stated, "I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaack!"
-- WWE tapes SmackDown!, NXT and Superstars in Philadelphia, PA tonight.
-- Final Destination 5 is doing a promotional tie-in on WWE.com, and are sponsoring clips of the 25 greatest Undertaker moments.
-- Jim Ross has a new blog up, which you can read at http://www.jrsbarbq.com/
WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW RESULTS -- JULY 25TH, 2011
POSTED BY: ROBERT WOODWARD JR.
Event: WWE Monday Night RAW
Airdate: Monday, July 25th, 2011 (USA Network)
Location: The Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia
Results by Thomas Hall of 411 Wrestling
“Yes, sir, we promised you a great main event…”
We immediately open the show with the WWE Championship match! Not a bad way to get going.
WWE Championship Tournament Final: Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz
Most of the roster is watching in the back. Big match intros occur as they should. Feeling out process to start and Rey takes over with some speed. Miz counters a rana to launch Rey into the top turnbuckle to change momentum. It's probably a good thing that they waited a week to let them rest up. Corner clothesline gets two for Miz. Knee to the ribs gets the same.
Miz sends him to the floor and adds a baseball slide to keep Rey down. The fans are totally behind Rey here as is probably expected. With Rey on the apron facing down Miz misses a kick but gets sent into the steps shoulder first. Both guys are down as we take a break. Back with Miz holding a chinlock and the third anti-politics line from the announcers. Miz takes him to the corner but Rey fights him off and goes up.
Seated senton hits and Rey speeds things up. Springboard spinning cross body gets two. Miz drills him in the ribs but a sunset flip doesn't work. Rey can't kick him in the head with that swinging kick and Miz grabs a DDT for two. A big boot gets the same. It's been about 80-90% Miz in this match. Victory roll gets two for the masked man. A dropkick to the knee looks to set up the 619 but Miz ducks.
Miz tries a powerbomb near the ropes but Rey counters into another rana attempt. That doesn't work as Miz hits a pretty sweet slingshot sitout powerbomb for a close two. Miz loads up the Finale but Rey climbs up onto the corner and elbows his way out of it. He gets caught in the Tree of Woe though and Miz drives in some knees. A charging knee hits the buckle though and Rey hits a rana to set up the 619. Top rope splash gives Rey the title clean at 13:20.
Rey Mysterio The Miz @ 13:20 - Top rope splash
Rating: B-. Not bad here but it wasn't quite epic or anything. This felt like any TV main event. It's a good match but Rey just hit his finishers and won the title. I did like the selling of the knee from last week which is a very nice touch. Either way, good stuff here and fine for a TV title match.
Post match Rey gets kneed in the back and HERE'S ALBERTO TO CASH IN! Rey dives on him though and Alberto picks up his case and runs. That wasn't a cash-in he says due to the bell never ringing. That's true so it makes sense.
HHH will give a State of the WWE Address tonight.
The roster congratulates Rey in the back and he gets champagne poured on him. Cena, who looks like a foot taller than Rey, shakes his hand and says good job. Rey says it was worth it and that he's going home to his family with the gold.
We get a shortened version of HHH and Vince last night.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Evan Bourne
Dolph has a new somewhat slower rock version of his theme. Pretty sure this is non-title. Yeah it's non-title. Bourne gets a shot to the head to send Dolph to the floor for a bit. Back in the ring Dolph avoids an enziguri and hits a Fameasser for two. Dropkick gets the same and we're off to a chinlock. Splash misses in the corner and here comes Bourne. Jerry makes what is I believe the fourth political/Obama reference of the night. Shooting Star misses and there's the Zig Zag. No cover though as he puts on the sleeper and we're done at 3:27.
Dolph Ziggler b. Evan Bourne @ 3:27 - Sleeper
Rating: C. This was fine. This is also what Ziggler needs: wins over guys that he should be able to beat where he has to work a bit to get them. Not every match with a midcard champion has to result in an upset. You get an ok match out of it and Ziggler looks a bit more credible. Nothing to complain about there.
