Well, I'm a week away from stepping into the ring to once again wrestle for Stride Pro Wrestling. Not only the ring but one that will be enclosed by a steel cage. I say again because I first wrestled in 2012. I was a color commentator back then for AAPW. Prior to that match, I had an internal debate about what to do for ring attire. Some six years later, I am struggling again with that same question.
In 2012 I ended up going to Walmart the night before the match and picking up a pair of white track pants. I went with white because I was the babyface in the match and wanted to go for the 'white knight' look. I completed the look with a My 1-2-3 Cents t-shirt and a pair of Nike sneakers I got for Christmas the month before. I didn't look anything like a wrestler but remember I was a commentator, so I think the look worked.
I took a poll on Facebook recently using "Mean" Gene Okerlund's attire from his match, Michael Cole's orange singlet and my gear from 2012. I can't wear that again because of the blood spilled on the white pants. But I could go for a similar look.
If only I could pull this off
The results surprised me as most people picked the tights. I am in no way comfortable wearing tights in the ring for a number of reasons. But other recommendations came along in the form of "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Ric Flair and even Nacho Libre. However, the reality is I will probably go with a pair of track pants and the updated My 1-2-3 Cents t-shirt. However, I will entertain other options. Whatcha thinking? I know Roger Matheus doesn't care as he's kicking my butt from one side of the cage to the other...
Follow my blog with Bloglovin It was great hearing Jim Ross call the main event at WrestleMania 33. It's been way too long since JR has been a part of WWE programming. Ross announced on his podcast, The Ross Report, that he's signed a new two-year deal with the WWE, but will do a few projects with them and continue working with New Japan. But with Mauro Ranallo's recent departure, now is the perfect time to make JR the voice of SmackDown Live. While announce teams may not necessarily make or break the deal when it comes to watching a show, adding JR to any WWE product will get my attention. If the commentary gets too boring/annoying etc. I will mute the TV and just watch the action. That would never be the case with JR, as he is the voice of at least a couple generations of wrestling fans. When he was at WrestleMania it was clear he hadn't missed a beat. It was great having a familiar voice back on the air. The voice of WWE (sorry Michael Cole, I really don't mean any disrespect) is back. It's time to utilize him more.
Hello, wrestling fans, Centy Claus here. I had hoped to be a part of the My 1-2-3 Cents podcast, but I've had a particularly busy holiday season, so Kevin is allowing me to share my list via the blog this year. Here are a few things I would like to give to the men and women of the wrestling world. Kevin Owens: A more solid run as WWE Universal Champion. He's still a secondary thought and living in the shadows of the likes of Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. AJ Styles: Continued success as WWE World Champion. Beating John Cena, Dean Ambrose and finally shutting up James Ellsworth have been big moments for Styles. He has made himself a legit Superstar in the eyes of Centy Claus and the fans of WWE. Neville: A solid run as the WWE Cruiserweight Champion. Like Kevin, Centy Claus is a big fan of the Man That Gravity Forgot.
Charlotte Flair
Courtesy: WWE
Charlotte Flair: No more championship losses on Raw. If Bayley is going to be the next champion, build up to a money match for WrestleMania 33. Listen to the My 1-2-3 Cents podcast Monday. Chad has a great idea for this storyline. Ric Flair: Your 16 title reign record stays intact. Cena is a great Superstar, however, Centy Claus doesn't want that record to be broken anytime soon.
Michael Cole (and WWE writers): More access to the history of WCW. Calling Goldberg "the champion in WCW history" made Centy Claus spit out his egg nog. The elves are still laughing at that comment. If Centy Claus hears that kind of talk again, everyone involved with the segment is getting coal (not Cole) in their stocking.
"Broken" Matt Hardy
Courtesy: WWE
TNA: Success with the new ownership and a better way to monetize what's going on with "Broken" Matt Hardy. Fans are talking about TNA in a positive way for the first time in years. 2017 can be the year for TNA. Chikara Pro: More mainstream exposure. If you're not watching Chikara you're missing out. Check out Chikaratopia and get up to speed. Remember fans if you're leaving out cookies, Centy Claus like chocolate chip the best. Merry Christmas.
