Another pay per view has come and gone. The WWE put on a good show Sunday night at Night of Champions. We have a new World Heavyweight Champion. I actually got a few of my picks correct. I hope the WWE can follow it up with a solid Raw show. Shaq is the gm for the night tonight. I mentioned last week, I do not care for Shaq. I hope the focus is on more of the wrestlers than the gm. I am sure excited for another Raw, lets just pray it doesn't suck.
Before I get into Raw, I want to say a few things about Night of Champions. First off, I can not believe they took the belt off of Punk. It is like saying, "Punk you can't get over as a champ, so we are taking the belt off of you." On the other hand, I do love Jeff Hardy. One of two reasons for the title change. One, Jeff signed a brand new contract and was rewarded for it. Or, two he hasn't signed a contract and the WWE is giving him the belt so he will. Either way, can Jeff keep the belt more than a month? Only time will tell. Thank you WWE, for pushing Show with a tag team belt. Teaming him with Jericho was a great idea. The first time ever the tag belts have been on two men from different brands. Ok, I am done with Night of Champions. Time to move forward.
Raw opens with Jerry Lawler in the ring to introduce our gm for the night. Shaquille O'Neal comes out to his own theme music. Shaq makes a beat the clock challenge with 5 wrestlers. The one with the fastest time meets Orton at Summerslam. The participants are Triple H, Jack Swagger, MVP, Mark Henry, and John Cena. My boy, Chris Jericho comes out next. My guess is Jericho will steal the show on the first segment. Y2J takes a shot at Shaq with a Kobe reference. Shaq calls Chris, Christina. They riff a little more. Big Show comes out next. I worried about Shaq being in the spotlight to much. So far, he is doing a good job. Show and Shaq are face to face. I would love to see Show chokeslam Shaq. Show takes a cheap shot about Shaq missing free throws. Shaq calls Show fat boy and challenges him to a match. This is where I may have a problem. I do not want to see one night gm's getting over the actual wrestlers! Show and Jericho tell Shaq they will not fight him. Instead Shaq makes a match with Cryme tyme and Show and Jericho. Shaq makes himself an outside enforcer. Ugh! Shaq yells Christina a few times.
The beat the clock challenge starts off when Raw comes back. Mark Henry comes out. He will take on Carlito. So everyone takes a back seat to the beat the clock challenge? Carlito was in a feud with Primo, but tonight he is about to get squashed by Henry. I am in shock, Carlito has gotten in some offensive moves in. The match carries over the five minute mark. Michael Cole talks about Mark Henry's girth. I sure needed to know that Mark is a girthy man. Carlito went for his finisher but fails. Henry catches Carlito and gives him the World Strongest Slam. At 6:49 min mark, Henry gets the pin fall.
Another 6 diva tag match cuz six weeks in a row is not enough. Mickie beat Maryse last night for the diva championship. Mickie, Gail Kim, and Kelly Kelly vs Beth Phoenix (bout time she was on tv), Alicia Fox and Rosa. The crowd seems to be impressed with Beth. They ooh and ahh over some of her moves. Wow, thank you WWE fans. Maybe if you cheer loud enough for Beth, the writers may figure it out! I doubter. Mickie starts the momentum for the faces. She shows off her quality in ring skills as the new Diva champ. Gail comes back in and hits a missile dropkick and picks up the win.
Shaq and Michael Cole are backstage talking about what else Shaq has planned for tonight. Hornswaggle comes in. Cole tries to talk street or something. Worthless!
45 minutes into Raw and we have our 2nd beat the clock match. MVP is the 2nd participant in this challenge. He goes one on one with WHO? A returning Chris Masters. This is crazy. I did not see this coming at all. MVP wrestling smart, going for quick pinfalls. The match is going back and forth. I like the fact Chris is getting an opportunity to show improvement. Masterlock on MVP out on the floor and it is a double countout. We might get to see MVP vs Masters in the next few weeks. Hey, a new feud, what a novel concept on Raw. HHH will take on Rhodes in the beat the clock challenge later on.
Kendrick is in the ring when Raw returns. The United States Champion Kofi Kingston will face him. Kendrick grabs a mic and talks smack to Lawler. Kendrick is about to lose in 3 seconds. I called it. The bell rang and then rang again. Kofi hits Trouble in Paradise and its over. I do not get why you bury Kendrick.
HHH vs Rhodes in the beat the clock challenge. Before the break, Dibiase tried to take out HHH in the back. They show a replay of the Triple Threat match at Night of Champions. Orton tapped out at one point in the match but in the end an RKO to Cena with Rhodes on Cena's back won the match for Orton. I told you history would repeat itself. The match starts off with some mat wrestling. Always nice for a wrestling match to start with wrestling. Cole and Lawler say Dibiase attacked Trips with a tire iron. That seems believable. 3 mins ago, a man hit me with a tire iron and then I went out and had a match with only a slight limp. Triple H is superhuman. Why couldn't they have just called it a club or something. Rhodes being smart and focusing on Triple H's left leg. The countdown is at 2 mins now. Triple H can't even get to his feet. Rhodes chop blocks Triple H and then locks in the Figure Four. WOOO! I have to take full advantage of anytime I can woo. Triple H starts his offensive attack with under a minute to go. A Arn Anderson like Spinebuster at 30 seconds to go. Dibiase tries to distract. Pedigree but the clock runs out. So Triple H and MVP have failed to beat Mark Henry's time. This might lead to a match between one of the members of Legacy vs HHH at Summerslam.
Shaq and Santino are backstage playing Scrabble. Cryme Tyme interupt. They wrap a lil with Shaq. Santino starts to free style and was quite good and funny. Thank you Santino for saving the segment.
Hornswaggle vs Chavo...again. This time Chavo has to compete blind folded. I honestly can not tell you what happened after they blind fold Chavo because I lost focus. Orton backstage with Jack Swagger. Swagger tells Orton he will beat the clock. He's bigger, stronger, and younger. As Swagger leaves, Henry comes in with a big smile on his face. I can't see a Summerslam main event with Henry.
The All American American Jack Swagger faces off with Evan Bourne. I like this match up. This should be a great wrestling match. I was right. Swagger and Bourne go back and forth. I like the fact they are letting the other guy in the beat the clock match some time to show off his ability too. Its not all one sided. Swagger hits a huge splash off the second rope but only a two count. Swagger picked up Evan for a gut wrench powerbomb. Evan reversed it into a small package and WON! Unbelievable. I love it. Evan gets a huge win and hopefully the start of a much needed push. The last match of the beat the clock match will be Cena vs Miz. Thats next.
Jeremy Piven is next weeks Raw gm. HHH has a nice interview backstage about how he needs to take out Rhodes and Dibiase. Next week HHH challenges both men to a match.
Miz comes out first with mic in hand. Miz runs his mouth talking about how bad Washington pro teams are. Cena gets a huge ovation tonight. All Cena has to do is beat Miz in under 6 mins and 49 seconds and he faces Orton at Summerslam. Miz does the cowardly heel thing and runs away. Miz gets back into the ring. Cena very focused tonight. He goes for a quick pin fall. That fails. He goes for the STFU, but that fails as well. The match goes to the outside once again. Cena is outside the ring while the clock keeps counting down. Cena gets back in at 9. The match is under 3 mins and Cena locks in the STF. Miz taps with over 2 mins to go. Cena and Orton at Summerslam. I am not suprised but its ok. I look forward to this match up.
Instead of finishing with Cena and Orton, which would have made complete sense. The main event tonight is Cryme Tyme vs Show and Y2J with Shaq as a special enforcer. When I think main events, I sure think of Cryme Tyme. At least Jericho is in the match. Jericho and JTG start off the match. Show tags in and starts to dominate. Shaq gets a great view of Show chopping the hell out of JTG. Show punishing JTG right in front of Shaq. Hot tag to Shad with an assist from Shaq. The crowd is mostly dead during the match. Cryme Tyme hit their finisher and Show comes in and cleans house. The ref calls for the dq. Show gets rid of Cryme Tyme and calls for Shaq to come into the ring, which he does. Shaq vs Show nose to nose. How good does it look if a wrestler gets punked by a basketball player in a wrestling ring? That's exactly what happens. Way to make Show look solid on Raw.
God I hate it when outsiders are made to look better than the men you will see each and every week. This has nothing to do with my dislike for Shaq. Seth Green punked Orton and Shaq punked Show. I just don't understand it. You make the wrestler look bad over making the celebrity look like he is out of his league, which he is. Why not bring back WCW because that is what WWE is feeling like on Raw these days. Thankfully I have ECW and Smackdown that showcases the wrestlers and their talents instead of wanting headlines from the media. I am looking forward to Smackdown and their new World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy. Until next week.
J Call
Monday, July 27, 2009
Can you come up with sports moments?
Ok this is really quite simple. I need your feedback. All you have to do is come up with your top 5 all time sports moments. If you can not come up with 5 sports moments you will never forget in your lifetime, you might as well rip up your fan card because you are not a true sports fan. I can't make this any simpler. I do not care what sport the moment happened. I do not care what year it happened in. I just want to know you all time top 5 sports moment that occurred in your life so far. My email address is mccall316@yahoo.com. Email me by next Monday with your top 5. I am telling you, you do not want to miss out on being a part of this blog I am going to write. It is going to be one of the best blogs I have personally ever written. Thank you.
J Call
J Call
Friday, July 24, 2009
Night of Champions Preview
The WWE brands can not be any different heading into the pay per view this Sunday. On Raw, they are all about the same storyline for the past two years. Randy Orton vs either HHH, Cena, or Batista. The only good thing on Raw right now is they are showcasing the mid level talent with Kofi, MVP, and others Smackdown brings in new fresh faces with CM Punk, Jeff Hardy and Dolph Ziggler as a mid carder. Night of Champions is unique in the fact that every match is for a belt. This pay per view could change the direction of all three brands. I cleaned of the dust of my crystal ball and I am ready to predict exactly what the WWE will or should I say should do.
Diva Championship Match
Maryse (c) vs Mickie James
Maryse goes into the pay per view with the belt and having never faced Mickie one on one. As I said on my Raw blog, I loved the use of the interview stage Monday night. Maryse has the momentum after the altercation. Mickie has the fans back and a lot of in ring ability. We should see the best women's match of the year this Sunday. In the end, Maryse will get a cheap victory.
Tag Team Championship Match
Chris Jericho and ? (c) vs Legacy
Jericho has been getting beat up by Mark Henry the last few weeks. He has also been very quiet on who his partner will be. If you listened to Showstoppers, I don't know why you wouldn't, John and Larry gave their own predictions on who the partner will be. John said it would be Henry and Larry said Ziggler. I don't see either one of them being Y2J's partner. How did Priceless come together? Dibiase was to have a mystery partner vs Holly and Rhodes. Rhodes turned heel on Holly and Priceless was born. At Night of Champions, the role gets reversed. Dibiase is Jericho's partner and Legacy breaks up leading to a giant curve ball on Raw.
