Wrestling Is...Worth Watching

The chaos at the end of the show

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Over the weekend I had a chance to attend my first ever Wrestling Is Intense show.  It was actually the first of the "Wrestling Is" groups I've seen in person.  I've watched Wrestling Is Fun on iPPV and I've attended a few Chikara shows in the past.

I'll be honest, I don't know a whole lot about Wrestling Is Intense or the Wrestling Is movement.  After Sunday's show, I have no idea where the company is headed, if there is a future at all.  I do know it's entertaining and has quality men and women who work hard to keep the crowd happy.  I've got to tell you, I am really disappointed with the turnout in terms of crowd support at Sunday's show.  At one point, I counted 21 fans in the crowd.  I know this show was heavily promoted with posters being plastered in several different communities near the venue in Carbondale, Illinois.  There was a write up in the local newspaper and a one minute news story that ran on the morning news broadcast two days prior to the event.

Pre show Limbo contest was cool

I don't know if it's because the show was on a Sunday afternoon at the same time people are enjoying an afternoon of football, or if it's that people in this neck of the woods just don't get Wrestling Is or independent wrestling in general.  I've seen a sharp decline in fan support over the last year of local independent wrestling.  It makes me sad quite honestly.  While the fans who aren't coming out to these shows disappoint me, I do have positive things to say.

The wrestlers on the card at the Wrestling Is Intense show came out and performed as if the house was packed.  They didn't let the small crowd dampen their spirits.  I was at the MetLife Stadium this year for Wrestlemania 29.  There were more than 80,000 of us there.  Of course it was a good time.  But so was Wrestling Is Intense.  I honestly felt like we, the fans, were able to make connections with the wrestlers as they headed to the ring and during their matches.  The wrestlers all the way from the opening match to what ended up being the main event came out to the ring with enthusiasm and professionalism.  I think some might have been discouraged, but they didn't let that show as they came out and tore the house down.

Cottonbelly vs. Crabtree

My seven year old daughter attended the show with me.  While she's only really seen the likes of John Cena, CM Punk, and AJ Lee (and only on TV), I can honestly tell you she had a great time seeing the Estonian Thunderfrog, "Gentleman" Jervis Cottonbelly, and Darkness Crabtree work their magic in the ring.  Early in the show, she was reluctant to put up her hand and give the wrestlers high fives as they walked by.  But before the day was through, she had her hand in position when a wrestler's music hit.

Meeting the Thunderfrog

There's also that chance at indy shows to get some time to talk with the wrestlers, either during intermission or after the show.  Thunderfrog was kind enough to take a picture with us and give my daughter a tshirt.  These are memories that will last a lifetime for both of us. You can't get that kind of feeling at a big ticket show.  It's impossible.

Daywalkers making a wish

I have worked in other promotions with The Daywalkers (Alexandre Barnabus Castle and Mathis Cage) and Christian Rose.   I know how hard they work training and traveling the country going from show to show.  Their schedule, I would imagine, is similar to that of the others on the show.  They spend a lot of time driving and   while I don't know for sure, I would imagine for very little pay.  But I know they're doing this to earn a big payday.  They wrestle each week, several times a weekend, because they love it too.

Rose kicks Sue Jackson

Independent wrestling is the foundation of wrestling, or dare we say it, sports entertainment.  I know it sounds cliche, but I firmly believe that.  CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and Antonio Cesaro are just a few of the guys on the main roster now who spent years trying to make a name for themselves.

I've said it before, I'll say it again.  If you have independent wrestling in your community, support it.  If there's a show within driving distance, attend.  You will not be disappointed.  As fans, we need to be supportive of all levels of wrestling, not just when the flash and glamour makes that once a year (or even less) stop in our hometown.

Raw Rumblings

The stare down
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

It's been far too long since my last blog, and I apologize to regular readers for that.  We're still trying to resolve our Internet issues, and even as I type this, I have doubts that I'll actually be able to post it.

We're a couple of days removed from the June 17 episode of Raw, and I will tell you that I've been pretty impressed with the show over the last few weeks.  Some will likely scoff at that statement, but I have found the storytelling to be captivating and there's a feeling of unpredictability in the air, at least for now.

Several quick thoughts.  When I first read that Alberto Del Rio beat Dolph Ziggler for the World Heavyweight Championship, I was more than a little disappointed.  Dolph is one of my favorites on the roster right now and for him to lose the title so quickly after this nearly year long build bummed me out.  But the picture that was painted at Payback and again Monday on Raw has me more interested in ADR than I've ever been.  As a side note, I love that Antonio Cesaro has taken on Zeb Coulter as a manager.  I think the manager (and tag team wrestling) are the two elements I miss from the "good ol' days" of wrestling.  Hopefully this will help Cesaro and in my dream world, bring Kassius Ohno to the main roster too and the Kings of Wrestling will be reunited.

Speaking of managers, the separation of CM Punk and Paul Heyman has been brilliant in my opinion.  While I loved these two together, I can also see why it's important to split them up.  Let's face it, Punk was way over before Heyman came aboard.  The partnership helped develop Punk a bit further and make him "the bad guy",  but now it's time for the next chapter.  While I'm not a big Brock Lesnar fan, I will enjoy seeing Punk and Brock go after one another.  Plus, I'm glad they're not feeding Curtis Axel to Punk right out of the gate.

Axel and his father, Mr. Perfect are the first father-son duo to win the Intercontinental title.  Mr. Perfect was one of my all time favorite champs.  I just hope Axel is given time to hold the belt and develop as a champion.  I'd hate to see his sudden rise to the spotlight come to a screeching halt.