Kofi vs. Alberto tonight.
The Keith Stone beer guy hits on the Bellas and uses a marker to tell them apart. The other isn't happy and now there's a full tattoo on his arm.
Maryse/Melina vs. Kelly Kelly/Eve Torres
At least they all look good. Eve and Maryse start and Eve hits a downward spiral and then dances before trying a standing moonsault for two. Maryse gives her a Stinkface and Kelly comes in. Everything breaks down and Melina misses a charge, allowing the K2 to end it at 2:51. Thank goodness I don't have to rate it. Match was AWFUL but the girls looked good.
Kelly Kelly/Eve Torres b. Melina/Maryse @ 2:51 - K2 to Melina
R-Truth is talking to HHH and we can't hear what's being said. The Address is next and there's a major return promised.
Cee Lo Green will be performing at Summerslam. Because all the other concerts at wrestling events have gone so well you know?
Here's HHH and it's time for the State of the WWE Address. This place is awesome and let's thank Vince for it. However he's not here to talk about the past but rather the futuer. Tonight there's a new WWE Champion and his name is Rey Mysterio. However, tonight there's going to be ANOTHER WWE Championship match tonight. Rey is going to defend against.....John Cena. Oh dear.
Also there has been someone who the WWE Universe has been asking about all week. Cue CM Punk's chant. Someone is coming back to Raw tonight.....and it's not Punk. Cue JR of all people who is back on Raw. Cole throws down his headset and stands on the announce table as JR is next to King. Cole talks to HHH and says JR is the walking dead, not the future. He's done everything the company has asked for but the one thing he won't do is sit there with this hayseed. He makes fun of JR and asks why he's here. JR is fat and his restaurants failed don't you know.
HHH asks if Cole is done. His first inclination was to fire Cole and bring JR back. The problem is that Cole has a huge severance package so it's not worth it to fire him. However, if Cole wants to leave that's cool but he'll be in breach of contract and will forfeit all future earnings. Cole has the rest of the night off and he has until Friday to decide. If he's on Smackdown, he'll keep his job but if he's not there then good luck in your future endeavors. Cole sits down and says he doesn't quit. HHH says not so fast because you have a match tonight.
Cole is told he's next and that his gear is in the back. Here's R-Truth who says it's out with the old and in with the new. He says HHH has been part of the conspiracy since Day One and now HHH is the man. Little Jimmy cost him his match at Capitol Punishment and spiders and heights cost him MITB. Truth wants to know what the boss is going to do about the conspiracy. HHH wants to know who Truth is talking to: him, or the guys next to Truth.
Truth keeps talking to people that aren't there and HHH does the same. Now the invisible people are about to fight. Truth calls HHH crazy and the crowd gets a good laugh out of it. Truth says HHH is the Game but he's not playing. Truth drops the mic and leaves. HHH: "Hey all of you stop!" HHH says he re-signed another guy and he wanted a piece of Truth. Heeeeeeere's Jomo, for some reason not in a shirt. Wait was Morrison fired or something? They fight on the ramp and Morrison takes over, hitting Starship Pain to stand tall.
Here's Michael Cole in HHH attire, complete with King of Kings as his music and a bottle of water. Oh my oh my. He eve does the water spritz. And his opponent is.....
Michael Cole vs. Zack Ryder
Oh my again. JR actually calls Ryder an internet sensation. Rough Ryder and we're done in 28 seconds.
Zack Ryder b. Michael Cole @ :28 - Rough Ryder
Kofi Kingston vs. Alberto Del Rio
This is a rematch from the tournament last week where Kofi got the clean upset win. Ricardo is back now. Alberto is in white not. He takes Kofi down almost immediately and gets a dropkick to the back of the head for no count. Kofi tries to speed things up and gets a cruficix into a sunset flip position for two. Alberto is sent to the floor and runs as Kofi teases a dive. Kofi is all fired up as we take a break.
