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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Sometimes I Go to Extremes

Photo from WWE
By Kevin Hunsperger

Before I break down the Extreme Rules pay per view, my first question is, what's up with the poster?  I mean really, I don't understand the x-ray.  I'm sure there's some logical reason for it, but I'm not getting it.

That being said, now on to the more important issues, like card itself.  Predicting the outcomes of these matches will be a little difficult, just because of the draft and the shift in rosters.  Many of the matches are interpromotional matches.  Hopefully, they'll all bring us some resolution to these feuds.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Christian (Ladder Match for the World Heavyweight Championship): This is the most intriguing match on the card I believe.  Who will pick up the ball and carry it now that Edge has been forced to put it down.  The smart money would be on Christian.  Del Rio has been drafted to Raw.  Raw has the WWE championship.  Having both big belts on that show would be lame.  But I wouldn't be shocked if it were to happen.  After all, at the moment SmackDown has both the U.S. and Intercontinental titles.

Christian though deserves a run as world champion.  He's proven himself and it would only make sense for him to carry the torch next.  Del Rio is starting to grow on me, but I still don't see him as world champion material.  At least not yet.  Give him some more time to grow on Raw and I might have a different opinion of him in six months.  But for right now, the WWE should do the right thing and put the title on Christian.

My pick: Christian


The Miz vs. Cena at Wrestlemania
The Miz (c) vs. John Cena vs. John Morrison (Cage Match for the WWE Title): I'm sure it's happened before, but I don't ever recall a 3 way cage match before.  I'm not sure exactly why John Morrison is in this one.  Don't get me wrong, I like the fact that he's in the title picture, but I storyline wise, he doesn't seem to fit here.  All three men will remain on Raw, so there's no worry about anyone leaving with the belt.  My hope is that the Miz will retain here.  He really should, but besides Rey Mysterio, I don't feel like Raw has any big face contenders to challenge the Miz.  Ideally, they'll put Cena into a feud with someone else and let Morrison and the Miz have a program.  But with R-Truth's heel turn, I can see he and Morrison feuding, which would open up Cena for another title win and then moving into a program with Del Rio.  The more I think about this, the harder it is for me to come up with a follow up feud for the Miz to defend the title against.  However, it's my hope that the Miz will win, but I won't be surprised if Super Cena walks out champ.

My pick: The Miz


Jerry Lawler & Jim Ross vs. Michael Cole & Jack Swagger (Tag Team Country Whipping Match): I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  Cole and Swagger need to loss this match.  JR and the King need to return as the announce team on Raw.  Cole transitions into a manager and works with Swagger.  It makes no sense to have Cole and Lawler announce together on Raw.  They hate one another.  There's too much tension between them, and let's be honest, Cole can't focus on a match to save his life.  He ends up fighting with the King and Josh Matthews before the match is over.  So, I'd not only take Cole off Raw as an announcer, but on SmackDown! too.  Put Matthews in his spot there to work with Booker T.  And let's be done with this silly feud.

My pick: Jerry Lawler & JR


LayCool in happier times
Layla vs. Michelle McCool (Loser Leaves WWE):  Earlier I blogged how I hadn't read any spoilers on this match.  I caved.  I've read that Michelle wants to take some time off to help tend to the Undertaker (for those who didn't know, they're married)  But keep in mind, this is chatter on the Internet, so take it for what it's worth.  I figured when they split these two up, Layla would be the "Jannetty" of team and end up jobbing.  Michelle is better in the ring, so it's hard for me to imagine her losing.  I suspect Kharma may end up appearing and helping Layla get the win.

My pick: Layla


CM Punk vs. Randy Orton (Last Man Standing): More Internet rumors are presenting me with conflicting thoughts on this match.  Some say that CM Punk is not resigning his contract later this year.  It appears that Randy Orton is the SmackDown version of Cena.  While it would not hurt Orton to lose (he's beaten Punk each time in their previous encounters), I don't see the WWE giving someone who could potentially be on the way out a big win over the company's second biggest face.

My pick: CM Punk, however Randy Orton will win this match.


Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes at Wrestlemania 27
Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio: (Falls Count Anywhere): This match is much like the Orton-Punk match.  Rey doesn't need the win as much as Cody does.  This will be the rubber match between the two.  Cody got the big win at Wrestlemania.  Rey got a victory on SmackDown

My pick: Cody Rhodes


I'm not crazy about the concept behind the Extreme Rules pay per view.  Gimmick matches are good when used sporadically.  But this is an entire PPV filled with gimmicks. That could be good I suppose as guys like Orton and Cena don't have to lie down for anyone.  I guess it's easier to say I lost because I couldn't get up before the 10 count opposed to losing via pinfall.  Maybe I'm being too cynical, but that's how I'm feeling with the current product.

What are your thoughts?  I'm curious to hear who you think will win at Sunday's pay per view.  Comment here or let us know on Facebook.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...

LayCool and the rest of the Divas
By Kevin Hunsperger

The WWE Divas division has been subject to a lot of criticism over the last several years.  Many of the women are viewed as nothing more than eye candy. Barbie dolls who can wrestle (or at least try to).
T&A.  Some of those labels are justified for some of the Divas.  That's just my opinion.

Standouts in the division include Beth Phoenix, Gail Kim, and Natalya.  Melina is on the edge for me.  Now that Awesome Kong or Kharma has been added to the mix, I'm hoping for some quality Divas matches that aren't interrupted by Michael Cole every week.

Speaking of the Divas though, it appears that we'll be short one after Extreme Rules.  LayCool has split and, and Michelle McCool and Layla will battle in a match that one of them has to leave the WWE.  I've avoided wrestling news websites today, so I don't know if one of them is planning to leave.  Based on that I find it hard to believe that Michelle would be leaving the company.  She is after all married to the Undertaker.  But if one of them is really leaving, I guess this stipulation makes sense.  Or will the defeated woman just show up on Raw, or come back to SmackDown! next week under a mask?  I can actually see all of these things as legitimate possibilities.

I'm really disappointed that they split LayCool up in the first place.  It seems like the WWE has something against any long term tag teams or other factions.  Nexus is floundering, Corre is shaky, Hart Dynasty didn't last.  LayCool is over.  You get the point.

