Raw 6-27

I'm happy to be back providing you the best damn WWE blog on the planet. I learned a few things while I was gone, this spot for the Raw blog can not be replaced (Sorry John) and I sure did miss watching Raw live. If it weren't for this blog, I would miss a lot of Monday night's show. I had it stored on the DVR and I fast forward through a lot of it. Back to back weeks of 3 hour Raw's is just a little too much for my taste. We are back to normal on BBSD and the Raw blog.

There wasn't a lot of news in the wrestling world since I've been gone. I would say the biggest news is Chavo Guerrero asking for his release from the WWE. Once I read some of the tweets he sent out on Twitter and I instantly became a bigger fan of Chavo. He sounds like a frustrated man and he has my sympathy. I am a frustrated fan. This is what Chavo sent out:

Yes, it's true. My release is the big news I was talking about. But let's get something straight. I asked for my release. I was just tired.. Of not being used correctly. Just cuz u can make other ppl look good, doesn't mean they should just have u lose to them. The same thing... Happened to Eddie. After being champ, they still had him working mid card status. Being a Guerrero, we've been taught since diapers to get.. The most out of ppl & matches. It's our gift, but also our curse. WWE has always used us to make other ppl look good. It all comes down to Being happy. I was not happy in WWE anymore. I had a smile on my face last night though when I got my release though! :)

I will never go back to the place WWE put me in. I will never go back to being under utilized and watching ppl who suck get bigger "pushes" Than me! Thank u to all of u who stuck by me & kept reminding me, I was better than that! :) stay tuned.. Big things coming!! Now I will Really be able to entertain u! :) like me or hate me, 1 thing I have always tried to do is entertain u and give u fans your $ worth.

Hey, u guys have me trending World wide!! Thanks. I should of quit a long time ago! Lol I know it may sound like it, but I've got no hard feelings toward the WWE. I've just been unhappy there for a long time & if you have Watched the show, u will no why. I made a lot of money, but I'm better than just cashing a paycheck. I wish no hard feelings toward the WWE& Want to see them and all my friends there succeed! I love wrestling & want nothing but wrestling to get better & bigger. U fans deserve..


Well said sir. Now I won't go overboard by saying Chavo deserved a push to main event status. He's not that over with the wrestling world. However, he would have been a perfect candidate to start a Cruiserweight division with a brand new title. The fact is his feud with Sin Cara was for Cara to get over more with the fans. I understand that. It was cut short though and Chavo could have gotten a few wins too. He's right about one other thing, we deserve better. We deserve better stories, more wrestling and building new stars (USE RYDER AND MCINTYRE). This isn't that difficult. Anyway, so long Chavo. I hope you enjoy retirement and I bet I see you on Impact Wrestling within the year.



Raw started off hot with the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels. The big problem I have with Austin and HBK getting WWE TV time is we as fans are screaming for them to wrestle again. We are so selfish when it comes to our heroes. We need to accept them for who them are now, which is a memory. Shawn is no exception as I would love to see another 1 match. If he came back to do one, we would want another and another... The cycle would never end. I am really going to miss CM Punk. He's been incredible in the last 2 years. He has actually been underrated. Otunga found out how good sweet chin music feels. The kick was amazing. The segment as a whole was greatness. Again, it hurts because you hear the chants of 'One more match.' Somehow the question mark was Kane and what a coincidence he was standing right there. Way to make it completely obvious it's rigged. As I was late doing the Raw blog, I'll spare you much about the matches. Punk taking the countout was lame but great in heel faction. It makes him weak and smart at the same time.

Moving on to the match Raw should have had last week, Sin Cara and Evan Bourne. I was dying to see this match give 15 minutes or so. These two are hard workers and good wrestlers. Cara has been given a few extra chances since he has been the chosen project of Triple H. Booker T gives me headaches. All he does is scream Awwwww or Oooohhh man. I don't know if he's watching the matches are playing with himself under the table. It's annoying. Their match was spectacular. The match begs to ask why the hell the WWE hasn't done a Cruiserweight Division? It's time to bring it back.

I was pleasantly surprised Kofi and Ziggler were wrestling again. I'm so happy as a Dolph fan to see he is being used on Raw. His U.S. title reign should continue for a while. I would love to see him elevate to the upper card status once Punk leaves the WWE. He's deserved the push for a long time. I loved his feud with Edge and thought that would keep him in the main event status. Instead, much like a lot of the time, Raw screwed up with him after the draft. Kofi and Dolph continues and I'm good with that.

Del Rio and Big Show is another story I would love to see end. I've never really bought the story to begin with. A cage match is always cool though on Raw. Mark Henry is certainly getting a fat push. Del Rio and Cena is likely the main event at Summerslam. The cage crashing was pretty sweet. WWE PG included a holy shit chant. That ruled. Henry and Show are headed for a special match soon. Henry might get a shot at the World title after moving off Show.

Divas action was....typical.

Hey, Drew McIntyre was used! Barely but he was. His push keeps going forward when he is fodder for HBK. DDP should up, BFD!

