10 Steps I Would Take To Fix Impact Wrestling aka TNA

As wrestlings fans we have all thought about what we would do if in charge. I decided to share with the world 10 ideas on how to take Impact Wrestling from a joke to a legitimate second company.

1. No more rapid fire heel/face turns. It is hard for a casual fan that doesn't tune in every week to follow if wrestlers are turning too often. As fans we want to know who is the face and who is the heel.

2. Do not hire wrestlers just based on previous fame. Look I am a huge fan of Mick Foley, Team 3D, Rob Van Dam, Ric Flair, and Sting but they are all past their primes. Can they be valuable assets of coarse, but it is hard to suspend disbelief and have someone like Sting who looks terrible as the world champion.

3. Less talk more action. The catch phrase they are using is "Wrestling Matters" yet the show is filled with segments that don't involve wrestling. I understand that promos, interviews, and things of that nature are needed to build feuds and fan interest, however the mix should be 70% wrestling to 30% other if you want fans to believe "Wrestling Matters"

4. Get rid of the blue motif. To me the overall look of Impact Wrestling seems too much like WWE Smackdown. Do something totally different. I would suggest a retro look with red, white, and blue ropes and some simple yet effective graphics and logos.

5. Cut the fat. Right now there are 42 male wrestlers on the roster. Way too many wrestlers for just one show. Trim the roster down to about 24-30 male wrestlers. This way it is easier to follow feuds and story lines.

6. Shock value only works if you don't do it to death. This kind of goes hand and hand with number 1. Run ins, swerves, surprise appearances, and gimmick matches can equal huge ratings and pay per view buys, but the more you see hardcore matches with no reason behind it or the monthly biggest surprise ever the more it becomes like the boy who cried wolf.

7. Recognize the talent and utilize it. The one thing that really successful promotions and bookers have is a knack for putting the right people in the right position. To quote Brock Lesnar "Make chicken salad out of chicken shit" Paul Heyman was the master of this.

8. Stop trying to beat the WWE. At this point the WWE is the only wrestling organization that most Americans know. It is ok to be the number 2 company, if you build your fan base and give fans a product they can believe in the word of mouth will eventually put you exactly where you want to be. Throwing rocks at the tank that is WWE only gets you killed.

9. Make the championships mean something. You really want to be revolutionary in 2011 have long title runs with only serious contenders going for the belts. Ring Of Honor does an excellent job of this concept. In ROH all the titles are extremely important because they don't change hands that often.

10. Feature tag team wrestling. The one thing that could really set them apart from the WWE is featuring the tag team division. Wrestling fans enjoy tag team wrestling. There are some excellent teams in Impact Wrestling and making them a focal point would help bring in some of the long time fans that miss that style of action. 

WWE Draft Fallout

As a follow up to my last blog previewing the draft I figured I would post my thoughts on what actually happened. It's been 2 days since the annual WWE draft and 1 day since the supplemental draft and in total 30 roster moves were made, including John Cena being drafted to Smackdown and then right back to Raw. I have seen some reviews going either way on what happened, some have loved it some have hated it. This is my take on what happened. I will brake it down pick by pick, so this may be a rather long post. Since my last post was my take on what I would do I will put a * next to picks that I predicted correctly. 

Live Draft Results

1. John Cena to Smackdown- While watching the show live I was legitimately shocked when this happened, only to have the pick basically reversed later in the night. Cena belongs on Raw that is his show, he has helped build it to what it is for better or worse.

2. Rey Mysterio to Raw- Mysterio hasn't done well the previous times he has been on Raw. A feud with The Miz could be entertaining if done properly. 

3. Randy Orton to Smackdown*- This is the move that made the most sense to me. Putting Orton on Smackdown filled the void that Edge retiring left. This also lets Orton become the top face of the show instead of 2nd fiddle to Cena.

4. Mark Henry to Smackdown- This move was made alot more interesting with Henry turning heel in the main event. Henry is a credible high mid card heel for guys like Orton and Christian to feud with.

5. Sin Cara to Smackdown- He was moved to Smackdown so he could be kept away from feuds with Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio. I love this move for a few reasons: first I don't think he is ready for the big name feuds with either of the two I mentioned, secondly he has been prone to botching moves since his debut and with Smackdown being a taped show that could be edited out.

6. Big Show to Raw*- With Big Show being a tag team champion he will most likely be on both shows any way so this is kind of a ho hum type pick. I would like to see him feud with The Miz after The Miz and Cena are done with their feud. They have history to build on being former tag team champions together.

7. Alberto Del Rio to Raw- Del Rio has been on Raw since the beginning of the year anyway so this isn't as big of a move as it seems to be. Rumors seem to point to Del Rio vs Cena at Sumer Slam.

8. John Cena to Raw- Did the WWE pull out a Dusty finish for the draft? 

Supplemental Draft Results

9. Daniel Bryan to Smackdown*- Smackdown is known for being the show with more actual wrestling on it so this move fits perfectly.

10. Jack Swagger to Raw- Wasn't he already on Raw? Much like Del Rio this move has less impact since he has been on Raw so frequently recently.

