Once again, getting a copy of RAW proved sort of difficult this week. Luckily, I knew the alternate place to look this week, but it was still a process. So now it’s 1AM and I’m reviewing RAW. So, let’s go.
I watch 30 minutes of RAW, which is equivalent of how much of SmackDown ISN’T RAW recaps, then leave for work. Then I watch and review the rest, half-assedly because Jorge isn’t on facebook. You want my RAW reviews to get better, don’t you? Then go like Jorge!
Earlier in the summer, Joe, J.T. and G of Bored Wrestling Fan Radio issued an open challenge to the crew over at Wonderpod to send their best guys over as a play off of the revealing of the third member of the nWo in WCW during The Bash at the Beach of 1995.
Today, on September 4th, is the anniversary of WCW Nitro going live on Monday also in 1995. And how better to commemorate the start of the Monday Night Wars, than to have the aforementioned open challenge met. And the result is this special broadcast as a form of that receipt.
Bruce McGee and Jonkind invaded our studios to talk Attitude Era and Monday Night Wars wrestling! In this recording we discuss The Montreal Screwjob, the national rivalry of the US and Canada, Mick Foley, Owen Hart, Wrestling With Shadows, Terrible gimmicks and storylines… speaking of which…
How much is Eric’s Bischoff’s “Controversy Creates Cash” actually worth? All this and more, right click and save this special broadcast below:
So after last weeks announcement of TNA doing a Open Fight Night where anyone can challenge the champion of their choice, minus of course the KO Tag champs because that belt is now in possession of the comedic duo of Eric Young and ODB. What made it also extra interesting when announced was now they were doing the Gut Check Challenge on Impact, I couldn’t wait. Hogan started off the proceedings strong with him going around with the respective champs in drill sargent fashion and in perticular Bobby Roode. I was excited at what was in store.
Right before deflation
And then Jeremy Borash came out to challenge a man who should not be there. Eric B****** who name gets conveniently bleeped when said. Borash is the first to issue an open challenge and its against another non wrestler?
Bully Ray comes out and attacks Borash setting him up to be pinned by B******* who is attempting to get one last heel heat attempt before vanishing from television.
Devon defends his title. Which is nice considering he is the television champion. Who does he challenge? His former partner Bully Ray, I was smelling a rekindled feud coming right before Devon beat him but there is still hope.
Chavo on Helium or as he likes to be called Anarquia calls out an American and gets Kurt Angle. So seeing how neews has been running rampant about Anarquia being removed from the TNA roster page I see this as his farewell match which in typical fashion sees him getting embarasseed on the way out. I will not be missing Chavo lite.
NEw Prospect Alex Silva is announced for the Gut check challenge to take on Robbie ? yeah he loses. Not the best way to present prospects putting them up against comic parody relief.
WHy am I here? Just because
Tessmacher challenges and then pins Gail Kim, Nuff said. Finally a fresh feud with an actual knockout who I can root for who’s name doesn’t start with a V. Non title match.
tessmacher I love you boyfriend and your wrestling too.
A three way tag team is turned into a one on one event when Daniels and Kaz are told to leave. Samoa Joe picks up a win on Anderson after him and his partner where reinacting a broken home scenario in the ring. Daniels and Kaz attack and we finally have another team added to the tag division now just get two more to make it interesting. How about TMDK from OVW, think about it TNA.
the mighty don't kneel
And to close the show why not bring the man who you’ve kicked off the show back for one finally bow. Eric and his wrestlers from Lockdown come out and fight with Garett Bischoff and his wrestlers resulting in E. B******* ending up covered in shit poop I mean poop have to keep the language down my daughter is watching me type.
What do I think of the first OFN, eh could of been better with more emphasize on bringing out better matches instead of having this Eric going away party thrown by his former arch enemy Ric Flair. But hopefully next month it will be taken more seriously and lets not have the GutCheck Challenge opponent take on Robbie E.
Pintnoir out.
Well, I’d like to write some introduction but for some reason I got home late and it just didn’t quite happen. So I will get right in to Raw.
CM Punk opened it up talking about his dad being an alcoholic and how his dad had worked really hard to overcome and recover. Chris Jericho appeared on the screen and apologized for bringing up Punk’s father. Now his sister on the other hand… Punk fed off him and they had a really strong build-up.
Big Show and Kane had a match or something. It was a back drop for Cody Rhodes to build up his and Big Show’s match. As the ambush happened, Cody handcuffed Big Show and went after him. Really strong build-up.
They continued the build-up of Teddy Long-Johnny Ace by David Otunga facing Santino Marella. They started with a posedown. I gotta admit I popped for the Santino posedown.
Rock talked a long time.
Daniel Bryan squashed Zack Ryder.