Sorry this post is kinda bouncing around, I can't seem to focus.  If you've made it this far, I thank you for reading and invite you to subscribe to this blog and check out my YouTube channel too.  Don't forget to follow us on Twitter (@my123cents) and like us on Facebook.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

This is Why I Don't Work for WWE

By Chad Smart

Before I get into the topic of the day, I must correct something I wrote about a few weeks ago. In my post "The Champ is Where?" I said The Miz was missing from a promotional video for SummerSlam. I was at Staples Center a couple weeks ago for the last Los Angeles Clippers game of the season and saw the video again. I don’t know if someone read my post and corrected the video, or if I had somehow simply missed The Miz in the video the first time I saw it, whatever the case may be, The Miz was in the SummerSlam video. I’m going to say I overlooked him on my initial viewing, as I can’t see WWE making that big of a mistake of leaving him out of the video. Now that I’ve made that correction, let’s move on to something more entertaining.

Everyone is probably aware this past Monday and Tuesday, WWE did their annual draft and mixed up the Raw and Smackdown rosters. While looking at the Superstars who were moved from one show to the other, I saw a lot of people who haven’t really been given the chance to shine. I started thinking of some possible character ideas. Here’s the outcome of my deep thinking.


ZACK ATTACK

If you’ve been paying attention over the past couple months, Zack Ryder has started trying to get himself over with his weekly youtube show since he’s hardly on WWE TV outside of Superstars. While his Broski of the week contest and Long Island character are gaining traction, I think WWE is missing the biggest no-brainer scenario that’s right in front of them.

Zack should form a tag team with Heath Slater (now that’s he no longer one half of the tag team champions he can easily break away from the Corre.) and have Kelly Kelly be their valet. Zack has been trying to get WWE Shop to sell Woo Woo Woo headbands that they could market as Broski Bands. Zack, Slater and Kelly would wear them to the ring and give them to lucky fans before the match. All the other fans, that didn’t come alone, would want Broski Bands for their groups. Smell the money being printed.

A+ RI
Alex Riley came in with a sort of Frat boy persona. Give him a slight tweak and he could be a blue chipper/student of the business character. I don’t think he’s won a match yet since his season of NXT ended. His losing streak could be used as a basis where he starts obsessively watching every match the way professional sports teams watch game footage. WWE could show footage of him in the WWE library watching video and taking notes on current opponents while also studying former wrestlers to learn new moves. He wouldn’t be like Dean Douglas, as he wouldn’t be critiquing Superstars after their matches. A-Ri would use the information gleaned from his studying to move up to at least being a US titleholder.

Yep. I only had two ideas. Maybe I had more, but I don’t want to give away all my ideas. I’m still waiting on the call to come from TNA to bring me on board as part of the creative staff. I’ve already started formulating even inane and complicated ideas that make Feast or Fired and King of the Mountain matches look genius in comparison. Stay tuned.

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Wednesday, April 27, 2011

WWWYKI, Bro!

Zack Ryder coming to the ring at Wrestlemania 27
By Kevin Hunsperger

Zack Ryder is perhaps the most underrated talent in the WWE right now.  That's a bold statement I know.  But if you've never seen his YouTube Channel, LongIslandIcedZ, I would highly recommend it.  Chad recently blogged about the channel and videos Zack has posted, so I'm not going to focus on that.

I'm such a fan of Zack's that I even made a video and entered in to his "Broski of the Week" contest.  I came up short, but I do think it's pretty good if I do say so myself.  Check it out by clicking right here.

Zack is clearly gathering quite a following on YouTube.  The 10 videos he's posted so far have been viewed more than 818,000 times.  That's pretty awesome.  I'm not sure why he hasn't gotten over with the decision makers in the WWE.  Why are we subjected to the verbal and now physical assaults by Michael Cole?  And how are these segments the highest rated ones on the show?

Anyway, back to Zack.  Sure I followed him when he and Curt Hawkins were "Edge Heads" and helping the world champ.  It was a semi entertaining gimmick.  Heck, it even lead to a tag team title opportunity for the duo.  Since then, he's kinda floundered.  Been lost in the shuffle.  Made to job to everyone.  Now just a fixture on the online version of WWE Superstars.  The dude deserves better.

Yes, I know I'm a dork...
WWE is in a phase where they need to start pushing the younger talent.  We've preached this for years now though.  It's getting somewhat better, but there are still a lot of spots to fill as far as I'm concerned.  It looks like both the Undertaker and Triple H will only be on sporadically.  Edge has retired.  Chris Jericho and Batista both left last year.  Rey Mysterio is rumored to be in the twilight of his career.

But right now when you consider the company's top superstars, who do you think?  For me, it's John Cena and Randy Orton.  I think the Miz is slowly gaining ground.  But the WWE needs to better utilize it's mid card and lower card talent.  Push Cody Rhodes up the ladder and John Morrison and Shemaus.  That would make room for someone like Zack Ryder to climb into that midcard range and have a run as U.S. or Intercontinental champion.

OR...

Pair Zack up with someone.  I've complained since creating this blog in September that the tag team division in the WWE is on its last legs.  Why not reunite he and Curt Hawkins?  Or put Zack and Primo on TV.  Chad even suggested (maybe he was joking, it was in type which is hard to interrupt) putting him with Heath Slater as the "Buddy Bands."  If you don't get that joke, check this out.  You see on Saved by the Bell, there was an episode about Buddy Bands and two of the main characters on the show are AC Slater and Zack Morris.  So it's a play on that.  Pretty funny.

But seriously, Zack Ryder has the mic skills.  He has the in ring ability, so why isn't he getting any kind of recognition? I tried asking the same question yesterday on the WWE's Cover it Live chat during the Supplemental Draft.  My questions were never posted and never answered.  Please forward this to the WWE and maybe we'll get some answers.

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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Feeling Drafty...


Photo courtesy: WWE.com
By Kevin Hunsperger

The 2011 WWE Draft is wrapping up.  I'm not sure why, but I'm simply not overly excited about the new lineups.

The show started off with a battle royal with the winning brand getting two draft picks. SmackDown! won. I'll admit, I was watching, but also running a chat at the same time.  I saw John Cena get picked, but did they ever draft a second star to SD?

Almost immediately after Cena being draft, the folks chatting on the new My 1-2-3 Cents Blog TV page (check it out sometime) talked about how soon would Cena be redrafted back to Raw.  Before the show was over, that's exactly what happened.  Personally, I would have liked to see Cena on SD, at least for a little bit.  It would have freshened up the product.