11. The Great Khali to Smackdown*- As I pointed out in my previous post the WWE likes to have the two giants on different rosters, so this was more of a reactionary move to Big Show going to Raw.

12. Jimmy Uso to Smackdown- Would have been a more intriguing move if his brother wasn't moved later.

13. Kelly Kelly to Raw- Most of the diva's are interchangeable, should be an early victim for Kharma aka Awesome Kong.

14. JTG to Raw- Could be interesting if he is paired with R Truth, but I don't see him being anything more than a Superstars wrestler/occasional Raw jobber. 

15. Alicia Fox to Smackdown- Another who cares type pick. I actually had to look three times to see what roster she was on before posting this.

16. William Regal to Smackdown*- This move is one I am really looking forward to. If given the tv time Regal could be a big player on Smackdown. At the very least he could replace Booker T as an announcer since Booker has been underwhelming at the job. 

17. Yoshi Tatsu to Smackdown- He definitely could use this change of brands. Interesting match ups with Bryan, Cara, Christian, and other lightweight type wrestlers on Smackdown could be the boost he needs. 

18. Drew McIntyre to Raw*- His character has gotten really stale, new feuds with the Raw roster may help make him interesting again.

19. Natalya to Smackdown- It would have been nice to have her on the same roster as Kharma, but maybe keeping them apart will help build an eventual feud between the two.

20. Curt Hawkins to Raw- The only thing that may be interesting is a potential reunion with Zack Ryder.

21. Chris Masters to Raw*- Another wrestler who will be used as a Superstars wrestler/occasional Raw jobber.

22. Jey Uso to Smackdown- See Jimmy Uso above

23. Kofi Kingston to Raw*- Much like McIntyre he has grown stale, would like to see him be more like he was while feuding with Orton.

24. Ted DiBiase to Smackdown*- A feud with Cody Rhodes playing up their history in Legacy could be interesting. He needs to step his game up before he is future endeavored. 

25. Tyson Kidd to Smackdown- I like what i am seeing with some of the Smackdown moves, they could build a strong under card with the wrestlers they have either kept or gained. Since they seem to have alot of lightweight wrestlers maybe bringing the cruiserwieght title back would be a good idea.

26. Tamina to Smackdown- I don't understand this one, her role as Santino's love interest was somewhat entertaining. i don't see her making much of an impact.

27. Tyler Reks to Raw*- The kid has potential, now is the time to let it show through.

28. Alex Riley to Smackdown- This is a big move in the career of Riley. He could either take off and become a star or fail miserably. It should do him well to be on his own and develop his own character. 

29. Beth Phoenix to Raw- Phoenix is an extremely gifted diva and the eventual meeting of her and Kharma should be epic. 

30. Sheamus to Smackdown- Interesting that both the US title and intercontinental title would be on the same show. I would love to see him gradually build his way back into main event status. I think his first run as champion was a little rushed, but if given the proper build up he could be a big star. 

WWE Draft: What I Would Do

The WWE has decided next week to hold it's annual draft and shake up the rosters. This year it seams a little rushed as a reaction to Edge's retirement. I have personally seen any spoilers or rumors as to who will go where so this will just be a list of what I would do if I was in charge. I am going to base the picks off of last years format since ECW had been involved in previous drafts. Both rosters got 4 picks each on the main draft show and on the supplemental draft Raw got 5 more picks and Smackdown got 6 more. I do think Smackdown will get the better of the draft, so I am going to make my selections based on that

Raw Main Picks:
Big Show- He seems to get moved often during the draft and I could see him as being the biggest name heading to Raw
Ezekiel Jackson- I would use this opportunity to split up The Corre. The group is not getting over and without it's muscle it would make it easier to split them
Drew McIntyre- He seems to have gotten stuck in a rut on the Smackdown brand a move to Raw with new opponents may help further his career
Tyler Reks- Another wrestler who seems to be lost in the shuffle on Smackdown.  Depending on who is moved on Raw he could be put into a group like Nexus or as an associate of Michael Cole

Smackdown Main Picks:
Randy Orton- Would easily fit into the main event hole left by Edge. Opens up a spot on Raw for Guys like John Morrison to move up into the main event picture
David Otunga- I would remove him from Nexus were he has been 2nd in command since it's inception. Give him a chance to break out on his own. Could easily join a revamped Corre or feud against Wade Barrett over the intercontinental belt
Daniel Bryan- He has also been in a rut since loosing the US title to Sheamus. A move over to Smackdown and placement into the intercontinental title hunt would help revitalize his character.
Ted DiBiase- Another guy I would use to bolster the mid card roster. He has shown flashes of brilliance at times and working programs with wrestlers like Christian and Rey Mysterio might bring the best out of him

Raw Supplemental Picks:
Cody Rhodes- His feud with Rey Mysterio has elevated him to a top mid card, sometimes main event wrestler. Bring him to Raw and have him in the mix with guys like John Cena and The Miz and he will be a legitimate main event player
Kofi Kingston- Kofi has grown extremely stale on Smackdown. Maybe some fresh feuds would help the fans get back into his character  
Chris Masters- A throwaway type pick who I'm not sure why he has not been future endeavored. Helps fill spots any time they have a battle royal
Hornswoggle- Personally i think his gimmick fits better on Raw than Smackdown, so that is why i would move him back to Raw
Layla- Instead of teasing the break up of Lay-Cool maybe they could fast track the split. Layla could finally start winning on Raw making Michelle McCool upset and eventually attacking Layla setting up a match at Sumer Slam