Miz and Riley has been the highlight of Raw aside from Punk. They've done a great job of pushing Riley but not shoving him down our throat. I couldn't believe he won at the last ppv. I'd love to see Swagger and Rey wrestle a few more times. They have good chemistry. Swagger is a really good worker inside the ropes. He's wrestled Show, Rey and everyone in between and it's usually a solid outing. The tag tornado match was pretty damn sweet. For a company that says they "entertain", Raw had quite a bit of wrestling.

I've said it for weeks, I like R-Truth. I knew he wouldn't win at Capitol Punishment since Vince is racist. Truth needs a big win soon though or the momentum is leaving the building from his heel turn. Actually I take that back. Wins and losses don't matter. Jericho proved that. Truth can continue to entertain me no matter outcomes. Oh no, Super Cena lost and kids and women all across the world cry. Meanwhile, Truth got the win he needed. Punk furthered the story and I was a happy camper after the finish of the match. Well, that is until Punk grabbed a microphone. I loved Punk wearing a Stone Cold shirt, hilarious. The promo was as amazing as everyone was tweeting about on Twitter. Punk is the best overall talent in the WWE. Punk proved everything is true with the epic promo. It should have continued on for another hour. Raw ended with a helluva bang.

Raw provided a ton of wrestling, entertainment and then Punk stole the entire show. Some will call it a shoot, some will call it a work, I will do neither and just say it was unbelievable. Raw as a whole was a great program. I'm glad I came back to write about that amazing promo alone. You can follow me on Twitter, @mccall316. You can email me at jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com and now you can hear me in a podcast every morning on BBSD right here on the Wake Up Call. It's good to be back.

J Call

NBA Draft

The annual NBA draft breakdown is here. We better celebrate because in another week, the NBA will be have all the headlines with a lockout. I'm happy to be back from vacation (more on that later) and ready to bring you some NBA draft analysis along with some crappy jokes. The NBA is one league I've stayed away from since the Spurs were knocked out of the playoffs. I was hurt. The pain hasn't subsided much since the Mavs won the title and Tony Parker might be leaving. Every media outlet says this draft is weak. If that's the case, then no need to dive into all the information right? That's crap. It's called a lottery for a reason. Teams are gambling on these young men and whose to say they won't find a hidden gem in the pile of rust. All I want is some exciting trades, good picks and maybe a few surprises.

I know you may have never been to Omaha, Nebraska before or think it sounds boring. I have some news for you, Omaha is pretty sweet one time out of the year. My brother and dad came up from Texas and Oklahoma for the College World Series and it was awesome. T.D. Ameritrade Park opened without any problems and it is awesome. Rosenblatt was a dump compared to this new park. Sure, some of the traditions such as the outfield sections yelling 'Right Field Sucks' 'Left Field Sucks' or the ball girls getting booed for not catching foul balls off the netting behind home plate and you don't have to park in someone's lawn for $20 a game. However, the fans on Tuesday day game did start the sucks chants and a giant wave over the park. I enjoyed parking in a garage and spending less money to park there all day then someone's yard and the new fan fest has more room for games for the kids. My only problem was the General Admission gate was messed up. The tickets tell you to go to Gate 3 or 4 but when you get to those gates, you must walk up a giant ramp on the other side of the fence just for your entrance. It was lame. Other than that and getting a massive sun burn on my arms, I enjoyed my new CWS experience. In fact, my whole vacation was wonderful. I got to spend time with my family, ate plenty of food and watched sports. You can't beat that. We had one of the greatest waitresses ever on Monday night at the Omaha Old Market Old Chicago restaurant. She was beautiful, fun and had a personality. I know you are saying, 'Well she was a waitress so she was just nice to you for the tips.' That is not always the case when some servers really suck. I'd take a few more like her any day. Alright enough about my relaxing time away from work, let's spend some quality time on the NBA Draft.

1) Cleveland Cavs- Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke

This should have been the Clippers pick and I would have loved to see Irving to them instead of the Cavs. This draft is suppose to be a weak one and when the number 1 pick is a guy who played 11 games for his 1 season at Duke, it's weak sauce. He's not a super-duper-star and won't fill the void of Lebron James. There isn't one guy who could do that. At least not in this draft. I won't bore you with versatile, explosive or any of that other crap. In all, Irving needs to come in and be a good point guard and lead this team. It's going to take time, much like Wall in Washington. I have more faith in Wall than Irving. The NBA is a point guard league and the Cavs must feel this guy can lead them.

2) Minnesota Timberwolves- Derrick Williams, F Arizona

I'm much higher on Williams than I should be, probably. Williams was the man I felt Cleveland should have selected. If the Cavs take Williams 1st and Brandon Knight 4th, that's a homer run. Even so, Williams goes to the Wolves, who already have Beasley and Love, so the Forward spot is full as is the guard position. The problem is some guys aren't producing what they should be where they were drafted. Williams is a tweaner, not quite big enough for the Power Forward and to big for the Small Forward. Williams, Beasley and Wesley Johnson are a lot alike. One of them needs to pan out. I can see Williams being much better than either of them. Williams and Rubio who is finally coming to the NBA could make it interesting in Minnesota. Now, find a coach KAHN!

