The Steel Cage

Watch Out Wrestling World, Here Comes ROH

2008-07-03T20:17:10Z

Ring of Honor fans have long been singing the praises of the boutique independent wrestling promotion based in Philadelphia that has revolutionized what the sport can look like. Still, a lot of fans of WWE and TNA's sleek product and starpower have dismissed ROH as nothing more than a novelty promotion that appeals to a tiny segment of Internet fans. But it seems that the rest of the wrestling world may finally be taking notice of ROH. Two of the biggest stars ever produced in ROH - Samoa Joe and C.M. Punk are wearing world titles in TNA and WWE, respectively. Several other ROH alums, including Jay Lethal, A.J. Styles, and Evan Bourne, are also making names for themselves on the national wrestling scene. It seems that not only are fans starting to warm up to ROH, but - perhaps more importantly - so are WWE and TNA promoters. With that in mind, I thought I'd share this press release I received from ROH booker Gabe Sapolsky: The ROH World Title holds a very special place in the wrestling industry. The ROH belt isn't about who plays politics or who is friends with the writers or who looks good under fancy pyrotechnics. The ROH World Title signifies the best the sport of pro wrestling has to offer. We can back that statement up. Since Samoa Joe made the ROH strap into a World Title on May 17th, 2003, there have been eight individuals that have held the belt. Each forged their own legacy with the ROH World Title. Now they have risen to the top throughout the entire wrestling world. Need proof? Current ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness has come into his own as a superstar with two match of the year candidates on pay-per-view and great title defenses against all comers on ROH DVDs this year. At this rate he will be at the top of every wrestler of the year poll at the end of the year. It is time for everyone to start buzzing about what McGuinness has done as ROH World Champion. Former 15 month ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson is the most sought after wrestler in the world. In the past month he has wrestled for ROH, WWE, AAA and NOAH. He has worked for the top companies in the United States, Japan and Mexico. He has also wrestled in England and Germany. Again, he has done all of this in the last month alone. Can anyone in the last 20 years claim this accomplishment? Former six month ROH World Champion Austin Aries is simply the ace of ROH. His team with Roderick Strong made the ROH Tag Titles into World Tag Team Titles and raised its prestige to the highest in the sport. He has carried ROH on his back. He is currently in the middle of wrestling's most intense, emotional and intricate feud against Jimmy Jacobs and The Age Of The Fall. Former eight month ROH World Champion Takeshi Morishima is now the GHC Heavyweight Champion in NOAH. This is considered by many to be the most prestigious title in Japan. Former 21 month ROH World Champion Samoa Joe is the current TNA World Heavyweight Champion. CM Punk, who owns arguably ROH's most controversial World Title reign, is the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion after setting the wrestling world on fire with his surprising title win last Monday on Raw. Homicide, who held the ROH World Title briefly after an incredible win, is now one half of the TNA Tag Team Champions. We have heard it from the critics over the years when it comes to ROH talent. In 2004 when Samoa Joe and CM Punk were battling to one hour classics for the ROH World Title the journalists looked for any holes they could find. They said that they were too small, they didn't have the bodies, this would be their career highlights, they weren't cut out to make it anywhere else. The negatives went on and on. Well, now it is time to face it and you can't deny it. The fact is that the best talent is in ROH. The fact is that this talent cut free and allowed to perform their art with no restrictions or politics. The fact is that only the elite rise to the top of ROH. The ROH World Title signifies the best pro wrestling has to offer. You can't deny the place of the ROH World Title and what it means to the entire industry now. It is time to take notice and get ahead of the curve with Ring Of Honor.

My turn with some trivia ...

2008-07-03T06:01:46Z

Before I get to the trivia, I must give major props to my fellow blogger Alfonso -- on Monday, the very day that Alfonso scored an exclusive interview with the infamous Martin Tankleff -- he posted not just one, but two blog posts about CM Punk winning the World Title. Now THAT'S a wresting fan. Anyway, on to my trivia question -- when was the last time Triple H won a world title (World or WWE) in a match that did not involve Randy Orton?