Back with Alberto working on the arm. We get a clip from the break of Alberto hitting the running enziguri to Kofi while he was on the top, injuring the arm. Kofi starts his comeback and hits some kicks and a jumping clothesline to set up the Boom Drop which hits. Trouble in Paradise misses and there's the Codebreaker to the arm for two. Pendulum kick by Kofi sets up a victory roll for a VERY close two as Alberto grabs the rope. I thought that was it. Del Rio heads to the floor but catches Kofi with a guillotine over the top. Cross armbreaker goes on and we're done at 7:18.
Alberto Del Rio b. Kofi Kingston @ 7:18 - Cross Armbreaker
Rating: C+. Pretty decent little match here with Del Rio looking dominant again. Last week was a fine example of how you can lose and not lose your heat. Alberto looks fine here and him beating Kofi here is a nice rebound win for him because he did it clean. I hope that's a sign of HHH's time on Raw because sometimes (not always) clean wins are far more helpful than cheating ones.
HHH will be on Smackdown. Awesome.
Miz wants to know why Cena has a title match tonight. He says Cena got all of us into this situation in the first place. Miz thinks things have gone from bad to worse with Cena around now and that Cena should have been fired last week. The face of the WWE has no face. Oh and Miz will be on George Lopez on Wednesday. HHH has made mistakes and Miz isn't thrilled with them.
Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Rey Mysterio
There's a bigger border on the belt now. Cena comes out post break. There's a Divas Battle Royal next week on Raw. Rey gets a kick to the leg to start and there's a second one. They're kind of feeling each other out to start. There are three more of them but Cena runs Rey over with a shoulder block for two. Rey gets a sunset flip kind of move for two and grabs a headlock.
Cena gets a belly to back to escape and gets two at the same time. Rey goes for the knee again but Cena dodges. He misses a charge though and hits the buckle chest first, falling to the floor. The dueling chants begin and Rey hits a springboard flip dive to the floor. Rey speeds things up but gets his head taken off by a clothesline. Back in and Cena gets a waistlock but Rey gets up and hits a DDT for two.
STF doesn't work as Rey gets to the ropes. 619 is caught and Cena tosses him onto his shoulder for that sitout powerslam for two. Here comes Cena's ending sequence but Rey fires off a dropkick to block a shoulder. Nice counter and it's remarkable how few people have blocked that before. Rey tries to speed it up but his spinning cross body is caught in an FU attempt which is also reversed.
Both guys are down and Rey drop toeholds him into the buckle. Seated Senton hits but Cena tries to roll through into the STF. Rey counters into an STF of his own. Cena gets up on one leg into an AA position but the leg gives out and Cena collapses, right into 619 position. It hits this time and Rey goes up top for the splash but it eats knees. Rey tries a rana out of the corner but Cena shoves him off in something resembling a powerbomb.
Cena loads up the top rope Fameasser but it turns into a leg drop on a standing Rey which only gets two. The fans are WAY into this too and I can't blame them as it's been a solid match. Cena sets the AA but Rey elbows out of it. Another 619 is set up but Cena catches him in the AA and is champion again at 12:47. I can live with this I think.
John Cena b. Rey Mysterio @ 12:47 - Attitude Adjustment
Rating: B. Solid stuff here as Cena got to show off his power and how effective it could be. I'm not sure what more they could do given the amount of time they had. Rey's STF was a cool addition which we haven't seen before on Cena, or at least not that I can remember. Good stuff here as both guys usually bring it in big matches.
Cena helps Rey up and celebrates with the title but some music starts up. It's a song called Cult of Personality........PUNK IS BACK! Cena holds up his title. Punk holds up his title. They stare it down as the show ends with Cena leaving.
Overall Rating: A+. This was a pretty excellent episode of Raw. We had history making stuff, a new champion, a pair of returns, no truly bad matches (the boobs and legs of the Divas make up for their weak wrestling) and a good HHH segment. I like where things are going here and things worked well here. This was one of the better Raws in awhile and I liked it quite a bit.