3) Utah Jazz- Enes Kanter, C Turkey

Kanter is a true Center in the draft. Kanter and Al Jefferson could be a great duo inside for the Jazz. I don't know a whole lot about the kid. He's big at 6'11" and can shoot the mid range jumper which is huge. Jefferson is a back to the basket player and Kanter can stretch the defense. I agree with this pick because of Jazz lack of big men. They need another guard and Jimmer could be the guy later in the draft. Kanter should start right away and that's big especially when you add a foreigner. They usually take a few years to come over.

4) Cleveland Cavs- Tristan Thompson, F Texas

I love it. Thompson is a kid who can come and play right away. The Cavs want to use their 2 top 4 picks for guys who can come in and play. The other big foreigner, Jonas, wouldn't be able to play this coming year. Now that may not matter because of the lockout but if the NBA gets a CBA done, they get 2 kids to play right away. Thompson is a bit small at the Power Forward spot at 6'8" and that's my only complaint. Thompson can learn and play right away and that gets my approval.

5) Toronto Raptors- Jonas Valanciunas C, Lithuania

The pregame with Jonas and Bargnani will be interesting to listen too. I realize Toronto is in Canada but that doesn't mean they need all foreign players. Holy crap, I'd hate to be their play by play guy or a local sports talk show host. I would have no idea how to pronounce half their names. I'm not going to feed you a line of crap and say I know anything about this kid. Good luck to him. You will forget about him in a year when he's not playing in the NBA.

6) Washington Wizards- Jan Vesely, F Czech Republic

The sad part of this draft is the Wizards couldn't find a decent shooting guard to help Wall. Vesely is a more explosive Dirk. Vesely is a big kid at 6'11", fast up and down the court and can shoot outside better than Blake, who he was compared too. I don't mind this pick if the kid comes over right away. The Wizards don't have enough talent to wait a year or 3 before getting help for their young star, John Wall. Vesely can come over and team up with Wall and JaVale McGee.

7) Sacramento Kings- Bismack Biyombo, F Congo

This kid will go to the Bobcats in a deal done before the draft started. An extremely young kid at 18 allegedly. Bismack is a freak athlete which doesn't always tell me he's going to make it in the league. He might be a good kid and all. I just don't know if he's going to be more than a work-in-progress. He's a 50-50 guy, total flop or good player. I'm going with flop. The best he can do is be the 2nd coming of Mutombo.

8) Detroit Pistons- Brandon Knight, PG Kentucky

I love this kid a lot. The Pistons got a great steal with Knight as I feel he can be better than Irving. The Pistons may be able to unload a guy like Stuckey or Bynum by picking Knight. They have way to many guards now. Hopefully if Detroit can move one of those guys, they can add Hamilton or Prince in the deal. They need a lot of help so Knight goes to a bad team. He should help them improve but management needs to help him out.

9) Charlotte Bobcats- Kemba Walker, G UCONN

Walker is a kid who lit it up in the Big East Tournament and the NCAA Tournament which helped him get to number 9. I have some doubts on Walker. He's really small to be a shooting guard but doesn't know the point position. The best I could see for Walker is getting the toughness of Allen Iverson and get to the rim. He will take a beating and may not get back up after being knocked down. I hope I'm wrong since I like Walker. I just hope he can become a solid player.

10) Milwaukee Bucks- Jimmer Fredette, G BYU

The pick goes to the Kings in the deal earlier in the day. Sac gets a big time scorer in Fredette. He could end up being a Mark Price 2.o. He can't guard anyone but that's not why anyone would drafted him. Fredette should be a good scorer as he can hit shots off the pick and create his own shot. I don't see him as a starter for any team because of lack of defense. He will be a great spark off the bench. Is that good for number 10?

11) Golden State Warriors- Klay Thompson, G Washington State

Finally the first true shooting guard comes off the board. He is a pure shooter and bigger than Curry. The Warriors are packed with guards though so a trade could be in order sometime. Monte Ellis is the guy I keep hearing will be traded. They wouldn't get rid of Curry who is an explosive offensive player. Curry could slide to the point and Thompson the 2 if they trade Ellis. If they don't trade, then I'd say you start Thompson and have Curry come off the bench. Thompson is bigger and can play better defense. Golden State could even play all 3 and go small.

12) Utah Jazz- Alec Burks, G Colorado

The Jazz were hoping for Jimmer to be here so they could add yet another white guy. They have Gordon Hayward for that spot. Burks is another true shooting guard. Burks could easily be the first guy off the bench of the Jazz next season. C.J. Miles should start and then Burks subs for him. He's lengthy which will help his defensive potential and he needs to develop his jumper. I like both picks for the Jazz. They add size and potential.

13) Phoenix Suns- Markieff Morris, F Kansas

One of the brothers comes off the board to the Suns. Morris is a power forward who can play all over the court. He can play pick n' roll which helps Steve Nash, that is if he stays in Phoenix. There were a ton of rumors Nash was on his way out in several scenarios. So far, he sticks around and they add size inside. I liked the pick a lot. Suns needed a guy just like this. He's not as explosive as Amare but he's got better knees.