Trivia Answer... Sort Of

2008-07-02T15:24:50Z

On the heels of C.M. Punk capturing his first world championship Monday night, I asked you yesterday, "Who are the last three people, before Punk, to become first-time world champions in WWE?" A lot of you chimed in with your responses. And here is the correct answer: Well, I'm not completely sure. As many of you astutely noted, the answer sort of depends on how you interpret the question. I'll tell you that when I posed the question, I had in mind The Great Khali, who won the Smackdown world heavyweight title last July, King Booker, who won the same title in July of 2006, and Rob Van Dam, who won the Raw WWE championship in July of 2006. The confusion mostly surrounded whether Booker should be included among those three, seeing as how he not only had won several world titles in WCW, but also defended the WCW championship in WWE when the two companies merged. That said, I did specify that I was referring specifically to the Smackdown and Raw versions of the world title. And while the current world heavyweight championship belt worn by Punk is the same one used for years as the WCW championship, the lineages are completely different. So, since I get to make the rules, I'll stick with my original answers - Khali, Booker, and RVD.

Trivia: The World Champions' Club

2008-07-01T15:52:41Z

Being able to claim to have been a WWE world champion can make a career, whether your reign lasts a year or a day - as was the case with "former WWE champion Kane." With his first world title win yesterday, C.M. Punk becomes the latest person to join the elite club of WWE world champions. So my question is, who are the last three people, before Punk, to become first-time world champions in WWE? I am, of course, only counting the Raw and Smackdown versions of the title, and not the ECW championship. Now stop clicking over to Wikipedia, you cheaters.

The Upside & Downside of C.M. Punk

2008-07-01T15:42:01Z

I’m as blown away as anybody by the drastic steps WWE has taken over the last week to freshen up its product with a host of new young superstars inserted into top storylines and feuds. Of course, no step was bigger than the decision to put the world heavyweight title around the waist of C.M. Punk last night. In many ways, Punk personifies the kind of changes many fans have been clamoring for a long time. He’s not a WWE product, having developed his name and gimmick in the independent scene and most notably in Ring of Honor. He’s undersized. And he has a completely unique look and wrestling style. But none of that is to say that C.M. Punk if the perfect choice to lead a new movement in WWE. He may, however, be the best of WWE’s options. But, as evidenced by some of the feedback that last night’s Raw has gotten, many fans may be slow to warm up to Punk as a legitimate main event level superstar. Here are my thoughts on the upside and downside of WWE’s newest headliner: The Upside: Punk has a rare thing that many wrestlers with a lot more natural gifts work their entire careers to achieve, and often never do – star power. His connection with fans was evidenced from his first appearance on WWE television two years ago. He had already risen to become a top star in ROH, and even its heavyweight champion, but the reality is that the vast majority of WWE fans had never seen Punk in action when he made his ECW debut. That starpower was apparent last night from the crowd response when Punk stepped through the curtains with his briefcase in tow. Punk can be exciting in the ring, but I think it’s his charisma that will win fans over. The Downside: The label of “Internet darling” has hurt Punk on occasion over the last two years, as both WWE power brokers and many fans associate Punk with a breed of know-it-all wrestling fan that doesn’t understand the realities of the business. Punk’s relatively small size may also be an issue as he is expected to credibly defend his title against heavyweight contender. Luckily for him, the likes of the Big Show, Triple H, and other behemoths are on other brands, and Punk could credibly match up with the likes of Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton and other Raw challengers. Still, Punk is so unique, I don’t doubt it will take some time, and development of his character, to bring some fans around. I think it’s possible though. In the end, despite the tattoos and piercings, Punk is an old fashioned babyface at heart.