So here it is, Superstars going to Raw:
Rey Mysterio- was hoping to see a program with Sin Cara, but as you'll read on, he's moving to SD.
Big Show- I guess it doesn't matter since the tag team titles are defended on both shows.
Alberto Del Rio- I hope this means Christian will win at Extreme Rules Sunday.
Jack Swagger-Makes sense, hope they make Michael Cole his manager.
Kelly Kelly-I love her, so I'm happy with this move.
JTG-Does it really matter?
Drew McIntyre- Really hoping they use him as an upper mid-card guy.  Has a ton of potential.
Curt Hawkins-Perhaps a reunion with Zack Ryder?
Chris Masters-Don't really care.  Sorry.
Kofi Kingston- Was hoping he'd stay on SD and get more of a push.  He'll get lost on Raw.
Tyler Reks-See Chris Masters.
Beth Phoenix- Hope they use her right.  Would love to see her and "Kharma" go at it.

Superstars going to SmackDown!:
Randy Orton-Not really that big an Orton fan.  Indifferent.  Wonder if Legacy will reunite? j/k.
Mark Henry- He's been around so long, I think we all know he'll never be "the man", but he's okay.
Sin Cara-Wanted to see a program between he and Rey. Chad mentioned more time to edit his spots.
Daniel Bryan- Really want to see him step up as one of the top faces. Could get a world title push.
The Great Khali-See Tyler Reks.
The Usos-Glad they at least brought them both.  Let's do something about the tag team division, folks.
Alicia Fox-See the Great Khali.
Yoshi Tatsu-This guy has potential, but I don't think they'll do anything with him.
William Regal-When he retires (which I've heard it's coming), I'd like to see him as a manager.
Natalya-Would've rather seen her on Raw since Beth is there, again another good opponent for Kharma.
Ted DiBiase-Please do something with this guy. Thought a Priceless reunion, but I like Cody's new act.
Tyson Kidd-Wasted potential.  He'll be a jobber.  Reunite the Hart Dynasty NOW!
Tamina-Wonder if she'll get back with the Usos, because isn't Santino on Raw?
Alex Riley-Saw this one coming.  Curious if A-Ri will excel now that he's not under the Miz's thumb.
Sheamus-Interesting, it appears SD now has the U.S. and Intercontental champs.  Curious to see what happens.

So as of 3:45 p.m. CST, the Draft appears to be over.  There were no major surprises or shakeups in my opinion.  This does freshen up the rosters somewhat.  SmackDown has a slight edge with 16 new superstars, Raw gets 12.  They needed that.  (I'm not counting the silliness of Cena being drafted twice)

I will be curious to see what happens at Extreme Rules.  At this moment, there is no U.S. or IC title matches, which would lead me to think that both champs will be on SD for now.  Unless they throw a couple of extra matches on the show against a new Raw Draft pick.  I could see Kofi beating Sheamus or Wade Barrett and going to Raw as a champ.

What do you think of the draft?  Did it shake things up?  Why didn't Zack Ryder get drafted?  Who will be "future endeavered" in the coming weeks?  Answers we'll all have to wait for I suppose.

Thanks for reading.  Watch on YouTube, "like" us on Facebook, and check out the main My 1-2-3 Cents page for news updates and more.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Lethal Release

Photo courtesy: TNA Wrestling
By Chad Smart


I’ve been sitting on this for a few days hoping more information would be forthcoming. I’ll make the disclaimer now that what I’m about to write is taken from the slimmest of details therefore some information could be wrong. If any part of what I’m about to write proves to be false, I will correct said information. 

Normally any postings on my123cents try to avoid speculating on rumors. Kevin and I want this blog to be respected and taken somewhat serious. We’re not out to jump on every Internet rumor or base writings on unfounded reports. That’s the reason this posting will be brief.

Last week TNA and Jay Lethal parted ways. I don’t know if Jay’s contract was up and TNA chose not to renew it, or if he was released from his contract. All I know is Jay Lethal is no longer a member of the TNA roster. To me this move is very confusing and continues to bolster the public perception of TNA not caring about homegrown talent.

Jay had been a member of the TNA roster for 5-6 years. I think I read he was a 6-time X-Division champion. I know he held the title multiple times but I didn’t realize it was so many. I couldn’t tell you any significant title defenses he had during any reign, or whom he beat or lost the title to as titles change hand so frequently no reign really means anything. To be fair, I also couldn’t tell you the last 6 WWE Intercontinental champions either. It has more to do with treating titles like a hot potato than with specific wrestling companies.

Photo courtesy: TNA Wrestling
Over the last couple years it looked like Jay Lethal was poised to be a break out star for TNA.  He was put into programs with Kurt Angle and Ric Flair and got victories over both guys. Instead of using that momentum to keep his star rising, he was quickly put back into meaningless matches lower on the card or taken off television for extended periods of time. Not to be snarky or critical for the sake of being critical, but it seems around the time Jay could have been put into high profile matches, another ex-WWE guy would show up and take the spot.

Maybe Jay realized he wasn’t getting used to the best of his ability and decided to step away from TNA as a way to gain more experience and learn new styles and techniques. I’ve often said the death of the territory days has led to a lot of guys becoming stale because they stay in one place for too long. Unless WWE realizes they need more young talent and gives Jay at least a developmental contract, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jay back in TNA within a year.

Now I’m going to be snarky. While Jay Lethal is no longer a member of TNA, Jeff Hardy is still listed as a member of the roster on the TNA website. You know, the guy who was busted for drug possession BEFORE signing with TNA and who went on to be TNA World Champion. The same Jeff Hardy who showed up to two pay per views in no condition to wrestle yet was still in main event matches. This is why I’m hoping Jay Lethal’s departure from TNA was more his decision and not TNA’s. 

Friday, April 22, 2011

SmackDown! Thoughts

Photo from WWE.com
By Kevin Hunsperger

Admittedly, these thoughts are incomplete as we are experiencing a major storm here in St. Louis and I've lost the satellite signal.  I'd been watching the show for about an hour when we lost the signal.  At least we still have power so I can share some thoughts up to this point.

Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio:  I thought Cody's promo prior to the match was really good.  I think this feud with Rey is going to put Cody on the map.  Actually it already has.  I hope they continue to feature him as a player on the roster.  His win over Rey at Mania has catapulted him into the spotlight as far as I'm concerned.  I have really enjoyed this program.  The paper bags being handed out added something extra to Cody's persona. 

I wasn't necessarily crazy about them giving away a match I'd just paid hundreds of dollars to watch in Atlanta 3 weeks ago, but that seems to be the trend with WWE.  Watch it on pay per view and then get it on Raw or SmackDown! for free in the weeks that follow.  I've come to accept it, I just don't like it.

It was a good match between the two, and while I wished Cody would have won again, I was impressed with the beatdown on Rey after the match.  Again, it's one of the more interesting angles going on either show right now.