14) Houston Rockets- Marcus Morris, F Kansas

The twins go back to back. As Stern said, "Yes they do." The Rockets are going to have plenty of questions with Yao and this pick. Patrick Patterson, Luis Scola and now Morris. Houston has more filler and glue guys than any other team in the league. If they had a true superstar, this would be a good thing. They don't and I don't see them getting one. I don't see them jumping into the playoffs this coming year.

15) Indiana Pacers- Kawhi Leonard, F San Diego State

I was shocked it wasn't a white guy. Hey, I'm not racist, it's just what Indiana does. With Jimmer gone, the Pacers take a 6'7" Forward who should work hard on the defensive end with his long arms. Leonard could play well with Danny Granger, as he's a scorer. The real problem for Indiana is the fact they have a bunch of players right around the 6'5" to 6'8" range. That is a lot of tweeners and not a lot of specific position players. I like Paul George, Hansbrough and Granger. Now they add another guy similar to them in Leonard. They do different things though so that's a plus. I just don't know if they can mix well. After I wrote all that, later on in the night, Leonard is heading to the Spurs for my 2nd favorite player George Hill. I hate the trade as I like Hill. Unless it was a trade for a big man who can guard and rebound, it was a bad deal.

16) Philadelphia 76ers- Nikola Vucevic, F USC

He's a big kid and size is something the Sixers needed desperately. Elton Brand played better this year and Doug Collins got the whole team to play solid defense. Nikola can come in and help the back to the basket offense. If he can come in and help defend the post, this team will continue to rise.

17) New York Knicks- Iman Shumpert, G Georgia Tech

I have no idea who this kid is either. The crowd booed him but Knick fans are morons. They boo everyone. Shumpert can help the perimeter defense and that's a good thing. He may not be able to shoot which fills a void for New York. They have to many chuckers. I don't know much about Shumpert. If he can compete on the defensive end and add toughness, that's perfect. Now, they have to add size.

18) Washington Wizards- Chris Singleton, F Florida State

Here is a kid who can play for the Wiz right away. I don't care if he can't score because this was all about defense. Singleton is a solid defender and can guard almost every position. He doesn't need to fill it up, just hustle and get slop shots. He's a good kid and I liked the pick. I would love to see both of these picks come in right away for the Wizards. I like Wall and would love to see them get a little better. My buddy needs a reason to stick with the NBA since he's a Wiz fan.

19) Charlotte Bobcats- Tobias Harris, F Tennessee

This pick goes to the Bucks in the 3 team trade from earlier. From a roster standpoint, he fits the role they need. I don't know much about him so I can't dive in. I will say I had hopes Bogut would be on his way to San Antonio.

20) Minnesota Timberwolves- Donatas Motiejuna, F Lithuania

Another player we won't see right away. The T'Wolves need talent and this isn't a guy with talent. Then again, I don't see much talent in this draft. This pick and Johnny Flynn were traded to the Rockets for Brad Miller, a future 1st rounder and the number 23 pick in this year's draft. Yes the Rockets needed another forward.

21) Portland Trail Blazers- Nolan Smith, G Duke

This was the perfect player for Portland. They need another Point Guard who can help feed the ball to Aldridge, Roy and Wallace. The trade they made late in the year for Wallace was brilliant. Oden is the bust on the team who will never be a complete player or help the team which is unfortunate. This Blazer team is one move away from being a great team. They made the wrong choice in Oden but Smith was a great addition. The trade later on made sense for both teams. Andre Miller is an older veteran and the Blazers got a young PG who I like a lot. Felton is a solid starter and will fit in with the Blazers.

22) Denver Nuggets- Kenneth Faried F Morehead State

Faried comes from a great college name. I grew up in Moorhead, IA. Anyway, I haven't heard much about the kid. He's small at 6'7" to play the power forward position. He is going to be one of those guys who comes off the bench and provides a ton of heart and energy. Those two things can't be measured.

23) Houston Rockets- Nikola Mirotic, F Spain

If David Stern can't pronounce his name, he doesn't deserve to be picked. Never heard from him and he won't be coming over for 4 years. How does this help? Well since they traded the pick it doesn't matter. The T'Wolves are going to get the foreigner. The Rockets add Flynn which isn't all bad. Oh wait, yes it is because he hasn't been good either. The pick was moved again to Chicago

24) Oklahoma City Thunder- Reggie Jackson, G Boston College

The future of the NBA is probably this franchise. OKC is a great team and the trade for Perkins was perfect. I was hoping for a big for the Thunder. Jackson is a role player and that's all this team needs. He can come off the bench at times for Harden and Westbrook. OKC are close to the Finals so they aren't in major need at any position. At 24, Jackson is the perfect role, glue type player.

25) Boston Celtics- MarShon Brooks, G Providence

Brooks will be a bench player for Allen. He won't have the quick shooting touch as Allen but can improve. Celtics can't find new stars at the bottom of the 1st round. Again, you find role players and energy players. Brooks can fill it up and should improve on the defensive end. He should be a decent role guy for now. Brooks was traded later to the Nets. That's not a bad deal for the Nets. They need guys who can score and spot up and shoot. He can play well with Williams and Lopez.

26) Dallas Mavericks- Jordan Hamilton, F Texas

The (large gulp to swallow the puke) world champion Dallas Mavericks chose a homer Texan. He's a defender which is something Dallas has been improving on the past 2 years as a team. I like Hamilton and will be a good player. It's a shame they traded him about 2 minutes after being picked for a Rudy Fernandez. They don't need defense.