If
you follow @my123cents on Twitter you may have noticed I usually do live
tweeting during the first hour of RAW. Since RAW comes on during my last hour
of work, if I’m not busy I’ll watch the show and throw out my thoughts as the
show happens. Most of the time my tweets are full of snark and sarcasm. As I’ve
stated many times over the past month or two here on the blog and on From the
Rafter’s Radio, I find the current WWE product repetitive, uninspiring and
downright lazy.I am hard pressed
to think of one current WWE feud or storyline I’m interested in seeing each
week.
During
the November 12, RAW I was expressing my displeasure with the show as normal. I
mean the show opened with a singles match that Teddy Long turned into a
tag-team match after interference. Such a scenario has become a parody of WWE
booking.I continued to watch
until Jerry Lawler made his return to the broadcast table two months after
suffering an on-air heart attack.After Jerry thanked the fans, CM Punk and Paul Heyman came to the ring.
Punk ran down Jerry and made fun of the heart attack while threatening to beat
Jerry to death. That was my breaking point for the show.
Don’t
get me wrong. I’m not complaining because I found the segment to be in bad
taste. I am probably one of the most politically incorrect people who will
meet. I think society is on a downward spiral because everybody is getting too
sensitive and easily offended over the slightest thing. Case in point, the two
instances where Native Americans complained in the past week because of the new
No Doubt video and one of the Victoria Secret’s models wearing an Indian
headdress on the catwalk. I’m not going to criticize WWE for showing footage of
the paramedics working to revive Jerry Lawler backstage after the heart attack,
or for Punk and Heyman mocking the heart attack. Instead, I’m calling WWE out
for being lazy.
Heymen's "heart attack"
WWE Raw
Photo from WWE.com
Playing
off the heart attack was the cheapest and easiest writing WWE could have done on
the show. I’m not saying they shouldn’t have mentioned it but I am saying the
length they went to with the segment did very little to increase interest in
the show or the Survivor Series pay per view on Sunday. What does CM Punk
verbally assaulting Jerry Lawler have to do with Punk’s match against John Cena
and Ryback on Sunday? Sure, Punk mentioned how long he’s been champion and how
he’s now the ninth longest reigning champion in WWE history, but is that enough
to make fans want to see the match at Survivor Series? Later in the show, John
Cena defeated Punk (with an assist from Ryback). Did that make people call
their local cable company or satellite provider and order the show?
Add
in other parts of RAW like the AJ/John Cena affair storyline that makes very
little sense and has little, if any, chance of a positive outcome. Once again,
Layla and Kaitlyn vied to become the number one contender to the Diva’s
Championship while the other four divas on the roster were nowhere to be found.
Wait, WWE only has 7 wrestling Divas? They only have 7 divas and can only focus
on 2-3 at a time? This is sadder than I thought.Four tag teams did get some airtime, yet none are, as of
this writing, booked on the PPV. I know not every show is going to be a home
run but if this was the best show WWE could do before a pay per view, there is
a lot of work that needs to be done.
The
angle mocking Jerry Lawler’s heart attack may have been in poor taste, but it
was hardly the worst part of the show. There are several areas in the WWE
Universe that need fixing. However, I’m guessing since 50,000 tickets for
Wrestlemania were sold in the first day of sales, Vince McMahon and company
will keep their heads buried in the sand and ignore the falling sky.
Follow
my123cents on Twitter for your daily dose of snark and join the discussions on
the My 123 Cents Facebook page. If you use Tout, um, why? Here are Kevin's thoughts:
It's Tuesday afternoon and I am finally getting a chance to watch the September 10th edition of Monday Night Raw. The latest update from WWE is that Jerry "the King" Lawler remains in stable condition after suffering a heart attack during the live broadcast.
Michael Cole remained calm, cool, and collected throughout the ordeal. My hat is off to him for his strength during the situation. Of course on camera Cole and the King are rivals at the broadcast table and in the ring, but in real life the two are friends. They're a team and have a partnership that has now endured the unthinkable.