John Cena took quite the beating at the hands of Mark Henry. But he won and The Rock did his move on Henry.
Miz cuts a great promo. He puts out an open challenge and gets Sheamus. I really like how they are pointing out the way they’re not putting over Miz’ lack of Wrestlemania match.
I still think that Randy Orton and Kane seem last-minute, but I like that they’re giving it meaning.
We go from anti-bullying to Vickie Guerrero getting booed out of the building for having an annoying voice.
We get Swagger and Ziggler vs. Truth & Kofi. It was pretty good build-up. Though I believe all 4 of those should have singles runs, I’m happy they have spots and places. Though I hate Swagger’s character, the guy is a natural athlete and would kill in a world like Ring of Honor or Japan.
Then we had the 3-way confrontation. Shawn Michaels was the first. Then out came the Undertaker. Then out came HHH. They had a nice exchange, but it just wasn’t quite there.
Tonight’s Raw was pretty decent. You had a lot of really good buildup and it made me want to see Wrestlemania a bit more.
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This is a very quick recap of last week’s ROH episode since we covered it in this weeks edition of BWF Radio: (more…)
So we finally know the final four going into Destination X, Austin Aries vs Zima Ion vs Lowki vs Jack Evans. Liking the pedigree of this match and what could be had. Also we have the following matches to look forward to..
Douglas Williams open challenge
Ultimate X number one contenders match Shelley vs Moore vs Robbie E vs Red
Jerry Lynn vs RVD
Samoa Joe vs Kazarian
Styles vs Daniels and
Abyss (c) vs Kendrick
From looking at this the pay per view looks good not great but good. The 35 dollar price tag considering that there isn’t any build up and it seems that this event was thrown together from the last month with really no build up (outside of the nostalgia matches and the contract four way) and that includes the Abyss championship reign against Kendrick considering he’s dominated Brian time and time again. But we have what we have. For all purposes this seems more like a specialty PPV booking on nostalgia and just moving the belt onto (maybe) another person and to feud with whoever wins the Ultimate X match (here’s hoping for Shelley, who is long over due).
I want to believe that the recent interview with Brian Kendrick is a work and him not shooting on the situation over in Dixieland. Where the buy rates of this PPV will determine whether or not the division is retired and the belt is merged ROH style with the World title, we really need this to work as fans of the product. We really don’t want to see a company who takes everything that made it different and unique, from the ring to the more beefed up divisions (Knockouts,X and Tag teams) and watch it become a mirror of Vince’s wrestling philosophy.
What philosophy? you may ask?
McMahon teaches that cruiser-weights are too dangerous and costly to have. So simply merge them in with the heavyweights in the hopes that like Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho and Benoit they persevere and eventually win the title.
Women do not make good wrestlers. Their job during the Attitude Era where to entice, and shock with their sexuality not there wrestling moves. And in a friendlier environment they are there to give fans a chance for a bathroom break.
And finally the TAG TEAM Division is dead. Essentially the only purpose of a tag team is to find the marketable wrestler of the two and jettison the other when the time is right. Making the belts set pieces to be worn at random.
That also brings to mind the Ultimate X match for the number one contender ship, we have a deserving man Shelley taking on Shannon Moore, Amazing Red and the so out of place Robbie E. Why is Robbie E and not Max or Jeremy Buck part of the match? to me if TNA wants to use Robbie put him against Eric Young. Those two fighting over the television belt only makes sense, they have talent but are mired in comedy jobber ville. Let me take you folks back to a time when WCW had their Television title champion the Disco Inferno defending his belt against Alex Wright, the German dancer, both men were humor material at best when first brought in but bonded with fans and put on some good matches even when the booking required dance offs and forced tag matches, we still saw them go one on one with each other over the belt and the fans were behind it. Put Robbie against Young, so we could finally have the belt defended without watching Young bounce from one humorless situation after another (besides the Wayne Arnold confrontation). Give us the Bucks, or even OKada, Kiyoshi someone who can actually wrestle that style to build to a feud worth watching.
If the X division falls we know the knockouts and tag team is not far behind. It usually works like dominoes one falling after the other. So here is to Sunday (day before my birth) and the return of the X division in all its splendor and its hopeful place in iMPACT for years to come. Where it deserves to be.
Last week on iMPACT, Sting called out Jeff Jarrett. Will the King of the Mountain return to the iMPACT Zone? Also, who will win the first ever Beautiful People Beauty Pageant as Angelina Love takes on TNA Knockout Champion Taylor Wilde?
Results and analysis, after the jump! (more…)
Sting addresses the fans, and AJ Styles takes on Christian Cage in the final Four Ways to Glory qualifying match on tonight’s iMPACT!
Detailed results after the jump. (more…)