Smackdown Supplemental Picks: 
Evan Bourne- A fan favorite that could use a change of scenery. A move to the blue brand could create some interesting matches for him
Zack Ryder- If given more air time Ryder could develop into a solid mid carder. He has shown the it factor on his YouTube show, he just needs to bring that to the WWE. I'd give him a segment like Piper's Pit
Nikki Bella- The Bella that isn't the Divas champion. The WWE like to split teams up during the draft and what would be a bigger shock than breaking up twins
David Hart Smith- Smith has yet to break out. I would consider this sink or swim time for him and if he can't get over he may be in danger of heading to TNA
The Great Khali- Khali much like Big Show seems to get moved often during draft time. Since I have Big Show moving to Raw I don't see both giants on one show, so it would be natural for him to move to Smackdown
William Regal- Currently he is just being used as a commentator for NXT, could be used to help put over the younger Smackdown talent and help build for the future

Bring Back Booby Heenan!!!

For those of read my blog on a regular basis you will remember that a little while back i wrote a post about wrestling needing to bring back the jobber match. This post will be somewhat similar to that post since it is about something that i believe is missing in wrestling today.

The wrestling manager is something that has been phased out in wrestling since the mid 90's, however it is something that i believe is sorely missed. You see back in the old territory days managers were used in several ways. First you had the older wrestler who would mentor a new up and coming star to help get them over. The next example was a new wrestler that wasn't exactly ready for the ring but needed to get precious time in front of live crowds and tv. The last and one example I am going to base this story around is the career manager who would give instant credibility to any wrestler they managed.

Back in the era of the territory systems you would have wrestlers that would more from one territory to an another all the time. The managers for the most part would stay and one territory and help build the new guys coming in. Some great examples of this were Jimmy Hart in the Memphis area, Bobby Heenan in the AWA, and Freddie Blassie in the WWWF. Their job was simple give the new monster a mouthpiece that the fans already hate.

Sometimes the wrestler was someone that was good but just needed that one extra thing to put them over the top, kind of like spaghetti good but much better when you add Parmesan cheese to it. Other times the wrestler was nothing special but needed to be packaged as such to help fill out a card. The master in both situations was Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Heenan could make even the worse wrestler look like pure gold.

Heenan spent a good part of his career being aligned with the top heels in any promotion  he was a part of. One of his main adversaries was Hulk Hogan. While working for the WWF Heenan would have a stable called appropriately the Heenan family and their main goal was to end Hulkamania. Generally this period of time is looked at as one of the most successful in the  history of the industry. Just think of some of the main angles of the era in the WWF, Hogan Vs Andre The Giant, King Kong Bundy breaking Hogan's ribs, the real world champion Ric Flair, and the Ultimate Warrior feud with Heenan, who was the one constant? Bobby Heenan.

Heenan was just one example of this formula working. If you are a wrestling fan and have been since before about 1997 you should have fond memories of managers like JJ Dillon, Paul Jones, Lou Albano, Jimmy Hart, and Paul Bearer. Each one had made a mark on the industry and left a lasting image in fans minds.

Now that i have stated the history, let me get to the reason for this post. Managers have disappeared  from mainstream wrestling. You have the occasional Armondo Estrada and Umaga but nothing like what we used to have. For every John Cena or Triple H that don't need any help getting over you have wrestlers like Shelton Benjamin and Sheamus that would benefit from being attached to a good manager.

This is something i think could easily be fixed. There are great managers on the indy wrestling circuit like Prince Nana and Larry Sweeney that could be brought in cheaply and would be a great help. Another simple solution is to have some of the guys who are towards the end of their career transition into the role. Someone like William Regal would be a great mouthpiece for other wrestlers. I could easily see  Regal as the mouthpiece of Sheamus or Jack Swagger.

Remember when Brock Lesner arrived in the WWE? He was placed with Paul Heyman. Now I think that Lesner would have got over on his own I think the fact that he was aligned with someone the fans already known and understood made him the next big thing alot quicker than he would have on his own. The Undertaker had Brother Love and Paul Bearer both to help him get over. Hulk Hogan, Brett Hart, and Lex Luger were all talents that were helped early in their career by being attached to established managers.

I look at the WWE roster and I see a number of guys that could be helped by being associated to a manager. Off the top of my head i can name Daniel Bryan, Wade Barrett, Kofi Kingston, the Uso's, and Mason Ryan as people that could use the help. Like I have said before you could reassign people within the company for this. Below are some matches I would think would work out well.

William Regal managing Daniel Bryan and Sheamus. He could position Sheamus as his main event wrestler while Bryan goes for the mid card title. Yes I know these two have already been in these role, but I think with Regal behind them it would be more memorable.