What The...? C.M. Punk Wins The World Heavyweight Championship

2008-07-01T01:58:37Z

Can I curse on a Newsday.com blog? Because there's a word that would follow "Holy" that is the only fair assessment of what I just witnessed. C.M. Punk is the new world heavyweight champion! I am loving the mood Vince McMahon has been in over the last week. Those of us who have been crying for some fresh faces in WWE's cards can feel vindicated, because our message is getting through. Kofi Kingston is the Intercontinental champion. Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes are world tag team champions. Lance Cade is involved in a program with Shawn Michaels. And C.M. Punk - a man who made a name for himself in little old Ring of Honor - is the world champion. What's this strange feeling I'm experiencing? Why, it's a bona fide "mark out" moment.

Night of Champions Thoughts

2008-06-30T14:41:40Z

I really enjoyed last night's pay per view - especially the final hour, which delivered two of the more fun and exciting WWE world title matches in a while. I was consistently entertained throughout the night, and I'm intrigued about where WWE is going forward, especially without a world champion on the supposed A-brand. Here are some quick thoughts, match by match: WWE Tag Team Champions The Miz & Morrison defeated Finlay and Hornswoggle: It was somewhat eye-opening to watch this match with my father, who is 76, and was beyond amused by the sight of a little person holding his own in the ring. Hornswoggle definitely has his audience. This match was fine comedy, but in the end I'm glad they're sticking with the Miz and Morrison as tag team champions. They've developed into one of the Smackdown/ECW's hottest acts. U.S. Champion Matt Hardy defeated Chavo Guerrero: This was a battle between two of WWE's most talented and bland wrestlers. It's got to be frustrating for Matt Hardy. He's a good worker, a company guy, and has mostly kept his nose clean. And for that, he is exiled to ECW. His brother Jeff is perpetually screwing up, and he gets one big push after another. That said, I totally understand why that's the case. This match was another good example of how, despite Matt being perfectly capable, he just doesn't connect with fans. Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes defeated Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes (?!) for the world tag team championship: A lot of us saw this turn coming a mile away, but it was still well executed and fun to see play out. The team of Dibiase and Rhodes could be a hot young act if they're given a real tag team division in which to compete. I'm still curious as to what Ted Jr. can do in the ring. All we know right now is that he has a decent amount of charisma, passable mic skills, and an awful theme song. Mark Henry defeated Kane and Big Show to win the ECW championship: With these three involved, there was no way this match could be any good, and it wasn't. But nonetheless, you had to smile about Mark Henry winning his first "major" singles title. He may not be very good in the ring, but after being signed 12 years ago to an inflated contract without having wrestled a single match, Henry has worked hard to earn his keep and has survived a lot of hurdles along the way. I was glad to see him have his moment in the sun. Women's Champion Mickie James defeated Katie Leah Burchill: James was good as always, but Katie looked pretty green in there. Still, there was some good intensity here and I wouldn't mind seeing more of these two together. Kofi Kingston defeated Chris Jericho for the Intercontinental Title: I really enjoyed this, and was thrilled to see WWE take yet another step in freshening up its product. Kingston is exactly the kind of guy they should be getting behind - young, exciting, and very unique. I'm not saying he should be wrestling in main events any time soon, but he could be a big benefit to Raw's mid card. It's also good for the IC title to be around the waist of someone who will actually defend it. World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeated Batista: One of the big surprises of 2008 may be Vickie Guerrero, who went from almost being a cruel joke to the Guerrero family to being one of the most entertaining characters on WWE TV. She was at her irritating best getting involved in this match, and who didn't get a kick out of seeing Batista send her flying? This was a fun finish that helped further Edge's role as the ultimate opportunist, and make Batista the sympathetic babyface as he comes to Raw. Batista also deserves a lot of credit for having come a long way in the ring over the last year. WWE Champion Triple H defeated John Cena: I don't dispute that Cena and Triple H are two of WWE's biggest stars, but after having seen them interact so much in recent months, I wasn't too excited about this match. But they definitely won me over with what felt like a truly epic showdown between two modern wrestling greats. The final minutes of this match were as good as anything I've seen in a WWE main event since Kurt Angle left the company - innovative reversals, dramatic nearfalls, amazing feats of strength, and a decisive, satisfying finish. This was one of the best matches I've seen all year. It's amazing how much difference a week can make. Coming off last week's historic draft and last night's pay per view, the same WWE that just days ago seemed as stale and flat as I could remember now seems re-energized and filled with possibilities. This should be a fun summer for wrestling fans.