Credit: Thomas Hall
Event: WWE Monday Night RAW
Airdate: Monday, July 25th, 2011 (USA Network)
Location: The Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia
Results by Thomas Hall of 411 Wrestling
“Yes, sir, we promised you a great main event…”
We immediately open the show with the WWE Championship match! Not a bad way to get going.
WWE Championship Tournament Final: Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz
Most of the roster is watching in the back. Big match intros occur as they should. Feeling out process to start and Rey takes over with some speed. Miz counters a rana to launch Rey into the top turnbuckle to change momentum. It's probably a good thing that they waited a week to let them rest up. Corner clothesline gets two for Miz. Knee to the ribs gets the same.
Miz sends him to the floor and adds a baseball slide to keep Rey down. The fans are totally behind Rey here as is probably expected. With Rey on the apron facing down Miz misses a kick but gets sent into the steps shoulder first. Both guys are down as we take a break. Back with Miz holding a chinlock and the third anti-politics line from the announcers. Miz takes him to the corner but Rey fights him off and goes up.
Seated senton hits and Rey speeds things up. Springboard spinning cross body gets two. Miz drills him in the ribs but a sunset flip doesn't work. Rey can't kick him in the head with that swinging kick and Miz grabs a DDT for two. A big boot gets the same. It's been about 80-90% Miz in this match. Victory roll gets two for the masked man. A dropkick to the knee looks to set up the 619 but Miz ducks.
Miz tries a powerbomb near the ropes but Rey counters into another rana attempt. That doesn't work as Miz hits a pretty sweet slingshot sitout powerbomb for a close two. Miz loads up the Finale but Rey climbs up onto the corner and elbows his way out of it. He gets caught in the Tree of Woe though and Miz drives in some knees. A charging knee hits the buckle though and Rey hits a rana to set up the 619. Top rope splash gives Rey the title clean at 13:20.
Rey Mysterio The Miz @ 13:20 - Top rope splash
Rating: B-. Not bad here but it wasn't quite epic or anything. This felt like any TV main event. It's a good match but Rey just hit his finishers and won the title. I did like the selling of the knee from last week which is a very nice touch. Either way, good stuff here and fine for a TV title match.
Post match Rey gets kneed in the back and HERE'S ALBERTO TO CASH IN! Rey dives on him though and Alberto picks up his case and runs. That wasn't a cash-in he says due to the bell never ringing. That's true so it makes sense.
HHH will give a State of the WWE Address tonight.
The roster congratulates Rey in the back and he gets champagne poured on him. Cena, who looks like a foot taller than Rey, shakes his hand and says good job. Rey says it was worth it and that he's going home to his family with the gold.
We get a shortened version of HHH and Vince last night.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Evan Bourne
Dolph has a new somewhat slower rock version of his theme. Pretty sure this is non-title. Yeah it's non-title. Bourne gets a shot to the head to send Dolph to the floor for a bit. Back in the ring Dolph avoids an enziguri and hits a Fameasser for two. Dropkick gets the same and we're off to a chinlock. Splash misses in the corner and here comes Bourne. Jerry makes what is I believe the fourth political/Obama reference of the night. Shooting Star misses and there's the Zig Zag. No cover though as he puts on the sleeper and we're done at 3:27.
Dolph Ziggler b. Evan Bourne @ 3:27 - Sleeper
Rating: C. This was fine. This is also what Ziggler needs: wins over guys that he should be able to beat where he has to work a bit to get them. Not every match with a midcard champion has to result in an upset. You get an ok match out of it and Ziggler looks a bit more credible. Nothing to complain about there.
Kofi vs. Alberto tonight.
The Keith Stone beer guy hits on the Bellas and uses a marker to tell them apart. The other isn't happy and now there's a full tattoo on his arm.