Prince Nana managing Kofi Kingston, The Uso's, and Mason Ryan. Bring him in as pretty much the same role as he plays in Ring of Honor. Kingston would be the main eventer, The Uso's would be the tag team contenders, and Ryan as the muscle. I personally would like to see a more vicious Kingston, and this could make that happen.

Zack Ryder managing Tyson Kidd, Alex Riley, and David Otunga. I like Zack Ryder and I love his YouTube channel, but I don't see him becoming that next big wrestling superstar. He could however be a very successful mouthpiece in a mid card group of other "toolish" wrestlers.

What do you think? Who do you think would make a good manager?

WWE Hall Of Fame 2012 Predictions

I know it is almost a year away but I am going to try and predict what next years WWE Hall Of Fame class will be. this is going to be a long post so grab your gatorade. I have broken it down into 4 categories; headliners, divas, celebrity, and other wrestlers. The reasoning for the categories is there always is one headliner and now it is being reported that the WWE will add one diva and one celebrity every year. I am going to add what percentage chance i think the inductee has.

Headliners

The Rock- With him being in Miami already for Wrestlemania this one is almost a no brainer. There are very few wrestlers that are more deserving than The Rock. With him being a movie star it brings that extra crowd that Vince McMahon craves for Wrestlemania. 95% chance

Rey Mysterio/Triple H/Undertaker- If any of these 3 decide to retire before or at Wrestlemania next year they would be a suitable replacement for The Rock if for whatever reason he doesn't go in. 10% chance that one of these wrestlers go in (would be higher if I wasn't so sure The Rock wasn't headlining)

Randy "Macho Man" Savage- This one is an extreme long shot. The only way I see this happening is if all of the guys I mentioned above are not inducted and Vince McMahon can not find another person With a big enough name to be the headliner. 1% chance

Divas

Trish Stratus- With Tirsh working more with the WWE lately this selection looks like almost as big of a lock as The Rock. Her cause would be seriously helped by Tough Enough getting big ratings. 75% chance

Stacy Keibler- Stacy is helped by the fact that she has had success outside of the WWE. 15% chance

Lita- I don't see her going in ahead of the 2 ladies I mentioned above, however scheduling may make her a viable option. She is hampered by being so closely tied to the Hardy's, who didn't leave the WWE on the best of terms and both currently work for TNA. 5% chance

Sable- This is another long shot. The only reason she would get in is if Vince somehow convinces Dana White to let him use Brock Lesner for Wrestlemania and Vince decides to do this as a favor to Brock. 3% chance

Celebrities

Donald Trump- If anyone deserves to be in the celebrity wing it is Donald trump. He has been involved with the WWE for around 25 years. He is reportedly going to make a run at the presidency next year and may use this chance to get WWE fans to vote for him. 80% chance

Motorhead- Ok I admit this one may be wishful thinking, but they have played live at Wrestlemania twice and made one of the most memorable theme songs in WWE history so it isn't totally based on me being a fan. 10% chance

Pee Wee Herman/Ozzy Osbourne/Pamela Anderson/William Shatner/Snoop Dogg- In all actuality this category may be the hardest to pick. It is anyones guess one who they actually decide to induct here. I have chose these 5 based on the fact that they have made several appearances with the WWE over the years. 10% chance one of these celebs go in

Other Wrestlers

Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard- This could easily be just an induction for Double A, however I personally think Tully is deserving of the honor as well and I think his best bet to make it is as part of this team. 75% chance

Scott Hall- His induction all hinges on his ability to stay sober and out of trouble until the event. The fact that the WWE likes to put wrestlers with ties to the state that Wrestlemania is in helps his chances to go in next year. 60% chance

Chris Jericho- If Y2J decides that his wrestling career is over and he focuses on his music and tv career he would be an obvious choice for the hall of fame. 50% chance

Booker T- A solid run as Smackdown commentator and coach on Tough Enough should make him an easy choice for induction. Now can you dig that sucka? 50% chance

"Ravishing" Rick Rude- To me it is kind of shocking that he hasn't been put in as of yet. He had an outstanding career and was a top heel during one of wrestlings boom periods. 40% chance

Barry Windham- A very good wrestler who is deserving of this honor. His chances are helped by his lineage and ties to the state of Florida. 35% chance

Dean Malenko- One of the top cruiserweights of all time. Malenko is another wrestler with Florida ties who would be deserving of going into the hall of fame. He works with the WWE in a backstage role and that has seemed to help other wrestlers get in. 25% chance

Lex Luger- Along the lines of Savage and Sable, Luger is a long shot to make it. He is a wrestler that seems to have all the credentials to get in, but he has had issues in the past with Vince McMahon. Luger was reportedly at some events during Wrestlemania week so maybe his chances are improving. 10% chance

Jake "The Snake" Roberts- Much like Scott Hall if Roberts could stay sober for a sustained amount of time he would be a lock for the hall of fame. 10% chance

King Kong Bundy/Bam Bam Bigelow/Vader/Yokozuna/Kamala/Big Boss Man/One Man Gang/Earthquake- It has been well documented that Vince McMahon loves the bigger wrestlers, so any of these behemoths would be a good choice to fill out the roster of wrestlers going in next year. 5% chance that 1 or more of these wrestlers go in

Wrestlemania 27 Review

Ok before I go into my match by match review i will acknowledge that my predictions were way off. I guess that is a good thing, because if I picked everything correct WWE would be too predictable. From what I have seen this was a very polarizing Wrestlemania, either you love it or hate it. The thing that stuck out to me watching the show was that the Atlanta crowd seemed dead during most of the night. I doubt that Wrestlemania returns there anytime soon. I will be grading the matches on a 0-5 star rating system, 0 being the worse 5 being an instant classic.