WWE Night of Champions preview and predictions

2008-06-29T06:21:20Z

Six days removed from the 2008 WWE Draft Lottery (which is neither a draft, nor a lottery -- discuss) is the second-annual Night of Champions Pay-Per-View, the first of which was more memorable for what happened in a house down in Atlanta while the show was going on than it was for anything that happened at the actual show. This year's show actually has some potential to build on the draft and set up some interesting stories for the coming year. Here's my thoughts and predictions. WWE Title: Triple H vs. John Cena. Internet reports claim that this was to be their "blowoff match," originally set for SummerSlam but moved up to Night of Champions when the draft moved HHH to Raw. Being the "blowoff" match, I'm guessing that means that Cena was to win the title. The fact that HHH is moving to SmackDown (which already has Edge as a champion, something I don't see changing at the PPV) means a title switch would be logical. Perhaps WWE will do their trademark "swerve for the sake of a swerve" and keep the title on HHH at the PPV, then switch it to Cena on Raw, since Monday's Raw showed us that as usual, WWE cares about ratings more than PPV buyrates. One way or another, look for a new champion to be crowned, and hopefully that will be the catalyst of a slow Cena heel turn that's YEARS overdue. By the way, what would I do if I were booking? I'd have HHH retain at the PPV in a hard-fought war, only to have CM Punk come out and cash in Money in the Bank, winning the title and becoming Raw's savior. World Title: Edge vs. Batista. The feud has no steam or purpose anyway, and especially with Batista going to Raw, I think Edge retains. ECW Title: Kane vs. Big Show vs. Mark Henry. Logic would dictate that Henry wins, since he's the only ECW guy here. US Title: Matt Hardy vs. Chavo Guerrero. Putting the title on Chavo would make absolutely no sense whatsoever. His ECW Title reign was the proverbial "fart in church" and taking the title off Matt so soon would negate any bump he got from winning the title. You know what I'd like to see happen? I'd love to see Big Show win the ECW Title and Matt Hardy retain the IC title, then they do a backstage segment where the following happens: Matt: "You're the ECW Champion." Big Show: "You're the US Champion." Matt: "But you're on SmackDown." Big Show: "And you're on ECW." Then they look at each other for a second and trade belts. Now THAT would be funny. IC Title: Chris Jericho vs. Mystery Opponent. I don't believe this has been officially announced yet, but I'm hoping that (a) the Mystery Opponent is NOT Shawn Michaels -- why give such a hot match away unannounced??? -- and (b) Jericho loses the title. The IC belt means nothing on Jericho -- there's a reason he hasn't worn it in recent memory. And for the record, it would mean even less on Michaels. World Tag Titles: Holly and Rhodes vs. DiBiase and ??? -- I'd love to see either Rhodes turn on Holly to be the mystery partner, or DH Smith return to win the titles with DiBiase. Either way, expect a title change. P.S. -- I think the formation of a "next generation" type group (imagine one with DH Smith, DiBiase Jr, Cody Rhodes and Natalya Neidhart, and possibly led by Randy Orton once he returns -- or how about Carlito???) could be absolute money. WWE Tag Titles: Miz and Morrison vs. Finlay & Hornswoggle. I'm guessing Miz and Morrison retain in a comedy match, mostly because there's already so many other probably title switches at this show. Women's Title: Mickie James vs. Katie Burchill: I'm guessing Mickie retains. Same reason as above. Divas Title: Natalya vs. ??: Will this match happen? It's not listed on WWE.com right now, though it's been discussed ... I see Natalya going over if it does ... So what do you think?

