WWE Releases Finlay

Longtime WCW and WWE wrestler Finlay has been released from his WWE contract.  Finlay had retired a little while back from ring action and has been a producer for quite some time now behind the scenes on WWE television.  His release was a shock to the WWE talent as he was really well liked all around and helped many new superstars get their feet wet in the business.  There is some speculation that the decision came to fire Finlay after he scripted The Miz to interrupt the singing of the national anthem.  There was a good amount of the National Guard in attendance (who are huge WWE sponsors) and apparently they were not happy with Finlay's method of gaining heat for the Miz.  WWE has been working for the WWE since 2001 and its a shame that his career had to end this way.  I personally hope he gets rehired in some shape or form.

WWE All Stars Is A Fun-Ass Game!!

I just bought this game today and have been playing it all day!  I am a fan of the regular Smackdown Vs. Raw series but those games are very tech heavy, and its hard for friends of yours who havent played the games before, to pick it up and play you.  This game is extremely easy to pick up but that doesnt mean its not a fun game.  This game is to the WWE what Blitz is to the NFL.  You feel every suplex and diving elbow and every match is a fun time.

Mark Henry Looking To Hang Up His Boots Soon

In a recent interview, "The World's Strongest Man"stated that he will most likely be retiring within the next 18 months.  Despite the fact that he stated he could physically last at least 3 more years, Henry believes it is better now to call it a career.  I personally will miss him when he's gone.

Introducing: The Raw Report 3/29/11

 

I happen to enjoy many professions in my life.  I am a world touring electro DJ, I have been lucky enough to have worked with many talented people across the globe, but I also consider myself a pro wrestling journalist.  For the sake of efficiency, every time there is a cable showing of Raw, Smackdown, or Impact, I will write a report on the highlights of each show.  Enough explaining lets get down to brass tacks.  

CM Punk Intro:  You really have to hand it to Punk, only a real heel can have his hometown end up booing him after his promo.  This is an instance that shows true showmanship.  If you ask me, CM Punk has a huge possibility to take the role of Cerebral Assassin after Triple H retires.  Nobody else is as good at the evil mindgames as Punk, and he is in his prime! Another great aspect of the opening segment was having Randy Orton's leg give out while he was attempting to punt Orton.  This instills in the audience that there is a tangible possibility that Punk could beat Orton without the aid of the rest of The Nexus.

Edge and Christian Vs. Alberto Del Rio and Brodus Clay:  Once again WWE put this former, popular, team together and totally wasted a great nostalgia moment.  They didnt come out as a team and didnt do any of the same entertaining poses and quips that made us all love the original incarnation of Edge and Christian.  WWE has to realize that having these old teammates be on the same side isnt enough for great television.  They need to have some sort of nostalgia factor and WWE failed to do so on it's second chance.  I had another problem with how WWE is building this feud.  The amount of time that Christian and Edge are spending together, is heavily hinting towards Christian turning on Edge at Mania.  Christian's sole purpose at Mania is to be in Edge's corner.  If they didnt want Christian to turn on Edge and have him lose the title to Rio, there is no other reason to have them together.  

Santino Marella w/ Kane, Big Show, and Vladamir Kozlov Vs. Justin Gabriel and The Corre:  After it was announced that these two teams would be battling at Mania was very dissapointing.  It may be good for Kozlova and Marella and The Corre, but legends like Big Show and Kane are being lost in the fold with this match.  These two vets have proved that they can put on epic matches at Mania and its a shame to put them in such an uninteresting match.  Another problem is that The Corre has not been given any huge or interesting storyline and this makes a stable that no one cares about.  Wade Barrett is the only person who can come out profiting from this match and thats a shame.  On a final note, Kane doing the trumpet is stupid.

Sidebar:  Excited to see that my friend, Keri Hilson, will be performing at Mania.  

Undertaker/Triple H Encounter:  Before this encounter even happened I had chills.  These two legendary   will go face to face at Mania and every time they get in the ring with each other they put on great television.  It is a damn shame that these two icon's careers are nearing their end.  We will probably never see performers like these two again.  I loved the addition of Shawn Michaels, especially when Michaels asked why HHH can succeed where HBK failed twice.  This was a great addition to the story.  