Alberto Del Rio Vs Edge: World Heavyweight Title Match

This was a very good match for the opener. Del Rio pulled out some new moves during the match and showed glimpses of what will come in his career. I absolutely love the way this match was booked. I thought the interference by Brodus Clay fit well and I am happy that the outside influences were not overplayed. Kudos to the WWE for not pulling the trigger on a Del Rio title run too soon. This match should have been later on the card, but I'll get into that later. Edge picked up the win after a great sequence of moves. ***1/2

Cody Rhodes Vs Rey Mysterio

This match was one that I actually picked correctly. I enjoyed this match and I am glad that Mysterio put over Rhodes in this match. Mysterio is getting old and does not have much left in his tank. his move set has become seriously limited and it is getting hard to suspend disbelief that his opponents keep falling into perfect position for the 619. Rhodes has a good future ahead of him as a high mid card talent with occasional runs for the title. The only thing i dislike about Rhodes is that someone needs to buy him knee pads, it just looks odd without them. **1/2

The Corre Vs Big Show, Kane, Santino Marella, and Kofi Kingston

This was the match I was least looking forward to on the card. It seemed very rushed and more suited for a Smackdown match. This would be the worse match of the night if not for a later match. The WWE should have bumped this to the dark match and kept Daniel Bryan Vs Sheamus on the main card*

CM Punk Vs Randy Orton

I think the build up for this match was as good as any match on the card including Triple H Vs The Undertaker. I expected alot from this match and they did not disappoint. The psychology of the match was amazing. This is what it looks like when two guys recognize the opportunity they have and seize it. The WWE is in good hands for the next 10 years with these two wrestlers. The only thing i would change is to have Punk go over to continue the feud. The ending they had was great with the RKO from out of nowhere, I just would have preferred Punk to win. ****

Michael Cole Vs Jerry "The King" Lawler with special guest referee "Stone Cold" Steve Austin

By far this was the worse match of the night. Michael Cole is absolutely horrible in the ring and Lawler didn't look much better. The interference by Jack Swagger and Austin was way too predictable. This should have been a quick Lawler squash match, instead it seemed to drag on forever. The outcome change by the GM was brutal, it made a bad match worse. I can't recall a worse Wrestlemania match than this, any momentum from previous matches going into this was destroyed. 0 stars

Triple H Vs The Undertaker: No Holds Barred

The one word that sums this match up is wow. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the match. The brutality that both men showed during this match was astounding. There were several times during the match where my thoughts went from there is no way Triple H is winning to there is no way Taker is winning. In my humble opinion I think this was both mens best match in their hall of fame careers. The end was outstanding with Taker pulling out the Hell's Gate from seemingly being beaten. The follow up after the match was amazing as well. Showing Taker as being vulnerable for the first time that i can remember really sold how close Triple H came to ending the streak. The match was worked so well that several people I have talked to wondered if Taker was legitimately hurt, that is how you suspend disbelief. I would not be surprised if this match don't win match of the year. *****

LayCool and Dolph Ziggler Vs Trish Stratus, Snooki, and John Morrison

I was shocked at this being a decent match, I wish it would have been the opener instead of Edge Vs Del Rio. Not that this wasn't good i just think the Heavyweight title match would be a better fit here. Snooki had some decent skills, whoever worked with her to get her ready for the match needs a raise and promotion.  I had extremely low expectations for this match and it surpassed them. I went into the night expecting to give this zero stars and ripping it. **

John Cena Vs The Miz: WWE Title Match

Ok I'll start with what i liked about the match. The career retrospective videos were very well done. I felt like it really showed The Miz and John Cena as equals. Now that I am done with that on to the rest of this match. This match was ok at best and horrible for a Wrestlemania main event. I would totally be ok with this as a Raw main event or even a main event on one of the lesser pay per views like Extreme Rules. This is Wrestlemania, the showcase of the immortals, and if it was based on this match I would not consider either guy immortal, good but not immortal. The ending was atrocious. A double count out followed by The Rock, who has no authority other than being The Rock, restarting the match only to screw John Cena. I get that the bigger picture is The Rock Vs John Cena at some point but why ruin the Wrestlemania main event with that. I am going to be a little generous with my rating as overall I didn't think the match would be bad any other day of the year. **

Overall I give the event *** It had potential be one of the all time great Wrestlemania's but ended up being somewhat disappointing.

