Monday, November 23, 2009

Raw 11-23

I want to say to everyone: I'm sorry. My pay per view picks were horrible and if you made any bets. You lost money listening to me. I hope you listened to Larry or Eric instead. I had no idea what I was thinking. I may have to retire after tonight after that. Plus Larry told me I've got no idea about history of wrestling. We will get to that. Anyway, Raw is a special three hour episode this evening. The Body returns to wrestling for the first time in years. I better see some damn wrestling and build feuds for the next pay per view.

Before Raw begins, I have to dissect Survivor Series. I am happy with a few things the WWE decided to do on Sunday night. The WWE must be serious in pushing Miz, Sheamus and McIntyre. I applaud having the three being the survivors in their match. The result continues their push and keeps the momentum going. Some, larry, will argue that Morrison will look bad because of the two losses in a row on pay per view. I doubt that and will ultimately lead to one more pay per view match with Miz and Morrison. I love Kofi being the only survivor in his match as well. The push for Kofi has been fantastic and hope the Orton feud keeps going on Raw. However, why the hell would you have Punk beat R-Truth right away in the match? R-Truth is getting over with the fans. He had a great promo with Punk on Smackdown last Friday night. You ruined the momentum. Great job. The other problem is having Ziggler lose yet again for the IC belt. Showstoppers hosts John and Larry hate Dolph and feel he doesn't deserve the belt. WRONG! Wrestlers need opportunities and he has been along with Morrison great in the ring. The WWE has to give the guy a shot or send him to ECW to win the ECW title. I would complain about what they did with Rey as well but I heard he needs knee surgery. Rey won't be around for a while so I understand why the WWE booked what they did. Rey will return and extract some revenge on Batista. As far as the world belts: I was fine with both outcomes. Undertaker will now feud with the piece of crap Batista on Smackdown. Yeah I hate Batista. He can't wrestle unless the other opponent can make him look fantastic (See HHH, Orton, Rey). Raw makes sense to have Cena as their champ. Who will he feud with now though?

I love when Raw opens up with the best heel in the business right now in Randy Orton. He is the perfect heel. Although, we have seen Cena Orton way to many times, I wouldn't hate to see it again. I really missed Jesse. He is one of the greatest talkers in wrestling history. He is also one of the smartest men ever in the business. I love Revolutions in wrestling. Jesse is so spot on when he talked about the same guys getting shot after shot at the WWE title. I love the idea of pushing someone who has never had a shot at a world title ever. The WWE needs to develop new talent and this is the way to do it. New blood all over this Raw. DX vs Hart Dynasty. Punk vs Cena. My head might explode because I am so happy. My only problem with this set up is the Kofi Orton feud will not continue.

Kingston vs Ziggler
Well I complained about Ziggler not getting a push and of course what happens? He gets on Raw and has to compete with the hottest star on Raw. The best thing the WWE could do for three hours is have some of the best in ring workers time to showcase their talents. This match had promise to be a great contest. The WWE has three freaking hours to book matches. The opening match doesn't last more than 6 minutes. Are you serious? Plus you bury a talented guy like Ziggler because Kofi is getting the big push. The fans will never buy into Dolph if you bury him. I will never buy Matt Hardy any longer because he has been buried on Smackdown. Would you ever buy into Chavo as US champ? Nope but he has enough talent in the ring to be a US champ. I like pushing Kofi against wrestlers who won't be harmed by a loss, such as Orton. The guys who have never got a World title before should be showcased. First match failed in my eyes.

Sheamus vs Finlay
Here is a case of something I can be ok with. Finlay is a guy who can lose and no one cares. He is an older wrestler and will never be the future of the WWE. Sheamus is a guy who has been getting a big push. The glorified squash match was not something I thought would happen. Sheamus beat down after the match was a surprise as well. The WWE is pushing Sheamus correctly though. He looked strong again just like last night on Survivor Series. I just didn't like the fact that this match was way to short again. I can't wait for the 30 more backstage promos.
I received a text from Larry just now about the WWE has to take the less talented and use them as jobbers. You are wrong Larry. I said you can push the young talent without burying the rest of the wrestlers. I agree you have to push young talent but once they squash young talent. Who will push the young talent after the rest of the wrestlers look weak? Think about it.

CM Punk vs Cena
Damn right Punk. Im fat and Im not stronger than you. I will be eating my weight on Thanksgiving because of tradition. I really like Punk. If you know anything about me, it is I love real wrestlers. I like guys who can go in the ring. As Larry would say, I am a technical guy. Punk fits the mold of a technical wrestler. The whole straightedge persona is real but I understand if you get bored with it every week. The WWE did a great job last Smackdown in turning the tables on Punk. If you use a guy like Truth, who is the complete opposite of Straightedge, the feud can work. I don't think fans in arenas are drug free or alcohol free which means they will back a guy who is just like them. Why did Austin get over? Fans connected with him. You can use Punk in the complete opposite fashion. Finally we saw a great contest for Raw. The match was given time to work. The two men worked hard to make the contest feel like a semi main event. I thought for sure the match would be over when Cena locked in the STF. Punk mocking Cena was a nice touch in the match. If Punk is in the doghouse, it didn't show tonight. He looked great in a loss. Cena had to use a FU from the top rope to beat Punk. I loved the match and even in a loss, Punk looked like a real contender tonight. If you didn't like that match, you can suck it.

Again we see a great retired wrestler have fun at the expense of Vince. Ventura and McMahon had a great backstage promo. The bow tie was icing on the cake. Everyone loves seeing Vince being humiliated. In fact I don't mind seeing Ventura and Vince on the mic because I bet they are better than Cole.

Swagger, Chavo, Masters vs MVP, Henry, Truth
Did you really think any team with Chavo on it was going to win? MVP and Swagger have been drifting the last few weeks. At least Swagger has had somewhat of a feud with Miz. Where is the payoff in that? I have no clue. Miz should be facing MVP or Bourne for the US title. Swagger is the one getting screwed in this match. He should have been in the Battle Royal. I am happy that Truth got the win to help him gain back what he lost at Survivor Series.

DX has a nice promo on the Survivor Series match. I wondered where WWE was going to go with DX after HBK hit Sweet Chin Music on Hunter in about 5 seconds in the match. I guess they are going to be together for a while longer and everything is ok for now. My only problem is Hornswaggle and DX thing is continuing. Can't we just move on? I don't mind Hornswaggle and the midget crotch chops are funny. I just would rather see DX embrace the little man and move to an actual feud with wrestlers.

Evan Bourne vs Primo
Just think how good Bourne would have been in WCW cruiserweight division back in the late 90s? Primo where the hell have you been? I guess you won't be around for a while again since Orton beat the holy crap out of him before the match started. Why the hell did the WWE showcase all this young talent if Orton was going to get into the battle royal anyway? Now I love Randy Orton and would be ok with Orton Cean as I said earlier in the blog. The difference is I thought a guy who never got a chance for the World title was going to. I am rooting for Kofi to eliminating Orton and keeping the feud going.

McCool, Jillian, Eve vs Melina, Mickie, Kelly
WTF was up with the heels music? I had to agree with McCool this was the "stupidest" which isn't a word. The return of the Gooker made it even more stupider lol. Are you freaking kidding me? Another great time waster. How does this help the Diva division? I like the Diva title and I think it serves its purpose. Some of the women like Melina, Mickie and wait as I was writing that. Mayrse turned out to be the Gooker. Yes, I couldn't be more excited. Why? Maryse is fine as hell and can wrestle. Finally Melina might actually get some real competition. I take it all back for that segment. I was very shocked to see Maryse and now the Raw Diva division has a purpose.