Maryse/Melina vs. Kelly Kelly/Eve Torres
At least they all look good. Eve and Maryse start and Eve hits a downward spiral and then dances before trying a standing moonsault for two. Maryse gives her a Stinkface and Kelly comes in. Everything breaks down and Melina misses a charge, allowing the K2 to end it at 2:51. Thank goodness I don't have to rate it. Match was AWFUL but the girls looked good.
Kelly Kelly/Eve Torres b. Melina/Maryse @ 2:51 - K2 to Melina
R-Truth is talking to HHH and we can't hear what's being said. The Address is next and there's a major return promised.
Cee Lo Green will be performing at Summerslam. Because all the other concerts at wrestling events have gone so well you know?
Here's HHH and it's time for the State of the WWE Address. This place is awesome and let's thank Vince for it. However he's not here to talk about the past but rather the futuer. Tonight there's a new WWE Champion and his name is Rey Mysterio. However, tonight there's going to be ANOTHER WWE Championship match tonight. Rey is going to defend against.....John Cena. Oh dear.
Also there has been someone who the WWE Universe has been asking about all week. Cue CM Punk's chant. Someone is coming back to Raw tonight.....and it's not Punk. Cue JR of all people who is back on Raw. Cole throws down his headset and stands on the announce table as JR is next to King. Cole talks to HHH and says JR is the walking dead, not the future. He's done everything the company has asked for but the one thing he won't do is sit there with this hayseed. He makes fun of JR and asks why he's here. JR is fat and his restaurants failed don't you know.
HHH asks if Cole is done. His first inclination was to fire Cole and bring JR back. The problem is that Cole has a huge severance package so it's not worth it to fire him. However, if Cole wants to leave that's cool but he'll be in breach of contract and will forfeit all future earnings. Cole has the rest of the night off and he has until Friday to decide. If he's on Smackdown, he'll keep his job but if he's not there then good luck in your future endeavors. Cole sits down and says he doesn't quit. HHH says not so fast because you have a match tonight.
Cole is told he's next and that his gear is in the back. Here's R-Truth who says it's out with the old and in with the new. He says HHH has been part of the conspiracy since Day One and now HHH is the man. Little Jimmy cost him his match at Capitol Punishment and spiders and heights cost him MITB. Truth wants to know what the boss is going to do about the conspiracy. HHH wants to know who Truth is talking to: him, or the guys next to Truth.
Truth keeps talking to people that aren't there and HHH does the same. Now the invisible people are about to fight. Truth calls HHH crazy and the crowd gets a good laugh out of it. Truth says HHH is the Game but he's not playing. Truth drops the mic and leaves. HHH: "Hey all of you stop!" HHH says he re-signed another guy and he wanted a piece of Truth. Heeeeeeere's Jomo, for some reason not in a shirt. Wait was Morrison fired or something? They fight on the ramp and Morrison takes over, hitting Starship Pain to stand tall.
Here's Michael Cole in HHH attire, complete with King of Kings as his music and a bottle of water. Oh my oh my. He eve does the water spritz. And his opponent is.....
Michael Cole vs. Zack Ryder
Oh my again. JR actually calls Ryder an internet sensation. Rough Ryder and we're done in 28 seconds.
Zack Ryder b. Michael Cole @ :28 - Rough Ryder
Kofi Kingston vs. Alberto Del Rio
This is a rematch from the tournament last week where Kofi got the clean upset win. Ricardo is back now. Alberto is in white not. He takes Kofi down almost immediately and gets a dropkick to the back of the head for no count. Kofi tries to speed things up and gets a cruficix into a sunset flip position for two. Alberto is sent to the floor and runs as Kofi teases a dive. Kofi is all fired up as we take a break.
Back with Alberto working on the arm. We get a clip from the break of Alberto hitting the running enziguri to Kofi while he was on the top, injuring the arm. Kofi starts his comeback and hits some kicks and a jumping clothesline to set up the Boom Drop which hits. Trouble in Paradise misses and there's the Codebreaker to the arm for two. Pendulum kick by Kofi sets up a victory roll for a VERY close two as Alberto grabs the rope. I thought that was it. Del Rio heads to the floor but catches Kofi with a guillotine over the top. Cross armbreaker goes on and we're done at 7:18.