Christian returns
Photo courtesy: WWE

Christian is back, and that's a good thing in my view.  However, I wonder if he'll soon be in that Chris Jericho role of putting younger talent over.  I don't have a problem with that either, as I think when guys reach a certain point it's important to pass the torch to the next generation.  I also wonder the same thing about Rob Van Dam.  To be fair to TNA, if they'd announced his return, I would have been critical of that decision.  But hey, let's enjoy these guys who can clearly still "go" in the ring.

I can't wait for the Wyatt family to debut.  I'll be curious to see how the WWE Universe reacts to this motley crew and if the company will give them time to develop.  Husky Harris (Bray Wyatt) was my favorite from NXT season 2, and I was sad to see him shipped back to developmental, but perhaps he'll be bigger and better this time around.

Daniel Bryan has succeeded in making me watch a Randy Orton match without fast forwarding.  Bryan's character and performance over the last few weeks has been top notch.  I can't get enough of this guy.  He truly is one of the best the company has to offer.

Guess who's not retiring?
Courtesy: WWE

Mark Henry's "double cross" on John Cena wasn't much of a surprise to me.  I'm always skeptical when wrestlers tweet and claim they're going to do something on TV.  I figured Henry's tweets would lead to something in the ring, I just didn't know who his victim would be until he appeared during Cena's segment.  Speaking of, I know I just said it's important for older talent to put over the young guys, but I wouldn't be totally disappointed in a Mark Henry WWE Title run.  Two years ago, I would have never, EVER said such a thing.  By the way, I loved Henry's suit coat too.

Kaitlyn's nip slip was the talk of the web for a couple of days.  I'm surprised it doesn't have its own Twitter account.  But really, I can't believe these wardrobe malfunctions don't happen more often.

Finally, the McMahon family drama.  Yes, it's a rehash from the late 90's-early 2000's.  But to be honest, I'm enjoying it.  I do think there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians as they say.  Between Vince, Stephanie, Triple H, Vickie Guerrero, Brad Maddox, Teddy Long, and Booker T, who are we to believe is in charge?  Regardless, I'm curious to see where this all ends up, I'm just hoping it's not another match between Vince and Trips, but it seems like the Shield may become a part of this, which I think could be a good thing.

As Nelson used to sing, "Only Time Will Tell" what's next, but I for one am excited and a proud fan of WWE.

Are They Paul Heyman Guys?

Is Paul Heyman looking for a new guy?
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

WWE's website recently teased the fact that Paul Heyman may be looking to add a third client to his collection.  With CM Pun reportedly on the shelf until Summer Slam and Brock Lesnar being a "part timer", I could see the logic in finding a new Paul Heyman Guy.  I feel like Heyman is one of the best things about the WWE right now, so more TV time with him would not be a bad thing.

So who exactly should become the next client.  After reviewing the roster of superstars, I've come up with a few ideas.  Keep in mind, I don't watch much (actually any) NXT, so I can't really judge the talent there, other than the few guys I've seen on independent shows and in other companies.  For that reason, I'm going to stick to the current roster of superstars.

Courtesy: WWE

Michael McGillicutty may not be the perfect choice here, but I think he's someone to be considered.  He is a third generation superstar who got lost in the shuffle pretty quickly after being a part of NXT Season 2.  By blood line alone, I think Michael deserves a shot.  He is a former tag team champion, but then again, who isn't at this point, besides members of actual tag teams.  Anyway, I think the lack of mic skills that Michael has would make him ideal to be a Heyman guy.  Storyline wise, the duo could argue that he's been overlooked and neglected by management and he deserves a shot.  The son of Mr. Perfect and the grandson of Larry "the Axe" Hennig should not be used as enhancement talent on Internet shows and non-televised events. (This is Heyman talking)  Under Heyman's advisement and with some help from CM Punk upon his return, I think Michael could become a contender to the U.S. or Intercontinental titles.

Courtesy: WWE

Former U.S. champion Antonio Cesaro seemed to be lost in the shuffle even when he was the champion.  Online reports say writers and fans find him boring.  Honestly, Cesaro is one of my favorites on the roster right now.  Clearly he's one of the best wrestlers in the WWE, but for some reason lacks the flash and piazza that the WWE Universe seems to crave.  I loved his gimmick before when he was the elite unAmerican dominating the competition.  I really thought that was going to lead to something down the road and not just a quick title switch with Kofi Kingston.  Now he seems to be Randy Orton's whipping boy.  Heyman could be that mouth piece, the extra ingredient that the WWE deems essential for success these days.  Better yet, bring up Kassius Ohno and give us a Kings of Wrestling reunion and let Heyman lead the way.

Don't laugh at this one, as I'm serious.  I think it makes sense for Zack Ryder to be a Paul Heyman Guy.  I'll admit I got caught up in the Ryder Mania hype a couple years back.  Heck, I even submitted four different Broski of the Week videos before finally being picked for Episode 22.  Watch my submission here...

Courtesy: WWE

So obviously I'm a fan of Zack's.  Or at least I was.  I think he was a victim of no exposure to over exposure, back to no exposure.  I also think the Jersey Shore, fist pumping gimmick is old and he really needs to evolve as a performer if he's going to survive the long haul.  The unspiked hair is a start.  A heel turn and a merger with Heyman could help take Zack to the "golden ring" and "get him over" like nothing else has before.

I realize the three choices have been guys who have struggled to gain real traction in the WWE.  But that's exactly what Heyman needs in a client and what the WWE needs in terms of cultivating new talent.  Part time guys like Lesnar, Triple H, and the Undertaker were great years ago, but it is truly time for the WWE to develop that next generation of talent and Paul Heyman is the right guy to help lead that charge.