DX vs Hart Dynasty
Before this match even starts, I want to just say I hope this gets plenty of time. I see a bright future for the Hart Dynasty and they should be put over in a loss by DX. Does anyone else feel the irony in this match? Hart vs HBK? Tyson Kidd was the last wrestler ever to pass through the Hart Dungeon. We all know the history of HBK and Bret Hart. Ok maybe it is just me who feels this is awkward. I felt the Hart Dynasty should be getting a push for the Tag titles a few ppvs ago. I would still like to see Hart Dynasty vs JeriShow. I would also like to see Natalya wrestle more often. The Dynasty could eventually hold tag and women titles at the same time on Smackdown. Although the match was to short in my opinion. The WWE did a nice job giving the Dynasty a slight rub vs DX. To finish off the segment, Jericho announces DX vs JeriShow at the next pay per view in a TLC match. Show is not on a personal day. He is actually hurt and won't be around until the pay per view. He is having minor surgery on his knee. Somewhere right now, Larry just screamed like a girl for the match. I love Jericho talking about the importance of the tag titles. I agree when JeriShow won the tag titles, it felt important. Now, once again, the WWE has watered down the tag titles. I think this feud will help scale up the titles but I would like to see JeriShow keep them. Why? Jericho would stay on both Raw and Smackdown if he holds the belts.

Batista in ring promo. I just don't see why everyone loves Batista. His promos are boring, as the crowd might have told you. Rey is having knee surgery again and will be out. Rey will be back sometime and he and Batista will have a real feud. I would love to see Kane and Batista wrestle so Batista isn't wrestling for the World title. Smackdown needs to step it up in the feud department. I thought Rey and Batista would help the show. Now that Rey is out maybe Kane and Batista can.

Cryme Tyme vs Legacy
The wild card to win this Battle Royal is Ted Dibiase. The movie is coming out soon. The WWE teased us with a face turn by Teddy. I would hate to see it happen so quickly. I like Teddy and he has a ton of potential. He is a future main event but don't shove him down our throat to quick. I would like to see more fun teasing with Orton and Dibiase. The crowd has been dead all night. They just haven't been into anything and especially this match. You knew Legacy would win. Last week they weren't even on the show. Tonight, both men get a chance in the Battle Royal.

A Jeff Hardy DVD is coming soon. I will be picking that up for sure. I love Jeff Hardy and wish he comes back by Mania. Let the Hardy Party begin! I hope he gets cleared of his charges. If he does, I am sure Vince would bring him back.

Every week Santino makes me laugh. I wish for breasts to Santino but you can't just like the white meat. Oh sorry I'm going off topic. Gotta love when bad things happen to Vikki.

Breakthrough Battle Royal
I love Ventura and Vince being at the broadcast table. I bet Jim Ross was loving this in Oklahoma. The monkey suit made Vince look worse than the Fink. At least I will be entertained by Vince and Ventura. Orton did the coward heel thing since he was on the outside for the most part. The battle royal finally got going when Sheamus throughout Truth. I guess someone had to go first. I can't believe Legacy went out like they did. Kofi Orton and Sheamus are the final three. I guess it will be a Raw guy. Kofi takes out Orton. Sheamus is going to win this battle royal. Are you kidding me? I can't believe this. At least Orton and Kofi feud will continue. I am really shocked that the WWE pushed this kid so quickly. I would highly doubt he will beat Cena but this is huge for Raw. You push a new heel for the WWE title. I really like the move a lot. Kofi and Cena would have made no sense. The only other guy I could have seen was Dibiase. I like how the WWE will wait on that for another time down the road. Cena don't tease me when you say someone will beat up Michael Cole. Cena must have knew that was my x-mas present. Cena is so passionate in promos. The WWE must really believe Cena vs anyone will be a good enough reason for fans to buy a pay per view. I hate when Cena uses the world "war" when talking about a feud. I believe that word should not be used. Ventura surprised me when he turned the heel switch on. I was hoping Sheamus would knock out Cena before Raw ended. A powerslam through the table to cap off a night showcasing tons of young talent. I said the fans would give a crap about Sheamus if he had a real feud. Now I will see if I was right. I still think it might be to quick but hey its new blood on Raw getting a shot.

Overall I thought the show was successful. I would have liked to see some of the matches go longer. The ending with Sheamus winning was a nice twist. Raw has some great feuds going on right now. Kofi and Orton will keep going. I am interested in how the WWE will book DX and Jeri without Show right now. Next week, Verne Troyer is hosting Raw. Hornswaggle is suing and I am sure Mini Me will be the judge. It writes itself really. You can keep track of the FWF right here on BBSD. Yours truly is still in the lead after tonight. BBSD radio shows will be back next week as well. After my ppv picks, you should have probably stopped reading this at 'I'm sorry'. I promise you one thing, I will pick better on the next pay per view. Oh and all that stuff in the beginning about retiring. I am the Ric Flair of BBSD, I will never retire...as long as Im employed at BBSD.

J Call

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Survivor Series Picks

Ladies and Gentlemen after a long hiatus because ShowStoppers has been covering ppv picks, the PICK BLOG IS BACK! WOOOO! Can you tell I missed this? Survivor Series use to be one of the most unique pay per views of the year. Now it has been reduced to a watered down version of what once was. I like the Survivor matches but the WWE usually just throws in some random 10 guys and see if it works. The WWE champion use to compete in the match and that has not happened in years. With several big time superstars in the title matches, this should still be a lot of fun to watch. John, Larry, Eric and I will be giving out our picks. The least important match has to start us off.

The Divas Survivor Series Match.
Mickies Team vs McCools Team
I'l let Larry go first here:
Hey Mickie You so fine.... You so fine you blow my mind... HEY Mickie! Pick Mickie.
John: Team Mickie over Team Michelle. Just cause.
Eric: The only reason that I think that Team Micki will win this match is the fact that at Bragging Rights they pushed all of the heels. So in this PPV they are going to push the likes of Micki James, Gail Kim, and Kelly Kelly.

I will hardly ever take the same picks as the ShowStopper hosts. Why? Because they are usually wrong. All three men forgot the wild card in this match up: Beth Phoenix. Who has been made to look dominate again in the WWE? Beth Phoenix. I will take Team Michelle.

Survivor Series Match
Team Kofi vs Team Orton.
Eric: I think the reason that Team Kofi wins this match is because of what happened on RAW this week. Even though Kofi kicked the crap out of Orton, I think the WWE is very high on Kofi and they are really want to start pushing him for bigger things, and what way could you push him other than having him win against a former champion Orton. Plus I have several wrestlers on Kofi’s Team for the FWF. SHAMELESS PLUG!!!
John: Team Orton over Team Kofi. Orton has survived every survivor series he has ever been in. Look it up. He owns this PPV.
Larry: The WWE is trying to get the non Jamican -Jamican over. His team beating Orton's will be a good start. Pick Kofis team

Well they disagreed which is good. John makes a great point. Orton has been almost perfect in Survivor Series past. Kofi got the huge moment on Raw. I don't see Orton pinning Kofi or Kofi pinning Orton. I do see a very quality match and Orton's team winning. Kofi Orton feud will continue.

Survivor Series Match
Team Morrison vs Team Miz
Larry is in love with Morrison so you know: Simple pay back from bragging rights. The Friday Night Delights team wins.
John took Morrison because: I hate the Miz. He stole my catchphrase.
Eric: They had Miz beat Morrison at Bragging Rights and I think that all of the time that they have been putting into Morrison looking weak, they are looking for this to be a great match and really put Morrison over.