ECW Championship Match
Dreamer (c) vs Christian
Dreamer has had a nice run. I am glad to see the WWE hang in there and keep the belt on him. These two should put on a great match until Kozlov comes out and gets involved. Dreamer keeps it and Kozlov gets it at Summerslam.
United States Championship Match
Kofi (c) vs Big Show vs MVP vs Miz vs Carlito vs Swagger
I am very interested in how this match plays out. Kofi deserves to keep the belt to establish himself as a major player on Raw. Swagger has enough talent, he doesn't need it. Carlito, please. MVP has held this belt longer than anyone and does not need another run. Miz has had opportunities on t.v to get his character over. The US title could do just that for him. The Big Show shouldn't even been in this match because he should be in the WWE title picture. It comes down to Kofi and Miz. I am going with Kofi.
Intercontinental Championship Match
Rey Mysterio (c) vs Dolph Ziggler
Rey has held this belt for quite a while. Since Wrestlemania, Rey has either had or been in the IC hunt. Dolph is a great up and comer. I had a conversation with John and I called Dolph the closest thing to Mr. Perfect we are going to see in a long time. I truly believe that. Dolph needs to prove his worth. If he can have a great ppv match, he will do that. He will but Rey will win.
World Heavyweight Championship Match
CM Punk (c) vs Jeff Hardy
Punk has been a decent champ. The problem is he has not had a great ppv match as champion. The dq at the Bash didn't help his cause. I think this match needs to be a long, drawn out, hard earned victory. Jeff's contract situation has not been cleared up. He could have signed a long term deal or leave after Summerslam. Since I don't have a clue, I am going with Punk to remain champion.
WWE Championship Match
Randy Orton (c) vs HHH vs Cena
The main event at Wrestlemania 24 is now the main event this Sunday at Night of Champions. Randy has been a great champion, but his feuds have been the same for 2 years. We desperately need a new feud for him. HHH should turn heel and face Cena at Summerslam. Cena is so over with the crowd, he doesn't need a belt. Randy walked into Mania 24 as champ and walked out as champ. I believe history will repeat itself this Sunday. "The Legend Killer" keeps his belt. I just hope we are done seeing these 3 face off for the WWE title. Like or not, this is what the WWE should do at Night of Champions.
J Call
Diva Championship Match
Maryse (c) vs Mickie James
Maryse goes into the pay per view with the belt and having never faced Mickie one on one. As I said on my Raw blog, I loved the use of the interview stage Monday night. Maryse has the momentum after the altercation. Mickie has the fans back and a lot of in ring ability. We should see the best women's match of the year this Sunday. In the end, Maryse will get a cheap victory.
Tag Team Championship Match
Chris Jericho and ? (c) vs Legacy
Jericho has been getting beat up by Mark Henry the last few weeks. He has also been very quiet on who his partner will be. If you listened to Showstoppers, I don't know why you wouldn't, John and Larry gave their own predictions on who the partner will be. John said it would be Henry and Larry said Ziggler. I don't see either one of them being Y2J's partner. How did Priceless come together? Dibiase was to have a mystery partner vs Holly and Rhodes. Rhodes turned heel on Holly and Priceless was born. At Night of Champions, the role gets reversed. Dibiase is Jericho's partner and Legacy breaks up leading to a giant curve ball on Raw.
ECW Championship Match
Dreamer (c) vs Christian
Dreamer has had a nice run. I am glad to see the WWE hang in there and keep the belt on him. These two should put on a great match until Kozlov comes out and gets involved. Dreamer keeps it and Kozlov gets it at Summerslam.
United States Championship Match
Kofi (c) vs Big Show vs MVP vs Miz vs Carlito vs Swagger
I am very interested in how this match plays out. Kofi deserves to keep the belt to establish himself as a major player on Raw. Swagger has enough talent, he doesn't need it. Carlito, please. MVP has held this belt longer than anyone and does not need another run. Miz has had opportunities on t.v to get his character over. The US title could do just that for him. The Big Show shouldn't even been in this match because he should be in the WWE title picture. It comes down to Kofi and Miz. I am going with Kofi.
Intercontinental Championship Match
Rey Mysterio (c) vs Dolph Ziggler
Rey has held this belt for quite a while. Since Wrestlemania, Rey has either had or been in the IC hunt. Dolph is a great up and comer. I had a conversation with John and I called Dolph the closest thing to Mr. Perfect we are going to see in a long time. I truly believe that. Dolph needs to prove his worth. If he can have a great ppv match, he will do that. He will but Rey will win.
World Heavyweight Championship Match
CM Punk (c) vs Jeff Hardy
Punk has been a decent champ. The problem is he has not had a great ppv match as champion. The dq at the Bash didn't help his cause. I think this match needs to be a long, drawn out, hard earned victory. Jeff's contract situation has not been cleared up. He could have signed a long term deal or leave after Summerslam. Since I don't have a clue, I am going with Punk to remain champion.
WWE Championship Match
Randy Orton (c) vs HHH vs Cena
The main event at Wrestlemania 24 is now the main event this Sunday at Night of Champions. Randy has been a great champion, but his feuds have been the same for 2 years. We desperately need a new feud for him. HHH should turn heel and face Cena at Summerslam. Cena is so over with the crowd, he doesn't need a belt. Randy walked into Mania 24 as champ and walked out as champ. I believe history will repeat itself this Sunday. "The Legend Killer" keeps his belt. I just hope we are done seeing these 3 face off for the WWE title. Like or not, this is what the WWE should do at Night of Champions.
J Call
Monday, July 20, 2009
Raw 7-20-09
The WWE needed a great show heading into another pay per view this Sunday. They seem to be wanting to grab headlines from the media than showcase a great wrestling show. ZZ Top joins the Raw celebrity list of gms tonight. In the end, the show must provide whether or not you will fork over the money for Night of Champions. Did Raw succeed?
First off, I want thank the crew at BBSD for the birthday wish on the site. You didn't have to do that, but I thank you for it. Ok, lets get to why you are here, reading this blog, the wrestling.
Raw starts off with the WWE's hottest star John Cena. The main event is announced. Triple H and Cena vs Rhodes and Dibiase. What a huge tag match! To bad we saw practically the same damn match last week. I will have more on that later. Cena informs us that the main event at Night Of Champions, Orton vs Cena vs HHH, was the main event at Wrestlemania 24. Orton comes out. I will guess he will say, at wrestlemania 24, he walked in and walked out as WWE champion. Instead, Orton talks about how history will repeat itself. I sure hope he's right. Cena says something about how the fans want him to beat Ortons face in. Hey Cena! You should use Rock's line of I can't hear you whine and moan cuz there are 10,000 people chanting Cena Cena Cena. Just a thought. Legacy surrounds the ring and traps Cena. HHH comes out to make the save. Or will he? Will Triple H ever turn heel or bad again? I actually like him better as a heel. Trips grabs the mic and says he doesn't care if he or Cena wins the belt this Sunday. He cares about getting the belt off Orton. Triple H and Cena banter back and forth about Seth Green and how small he is. Orton wants to add himself to the main event tonight, making it 3 on 2. Wait, now its exactly what we saw last week. Cena and Triple H talk about how they can't tag up. You just did last week guys!! Damn does everyone in the WWE have the worst short term memory?
ZZ Top is backstage with Santino. Santino talks about how he is a big fan even though he screws up their names. They give Santino a beard, hat, and a guitar. They start singing Cheap Sunglasses. If this is the start of a bunch of backstage promos, we are in for a long, I mean, LONG night.
United States Champion Kofi Kingston comes out to kick off a 6 man tag match. Add another title match at Night Of Champions. A 6 pack title match. Kofi vs Show vs Carlito vs MVP vs Swagger vs The Miz. I like the match, but where is Evan Bourne? Why does Carlito who hasnt done shit in the last few weeks get a US title match and Evan doesn't? Ok, Kofi and Swagger start of the contest. MVP hits his ballin elbow and Raw heads to commercial. What a shock! Raw comes back with the heels in charge. Big Show starts laying in to Kofi. I love Big Shows chops. The heels keep the US champ in their corner and dominate the contest. Hot tag to Primo and he takes control of the match. The crowd gets really behind Primo. I like to hear that. Carlito goes for a backstabber on Primo, but moves and Show spears Carlito. Kofi gets Show out of the ring. Primo nails his brother with a flying headbut and wins the match. The Big Show gets back in the ring and spears Primo. He chokeslams everyone else. Back to the formula right before a pay per view with Big Show. He whoops everyones ass and looks great before the pay per view, which means he will lose this Sunday.
Another promo with ZZ Top. This time Jericho shows up and talks about how he is a big fan and how ZZ Top is a big fan of Fozzy. They pretend not to know who Jericho's band is. They make a match with Jericho and Mark Henry. At least I get to see Jericho wrestle tonight.
Brian Kendrick is out talking about how he should be Y2J partner at Night of Champions. I have a hard time to argue with him. He should be teamed up with Jericho. He is a great tag team partner. Kendrick is a solid wrestler and is not being used enough. Instead, he gets to wrestle Lawler. Yes, you read that correctly. Jerry leaves the table and announces himself as Kendricks opponent. I know when I was thinking about Raw, I said to myself, "I hope Lawler wrestles tonight." Its like the WWE can read my mind. Even better, Lawler beats Kendrick. Can I say it already? The WWE wishes Kendrick well in future endeavors.
They do a interview with Mickie right by the entrance stage. It reminds me of the old school interview stage in the 80s, very vintage. Miz comes out to run his chops. Miz runs down Mickie's looks. Mickie makes fun of Miz and how he can't score. Oh ouch, but hey the truth hurts. Maryse shows up looking hot as always. She sprays something into Mickie's eyes. I actually loved that segement. The whole 80s feel to an interview was so cool. I hope they do that every week.
Out comes Y2J, the best wrestler in the WWE right now, Chris Jericho. Mark Henry gets a nice pop from the crowd. Which makes me question the intellegent level of the WWE fans. Jericho playing a great heel by running away from the big man. Like most matches with a big man, Jericho focuses in on the legs. Henry does the big swing which was a neat spot. Jericho hits a huge running bulldog. He goes for the Walls of Jericho. Henry counters and sends Chris flying out of the ring. Jericho grabs a chair and nails Henry with it. Jericho gets dq'd. They battle out of the ring and back in. Jericho goes for the Codebreaker but gets caught. Henry lands the strongest slam.
Yet another backstage promo with ZZ Top and Santino. They make a match with Chavo vs Hornswaggle, ugh, in a sharp dressed man match. Is the WWE trying to hurt me tonight? We come back and Lillian stumbles with the stipulations of the tux match. It was kinda funny. It will be the only thing I can remember of the match. Hornswaggle wins again.
Cena and HHH are backstage talking about their match with Legacy, again. They run through how its gonna be us against them tonight, but Sunday will be a different story.