I've been a huge critic of Cole's but the way he conducted himself Monday night should be commended. He fought back the emotions to help the viewers at home feel more at ease. No one knew for sure what was happening, as I'm sure Cole was in the same boat, only getting information over his headset.
You never know what's going to happen on live television, especially in the world of wrestling. Thank you Michael Cole for showing strength and courage. Thank you to the other WWE superstars, referees, announcers, and other staff for continuing on with the show. When a friend and colleague goes down in front of your eyes, it's not easy to carry on in front of thousands of fans in attendance and millions more watching at home. And finally, get well soon King. We want to see you back on Raw when you're back on your feet again.
Because of my work schedule, I go to bed around 8:30 pm CST and missed what happened on Raw Monday night. Here is the very latest (as of 2:30 am CST) from the Associated Press wire.
MONTREAL (AP) - Professional wrestling commentator Jerry Lawler collapsed during a World Wrestling Entertainment event on Monday night. A statement from the WWE said that Lawler suffered a heart attack at the announcers' table and was taken from the Bell Centre to a hospital.
Broadcast partner Michael Cole addressed the television audience and said that the situation is "serious," but that Lawler was breathing on his own. "Jerry "The King" Lawler suffered a heart attack while commentating during last night's broadcast of Monday Night Raw in Montreal," the WWE said in its statement. "We are hopeful Jerry makes a full recovery and returns to WWE in the near future. Our thoughts are with Jerry and his family."
Though the 62-year-old Lawler occasionally wrestles, he mainly works on WWE broadcasts as a commentator.
Lawler of course wrestled earlier in the night. We here at My 1-2-3 Cents, From the Rafters Radio, and All American Pro Wrestling pray for a speedy recovery for the King. He was a guest on our radio show a few weeks ago. Also, props to Michael Cole for keeping a cool head during all this. I can't imagine what he had to be going through as well. Pray for Lawler!
This will be the final Mania Memories post. Hope you've enjoyed them, as much as I've enjoyed writing them. Wrestlemania 27 featured a first ever guest host as the Rock helped kick off the event. I'm not sure if that helped or hurt overall though, as it felt more like a Raw than a Wrestlemania. It was just kinda weird.
The best thing about Wrestlemania 27 was the fact that both Edge and the Miz retained their titles. I'm still not convinced about Alberto Del Rio, so to see him go down in defeat made me happy. And I'm a big Miz fan, or Miz-fit, so seeing him walk out champion was great. However, he didn't leave with his head held high, as the mantra with Wrestlemania every year is that the fans go home happy. The heel retained won the main event (I know it's happened before), but thanks to a Rock Bottom by the Great One, the fans quickly forgot that their hero John Cena had been defeated.
Miz retains
I think the Miz's victory, and heck even involvement in Wrestlemania was overshadowed by the Rock's return. The next night on Raw it was announced that Cena and the Rock would be taking on each other at Wrestlemania 28. Talk about letting the wind out of your champion's sails. Plus all the hype before the event featured Rock, Cena, and at times Snooki. The Miz was playing fourth fiddle, but that's how the game is played sometimes. That doesn't mean I have to like it.
Triple H and the Undertaker went at it again, a followup to their match a decade earlier. I know I'm in the minority, but I've never been huge fans of either guy, but I can appreciate what they've done for the world of wrestling. They did put on a great show and took each other past the limit. I tip my hat to them both for getting in their and repeating it inside the Hell in a Cell this year, but I'm still not pumped about this match.
I mentioned Snooki's involvement, yeah she did fine I guess. It was a short term boost, but did it do anything to further the WWE? Not really. It may have lead to the eventual dismissal of John Morrison. I'm of course speculating on all the Internet rumors, so take that for what it's worth.
It's Cole
The rest of the card was just kinda there. Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler (in my opinion) should have never wrestled, or at least at Wrestlemania. However, I'm glad Lawler finally got a match at the big event. Nearly 20 years with the company, I will say that he at least deserved it, I just think it could have been with a better opponent.
So what did you think of 27? Post your comments here or on our Facebook wall.