I am also glad to see that the WWE didnt go the expected route and have these two hate each other but instead they show the utmost respect, as they should.  I really liked the touch of having Shawn Michaels leave the ring, showing that even he doesnt have faith in his best friend HHH.  My only concern with this match is that it has been mentioned that Taker is not completely healed yet and I seriously hope that this doesnt effect the potential this match has.

Jack Swagger Vs. Jerry Lawler:  This is one of the better feuds that I have seen built up in a long time.  It was a great touch to have Lawler beat Swagger but still not able to get at Michael Cole.  This makes, the fans yearn for Lawler to get his hands on Cole.

Rock Confronts John Cena and The Miz:  I was waiting for this encounter for a long time, but one complaint is that it was way too short.  It was only given ten minutes of tv time and I think a lot more could be accomplished if more time was given.  This segment was pretty good, good not great, but a lot was riding on this encounter and not give away the impact of these three together for free before Mania.  I thought the ending was great where Rock beat Miz but then Cena beat Rock.  This is a great buildup for whatever happens with these three.  Even though this buildup is great, I feel sorry for Miz.  Despite his efforts, he will end up as an afterthought with his own championship match at Mania.  I seriously hope that this match turns into a Triple Threat match.  Oh well, a guy can dream.  

-Well thats the Raw Report.  See you guys this thursday for Investigating Impact, then friday for The Smackdown Summary.  

Wade Barrett Wins First Single's Title

Last night Wade Barrett finally won a championship.  This superstar has already had some huge angles in his short tenure in the WWE but he has never worn any gold.  It's good to see Barrett given some individuality and win a major title.  I seriously see Barrett eventually winning the WWE title but only if he separates from the Corre.  In order for Barrett to succeed in this business he needs to stop leading groups and go solo.  I think his title win is a step in the right direction.

Michael Cole Tweets Gay Slur/ Apologizes

On twitter, Michael Cole called fellow announcer Josh Matthews a faggot.  After receiving backlash for the tweet Cole deleted the post and apologized to his followers and to Matthews as well.  CAREFUL COLE!!!

Kurt Angle Arrested

TNA wrestler Kurt Angle, was arrested after cops found Kurt's car parked in the middle of a median on a freeway.  The cops smelled alcohol on his breath and he was given a field sobriety test in which he failed.  Since Kurt was not driving the car at the time he was booked for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.  Not a DUI but he was still behind the wheel while drunk.

Kong Is Koming!

Former TNA wrestler Awesome Kong, will be soon making her debut in the WWE.  I have not seen a whole lot of her ring performances but I have heard good things.  She seems to be someone who would make a great addition to the roster.  She will no doubt make a great female heel and can fill a dominating woman role that hasn't been filled since Chyna left the WWE.  I am looking forward to her tenure in the WWE.

Best Managers/Valets Of All Time

Terri Runnels:  Ms. Runnels had a very large run as a great manager/valet that was able to distract people with her "blessings" and over the top rope pose that won the hearts of many prepubescent teenagers during the attitude era.  Her run as Goldust's manager was what made her famous but her run as the "Horny She-Devil" is truly what kept fans interested.

Sable:  Hands down one of my favorite females in the WWE of all time.  She started out as a beautiful valet for the extremely mediocre Marc Mero, to a great in ring performer and eventual women's champion.  She paved the way for many WWE Divas during her time in the WWE and definitely one of the first of the WWE Divas that was actually hot.  

Mr. Fuji:  How could you make this list without the inclusion of Mr. Fuji.  Probably one of the most hated managers of all time.  Fuji was one of the managers that pioneered the idea that if you are not from America, then you are automatically hated.  He has managed a list of who's who in the world of wrestling villains and thats why he will always go down in history as one of the best.  

Captain Lou Albano:  Probably THE most enthusiastic and colorful managers of all time.  Despite who Captain Lou Albano was managing people would cheer him which was a start because most managers were looked as mostly villains.  He was the first wrestling manager to reach outside media faster than any other manager in wrestling, working with singers and even Nintendo to portray Super Mario!

Classy Freddie Blassie:  One of the true originals in the world of wrestling managers.  Without him the character of larger than life managers would not be here today.  He paved the way for many villain managers that are around today and he will always be remembered as a true pioneer.