Kelly Kelly shows up backstage with ZZ Top. They start to play Legs. Why couldn't Stacy Keibler show up for one night. She had the best legs ever! A couple of women show off their stuff then Santino strips down to show off what he has. He dances around for a while as ZZ Top leaves. At least Santino was very funny in the promos. King and Cole are in the ring running down the NOC card. Don't forget I will have a ppv prediction blog up on Friday morning. Wooo! You know I always do well. Legacy meets up with Jericho in the back. They belittle Jericho until Jericho steps up his game. Jericho leaves by saying you never know Orton could be his partner. The WWE almost made Jericho look like a face, just a little.
Shaq will be a the gm next week. I know Larry loves Shaq. I on the other hand can't stand him. I have never liked Shaq. I will try my best next week.
What I do like is WWE diva action. Alicia Fox and Rosa vs Kelly Kelly and Gail Kim. They call it a ZZ Top legs match. Gail Kim should be the next Diva that goes after the Diva's title. She is excellent in the ring. But WWE should not forget Beth Phoenix either. The match was pretty good. Kelly Kelly impresses but ends up losing.
Main event starts up with ZZ Top driving out to the ring. I wouldn't mind seeing their concert show with Aerosmith. Legacy out 1st. The Game out followed by Cena. Cena and Rhodes start it off. As with almost every match the faces go into the break with the momentum. Cena in trouble when Raw returns. Hot tag to HHH but Legacy gains the advantage. Orton goes for an RKO but HHH hits a spinebuster. Huge crowd pop for the tag to Cena. Cena gets on fire. Nailing everyone and hits his you can't see me fist drop. Randy comes in for a punt to Cena. Cena moves and rolls up Orton for the win. Will this be a prelude to Night of Champions?
I tried to give the WWE the benefit of the doubt last week. But when you put the same show on two weeks in a row it is hard to fathom what they are doing. The tag match had moments but in all reality it was the same main event as last week without Seth Green. It is time for a change when it comes to main event players on Raw. I got to thinking about what the WWE could do. Well for starters, turn HHH heel this Sunday. It will help with new feuds if you add a man like Triple H as a bad guy. I think it is time to really push The Big Show. You make him look strong on Sunday by having every man of the 6 pack US title match hit their finisher just to take him out of the equation. The following night he can talk about how it took 5 men to take him out. I say you turn The Big Show face by saying he wants a piece of Randy Orton after what he went through the night before. Cena vs HHH at Summerslam is a great match. The problem is the WWE will not want to have Show vs Orton headlining the 2nd biggest ppv of the year. So what can the WWE do? The only other logical choice is to bring back The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels. He will add a boost to the show as well as another man into the WWE title mix. HBK vs Orton for the WWE title, plus HHH vs Cena. Now Raw would look pretty good heading into Summerslam. But what do I know? I'm just a huge wrestling fan. I guess that makes me qualified to be the Raw GM for one night.
J Call
First off, I want thank the crew at BBSD for the birthday wish on the site. You didn't have to do that, but I thank you for it. Ok, lets get to why you are here, reading this blog, the wrestling.
Raw starts off with the WWE's hottest star John Cena. The main event is announced. Triple H and Cena vs Rhodes and Dibiase. What a huge tag match! To bad we saw practically the same damn match last week. I will have more on that later. Cena informs us that the main event at Night Of Champions, Orton vs Cena vs HHH, was the main event at Wrestlemania 24. Orton comes out. I will guess he will say, at wrestlemania 24, he walked in and walked out as WWE champion. Instead, Orton talks about how history will repeat itself. I sure hope he's right. Cena says something about how the fans want him to beat Ortons face in. Hey Cena! You should use Rock's line of I can't hear you whine and moan cuz there are 10,000 people chanting Cena Cena Cena. Just a thought. Legacy surrounds the ring and traps Cena. HHH comes out to make the save. Or will he? Will Triple H ever turn heel or bad again? I actually like him better as a heel. Trips grabs the mic and says he doesn't care if he or Cena wins the belt this Sunday. He cares about getting the belt off Orton. Triple H and Cena banter back and forth about Seth Green and how small he is. Orton wants to add himself to the main event tonight, making it 3 on 2. Wait, now its exactly what we saw last week. Cena and Triple H talk about how they can't tag up. You just did last week guys!! Damn does everyone in the WWE have the worst short term memory?
ZZ Top is backstage with Santino. Santino talks about how he is a big fan even though he screws up their names. They give Santino a beard, hat, and a guitar. They start singing Cheap Sunglasses. If this is the start of a bunch of backstage promos, we are in for a long, I mean, LONG night.
United States Champion Kofi Kingston comes out to kick off a 6 man tag match. Add another title match at Night Of Champions. A 6 pack title match. Kofi vs Show vs Carlito vs MVP vs Swagger vs The Miz. I like the match, but where is Evan Bourne? Why does Carlito who hasnt done shit in the last few weeks get a US title match and Evan doesn't? Ok, Kofi and Swagger start of the contest. MVP hits his ballin elbow and Raw heads to commercial. What a shock! Raw comes back with the heels in charge. Big Show starts laying in to Kofi. I love Big Shows chops. The heels keep the US champ in their corner and dominate the contest. Hot tag to Primo and he takes control of the match. The crowd gets really behind Primo. I like to hear that. Carlito goes for a backstabber on Primo, but moves and Show spears Carlito. Kofi gets Show out of the ring. Primo nails his brother with a flying headbut and wins the match. The Big Show gets back in the ring and spears Primo. He chokeslams everyone else. Back to the formula right before a pay per view with Big Show. He whoops everyones ass and looks great before the pay per view, which means he will lose this Sunday.
Another promo with ZZ Top. This time Jericho shows up and talks about how he is a big fan and how ZZ Top is a big fan of Fozzy. They pretend not to know who Jericho's band is. They make a match with Jericho and Mark Henry. At least I get to see Jericho wrestle tonight.
Brian Kendrick is out talking about how he should be Y2J partner at Night of Champions. I have a hard time to argue with him. He should be teamed up with Jericho. He is a great tag team partner. Kendrick is a solid wrestler and is not being used enough. Instead, he gets to wrestle Lawler. Yes, you read that correctly. Jerry leaves the table and announces himself as Kendricks opponent. I know when I was thinking about Raw, I said to myself, "I hope Lawler wrestles tonight." Its like the WWE can read my mind. Even better, Lawler beats Kendrick. Can I say it already? The WWE wishes Kendrick well in future endeavors.
They do a interview with Mickie right by the entrance stage. It reminds me of the old school interview stage in the 80s, very vintage. Miz comes out to run his chops. Miz runs down Mickie's looks. Mickie makes fun of Miz and how he can't score. Oh ouch, but hey the truth hurts. Maryse shows up looking hot as always. She sprays something into Mickie's eyes. I actually loved that segement. The whole 80s feel to an interview was so cool. I hope they do that every week.
Out comes Y2J, the best wrestler in the WWE right now, Chris Jericho. Mark Henry gets a nice pop from the crowd. Which makes me question the intellegent level of the WWE fans. Jericho playing a great heel by running away from the big man. Like most matches with a big man, Jericho focuses in on the legs. Henry does the big swing which was a neat spot. Jericho hits a huge running bulldog. He goes for the Walls of Jericho. Henry counters and sends Chris flying out of the ring. Jericho grabs a chair and nails Henry with it. Jericho gets dq'd. They battle out of the ring and back in. Jericho goes for the Codebreaker but gets caught. Henry lands the strongest slam.
Yet another backstage promo with ZZ Top and Santino. They make a match with Chavo vs Hornswaggle, ugh, in a sharp dressed man match. Is the WWE trying to hurt me tonight? We come back and Lillian stumbles with the stipulations of the tux match. It was kinda funny. It will be the only thing I can remember of the match. Hornswaggle wins again.
Cena and HHH are backstage talking about their match with Legacy, again. They run through how its gonna be us against them tonight, but Sunday will be a different story.
Kelly Kelly shows up backstage with ZZ Top. They start to play Legs. Why couldn't Stacy Keibler show up for one night. She had the best legs ever! A couple of women show off their stuff then Santino strips down to show off what he has. He dances around for a while as ZZ Top leaves. At least Santino was very funny in the promos. King and Cole are in the ring running down the NOC card. Don't forget I will have a ppv prediction blog up on Friday morning. Wooo! You know I always do well. Legacy meets up with Jericho in the back. They belittle Jericho until Jericho steps up his game. Jericho leaves by saying you never know Orton could be his partner. The WWE almost made Jericho look like a face, just a little.
Shaq will be a the gm next week. I know Larry loves Shaq. I on the other hand can't stand him. I have never liked Shaq. I will try my best next week.
What I do like is WWE diva action. Alicia Fox and Rosa vs Kelly Kelly and Gail Kim. They call it a ZZ Top legs match. Gail Kim should be the next Diva that goes after the Diva's title. She is excellent in the ring. But WWE should not forget Beth Phoenix either. The match was pretty good. Kelly Kelly impresses but ends up losing.
Main event starts up with ZZ Top driving out to the ring. I wouldn't mind seeing their concert show with Aerosmith. Legacy out 1st. The Game out followed by Cena. Cena and Rhodes start it off. As with almost every match the faces go into the break with the momentum. Cena in trouble when Raw returns. Hot tag to HHH but Legacy gains the advantage. Orton goes for an RKO but HHH hits a spinebuster. Huge crowd pop for the tag to Cena. Cena gets on fire. Nailing everyone and hits his you can't see me fist drop. Randy comes in for a punt to Cena. Cena moves and rolls up Orton for the win. Will this be a prelude to Night of Champions?
I tried to give the WWE the benefit of the doubt last week. But when you put the same show on two weeks in a row it is hard to fathom what they are doing. The tag match had moments but in all reality it was the same main event as last week without Seth Green. It is time for a change when it comes to main event players on Raw. I got to thinking about what the WWE could do. Well for starters, turn HHH heel this Sunday. It will help with new feuds if you add a man like Triple H as a bad guy. I think it is time to really push The Big Show. You make him look strong on Sunday by having every man of the 6 pack US title match hit their finisher just to take him out of the equation. The following night he can talk about how it took 5 men to take him out. I say you turn The Big Show face by saying he wants a piece of Randy Orton after what he went through the night before. Cena vs HHH at Summerslam is a great match. The problem is the WWE will not want to have Show vs Orton headlining the 2nd biggest ppv of the year. So what can the WWE do? The only other logical choice is to bring back The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels. He will add a boost to the show as well as another man into the WWE title mix. HBK vs Orton for the WWE title, plus HHH vs Cena. Now Raw would look pretty good heading into Summerslam. But what do I know? I'm just a huge wrestling fan. I guess that makes me qualified to be the Raw GM for one night.
J Call
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Top Ten Tag Teams
As I previewed in my Raw blog, John and I are tagging up to deliver a top ten list of the Greatest Tag Teams. We started the debate last week. We had trouble getting a list we could agree on, but eventual we settled on this one. We still have disagreements but that is what a top ten list is suppose to provide. The Tag division has been downgraded in the last few years to almost a joking level in the WWE. So what better time to talk about the greatest tag teams then right now.