Big Show & Kane Reign Supreme...Again: Not crazy about the hot potato nature of the WWE tag team titles, but I've spent plenty of time complaining about the tag team ranks in the WWE.  At least Kane and the Big Show have teamed before and held the belts too.  So I'm not as bothered by this pair winning the gold again.  It's not like an odd pairing of Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes last year.  Yeah, remember that?  But they're teasing a Corre breakup, which I'm sure is down the road, just like all teams these days. I'm just curious to see what will happen with Kane and the Big Show on May 19th.  Ten bonus points if you get that one...

Lame Cool, I Mean LayCool Splits: Like I just mentioned, the WWE has something against keeping any kind of team or unit together for more than 18 months or so.  Personally, I thought Michelle McCool and Layla were kinda annoying, but in a good way.  They were the best heel tandem in the Divas division.  Actually, maybe the best heel team in the entire WWE.  There was something there that I enjoyed, but despised.  Does that make sense?  I can't put my finger on it, but it doesn't matter as it appears the two are through.  I predict Layla ends up the Jannetty of the group and will be in TNA before the end of the year.


King Cole?:  Michael Cole is clearly a heat magnet.  He's probably the most hated man in the WWE right now.  I'm not sure that's a good thing though.  I will say this, again.  After Extreme Rules, he needs to leave the announce team and become a full fledged manager.  He and Swagger make a great manager/wrestler unit.  That's been shown in the last few weeks.  But here's what I didn't like about tonight.  The entire match with Swagger and Trent Barretta (who pulled his tooth out before the match) the announce team (lead by Cole) focused on what Cole and Swagger did to Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross on Raw earlier in the week.  I hate it when the announcers can't/don't focus on the match and tell us what's happening in the ring.  That's there job, isn't it?  I know, the modern day announcer's job is to shill the next pay per view or big show coming up.

So that's as far as I got. I'm curious to see what happens with the Alberto Del Rio's retirement party for Edge.  I'm sure it will be something to further the program with Christian.  I don't read spoilers when I plan to watch the show, so I guess I'll check out the rest in just a minute.

Just a reminder, check out My 1-2-3 Cents on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter (@my123cents).  We also have a regular website with news updates as they become available.  Thanks again for reading.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Hey, Yo!

Courtesy: WWE
By Kevin Hunsperger

I'm going to try to write this and not make it sound like an obituary.  If you read or watch any other wrestling blogs or YouTube channels, you've surely seen the news that Scott Hall is in poor health.  Kevin Nash, one of Hall's best friends, has gone so far as to say he's worried Scott may not be alive much longer.

My first instinct is to believe all the stuff I've read online about Hall's past drug problems.  But Nash says that's not the problem.  On his blog, he explains that Hall suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  He also attributes it to things that happened in Hall's past and says that wrestling isn't the problem.  And that Hall sees drugs and alcohol as the solution to his PTSD.

I'm a firm believer that events from our past can come back to haunt us in the future.  As a medical reporter, I have done some research on the subject of PTSD.  It can be a very debilitating disorder, and it doesn't just affect the men and women who serve our country.  Anyone can suffer from it.  So whether it's drugs, alcohol, PTSD or a combination of all three, I hope Scott Hall gets the help he needs.

I have many fond memories of Scott Hall.  My first come from about 1985, when he was wrestling as Starship Coyote.  He was part of an NWA show at the Kiel Auditorium when I was 12.  Of course he morphed into several different characters through his career, my favorite being Razor Ramon.  That's why I used that picture of him.

I'll admit though I soured on him after he left for WCW in 1996.  It wasn't so much because he left, but because of the politics played with the whole Kliq.  Really, my opinion of all the men involved in that "group" changed after that.  And more thoughts are even more influenced after reading Bret Hart's book, "Hitman".  I'm trying hard not to only take one side of the story, but a lot of other sources have had similar things to say.

Regardless of that, Scott Hall needs help.  If you pray, say one of he and his family as he tries to get his life in order.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Wrestling Ramblings

Everyone's favorite Broski...
By Chad Smart


I couldn’t think of one specific topic to write about today so I figured why not toss out some quick and short notes about several topics floating around inside my head.

ZACK PLAQUES GET SACKED
The Internet is abuzz with tales of fans at Monday’s Raw taping at the O2 Arena having any pro Zack Ryder signs taking away by security. Allegedly security told fans they were ordered by WWE management to remove the signs. I don’t know how accurate these tales are, but I’m not one to let a good Internet meme go to waste. If this is true, it paints a poor picture of WWE management. At a time when WWE is in need of creating new Superstars, the often-underused Zack Ryder has taken to YouTube in order to gain fan support. Zack’s plan seems to be working as “Broski of the Week” signs have started appearing in crowds ever since Wrestlemania.

Last week on Tough Enough, Steve Austin criticized Matt Cross for not making the most of his opportunity. Austin told Cross, he can’t sit back and wait for his moment to come, he needs to create that moment. Zack Ryder is creating his moment and now WWE management apparently doesn’t want that to happen. On episode 8 of True Long Island Story footage from the Wrestlemania press conference was shown. When asked about Zack Ryder, both The Miz and John Cena put him over while Triple H said only three people wanted to see Zack on TV. I’m not exactly sure of his official title, but Triple H does hold a position in WWE management overseeing talent. For him to publicly insult a member of the roster and the fans for wanting to see someone used better than they are currently being utilized is ridiculous.

With the draft coming up next week, WWE management needs to take a serious look at their roster and realize the need for a wider main event base of talent and credible mid-card guys. I’m not saying Zack Ryder would be the next Steve Austin, but we’ll never know for sure unless he’s giving an opportunity.

Jeff Hardy's trial: continued again...
WHAT CONSTITUTES A SPEEDY TRIAL
Jeff Hardy once again had his court case for drug possession extended after Hardy’s defense attorney wanted time for Jeff to be assessed for whether he needs treatment for drug dependency. (courtesy pwinsider.com) I think the DA should have shown Hardy’s “match” against Sting from the last TNA PPV as defense exhibit A showing Hardy has a problem. Seriously though, how long is this case going to be dragged out? Given the amount of drugs Hardy was busted for possessing, I don’t see how this case can end without Hardy receiving at least several years of probation. I don’t know all the ins and outs of the case so I really shouldn’t speculate on why the case keeps getting pushed back. I just wish the case would end sooner rather than later and Jeff Hardy gets the help he needs.