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan:  If you didnt hate/enjoy watching this guy every week, something is very wrong with you.  Even if he wasnt managing wrestlers like, Mr. Perfect, or Andre the Giant, his dialogue with Gorilla Monsoon was nothing but classic.  He was a heel that people not only loved to hate, but loved to laugh at as well.  His comedic timing is still dominant to any other performer to this day.

Chyna:  While Sable was the woman that paved the way for women to be viewed not only as athletes, but beautiful women, Chyna revolutionized how women were involved in the day to day events of professional wrestling.  After having a great run as Triple H's manager, she moved on to become not only first female Royal Rumble entrant, but she was also the first female Intercontinental Champion in the history of the business.

Jim Cornette:  Cornette was someone who the fans truly despised.  The chorus of boos that accompanied this man was truly astounding.  Other managers and valets were booed but were laughable as well.  Cornette was one of the first managers that I believe truly epitomized evil.

Debra:  Debra was the attitude era's Miss. Elizabeth.  She was someone who people loved to see wear as little clothing as possible but Jeff Jarrett would never let us take a peak under her blazer.  With a body that would make any man weak in the knees, Debra was always able to secure a win for her wrestlers by providing excellent "distractions."

Miss Elizabeth:  The First Lady Of Wrestling.  The first woman to really create interest in a manger or valet, back when such popularity for ringside valets was unheard of.  Not only was she the woman who was always there for Randy Savage, but I truly believe that fans fell in love with this women.  Not only was she beautiful, but she seemed to have a heart of gold.  May she rest in peace.  

Jimmy Hart:  The Mouth Of The South!  Jimmy Hart is one of those managers that spring to mind when you mention professional wrestling.  He has managed a large roster of wrestlers in his career but none of those were bigger than Hulk Hogan.  Hart eventually became a sidekick to Hogan and whenever you saw that megaphone, you know that it was very close to Hulkamania time.  

Paul Bearer:  In my opinion, the most entertaining manager of all time.  Paul Bearer's character, facial expression, and high pitched voice always gave us this chills.  Wether it was Undertaker, Kane, or Mankind, our eyes would always be drawn to ringside whenever a wrestler employed the talents of this former mortician.  

Sensational Sherri:  I mean just look at her, her look and attitude was one that intimidated wrestlers of both sexes.  Sherri was a manager that was always given to a new wrestler who the company wanted to gain notoriety.  Sherri was always a manager that the fans loved to boo and if a heel wrestler needed that extra touch, Sherri was always there to make those heels legendary.

Stacy Keibler:  If I didnt include this woman in this list something would be seriously wrong with me.  Not only did she have natural beauty, but her features served to gain wins for many of the wresters she managed such as, The Dudleys, Scott Steiner, and the Hurricane.  She was the only female to enter the ring in such a memorable fashion.  If you dont know what I am talking about, youtube it, you wont regret it.  One look at Keibler's natural beauty will instantaneously melt every wrestling fan's heart.  

Stephanie Mchmahon:  Starting out as Vince's innocent little girl, Stephanie grew to be one of the most despised wrestling valets of all time.  Her transition from sweetheart to evil manipulator was genius and provided great television.  The Mcmahon/Helmsely era during the early 2000's was one of the most entertaining heel runs in the history of wrestling.  She doesn't appear on tv all that much anymore but if she ever does return, fans would definitely welcome her back with open arms.  

Wrestlers Who Retired Too Early (In My Opinion At Least)...

The Rock

Rikishi

Batista

Billy Kidman

Bret Hart

Stone Cold Steve Austin

Goldberg

Macho Man Randy Savage

Ricky Steamboat

Wasted Talent?

Kenneth Anderson, AKA Mr. Kennedy, AKA Mr. Anderson, is one superstar that was fired from the WWE that should have never been let go in the first place.  I know he was fired from the WWE, which is the reason why he works for TNA, but I strongly disagree with the WWE's decision to let him go.  Regardless of the true reason he was let go, I believe that it was a huge mistake for the WWE to lose a performer with as much potential and talent as Anderson.  I have been watching TNA as well as WWE, and he seems to be one of the only interesting wrestlers on the TNA roster.  There is a constant rumor that Anderson pissed off one, or more, of the superstars who have a lot of say in the company, which is why he was so unceremoniously let go from the WWE.  Kenneth Anderson is a wrestler with great ring presence and natural character that keeps people entertained.  While he is certainly doing well in TNA, WWE is place where superstars become legends and I don't see Andrerson realizing his potential greatness in TNA. I hope that WWE lets bygones be bygones and some day rehires Mr. Anderson and lets him shine as the superstar I think he could be.