Feel the power of destrucity!

2008-06-29T05:51:53Z

Did I say Destrucity? I meant Metamucil ... thanks to a friend from pulsewrestling.com for sending this along ...

It's hard to believe ...

2008-06-29T04:57:46Z

... that Saturday was TEN YEARS since THIS happened:

At Least Somebody Thought the McMahon Angle Looked Real

2008-06-25T21:15:58Z

From KHOU-TV in Houston. Wow. It sounds serious: WWE chairman hurt in freak accident 11:21 AM CDT on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 KHOU.com staff report HOUSTON -- WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was injured in a freak accident in San Antonio Monday night. Just moments after giving away $500,000 in “McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania,” McMahon was crushed by a large electric sign that fell from the AT&T Center. The extent of his injuries was unclear, but he was rushed to the hospital. WrestleMania officials planned to update fans on McMahon’s condition at a press conference in Houston Tuesday. WWE stars were scheduled to be on hand at the Toyota Center before filming SmackDown and ECW at the arena.

WWE supplemental draft results and thoughts

2008-06-25T20:30:17Z

So D.H. Smith moves to SmackDown, the same place where his cousin Natalya is, potentially setting up a longterm storyline with next-generationers. Though Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. remain on Raw (for now), this makes me four-for-four with my draft predictions from earlier in the week. But don't give me any of the credit. Actually, give the credit to WWE. Because my predictions were just based on common sense, on what would be the most logical thing to do booking-wise. And they actually did it. So kudos to them for the longterm foresight. (And here's hoping that they do some kind of storyline with Triple H and Edge where Triple H is outraged that the only reason Edge is the champion is because his romantic interest is the boss. Remember, Vince -- reality sells!) That being said, let's look at the rest of the moves in this afternoon's under-the-radar supplemental draft. Going pick by pick: 1. Mark Henry to ECW -- Add in that Mark was just added to the ECW Title match at Night of Champions and perhaps this makes the result of Sunday's PPV match a gimme. I don't know if they're giving Henry a big push as a make-good for the Michael Hayes thing, or if they're just moving him to ECW to get him away from Hayes' show. Either way, they seem to love Mark, even though he's never had a long run of success. Perhaps this will be his big break. 2. Jamie Noble to Raw -- Jamie, who also works as a backstage agent -- seems to be making the move more for backstage reasons than for on-camera ones. The backstage agents are broken down by show, and although ALL the agents work Pay-Per-Views and big shows, this seems more an executive personnel thing to me than a big chance for Noble's character. 3. Trevor Murdoch to SmackDown -- Seems logical after the start of Lance Cade's big push last week. I like Murdoch's character, in large part because he doesn't "look" like everyone else on the show, which makes him fun and different. He'll be a midcard "jobber to the stars" as they say, which is what you'd expect. Or maybe he can team up with Jimmy Wang Yang? 4. Big Daddy V to SmackDown -- OK then. 5. Deuce to Raw -- Who the heck is Deuce? 6. DH Smith to SmackDown -- Perhaps Natalya will have some help winning the new Divas Championship this Sunday ... 7. Hornswoggle to ECW -- This is a fun move, and Hornswoggle actually fits in with the personality of what the ECW brand should be (rather than what Vince has turned it into). 8. Super Crazy to ECW -- Vince, Common Sense. Common Sense, Vince. 9. Chuck Palumbo to Raw -- I Chuck take you Billy ... 10. Brian Kendrick to SmackDown -- I'm getting dizzy already ... 11. Matt Striker to Raw -- Who? 12. Maria to SmackDown -- The post-Playboy curse kicks in ... 13. Shelton Benjamin to SmackDown -- See here's one that boggles my mind. Shelton has all the talent in the world -- athleticism, personality, charisma, and yet he continues to be kept in the midcard. And now he moves to SmackDown, which has suddenly become the most top-heavy WWE show. I would have liked to have seen Shelton stay in ECW and be a top guy there, or even move to Raw to work before the live crowd again. Shelton deserves a break. 14. Finlay to ECW -- See Jamie Noble. I think this is more an agent thing than anything. Finlay is one tough dude, and I think he'll bring that to ECW matches, either as a competitor or as an agent. I actually like this move a lot for the ECW brand. 15. Carlito to SmackDown -- I love Carlito and I think he's gonna be a huge player someday. Mark my words -- this 15th pick of the supplemental draft will turn out to be a huge move for WWE and for SmackDown. The only reason WWE was able to move Rey Mysterio to Raw is because Carlito has the ability and talent to be a huge draw for that Friday Latino audience, and I think you'll see that come to pass sooner rather than later. I know SmackDown is crowded at the top, but Carlito is money. Want proof? Go watch Piper's Pit at WM 21 with Carlito, Stone Cold and Roddy Piper. Carlito's in the ring with two all-time legends and totally outshines 'em both. And that was YEARS ago. Maybe Carlito will be the leader of the DH Smith/Natalya "next generation" group? 16. Layla to Raw -- Who? 17. Kofi Kingston to Raw -- I had never even heard of this guy until his match with JBL on Monday, and it took him exactly five minutes to win me over. I'm a huge fan. I think he's gonna be a star. P.S. Why the heck would you do a 17-pick supplemental draft?