27) New Jersey Nets- JaJuan Johnson, F Purdue

JaJuan goes to the Celtics after they switch draft picks. He's a 6'10 back to the basket player which is good for the Celtics. They need a guy on the post after trading Perkins. He needs to get tougher to help their inside defense.

28) Chicago Bulls- Norris Cole, G Cleveland State

This pick went to Minnesota in a deal earlier in the night. Cole is a guy I hoped would fall to the Spurs after trading Hill. T'Wolves made a lot of deals during the draft and they eventually moved this kid to the Heat. I guess Minnesota wanted to make the most moves in NBA Draft history.

29) San Antonio Spurs- Cory Joseph, G Texas

Well the Spurs needed another guard after trading Hill and they add a role player and back up point guard. He's not well known and that's the norm for the Spurs. I can rejoice in the fact he isn't a foreigner who isn't going to play for 3 years. I still look for a big defender/rebounder some time during the draft. I doubt they move Parker now.

30) Chicago Bulls- Jimmy Butler, F Marquette

Yeah I have no idea who this kid is. The draft ends in a whimper.

The NBA Draft had several solid picks and questionable calls. I don't care for foreign players being drafted and then waiting 3 or 5 years to get over to the league, aka Rubio. I liked what several teams did especially the Jazz adding a guard and Center. I felt the Cavs really missed an opportunity to add Williams and Knight. However, they got guys coming right in and helping the teams. The real shame is in a week, 2 professional sports leagues will be in a lockout.

I hope you enjoyed the draft and this blog. You can email me at jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com or you can follow me on Twitter @mccall316. Hit up BBSD everyday for new stories and interesting blogs.

Where's the Hockey?

"We want the Cup." "We want the Cup." "We want the Cup." It was a mantra heard for miles in Boston just three days ago after the Bruins forced a game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals. Now the Bruins fans can scream, 'We got the Cup.' The Stanley Cup Finals are over and the Boston Bruins are the champions. Did you know? Hockey has taken a dramatic turn from the 4th recognized sport in the United States to a sport barely heard from even during their finals. Lord Stanley is the best trophy in all of sports. A Game 7 of any round of hockey is more physical, tense and exciting then any other sport. NHL should ride the waves of these great playoffs and try to put themselves back in the sight of sports fans.

I'm guilty of not watching hockey for the past few years. That is until this year and these playoffs. I didn't have a rooting interest in the playoffs as the team I use to follow was the Colorado Avalanche. I loved Patrick Roy, the greatest goalie in NHL history. Tim Thomas for the Boston Bruins reminded me of Roy. Thomas was damn near perfect in every game. In total of 7 games, he averaged 1 goal a game. The majority of those were in the early games. When Boston needed him the most, Thomas came up large including a shutout in Game 7. The shutout in Game 7 was the first time ever a road goalie got a shutout in a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The series was a tale of 2 goalies. Luongo was solid at home giving up only 6 goals. The problem was Luongo was yanked in two games in Boston. His confidence had to have been shaken. You can't place all the blame on Luongo as Rome did the damage to turn the series a complete 180.



That hit on Horton really flamed a fire inside the Bruins that never went out. Normally a series will turn the other way. The Canucks would use that hit to pump up the whole team and they would go on the attack. The momentum swing was fairly apparent when Bruins put 8 on the board in the same game. If these playoffs and Finals were so damn good, the media should have been talking about it.

The media always finds other crap to talk about, some relevant and some not so much. The major sports network with 4 letters won't talk much about the NHL after they left the network a few years ago. If they don't own it, it barely gets attention. Versus doesn't reach as many people either. NHL hurt themselves leaving the big network. At the same time, NBC isn't helping the league enough. NBC should have a game every single weekend at least on Sundays after the NFL is over with. This offseason for the NFL has opened the door for MLB, NHL and Nascar to reach a bigger audience they haven't had. No one wants to hear athletes complain with owners who are both making billions. The leagues that are playing, NBA heading to a lockout on June 31st, have the opportunity. NHL is digging themselves out of the hole albeit slowly because of management.

Gary Bettman is the Commissioner of the NHL and hasn't been seen much or heard from during the playoffs. When Horton went down after that hard it, Bettman should have come out right away to acknowledge that those types of hits don't belong in the NHL. He didn't say anything. Rome was suspended but it was quietly. If we look at an example of the NBA, Stern would have been front and center if something like that happened in his league. He did just that when Bynum smacked J.J. Barea in the Lakers Mavs series. If the NHL wants to start helping their cause, Bettman and league officials need to be seen and heard from, good or bad.

On a personal note, hockey is my favorite sport to see live in person. If you have never been to a hockey game, go to a game. I don't care if you think it's a stupid sport, don't know the rules or any other lame excuse, hockey is great live. There is so much action, it's hard to relax. Hockey also benefits from High-Definition Televisions. I expect NHL may be even better once 3D is in everyone's homes.