I will certainly disagree with Miz stealing any lines from John. I will have to agree with these three on this match. Morrison's team is ready for a nice push. Plus Miz and Swagger will cost their team the win. But I always have to question the pick if all four of us agree on it.

Batista vs Rey
Get ready for some large disagreements here.
John: Batista over Rey. They are about to feud The Undertaker and Batista again.
Eric: In this battle of wrestlers close to retirement, I think that they are going to try to give one more big push to Batista and give him another possible title run for early in next year. Rey is really on his last legs and I don’t think that he would want another title run and I think he is willing to put over Batista since they are good friends.
Larry: Batista is going to be in the title hunt soon. They are going to build him up. Look for him to destroy Rey. Pick Batista.

Here is the real deal on this feud. I mentioned it a few weeks ago in a Raw blog. Batista respects Rey and will not make him look bad eeever. You hear me Larry. John called this a one and done feud on ShowStoppers. You can never listen to these two men. Eric said both guys are on their last legs. What the hell are you talking about? Rey looked bad when Batista turned on him at the last pay per view. Rey hasn't looked great going into the match. Batista is getting the big push but not at the full expense of lil Mysterio. I am taking Rey. Thanks boys for all picking Batista.

WWE Title Match
HHH vs HBK vs Cena
We all agreed here that Cena will keep the gold. Why? He makes the most sense. DX will most likely fall apart sooner than later. HHH really looked like a heel on Monday. Where will Cena go from here? I have no idea. Your guess is as good as mine. I just can't see them taking the belt off Cena before the Rumble. In the grand scheme of things, Cena makes the most sense.

World Heavyweight Title Match
Taker vs Jericho vs Show
I hate to say it but again all four of us agreed. The Deadman will walk out of Survivor Series with the belt. Undertaker debuted at a Survivor Series pay per view way back when the ppv was fairly new. JeriShow either needs to feud with a tag team or drop the damn belts. I would love to see Jericho drop Show and feud with Taker alone. They are the best 2 guys on Smackdown and would make the most sense. This is where I don't agree with the guys again. Eric, Larry and John all said the next feud for the World Title is Batista vs Taker. Remember when majority rules, it usually means it won't happen.

Those are the picks for the Survivor Series pay per view. I am so damn happy the blog is back. However, once all the technical difficulties are fixed on the BBSD radio side of things. ShowStoppers will be the place to hear all the picks. Enjoy the pay per view this week. I will return Friday morning with a NBA blog. Oh almost forgot, WOOOO!

J Call

Monday, November 16, 2009

Raw 11-16

Last week on Raw, I didn't fully enjoy the show. It seemed hit or miss to me. The main event was the only decent wrestling match of the night. Tonight, I hope is a completely different story. I first want to say I am a huge Rowdy Roddy Piper. You add Piper to an already fired up NYC crowd at the worlds most famous arena and Raw should be a solid show. (Cue the terrible infomercial guy voice) Wait there's more! The main event is DX vs JeriShow vs Cena Taker. In the great words of Joey Styles, OH MY GOD! I'm extremely excited for the potential this Raw has. An old school wrestler as GM, a unbelievable main event all in one of the best wrestling cities in the world. WOOOO!

Piper's pit in the back with Shiek and Bella twins and some actor. The new Raw intro is cool if it had a different song. I am sorry I really can't stand Nickelback. If you are a 13 year old girl you like them because they aren't a rock band. WWE did a great job with the new entrance rampway. If you missed it, think when Cena made a surprise return in the Rumble back in '08.

United States title is on the line right away on Raw. Miz vs MVP.
I like this match up. MVP shouldn't win the match and take the belt off Miz. Miz has been getting a great push and it should continue. Very hot crowd tonight, I told ya. I believe the WWE has been missing out on MVP. He and Henry have been floating along lately on Raw. I would like to see a feud with MVP and someone. He has skills and just needs someone to feud with and showcase the skills. The match has been very good with some quick offense and near falls. In the end, Miz retains. Good opening contest. I liked what the WWE did. Bring out some of the hard workers right away and give the show some momentum.

How can we have such a great opening match and follow up with Chavo? The momentum may have been reduced by half with Santino vs Chavo. Although, the crowd loves Santino. I had to laugh with Santino breaking out more jerseys then what I have in my closet. Hornswaggle does about 10 midget crotch chops and Santino wins. Thankfully we are saved from this time waster.

The biggest pop of the night so far is DX. How many great moments have these two men had at MSG? Of course they had to do a shameless plug or two. HHH finally talks about Survivor Series and the triple threat match. I have been waiting for this moment. The WWE title match has been given lackluster hype. They didn't say enough about the match. Instead, the attention was on hornswaggle. I don't understand this. I get that this is a secondary storyline. But that's where it should have ended. The problem is it has been the main focus and taking away from the main event this Sunday. HHH pedigreed Hornswaggle and the crowd is actually booing DX. Now I'm even more perplexed. I have no idea where this is headed after that segment.

No doubt about the WWE and MSG make a great combination. Another awesome video done by the WWE. I mentioned how many great moments DX has had at MSG. The WWE showed several. I had one problem with the video. Since Beniot can not be shown on WWE TV, the Eddie Chris moment had at the end of Mania XX was not shown.

Diva Championship Match
Melina vs Alicia
Some actor got to announce the contest. I could have cared less because of Melina's entrance. The match is changed with Lumberjills. Hell yeah Smackdown and Raw diva's. Puppies galore! Alicia had her chance against Mickie a failed. Now she had a chance vs Melina and failed again. All hell broke loose afterward. CAT FIGHT! Everyone loves a good cat fight. Team Melina vs Team McCool coming this Sunday at Survivor Series.

WWE and USA have signed a brand new 5 year contract. The contract will keep Raw on USA until 2014. Can we forget that Raw left for Spike a few years ago? Never happened. The Hot Rod is out. I thought for sure the crowd would give him a bigger pop. The guy main evented Mania I. OK now they are giving him love. Rowdy is a cancer survivor and an inspiration. I always get a sense of nostalgia with Hot Rod. Piper took like 3 cheap shots at Hogan. I loved it. Wow Hot Rod said he wants one more match with Vince. This is huge. The Chairman of the Board is out now. Vince McMahon is playing the role of the heel again. The best part about these two is they really don't get along that well in real life. Raw needs Vince in the worst way. He brings the show focus and gets the fans involved. Piper mentions he had cancer and beat that. As I said, he inspires me. Piper issues the challenge tonight. I know Piper isn't in the best shape or anything. On the other hand, I can see this match working out well. Piper has said in the past he would like to have one more to finish his career. I hope it happens before our enjoyment.

Sheamus comes out to destroy the bell ringer and Jerry Lawler. I couldn't be more pissed. I dropped Rhodes for this guy in the FWF (see DX isn't the only one with shameless plugs). I needed some points and I was just screwed. Oh well next week Sheamus will destroy Lawler for 10.

Striker sitting with Cole now. I like Striker. I'm still sour on Cole. I have yet to hear vintage anyone yet tonight. Odds on it not happening on Raw 20 to 1? 50 to 1? It has to happen. Evan Bourne out to face Swagger in a rematch of last week. I have a feeling Bourne will not get two straight on the All American American American Jack Swagger. I like both wrestlers in this match up. The other thing about NY crowds. They appreciate real wrestlers. The crowd was popping throughout the match for Bourne. Why? Evan is an exciting young talent who has fun awesome. Tonight was Swaggers' night.