Playing Second Fiddle

Secondary champions
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

With the world watching and waiting for Wrestlemania 29 to unfold, I think many fans have noticed the undercard is more than lacking at the moment.  As of this post, Wrestlemania is 24 days and right now there are only four matches.  The Rock vs. John Cena, Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger, The Undertaker vs. CM Punk, and Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H (we're still awaiting Triple H's official response, but I think we all know he's going to accept).  Rumor has it another match will be announced on SmackDown! and without giving it all away, I can tell you who ISN'T a part of it...

Intercontinental champion Wade Barrett,  United States champion Antonio Cesaro,  tag team champions Tell Hell No, and Divas champion Kaitlyn have yet to be announced for the biggest show of the year.  I'm disappointed by this, but not surprised.  Part of me wonders if they'll all even be a part of Wrestlemania this year.  Let's examine the past few years...

Epico, Primo, & Rosa
Photo courtesy: WWE

Wrestlemania 28:

The tag team titles were defended on the pre-show with Epico and Primo beating the Usos and Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel.

U.S. Champion Santino Marella at least made the show, but the title wasn't defended as he lead a losing team representing Teddy Long against a team representing John Laurinaitis.

The Divas title wasn't defended either, but champion Beth Phoenix was in a tag match with Eve against Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos.

The IC, WWE, and World heavyweight (18 seconds) titles were all defended on the show.

Bryan vs. Sheamus
Photo courtesy: WWE

Wrestlemania 27:

The pre-show match was the U.S. Title match that had been announced as happening on the show, but didn't.  Heck, it really didn't end up being a pre-show match either as Sheamus and Daniel Bryan brawled with the lumberjacks, setting up a battle royal that ended up being won by the Great Khali.

No Divas title match nor did the champion Eve wrestle on the show.  Instead it was Snooki and Trish Stratus (a celebrity and a retired Diva) getting the spotlight.

IC champion Wade Barrett and tag team champions Heath Slater (he held gold!) and Justin Gabriel were in an eight man tag match with Corre member Ezekiel Jackson against Santino, Kane, Big Show, and Kofi Kingston.

Drew McIntyre in MITB
Photo by My 1-2-3 Cents

Wrestlemania 26:

The Miz was the U.S. and tag team champion.  He and the Big Show beat John Morrison and R-Truth.  No U.S. title match though.

The IC champion was Drew McIntyre.  He wrestled in the Money in the Bank match that year.  I can kinda understand that, but I'm have an old school mentality, and would like to see my champions defending their titles on the biggest show of the year.

Maryse was the Divas champ and a part of the 10 Diva tag team match that took Vickie Guerrero to new heights.

You get the picture here.  I know the roster is bigger than it was in the early days of Wrestlemania.  The WWE has also put more focus on the Undertaker's streak and adding guest celebrities to matches than some of their secondary champions.  I understand their desire to get main stream media attention and continue building on the legacy of the Undertaker, but I really wish guys like Cesaro, Barrett, and Bryan would get a chance to shine too. If the Divas title gets defended at 29, it'll be the first time that title has been on the line since Wrestlemania 23.  I know it's early in the planning stages, and in just over three weeks, we'll know who will step on the biggest stage of them all.

Hell in a Cell: Right Decision, Wrong Execution

Ryback stands tall, but Punk wins
Hell in a Cell 2012
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Chad Smart
@chadsmart & @my123cents on Twitter

As I start to type this, WWE’s Hell In A Cell pay per view has been over for about 12 hours.  I debated on writing because I found the show to be the perfect example of why monthly PPVs and themed PPVs shouldn’t exist and I didn’t want to spread more negativity around the My 1-2-3 Cents offices.  With that said, I don’t think HIAC was a bad show. It was just a show that had it not happened, no one would have missed it.

Normally I would start with the things I didn’t like about the show and end with the positives of the show. Unfortunately, I think the negatives outweigh the positives for HIAC so we’re going to start with the good stuff.

Overall the wrestling was good. The problem I had though was there was no match that had me interested in the outcome other than the WWE and World title matches.  With the exception of the Diva’s title, all of the outcomes were fairly predictable. Though I do take exception at Team Rhode Scholars winning by DQ, as I picked Team Hell No in the Rafter’s Radio pick ‘em contest since I didn’t see them losing the tag titles.

Kaitlyn shines in the Divas match
Hell in a Cell 2012
Photo courtesy: WWE

The World Title match between Sheamus and Big Show was the match of the night in my opinion and was a near perfect example of two power wrestlers beating the tar out of each other.  While the match was good, there’s one aspect that has me scratching my head. I’ll get to that in the negatives section.  I also thought the Divas title match was much better than expected.  Eve and Kaitlyn busted out some innovative moves and submission holds. If WWE ever gave the fans a reason to care about the Divas the talent is there for a solid division.  Those two matches and the lack of anything terrible are really the only positives I have for the show.

In addition to the announced matches, in what is becoming a monthly fixture, there were two unadvertised matches on the show. The U.S. Title match between Antonio Cessaro and Justin Gabriel made sense given the events on RAW. The Prime Time Players vs. the ReySins served no purpose other than to put a popular wrestler (Rey Mysterio) on the show.  

Gabriel misses the 450 Splash
Hell in a Cell 2012
Photo courtesy: WWE

Due to these additional matches, which were not short matches, they clocked in at a combined total of 20 minutes not including entrance times; the main event of the show only went 12 minutes.  I’m not saying had those matches not been on the show CM Punk and Ryback would have went longer. But I am hinting at poor time management on the show.