The NHL is starting to gain the momentum and come back as a big time sport. These playoffs certainly helped. They are getting help from the NFL and the NBA (soon). NHL needs the networks of Versus and NBC to get into more homes and more games on television. If you are thinking about purchasing season tickets to the NFL or NBA, maybe think about NHL or a local hockey team. You won't be disappointed. I don't need to ask the question now because I know where my hockey is and I hope you find it too.

J Call

Raw 6-13

I sit here a humble writer tonight. I'm suppose to write about Raw and why this 3 hour Raw is going to be sweet. Austin will be awesome to see in a role he once had. Do you remember the 4 wheeler? I can't stop thinking about the Mavs since I hate them. I'm sorry and I will do my best to move on. This blog is for wrestling and I will do my best to stick with that topic. I will say Sunday night was good for one reason, Misterrrrrrr Anderson....Anderson is the new TNA Impact Wrestling Champion. WWE should focus on building some under card, oh crap I forgot Cena is the champion so that sells a WWE pay per view. Well at least WWE thought it did (more in a minute). The 3 hour Raw might have some All-Star wrestlers showing up and some STUNNERS!! OH HELL YEAH!

The WWE found out some not so good news earlier last week when the numbers for Over the Limit buys were released. Over the Limit featured Cena and Miz for the WWE title and Christian attempting to regain the World Title against Orton. In fact, I heard the Showstoppers had walked out on the show at Wings. Hell they were in for free. Over the Limit had 65,000 buys for $40 a person. The grand total is $2.6 million and that doesn't include the tickets sold at the arena. To say the WWE failed would be a failure on my part. Anyone getting over $3 million for one show is doing well. However this is the lowest buy rate for any WWE pay per view since ECW December to Dismember. I'm no rocket scientist but that show was pretty damn terrible. TNA had even worse news as their Sacrifice show got 7,000 buys. Wow throw a party. Holy crap this is bad news for the wrestling companies but good news for fans. Whoa what? Yes this is great news for fans. You see people make a difference and are tired of watching the same crap over and over and over again. Wrestling promotions focus much more on television than pay per views. The marketing for TV and ads give them much more money weekly then any pay per view aside from Wrestlemania, which did over a million buys. If the pay per view buys continue to plummet, the two companies may turn to an alternative. Eric Bischoff actually said at one time no company should create 12 pay per views.

I've written about this before and the solution is simple especially for TNA. WWE does enough buys to cut down on pay per views. TNA could pitch to Spike TV about the possibility of returning Clash of the Champions. Now it could be called something else, perhaps Wrestling Matters. Hell that's creative enough for Bischoff. TNA could eliminate 4 shows and do major shows on 4 Sundays in the year. Few wrestling, booked as big as a pay per view and will further story lines. TNA could really benefit from something like this. They will always receive criticism no matter what they do. You can't fault a company for trying something different. This is a great alternative and be fan friendly. If they leave the Impact Zone each of those 4 shows, the crowds get bigger, more revenue from the gate and a possibility of gaining more fans. WWE will never do this because their pay per views still get okay buy rates. If it keeps going down, maybe they will do something. I keep the hope they are actually listening to you, the wrestling fan, keep up the good work. I don't want to be one of those guys that say back in the attitude era or my generation was better. All I'm saying is if the product is crappy to you, you're not alone. Speak up, don't buy bad shows and maybe soon the WWE and TNA will listen.

An awesome opening to Raw. Austin owned the promo with Miz. It's a true shame Miz didn't get to talk back and have some fun with Austin. Instead he was owned and didn't receive a stunner. I can't have everything. I wasn't disappointed though because Alberto Del Rio got a rub on Austin too. Del Rio finally got a match. I kind of figured out who his opponent was way before the fire lite up the entrance ramp. Del Rio is in a really crappy story right now. I would prefer to see him face anyone else right now. I never would have seen a Big Show return. I guess I can be excited about that. As long as Del Rio goes over and gains some momentum back that was lost from his push on Smackdown, I'm good with it.

The only way Dibiase ever made it to Raw, get drafted to Smackdown. I've really enjoyed Cody Rhodes and Dibiase on Smackdown. They've been a must see tandem again. Daniel Bryan is getting his chance to shine inside the ring on Friday nights. It's been a treat for a man who can wrestle with anyone, be able to showcase his talents. Raw focuses to little on the inside the ring talent and Smackdown is letting Bryan do his thing. He needs some character to development but for the most part he will speak the most inside the ropes. All 6 of those men in the match are getting an opportunity and aren't wasting it. Smackdown has been the better show aside from the guest stars showing up only on Raw. Good match to further all those stories. So far, so good on Raw.

What makes R-Truth great? Let me count the ways: He's an old school character, larger than life and is much more unique than over three-quarters of the roster. Truth doesn't have entrance music which is sweetness. His character is nuts and that makes him memorable. Everything he is doing right now is greatness. I've become a big fan of Truth and his turn. It's been great. Larry Stanley got his JoMo boner on since Morrison made his return. I'm sure Austin introducing him made him pop as much as his little Mavs winning the ring Sunday night. It's nice to have him back but wouldn't it have made more since to save the surprise return and screw Truth out of his shot. Truth would have a field day with that.