Wrestlemania 27 Predictions

* United States Champion Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan- I am picking Sheamus to retain here. I think they are going to build him back in to a main event player, starting with a solid US title reign 

* Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole with special referee "Stone Cold" Steve Austin- This may be the easiest match to pick on the card. I'm going with Lawler, although I wouldn't be surprised if there was a shocking return to help Cole ie: Jim Ross or Stone Cold turning on Lawler

* Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes- Mysterio would be the easy pick here, but i think the WWE will throw a curve ball and have Rhodes go over here

* Big Show, Kane, Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov vs. Ezekiel Jackson, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel and Wade Barrett- ****Spoiler alert****Kozlov was attacked by the Corre at the fan access event so he is being replaced by Kofi Kingston****end spoiler alert*** I am going with the face team here

* John Morrison, Trish Stratus and Snooki vs. Dolph Ziggler and Lay-Cool- My guess is team Morrison, Stratus, and Snooki will win with Snooki pinning Layla starting a Lay-Cool feud

* Randy Orton vs. CM Punk- CM Punk, I am guessing that they will play up the Orton injury and continue the feud through the Extreme Rules PPV

* World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio- Although I think it is way too soon I think all signs are pointing to Del Rio winning. My guess would be Christian turns on Edge and they feud while Del Rio faces a new challenger over the next few months. Big Show would fit well as a guy to build Del Rio as a credible champion

* The Undertaker vs. Triple H (No Holds Barred Match)- I may be the only one that thinks it but I am going with Triple H to end the streak. I see a Sean Michaels run in with a tease of him hitting Triple H only to turn around and hit Taker with sweet chin music followed by the two leaving to the DX theme one last time

* WWE Champion The Miz vs. John Cena- The Miz will retain the title here with The Rock and Cena having their falling out leading to a match at Sumer Slam

The WWE Hall Of Shame

Ok i know this has been beaten to death but I am going to throw my two cents in. Before i get into who I think should be in the WWE hall of fame let me list some of the people that are in: Johnny Rodz, Pete Rose, William Perry, Koko B Ware, Drew Carey, and Bob Uecker. If some one could please explain any of these inductions I would gladly listen to an intelligent argument for any or all of them. Now on to the meat of this blog, I am gonna list in no specific order the wrestlers i believe are a glaring omission to the hall.



"Macho Man" Randy Savage


The argument could start and end with this wrestler. From a time between the mid 80's to the late 90's Savage was continually a top card wrestler involved in some of the best angles in wrestling history. He was a multi time world champion in both the WWF And WCW. The only thing holding Savage back from being in the hall is some personal issue between him and Vince McMahon.



Bruno Sammartino


He had 2 WWWF championship reigns that combined equaled over 10 years. For a two decade period he was the man. He was the face of Vince McMahon Sr's WWWF and was a draw well after his prime. He has been reportedly offered a spot in the hall, but has turned it down for personal reasons.



Bob Backlund

A great technical wrestler who many have written off and ignored. He had a 5 year run as the WWWF/WWF world champion. Had a resurgence in the mid 90's with the Mr. Backlund character.


The Fabulous Freebirds

An influential tag team that was the top team in several organizations during their run. They invented what would be known as the "Freebird" rule where the members of the team could be interchanged keeping the opponents guessing as to who would be facing them.


Jake "The Snake" Roberts

The impact Roberts had on the wrestling industry is seriously hurt by his long time drug addiction destroying what was a great career. Roberts was the master of ring psychology, while never the biggest, strongest, or fastest wrestler Roberts was able to psych out opponents with his mannerisms and the giant python he would use.

Their are several others that could be included but in my opinion these are the most glaring omissions. What do you think? Who else should be a sure thing for the hall of fame?

Where Have You Gone Barry Horowitz?

I want to take the wrestling fans back to a simpler time. Way back to the days when Vince McMahon was destroying the old territory system that had been around for close to 100 years. Back when wrestling shows had such grapplers as Iron Mike Sharpe, George South, and the before mentioned Barry Horowitz wrestling in the main events regularly.

You see back in the old days the real main event wrestlers were kept away from each other except for on house shows and special events like pay per views. What would happen on a regular basis is guys that were called "enhancement talent" or "jobbers" were used to put over the name wrestlers. This made fans clamor for the special occasion when their favorite face would get his hands on the dastardly heel. Wrestlers would build feuds by promos, random attacks, and just good old fashioned who is better than who, so when Hulk Hogan finally got his hands on someone like King Kong Bundy it was a big deal.

The decline of these type matches happened in the mid 90's when you had the WWF and WCW involved in a monday night war over ratings. Little by little each company started doing away with the squash matches in a way to one up each other. In the short run this was great fans got to see matches like Ric Flair vs The Giant and Mick Foley vs The Rock on free tv on a weekly basis. This spiked the ratings for a long while and wrestling dominated cable viewer ship.

The WWF finally won the monday night war and WCW was bought out by Vince McMahon. This created what should have been another boom period to wrestling fans, alas this was not to be the whole WCW/ECW invasion angle was poorly done. The WWF became the WWE and slowly got stale over time. 