I have one question so far during this episode. Where the hell is Kofi and Orton? Their feud is one of the best on Raw and you can't even show them! Piper vs McMahon is next and it either has to be short or Orton will come out to beat up the "Legend" Piper for Vince and Kingston will make the save. I am dead serious. I wrote all of that before Orton came out. I promise. Don't believe me but I did! I feel a Orton punt coming on soon. Orton stalks and ready to fire away before Kofi comes out. A little problem with the music man as Orton looked completely confused. He had time to punt and then stopped. Kofi and Randy are fighting in the stands. Hell yes! WWE desperately needed a heated feud to help Raw. I feel this feud if that makes sense. I think it did. Orton gained the upper hand for a while. I really hope this feud goes on for quite sometime. I would love to see a regular match at some point. They could then do a cage match. The finish to the feud could be a falls count anywhere match. The only problem is we will never see any blood because of the PG rating ruins everything. I take that back Orton is bleeding tonight. This NYC crowd is chanting KOFI KOFI! The boom boom drop from the stands through a table. Orton is so damn smart and here is why: Randy was cut the hard way with that steel box. He knew the camera was on the left side of him. So where did he look after the boom boom drop? His right side. Somewhere Vince is doing cartwheels right now. He panicked when Cena was busted open during the Orton Cena ppv match. Good job Randy, you just earned yourself a raise. By the way, Kofi and Orton just had one of the best moments of Raw this year.

Main event time baby. WOOOO! Larry from Showstoppers told me I can not go a full blog without 2 WOOO's any longer.

JeriShow vs DX vs Cena Taker
The match hasn't started yet and it is already 10pm ct. The only team out is JeriShow. I don't think we are going to get a real long match here unless Raw is going to run into overtime. In the arena where Cena won the Royal Rumble, the crowd gave Cena a great pop. The entrance for Undertaker was incredible. The crowd was on the edge of their seat. Always special when Taker comes to Raw because its rare. Undertaker chants are heard. I remember sitting at Raw a few years ago when Taker made an awesome entrance from under the stage and I felt chills. Seriously if you have never seen a Taker entrance live, you have missed one helluva sight. Plus Justin Roberts does a great job at screaming The UnderrrrTaker. The rules for this match were really confusing. Three men are in the ring and you can only tag your own partner. I guess the rules aren't that confusing. I heard it! Triple H hits the Spinebuster and Cole said vintage Triple H. I knew it. The odds were not in the favor of it not happening. Cool fact, Y2J and Taker have only wrestled once. Last week on Smackdown was the first time ever one on one. I hope it happens again at Wrestlemania if Edge and Jericho can't happen. Show is impressive with a double chokeslam on Cena and HHH. Sweet spot with everyone hitting their finishers. Cena wins but Taker gives him a tombstone piledriver for his trouble. Could this be a future Mania match Cena Taker?

WWE is heading towards Survivor Series in a good direction after this Raw. I was very happy to see the main event go longer than expected. The Orton Kofi segment was fantastic. Next week Raw is having a 3hr special event. The special 3 hour Raws are always fun. What makes this more special, Jessy the Body Venture is hosting. When the hell was the last time he was around wrestling? Way to damn long thats when. I love the Body and he should be really entertaining.

BBSD wants to apologize for not having new radio shows up last week. We have been having some technical problems and it will be fixed later in the week. However there will not be Showstoppers again this week. I know what you are thinking. How the hell am I going to know what is going to happen on Survivor Series if I don't know J Call, Larry, John or Eric's picks? I have you covered. I am bringing back the pick blog later on in the week just for you. I know that's why I am the best damn WWE blogger on the Internet. WOOOO!

J Call

Monday, November 9, 2009

Raw 11-9

I liked Raw last night. Ozzy was fun and there was some quality in ring work. I would like to see more DX Cena tonight. Ricky Hatton is guest hosting Raw. I don't know squat about him or boxing. Raw is coming to us across the pond tonight in England. Always good for the WWE to go overseas. Im hoping for a good show. Where is the build up to Survivor Series? Come on WWE. We are 2 weeks out from the 4th biggest pay per view of the year. Lets get moving on it! Also the 2nd week of the FWF which you can follow right here on BBSD. I am not doing so well but my team will turn it around once I start writing for the WWE.

Ricky Hatton starts off Raw in front a live hot crowd. Everytime the WWE goes out of the U.S. The crowds are so much better. JeriShow in suits are out to ruin the party. I have a feeling JeriShow aren't going to be as happy tonight as they were last week when they beat Cena and knocked out DX. Show and Hatton have a few words and Show gives him a free shot but Y2J stops him. Jericho announces he will take on The Undertaker on Smackdown this Friday. Wow what a main event! Hatton makes a great match for tonight JeriShow vs DX. I love that and Larry from Showstoppers just blew a nut hearing it. I had to laugh when Hatton told him to speak English. DX head down the ramp to save the beatdown Hatton would have gotten from JeriShow. HHH talks for a while. Shawn attacks Chris who falls outside the ring. 3 on 1 now. Show is smart and leaves the ring. I liked the first segment. I can't say I loved it as much as Ozzy and DX. Hatton is hard to understand and has no excitement. However, making DX JeriShow for Raw's main event is freaking sweet. Anytime HBK and Jericho are in the same ring, good things happen.

Alicia Fox w/Jillian vs Kelly Kelly w/Gail Kim. Next week Melina will take on Fox for the Diva Worlds Most Famous Arena Madison Square Garden. There is a new Hulk Hogan DVD by the WWE. Crazy since he just signed with TNA. Can you tell how much I am watching this match? Sorry I will get back to the match. Kelly hit some unique offense but Alicia countered. She hits the scissors kick and wins. The role Alicia is on needed to continue if she is taking on Melina next week. The match served a purpose. I'm just really bored with the Diva division right now. Melina is nice and so is Gail Kim. Those two should be going at it.

Sheamus talks for a little bit before taking on a local jobber. Sheamus destroys him and picks up another victory with a Razors Edge. Nothing to add here. Sheamus push keeps going. My only question is when will he face some real competition?

Santino, Ricky and Bella twins have a backstage segment with Chavo getting in the way. Hatton vs Chavo is made later. Raw needed more filler tonight. I don't understand what the WWE is doing. I get it Chavo has to face every celebrity GM but why does Raw take the focus on the actual Superstars a lot of the time. Miz with a backstage promo. Miz has assembled a team to take on Morrison's team at Survivor Series. The one thing I like about the match up is its a chance to showcase some young talent. Since Raw isn't doing it, at least the WWE is smart to do it on the pay per view.

Evan "sort of getting a push" Bourne vs Jack Swagger. The two time All American American American gained the upper hand right away. I have no idea what the WWE is doing with Bourne. One week he is beating the Miz, next week he loses. I guess the WWE doesn't want to give him a belt but won't bury him either. Evan uses his quickness and unique offense to get a few 2 counts. Miz comes out to distract Swagger. I could careless if the WWE is going to start Miz vs Swagger. Evan picks up the win with the picture perfect Air Bourne Shooting Star Press. As long as Bourne stays in the mix and isn't just a stepping stone in this heel vs heel feud. I will be happy.

MVP lounge. Are you kidding me? The semi main event is another promo. Henry MVP and Kofi in the ring. I am not saying I hate any of these guys. I would rather see a match than a in ring promo. They go on for a while. Nothing special until Legacy come out. The WWE teased us with Teddy and Orton. Now that is over with for now. I still believe he will turn on Legacy sometime. Perhaps soon so Kofi can have a partner to face Rhodes and Orton. For now I like the fact the WWE is trying something new. Lets move Kofi up against Randy and add MVP and Henry. 3 on 3 is fun. I liked how Legacy talk about the different backgrounds the two teams have. The best thing I see happening for Kofi is this push leads to either a win at Mania for Money in the Bank or a switch to Smackdown at the next draft. If Raw does it right and keeps pushing him even after the Orton feud, Smackdown would be adding another future main eventer to the roster. Smackdown already has Morrison and Ziggler who are going to be main eventing pay per views in the next few years.