From Chikara.com
KING OF TRIOS DVD RELEASED 24 HOURS AFTER FINAL SHOW
I have a multi-part Chikara series floating around in my head. Hopefully I’ll get it written soon.  This past weekend Chikara held their annual King of Trios tournament.  In a stunning announcement, Smart Mark Video had DVDs of the shows up for sale on Monday afternoon and started shipping orders on Tuesday. I have not seen results from the show, though I have ordered the DVDs. Even without seeing the shows, I think it’s safe to say based on the track record of past KOT’s, if you’re a wrestling fan you should buy these DVDs. Not only does the KOT feature Chikara wrestlers, the tournament features trios from several other promotions. This year’s tournament also featured the return to the ring of the 1-2-3 Kid. What more do you want?

Courtesy: ABC
CHRIS JERICHO KEEPS ON DANCING
Dancing with the Stars eliminated another contestant and it wasn’t Chris Jericho. It was the supermodel whose name I don’t know and am too lazy too look up. I believe they’re down to the final six. At this point I’d wager Jericho should make it to the final three. My picks are Jericho, Ralph Macchio and Chelsea Staub (again, I forget what her new stage name is and don’t care enough to look it up). Maybe I’m biased towards those three because I like them more than Kirstie Alley, Romeo and Kendra, but those are the three I want to see in the finals.
In addition to Dancing With the Stars, Jericho is hosting the Revolver Golden God Awards tonight and Fozzy will perform during the show. I will be in attendance, though the show starts at the same time I usually get out of work so I hope I don’t miss anything important. If anything exciting happens I will let you know via @my123cents on Twitter. The Miz is nominated as Heavy Metal Athlete or something similar. Since WWE is in Europe, I doubt he’ll be there to accept the award should he win.  Maybe Jericho can accept the award, not give it to Miz, which leads to Jericho’s first feud when he returns to WWE. 

That’s it for today’s ramblings. Remember, Like us at www.facebook.com/my123cents, follow on Twitter, and subscribe on YouTube

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Where's the Mute Button?

A fan at Wrestlemania
By Kevin Hunsperger

Two months ago, I would have called for Michael Cole to be yanked off of WWE TV.  In fact back in February I wrote a blog called "Shut Up Michael Cole."  I've since had a bit of a change of heart.

While I'm not crazy about Cole as an announcer, I still maintain he would make an excellent manager. I loved the way he threw himself in front of Jack Swagger last week on SmackDown! and took the 619 from Rey Mysterio.  It was a classic heel manager move, helping out his man by any means necessary.

I really feel like either he or Jerry Lawler need to leave Raw after Extreme Rules.  Their feud is getting in the way of them doing the job they're both there to do, call the matches IN THE RING.  They spend more time bickering, and Cole spends more time putting himself over than the talent.  I don't like the revolving door of announcers on the show either.  I wish they'd find a team and stick with it.

While I'm on the subject, I hate it when they bring out a wrestler to do "guest" commentary.  It turns into an interview segment and the story being told in the ring is an after thought.  I miss the days of Jesse Ventura and Vince McMahon or Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon.  Most recently, I miss the combo of Lawler and Jim Ross, but from the Attitude Era.

As I watch this match between Sheamus and Santino, I'm hearing Cole go on about being knighted and his attack on JR and the King.  I know Vince McMahon or a producer or someone else is probably encouraging this behavior, but enough is enough. To quote the late, great Gorilla, give me a break.

And to be fair to Cole, it's not just him who gets sidetracked, it happens a lot, but in most cases he seems to be the one taking things off course.  Just focus on the action and let us know what's happening.

Thanks for reading.  Check out new My 1-2-3 Cents website.  Also, like us on Facebook and watch the videos on YouTube.

A Player to Be Named Later

By Chad Smart
I used to have one rule for watching Raw. If John Cena or Randy Orton were in the main event I usually turned the show off as the introductions were being made. After last night I’ve added a couple more rules. If R-Truth and John Morrison are cutting promos on each other, I turn the show off.  If Michael Cole gets a segment devoted to him, I turn the show off.

Sometimes I think WWE really does see how bad of a show they can put together and not lose all their fans to TNA.

The big news coming out of last nights Raw was of course, Michael Cole got knighted. This will lead to increased ratings and higher pay per view buy rates. I kid, I kid. The real news is next week’s Raw is the annual draft show. I could go on a rant about how lame the draft is since there is no real brand separation anymore. Though, Alberto Del Rio wasn’t on Raw this week so maybe I’m wrong. Instead, I’m going to look at some guys who I think will either be drafted or could benefit by switching brands.

I wonder if the draft was moved up on the calendar due to Edge’s surprise retirement. With his departure the Smackdown brand has very few main eventers. Big Show, Kane and Rey Mysterio could all be moved back up the card, but they’ve been out of the main scene for a while. Undertaker only works sporadically so he’s not really an option. And that’s about it for Smackdown. Alberto Del Rio and Christian are poised to move into the starring role, but they’re not there just yet. Hopefully WWE realizes this and instead of doing their usual purging of potential Smackdown stars they move some major players from Raw to plug the holes so to speak.

Here are the guys from Raw who I think should be moved to Smackdown.

DANIEL BRYAN: Currently lost in the mid-card of Raw. A move to Smackdown where he’d have a chance to have longer matches could help condition the crowd to accept his more mat based style.

DH SMITH: He came out at Wrestlemania wearing a cowboy hat. I don’t know if that’s part of a new gimmick or if he forgot to take it off before leaving the locker room. I honestly couldn’t tell you the last time I saw DH on TV.

RANDY ORTON: Smackdown needs faces and Randy is the number two face in the company now for some reason. He could easily be transitioned into a feud with Alberto Del Rio no matter if Del Rio wins the World title at Elimination Chamber or not. And if Orton goes to Smackdown, I can enjoy more of Raw.

TEDDY DIBIASE: Seriously, would anyone notice if he wasn’t on Raw?

TYSON KIDD: Same as DH Smith and Ted Dibiase. Change of scenery could help him break out.

ZACK RYDER: Zack simply needs more TV time. Why he can’t even get a backstage segment on Raw most weeks is baffling. With Chris Jericho, Carlito and MVP no longer in WWE, there should be a weekly interview segment called Zack’s Shack. Woo woo woo, you know it.

Now, Smackdown guys that should move to Raw.

DREW MCINTYRE: He most likely wouldn’t do anything more than he’s currently doing on Smackdown but it’d give a new audience a chance to ask, "who’s that?"

JTG: Why not?

TRENT BARRETA: Yep.

TYLER REKS: He should for a team with the other three on the list and call themselves Cut Survivors. They can be ex-emo kids who overcame the affliction of cutting themselves.