Alberto Del Rio b. Kofi Kingston @ 7:18 - Cross Armbreaker
Rating: C+. Pretty decent little match here with Del Rio looking dominant again. Last week was a fine example of how you can lose and not lose your heat. Alberto looks fine here and him beating Kofi here is a nice rebound win for him because he did it clean. I hope that's a sign of HHH's time on Raw because sometimes (not always) clean wins are far more helpful than cheating ones.
HHH will be on Smackdown. Awesome.
Miz wants to know why Cena has a title match tonight. He says Cena got all of us into this situation in the first place. Miz thinks things have gone from bad to worse with Cena around now and that Cena should have been fired last week. The face of the WWE has no face. Oh and Miz will be on George Lopez on Wednesday. HHH has made mistakes and Miz isn't thrilled with them.
Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Rey Mysterio
There's a bigger border on the belt now. Cena comes out post break. There's a Divas Battle Royal next week on Raw. Rey gets a kick to the leg to start and there's a second one. They're kind of feeling each other out to start. There are three more of them but Cena runs Rey over with a shoulder block for two. Rey gets a sunset flip kind of move for two and grabs a headlock.
Cena gets a belly to back to escape and gets two at the same time. Rey goes for the knee again but Cena dodges. He misses a charge though and hits the buckle chest first, falling to the floor. The dueling chants begin and Rey hits a springboard flip dive to the floor. Rey speeds things up but gets his head taken off by a clothesline. Back in and Cena gets a waistlock but Rey gets up and hits a DDT for two.
STF doesn't work as Rey gets to the ropes. 619 is caught and Cena tosses him onto his shoulder for that sitout powerslam for two. Here comes Cena's ending sequence but Rey fires off a dropkick to block a shoulder. Nice counter and it's remarkable how few people have blocked that before. Rey tries to speed it up but his spinning cross body is caught in an FU attempt which is also reversed.
Both guys are down and Rey drop toeholds him into the buckle. Seated Senton hits but Cena tries to roll through into the STF. Rey counters into an STF of his own. Cena gets up on one leg into an AA position but the leg gives out and Cena collapses, right into 619 position. It hits this time and Rey goes up top for the splash but it eats knees. Rey tries a rana out of the corner but Cena shoves him off in something resembling a powerbomb.
Cena loads up the top rope Fameasser but it turns into a leg drop on a standing Rey which only gets two. The fans are WAY into this too and I can't blame them as it's been a solid match. Cena sets the AA but Rey elbows out of it. Another 619 is set up but Cena catches him in the AA and is champion again at 12:47. I can live with this I think.
John Cena b. Rey Mysterio @ 12:47 - Attitude Adjustment
Rating: B. Solid stuff here as Cena got to show off his power and how effective it could be. I'm not sure what more they could do given the amount of time they had. Rey's STF was a cool addition which we haven't seen before on Cena, or at least not that I can remember. Good stuff here as both guys usually bring it in big matches.
Cena helps Rey up and celebrates with the title but some music starts up. It's a song called Cult of Personality........PUNK IS BACK! Cena holds up his title. Punk holds up his title. They stare it down as the show ends with Cena leaving.
Overall Rating: A+. This was a pretty excellent episode of Raw. We had history making stuff, a new champion, a pair of returns, no truly bad matches (the boobs and legs of the Divas make up for their weak wrestling) and a good HHH segment. I like where things are going here and things worked well here. This was one of the better Raws in awhile and I liked it quite a bit.
Credit: Thomas Hall
Monday, July 25, 2011
PWI 500 2011 #1 is Awesome
The Miz, who was WWE Champion for 160 days, has been named number one in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's "PWI 500″ list for 2011. The is the 21st list put out annualy every summer by the company. So far only the cover has been revealed. We'll discuss the PWI 500 more indepth when the full list is revealed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)