By Chad Smart
@chadsmart on Twitter All photos come from WWE
I didn’t see the end of RAW on 1/2/2012 because I was disappointed by Chris Jericho’s return so I upheld my long running tradition of not watching the main event if John Cena or Randy Orton are involved. Instead I read a report of the main event and decided to track down the ending of the show and watch it as I was curious how it actually played out.
One of my new year’s resolutions was to complain less when I write about wrestling. Well, like my resolution to take up smoking and drink more, I’ve already broken my resolution.
Cena saves the day
I have no problem with the Kane/John Cena angle even if I don’t understand why Kane and Mark Henry would be teammates in tag match.I have no problem with Kane skipping out on the match only to come up through the ring after the match was over. What I do have a problem with is how ridiculous the announcers sounded and Cena’s reaction to Kane trying to drag Zack Ryder into the hole.To hear Michael Cole talk about Kane dragging Ryder into the abyss you would think we would never see Zack Ryder again. John Cena jumped for his life to reach Zack and pull him out of the hole before loosing his broski to the Big Red Machine.
Here’s a question; why didn’t Cena go under the ring from the sides to get to Kane? Were there too many tables, garbage cans and sledgehammers in the way?Or why not wait until the show was over and help the ring crew take down the ring? Maybe he’d find Zack, Kane and Hornswaggle sitting around playing cards.
I can suspend belief in wrestling. I’ve given up trying to understand why Triple H cups his hand over the end of the sledgehammer when attacking opponents instead of just swinging the hammer like he’s Albert Pujols. Or why Big Show doesn’t just punch out his opponents in the first five seconds of every match since he’s punch his so deadly.But what I don’t like is when the actions are presented in such an over the top manner.
The ring explodes, kinda
Now, had Kane succeeded in dragging Zack Ryder into the hole and the firebomb went off, I could understand Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler being mortified and wondering what happened to the Long Island Lothario. Simply going crazy before Kane was dragging Ryder four feet to the floor is a bit overreaching.
Here’s my plea to wrestling commentators and promoters, please don’t insult the intelligence of your fans. I understand you’re telling a story and at times it’s necessary to go a little overboard. But when you go so far over the top you enter the battlefield of parody, you’ve gone too far. The best stories are rooted in believability.
Okay, with that out of the way, no more nitpicking for at least 24 hours. Share your thoughts and opinions on Facebook and Twitter. Be on the look out for cool My123Cents merchandise in the coming weeks.
Jim Ross is the greatest play by play man in the history of the business. My Christmas wish for him is simple. Stop playing games with him and put him back on the announce team. He's the voice of the WWE, hell of wrestling. Having him dance, rap, and wrestle are just ways to bury him and make him look foolish.
While I know he's in on the act, I still think it sucks to tarnish the image of such an icon. While he may not ever get that spot back on the announce team, I'd love for him to have the opportunity to call Wrestlemania. If nothing else, he needs to be the one calling the Rock vs. John Cena.
JR is a treasure. The Michael Cole character is obnoxious and needs to either lose the heel gimmick as a PBP man or become a heel manager. Personally, I'd prefer the manager role for him. I'm not going to continue to beat this horse, as I've written about it before.
I am beyond disappointed in the outcome of the "Michael Cole Challenge" from the November 14 episode of Monday Night Raw. I figured the whole thing would be gimmicked and a way to make JR look bad, and unfortunately I was right. I know no one from the WWE will actually see this post, but I'm going to vent and share my thoughts and feelings anyway. I hope you'll read all of it and post your thoughts as well.
JR busts a move!
First of all, what is the point of the countless humiliating jabs taken at Jim Ross? The man is a Hall of Famer, but more importantly, JR is a LEGEND. He is the greatest commentary of all time as far as I'm concerned, and he is the voice of a generation. That voice has been silenced by an obnoxious, over the top heel character played by Michael Cole. Seriously, WWE, what are you thinking? Response to this new version of Michael Cole is overwhelmingly negative. I sometimes watch with the TV muted because I do not want to hear the constant bickering between Jerry Lawler and Cole. This hurts your product. Not one time have I ever muted the show while JR and the King were on the announce team.