10. The Rockers -
J Call: The Rockers come in at number 10 because I had to beg John just to get them on the list. I would have Shawn and Marty a little higher on the list. I loved the Rockers. They had plenty of charisma and added excitement into any card. The thing most fans remember is the fallout of the team. Shawn threw Marty through the barber shop window to elevate his career as a singles competitor. Although never mentioned in the record books as tag champs in the WWE, they did win the titles against the Hart Foundation but the ring rope broke during the match. Since the match was botched by the rope the WWE decided to give the belts back to The Hart Foundation.
John: They brought high-flying and tassels to wrestling. They used the energy of the crowd, and were one of the first to go off the top rope at the same time. Shawn Michaels, is what he is today, because of Marty Jannety and the tag team. He became a world class wrestler, and we know what he is today.
9. The Fabulous Freebirds -
John: Anyone from Texas knows about the Freebirds. They were the arch enemy of the Von Erichs. They had the brain (Michael P.S. Hayes), the whiner ( Buddy Roberts), and the muscle ( Terry Gordy). Their battles with the Von Erichs were legendary. Also, they were the first wrestlers with entrance music. That says a lot right there.
J Call: John knows more about these guys then I do. I knew more about the Freebirds when they came to WCW. Michael Hayes was sure innovative coming up with an entrance music way before it was cool. Michael is now a big part of the WWE as a head writer for Smackdown. There is also a Freebird Rule in effect. When the Freebirds were a 3 man group and owned the tag titles, they could use any 2 of the 3 to defend their titles. The rule is called the Freebird Rule and has only been used 6 times in tag team history. The most recent was the Spirit Squad a few years ago.
8. Harlem Heat -
John: This was a brother duo that was just dominant. Another team, that was a platform for 1 member to go onto greatness. Booker T and Stevie Ray paved the way for teams like Cryme Tyme. They had epic battles with the Nasty Boys and the Outsiders, before going in their separate directions.
J Call: Harlem Heat won the WCW tag titles 10 times. Do I need to say more? Once Sensational Sherri got her hands on Booker T and Stevie, they were destined for greatness. Harlem Heat were one of the most dominant tag teams in WCW history. As most tag teams, one man succeeds as the other falters.
7. The British Bulldogs -
J Call: The British Bulldogs were a phenomenal tag team. I loved Davey Boy Smith. As John mentions their mascot, I can remember him going after Bobby the Brain Heenan. They may have only been tag team champs once in WWF, they are still remember has one of the greats. Their in ring work with the Hart Foundation and Iron Sheik and Nikolia Volkoff were some of the best tag matches back in the 80's.
John: Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith formed a dynamic team. They wrestled in the same form as the Harts, and had a career very similar. The even had a bulldog mascot, but their wrestling defined them.
6. The Hardy Boys -
John: Matt and Jeff Hardy took high flying to a whole new level. Their fearlessness, and the way they teamed moves together is still one of the best I have ever seen. The brothers would play off one another in a time when tag team wrestling was at its peak. The feuds withe Edge and Christian, and The Dudley Boyz, are still talked about today. The introduced ladders to tag team competition, and helped form The great TLC matches we all loved.
J Call: The first of all three teams of the TLC matches had to make the list. Jeff is/was the dare devil and Matt is/was the smart, ring suave one. Team Xtreme took themselves and another team on the list to knew heights with the Terry Invitational Tournament or TIT Ladder Match back at No Mercy 1999. Now they are well known for their singles success as the first blood brothers to hold a World Title at the same time. This is what is suppose to happen to Tag teams, both go on to bigger and better things.
5. The Brainbusters -
J Call: If this was a top ten of who is the greatest tag team partner, the Enforcer Double A Arn Anderson would by my choice. Tully and Arn were part of the most elite group in wrestling history, the Four Horsemen. They wrestled in both WCW and WWF. The Brainbusters in ring work was perfect. Arn is a man that belongs in the Hall of Fame. Tully and Arn enjoyed success every where they went.
John: Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard had two jobs. #2 was to win tag team championships. #1, was to make sure Ric Flair held the NWA championship. They did both perfectly. They were the rock that people had to go through to get to Flair. They interfered, distracted, and just plain beat up anyone and everyone that got in the Four Horsemen's way.
4. Edge and Christian -
John: They brought the conchairto to the TLC matches. They could go high flying or they could go toe to toe. The part I liked most about Edge and Christian was the "5 second pose." They were funny, and wrestled well together. Edge went on to great things, and Christian is getting up there as well, but I would not rule out them getting back together for a match or two.
J Call: Time to get serious into the Top 4. Edge and Christian first came on the scene with Gangrel as the Brood. Laying eyes on these two for the first time, you knew they were going to be special. They get the nod over their counterpart, The Hardys, in this list because they won back to back Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches at Wrestlemania 16 and 17. Their backstage promos when they added Kurt Angle were always hilarious. 7 time WWF/E tag champs gets them to number 4.
3. The Dudley Boyz -
John: D-Von and Bubba Ray have held more tag team titles than any other tag team. They brought tables to wrestling. While in the original ECW, they made tables apart of every one of their matches. They brought them with them to the WWE for the TLC matches. They have dominated everywhere they have been, and continue that today. Whats UUUUUUUUUUP?
J Call: They might be the most recognizable tag team of all time. 8 time ECW Tag Champs, 8 time WWF/E Tag Champs, 1 time WCW Tag Champs, plus now 2 time TNA Tag Champs. It is no suprise they got to number 3. John and I actually debated because I had these guys at number 2. The Dudleys were the perfect team during the attitude era of the WWF. Devon and Bubba Ray have many memorable table moments in the WWE archive. My favorite moment was Bubba powerbombing Mae Young off the stage onto a table below. Devon! Get the tables!
2. The Hart Foundation -
John: This was the ultimate contrast in styles. Jim " The Anvil" Neidhart was the brute. Bret Hart, was the most technical wrestler of all time. Together, they were unstoppable. They were managed by the Mouth of the South, Jimmy Hart. They had the entire package. They would out wrestle you, beat you up, and Jimmy would cheat. They produced another great singles wrestler in Bret Hart, but Bret always said he liked tag teams better.
J Call: John mentions it right away, their styles made them a unique and great tag team. Bret had the mat skills, brains, and could make anyone look good. The Anvil was in your face attitude and cleaned house. In my opinion, they were the most complete wrestling duo in history. If you don't know, I have a huge man crush on Bret. He is my favorite wrestler of all time. They only held the WWF tag titles twice, but they still go down as our number 2 tag team.
1. LOD The Road Warriors -
J Call: Something John and I agreed on was our number 1. LOD, The Road Warriors, Hawk and Animal were the best tag team ever. They had the look, with spiked shoulder pads, the power, both men, and their finisher, the Dooms Day Device. They may not own all the records for title reigns but it doesn't matter. The Road Warriors were the perfect tag team. Animal had the look and size. Hawk had charisma and a mouth. The Most Dominant Tag Team period.
John: This team was brute force. They would beat you up, then beat you up again. Their finishing move was one of the most devastating of all time. They were a well-oiled machine. When they wanted the championships, they took them. If they didn't, they just beat people up. It was unfortunate, the way they ended, but wow, when they were on...What A RUSH.
You think you can do better or have a problem with our list? Email John at jpconner9@yahoo.com or email J Call at mccall316@yahoo.com.
J Call and John C
10. The Rockers -
J Call: The Rockers come in at number 10 because I had to beg John just to get them on the list. I would have Shawn and Marty a little higher on the list. I loved the Rockers. They had plenty of charisma and added excitement into any card. The thing most fans remember is the fallout of the team. Shawn threw Marty through the barber shop window to elevate his career as a singles competitor. Although never mentioned in the record books as tag champs in the WWE, they did win the titles against the Hart Foundation but the ring rope broke during the match. Since the match was botched by the rope the WWE decided to give the belts back to The Hart Foundation.
John: They brought high-flying and tassels to wrestling. They used the energy of the crowd, and were one of the first to go off the top rope at the same time. Shawn Michaels, is what he is today, because of Marty Jannety and the tag team. He became a world class wrestler, and we know what he is today.
9. The Fabulous Freebirds -
John: Anyone from Texas knows about the Freebirds. They were the arch enemy of the Von Erichs. They had the brain (Michael P.S. Hayes), the whiner ( Buddy Roberts), and the muscle ( Terry Gordy). Their battles with the Von Erichs were legendary. Also, they were the first wrestlers with entrance music. That says a lot right there.
J Call: John knows more about these guys then I do. I knew more about the Freebirds when they came to WCW. Michael Hayes was sure innovative coming up with an entrance music way before it was cool. Michael is now a big part of the WWE as a head writer for Smackdown. There is also a Freebird Rule in effect. When the Freebirds were a 3 man group and owned the tag titles, they could use any 2 of the 3 to defend their titles. The rule is called the Freebird Rule and has only been used 6 times in tag team history. The most recent was the Spirit Squad a few years ago.
8. Harlem Heat -
John: This was a brother duo that was just dominant. Another team, that was a platform for 1 member to go onto greatness. Booker T and Stevie Ray paved the way for teams like Cryme Tyme. They had epic battles with the Nasty Boys and the Outsiders, before going in their separate directions.
J Call: Harlem Heat won the WCW tag titles 10 times. Do I need to say more? Once Sensational Sherri got her hands on Booker T and Stevie, they were destined for greatness. Harlem Heat were one of the most dominant tag teams in WCW history. As most tag teams, one man succeeds as the other falters.
7. The British Bulldogs -
J Call: The British Bulldogs were a phenomenal tag team. I loved Davey Boy Smith. As John mentions their mascot, I can remember him going after Bobby the Brain Heenan. They may have only been tag team champs once in WWF, they are still remember has one of the greats. Their in ring work with the Hart Foundation and Iron Sheik and Nikolia Volkoff were some of the best tag matches back in the 80's.
John: Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith formed a dynamic team. They wrestled in the same form as the Harts, and had a career very similar. The even had a bulldog mascot, but their wrestling defined them.
6. The Hardy Boys -
John: Matt and Jeff Hardy took high flying to a whole new level. Their fearlessness, and the way they teamed moves together is still one of the best I have ever seen. The brothers would play off one another in a time when tag team wrestling was at its peak. The feuds withe Edge and Christian, and The Dudley Boyz, are still talked about today. The introduced ladders to tag team competition, and helped form The great TLC matches we all loved.
J Call: The first of all three teams of the TLC matches had to make the list. Jeff is/was the dare devil and Matt is/was the smart, ring suave one. Team Xtreme took themselves and another team on the list to knew heights with the Terry Invitational Tournament or TIT Ladder Match back at No Mercy 1999. Now they are well known for their singles success as the first blood brothers to hold a World Title at the same time. This is what is suppose to happen to Tag teams, both go on to bigger and better things.
5. The Brainbusters -
J Call: If this was a top ten of who is the greatest tag team partner, the Enforcer Double A Arn Anderson would by my choice. Tully and Arn were part of the most elite group in wrestling history, the Four Horsemen. They wrestled in both WCW and WWF. The Brainbusters in ring work was perfect. Arn is a man that belongs in the Hall of Fame. Tully and Arn enjoyed success every where they went.