I have not missed Jerry Lawler since he’s been gone. In fact, when I heard his voice in one of the preview packages, I was reminded how irritating his voice is to me. JBL and Jim Ross have done a good job of filling in in the King’s absence along with a toned down Michael Cole. At HIAC though, I wanted to hit the mute button several times.  It sounded as if the three guys had gotten into an argument before the show and were determined not to work together.  Several times one of the commentators would say something and then another would repeat what was said. Then the original speaker would ridicule the repeater for saying what had just been said. If I didn’t know any better, I would also think someone had made a bet with JBL to see how many Notre Dame references and Oklahoma insults he could fit into the broadcast. Maybe it was an off night, or their minds were focused more on Hurricane Sandy. Whatever the reason, the commentary pulled the show down a notch or two.

Big Show beats Sheamus
Hell in a Cell 2012
Photo courtesy: WWE

During the Big Show/Sheamus match, the announcers made mention of Dolph Ziggler guaranteeing cashing in the Money In The Bank briefcase. They showed Dolph backstage watching the match. There were several references to Big Show’s 45-second title reign in December when Daniel Bryan cashed in the MITB case to become champion. After Show won the match, there was no Ziggler. There was no mention of Ziggler cashing in to try and become champion.  Maybe they should bring in Scooby Doo and the Mystery Gang tonight to solve the case of the Missing Zig. Seriously, what happened to Dolph cashing in during the show?

The backstage segments involving Paul Heyman and CM Punk trying to get the match with Ryback cancelled made little sense. First Heyman went to Vickie Guerrero to get the match cancelled and she said no. After a few matches, Heyman was shown going up to Vickie and thanking her for cancelling the match. She said the match was still on and Paul slinked off. Who told Paul the match was cancelled? Why did he go to Vickie a second time when she already said the match was happening?  It’s the little logic gaps or unexplained issues in WWE storytelling that brings down the entire story.

Punk with the kendo stick
Hell in a Cell 2012
Photo courtesy: WWE

Now, the main event, or “how to tell your fans you just wasted fifty dollars.”  Ryback losing was the right call. He’s not ready to be champion and ending the streak is a positive step.  Looking back at Goldberg’s streak, and how The Giant was unstoppable and quickly won the WCW title history will show you the longer one goes undefeated, the bigger and faster the fall is when they eventually lose. When a wrestler gets to the top of the mountain with little resistance it is harder to logically keep them of the perch after they get knocked off the top.  So Ryback losing will, in theory, help make him a bigger star in the long run if used properly.

Punk wins...with some help
Hell in a Cell 2012
Photo courtesy: WWE

That said, the cheating referee angle was not the way to end the unbeaten streak. Granted, it was better than Heyman using a cattle prod. Either because knowing the match wasn’t going to go long due to what time it started, or because the match was more a one sided affair with CM Punk getting in some offense but mostly being on the run for the match, the match just didn’t click with me. Yes, the visual of Ryback delivering the Shell Shock to Punk on top of the Cell will be a visual used in highlight packages for years to come, but the ten minutes preceding that moment weren’t good.

As I said, overall there’s nothing bad on the show and there are worse shows to spend your time watching. On the flip side, there’s nothing on the show that is must see. I’m guessing between the next 4 Raws and Survivor Series; we’ll see at least 90% of rematches from this show.

What did you think of the show?  Weigh in here or like us on Facebook and share your thoughts.

Night of Champions: Live Blog

By Chad Smart
@chadsmart & @my123cents on Twitter

I tried to do live thoughts for Night of Champions but quickly realized my comments weren’t that witty or entertaining. So instead, this is the standard thought on the show after the fact.

First though, I want to address something that was brought up on the 9/13/12 episode of From the Rafter’s Radio. During the PPV prediction segment, Kevin read my predictions on the air since I couldn’t call into the show. True, my predictions were full of snarky comments. Rafter’s Radio Producer, Chris Hagstram brought up how I was really bitter and wondered why I felt that way. I think the line up and build to Night of Champions illustrates my current frustrations with WWE. Before we get into the show let me use the card to show why I have a hard time being positive when talking about WWE.

-- U.S. champion Antonio Cesaro vs. winner of pre-show battle royal for U.S. Title: Before Antonio won the U.S. Title at SummerSlam, he had not had a real feud or storyline in WWE. Since winning the title, the story has been more about Santino Marella’s cobra being attracted to Antonio’s valet Aksana more than having anything to do with Antonio. Now for Antonio’s first PPV title defense, he’s competing against a random opponent that will be determined on the YouTube preshow. I have no problem with using a battle royale to give someone a title shot. Just think the battle royal could have been done on RAW and then WWE could have spent 6 days building to the match. The big question will be who is involved in the battle royal. Will there be some guys who have a believable shot at upsetting Antonio Cesaro and taking home the U.S. Title or will it be guys like Tyson Kidd, Curt Hawkins and Yoshi Tatsu? Not discounting the talent of those guys, but none of them have done anything in the past year to make me interested in seeing them in a title match. While Santino was U.S. Champion, the title was rarely defended and Santino spent most of the time in a feud with a ring announcer. WWE needs to work on adding prestige back to the U.S. title.

-- IC champion The Miz vs. Sin Cara vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes in a four-way match for the Intercontinental Title: I have no major issues with this match. If I wanted to find something to be nitpicky about it would be the possibility of Sin Cara becoming a champion. I don’t feel he’s really connected to the WWE crowds yet. Given his lack of speaking, I am curious if he can really be placed into a meaningful feud. It is good to see him fighting someone on PPV not named Hunico though.