The Irish Ghost must be getting pointers from Dean Malenko. I love the fact Sheamus found a new finisher. There aren't many wrestlers using submission moves so the Cloverleaf returns. I popped big for that. Sheamus is really under used right now. He and Del Rio are in the same boat. Christian officially turning heel on Friday, pushes Sheamus down the poll a little. Maybe after Zeke takes the belt from Barrett, he can wrestle Zeke for the strap. A triple threat at Summerslam would be fine too for the World Title.

I questioned whether Christian was a heel last week, alas Smackdown proved he is now. His promo on Friday was fantastic and I'm enjoying the complete turn. Orton was great at the low blow on the Edge remark. Other than that, I cheered and will continue to cheer for Christian. He was correct on his promo of hard work and busting his ass. Christian has done everything except get his long title reign. WWE reached on the concussion angle. I mean TNA ran that same crap with Mister Anderson a few months back. Concussions are a serious business in the professional sports world. They shouldn't be a fake story in wrestling. It's not hard to come up with something else. One thing Christian has going for him is wrestling skills. He has to work on the heel character and develop into something more than a generic heel. For now, he's getting cheap heat. He doesn't need to work on his wrestling skills. Christian and (Insert Opponent except Great Kahli) is a good match. The ending sucked. I don't like dq's and 2 in 1 night is never good. Nexus could have easily cost Rey the match and it wouldn't hurt his chances for Sunday. Nexus would have gained heat, Christian gains momentum and Rey gains sympathy and support.

Morrison wasn't ready to come back obviously. I thought his neck injury was suppose to leave him out until August. Summerslam it will be Truth and Morrison. Meanwhile the entire segment R-Truth was playing Zach Morris talking into the camera while everything else was frozen. Take that Little Jimmy may have been the best line of the night. Truth is absolutely insane and I love every minute of it.

Sweetness Dolph Ziggler got a video package and got to wrestle on Raw. The video package was great. The package for Kofi and Ziggler is an easy way to push their match Sunday without the 2 of them interacting. Plus Kevin Dunn and the staff do such a great job at those packages. I would love to see Ziggler take the belt off Kofi on Sunday. Bourne and Ziggler would be fun to watch. Drew McIntyre could come in as well. Bourne would turn into the under dog champion defending off all bigger competitors for the title. This would be a fantastic way to boost Bourne and use everyone else on the Raw roster.

The Hot Rod Rowdy Roddy Piper back on Raw was very cool. Piper will never get tired of taking shots at Mr. T. Miz really got a chance to battle two of the best talkers in wrestling history, Piper and Austin. Miz held his own with both men, Cena can't say that. I didn't need to see Piper wrestle though. The money challenge sounds like a Dusty Rhodes booking story. Rhodes was the booker for the old NWA and that's what this felt like to me. Riley has been getting the better of Miz for 3 straight weeks. Miz is putting over Riley but Sunday may be another story. Miz character doesn't really depend on wins and losses. He's a pompous jerk no matter what. Riley needs a big win to get his push kick started. I think it continues no matter who wins after Capitol Punishment.

I thought Eve was a heel. I wanted to see Natalya and Beth Phoenix in the ring wrestling. Raw failed at that. Until they use Phoenix or Natalya, I won't be writing to much on the Diva division.
The WWE went from pure crap to pure entertainment. Punk and Austin were absolute money together. Punk using the what was funny and Austin being Austin. No reason to start the whole this match will happen rumors. Let's be happy they were on television together and that's all. I whip ass backwards is the line of the evening. Austin gave the power to the people next week. I'm in favor of that but it won't work out as well as the concept should. Steve was solid as the GM. I wouldn't want him to be the GM each week though because then it wouldn't be special.

Main event with Cena and Punk was familiar as these two have gone at it several times. The boos and We Want Ryder chants from the live crowd was fantastic. The New York crowds are always very vocal and it makes the broadcasts that much better. CM Punk really had to carry Cena in a close to 15 minute match. It reminded me of Hogan being carried by Macho Man. Punk getting the victory was super sweet. Truth has no shot to win on Sunday. I hate to tell you that. I really hope WWE can keep Punk. Truth and Punk are making Raw watchable. I hope it continues.

Well I hate to end on a sad note but I have too. I am going on vacation next week and won't be able to provide a solid Raw blog. I believe John or Larry from Showstoppers will step up and try and fill the void on BBSD. They will fail but give them a break they can't beat the best damn WWE blogger on the planet. You can still follow me on twitter @mccall316 or email me at jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. Thanks for the hits and keep them coming. Stunners for everyone.

J Call

Raw 6-6

I must have been in the minority or at least the minority on BBSD because I liked last week's episode of Raw. The WWE focused on a little more wrestling and I will take that anytime. The big news seems to be everyone leaving TNA that shouldn't. Foley has announced he requested and granted his release. Tommy Dreamer, who is in the middle of a giant story, is leaving in another week. Now I am all for certain guys leaving the company. For example, Flair, Hogan, Bischoff and Russo. However, Foley and Dreamer have a place. Foley is a mastermind and the people behind the curtain should have listened and used Foley's ideas. Dreamer isn't the biggest character on television or the most charismatic individual. Dreamer is more of a trainer and could have helped in that way. Hopefully, TNA bounces back and uses the young men they have in place. Raw needs to do the same and tonight gets us one week closer to Capitol Punishment. I'm not into the pay per view yet, maybe tonight changes my opinion.