John: Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard had two jobs. #2 was to win tag team championships. #1, was to make sure Ric Flair held the NWA championship. They did both perfectly. They were the rock that people had to go through to get to Flair. They interfered, distracted, and just plain beat up anyone and everyone that got in the Four Horsemen's way.
4. Edge and Christian -
John: They brought the conchairto to the TLC matches. They could go high flying or they could go toe to toe. The part I liked most about Edge and Christian was the "5 second pose." They were funny, and wrestled well together. Edge went on to great things, and Christian is getting up there as well, but I would not rule out them getting back together for a match or two.
J Call: Time to get serious into the Top 4. Edge and Christian first came on the scene with Gangrel as the Brood. Laying eyes on these two for the first time, you knew they were going to be special. They get the nod over their counterpart, The Hardys, in this list because they won back to back Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches at Wrestlemania 16 and 17. Their backstage promos when they added Kurt Angle were always hilarious. 7 time WWF/E tag champs gets them to number 4.
3. The Dudley Boyz -
John: D-Von and Bubba Ray have held more tag team titles than any other tag team. They brought tables to wrestling. While in the original ECW, they made tables apart of every one of their matches. They brought them with them to the WWE for the TLC matches. They have dominated everywhere they have been, and continue that today. Whats UUUUUUUUUUP?
J Call: They might be the most recognizable tag team of all time. 8 time ECW Tag Champs, 8 time WWF/E Tag Champs, 1 time WCW Tag Champs, plus now 2 time TNA Tag Champs. It is no suprise they got to number 3. John and I actually debated because I had these guys at number 2. The Dudleys were the perfect team during the attitude era of the WWF. Devon and Bubba Ray have many memorable table moments in the WWE archive. My favorite moment was Bubba powerbombing Mae Young off the stage onto a table below. Devon! Get the tables!
2. The Hart Foundation -
John: This was the ultimate contrast in styles. Jim " The Anvil" Neidhart was the brute. Bret Hart, was the most technical wrestler of all time. Together, they were unstoppable. They were managed by the Mouth of the South, Jimmy Hart. They had the entire package. They would out wrestle you, beat you up, and Jimmy would cheat. They produced another great singles wrestler in Bret Hart, but Bret always said he liked tag teams better.
J Call: John mentions it right away, their styles made them a unique and great tag team. Bret had the mat skills, brains, and could make anyone look good. The Anvil was in your face attitude and cleaned house. In my opinion, they were the most complete wrestling duo in history. If you don't know, I have a huge man crush on Bret. He is my favorite wrestler of all time. They only held the WWF tag titles twice, but they still go down as our number 2 tag team.
1. LOD The Road Warriors -
J Call: Something John and I agreed on was our number 1. LOD, The Road Warriors, Hawk and Animal were the best tag team ever. They had the look, with spiked shoulder pads, the power, both men, and their finisher, the Dooms Day Device. They may not own all the records for title reigns but it doesn't matter. The Road Warriors were the perfect tag team. Animal had the look and size. Hawk had charisma and a mouth. The Most Dominant Tag Team period.
John: This team was brute force. They would beat you up, then beat you up again. Their finishing move was one of the most devastating of all time. They were a well-oiled machine. When they wanted the championships, they took them. If they didn't, they just beat people up. It was unfortunate, the way they ended, but wow, when they were on...What A RUSH.
You think you can do better or have a problem with our list? Email John at jpconner9@yahoo.com or email J Call at mccall316@yahoo.com.
J Call and John C
Monday, July 13, 2009
Raw 7-12-09
The WWE is finally back to being live after a 2 week hiatus. The gm for the night is Seth Green. As Larry would say, WTF? After being away for 2 weeks and a major injury to a title holder, I am wondering how the WWE will resolve some of their issues. Another night off means I get to do this live, as long as my cable doesn't go out. Are you ready? I said ARE YOU READY?
As I say that, its time to play the game. Triple H opens up Raw. I know I'm ready. I've had withdrawals since I missed Raw last week. The crowd is as jacked up as I am tonight. This could have the makings of a great Raw. Trips announces the guest gm tonight, Seth Green. The crowd actually pops for him. Seth gets Welcome to the Jungle as his entrance theme. You know I am a huge fan of the WWE, why don't they make me a guest gm? Compare Seth to Triple H and Seth looks like a midget. He makes a 6 diva swimsuit match deal. HHH and Seth talk about Robot Chicken, which I have never seen. They start joking about Orton. Doesn't take long before the Legend Killer interrupts they shenanigans. I smell an RKO to Seth Green tonight. Although Randy would have to be on his knees to actually grab Seth. Randy asks the real question to Seth, "Why are you here?". Seth makes the main event Legacy vs HHH, Cena, and himself. Uh ok. Someone has a death wish and his name is Seth Green.
Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, and the new diva of Raw Gail Kim vs Maryse, Alicia Fox, and Rosa. I look forward to seeing more of Gail Kim. She is going to help out the Raw Diva roster. Each week my love for Maryse grows. The match wasn't to bad. Gail showed off some of her talent in the beginning. Mickie gets her hands on Maryse. All hell breaks loose with all the women in the ring. Mickie and Maryse end up in the ring alone. Maryse hits her DDT and wins the match. Mickie can sell very well. This helped their feud.
The best wrestler in the world stops by Seth's office. My boy, Y2J, Chris Jericho calls Seth a hypocrite and some other things I can't spell. Eventually, Jericho tells the world he has something to say tonight. I will go out on a huge limb and say it's about his tag team partner.
They show a recap of last weeks heel turn by Carlito. Primo is in the ring and wants Carlito out. No Carlito, instead its the Miz and he's awesome. Miz has a crush on Maryse as well. He mentions she is watching him back stage. Miz, I will beat your ass for a chance at Maryse. Primo goes to work on The Miz. Action goes back and forth until Carlito's music goes off. He distracts Primo. Miz has a new finisher, hard to describe. He puts his opponent in a full nelson and drops them face first into the mat. I guess its not that hard to describe. Carilto attacks Primo afterward and spits apple in his face.
Lawler and Cole talk about the injury to Edge. They question what will happen to the Tag titles. Lawler hints at a tournament at Night of Champions. How long would the tournament be? The WWE has buried the tag team division. I would guess a whole 4 teams. I don't find that very exciting. I hope they do something better than that. Knowing the WWE, they won't.
Another recap video this time Hornswaggle beating Chavo. Seth makes a rematch but this time Chavo has to have an arm tied behind his back. The Big Show shows up in the gm's office. Big Show has a match with Evan Bourne. He does an impression of Dr. Evil. Show is actually funny.
MVP out to the ring now. I don't know whats going on with MVP but his push has diminished since the first time on Raw. Tonight, he faces The All American American Jack Swagger. Crowd starts an MVP chant. MVP with a bitch slap and followed by a commercial break. My guess is the WWE didn't want to spoil everything between these two men because they will have a few more matches together. Swagger has everything needed to be a main eventer. In contrast, so does MVP. I like the fact that the WWE is doing a feud without a belt on the line, just pride. The match is getting time, another thing Raw doesn't do much. Swagger wins with his gut wrench powerbomb. A great match tonight between these two. I'm sure it will be just the start of a good feud.
Y2J, Chris Jericho is out now for his announcement. Jericho tells the truth and says that the best in the world holds the Tag team titles. He starts talking smack about Edge. Jericho will hand pick his new partner. Mark Henry comes out. Mark gets on the mic and tells Jericho he came out to be Jericho's opponent not partner. Mark starts beating down Chris. A ref just happens to show up. I guess we are having a match between Y2J and Henry. Henry just dominates Jericho. Chris gets counted out for the loss. The crowd gets behind Mark. I just don't understand why you push Henry.
A new DVD is coming out all about Tag Teams. That's pretty sweet. It's suppose to cover 50 tag teams. I like that idea. Tag teams have taken such a backseat in the current WWE. I wasn't going to say anything and just tease this, but now since the WWE decided to drop this little nugget on Raw, I figure I could spoil it. John, or J Conn, and I are teaming up to write a blog on the 10 greatest tag teams, we have ever seen. We should be completing the blog by Thursday.
Hornswaggle out now. Time for a beer and bathroom run. I come back and Chavo is just about to get his arm tied behind his back. The only other time I can remember this happening was when Stone Cold was facing Vince. Mick Foley came out as Dude Love and nailed Austin with a chair and then gave him the mandible claw. Oh, did you want to hear about the match happening? I didn't think so. Hornswaggle won.
Legacy in the back talking about last week with Teddy's dad as the gm. Rhodes says next week it might be "The American Dream" as gm. I would love to see that.
Night of Champions is right around the corner. If you don't watch Smackdown, what the hell is wrong with you? Smackdowns main event is Punk vs Hardy. Jeff is running out of time. His contract runs out very soon. I keep hearing reports he will stay with the company until Summerslam. With Edge out, WWE needs Hardy. The only man off the roster right now is The Undertaker. I would love to see Jericho drop the tag belts and feud with a returning Undertaker.
Kofi out for commentary. Evan Bourne vs Big Show. I said before I like this idea. Big Show needed a change of pace from his usual matches with John Cena. 2 young small competitors vs 1 very large giant. But tonight it is one on one. The match with Show and a smaller guy is always fun to watch. He can throw Bourne around like a rag doll. Evan tries to do anything to put Show down. In the end, a sick spear followed by the camel clutch and Bourne taps out. Kofi gets in the ring and gets Show out. Thursday night on Superstars, Kofi vs Show.
Cena and Trips get ready for their match with Seth Green. HHH and Cena go back and forth about who will cover Seth's back. Cena says it doesn't matter because we both know hes gonna get killed, so true. Before the break, Lawler and Cole announce who is the gm next week. Sad to say, it is not Dusty Rhodes. Raw will be run by 2 sharp dressed men next week. ZZ Top will be the gm of Raw. I will quote from Larry's blog last week, WTF? Come on now! I would have loved to see the American Dream but no we get 2 rock legends. I get that the WWE wants publicity and picking another wrestler will not to do that. But picking people that do not belong on the show is just plain stupid.
Main Event Time!!! WOOOO! That is better, I hadn't wooed yet tonight. Legacy is out first. Orton carrying the WWE title over his shoulder, right where it belongs. Orton is the best heel the WWE has had for a long time. I think someday they will turn him face but it will not be for at least 2 or 3 years. He is that good as a heel. Seth comes out first. Seth has been having second thoughts all night long. Here comes some help, the game, Triple H. Cena gets a nice big pop tonight. I can honestly say that I am not a fan of John Cena's John Deere gear. Go back to the AWA looking shirt.