-- WWE tag champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth vs. Daniel Bryan & Kane for the Tag Titles: I get the appeal of Kane and Daniel Bryan being a tag-team. That doesn’t mean I want to see them as wacky tag team champions who don’t get along. The actual tag teams on the WWE roster are teams that can put on good entertaining matches. The Prime Time Players are actually getting over, even without Abraham Washington. Instead of building up the tag division and putting and emphasis behind actual tag teams, WWE is taking the cheap road by putting Kane/Bryan into a title match. Will the tag titles add anything to their teaming? 


-- Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler: As I said on From the Rafter’s Radio, I have never understood the appeal of Orton nor the WWE’s insistence on shoving him down the throats of the fans in order to make him a star. Orton is bland, boring and is lucky to use one of the most popular finishers from the Attitude Era. Given Orton’s behavior behind the scenes and his recent suspension, I don’t understand the continued desire to push him as a top star.

On the flipside, Dolph Ziggler shouldn’t be a future star. He should be a star now. Something in the WWE booking philosophy however dictates that until Dolph can cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase, he must lose the majority of his matches. I understand Daniel Bryan had the same losing streak before becoming champion and once he was champion is when he became popular. Though I tend to believe Bryan’s popularity was more due to the ease of chanting, “YES!” no matter what was happening on the show more than fans clamoring for DB. If WWE has big plans for Dolph and want him to be a successful champion, why not get behind him before he has the title? 



-- Divas champion Layla vs. Kaitlyn for the Divas Title: WWE doesn’t care about women’s matches. Why should I?

-- World Heavyweight champion Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio for the WWE Title: How many times will Sheamus defeat ADR? What has ADR done to make me care about him getting another title shot? Wrestling is a sport where the objective is to beat your opponent. Part of the way that happens is using moves that cause damage to your opponent. What is the logic of banning Sheamus’ Brogue Kick because it can cause damage? 


-- WWE champion C.M. Punk vs. John Cena for the WWE Title: Last year CM Punk defeated John Cena at Money in the Bank and SummerSlam. CM Punk has been WWE Champion for nearly 10 months. In that time he has defeated Dolph Ziggler, Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan, The Big Show and John Cena on pay per views. Yet for some reason CM Punk can’t be considered a great champion until he defeats John Cena in Cena’s hometown.

I have no doubts the match at Night of Champions will be entertaining. I simply don’t like the way CM Punk has to constantly play second fiddle to John Cena. I don’t have a problem with Cena being the face of WWE. What I do have a problem with is Cena constantly getting the main event slot or having his feuds presented as more important than the WWE Champion.

PRESHOW THOUGHTS

Scott Stanford opens the pre-show by saying he’s going to update us on the condition of Jerry Lawler. Than says Michael Cole will update us at the start of Night of Champions.


They’re replaying the Sheamus disposition from RAW. As good as the Anger Management segments were, this was just bad. Sheamus is Jewish-Irish? Really.

Booker T. tells Josh Matthews the Brogue Kick is still banned. Will Sheamus use it while the ref is down, or will he get disqualified for using it out of desperation?

Wow! A package to put over Antonio Cessaro is airing. Why not put this on RAW or Smackdown? If it aired on Smackdown, then I take back my complaint.

The battle royale participants are on their way out. We have Brodus Clay (with both Funkettes), Primo and Epico, Justin Gabriel, Tensai, Tyson Kidd, Michael McGillicutty, Zack Ryder, The Prime Time Players, Jinder Mahal, JTG, Drew McIntyre, Ted Dibiase, Heath Slater, and Santino Marella. Look at that list and see if you can pick the top two guys who actually have a shot of winning the battle royale. For the record I’m picking Brodus or Santino.

Everyone eliminates Heath Slater because they hate Gingers. Ted Dibiase has been eliminated. Brodus eliminates Primo, Jinder Mahal and Epico. Tensai sends Gabriel flying to the outside before tossing Tyson Kidd onto the pile of eliminated stars. Tensai and Brodus have a stare down before doing the two big guys beat each other up spot that’s popular in battle royals. Three people eliminate Brodus. Santino eliminates JTG. Zack Ryder eliminates Drew McIntyre and YouTube freezes. Santino tries to pin Tensai and Darren Young. The Prime Time Players eliminate Santino. Okay, I was wrong. Should have gone with my third choice, Zack Ryder. Ryder eliminates Michael Tarver. Tensai tries to eliminate Ryder and Young but Ryder hangs on to the rope. Ryder then eliminates Tensai to win the battle royal and will challenge Antonio Cessaro tonight for the US title.

Opening video puts over past champions while saying CM Punk doesn’t care about the title. Punk just wants respect.

NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS THOUGHTS

The show opened with the Fatal Four-Way for the IC title. This was a solid if unspectacular opener. I’m a bit disappointed Rey Myseterio and Sin Cara actually faced off at points in the match. If the rumors of them fighting at Wrestlemania are true, I would have teased them fighting only to have Miz or Cody Rhodes attack and stop Rey and Cara from fighting. The Miz picked up the victory after hitting Skull Crushing Finale on Cody. Like I said, decent but nothing to get excited about.

Next up was the Tag Team Title Match. As I predicted (or feared) Daniel Bryan and Kane won the Tag Team Titles. After the match each man was shouting, “I am the Tag Team Champions.” Expect more wacky comedy and burial of real tag teams to get over two guys hugging. Maybe Jeremy Piven can return to promote a Hug It Out match at Hell in a Box. The match itself was solid.