Randy Orton vs Mark Henry
Match has started during the commercial break. Orton took the lead early and Henry got it back. Legacy in one corner on the outside and MVP Kofi on the other side. Out of nowhere RKO to Henry. You know its over when he hits the RKO. I like Orton getting the victory tonight. The heels have been looking like fools the last few weeks. Even though Kofi slapped Orton at the end of the segment. Randy still looked strong by beating Henry. Randy and Kofi are stepping up each week. To bad Raw couldn't have more wrestling matches. Instead we are getting crapola.

Nickelback is the new theme music of Raw. I hate that because I hate nickelback. I know I will catch hell for saying that but Nickelback sucks. All their songs sound the same. WWE could have picked a much better band. Send your hate mail to mccall316@yahoo.com. I will be happy to debate why Nickelback blows.

Hatton vs Chavo.
Do I really have to say anything? This is my 24th consecutive Raw blog and to my knowledge Chavo has not won in any of those weeks. What was the outcome here? Hatton by knockout and luckily I'm getting text messages or I would be out. Raw has been very bland tonight. Main event needs to save us. Ha Chris Jericho is going to save us because he is in the main event.

DX Cena and Hornswaggle have a backstage promo. More comical relief between these guys. Larry on Showstoppers has been talking about Midget crotch chops and how funny they are. I will agree with that. Hornswaggle did a few more tonight.

Now here is something I will absolutely love. Rowdy Roddy Piper is in charge next week as guest host in MSG. Wrestlemania 1 took place at the Garden and certainly Piper was a huge part of that event. Piper is a cancer survivor, an inspiration and one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time. I stressed before the guest GM spot should go to former wrestlers more often. I get my wish next week. I will have more to say about Piper next week. Main event time:

JeriShow vs DX
4 men all part of the FWF so huge points are up for grabs in this match. I couldn't be happier watching an actual wrestling match for the main event. The contest starts at 9:50 ct, which means this should be a great long match. The heels have the advantage during the commercial. Cena is doing commentary. Thank god less of Michael Cole. Show and Jericho have made a great tag team. They have gotten better as the weeks go on. I wondered if the chemistry would last and it has. The quick tags and double team moves are great. JeriShow will undoubtedly will break up soon but a great ride while it has lasted. Hot tag to HBK. Vintage Shawn with his elbow drop. SCM is ducked by Jericho and the Walls was countered. Show accidentlly hit Chris with a right hand for the win. I kind of like the finish here. We will see compelling tv with Show and Jericho.

Raw finishes with announcing the main event for next week. It will be DX vs JeriShow vs Cena and The Undertaker. A triple threat tag team match. Quite frankly that is one of the best main events Raw has had in a long time. With that main event and the return of The Hot Rod Rowdy Roddy Piper, Raw is shaping up to be 100 times better than this weeks crappy addition. The main event helped but this Raw was well below average especially with Survivor Series coming soon. I shall return next week.

J Call

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

NBA is Back

I wanted to do something really cool for the start of the NBA season. I thought about doing a Power Rankings Poll, I will next week, but not this week. I am doing something very special for the start of the NBA season. I am teaming up with my good friend and my NBA go to guy, Dan for an NBA preview blog. Dan and I have had hour long conversations over the NBA. We both love the league. He is a big Laker fan and I am a Spurs fan. We hate each others team but respect them. For this blog, I will be more on the Eastern Conference teams and Dan is going in depth on the Western Conference teams. The NBA is full of questions and we have the answers and none of them will be Allen Iverson. We will alternate conference teams. We will start with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Indiana Pacers.

The only way the Memphis Grizzlies stay in the news is because Allen Iverson is going to bitch about his 6th man role throughout the entire year. Zach Randolph is a 16 million dollar piece of crap. The two highlights of the year will be Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo. Iverson might as well give up and retire. He was a nice player and had a good career. The Memphis Grizzlies will be fighting for the most ping pong balls in the 2010 draft.

Indiana Pacers are bringing back the all white squad this year. If you turn on the lights in the entire arena you may miss Troy Murphy. One reason so many teams suck is because they invest money into guys like Randolph, Lafrentz and Troy Murphy. Mike Dunleavy is owned 10 million for this year. The Pacers are an absolute mess. I do like Danny Granger and I am interested in how Tyler Hansbrough develops.

You got to love a team that has Kurt Rambis as their coach. The Minnesota Timberwolves are doing correctly by making sure their big man Al Jefferson sticks around. They are building a nice young nucleus around him as well. A few bad contracts such as Brian Cardinal and Mark Blount could be trade bait later in the year. Kevin Love is averaging a double double. Jonny Flynn could be an exciting young poing guard. The T'Wolves are a build now win later type of team. The only problem was the Ricky Rubio fiasco. You wasted a top 5 pick on a guy who may never play for your franchise.

Through the first four games the Charlotte Bobcats are averaging a 79.8 points a game. Would you want to watch this team? I didn't think so. Larry Brown and Michael Jordan are the main executives for this team that says it all already. Gerald Wallace is the only guy the Bobcat scoring. Raymond Felton is in bad terms with the head coach so he isn't playing much. He is the best trade bait. He should be playing for someone else by midseason. I can say this team is a giant mess.

I believe I can sum up the entire Sacramento Kings season in two words: Kevin Martin. He is going to be their leading scoring and their best player. The Kings have some of the worst contracts in Kenny Thomas and Beno Udrith. They have nice young potential in Jason Thompson, Spencer Hawes and Tyreke Evans. Another team building and not winning anything for a few more years.

One of the most historic NBA franchises is also one of the worst. For the record, this was all done by the leadership skills of Isiah Thomas. The biggest problems facing the Knicks are the financial burden on worthless players. Eddy Curry is no where near 10.5mil he is getting for sitting on the bench. At least Starbury is gone. If you combine Eddy Curry, Cutino Mobley, Al Harrington and Larry Hughes's contracts you get about 45 million dollars. Curry and Mobley are not even playing. If you add up the averages all of these guys ppg and rpg you get 8.7 ppg and 2.0rpg. 45 million for those kinds of averages! I didn't even add Jared Jeffries. I'm speechless. Lets move to a decent team quickly.

The New Orleans Hornets maybe down early in the season but should be in the playoff hunt in the Western Conference. Chris Paul is flat out one of the best guards in the league. The Hornets traded away Tyson Chandler twice and ended up with Emeka Okafor. I have no idea how this team lost to New York. Their contracts are not horrible because they have invested wisely in their starting 5. If Posey would show up and start to care like he did in Boston, this team will be a 7 or 8 seed by playoff time.

I have to admit Dan and I are having fun with the Eastern Conference. As we break this down, we are finding out how bad some of these teams are in this Conference are. Case in point, the Milwaukee Bucks. What good can I say about the Bucks? Seriously they have Michael Redd and he can't stay healthy. Andrew Bogut is a nice center, averaging near a double double. The Bucks are just a really boring bland team.

The other team from Los Angeles, we both agree could be a playoff team. If Blake can come back and be as good as he was in the preseason, the Clippers have potential to sneak in. The Clippers have talent but not the right coach. Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby are a nice combo inside. Eric Gordon is heading towards a breakout season. Baron Davis needs to pass a little more and shoot less. We both agree the Clippers are a head scratcher. The talent is there, although the results haven't been.