Tonight feels like a WCW angle. Seth Green in the ring is like having David Arquette in the failing days of WCW. At least we know WWE is not dumb enough to give Seth a belt, let alone the World Title. Match has started when we come back from the break. Seth is in the ring with Rhodes. He gets a right hand in and runs for his life. Cena tagged in now. Orton with his patented back breaker behind the referee back. Another signature move, Orton ddt's Cena off the ropes. Hot tag to Trips. High knee by Hunter, then the knee drop. HHH has the momentum with the Double A spine buster. RKO out of no where to Triple H. Seth creeps in the ring and stops the pin fall. Orton has his hand on Seth and kicks him to the stomach. Loading up for the punt but Cena stops it. Legacy beats down Cena. Rhodes brings a chair in and HHH grabs the sledgehammer. He comes close to nailing Cena. Legacy high tails it. No RKO to Seth Green, I'm disappointed. The crowd chants Seth, Seth and Triple H puts Seth on his shoulders to end Raw.
With a celebrity host, Raw did a nice job. There were a few funny backstage promos with Seth. The in ring action was solid. WWE is putting together a nice string of Raws now. Night of Champions is another 2 weeks away. I look forward to next week but I hate to say that ZZ Top may not do as well as Seth.
Make sure you check out the website later in the week for John and I blog on the Top 10 Tag teams. Plus a HUGE RETURN will happen on the website soon. I know you wanna know what it is. You will just have to keep checking back in the next few days. As always, thanks for reading.
J Call
As I say that, its time to play the game. Triple H opens up Raw. I know I'm ready. I've had withdrawals since I missed Raw last week. The crowd is as jacked up as I am tonight. This could have the makings of a great Raw. Trips announces the guest gm tonight, Seth Green. The crowd actually pops for him. Seth gets Welcome to the Jungle as his entrance theme. You know I am a huge fan of the WWE, why don't they make me a guest gm? Compare Seth to Triple H and Seth looks like a midget. He makes a 6 diva swimsuit match deal. HHH and Seth talk about Robot Chicken, which I have never seen. They start joking about Orton. Doesn't take long before the Legend Killer interrupts they shenanigans. I smell an RKO to Seth Green tonight. Although Randy would have to be on his knees to actually grab Seth. Randy asks the real question to Seth, "Why are you here?". Seth makes the main event Legacy vs HHH, Cena, and himself. Uh ok. Someone has a death wish and his name is Seth Green.
Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, and the new diva of Raw Gail Kim vs Maryse, Alicia Fox, and Rosa. I look forward to seeing more of Gail Kim. She is going to help out the Raw Diva roster. Each week my love for Maryse grows. The match wasn't to bad. Gail showed off some of her talent in the beginning. Mickie gets her hands on Maryse. All hell breaks loose with all the women in the ring. Mickie and Maryse end up in the ring alone. Maryse hits her DDT and wins the match. Mickie can sell very well. This helped their feud.
The best wrestler in the world stops by Seth's office. My boy, Y2J, Chris Jericho calls Seth a hypocrite and some other things I can't spell. Eventually, Jericho tells the world he has something to say tonight. I will go out on a huge limb and say it's about his tag team partner.
They show a recap of last weeks heel turn by Carlito. Primo is in the ring and wants Carlito out. No Carlito, instead its the Miz and he's awesome. Miz has a crush on Maryse as well. He mentions she is watching him back stage. Miz, I will beat your ass for a chance at Maryse. Primo goes to work on The Miz. Action goes back and forth until Carlito's music goes off. He distracts Primo. Miz has a new finisher, hard to describe. He puts his opponent in a full nelson and drops them face first into the mat. I guess its not that hard to describe. Carilto attacks Primo afterward and spits apple in his face.
Lawler and Cole talk about the injury to Edge. They question what will happen to the Tag titles. Lawler hints at a tournament at Night of Champions. How long would the tournament be? The WWE has buried the tag team division. I would guess a whole 4 teams. I don't find that very exciting. I hope they do something better than that. Knowing the WWE, they won't.
Another recap video this time Hornswaggle beating Chavo. Seth makes a rematch but this time Chavo has to have an arm tied behind his back. The Big Show shows up in the gm's office. Big Show has a match with Evan Bourne. He does an impression of Dr. Evil. Show is actually funny.
MVP out to the ring now. I don't know whats going on with MVP but his push has diminished since the first time on Raw. Tonight, he faces The All American American Jack Swagger. Crowd starts an MVP chant. MVP with a bitch slap and followed by a commercial break. My guess is the WWE didn't want to spoil everything between these two men because they will have a few more matches together. Swagger has everything needed to be a main eventer. In contrast, so does MVP. I like the fact that the WWE is doing a feud without a belt on the line, just pride. The match is getting time, another thing Raw doesn't do much. Swagger wins with his gut wrench powerbomb. A great match tonight between these two. I'm sure it will be just the start of a good feud.
Y2J, Chris Jericho is out now for his announcement. Jericho tells the truth and says that the best in the world holds the Tag team titles. He starts talking smack about Edge. Jericho will hand pick his new partner. Mark Henry comes out. Mark gets on the mic and tells Jericho he came out to be Jericho's opponent not partner. Mark starts beating down Chris. A ref just happens to show up. I guess we are having a match between Y2J and Henry. Henry just dominates Jericho. Chris gets counted out for the loss. The crowd gets behind Mark. I just don't understand why you push Henry.
A new DVD is coming out all about Tag Teams. That's pretty sweet. It's suppose to cover 50 tag teams. I like that idea. Tag teams have taken such a backseat in the current WWE. I wasn't going to say anything and just tease this, but now since the WWE decided to drop this little nugget on Raw, I figure I could spoil it. John, or J Conn, and I are teaming up to write a blog on the 10 greatest tag teams, we have ever seen. We should be completing the blog by Thursday.
Hornswaggle out now. Time for a beer and bathroom run. I come back and Chavo is just about to get his arm tied behind his back. The only other time I can remember this happening was when Stone Cold was facing Vince. Mick Foley came out as Dude Love and nailed Austin with a chair and then gave him the mandible claw. Oh, did you want to hear about the match happening? I didn't think so. Hornswaggle won.
Legacy in the back talking about last week with Teddy's dad as the gm. Rhodes says next week it might be "The American Dream" as gm. I would love to see that.
Night of Champions is right around the corner. If you don't watch Smackdown, what the hell is wrong with you? Smackdowns main event is Punk vs Hardy. Jeff is running out of time. His contract runs out very soon. I keep hearing reports he will stay with the company until Summerslam. With Edge out, WWE needs Hardy. The only man off the roster right now is The Undertaker. I would love to see Jericho drop the tag belts and feud with a returning Undertaker.
Kofi out for commentary. Evan Bourne vs Big Show. I said before I like this idea. Big Show needed a change of pace from his usual matches with John Cena. 2 young small competitors vs 1 very large giant. But tonight it is one on one. The match with Show and a smaller guy is always fun to watch. He can throw Bourne around like a rag doll. Evan tries to do anything to put Show down. In the end, a sick spear followed by the camel clutch and Bourne taps out. Kofi gets in the ring and gets Show out. Thursday night on Superstars, Kofi vs Show.
Cena and Trips get ready for their match with Seth Green. HHH and Cena go back and forth about who will cover Seth's back. Cena says it doesn't matter because we both know hes gonna get killed, so true. Before the break, Lawler and Cole announce who is the gm next week. Sad to say, it is not Dusty Rhodes. Raw will be run by 2 sharp dressed men next week. ZZ Top will be the gm of Raw. I will quote from Larry's blog last week, WTF? Come on now! I would have loved to see the American Dream but no we get 2 rock legends. I get that the WWE wants publicity and picking another wrestler will not to do that. But picking people that do not belong on the show is just plain stupid.
Main Event Time!!! WOOOO! That is better, I hadn't wooed yet tonight. Legacy is out first. Orton carrying the WWE title over his shoulder, right where it belongs. Orton is the best heel the WWE has had for a long time. I think someday they will turn him face but it will not be for at least 2 or 3 years. He is that good as a heel. Seth comes out first. Seth has been having second thoughts all night long. Here comes some help, the game, Triple H. Cena gets a nice big pop tonight. I can honestly say that I am not a fan of John Cena's John Deere gear. Go back to the AWA looking shirt.
Tonight feels like a WCW angle. Seth Green in the ring is like having David Arquette in the failing days of WCW. At least we know WWE is not dumb enough to give Seth a belt, let alone the World Title. Match has started when we come back from the break. Seth is in the ring with Rhodes. He gets a right hand in and runs for his life. Cena tagged in now. Orton with his patented back breaker behind the referee back. Another signature move, Orton ddt's Cena off the ropes. Hot tag to Trips. High knee by Hunter, then the knee drop. HHH has the momentum with the Double A spine buster. RKO out of no where to Triple H. Seth creeps in the ring and stops the pin fall. Orton has his hand on Seth and kicks him to the stomach. Loading up for the punt but Cena stops it. Legacy beats down Cena. Rhodes brings a chair in and HHH grabs the sledgehammer. He comes close to nailing Cena. Legacy high tails it. No RKO to Seth Green, I'm disappointed. The crowd chants Seth, Seth and Triple H puts Seth on his shoulders to end Raw.
With a celebrity host, Raw did a nice job. There were a few funny backstage promos with Seth. The in ring action was solid. WWE is putting together a nice string of Raws now. Night of Champions is another 2 weeks away. I look forward to next week but I hate to say that ZZ Top may not do as well as Seth.
Make sure you check out the website later in the week for John and I blog on the Top 10 Tag teams. Plus a HUGE RETURN will happen on the website soon. I know you wanna know what it is. You will just have to keep checking back in the next few days. As always, thanks for reading.
J Call
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
NBA Free Agency Kicks Off
The NBA has set their salary cap for 2009-2010 season. Teams are already signing guys to new contracts. We have seen plenty of trades as well. Some teams are gearing up for a championship run. Other teams are falling from playoff contender to lottery bound. Yes, I am talking to you Houston. Some players haven't had their phone ring yet, AI. Others had plenty of offers. All in all it's been a pretty exciting week. The NBA off season has kicked off and I have to break some of the moves down.
The first big moves were made by the same team. The Detroit Pistons started off with a bang signing Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. Ben and Charlie both received 5 year deals. The Pistons decided to move on from the Billups crew and turn in a new direction. I like the move to add Villanueva. He's a solid power forward. Ironically, Villanueva is a lot like the big man that left this off season, Rasheed Wallace. He is coming off a career high year in points and rebounds. I have to question the move for Ben Gordon. I realize they needed a scorer and Allen Iverson was not going to be coming back. Ben is a guy who has been much better coming off the bench. The Pistons are paying Ben starter money. The deal is 5 years for 55 million dollars. You don't pay a 6th man that kind of money. So what do you do with Rip Hamilton? I would say trade him away and I am sure there will be takers. I can't see them sitting on both guys. You can not have Ben and Rip on the court at the same time. I for see another deal coming before the season starts to get rid of Rip.