Antonio Cesaro retained the U.S. Title with a pin fall victory over Zack Ryder. It’s amazing how over Zack was a year ago and how nothing really came out of it. He still got several cheers from the crowd but in my opinion, Zack needs to evolve. The character feels dated and because Robbie E. actually gets TV time in TNA, Zack is starting to feel like the rip off. As is the theme of the show, there was nothing terrible with the match but by the time RAW airs on Monday, this match will barely be a memory.

Dolph Ziggler continued his “Looking at the Lights” tour with a loss to Randy Orton. The crowd was really into the match while I was busy playing Song Pop on my phone. I don’t care how many matches Randy Orton wins, I don’t enjoy his matches and when he starts pounding the mat all I hear is Robert Downey Jr. screaming, “Don’t go full retard!” I think I’d rather watch the Submission Squad in a 60 minute Iron Man match then watch a Randy Orton match. If Dolph Ziggler cashes in the MITB briefcase anytime soon, every title match he has will have me thinking he’s a transitional champion.

Jeff Gillooly must have been hanging out backstage as Kaitlyn had her knee attacked while she was warming up. Since Kaitlyn wasn’t able to compete, Booker T. announced Eve would get the Diva’s Title shot. How long until we find out Eve was the one who attacked Kaitlyn? In the surprise of the night, Eve won the Diva’s title. I think the crowd was in a stunned silence throughout most of the match. Either that or they were all out buying their John Cena Rise Above Cancer shirts, as the arena was really quiet.

Sheamus not only defeated Alberto Del Rio for the 20th straight time, he also made Del Rio’s submission hold look like a joke. Del Rio had his arm breaker on Sheamus several times for long periods of time yet Sheamus managed to get out of the hold every time. Before the match Booker T. announced the Brogue Kick was reinstated thus killing any real drama the match could have used. Knowing Sheamus could use the kick meant not having the use of one arm wasn’t going to be that big of a hindrance. Hopefully now Sheamus can move on to a new challenger.

The ending of the John Cena/CM Punk match gives me mixed feelings. On the one hand I don’t want to be THAT guy who complains about a PPV match not having a true finish (even though I am THAT guy who’s doing nothing but being bitter and negative about the show) On the other hand, the ending of the match was very anti-climatic and exposed an issue I have with current wrestling. Before I talk about the finish lets look at the match itself.

As expected the match was very good and both guys had clever reversals for their opponent’s signature moves. I wasn’t crazy about all the “finishing” moves used throughout the matches. I dislike seeing wrestlers kick out of finisher after finisher. It’s one of my biggest pet peeves about Indy wrestling. I am more tolerant of it happening in main event matches than undercard matches, but it should still be something that is used sparingly. I was surprised at the lack of interference by Paul Heyman. Still wondering what his association with Punk is all about.

Now, the finish. John Cena gave CM Punk a German Suplex off the top rope. The referee made the three count and immediately Cena’s music started playing while Justin Roberts announced Cena as the new WWE champion. After Cena grabbed the belt and celebrated for a few minutes, the referee got the belt back from Cena and informed Cena both his and Punk’s shoulders were down for the three count. Justin Roberts then announced the match a draw. Punk hit Cena with the belt laying Cena out in the middle of the ring. Punk and Heyman walked off together as the copyright singled the end of the show.

First, why did the music hit and Justin announce the winner before the referee announced his decision? I get they wanted to get a positive reaction from the crowd. Second, the ending did nothing to advance the story or help CM Punk’s quest for respect. I’m guessing John Cena will come out on RAW and claim Punk didn’t beat him so Punk still isn’t that good. We’ll then get another rematch at Hell in the Cell next month.

Overall, if all you want is three hours of solid wrestling, Night of Champions was a good show. If you wanted results which would signal a change is coming to WWE, Night of Champions wasn’t that show. The WWE creative train keeps chugging along on the same tracks.

I realize this review was very negative. I wish I could look only at the positives and not be so critical. Unfortunately if you only focus on what was good while ignoring the bad it signals you’re willing to accept anything and nothing will change. Not that anyone from WWE is reading this and even if they were I doubt my poor ramblings would cause them to re-evaluate their storytelling.

As long time readers may have noticed (probably haven’t and that’s okay) my output on my123cents has been spotty over the last couple of months. Part of that is due to my work and social schedule keeping me busy. The other part is with WWE not entertaining me, TNA being good but not really having anything I feel like writing about and my Chikara viewing limited to every couple of months, I don’t have a lot to say. I have a few topics I would like to write about but haven’t been able to organize my thoughts. Thankfully Kevin comes up with random topics to write about that don’t focus too heavily on show recaps. He also has some new ideas he’s going to be unveiling in the coming days. Hopefully the output of the blog will still be up to the level you’ve come to expect. Personally, I thank all of you for your continued support.

What did you think of Night of Champions or what do you think about CM Punk’s title reign? Share your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter.

SummerSlam: Live Thoughts

CM Punk vs. Big Show vs. John Cena
SummerSlam 2012
Photo by My 1-2-3 Cents (Chad Smart)

By Chad Smart
@chadsmart & @my123cents on Twitter

SummerSlam has been held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the last four years. Even though I’ve lived in LA for the last five years, I had never gone and watched SummerSlam in person. Honestly, none of the last four line ups had been that impressive in my opinion, and had it not been for the fact I had friends coming into town from Australia who wanted to go, I probably would have skipped this year’s show as well.

On paper none of the top three matches interested me. Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio is a match I’d hoped to never see again. CM Punk vs. John Cena vs. Big Show is a mash up of CM Punk’s last two SummerSlams and I don’t care to see John Cena in the title hunt while Big Show keeps claiming to be indestructible while constantly getting beat. Then you had Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H in the battle of the part-timers. Not a fan of either guy so that match held little interest. However, since I’d never been to a SummerSlam, I went in hoping my low expectations would make for an enjoyable show.