The other day I was thinking about how there hardly ever is a 1st time ever match on a pay per view anymore, and I don't mean Snooki wrestling. How much more special could John Cena vs The Miz be if we haven't seen it 50 times on Raw? Now on to the reason for this blog, the WWE and TNA should bring back the squash matches. There are a ton of guys on the roster that have no real purpose either use them or drop them and bring in new guys for the role. Besides the reasons i listed before for these kind of matches you could also use them as a way to get young talent valuable tv time and experience. Before you scoff at that idea think of this Mick Foley, The Hardy's, Triple H, Edge, Daniel Bryan, and AJ Styles were all at one point early in their careers used as jobbers. 

Just my opinion, what do you think? 

The Top 27 Wrestlers @ Wrestlemania

This is my list of the top 27 wrestlers only based on Wrestlemania appearances

27. Batista-barely edged out some other like the Honky Tonk Man and Ted DiBiase
26. Ravishing Rick Rude-an all time great heal who stepped his game up for the event
25. Kane-one of the best big men of all time
24. Demolition-technically a team but its my list so I can put them in as one if I want to
23. Kevin Nash/Diesel-his matches always had a big game feel to them
22. Ric Flair-probably the greatest wrestler of all time, suffers here from the few appearances he had
21. Mick Foley-one of the big time players in the attitude era
20. Ultimate Warrior-had all the potential to be an all time great but ego and other issues halted that
19. Rowdy Roddy Piper-Piper has some of the same issues as Flair but a little better overall WM performer
18. Eddie Guerrero-always entertaining, Eddie just had that it factor
17. Andre The Giant-unfortunately WM was at the tail end of his stellar career
16. The Legion Of Doom-the best tag team of all time
15. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat-had the greatest match in the history of the event and stole the show years after he retired
14. Scott Hall/Razor Ramon-always brought his a game to the grandest stage
13. Chris Benoit-I am not employed by the WWE so I am not going to pretend he didn't have some amazing matches
12. Kurt Angle-had some amazing showings at WM before leaving to go to TNA
11. Bret "The Hitman" Hart-this was one of the hardest decisions on this list for him not to be top 10

10. Randy "Macho Man" Savage-had the greatest match in WM history and several other stand out performances

9. John Cena-the face of the pg era, and i mean that in a good way

8. Chris Jericho-outstanding matches no matter where he was on the card

7. Edge-from money in the bank to tlc and all the way to the main event great performer

6. The Rock-he isn't called the great one for no reason

5. Triple H- it's good to be the king

4. Stone Cold Steve Austin-one of the big reasons for the success of the attitude era

3. Hulk Hogan-main evented more manias than anyone else

2. The Undertaker-18-0 I don't have to explain any further

1. Shawn Michaels-Mr Wrestlemania, The Show Stopper, and all other accolades do not even explain the brilliance of his career

The Top 15 Most Memorable Hair Styles In Wrestling History

In honor of Troy Tolamalu playing in this weekends superbowl i've decided to make a top 15 list of the most memorable hair styles in wrestling history.

15. Ink, inc
A totally forgettable team, other than the 12 inch mohawks

14. Bret "The Hitman" Hart
His hair style was a cross between a wet poodle and a cast member from an off broadway version of grease

13. Arn Anderson
He looked more like your drunk uncle than the total bad ass he really was

12. The Red Rooster
Poor Terry Taylor, he was stuck with one of the worse gimmicks ever, but at least he wasn't The Shockmaster

11. The British Bulldog Davy Boy Smith
He looked like the love child of Bo Derek and Lou Ferrigno. But no one dared to tell him how silly it looked

10. Andre The Giant
The giant Frenchman had an afro to rival Dr J and Artis Gilmore in his prime

9. John Cena
Whether you like him or not he is the face of the WWE right now and alot of that is based of his clean cut marine inspired look

8. Stone Cold Steve Austin/Goldberg
Between the two of them they made being bald headed and goateed the official look of being a bad ass in the late 90's

7. The Missing Link
Nothing about The Missing Link was conventional including his kabuki inspired hair

6. Ric Flair
Flair managed to ride the Farrah hair all the way to the top of space mountain

5. Sting
One of the most iconic wrestlers of the last 30 years got his first big break sporting this surfer inspired look

4. George "The Animal" Steele
The Animal makes this list due to the human hair sweater his is wearing

3. The Road Warriors
They looked like the could be extras on the movie of the same name

2. Gorgeous George
The original sports entertainer, Gorgeous George honed his look so well that most places he wrestled he incited a riot based on his flamboyant gimmick

and last but certainly not least



1. Hulk Hogan
Only in professional wrestling can someone that looks like an over tanned steroid fueled Crypt Keeper go on to be the biggest star of all time

in honor of cinco de mayo my 5 favorite mexican wrestlers

5. la parka

4. konan

3. super crazy 

2. tito santana

1. eddie guererro

ten best wrestling moves ever....in my opinion

10. rolling elbow 



9. shooting star press





8. moonsault



7. 3d



6. crippler crossface



5. spike piledriver





4. doomsday device



3. 5 star frog splash



2. crucifix bomb aka razor's edge



1. poison mist

interview with Gabe Sapolsky

i was fortunate enough to secure an interview with one of the best bookers in the wrestling buisness, Gabe Sapolsky. Gabe started in the original ECW, went on to co create Ring of Honor, and is now booking the critically acclaimed Dragon Gate USA and Evolve. he allowed me to pick his brain for a little while and this was the results.


how did you get involved with ecw?