The Lakers seem to be getting praise as the big winners so far. As hard as it is for me to say, I have to agree with most of the critics. Lakers signed their best player, Kobe, to a new 3 year deal. They get Phil Jackson back for another year. The champs should be happy with just those 2 things. Instead, they went out and signed Ron Artest as well. Ron adds another 15 point scorer. He is also an excellent defender and works hard. Ron seems to have turned a new leaf. He was a great addition to the Rockets last year. When he has a good coach, which he does now, Ron is on his best behavior. Who can match up to Kobe, Artest, Bynum, and Gasol? I can't see anyone right now.
The Houston Rockets are the team that must figure out what to do now. They lost Artest to the defending champions. They lost Yao due to another major injury. No one knows when or if Tracy McGrady will come back. The Rockets have a lot of questions heading into next season. They signed Trevor Ariza. I think that is a nice signing, but he isn't a primary scorer. As my brother, who lives in Houston, told me, "We were one game away from the Western Conference Finals. Now we are lottery bound." Hard to argue bro. A trade is on the way. If they don't make a move, my brother will be correct.
One man I thought the Rockets would try and trade for is Chris Bosh. Well now that Toronto has added Hedo Turkoglu, they may not want to part with Bosh. Turk is one of very few players who got a big contract this offseason. Hedo played extremely well in the playoffs, which is why he got the fat deal from Toronto. I understand taking the big contract and the money and heading to Canada. Hedo pulled a Boozer and decided in the last minute to go to Toronto instead of Portland. I guess Hedo didn't want to sniff the playoffs for a while. Could have been a huge move for him to sign with the Blazers. Toronto also locked up Bargnani. If they can keep Bosh next year and add a backup point guard, they have a shot to make a run to the playoffs.
Another player not wanting to win anything in his career is Jason Kidd. Calm down Mav fans. Jason Kidd should have left to a contender. To my knowledge, Dallas is not a contender. Dallas is a nice team that will make the playoffs again. But they will not match up to the Lakers. Kidd didn't even flirt with the Cavs. No, he decided to flirt with the one of the worst franchises in the NBA, the Knicks. I have heard the reports that Dallas and Toronto is gearing up for a sign and trade. The trade would bring Shawn Marion to the Mavs. I am sure Mavs fans love that move. Of course they do, because they have no idea how to build a championship team. They have Josh Howard, who is a lot like Marion, only he doesn't play defense. Josh has an expiring contract which means Dallas will not trade him away. I guess you don't need any help in the front court. Erick Dampier, Dirk Nowitzki, and Ryan Hollins can hold the fort down. Brandon Bass should be the next priority on Mark Cubans list. I almost forgot they added Gortat from the Magic. Hes a nice addition. As a Spur's fan, hard to swallow my pride and say that Dallas is doing things that are good. I like adding Gortat. Hes a solid player and should start of Dumpier.
The Boston Celtics should also have a big man on the top of their list. The C's need to resign "Big Baby" Glen Davis. Instead, they signed a guy way past his prime in Rasheed Wallace. The move is being blown out of proportion on the media circuit. Rasheed is a nice player and will get a long great with PP, KG, and Allen. He adds depth and also age. I had heard reports of Boston thinking about trading Rondo. Great idea. Trade away one of the most prominent young point guards in the game and keep, no, add age to an already old team. KG promised a title in 2010 and 2011. Coincidentally that's when half the team is eligible for an AARP card.
Ok, so I am a Spurs homer and left them as my last team to talk about, sue me. The Spurs are heading in the opposite direction than the Celtics. They are trying to get younger. They already achieved that right before the draft acquiring Richard Jefferson and drafting Dejuan Blair. Now they signed a kid from Spain named Marcus Haislip. Haislip was drafted 13th back in 2002 by the Bucks. He has spent his time overseas since then. He brings athleticism at the power forward spot. The Spurs added more depth to the power forward spot in Antonio McDysee. McDysee decided to go back to the Pistons last year after being traded to the Nuggets and then bought out. Now he comes to the Spurs to try and keep the title window opened. Even though McDysee isn't a spring chicken, at 34 he still has a good year or two of production. The deal is set for 2 years worth around 12 million. The Spurs are doing all they can to keep up with the Lakers. If all goes well, they should get back into the Western Conference Finals.
Before I finish up, I have to talk about a few players who have not gotten signed yet.
A man I think teams should have on their radar is David Lee. Lee is a double double machine. I can't see the Knicks letting him go, but they are the Knicks. I do not understand how teams have not made him a focal point. He averaged 16 points and 11 boards for the Knicks. He would be a great player for a team like the Hornets. New Orleans has not done anything yet this off season. If I were a gm of any NBA, Lee would be a guy I would want to add to my team for the next 3 to 5 years.
Another Knick out on the market is Nate Robinson. Nate is a solid back up point guard. The Knicks, because of Isiah Thomas, can not afford to keep both Lee and Nate. I don't know if he is a starter for any team. He can be an explosive scorer. He has potential. If you can sign him to around 3 or 4 million, I say that is a good deal. The Philly 76ers make sense if they can get him and resign Andre Miller.
Paul Milsap is another guy teams should be targeting. He would have been resigned already but since Boozer opted to keep the last year of his contract, the Jazz may not have the cash to keep him. Paul stepped in nicely when Boozer was out with his 15th injury. Milsap is only 24 years old. He has progressively gotten better each year. He averaged a career high in minutes, points, and rebounds this past season. Was it a fluke? I don't think so. What the hell are the Thunder thinking not sending cash his way?
I was planning on talking about Grant Hill as well. It seems Hill is looking at the Knicks. I will never understand why guys who are in the twilight of their career, not looking to go to a contender. Championships are the most important thing in every players' career. If you have one, you were a winner. If you didn't, you are a loser or so it seems that way. Grant do yourself a favor and sign with the Cavs, Celtics, Lakers, or Spurs. Hell even the Magic make sense. But not the Knicks.
The NBA off season has kicked off. As I am writing this I am reading more trade rumors. We are just getting started. I think it will be a fun off season, even without marque names out there unless you count AI. Do you? I didn't think so. Thanks for reading.
J Call
The first big moves were made by the same team. The Detroit Pistons started off with a bang signing Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. Ben and Charlie both received 5 year deals. The Pistons decided to move on from the Billups crew and turn in a new direction. I like the move to add Villanueva. He's a solid power forward. Ironically, Villanueva is a lot like the big man that left this off season, Rasheed Wallace. He is coming off a career high year in points and rebounds. I have to question the move for Ben Gordon. I realize they needed a scorer and Allen Iverson was not going to be coming back. Ben is a guy who has been much better coming off the bench. The Pistons are paying Ben starter money. The deal is 5 years for 55 million dollars. You don't pay a 6th man that kind of money. So what do you do with Rip Hamilton? I would say trade him away and I am sure there will be takers. I can't see them sitting on both guys. You can not have Ben and Rip on the court at the same time. I for see another deal coming before the season starts to get rid of Rip.
The Lakers seem to be getting praise as the big winners so far. As hard as it is for me to say, I have to agree with most of the critics. Lakers signed their best player, Kobe, to a new 3 year deal. They get Phil Jackson back for another year. The champs should be happy with just those 2 things. Instead, they went out and signed Ron Artest as well. Ron adds another 15 point scorer. He is also an excellent defender and works hard. Ron seems to have turned a new leaf. He was a great addition to the Rockets last year. When he has a good coach, which he does now, Ron is on his best behavior. Who can match up to Kobe, Artest, Bynum, and Gasol? I can't see anyone right now.
The Houston Rockets are the team that must figure out what to do now. They lost Artest to the defending champions. They lost Yao due to another major injury. No one knows when or if Tracy McGrady will come back. The Rockets have a lot of questions heading into next season. They signed Trevor Ariza. I think that is a nice signing, but he isn't a primary scorer. As my brother, who lives in Houston, told me, "We were one game away from the Western Conference Finals. Now we are lottery bound." Hard to argue bro. A trade is on the way. If they don't make a move, my brother will be correct.
One man I thought the Rockets would try and trade for is Chris Bosh. Well now that Toronto has added Hedo Turkoglu, they may not want to part with Bosh. Turk is one of very few players who got a big contract this offseason. Hedo played extremely well in the playoffs, which is why he got the fat deal from Toronto. I understand taking the big contract and the money and heading to Canada. Hedo pulled a Boozer and decided in the last minute to go to Toronto instead of Portland. I guess Hedo didn't want to sniff the playoffs for a while. Could have been a huge move for him to sign with the Blazers. Toronto also locked up Bargnani. If they can keep Bosh next year and add a backup point guard, they have a shot to make a run to the playoffs.
Another player not wanting to win anything in his career is Jason Kidd. Calm down Mav fans. Jason Kidd should have left to a contender. To my knowledge, Dallas is not a contender. Dallas is a nice team that will make the playoffs again. But they will not match up to the Lakers. Kidd didn't even flirt with the Cavs. No, he decided to flirt with the one of the worst franchises in the NBA, the Knicks. I have heard the reports that Dallas and Toronto is gearing up for a sign and trade. The trade would bring Shawn Marion to the Mavs. I am sure Mavs fans love that move. Of course they do, because they have no idea how to build a championship team. They have Josh Howard, who is a lot like Marion, only he doesn't play defense. Josh has an expiring contract which means Dallas will not trade him away. I guess you don't need any help in the front court. Erick Dampier, Dirk Nowitzki, and Ryan Hollins can hold the fort down. Brandon Bass should be the next priority on Mark Cubans list. I almost forgot they added Gortat from the Magic. Hes a nice addition. As a Spur's fan, hard to swallow my pride and say that Dallas is doing things that are good. I like adding Gortat. Hes a solid player and should start of Dumpier.
The Boston Celtics should also have a big man on the top of their list. The C's need to resign "Big Baby" Glen Davis. Instead, they signed a guy way past his prime in Rasheed Wallace. The move is being blown out of proportion on the media circuit. Rasheed is a nice player and will get a long great with PP, KG, and Allen. He adds depth and also age. I had heard reports of Boston thinking about trading Rondo. Great idea. Trade away one of the most prominent young point guards in the game and keep, no, add age to an already old team. KG promised a title in 2010 and 2011. Coincidentally that's when half the team is eligible for an AARP card.
Ok, so I am a Spurs homer and left them as my last team to talk about, sue me. The Spurs are heading in the opposite direction than the Celtics. They are trying to get younger. They already achieved that right before the draft acquiring Richard Jefferson and drafting Dejuan Blair. Now they signed a kid from Spain named Marcus Haislip. Haislip was drafted 13th back in 2002 by the Bucks. He has spent his time overseas since then. He brings athleticism at the power forward spot. The Spurs added more depth to the power forward spot in Antonio McDysee. McDysee decided to go back to the Pistons last year after being traded to the Nuggets and then bought out. Now he comes to the Spurs to try and keep the title window opened. Even though McDysee isn't a spring chicken, at 34 he still has a good year or two of production. The deal is set for 2 years worth around 12 million. The Spurs are doing all they can to keep up with the Lakers. If all goes well, they should get back into the Western Conference Finals.
Before I finish up, I have to talk about a few players who have not gotten signed yet.