I believe that the current state of announcers can be attributed to a drop in ratings. I have no proof of this, but who wants to hear the crap spewing from Michael Cole every week. And yes, I get it, he's playing a character, I just can't understand why the WWE would want to create such an annoying figure and run the risk of people not listening to the show or worse, changing the channel.
So here are a few hypothetical questions I have for the WWE creative teams.
If Triple H is the COO of the WWE, shouldn't he have more clout than the Raw General Manager?
The fans clearly love JR, so why wouldn't Teddy Long then hire Ross and replace Cole with him on Friday Night SmackDown!?
I'm just weighing in, Cole's character sucks!
I understand the need for a heel announcer, but why develop such an irritating character who does more to put himself over than the action in the ring?
Maybe there's something bigger here. Maybe JR doesn't want to come back to full time commentary. I just don't like the way they're keeping him off TV. There's no need for the constant fat jokes. For a company that vows to put an end to bullying, there are a lot of characters on that show who seem to be bullies to me.
Put Cole with Brodus Clay, it could work
Now, what would I do with Michael Cole? Glad you asked. I've talked about it before, I'll say it again. Make him a manager. Previously I would have paired him with Jack Swagger, but I like the fact that he's now with Vicki Guerrero. The WWE is touting the return of Brodus Clay. I'd make Cole the official mouthpiece for the big man. The two would work well together. Cole could do the talking, and Clay would be the brawn who bails his manager out of trouble. I'd also turn Mason Ryan back to a heel. I think he'd be better off. The WWE could repackage Michael McGillicutty and David Otunga and turn them into a legitimate tag team. Then they'll kill two birds with one stone and have another tag team to compete and create a new manager.
I know wrestling is a work. But it seriously disappoints me that Michael Cole is now viewed as "the Voice" of the WWE. His heel character on the announce team is over the top and obnoxious. It would be better served as the leader of a heel stable.
By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter Photos are from WWE.com
The Halloween episode of Raw did not disappoint in my opinion as far as the Muppets being a part of the show. I have marked out for the Muppets longer than I have wrestling, so of course this show had my attention. I thought the segments were nicely done. Loved it all. Yeah, I know it was more entertainment than sport, but it was all done in fun. Sometimes you need that. And I think the wrestlers had a good time doing it too. At least it seemed like it from their performances.
Shut this man up...
That being said, the rest of the show had me scratching my head at times. I've heard that the show was going long and that's why they scrapped the Michael Cole Challenge. That was the one thing they kept pushing, and it ended up on the sidelines. So now we'll get at least another week of Cole burying wrestling broadcast legend Jim Ross. I really hope that JR wins this thing and takes Cole out of the announce booth. I've said it before, I'll say it again. Cole would make a great antagonistic manager.
I'm really curious to see where they're going with Zack Ryder. He's pinned Dolph Ziggler several times now, and I really think Dolph is one of the best things going today. I still don't think these recent jobs will hurt him though. I expect Ziggler to win any future title match between the two and go on to feud with Mason Ryan. Then I'd like to see Ziggler win the Royal Rumble. There, I made an early pick for the Rumble. I know that will change in the coming weeks.
Costume battle royal
Didn't Eve just have a title shot against Beth Phoenix? And speaking of the Divas, they need to stop releasing the likes of Maryse, Melina, and Gail Kim. No offense to the girls in that battle royal last night, but it was clear they were in there more for eye candy than anything else (most of them anyway). Kharma, please have a healthy baby and get back as soon as you can.
I'm disappointed to hear about Evan Bourne's suspension. Since I don't know all the details, I'm not going to harp on him. But whatever the case is with Evan, I hope that he takes care of the issue and returns to the ring healthy. I'm not sure yet what to think of the pairing of Wade Barrett and Cody Rhodes. Not sure if this is the start of a new thing, or just a one time shot. Time will tell as they say.