Wow. I didn’t realize how bad Smackdown’s roster was. According to the profiles on wwe.com, if you remove the Divas, Hornswaggle and non-wrestlers, Smackdown has 20 wrestlers. Raw has 34, if my math is correct. This draft really should be slanted towards building Smackdown. After looking at the rosters, I’m actually curious as to what’s going to happen. Who do you think should be moved from one show to the other? Who do you not want to see moved?

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Monday, April 18, 2011

Why I Can't Care

By Chad Smart


Before I get into the Lockdown pseudo review, lets see how I did with my predictions.  I’m going to say I picked Sting to retain, even though I joked about Jeff Hardy winning the match, which makes my final standing 2-6 for the show. I don’t know if that means TNA did a good job of booking an unpredictable show or if a lot of their outcomes didn’t make sense in the grand scheme of things.
I watched the show on a delay due to attending a Rod Stewart/Stevie Nicks concert at the time Lockdown was live. Maybe the late viewing led me to be less interested in the show.  As with most of my TNA rants, I don’t want to bash the show or company for the sake of bashing them. I want to see the company succeed. There’s just something missing that prevents me from getting emotionally invested in any TNA show.

I should state at the start that Lockdown is one of my least favorite pay per view concepts. The idea of all matches being held inside a steel cage is ridiculous. Maybe I’m old fashioned, but cage matches should be the end to a heated feud not the basis for guys being thrown into a match for the sake of having a match.  Not to mention last year’s show featured a Street Fight Falls Count Anywhere match. So it’s a cage match, yet falls could happen anywhere in the building. Seriously, it’s not bad enough someone comes up with these inane ideas, but the fact no one stops them from being put on air.

Anyway. Onto the Show.  Overall I don’t think the show was terrible. It was more a show that was just there. The only real negative comments I can make are as follows.

If Mickie James is injured and can’t wrestle, why put her in a match? Do an injury angle backstage and either add another match to make up for not having a Knockout Title match, or have Madison Rayne fight someone else, retain the title and try to do the match with Mickie at the next pay per view. What happens now if Mickie isn’t healed by the next pay per view? Will she be stripped of the title, or will she lose in another non-match? This is where TNA’s schedule of taping a month worth of shows in a few days hurts the overall product.

After the Matt Morgan/Hernandez match, Sarita and Rosita insulted the crowd leading to Velvet Sky coming in and running them out of the cage. Why couldn’t the Knockout Tag Champions have handled one person? I don’t get it. The whole segment felt forced and was just an excuse to get Velvet Sky on the show. Couldn’t they have done something to further the story with Angelina Love and Winter? Or, I don’t know, booked Velvet into a match?

The ending of the Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett match was trademark TNA overbooking at it’s finest.  I’ve been following TNA since day one and I have yet to figure out the reasoning as to why 95% of their main event levels matches have to end with interference, foreign objects or other shenanigans. What’s wrong with one guy simply beating the other guy?

Why does every Lethal Lockdown match have people on top of the cage? It’s like TNA saw the Hell in the Cell matches and figured because WWE has Superstars escape the cage and climb to the top their wrestlers need to do the same thing. That annoys me for two reasons. One, as a fan of the Wargames match, there was never a Wargames where guys ended up on top of the cage so it is possible to have a good match without resorting to unnecessary dangerous stunts. Two, TNA needs to stop emulating WWE. Forge your own identity. 

Outside of those criticisms, I found the show to be uninteresting. Samoa Joe/Pope, Hernandez/Morgan, the 4-way tag, and the X-Scape match didn’t have the build ups to make me care about the matches. Angle/Jarrett was good and Angle was his crazy insane self, but the ending makes me think the feud isn’t over with and I don’t care about the stupid love triangle. Until I typed the period in the last sentence I had forgotten about the Anderson/RVD/Sting match. That match was for the TNA title. I don’t know if that says more about my faulty memory or the interest in the title scene given the current participants. Lethal Lockdown was fine for what it was. Overall, not a terrible show by any means, but also not a show worth going out of your way to see.

Someone help me out here. Am I the only person who feels there are no stand out personalities in TNA? They have a roster full of entertaining wrestlers who, when given the chance, can put on an entertaining match. However when I watch Impact or a PPV, I don’t care about any of the stories being told and therefore I don’t care about the matches. Then when matches are short or loaded with outside interference, I really don’t care about them. It has more to do with the booking than the actual participants. At the recent PWG show, there was a match between Willie Mack and Roderick Strong. I’d only seen Willie once before so didn’t have an opinion of him. In my opinion, Roderick Strong makes Dean Malenko look like The Rock when it comes to charisma. Needless to say at the start of the match I didn’t have high hopes of enjoyment. By the end of the match I told my friend that was match of the night. Two guys who got to go out showcase their talents and have a straight forward match that got the crowd involved. TNA really needs to learn how to get talent over with the audience. More importantly, TNA needs to get talent not named Hulk Hogan or Eric Bischoff over.

There’s my in depth, highly informative review of TNA Lockdown. Why don’t I get paid for this? Seriously though, follow us on Twitter @my123cents, Like us on Facebook, watch Kevin’s videos on YouTube and remember, No catchphrases needed. 

Saturday, April 16, 2011

As Edge's Door Closes, Will Christian's Window Open?

Christian & Edge together at Wrestlemania 27
By Kevin Hunsperger

We all know by now that Edge has retired and surrendered the World heavyweight title.  It's something that has shocked many fans and has completely changed the landscape of Friday Night SmackDown!  Immediately after the announcement Monday night fans began speculating who would replace the Rated R Superstar as the show's top face and carry on as world champion.

Naturally a lot of people have turned to Edge's former partner and best friend, Christian.  Hell, even I believe he's one of the most deserving competitors of holding the world title.  I don't count his two reigns as ECW champion as a world title reign, sorry.

Alberto Del Rio's Wrestlemania debut
But I have real concerns that Christian will fulfill that destiny and become champ.  He's overcome a major hurdle by winning the battle royal on SmackDown! to earn the right to face Alberto Del Rio for the title at Extreme Rules.  Whoever wins the ladder match on May 1 will be the new world champion and the successor to Edge.  It's a big responsibility.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't think that Alberto Del Rio is ready.  He's got a heck of a future ahead of him.  But in my opinion he is not the man to lead the company, yet.  It may be his destiny to win the title, but he's not world champion material at this time.  And I don't blame Del Rio for this.  The WWE has done a mediocre job of building him as a credible challenger to the world title.