The Comeback Player of the Year could be coming out of our next team. Gilbert Arenas is getting back to form and could have a nice year if he doesn't get injuried again. He isn't the most reliable guy on the roster. Caron Butler keeps plugging away and is having nice year so far. The X-factor for the Wizards are Antawn Jamison. If the big 3 of Washington can get on the court at the same time, they could be a playoff team. They get key wins against top opponents. The Wiz just need to put it all together.

The brand new superstar in the NBA is in Oklahoma City. Dan and I have a bromance for Kevin Durant. We are talking about going to see the Thunder in Minnesota just to see Durant. The youngest team in the league has some of the biggest potential. How could can Durant be? Westbrook is going to have a very nice season as well. The last game they competed with the Lakers. The biggest things the Thunder are lacking are experience and leadership. I said it last year during the offseason: had Jason Kidd signed with this team, OKC would make the playoffs. Instead they will contend for the 8th spot but just short. If they played in the East, the Thunder would be a 5th seed. One thing is for sure the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to be exciting to watch.

I want to start talking about some good teams in the East, instead we dive into the New Jersey Nets. The great thing about the Nets is Brook Lopez. Brook is a young talented player on a very bad team. He is averaging 17 points 7 boards and 3 blocks a game. Brook along with Devin Harris are the only two players worth mentioning. The sad thing is Harris is hurt so more of the burden is on Lopez. Another long season is ahead of the Nets. New Jersey should get some attention for having a Russian owner and that is about it.

The West is filled with some promising young talent up and down the Conference. The Warriors are another raw talented team. Stephen Curry is going to be a fun player to keep your eyes on. They completely overpayed for Corey Maggette last year in the offseason. Where is the true point guard on this team? I guess when Don Nelson is running the show, you never need to pass. They do have one of Dan's favorite players Ronnie Turiaf. He hustles,an energy guy off the bench and looks like he gives a crap. Anthony Randolph and Curry are the reasons to watch this team.

The Detroit Pistons have made a few moves that are mind boggling. Kwame Brown is getting paid 4 million for being a giant turd. Ben Gordon is a great 6th man off the bench type of player. They already had Rip Hamilton. Why bring in 2 true shooting guards? The Pistons have to get something for Rip. Detroit is a team ready to make a run for Chris Bosh. They have a decent nucleus but they don't have a young true power forward. Charlie Villanueva is not an inside scorer. One big man threat in the paint could turn this team around.

Andrei Kirilenko gets paid 16.5 million dollars. Terrible! AK47 is the perfect player for the Cleveland Cavs. The Jazz do not have the right system for the Kirilenko. Utah has another trade bait in Carlos Boozer. They have Milsap which is all the reason to trade Boozer. You should be able to get something for both Andrei and Carlos. Deron Williams is the main attraction for this team. Jerry Sloan has been one of the most consistent coaches in the league. This year should be no different as Utah will be a playoff team again.

I don't have much to say when it comes to the Toronto Raptors. I do have some advice for Chris Bosh. LEAVE! Your contract ends this season and get the hell out of there. Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady figured it out and so will you. I like Jose Calderon, Bosh and Hedo. Jose is a solid point guard. Toronto did not overpay for Hedo. Most of these Eastern conference teams are average at best. That is how I see the Raptors.

Random thought: I was talking to a guy about the Greg Oden Kevin Durant debate. If you look at the Trail Blazers and take out Oden and insert Durant. How good is this team then? The question Dan and I are having is: Is this team almost to deep at the guard position? We are not saying they have bad guards. They almost have to many good guards and not enough depth in the front court. The great thing about the Blazers is the contracts they have are not huge for just one player. Brandon Roy, who is a stud, is getting almost 4 million and is locked up for the next 6 years. Dan and I both agree this team should make the 2nd round of the playoffs.

One of the worst contracts in all of the NBA is Elton Brand's. The 76ers blew the mother load when they signed Elton Off Brand last year. I thought this team was heading in the right direction. Build around a young fun and gun team. Then they add Elton Brand who can't run up and down the court to save his life. He can't stay healthy and does not fit the system. Samuel Dalembert fits the system because he doesn't want the ball. I really like Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young. The new "AI" in Philly is on the verge of being a superstar. If the 76ers stayed away from Brand, I would love this team a lot more.

The main question about the Suns has been have they fallen off? Dan is correct. The best thing the Suns did is trade Shaq. He didn't fit the system, just as we talked about Elton Brand. They need a better big man to complement Amare. He has to be able to get up and down the court. The one year experience of a slower methodical offense is over. Phoenix is back to the fun and gun. The way they should be. Steve Nash is still one of the best players in the entire league. I believe this team makes the playoffs still. Dan is hesitant to call them a lock for the post season.

The NBA is full of great young point guards and Derrick Rose is one of them. Rose is the main reason they pushed the Celtics to 7 games last year. Thank god Brad Miller is in his final year of his contract. Chicago has Luol Deng back from his injuries last season. My biggest gripe about Chicago is paying Kirk Hinrich 9 and a half million for this year and is on the books for another 2. Did they lose a lot when Gordon left? I think so because every team needs a spark off the bench. I guess Kirk could be that but I don't see it. The Bulls will be in the post season. Can Rose lead them past one of the 3 big teams in the Conference? Probably not.

The team with the most injuries to their stars is certainly Houston. What they lost in Artest did they gain in Ariza? Right now it looks like Houston has not lost much. Ariza is averaging 21 points per game because he is getting a lot more touches. Houston has very little offensive power. The contract of T-Mac is done after this season. Perfect time to spend it on someone who actually PLAYS! With Yao and McGrady hurt, Houston will struggle to keep up with the likes of the Lakers or Denver. Houston should make the playoffs but the match up in the first round has to be a team that does not score a ton of points in order to make any kind of run.

Is it time for D-Wade to shine again? Wade is healthy and seems to be performing at the level we are all use to seeing. Jermaine O'Neal is getting paid 8mil more than Wade. Are you kidding me? Was the GM that signed him to that deal blind or got confused and thought he signed Shaq? I can not figure out what some NBA teams are thinking when they sign players to such bad contracts. The bad thing about the Heat is their depth or lack of depth. Top to bottom, they have nothing for depth. The Miami Heat season relies on the Dwayne Wade because no one else is there.

I am giving up my rights to talk about our next team. Every year the Dallas Mavericks do the same thing. They make the playoffs and then they are out of the playoffs. They went out and traded half the team for Jason Kidd. The Mavs went to the playoffs but couldn't get over the hump. Now they have signed Marion and is a cool move. One thing about Dallas is they are consistent. Why do I love Mark Cuban? Because he will sign a guy like Diop last year and trade him away in 2 months. Dallas's contracts make no sense at all. Please let me hear someone defend the Erick Dampier and his 2 years 25 million left. This year will be no different. Dallas will make the playoffs but won't win anything.

Finally we get to the good teams in the East. Dan and I like a lot of the Atlanta Hawks. I love Horford, Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. Dan likes Mike Bibby because he is a good point guard, does what he is suppose to do and makes the young talent around him better. Here is the big question: Can this team get by Orl, Bos or Cle? We believe no they can not get past the big 3 teams. They are good but not good enough. I will say if they match up with Cleveland, that is their best opportunity to make the huge step forward.

The Denver Nuggets are the first of the big 3 in the West in our eyes. One they are one of the deeper teams in the West. The Nugs have a lot of speed. Carmelo has surpassed stardom and is now superstar. The veteran leadership with Chauncey Billups is the real reason this team is heading in the right direction. Before Billups, this team didn't play team defense. Now Kenyon Martin is even caring about defense. Both Dan and I like Ty Lawson already. Ty may not be "the man" on a team but he is going to be a great back up change of pace type point guard. The Nuggets have the same question as the Hawks: Can they get passed LA or SA? In a 7 game series I don't think they will get past either but Denver will not go easily.