A man I think teams should have on their radar is David Lee. Lee is a double double machine. I can't see the Knicks letting him go, but they are the Knicks. I do not understand how teams have not made him a focal point. He averaged 16 points and 11 boards for the Knicks. He would be a great player for a team like the Hornets. New Orleans has not done anything yet this off season. If I were a gm of any NBA, Lee would be a guy I would want to add to my team for the next 3 to 5 years.
Another Knick out on the market is Nate Robinson. Nate is a solid back up point guard. The Knicks, because of Isiah Thomas, can not afford to keep both Lee and Nate. I don't know if he is a starter for any team. He can be an explosive scorer. He has potential. If you can sign him to around 3 or 4 million, I say that is a good deal. The Philly 76ers make sense if they can get him and resign Andre Miller.
Paul Milsap is another guy teams should be targeting. He would have been resigned already but since Boozer opted to keep the last year of his contract, the Jazz may not have the cash to keep him. Paul stepped in nicely when Boozer was out with his 15th injury. Milsap is only 24 years old. He has progressively gotten better each year. He averaged a career high in minutes, points, and rebounds this past season. Was it a fluke? I don't think so. What the hell are the Thunder thinking not sending cash his way?
I was planning on talking about Grant Hill as well. It seems Hill is looking at the Knicks. I will never understand why guys who are in the twilight of their career, not looking to go to a contender. Championships are the most important thing in every players' career. If you have one, you were a winner. If you didn't, you are a loser or so it seems that way. Grant do yourself a favor and sign with the Cavs, Celtics, Lakers, or Spurs. Hell even the Magic make sense. But not the Knicks.
The NBA off season has kicked off. As I am writing this I am reading more trade rumors. We are just getting started. I think it will be a fun off season, even without marque names out there unless you count AI. Do you? I didn't think so. Thanks for reading.
J Call
Monday, July 6, 2009
Raw 7-6-09
The WWE is certainly trying to keep things interesting over the summer months when most people are outside and not on their couches. Night of Champions is coming closer and WWE needed to clear up a few things before we get there. What did Raw provide? Actually a decent show with a sweet gm.
I have to explain that this will be a short Raw blog. My awesome DVD recorder was not hooked up to cable so I have to read the results on the Internet and understand where the WWE is going heading into the pay per view in a few weeks. Raw seemed to have a nice start. Last week we got a face gm so it only made sense that it was a heel or bad guy gm this week. The one and only Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase was the Raw gm for this evening. He starts the show with his son and tag partner, Legacy. I bet that it is a thrill being out together father and son. He announces a few matches for the evening. Rhodes vs Mark Henry and Ted DiBiase Jr vs Randy Orton. I love saying I called that last week on my Raw blog.
Edge and Y2J took on the Colons. Last week I told you that the WWE was taping this weeks Raw after last weeks live Raw. Well I hate to give you a spoiler but this Friday will be the last time we see Edge on television for quite sometime. The WWE was overseas this past week and Edge and Jericho had a match during the tour. Edge tore his Achilles and will be out for almost a year. The earliest reports have him out until March 2010. This is a real shame for a couple of reasons. Edge is one of the best performers in the WWE. Smackdown has been his show for last 2 years. Its the first time he has had a serious injury since 2003 when he went down with a neck injury. He was off last year for a few months playing an angle with Undertaker slamming him to hell at Summerslam, but he was not injured. I hope he gets back just in time for Mania next year. The match between the Colons and Edge and Jericho ended with the champs winning and Carlito turning heel and attacking Primo. The WWE must be kicking themselves with this move now knowing that Edge is hurt and the Tag champs have to drop the belts. Breaking up the Colons is going to hurt an already weak tag division.
Rhodes vs Henry. I didn't understand why last week Raw went off the air with Mark Henry beating the WWE champ. He is never over with the fans and not a great wrestler. Cody received the Worlds Strongest Slam and then rolled out of the ring. Henry won via countout. Raw needs more top wrestlers, but Henry isn't one of them.
The match I'm mad about missing is the DiBiase vs Orton match. This will be the one match I will watch for sure on hulu.com. I love both of these wrestlers. DiBiase has a ton of potential. I think he can be a major player if done correctly in the next 2 years. He didn't beat the WWE champ but you knew he wouldn't.
Swagger and MVP had a nice in ring promo. Now this is a feud I can get into. Swagger needs to be in a solid program and so does MVP. The background of both of these guys couldn't be any different. Swagger a college athlete and prestige career. MVP had a few mistakes growing up. In fact he did jail time. These 2 could have a few matches and then maybe 1 more for a number 1 contenders match for the US title.
I have to say, I was on a roll last week with my predictions. Evan Bourne took on the US champ Kofi. I knew this kid was going to be pushed right away. These two could have some awesome matches in the next few weeks. Evan got over and beat the champ in a non title match. Big Show came out afterward laying out both men. I think this is going to be some fun stuff. Show vs 2 small athletes. Evan and Kofi will have to be smart if they want to beat the Big Show. Its a completely different aspect than Show vs Cena.
The final match of the evening was HHH vs Cena for the right to face Orton at Night of Champions for the WWE title. I begged last week for either Cena to win or a triple threat match. I got my wish....again. I'm telling you I was on fire last week. The match was said to be very good. HHH was over with the crowd. Cena has always had problems getting over when he is in the same ring with HHH. Legacy came out and put a beat down on both men. Orton said since neither man won, he has the night of at the pay per view. Wait..wait for it... Here comes the Million Dollar Man. He makes the match HHH vs John Cena vs Randy Orton for the WWE title. I am excited for that. 3 of the biggest stars in the WWE going at it. I believe Orton will keep the belt, but the match could be a match of the year candidate.
Raw made a lot of sense tonight. The WWE put on a great show that actually made sense for a change. I just wish I had gotten to see it. I made sure I wouldn't make the same mistake next week, lol. Sorry fans. I will make it up to you with a great NBA free agency blog later in the week.
A few side notes:
I feel terrible for the Mickelson family. 2 months ago Phil's wife, Amy and now his mother is diagnosed with the same illness, breast cancer. My thoughts go out to them.
The same feeling goes out to Steve McNair's family. "Air" McNair was a fantastic NFL QB. If only he could have stayed healthy for his entire career, he would have been labeled one of the best. He was a leader on the field and a solid guy off. A sad story all around.
Not to be Debbie Downer this week but I also have to say good luck to Matt Hardy. He suffered an abdominal injury and just had surgery. He will be out 8 to 10 weeks. He was moved to Smackdown to last week in the big 15 man trade. Here's hoping for a full recovery and no more Jeff vs Matt matches when he returns.
Thanks for reading.
J Call
I have to explain that this will be a short Raw blog. My awesome DVD recorder was not hooked up to cable so I have to read the results on the Internet and understand where the WWE is going heading into the pay per view in a few weeks. Raw seemed to have a nice start. Last week we got a face gm so it only made sense that it was a heel or bad guy gm this week. The one and only Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase was the Raw gm for this evening. He starts the show with his son and tag partner, Legacy. I bet that it is a thrill being out together father and son. He announces a few matches for the evening. Rhodes vs Mark Henry and Ted DiBiase Jr vs Randy Orton. I love saying I called that last week on my Raw blog.
Edge and Y2J took on the Colons. Last week I told you that the WWE was taping this weeks Raw after last weeks live Raw. Well I hate to give you a spoiler but this Friday will be the last time we see Edge on television for quite sometime. The WWE was overseas this past week and Edge and Jericho had a match during the tour. Edge tore his Achilles and will be out for almost a year. The earliest reports have him out until March 2010. This is a real shame for a couple of reasons. Edge is one of the best performers in the WWE. Smackdown has been his show for last 2 years. Its the first time he has had a serious injury since 2003 when he went down with a neck injury. He was off last year for a few months playing an angle with Undertaker slamming him to hell at Summerslam, but he was not injured. I hope he gets back just in time for Mania next year. The match between the Colons and Edge and Jericho ended with the champs winning and Carlito turning heel and attacking Primo. The WWE must be kicking themselves with this move now knowing that Edge is hurt and the Tag champs have to drop the belts. Breaking up the Colons is going to hurt an already weak tag division.
Rhodes vs Henry. I didn't understand why last week Raw went off the air with Mark Henry beating the WWE champ. He is never over with the fans and not a great wrestler. Cody received the Worlds Strongest Slam and then rolled out of the ring. Henry won via countout. Raw needs more top wrestlers, but Henry isn't one of them.
The match I'm mad about missing is the DiBiase vs Orton match. This will be the one match I will watch for sure on hulu.com. I love both of these wrestlers. DiBiase has a ton of potential. I think he can be a major player if done correctly in the next 2 years. He didn't beat the WWE champ but you knew he wouldn't.
Swagger and MVP had a nice in ring promo. Now this is a feud I can get into. Swagger needs to be in a solid program and so does MVP. The background of both of these guys couldn't be any different. Swagger a college athlete and prestige career. MVP had a few mistakes growing up. In fact he did jail time. These 2 could have a few matches and then maybe 1 more for a number 1 contenders match for the US title.
I have to say, I was on a roll last week with my predictions. Evan Bourne took on the US champ Kofi. I knew this kid was going to be pushed right away. These two could have some awesome matches in the next few weeks. Evan got over and beat the champ in a non title match. Big Show came out afterward laying out both men. I think this is going to be some fun stuff. Show vs 2 small athletes. Evan and Kofi will have to be smart if they want to beat the Big Show. Its a completely different aspect than Show vs Cena.
The final match of the evening was HHH vs Cena for the right to face Orton at Night of Champions for the WWE title. I begged last week for either Cena to win or a triple threat match. I got my wish....again. I'm telling you I was on fire last week. The match was said to be very good. HHH was over with the crowd. Cena has always had problems getting over when he is in the same ring with HHH. Legacy came out and put a beat down on both men. Orton said since neither man won, he has the night of at the pay per view. Wait..wait for it... Here comes the Million Dollar Man. He makes the match HHH vs John Cena vs Randy Orton for the WWE title. I am excited for that. 3 of the biggest stars in the WWE going at it. I believe Orton will keep the belt, but the match could be a match of the year candidate.
Raw made a lot of sense tonight. The WWE put on a great show that actually made sense for a change. I just wish I had gotten to see it. I made sure I wouldn't make the same mistake next week, lol. Sorry fans. I will make it up to you with a great NBA free agency blog later in the week.
A few side notes:
I feel terrible for the Mickelson family. 2 months ago Phil's wife, Amy and now his mother is diagnosed with the same illness, breast cancer. My thoughts go out to them.
The same feeling goes out to Steve McNair's family. "Air" McNair was a fantastic NFL QB. If only he could have stayed healthy for his entire career, he would have been labeled one of the best. He was a leader on the field and a solid guy off. A sad story all around.
Not to be Debbie Downer this week but I also have to say good luck to Matt Hardy. He suffered an abdominal injury and just had surgery. He will be out 8 to 10 weeks. He was moved to Smackdown to last week in the big 15 man trade. Here's hoping for a full recovery and no more Jeff vs Matt matches when he returns.
Thanks for reading.
J Call
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)