WWE Hits a Home Run With Draft

2008-06-24T16:13:50Z

First, let me do some self-back patting. In case you missed it, I went five for six with my draft predictions yesterday. Not bad, if I do say so myself. WWE praise may be scarce these days, but I have to give it to the powers that be over in Titanland for what may have been the biggest and best WWE drafts to date last night. Not only was every move newsworthy, but every one made a lot of sense and worked toward what should be WWE's single most important goal these days - freshening up an incredibly stale product. I didn't even have a problem with the most controversial move of the night - Jim Ross leaving Raw. Let's go over all the changes, in what I consider to be their order of importance. ]]> 1. Jim Ross to Smackdown/Michael Cole to Raw: This was the biggest shocker for me, as well as for most fans, I imagine. But it's not necessarily a bad thing, and in the long run could be a big shot in the arm of WWE. My major beef with this move was Ross' reaction to the news. If he truly did not know ahead of time about the switch, then it's natural for him to be taken off guard and have some mixed feelings about leaving the show that he has been such a big part of for more than a decade. But it made Smackdown look second rate to have Michael Cole beaming about coming over to Raw, and Ross reacting like he just got news of a relative's death. Lawler, too, looked upset about losing Ross and having to work with Cole. While Raw is clearly the A-brand, the announcers should have seemed excited, not devastated, by the move. If WWE writers didn't fill the announcers in on the switch ahead of time, shame on them. Nonetheless, I don't have a problem with the two new announce teams. For better or for worse, we all know that Vince McMahon has been looking for Ross' replacement on Raw for a long time. I'd much rather have Cole in that role than Mike Adamle or anyone else WWE would likely choose from. Cole is a comfortable, familiar voice, and has become a more than capable announcer. Rather than exile Ross to WWE.com as they did Joey Styles, this move allows fans to continue to hear the best announcer in the business - just at a new home. I don't look at this so much as blow to Raw as I do a huge coup for Smackdown, which now has the potential to feature one of the best announce teams in history. I think real-life friends Ross and Mick Foley will be a great fit together, especially on Smackdown, which tends to feature longer matches than on Raw. As a wrestling product, it plays to the best of Ross' abilities. Plus, it will be fun to hear JR call some Undertaker matches. 2. Triple H to Smackdown: Kudos to WWE and to Triple H for pulling the trigger on this gutsy move. The Game has been featured exclusively in Raw's main event scene since the inception of the brand split six years ago, and this move was long overdue. It was also clear that a babyface Triple H and Cena could not co-exist on one brand. It would have been easy for WWE to send Cena back to Smackdown, but they made the wise move of keeping WWE's top star on their A-brand, and giving Smackdown's roster the rub of showcasing a legit WWE icon in Triple H. A Hunter-Undertaker feud is one of WWE's few fresh WrestleMania-level main events. I imagine this means either Cena wins the WWE title this Sunday and keeps it on Raw, or Batista wins the world heavyweight title from Edge and brings it to the red brand. However they sort out the world title situation, this was a great move. What's more, it should prevent another lame DX reunion in the near future. 3. Batista to Raw: Watching the staredown between John Cena and Batista at the end of the Raw gave was a rare "mark out" moment for me. I only pray that WWE has the sense to hold off on having what I believe would be the first ever-significant match between the two until WrestleMania, or at least SummerSlam. "The Animal" was shifted to Smackdown soon after he won his first world title in 2005, so he's never really been featured as a main event attraction on WWE's A-brand. There are a lot of possibilities for fresh match-ups, including a rivalry between Batista and Rey Mysterio - one of the few feuds I was looking forward to on Smackdown that never came to fruition. 