Since Dan and I are big Laker and Spur fan respectably, we are going to breakdown the top 3 East teams and then our 2 favorite teams.

The top 3 in the East are Boston, Orlando and Cleveland. No chance any other team in the East are going to be in those spots. In Dan's eyes, he sees the Cavs have slipped. He isn't saying LBJ slipped but they added an old guy who doesn't fit into what worked for Cleveland. Cleveland had to try something to get over Boston and Orlando to get to the championship. We all know Shaq is still good. I will say LeBron is the best player in the league. However, Dan will not say that. I love the Cavs and feel they are going to be in the Conference Finals again this year. Everyone enjoys LeBron and this team is a must see for any NBA fan. My main concern is if Boston stays healthy can Lebron gut it out and lead them in a 7 game series?

Orlando added what they needed to in the offseason and thats Vince Carter. He is still good and since he is on a good team so he should try harder. We both love Dwight Howard a lot. He is fun, energetic and is a double double machine. He has to work on his post moves but is improving. Dan and I feel JJ Redick should be getting more playing time. Yes he is a token 3 point shooting white guy but he should be out on the court a little more. Orlando plays as a team which means they have a great chance of representing the East in the Finals.

Boston is the most complete team in the entire NBA. Dan believes if everyone on the Celtics stays healthy, they win the Championship again. Boston is as good if not better then 07 when they won the title. Boston added Rasheed Wallace and kept the main core of talent that was already there. KG is back and he is the glue that holds this team together. Boston is getting older no doubt about it, however they have young talent. How can you not mention Rajon Rondo? Rondo is another good young point guard. He is becoming a leader that Boston will need in the playoffs.

I get to talk about my favorite team, San Antonio Spurs. When the big 3 are together the Spurs always have a shot. Manu is back after going through several injuries last season. Tony is one of the leaders in the locker room. My favorite player of all time is and always will be Tim Duncan. I catch so much hell for saying Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward of all time. I don't care because I feel its the truth. They added Dejuan Blair, Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess in the offseason. Of course I feel the Spurs have a shot at the title. The Spurs have to stay healthy to win, Manu especially.

The biggest worry Dan has with his favorite team is they don't play team defense. Lamar Odom only seems to care a third of the year. Bynum is big but is missing something, like the edge to become a dominant big men. He needs to step up and be the man instead of showing up half the time. In Dan's eyes Kobe is still the best player in the league. At times, it is hard to argue. The depth on the team is good but not consistent. That and the defense is killing them. Ron brings the will to win to the team. Artest was brought in to help the team and be another guy to help capture another title. The biggest difference between Ariza and Artest is that Ariza was ok being a role guy and will Artest be ok with that?

Dan's Prediction
Eastern Conference Finals
Boston vs Orlando. Boston in 5

Western Conference Finals
LA Lakers vs Denver. Lakers in 6

NBA Finals
Lakers vs Celtics. Boston in 6

Regular Season MVP Kobe Bryant
Finals MVP Ray Allen

Joel's Prediction
Eastern Conference Finals
Orlando vs Cleveland. Orlando in 7

Western Conference Finals
Lakers vs Spurs. Spurs in 7

NBA Finals
Orlando vs Spurs. Spurs in 6. Yes I am a homer for the Spurs.

Regular Season MVP Lebron James
Finals MVP Manu Ginobli

Monday, November 2, 2009

Raw 11-2

Tonight we ride a Crazy Train with Ozzy Osbourne. I have been reading reports the WWE is going to have quite a few Ozzy segments. I don't think that is a good idea. I loved the new feud with Kofi and Orton. DX and Cena are going to contend for the WWE title at Survivor Series. I said last week we should have some fun tv with DX going against each other. The start of the FWF is also this evening. You can follow everything right here on BBSD. The best damn WWE blogger on the internet goes for the 23rd straight week.

No music or pyro but Ozzy in the middle of the ring in a sweet kings throne along with his wife Sharon. Ozzy is being very animated. I forgot Ozzy was part of Wrestlemania 2 and also a Smackdown show concert. Miz comes out to introduce himself to the Prince of Darkness. Miz has a nice promo asking Ozzy to take away the loss last week against Evan. I am alittle shocked Legacy shows up together for this in ring promo. Legacy goes on to talk about the nascar they, well Teddy, bought Orton which was destroyed by Kofi. Holy crap now the Big Show. This is a sweet heel beginning to Raw. Big Show is in a very happy mood. Actually he looks like a guy who hasn't been laid in a while. Show complains about his beatdown last week. Now some face time for DX. Well I said it was going to be a crazy train with Ozzy. The first segment is no different. DX calls the 4 of them ratings killers. Ozzy is here to promote a new book and DX promote it and their book. Good ole cheap plugs. Ozzy makes the match with Miz and Evan for the US title. I love that because I really enjoy Evan. I have been complaining about the WWE and the lack of direction with Evan. Sharon makes Kofi vs Orton. The main event is made with Cena vs Y2J vs Show. I love all three matches. A great Raw is in store for us tonight. Ozzy and DX pose before the break. The first segment is exactly what Raw is suppose to do. Set us up for a few matches, clear the air from last week and continue storylines. Awesome start for Raw. If you can't tell I enjoy Ozzy and Sharon as well.

United States Champion Miz vs Evan Bourne. Here is where we are going to see if Evan really will be pushing by the WWE. Evan has some very unique offense. I think that is why I like him so much. Evan isn't as big as RVD but his offense reminds me of that. Evan gets a few good moves in and near falls. In the end he misses the beautiful Shooting Star Press and Miz hits his finisher for the win. I guess Evan won't be getting a huge push. As long as the WWE keeps Evan in the mix for the US title, Im ok with that. The Miz shouldn't be losing his title yet anyway. I would like to see Swagger Miz Evan at Survivor Series. The great thing about Kofi's push is another guy gets to step up like Evan.

Sheamus vs Jaime Noble. Didn't we see this last week? As I said last week, the crowd will only give a crap about Sheamus once he is in a real feud. A complete squash match. Nothing important here. Sheamus wins again. So long Jaime Noble. Best wishes in your wrestling future.

Semi main event time. Who would have thought Randy Orton in the semi main event? Heres the thing about this feud. One I love both wrestlers. More importantly this feud actually helps both men. Randy needed a new face to feud with. We have seen him against DX and Cena. Kofi gets a huge push against the best heel on Raw. I just hope this has the makings of a long feud and helps elevate both men. Orton had a different angrier walk to the ring tonight. The other thing the WWE did a great job of pushing Kofi is because the crowd is behind him. Kofi chants during the match. Orton gets help with Legacy to the ring. Ozzy and Sharon make it a 6 man tag with Henry MVP Kofi vs Legacy. Raw shows off the young Raw talent they have tonight. The heels do some nice double team moves and isolate MVP. The question isn't who but really when will both members of Legacy get their singles push? Rhodes and Dibiase should feud with each other. Who would be the face? I like Rhodes more as a heel so Dibiase should be the face. The WWE could have even more fun adding the fathers into the mix. MVP finally gets the hot tag to Henry. Rhodes gets pinned by Henry. I don't get why the heels lose yet again. Legacy got beat by Henry and MVP last week. Legacy was made to look strong when they faced DX. Now it seems all is forgotten and back down they go. Meanwhile Kofi and Orton never touched each other to make sure the feud continues.