The Chaperone=Crap. Triple H HImself= Not Bad At All

Maybe I am a little biased, but I have just watched The Chaperone on instant streaming netflix (thank you netflix for this wonderful feature) and I really don't think that Triple H was all that bad in the movie at all!  Sure the story was cliche and the rest of the characters could have been played by any actor on the planet, but I do believe that Triple H was not bad at all in this role.  He played his part, if not well, then definitely well enough.  I went into this movie thinking that I would be blasting his acting left and right but I was pleasantly surprised.  While the movie itself was nowhere near good, Triple H was not as bad as I expected him to be.  Put him in one more movie with a great character, I expect good things from Hunter Hearst Helmsely

I Miss Rey Mysterio's Old Entrance!

Remember when Rey Mysterio used to pop up from under the stage when he entered the ring?  He seemed to be shot 12 feet in the air!  That was truly one of the better ring entrances of all time.  I don't know why WWE decided not to use this entrance anymore.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Rey's legs are not what they used to be and landing on a hard surface from that height simply is terrible for already fragile knees.  Whatever the cause, I really do miss this version of his entrance.

Edge's Pyro Pose Is Very Generic And Dumb.

While Edge is a very talented superstar, and definite potential legend, his entrance has always seemed to be forced an uninspired.  As Edge got a bigger following with the WWE fans I feel that he wanted his entrance to be cooler and wanted pyro added to it.  I can see how the conversation went down; the WWE official asks, "how do you want your pyro to trigger?"  Edge replies "ummmmm how about when I throw up the rock and roll horns?!"  Like I said very uninspired and stupid to me, but thats just my opinion.

TNA Morale Is Reportedly Down...

...and why wouldn't it be?!  I have not seen one thing that TNA has done recently that has been any good or has given the new wrestlers any time to shine.  The matches are crap, the championship belt has been given back and forth to old wrestlers, and there seems to be no real direction with the company.  TNA has been doing their weekly shows in Orlando Florida on a sound stage for what seems to be like forever.  If they truly were making any headway their fan base would be much bigger but it doesn't seem to grow past hardcore TNA fans or occasional visitors to Disney World.  Now that Bischoff and Hogan run the show with an already delusional Jeff Jarrett, I do not see this company growing at all in the near future.  Remember Hogan, Bischoff, and even Jarrett, were big reasons why WCW failed, throw in Vince Russo, and you essentially have the same, doomed company.

Possibly One Of The Best Heels Of All Time

In the previous post, I wrote about what I thought was wrong about the Nexus.  I am now going to talk about what was very right about the Nexus.  The thing that was so great about the New Nexus, was CM Punk.  While Punk was a very popular Face wrestler he has made a much bigger impact in the WWE as a heel and I truly enjoy watching him every week on Raw.  The way that CM Punk has channeled a Charles Manson-esque method of appearing truly evil, and manipulative, is what make the WWE truly entertaining.  In the future I do believe that CM Punk will be held in regards to the top WWE heels of all time with names such as Ted DiBiase Sr, Triple H, Roddy Piper, and Rick Rude.  The best type of villain is the one who can truly get inside someone's head and the way CM Punk manipulates and controls the people who serve under him (the new Nexus or, the Straight Edge Society) really makes for a much scarier Heel.  I love CM Punks work ethic and his new form of evil that he has brought to the WWE.  Back when Triple H was a huge heel he became such a popular villain that eventually the WWE fans started to cheer him.  This is a very same path that I see CM Punks character taking as well.  Not only can Punk entertain physically, but he is vastly entertaining with every other method of his character as well.  Not only do I see Punk being regarded as one of the best villains of all time, I would not be surprised if he goes down as one of the best superstars of all time.

The New Nexus: Where Do They Go From Here?