Not a good night for Del Rio
Another Raw, another burial of the champion. Not only did Alberto Del Rio lose his match against the Big Show, but CM Punk came out and made him look like a chump too. Way to make your champion look strong. By the way, why oh why aren't they promoting any 5 on 5 tag team matches at Survivor Series. It was the whole basis of the pay per view 24 years ago. *Sigh*
You can't scare me
The question that everyone seems to be asking, why does John Cena need the Rock as a partner at Survivor Series after he took care of the Miz and R-Truth on his own essentially as Raw ended. Good question. He doesn't. But the WWE needs to do something to lead us to Wrestlemania. The road to Mania always starts at the Survivor Series. It'll be interesting to see what happens. There will likely be a swerve and the heels will get the win, but I'm just guessing. I'll write more in depth on that after the Rock tribute show (which didn't they do that back in May?)
It's not easy being green...
I think I covered most of the things I wanted to. Again, loved the interaction between the superstars and the Muppets, especially with Vicki Guerro, Jack Swagger, Miss Piggy, and Kermit. I also loved the banter between Waldorf and Statler and Cody Rhodes "bagging" Kermit. Classic.
As always, thank you for reading. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to the YouTube channel.
I have a lot on my mind after finally seeing the end of Monday Night Raw from October 24th. I'm shaking my head and doing a lot of wondering. I'm going to jump around here, so please accept my apology for these ramblings.
I'll start with the main event. I thought it was cool booking Zack Ryder to be John Cena's partner against the Miz and R-Truth. The beatdown even made sense. What I don't understand is why Cena then picked the Rock to be his tag team partner at Survivor Series. There are a couple of things that bother me here. First, it was announced WEEKS ago that Cena and the Rock would be teaming up in a traditional five man Survivor Series tag team matchup. So the choice made by Cena had already been announced, and Jake the Snake Roberts circa Wrestlemania 7 could see it coming. (yes, I've used that one before) Why aren't we getting the 5 on 5 match? Maybe we will. I thought the way they were setting it up previously we could have gotten Cena, Rock, CM Punk, Triple H, and maybe Ryder against Miz, Truth, Kevin Nash, Alberto Del Rio, and someone else. Another question about this match, WHY would the Rock want to team with Cena. Of course, he hasn't responded yet, so I guess we'll have to see how this plays out over the next couple of weeks.
Cole disses JR again
Notice how many times Michael Cole brought up Twitter? Geez, not only did he bring it up non-stop, he failed to talk much about the company's website, WWE.com. Joey Styles pointed that out, ironically enough via Twitter. Plus, I HATE the way they are burying Jim Ross. I don't understand the reasoning behind it. The pictures last night were lame and on the surface this just appears to be another way to jab at the broadcasting legend. My gut tells me JR is going to show up in Atlanta and be humiliated one last time before fading into the sunset. It's not right to treat him like that. I don't blame Cole for this, I question the WWE's motives though.
Shane Douglas & Johnny Ace
Punk and Cena both made cracks to John Laurinaitis riding a skateboard. I have to wonder how many fans actually get the jokes. For those who don't, Laurinaitis was a surfer dude/skaterboy babyface in the late 1980's in WCW. He and Shane Douglas were the Dynamic Dudes. I think the WWE should have put up some pics or done a video or something better to explain this. The target audience now was probably either not born yet or just in diapers when this angle was going on in WCW.
Looks like they're setting up Dolph Ziggler to feud with Mason Ryan. I really hope they don't take the U.S. title from Dolph. He is in my opinion the best heel on the show right now. I hate to see John Morrison slide down the ranks. Good for Wade Barrett though. I know you can't have everyone at the top of the pack. Where the heck is Daniel Bryan? He won Money in the Bank, I figured he'd get a little more TV time at least. The Divas match was fine. I just hope this doesn't end with Natalya Neidhart and Beth Phoenix feuding.
Nash bashes his "best" friend (WWE.com)
Speaking of hoping for things to not come true, please keep Stephanie McMahon out of this angle. I have a feeling she's somehow behind all of this. I thought the beatdown of Triple H with the sledgehammer was pretty good actually. But do we really need or want to see a feud from nearly 10 years ago revived? It's a little Impact Wrestlingish in my opinion. One has to wonder though with all the names they're bringing back (Rock, Mick Foley for Raw in three weeks), will Shawn Michaels somehow get involved here too?