4. Jeff Hardy to Smackdown: The "Rainbow Haired Warrior" clearly has a world title run in his future, but it would have been tough for Hardy to rise to the top if he had to share space there with mega-babyfaces like Triple H, John Cena, and Shawn Michaels. Competing in Smackdown, Hardy instantly becomes one of the top babyface behind only Triple H - who I assume will turn heel over the next year - and the Undertaker, who won't be around for a little while. 5. Rey Mysterio to Raw: This one was also a bit of a surprise, because I assumed that, with its stronger Hispanic numbers, WWE would want to keep Mysterio on the Smackdown brand. But the move to Raw instantly sparks some interest in Mysterio as a big player a again - a identity that he desperately needs to hold on to after suffering so many setbacks due to injury in the last two years. A Mysterio-Michaels feud could be amazing. Pairing him with Jericho or Cena would also feel fresh, and provide for some good action. 6. C.M. Punk to Raw: It was clear that Punk was not about to waste his Money in the Bank title shot on ECW, so the only question was where the "Straight Edge Superstar" would land in the draft. On Raw, Punk has the opportunity to cash in his title shot against the likes of John Cena, Batista or Randy Orton over the next few months - all fresh match ups. Feuds with Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho should also be a lot of fun. I'm not totally confident that Punk will be a top player on Raw anytime soon, but even as an upper midcarder, it's a significant improvement over his role in the Bermuda Triangle of WWE - ECW. 7. Mr. Kennedy to Smackdown: It's hard to believe that Kennedy was only on the Raw brand for a year, because he too was in desperate need of a change of scenery. For much the same reasons as Hardy needed a smaller pond in which to swim, Kennedy should benefit from this move, especially as he is likely about to get the biggest push of his career. 8. Umaga to Smackdown: We all saw this one coming. Umaga was about as stale as a character could get on Raw, so it was pretty much a necessary move. Without a mouthpiece or some character development, I'm skeptical about how much of a difference he could make on Smackdown, but he does instantly become one of the brand's top heels. 9. Matt Hardy to ECW: The C-brand's only pick of the night should benefit ECW, even if it doesn't do the same for Matt Hardy's career. This move was obviously less about taking care of ECW or Matt Hardy, and more about keeping Matt and Jeff on separate brands. With C.M. Punk and Kane gone, Matt instantly becomes ECW's biggest star. He's certainly capable of doing some great work there, but it is destined to be the proverbial tree falling in the woods with nobody there to hear it. The upside is that, with its new affiliation with Raw, Matt should be regularly featured on Monday nights. I guess this makes Chavo Guerrero the favorite to win the U.S. title this Sunday. 10. Kane to Raw: With the expected Raw-ECW talent exchange, I imagine the Big Red Machine will still be featured regularly on ECW, while also defending his title on Monday nights. I imagine Kane will become a fixture in Raw's midcard, which is a good fit for him in this stage of his career. It could also give the ECW title some much-needed exposure. Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not comment on WWE latest hot-shot angle involving Mr. McMahon. I’m willing to give the angle some time to play out, but I wasn’t blown away with what I saw last night. I liked the earnestness of Triple H and Cena, as they broke character to save McMahon. But he was so clearly not pinned under the scaffolding that the whole thing looked rather camp. If the angle was a means to get put an end to McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania and take the chairman off of TV for a while, then I’m all for it. But if the plan is to pick up where last year’s limo explosion angle left off and make McMahon the central figure of WWE’s top storyline, then I have to question that logic. What’s more, with a supposed “dream match” between Cena and Triple H just six days away, that should have been the main focal point of the final segment. They could have saved this angle for next week.