Time waster of the night with Ozzy and Sharon host Raws got Talent. The Great Kahli comes out of hibernation to host this event. Kahli has a suit on but I have to wonder where the hell he went for his suit. The Big and Tall store wouldn't fit him. Of course Santino had to be part of this and dressed up as Ozzy. Crowd is getting bored already and so is this blogger. Masters was the 2nd contest and he actually got the crowd laughing. Masters was hilarious. Chavo and Jillian finish up the contest. Yes they sucked. Sharon knocked the hell out of Jillian and Kahli knocks out Chavo. Ok even I laughed when Hornswaggle showed up with an afro wig on dressed as Jack. Lets move on with Raw.

I guess now would be a great time for a cheap plug of my own. With the FWF starting and the WWE rolling into Survivor Series. You need to hear more on the WWE then check out Showstoppers this week. We will have a recap of the FWF and segment 2 will be John, Larry and I's list of top ten catchphrases of all time. WOOOO!

Chick or Diva Battle Royal for the number 1 contender spot for Melina's title. Last three are Alicia, Kelly and Eve. Alicia wins and will face Melina. Larry made a great move in the FWF draft picking Melina. There isn't a woman on the Raw roster that is going to take the title off Melina. Alicia was pushed once for the title against Mickie and lost. Good pick Larry.

A recap of Batista and Rey new feud. I have already said how much I am going to enjoy this feud. I love how the crowd gets behind lil Rey. Rey is one of the biggest stars in the WWE. He needed a new feud with a man he respects. I read a report how Batista did an interview talking about how the WWE wastes the talents of Rey. No better way to showcase the talent of Rey than putting him in a feud with a guy who loves him.

Jericho with the Osbournes in the back. Chris tells Ozzy how much he wanted to be like him. I realize it is a promo and Jericho turned into the heel. I bet Jericho was telling the truth before he finished. Chris wanted to be a great rock star.

Cena and DX in the back was great as well. They talk about beating each other. Yeah it comes out wrong and the Bella twins over hear Cena say that they all beat each other. Comical promo but this is the calm before the storm. I am guessing next week will start to get a little more real in this feud.

Am I the only person that thinks Black Taco is the dirtiest sex act ever? I mean I have seen the Taco Bell commercial 200 times and I think that every time.

Main event time. Cena vs Jericho vs Show
If you listened to the special Showstoppers with the FWF draft. You would have heard I took Cena with the 1st overall pick. Now Larry said it was a great pick but he also said he believes HHH will win the title soon. Why? Cena is in for a long push with the WWE title. DX is going to turn on each other and have a match together at mania. JeriShow work together to beat the crap out of Cena. Things start to breakdown for the heels. Show tosses Jericho out. Show knocks out Cena with a weak right hand to pick up the victory. JeriShow end up the victors tonight. DX got in the ring and Show ko'd HBK followed up with a Codebreaker to HHH. I love the heels leaving Raw tonight on top. Jericho and Show have to look like real contenders.

Next week another boxer hosts Raw. I bet Cena and DX will gain the momentum back. I really hope that DX and Cena will square off once before Survivor Series. I would expect the WWE will not spoil to much with DX and Cena before the ppv. I don't feel to great about my FWF team since I am down -10 points after Raw. A long season awaits us in the Fantasy Wrestling Federation. Be sure to get all the last on the FWF and the WWE on Showstoppers. The highlight will be me as always. Also if you want some sports, check out my Iowa Hawkeye blog. Just keep scrolling down to check it out. Lastly, I will have one more blog for you on Thursday morning. I am teaming up with a buddy of mine in Iowa for an NBA preview type blog. Three blogs in one week, just another reason why I'm the best damn blogger on the internet.

J Call

Something Special in Iowa

I know this may not happen and I could be jinxing it right now as I type this up. I believe something special is happening in Iowa City. I went over to the Iowa Hawkeye game this past Saturday to see the Iowa Indiana football game. I know the Hawkeyes are not the media darlings like USC or Florida. I know the Big 10 isn't the most competitive conference. Although when teams are put in front of you, the job is to beat them and that is what Iowa keeps doing.



The first thought I had after this game was Stanzi sucks. He played horrible and nearly gave Indiana the ball game. Every quarterback has bad games, look at Kurt Warner and Jake Delhomme. Ricky had 5 interceptions and I fault him for all of them. I sat in the front row in the north end zone for the contest. I saw two of the picks right in front of me. Both of those throws were well under thrown and the wide receiver had no shot to make a play. In fact on one ball the WR gave up. Stanzi's throwing motion doesn't seem to me that he steps up and launches the ball. Instead, he lofts it and gives the defense time to get under it and make a play. However, in the 2nd half Stanzi got the ball out quickly and let his play makers do the work. I was begging to my two friends next to me, Iowa should try more screens and quick hits on the sidelines. I say that because Iowa's wide outs and running backs can make plays. They need the ball to do that. Stanzi rallied the team and delivered 28 points in the 4th quarter. For everything bad Stanzi did, he still got the win. On a small side note, you know the QB is having a bad day when my friend Todd said maybe someone should get a Iowa Hawkeye license plate that said StnzSux.

I have to mention the Hawkeye defense because they are the ones who saved the game in the first half. The defense was on the field quite a bit since the offense wasn't doing anything except give it back to Indiana. The d-line did struggle for the most part at putting pressure on the quarterback. The only time they got pressure was when the defensive tackle blew up the middle. He may have done that 5 times the whole game. The biggest play of the game came on a play when he busted through. The Hoosiers were driving towards a 28-7 lead and the stadium was on mute. Chappell dropped back and was blitzed by the outside linebacker. The ball bounced off three people and wound up in the hands of Tyler Sash. He took it back to the house for a game changing play. The pick 6 happened on the other side of the field and from our vantage point, we never saw the play. I had no clue how Sash ended up with the ball but he scored right in front of us. The crowd went from being at a funeral to we have a chance to win this game again. Once Sash got in the end zone, I turned to Brady and told him this is what good teams do. He replied by saying Iowa has been doing it all season.

Speaking of the atmosphere, this was my first time at Kinnick Stadium. I had a blast and would be happy to go back anytime. The atmosphere was fantastic, people were friendly and the stadium is really loud. The only bad thing was Indiana's band was in our end zone and never shut up. I am not saying Kinnick is a state of the art stadium or anything. I am saying it is a great place to go watch a game and walk around tailgating.

The media may not love the Hawkeyes. I saw the polls have them behind several other undefeated teams and even an Oregon team that has one loss. However you must give credit where it is due. You start searching the "mainstream" media sites and you will find several blogs on why Iowa is not that good. I look at it as Iowa is doing what they are suppose to do. Iowa has beat everyone in front of them. If you go back and watch the highlights of the Iowa season, you will notice a pattern. The pick 6 against Indiana saved the season. Iowa had to block two field goals to beat University of Northern Iowa in the very first game of the season. Good teams step up when it counts and Iowa has been doing that. I hear the Hawks aren't better than Florida, Alabama or even Texas. How do you know? If Iowa runs the table, they will go to the Rose Bowl. I can not see a scenario where if Iowa goes undefeated, they end up in the BCS title game. The same could be said for Boise State, TCU and Cincinnati. I hope we have 5 or 6 undefeated teams at the end of the season. I believe that is the only way the BCS will change. For now, this is the crap college football fans have to deal with. As a fellow Iowan, I will be rooting for the Hawkeyes and enjoy their special season.

J Call

About Me

Small town guy from Iowa. I went to school in Dallas and graduated. I work for 105.3 KNOD radio station in Harlan Iowa as the news director. I love sports and wrestling. You can catch my thoughts on everything sports and wrestling on bigbadsportsdaddy.com