Punk beats down ADR
Alberto Del Rio is the champion, but it doesn't feel like it. It's similar to when the Miz held the title. It seems like the focus of the show is still around John Cena. The company needs to start doing a better job of elevating talent and giving them a chance to run with the ball. I'm still not completely sold on ADR, and the lack of effort coming from creative isn't helping.
So many questions, which I guess is good. We can't have everything solved in 120 minutes, or we'd stop watching each week. I'll be curious to see where things go. But if anyone from WWE happens to read this, my main point today is (I have two actually): Bring back the traditional 5 on 5 (or 4 on 4) tag matches at Survivor Series, and secondly LEAVE JR ALONE! Either bring him back and let him do his job or leave him off TV and stop berating him.
Here's my video review too. Your thoughts? Post them here, on Facebook, or Twitter.
I've complained before about the character Michael Cole has developed into. I partly blame him for this, and partly the WWE brass. It was bad before when he and Jerry Lawler were feuding. But the August 1st episode of Raw, he was out of control.
When Jim Ross returned to the show on July 25th, I was certain that Cole would be moved to SmackDown! But that wasn't the case. The constant bickering between Cole, Ross, and Lawler is beyond annoying. There is a way to be a heel announcer and Cole is not doing it right. I don't remember Jessie Ventura and Vince McMahon arguing non stop during Superstars. Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan had their spats, but it was never to this extreme.
courtesy: WWE
Raw and SmackDown! have nearly become unwatchable, or at least unlistenable (not sure if that's a word or not) but you know what I mean. I like the idea still have having Cole become a manager. That way we're exposed to him a lot less. Let the King and JR handle the announcing duties. I could tell during the show Monday night that JR wanted to do his job, but got sidetracked by the obnoxious things coming out of Cole's mouth. Why does management think this is what fans want? I have not heard one person say they enjoy the work of Cole as a heel. Not one.
Besides, I think you can still do a wrestling show without a heel voice. If the team puts over the talent and does it without burying the other guy, then it's mission accomplished. I would argue that the "heel" announcer is usually more of a cheerleader for the bad guys than the "face" announcer is for the good guys.
Okay, that's my rant. I know you've heard it before, but I had to get it off my chest again. Post your thoughts here, on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.
The Kiss My Foot match wasn't the only thing about Sunday night's "Over the Limit" pay per view that left a bad taste in my mouth. Overall, I was very disappointed with the event. I'd say it felt more like a mediocre episode of Raw.
Not one title changed hands, and I'm not really complaining about that. One thing I've talked about before is giving champions some time as the champ. However, I really, really wanted both the Miz and Christian to win. Or at least one of them, and we didn't even get that.
Picture from WWE.com
Admittedly, I did not watch the entire event. With a 2:30 a.m. wakeup call, I watched up until the world title match. From what I've heard about it though, it was the match that stole the show. I'm not sure where they'll go next with this program. Is it over? Will Christian turn heel? Will he ever get a legitimate run as champ? I certainly hope so.
I'm not even going to waste my time commenting on the Cena-Miz match. Let's just leave it at I'm very disappointed with the outcome.
The one feud I think we may be finished with now is the Michael Cole-Jerry Lawler one. At least I hope we are. I felt like these two got way too much airtime for their program. Guys like Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, and John Morrison have been sitting on the sidelines while a Hall of Famer and an announcer "feud" in the ring.
I will admit bringing in Bret Hart last night was an unexpected surprise. It's always good to see the Hitman, in my opinion and to have him twist Cole up like a pretzel is even better. The one thing I can't stand (or understand) is the whole foot in the mouth thing. Looking at that picture makes me gag. I hate feet in the first place. I can't stand looking at them or smelling them, and I can not imagine having one in my mouth like that. Especially after being in a sweaty boot all night. Gross.