Christian on the other hand I feel is more than ready to "be the man."  Like Edge, he's spent years performing in front of WWE fans.  We've watched him grow and mature as a performer.  He's gone from a blood drinking vampire in the Brood to a legitimate contender for the world title.  He just hasn't had his chance to shine.  Now that Edge is out of the picture, will he get that opportunity?  I certainly hope so.  But I still have reservations.  WWE has seemed to invest a lot of time and effort into promoting Del Rio.

Christian in Wrestlemania 26's MITB match
I've read the the rumors that Vince McMahon isn't high on Christian.  Maybe that's why he's been held back all these years.  I think the fans want to see a Christian title run.  Even if he were just "a transitional" champion to help get Del Rio ready for a run.  Eventually, I think that can and will happen with him.  Again, I just don't believe that time is May 1.  I'd actually like to see Christian in more than just a transitional role, but the bottom line is I want him to have at least one run on top.  But the reality of the situation is Christian is nearly 38 years old, the same age as Edge (and me) and while he shows no signs of being done, I think many of us were surprised that Edge called it quits so soon.  The WWE needs to keep that in mind as many of the guys on the top of the roster are well over 35 years old.

This blog is probably a statement of contradictions.  My gut tells me that Christian, although worthy, will not win the title at Extreme Rules.  I hope I'm wrong.  At the same time, I recognize the E needs to get some younger talent into the main event picture too.  But with a Christian title run, at least it's someone who hasn't worn the belt 8 or 9 times already.  Bottom line, it's time for a change, and we'll have a brand new champion come May 1st, someone who's never been the world champion (in WWE) before.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Saving My Clever Wordplay for the Lockdown Reaction Blog

By Chad Smart


I haven’t seen that much of Impact over the past month. My social life has been booked pretty solid on Thursday’s, and the shows have been leading up to Lockdown, which is one of my least favorite shows of the year. Therefore I haven’t felt a real desire to watch Impact lately.
With that said, I tried to watch last night’s Impact. 

That’s right, I tried. I think I got a little over an hour into the show and then Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff made their third or fourth appearance on the show and I had seen enough. There’s no reason for them to be on the show that often. No one on the roster is getting over when the focus is put on two guys who don’t, and shouldn’t ever actually wrestle for TNA.  My other main complaint with the show is there were too many backstage segments that felt forced. While I may not agree with the current wrestling show philosophy of spending more time talking backstage, I can appreciate it when done competently. Bad, stilted dialogue in front of a mystery camera just scream FAKE to me.

Moving on from Impact, let’s take a look at this Sunday’s Lockdown pay per view line up.

Ink Inc. vs. British Invasion vs. Orlando Jordan/Eric Young vs. Scott Steiner/Crimson:  4-Way tag team match, in a cage. This is going to be a long show. From what little pieces of Impact I’ve caught over the past few weeks it seems Steiner/Crimson spend more time hitting the rides at Universal Studios than actually wrestling. Ink Inc. have had their day in the sun as credible tag team contenders and are now teasing a break up. Orlando and Eric are the comedy fodder while British Invasion just got back together. All that leads me to believe the British Invasion will pick up the victory.

X-Division X-scape match: Jeremy Buck vs. Max Buck vs. Robbie E. vs. Chris Sabin vs. Brian Kendrick vs. Suicide vs. Jay Lethal vs. Amazing Red: Just typing out this preview is going to drive me to drinking. A TNA trademark, the multi-person cluster match. Good to see someone remembered Jay Lethal was still under contract. Remember when he beat Ric Flair and people thought it was the start of pushing Lethal up the card? Neither does Vince Russo or Dixie Carter or Eric Bischoff or Hulk Hogan. Flip a coin to pick a winner. I’m going with Suicide for no better reason than I like waffles.

Pope Dinero vs. Samoa Joe: Remember when Samoa Joe came into TNA and was unstoppable for a year? Remember when Pope Dinero entered TNA and the crowd wanted him to be a main eventer?  Well stop remembering that and accept both guys are below Matt Hardy in the pecking order now. Match will end in a way where there’s no winner and this feud, which ran out of steam two months ago, will continue because TNA has no idea what to do with either guy.

Hernandez vs. Matt Morgan: Let’s try this feud again with the roles reversed. Guessing Hernandez wins to make Mexican American, or whatever his group is called, look dominating until they get put up against a more popular faction.

TNA Knockouts  Title vs. Hair, Madison Rayne vs. Mickie James I’m surprised TNA hasn’t put the Knockout title on before now. Don’t see Mickie trying to promote her music career ala Sinead O’Connor so expect a new Knockout Champion to be crowned.

Best of 3 Falls, Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett; Each fall has a different stipulation for winning. Where’s the stipulation for the fans to not have to endure real life situations turned into wrestling angles? Kurt Angle wins and picks up another DUI after realizing he’s in Cincinnati and deciding to pretend he’s a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Lethal Lockdown, Immortal vs. Fortune: Ric Flair is listed as being in the match. Ric Flair+TNA+Cage Match=Flair’s starting the match a blonde and ending as a ginger. Good storytelling would say Fortune wins. Vince Russo booking says Daniels turns on Fortune and helps Immortal wins. Stupidity trumps common sense. Immortal picks up the victory.

TNA Title Match, Sting vs. Mr. Anderson vs. Rob Van Dam (or Rob Dam Van): I want this feud to end. I want Anderson and RVD to go away. I want TNA to put the title on someone fresh. In the swerve of the night Jeff Hardy enters the match and regains the TNA title. Or we get another swervey swerve and Sting joins Immortal.

I think TNA refers to this as the most brutal PPV of the year. (maybe they don’t, and I’m making it up. But I seem to have heard that recently.) I’m guessing their phrasing has a different meaning to them than it does to me. I think this is going to be a brutal PPV, but for all the wrong reasons. We’ll find out Sunday night.

Follow @my123cents on Twitter. Watch Kevin’s videos on the my123cents YouTube channel and Like my123cents on Facebook. We crave attention. 

Gimmicks Gone Too Soon

By Kevin Hunsperger

Some would argue that gimmicks are what makes the world go 'round in wrestling.  Some are good, but most flop miserably and we see guys reinventing themselves in an effort to get over with the fans.

Back in the 80's and 90's gimmicks were used more often than they are today.  Today's wrestler (or Superstar) is just a more amped of version of their own personality.  At least that's what I've concluded from my own research.

Today I'm going to look at a few gimmicks that got squashed too soon.  Something that was trying to get over with the fans a few years ago that might be more popular now.