----I was lucky and get in when ECW started in 1993 by writing Tod Gordon an actual letter asking if I could do a newsletter. I was fortunate enough to grow with the company from there.



what was it like working with eddie gilbert?



----I started right after he was gone.



who were some of the guys that helped you along early in your career?



----JT Smith immediately comes to mind. He is an all around great person. I don't know if I would have lasted in ECW without JT Smith helping me out.



did you have input on any of the angles in ecw, and if so what ones were your favorite?



----Not at all and nor would I have wanted any. There were so many great minds to learn from there.



what was your opinion of the raven/sandman crucifixion angle?



---I thought it was dramatic and effective, but I'm not coming from a religious point of views.



after ecw was sold to vince mcmahon, you and rob feinstein started ring of honor. what was the initial goal for the company?



---To supply a great DVD product.



roh, much like ecw, revolutionized the wrestling industry. did you realize that what you were doing was going to be as big as it was?



---Well, I don't think ROH ever came close to ECW's influence. We were just trying to present a good product for the fans.



how did you come up with the code of honor?



---I was looking for a way to say we are different since everyone was trying to be ECW at the time. The Code Of Honor made an immediate statement that ROH was doing something new and fresh.



for four years in a row you won the wrestling observer newsletter booker of the year, how did it feel to get the recognition for all your hard work?



---It was definitely nice and a compliment since so many people vote on it, but at the same time if I came along in the golden age of bookers like Heyman, Cornette, Watts, Graham and the list goes on and on I never would have even placed in the top 10.



what was your favorite roh angle?



---It's hard to say. They all mean a lot to me. They were like my children at the time.



your booking style has a definite japanese influence, who were some of the people you looked to as inspiration?



---I always enjoyed how All Japan booked in the early 90s.



you are now involved in evolve and dragon gate usa, and once again you are taking wrestling to the next level. how is it that you have been able to stay ahead of the curve when other bookers have fell off?



---Thank you for the compliment. I just always believe in re-inventing yourself and trying not to fall into routines.



are you ever satisfied or do you feel that you constantly have to top your own standards?



---I always strive to be better. It's what the fans deserve. You can never get comfortable.



some of the top wrestlers in the world right now have got their first big exposure working with you, who are you most proud of?



---Well, they all got where they are because of their talent. I'm proud of and happy for everyone that achieved success.



who are some wrestlers that you thought were not going to be big but ended up surprising you?



---I have to admit I passed on Ken Anderson for ROH.



if you could book one dream match with every wrestler involved in their prime what would it be?



---Eddie Gilbert vs. Jimmy Jacobs.



both dragon gate usa and evolve have been getting rave reviews from the wrestling community, are you surprised that both have caught on so fast?



---We are trying hard and working constantly so I'd like to think that hard work pays off. We are very happy from the support and response from the wrestling community.



what is the one word that comes to mind with the following people



tommy dreamer- class

paul heyman- mentor

lance storm- class

taz- tough

raven- smart

cm punk- straightedge

aj styles- athletic

paul london- character

christopher daniels- professional

jimmy jacobs- underrated

homicide- blllaaaapppp

bj whitmer- underappreciated

bxb hulk- charismatic

dragon kid- sensational

jon moxley- future

kota ibushi- athletic

kenta- ouch

the great muta- legend

chris hero- best

a verry big thank you to Gabe for doing this!!!!

check out Gabe on facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/profile.php?id=1226304925

check out Dragon Gate USA @ http://www.dgusa.tv/

check out Evolve @ http://www.evolvewrestling.com/

the jeff hardy situation

WWE: Jeff Hardy - My Life, My Rules
by now most of you have heard of the jeff hardy arrest yesterday, if not here is tmz's coverage: http://www.tmz.com/2009/09/11/former-wwe-champion-busted-for-steroids-pills/

ok now go back and read through it again. those are not typos. the man had 262 vicoden pills, 180 soma pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids and a residual amount of powder cocaine. that is an insane amount of drugs for one man to have. as most of you also know this is not hardy's first drug related issue. he has failed the wwe's wellness policy twice. this is a cry for help people.

the following is what hardy posted on his twitter page: "For the record, Matt didn't bail me out, loan me money, or is his name on anything.. He's just learning about today's situation.." and "The media is the media, I wish they would at least report the story correctly & accurately. I will make a statement later."

how much more cut and dry can it be hardy? you have a tremendous amount of drugs and a history of drug use, what else are we supposed to think?

i said this before when talking about kurt angle's situation earlier this year, but i will again. someone needs to have an intervention for this young man. he is going down the path of so many other high profile wrestlers that have died way too early. if he manages to get through this, and that is a big if, he needs to be held accountable for himself and get help. someone needs to step up and talk to him.

i guess i am just venting because i don't want to see someone else that has brought so much joy into my life prematurely end theirs by overdosing.