If you follow the WWE week to week you probably know that every member of the New Nexus, except for CM Punk, has been eliminated due to Randy Orton's punt.  This means that the match between him and Punk will truly be one on one which is always good for a match happening at Wrestlemania.  While this is good for the upcoming match itself, what is to become of the "injured" members of the new Nexus?  We already have seen Husky Harris debut a new persona in the developmental FCW and I believe it is only a matter of time before we see the rest of the Nexus members go back to the FCW roster.  I truly wonder why WWE decided to bring these people up to the majors only to send them back to the developmental territory.  The original Nexus was a great idea for a villain stable and provided many interesting moments of WWE television but I believe that the same effect could have been achieved with established WWE wrestlers who are on the newer side rather than brand new wrestlers entirely.  I seriously hope that we see more of the former Nexus members sometime in the future as I believe they have a lot of potential.  What I also wonder, is why the WWE was so quick to squash the Nexus idea while the Corre (which I believe to be a poor man's Nexus) is alive and well.  The only explanation I can find is that the WWE believes that of all the original NXT superstars the people who moved to the Corre were the only ones that they could see with immediate potential.

  While I see the reasoning behind these decisions, I do no think it was fair to bring these new wrestlers to the majors and introduce them to the WWE universe only to take them away so quickly.  I mean they never really had a chance to make a huge impact at all.  There are a lot of ideas the the WWE makes that I dont fully agree with but this could have been a great way to introduce some new blood, but they took it away before it truly meant anything.

I Have A Serious Problem With The WWE Hall Of Fame

The hall of fame of whatever sport it represents should only have the best of the best inducted.  Those who paved the way and made huge impacts in the world of its respective sport.  While I agree with about 85 percent of the "wrestlers" that the WWE has inducted into its hall of fame, I no longer consider it to be the respective ceremony it used to be.  Now I know that the people running the WWE are not idiots.  While they do make mistakes from time to time they do always end up doing what is right for the organization and the people who watch it.  The only flaw that I continuously find with the WWE is who they induct into the hall of fame.  While there are legends inducted such as Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ric Flair, Ricky The Dragon Steamboat, there are people in most of the classes that should never have been inducted.

Let me give you a short list of people who should have never graced this hall of immortals:
-Pete Rose
-William Perry
-Bob Uecker

Yes the list is short but the fact that even one of these names made it into the WWE hall of fame shits on anyone who has rightfully earned their place in to the hall of fame.  I would not be surprised if in the future we see David Arquette inducted.  The Hall should be reserved for those who poured their blood, sweat and tears into this business.  While the majority of these inductees have done just that, these names almost make the whole induction mean nothing.  While these three names have given a few great WWE memories, none of the people mentioned deserve to be named in the same sentence as any of the greats inducted into the Hall.  Pete Rose was entertaining with his encounters with Kane but I hardly consider him to be one of the best of the best in the business.  The same goes for Drew Carey, who will be inducted this year but has had fewer WWE moments than Pete Rose!  The WWE is for the best of the best in the business and its Hall Of Fame should be thought of with great pride.  If they continue to admit these one-off celebrities I am afraid the Hall of Fame will lose all meaning.

Santino And Kozlov Better Be Careful!

Don't get me wrong here, I find the team of Kozlov and Santino to be great television and extremely funny, but I do tend to worry about these two superstars' future.  While they are extremely entertaining you would never see these two with the heavyweight championship.  I guess that isnt really that bad of a point because there have been many influential superstars who never help the heavyweight or world titles.  They are great superstars with great talent I just hope they arent seen as jokes their whole careers.  I hope they are liked for their talent and their humor as opposed to being looked down upon.

Michael Cole Is Great Television!

Let me just say that I am a huge fan of the current heel run Michael Cole is having.  I especially like when he came out dressed as JR on this past Raw, and I seriously crack up every time he says "may I have your attention please?"  He is hilarious and I know the fans are having a great time booing him.  I love the feud he is having with Jerry The King Lawler and I know the match they have against each other at Wrestlemania will be fun as hell to watch.

Wrestlers That Probably Will Lose Their Jobs In 2011

JTG

Chris Masters

Primo

Curt Hawkins

Yoshi Tatsu