First up, Kevin Thorn and Ariel with their vampire gimmick.  Their time in WWE was brief, but I wonder if it could have lasted longer had the popular Twilight series of movies had already been out.  There's also the vampire drama True Blood which premiered on HBO about a year after Thorn and Ariel were released by WWE.  I didn't mind this gimmick at all.  Thorn was around at time when the big guys were still getting the pushes.  Triple H, Kurt Angle, Batista, John Cena, and the Undertaker were all at the top of the pack.  Thorn and Ariel were a part of ECW, which we all remember it being the red headed step child of the WWE back in 2007.  No offense to red headed step children reading this.

I just wonder now, if the gimmick were still around in light of the Team Jacob and Team Edward wars, could the WWE have come up with something similar in an attempt to cash in on the vampire craze?  I would like to think they could have done something.  As I write this, the Brood comes to mind too.  They could have brought back Gangrel to lead a vampire faction against Thorn and Ariel and another couple of vampires.  Could have been interesting.  I've never read the Twilight books or seen the movies, and I've never watched True Blood, but both seem to get a lot of buzz these days.

Hanging with Jillian Hall at Wrestlemania 26 Axxess
Jillian Hall was the WWE's residential awful singer.  I believe it was supposed to be a spoof of Brooke Hogan when she was attempting to make a go as a musical performer.  Is she still trying that?  I haven't heard...

Anyway, right now there's a ton of talk about Rebecca Black and that wonderful tune Friday.  Personally, I like the song and think the girl gets too much flack for it.  Heck, they even spoofed it at Wrestlemania 27 this year with Zack Ryder giving his rendition of this awesomely bad ode to the start of the weekend.

I can only imagine Jillian coming out on SmackDown! and belting out Friday each week. It could have almost become a regular segment.  I don't know how long the fans would have stood for something like that.  I also don't necessarily think it's a good idea to base an entire gimmick off one silly song, but I think they could have used it to help get Jillian over as a heel character.

At the end of the day though it's supposed to be about the abilities INSIDE the ring and not what you're wearing or saying.  But in the world of entertainment (I'm purposely leaving off sports) it's a whole new ballgame.  Only time will tell if the WWE tries to cash in again on pop culture things like vampires or crappy teenage singers.  At least they don't have Cookie or Rob E.  They had the real deal in Snooki (which I'm not sure if that's any better) and the ultimate broski, Zack Ryder.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out My 1-2-3 Cents on YouTube and Facebook.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

The Champ is...Where?

The Miz & A-Ri at Wrestlemania
By Chad Smart

Last night, I went to the L.A. Clippers last game of the season. As I was standing outside Staples Center waiting on my friends to arrive, I started watching the video screen promos for upcoming events. One of those events was SummerSlam, which is being held in Los Angeles for the third year in a row.

The promo video featured some quick cuts of in ring action followed by flying stars with a different wrestler in each star showcasing who was going to be at the show. (Card subject to change, of course.) I think there were 7 or 8 stars and the Superstars highlighted were John Cena, Edge, Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, and I forget the last couple. The one person not featured however was, The Miz.

Now I’m guessing the video was sent to Staples Center by WWE and not something Staples Center created on their own. The video was probably sent a couple months ago as well. So there could be reasons why a Superstar who is now in the main event picture, +cough+RTruth+cough+, isn’t in the video but to not feature a guy who not only has been WWE champion for four months, but has been a featured performer for the past year is puzzling. Actually it’s not even the fact The Miz has held some form of a gold title for the majority of the last year that you would think would get him into a promotional video. It’s the fact he’s the WWE Champion that’s makes you question who put the video together.

We’ve discussed on the site before how The Miz has become third banana in WWE while all the focus has shifted to John Cena vs. The Rock. Call me old fashioned, but I think the Champ should be the guy the show is built around. If the Champ isn’t the focus, what’s the point of having a champion? It’s not like The Miz won the title a few weeks ago. He’s been champion for almost four months.

While I don’t expect The Miz to walk into SummerSlam as champion, I find it surprising he’s not featured in the promotional video for the show while Alberto Del Rio, who’s only been in the company for about nine months, is in the video. I know this in the grand scheme of things this is nothing to get upset about, and I’m not getting the torches and pitchforks ready for marching up to Titan Tower demanding Miz be put in future videos. I was simply amused at The Miz’s exclusion and thought it’d be something to write a quick blog about at midnight.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

What's Up? What's Up?

"Bobby Heenan" knows "What's up?"
By Kevin Hunsperger

Sorry for not posting this sooner, but what are you gonna do?  Monday night, besides Edge announcing his retirement, another shocker happened.  R-Truth was named co #1 contender to the WWE championship and is heading to the main event at Extreme Rules next month.

When this happened, I must say I was shocked by the development.  I really had hoped that either Dolph Ziggler or John Morrison would have been the one to win that match on Raw Monday night.  Let me explain why I don't think Truth should be in the title hunt.

First, he's rarely a part of the show.  During Alberto Del Rio's push, he was simply used several times to put the SmackDown! star over.  He wasn't even on the Wrestlemania card, now he's facing the Miz (and John Cena) for the WWE title.  Speculation is he's just a prop that will be used to take the fall so Cena doesn't have to lose two pay per views in a row.  To quote the Miz, "really?"  Of course, this is just Internet speculation, so who knows what's really up.  Pardon the pun...

I'm not going to hate on Truth.  He does have a following.  My son (he's only 9, so give him a break) says R-Truth is his 3rd favorite wrestler behind Rey Mysterio and Triple H.  Again, the kid's only 9...

During our usually Tuesday morning booker discussion, the My 1-2-3 Cents gang noted the fact that Truth still came out skipping and singing during what should have been a more serious moment of everyone stating their case as to why they should be the #1 contender.  At least Truth got the city they were in correct.  Maybe I shouldn't dis him so much.  He isn't that bad of a worker, I just find his gimmick completely annoying.

And I know he had some success in TNA as a member of 3Live Kru and had a run as the NWA-TNA champion a couple of times.  I never realized he was the U.S. champion.  How did I miss that one?

I'll end on this note.  While I'm glad we're not getting a total rematch from Wrestlemania with Cena and the Miz, I just don't feel R-Truth is the guy who should be in the main event.  My hope is they have bigger plans down the road for John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler.  And I hope the rumors that Morrison is being punished for "snubbing" Trish Stratus at Wrestlemania 27 are bogus.

Be sure to check out My 1-2-3 Cents on YouTube and Facebook.  Thanks for reading and watching.