Brock stalks Triple H
SummerSlam 2012
Photo by My1-2-3 Cents (Chad Smart)

Since I didn’t expect much from the show, I think the show exceeded my expectations. Maybe it helped that I was busy trying to keep up with live Tweeting, responding to text messages and taking photos. Being preoccupied helped me to not concentrate that deeply on what was actually happening. Outside of the HHH/Lesnar match, there wasn’t any match I was bored watching. Though, when the main event is the worst match on the show, that doesn’t help in sending the crowd home happy.

There really wasn’t a bad match on the show and I think a lot of the younger/newer talent shows potential. What’s holding WWE back right now is the booking of the talent and seemingly refusal to try something new. That and the continual use of putting a non-title match in the main event slot of the show.

Double submission
SummerSlam 2012
Photo by My 1-2-3 Cents (Chad Smart)

Coming out of SummerSlam, it looks like we’re going to see a lot of continued storylines. Kane was seeking Daniel Bryan in the backstage area after being defeated so that feud will most likely continue. Alberto Del Rio’s foot was on the rope when he was pinned by Sheamus which means Del Rio has a legitimate reason for demanding a rematch. CM Punk and John Cena both had submission moves locked on Big Show when he tapped, then Cena gave Show the Attitude Adjustment after the match had been restarted. CM Punk tossed Cena out of the ring and stole the pin to retain the WWE title. I’m going to go out on a limb and say Cena will come out on Raw and claim he should be champ and a one on one match will be scheduled for Night of Champions between Punk and Cena. The one saving grace is that since the next PPV features all the championships on the line, there’s a 99% chance either the WWE or World Title match will finally be in the main event on a 2012 Pay Per View.

Triple H had his arm re-injured. This should lead to him taking time off while Brock Lesnar goes back on hiatus. If this is the case, then nothing like having the two guys who were in the main event of your biggest show of the summer being off television for the next few months. That would beg the question why they were in the main event if there isn’t going to be any follow up. Though I may be getting ahead of myself.

Dolph taps...
SummerSlam 2012
Photo by My 1-2-3 Cents (Chad Smart)

Dolph Ziggler holds a Money In the Bank briefcase. Instead of building him up as a potential threat to the World Champion, he seems to be on the Daniel Bryan MITB track of losing before cashing in the briefcase. How this is supposed to make him a possible credible title contender, I have no idea.

Will WWE ever realize fans go to the show to see wrestling? Fans don’t want to see a mini-concert. Especially if the artist is someone that isn’t popular the fans aren’t going to be receptive. The Kevin Rudolf performance killed what little energy the fans had generated. Sure it was a simple way to get all the Divas on the show but a Lumberjill match would have accomplished the same and gotten a little bit of a better reaction.

New U.S. champion Antonio Cesaro
SummerSlam 2012
Photo by My 1-2-3 Cents (Chad Smart)

Overall, I’m glad I attended SummerSlam even if I didn’t walk out overly optimistic about the future of WWE programming. It also probably says a lot when the personal highlight was seeing David Arquette in the audience.

What did you think of SummerSlam and the possible direction WWE is heading? Share your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter.

U.S. Title: Damaged Goods?

U.S. Champions through the years
Photos courtesy: WWE.com

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Magnum T.A., Dusty Rhodes, and Harley Race.  They're just a few of the greats to hold the United States championship.  That was back in the NWA and the title was second only to the World Heavyweight championship.  That was a lifetime ago.

Since the WWE has brought back the legendary title, it's been more of a prop in my opinion.  The same could be said about the Intercontinental title, but I do believe the company is trying to restore some of the old glory to that title.  I don't know if it's because it's an old WCW title and Vince McMahon didn't "create it", but it seems like the U.S. means nothing.  But really it seems that most titles in the WWE these days have little to no value.  When a belt gets hot potatoed every few months (or in some cases weeks) it devalues the titles.

I grew up in the era when Hulk Hogan held the world title for four years.  Honky Tonk Man was IC champ for 64 weeks.  Randy Savage had a more than year long world title run.  Since May 2011 (which is 14 months as of this writing) the U.S. title has changed hands five times.  I had no problem with Kofi Kingston or Dolph Ziggler or heck even Jack Swagger's reigns.  It was Zack Ryder's run (please don't hate on me, I love Zack Ryder but he was NOT ready for a major title run when he got it, I mean look at him now) and current champ Santino's run that bother me.  Both of these guys were lower mid card when they won their titles (if even that)  Neither man brought nothing to the title in my view.  And again, I enjoy each as performers and entertainers, but I'm still of the mindset just being over with the fans does not equate a title run.

Cesaro wins! Next champ?
Photo courtesy: WWE.com

Santino's title has been in jeopardy or so I thought a couple of times.  I thought they might go with Alberto Del Rio as the champion when Santino was feuding with Ricardo Rodriguez (a ring announcer in the WWE, keep that in mind)  I'm very encouraged that after the July 27 episode of SmackDown! that Antonio Cesaro scored a non title pinfall win over Santino.  While Antonio is a newcomer to the WWE, he's a very established star in the independent world and if booked properly could bring some of the luster back to the U.S. championship.

Just to recap, I don't dislike Santino at all, I just think putting one of the most prestigious titles in the history of wrestling on his waist is a real waste of gold.  The focus needs to go back in to restoring some integrity to the titles the WWE has, including the tag team titles.  But that's a topic of conversation for another day.