Deja vu for Vince McMahon at the WWE Draft

2008-06-24T11:45:21Z

Steel Cage fans will enjoy this blog about last night's WWE Draft from the Baltimore Sun's Kevin Eck: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/wrestling/blog/2008/06/its_deja_vu_for_vince_mcmahon_at_wwe_draft.html

Some thoughts on tonight's WWE Raw draft lottery

2008-06-24T04:00:41Z

So a really bad stomach bug kept me out of work today, which served the purpose of actually allowing me to see Raw for the first time in a while. After three hours of the 2008 Draft Lottery, my stomach's not feeling any better. Some thoughts: -- I'm curious what Droz thinks of the storyline whereby Vince McMahon gets hurt and can't feel his legs. Heck, I'd even be curious what Stone Cold, Lex Luger, any guy who's ever had a stinger has to say. You can give me the argument all you want about just "telling stories," that heck, even Family Guy has a paralyzed character. I'd respond with the fact that to my knowledge, no one has ever actually been paralyzed in the making of Family Guy. -- So I guess this is Vince's way of resuscitating the "Who killed Vince?" storyline, and killing the "Million Dollar Mania" failure at the same time. I'll say it again, I loved the "Who killed Vince?" storyline, and this could be a lot of fun. It's when they try to interject too much reality into it that they're setting themselves up for a lot of trouble. I just thank goodness that "Million Dollar Mania" is over. -- The innate problem with the draft is that there's so much cross-branding now (especially with the ECW/SmackDown "marriage") that it negates a lot of what happens. For example, why should I buy Chavo Guerrero as an ECW guy and Edge as a SmackDown guy when I see them together every Friday? -- And talk about KILLING BELIEVABILITY -- are we really to believe that in the main event battle royal, guys who have huge beefs with each other -- some of whom were fighting each other EARLIER IN THE NIGHT -- will suddenly put their differences aside for their brand -- some of whom have only been on that brand for a matter of minutes???? -- Is it me, or did ECW look really, really weak? Just end this experiment already please. -- I was flipping over to the Mets-Mariners game every so often (though never for more than a minute or two) and I totally missed Ric Flair's appearance. See, THIS is why they have to do stuff like TLC Matches and Elimination Chambers, where guys kill themselves for no reason. Because the simplest of wrestling concepts -- making the fans pay for a big return or a big match -- is blown because they don't think Seg 6 of Raw is exciting enough. -- So what would I do, if I were booking? First, I wouldn't allow any trades; they negate the entire meaning of the draft. Second, I would end any SmackDown/ECW interaction, and put a rule into place that everyone stays on their brand, except in very special circumstances, to actually make the brands mean something. And third, I'd stop using the word "tragedy" on WWE.com and on the TV shows for the Mr. McMahon incident. Goodness knows there's been enough real ones in just the past few years. -- And finally, I don't mean to say I told you so, but I did predict earlier today about Umaga going to SmackDown and Kane going to Raw, and Batista and Triple H switching places. Sure, I missed my last prediction, and sure, some of these were obvious, but it's still fun to be right. I was going to predict Mysterio going to Raw (since he's been on SmackDown non-stop since his debut six years ago), but I figured they wouldn't want to mess with the Latino audience on Friday nights. But an interesting move still.