The other somewhat big news is the recent uh heel turn if you will. I don't think you can really call this a heel turn.

I don't see how Christian is now a heel. I get that he hit Orton in the head with the title. Absolutely blindsided him actually. In reality, most of the Internet Wrestling Community should be applauding the move. Christian has been a push over for several weeks. He got a great reaction from the live crowd, even if the WWE filtered in some boos. Jim Ross blogged about how this moves Christian into the top heel status in WWE. I disagree. I think Christian will still be cheered soundly as he is so well respected. The only people who are going to boo him are kids. As I've said before, they are stupid. If kids boo him and older folks cheer Captain Charisma, I'll have a new name for him, the anti-Cena.

I didn't like the finish to Tough Enough. Andy was a better story to win as he has a family. Luke will end up being a bigger star. Andy got bitch slapped and stunned in a matter of 30 seconds. Way to bury new talent right away. Truth has a stolen the Confederate Warrior from Cena. He one upped him wearing the Confederate uniform. Truth is a show stealer right now. No matter what he does, he is remembered. Riley's music is solid and definable. I like it a lot. To bad the whole segment was messed up by the real Confederate Warrior John Cena. Main event announcement was greatness. Vince and Austin in the same ring is a reunion and fond memories of yesteryear. It can never be that good again. The main event was a great way to progress Riley and Miz and finally start Truth and Cena.

I really don't have to much to say about Santino, Kozlov and the Nexus tag team titles. I would rather see a tag match for the titles. I enjoy Santino and his mini push seems to be going over well. I just don't see much point unless we see either more tag teams or they get the titles back. Otherwise it's just going to be pretty boring.

I was very happy to see Beth Phoenix on Raw. I believe she hasn't been on Monday night for about 6 months. With Kharma out of action, Beth and Natalya are the only dominate females in the WWE right now. The WWE always wonders why the Divas don't matter. I got an idea, focus on those two I just mentioned and let them oh I don't know wrestle. That's a hell of a concept. Beth needs to be the focus for Raw for the next several months. She can at least make the Bellas matter in a story.

CM Punk and Rey could wrestle every week. One thing that amazes me is WWE memory. They can't remember half the stuff that happened a week ago. Yet there's Michael Cole recapping the entire history of Punk and Rey. WWE should recall the history of many stories, then again nothing would feel fresh ever. They've done about everything you can do with everyone on the roster. Another great match between two of the best performers on the WWE roster. If Punk leaves, I may not have a reason to watch Raw. He's the best persona in the WWE period.

I haven't read much about the Best of Nitro DVD. I don't need to read much as it is a must own for anyone older than 20. We lived through the best wrestling era of all time. I'm sure the moments on the DVD will make us feel like we are back in our youth. I look forward to checking it out. The only gripe I will probably have is Diamond Dallas Page. Not a big fan.

I have no idea how it happened but Del Rio went from being one of the brightest star on Friday Night to being completely underutilized on Raw. The fake Show was a giant failure. Del Rio is talented enough to be in the upper card fighting for the title. The WWE did a great job elevating R-Truth but in return, Del Rio fell. I'm a big Del Rio fan but you already knew that. Kane and him will battle next week and every little kid can go crazy for a return of The Big Show. I want it over as quickly as possible.

Zack Ryder and Dolph Ziggler in the same segment is a dream come true. Ryder has been on Superstars for quite a few weeks and got about a minute of air time last week on Raw. The match might not have been the longest or best, it wasn't about that. Cole got to mention the Ryder YouTube videos and that's what it was all about. WWE.com is likely getting those videos so better to expose them on television then on Superstars.

I will never complain about a Booker T wrestling match. I'd rather watch him wrestle than commentate. I worried Evan Bourne wouldn't get used. Luckily Raw did it right with air bourne and a double spinarooni. It was also a fantastic way for Bourne to get a nice rub.

I mentioned early I liked the main event. Both these feuds needed something and Austin in the mix is always a good rub for anyone. I tweeted (follow me @mccall316) before Raw that the biggest pop of the night won't even be on Raw. I was half right as Austin received a great reaction on the live Tough Enough Finale but also on Raw. If Austin would have stunned Cena at the end of the show, this would have been the greatest Raw in the history of Raw. The opposite happened. Miz took a horribly looking briefcase shot. I enjoy stunners as much as the next guy. I just wanted that to happen to Cena. The ending was a little confusing. I get the GM being pissed that Austin didn't call it down the middle. So why on earth would he appoint him special GM the following week? That made zero sense.

I will say I'm looking forward to a 3 hour special next week. More Austin is a good thing and maybe that will get Jim Ross at the broadcast table. Overall, this week was a solid effort. We got some nostalgic moments and some progression in stories. With all the stars next week, it will probably be a complete cluster. WWE needs to stay focused. You can find more wrestling opinions on Showstoppers on BBSD. You can follow me on Twitter @mccall316 or email me jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. I'll see you next week. Oh Hell Yeah. Stunners for everyone.

J Call