Not a whole lot of other surprises on the show. I will say I figured CM Punk and Mason Ryan would beat Kane and the Big Show. Chad suggested Alberto Del Rio would run some kind of interference. I thought it might happen. I did find it funny when Booker T asked if anyone could stop Kane and Big Show. I thought yeah, just last week didn't David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty beat them in a non-title match?
Kharma at Extreme Rules (from WWE)
Probably my biggest question of the night, where was Kharma? She's been coming out for weeks now attacking Divas and last week she had that whole little angle with Kelly Kelly and we got nothing. I'm curious as to why not, and interested in seeing what her future holds with the company. Right now, Kharma is honestly one of the highlights of watching Raw and SmackDown!
I'm curious to know what you thought of the show. Comment here or like us on Facebook and leave your 1-2-3 Cents there.
Another pay per view is on the horizon for WWE. This time, Over the Limit. It features several matches we've already seen on the previous two PPVs, but with some twists. Others we've seen played out on SmackDown! and Raw.
I did some tongue and cheek predictions on my YouTube Channel. Please check that out and be sure to subscribe to it as well. Thanks.
I'll be a bit more focused and serious in the blog though. Let's start with the WWE championship match. John Cena and the Miz are going at it AGAIN, this time in an "I Quit Match." I can't imagine Cena saying those two little words. I almost always have that opinion though with the baby face in the match. I figure that Cena will win this one, even though he really doesn't need the win. But I think they're preparing for some kind of program with he and Alberto Del Rio. A Miz win would be, well awesome, but where would it take the Miz? There's no other faces on Raw that he hasn't already had a run with that would be considered championship worthy. Of course maybe Rey Mysterio. But he's been the champion before, at least if Del Rio is pursuing the title, he's never held it before and it is something somewhat fresh. That's really the only reason I'm picking Cena, because of a lack of challengers for the Miz, especially with John Morrison on the shelf for several weeks.
I think Randy Orton will also end up retaining. Why would they have him drop the World title this quickly after winning it? I'm serious. I know that Christian literally lost it on his first title defense days after winning it. Remember, I'm writing what I THINK will happen, not what I WANT to happen. If it were up to me, Christian would have never lost the title in the first place. But we can't change that fact. I wonder if a heel turn is in order for the former champ. I'd like to see him become a big thorn in Orton's side and get a second, longer reign as World champion. It may happen, but I doubt it will Sunday night.
RTruth's heel turn has been interesting. While he's not as annoying as he was with the "What's up?" yelling, he still gets on my nerves. It seems like he's getting a little bit of a push, and even though he and Rey Mysterio are about the same age, I think he will end up going over Rey and preparing for another battle with Morrison when he returns in the next few weeks.
The Jerry Lawler-Michael Cole feud is like a train accident. As much as you don't want to watch, you do. Lawler deserves better than this, and with the added stipulation of the Hall of Fame ring now in their "Kiss My Foot" match, I feel like this is an angle from TNA. Cole has gotten the upper hand at the last two PPVs, therefore I think the King will end this feud with a much needed win (and ass whipping for Cole.) But then how do these two go back to working with each other on Raw? In my opinion, they shouldn't. You know my thoughts on Cole's future. But I don't know that anyone is listening. (I think he should be a manager)
Mason Ryan and CM Punk are the latest duo thrown together because the WWE forgets they have tag team champions. Will these two have what it takes to beat Kane and the Big Show? I think they do. I actually like the prospect of the Nexus team. But no matter who wins the match, the writers MUST focus on developing a tag team division. No more fly by night contenders, please.
Wade Barrett needs to defend the Intercontinental title against Ezekiel Jackson. Barrett hasn't been champion that long, but he needs it. And they need to start booking him better. A win over Zeke will put him in a better place, but he needs to start scoring wins over bigger names on the roster. Right now both these guys are on midcard island. Barrett has the skills to make a break for the top. Let's do this right guys.
Only six matches have been announced. I figure they'll add one more, maybe a Divas match. Maybe Kofi will defend the U.S. title. Maybe Kharma will finally have her in ring debut.
Thanks for reading. Remember to "like" us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter (@my123cents) and subscribe to the YouTube channel.