He's Not Kidding

Tyson Kidd

By Kevin Hunsperger 
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

 Tyson Kidd may very well be the most underrated wrestler in the WWE. Colt Cabana used that phrase to describe him on his Art of Wrestling podcast a few months ago. We discussed this on our most recently edition of From the Rafters Radio as well.

 Now that Kidd has earned a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match, he has a chance to shine. I don't think he'll reach the top and secure the briefcase with the guaranteed title shot in it. But I do think he'll put on one heck of a show and hopefully in turn will show the WWE Universe and maybe more importantly, the powers that be, that he deserves a chance.

The Hart Dynasty

 When Kidd arrived in the WWE a few years ago with Natalya Neidhart and David Hart Smith as the Hart Dynasty, I had high expectations. The tandem won the tag team gold and I really thought the dying tag team division was given new life. But alas, not only was their reign a short lived one, the team split up, had a brief feud on WWE Superstars (of all places) and DH Smith was future endeavoured. Since then, Kidd has wrestled primarily on NXT and Superstars (both shows are online). The WWE paired him up with Justin Gabriel and put the two in a dark match for the tag team titles at Wrestlemania. I liked the idea of these two teaming together. They are both risk takers who like to fly. Gabriel got hurt though and Kidd was used as enhancement talent for the likes of Antonio Cesaro and Damien Sandow.

Kidd pins Tensai
Photo from WWE.com

Now, with a pinfall victory over the monster Tensai, Kidd has qualified for the ladder match. I really hope Kidd shines in this match and works his way back on TV and not as someone putting over others. He's got the in ring skills and while this is "sports entertainment" guys like Daniel Bryan and CM Punk have proven that fans do still crave wrestling too. I don't expect Kidd to walk out with the case, but I do think he's capable of stealing the show and taking his rightful spot on Raw and SmackDown!

Holding Out For a Hero

Chris Hero in ROH

By Chad Smart
@chadsmart on Twitter

Rumors circulating around the interwebs are saying WWE has finally signed independent wrestler Chris Hero and he has checked into FCW. Hero’s signing is about a year in the waiting. Last year Hero’s longtime tag team partner Claudio Castagnoli was signed to a contract and all signs pointed to Claudio and Hero, the Kings of Wrestling, coming in as a package deal. Speculation is there were some medical issues that delayed Hero’s signing.

Reports have also said Hero and Claudio will not be used as a tag team and there was never any intention to use them together. While both men have had successful singles careers over the years, both have been Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Champion, it’s their history of being a team that put them on the map in the Indies.

At one point back in 2006, the Kings of Wrestling simultaneously held the Chikara, CZW and Ring of Honor tag team championships. They ended up losing the titles when it looked like Claudio would be heading to the WWE. After Claudio ended up not being signed, for reasons still unknown, the Kings would eventually re-unite and capture tag team gold again.

The Kings of Wrestling

With the current state of WWE’s tag team division, I fail to comprehend the logic of not wanting to bring these guys in together. With Evan Bourne looking like he’s on his way out of the company, there are three steady tag teams in WWE, counting the champions, and one current makeshift team of Santino and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. I would be surprised to see Duggan stick around more than a couple months. So with a fledgling division, why not bring in one of the best teams in recent memory to beef up the ranks?

I would even suggest the Kings debut by helping Daniel Bryan in a match where it appears he may lose his World Title. They could be the Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas to Bryan’s Kurt Angle. With a roster full of singles wrestlers who can’t get a sustained push due to WWE keeping John Cena and Randy Orton on top of the pile, even when they aren’t champions, bringing in two more singles competitors doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Our first Hero sighting at Wrestlemania 26

While I won’t expect to see Claudio or Hero on the main roster until after Wrestlemania at the earliest, I hope they get a chance to show their skills to a bigger audience. They’ve earned it after several successful years in the “minor leagues.” I am disappointed though that this most likely means my streak of running into Chris Hero at the concession stand during Wrestlemania ends at two years.

Would you be more interested in a new tag team or new singles competitors? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page. And remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

New Name, New Game

Claudio Castagnoli

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

Lots of folks online are reporting that Claudio Castagnoli has signed a deal with the WWE.  But he's got a new name.  He'll be known as Antonio Cesaro.  No word on when he'll get into a WWE ring.  According to the reports, Antonio will work with the E's developmental group Florida Championship Wrestling.

I think this is good news.  I have only seen a little of Claudio's work with ROH and Chikara, but I've been impressed.  The end of this match for instance is nothing less than awesome as far as I'm concerned.

The name change doesn't bother me too much I supposed.  WWE tends to do that with guys who they pluck out of the indies.  Colt Cabana was Scotty Goldman, Joe Hennig is Michael McGillicutty, and Matt Sydal is Evan Bourne.  You get the picture.  While it's not something I'm too excited about, it makes sense from a business stand point.

Yep, we met Chris Hero at Wrestlemania, pretty cool!

My hope now is that Cabana and Chris Hero are also brought into the company.  I'm curious to see where the whole CM Punk angle is headed.  It's probably to premature to think that this could be a done deal by Survivor Series next month and we see a team lead by Punk with Cabana, Hero, and Claudio against a team lead by Hunter.  But a guy can dream, can't he.

Anyway, I think this is a positive step, I hope Claudio gets moved to the main roster sooner rather than later and doesn't end up getting lost in the WWE shuffle.  He's got talent, and I hope that's not held against.

What are your thoughts?  Would you like to see the Kings of Wrestling in the WWE?  How will this signing impact the future of ROH and Chikara?  Post here or like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to the YouTube channel.