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Shakin' My Head: Shooting the X-Division, Mistico, Morishima in ROH, Hogan's Mania opponent(s), Loser of the Week, plus much more!!
By ZAH
 ...
01-26-07
“Look into my eyes. What do you see?”
Boo-yah, here we go!!
***
Item #1 – ...and that’s a shoot! So here’s the latest rumor on TNA...it appears that somebody in creative has a simply tremendous idea for the X-Division. You ready? Get this...
The booking team wants to create something to make itself stand-out from WWE. The idea at this point? Well, they seem to feel that the X-Division needs yet another shot in the arm. They must feel tired with trying to get all of these guys over so they’ve come up with a concept that they hope will do the trick...judge the matches.
Yes...judge the matches.
The idea is for TNA to have some judges actually sit and watch two performers give us a worked match and then provide actual, real, “shoot” scores based upon their performances. In other words, the winner of the match will be who the judges feel worked the best.
Wow...can you see the problems with this idea?
Just how long could this concept possibly last before the judging becomes pre-determined? Or better yet, how long could this concept possibly last before a match takes place where one worker does his best to look good while making the other look bad just to “win” the match?
Good lord. Why can’t you just set-up some decent storylines with these guys...give some of them managers...and then allow them the time to tell stories in the ring instead of hitting nothing but high-spots? This is where a 2-hour time slot will help TNA more than any other idea. Giving the X-Division time to actually set its feet on the ground will do more than any concept or gimmick or Kevin Nash storyline.
In the meantime, I hope this idea dies a quick and painful death.
***
Item #2 – Mistico? First off, let me just say that I didn’t vote for Mistico as the Observer’s Wrestler of the Year. However, I did have him listed as second behind Edge. Why? Very simply put, I feel that the Observer calls their award the “Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award” because they’re looking for the MVP of professional wrestling for any particular year. It’s not all about in-ring ability (Bryan Danielson won Most Outstanding Wrestler as it’s listed as a different category), rather it’s about the individual’s importance to a company’s overall success during that calendar year.
While I still believe that Edge was far-and-away the MVP of WWE this year (for many, many reasons), I can understand Mistico’s appeal. In-ring, the guy is really nothing more than a spot-fest artist (think Jeff Hardy...only with effort and grace). However, you cannot deny his importance to the unbelievable success that CMLL has had in Mexico over the past year.
Over fifteen consecutive weeks of drawing over 15,000 people in the same arena. John Cena couldn't do that. Batista couldn't do that. Samoa Joe couldn't do that. DX couldn’t do that. Nope...the hottest promotion in the world in 2006 (maybe not on a global scale, but you get my point) was CMLL. Arena Mexico saw record-breaking crowds for months on end...in the same arena! Once Mistico was given time off, though, the crowds plummeted to 4,500. That, folks, is some serious drawing power.
***
Item #3 – Hogan vs. Shane-O-Mac @ Mania? Just when you thought things couldn’t get any weirder in the land of McMahon, out comes this amazing rumor about a possible big-time match to take place in Detroit this year.
It’s no secret that Big Show is in a ton of pain right now. He turned down a $1 million/year contract extension from WWE because he was in so much pain. He walked away from the company without a second thought because he was in so much pain. He’s actually considering turning down a sub-main event match at WrestleMania against Hulk Hogan in what could be Hogan’s retirement match because he is in so much pain.
That, folks, is some hard-ass intense pain right there.
So, as WWE tends to do, the scrambling for a replacement has begun. The original replacement idea was to have the Great Khali be the redwood that Hogan chopped down in front of 70,000+ people...hence, Khali was moved over from ECW (where he was being shipped because he sucked ass on SmackDown) to RAW so he could get some major exposure on the “A” show.
It appears that some smarter heads have prevailed...but only to a point. Now the thought process is that Hogan and Khali would be a horrendously bad match and something needs to be thrown into the mix. So what should you do??
Hehehe...it’s not as simple as that. There’s one more twist.
The current plan, kids, is to have Hulk Hogan be seconded by Donald Trump and for the Great Khali to join Vince McMahon in seconding Shane McMahon in the match.
Yes...this whole McMahon/Trump storyline is going to culminate in a big-time match at WrestleMania featuring Shane McMahon defending his father’s honor taking on Trump’s favorite guy, Hulk Hogan. So now all the pieces to the puzzle finally come together. You can see the light at the end of the Trump/Rosie tunnel...and it actually makes decent sense, storyline-wise.
Keep in mind, though, that this is probably the third or fourth idea that’s been thrown Hogan’s way so anything can happen and it’s all still up in the air. Just know for sure that Hogan will win and his opponent will bump like he’s the second coming of Christ or something.
Is this a good idea? Y’know, I’ve heard worse. I really thought that Big Show/Hogan would be a fitting end to both careers and would mark a nice little end-note to the Hogan/Andre match 20 years ago in Detroit. With Show not able to participate, this doesn’t seem to be the worst possible solution. Having Shane in there actually helps the match even though he’s not even a full-time wrestler. Khali can be easily booked as a monster and even though John Cena can’t beat the guy, there’s no doubt that a 50+ year-old Hulk Hogan sure can.
Can you sense the sarcasm? No? Well...probably because I don’t have a lot to offer here. I don’t see this as a bad idea. I don’t see Hogan winning as a bad thing. I don’t see a better way to use Khali at this point that doesn’t kill other WWE superstars.
So buckle-up...WrestleMania’s gonna be really interesting this year. It might not be good, but it’ll certainly be interesting.
***
Item #4 – Morishima’s comin’ to North America! To anybody who’s never heard of Takeshi Morishima, your time to take note is coming soon. This guy is the future of Japanese wrestling and that’s saying something. He’s being groomed to be the next “big thing” and at over 300 pounds, that’s an apt description.
Basically, this guy is the most agile 300-pounder I’ve ever seen since the glory days of Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy (pre-stroke, of course). While still pretty young (he’s 28), he’s been in the business long enough to have learned from the very best in the world. He’s defeated some of the best in the world like Mitsuharu Misawa (in a tag match), Jun Akiyama, Minoru Suzuki, Naomichi Marufuji, KENTA, Scorpio, Vader, Nigel McGuiness, and many more.
The point is that you will now have the chance to see this guy in person. You will now have the chance to find out what the fuss is all about. How? Ring of Honor, baby! Here’s the current breakdown of Morishima’s first U.S. tour:
February 16th – New York City – Morishima vs. Samoa Joe February 17th – Philadelphia – Morishima vs. Homicide February 23rd – Dayton – Morishima vs. unknown opponent February 24th – Chicago – Morishima & Nigel McGuiness vs. Samoa Joe & Homicide
Kids...if this doesn’t help whet your appetite for actual wrestling instead of sports entertainment, then nothing else ever will. If you live in these areas, I highly suggest you seek out ROH and check out the shows. Trust me...you will thank me when it’s done.
***
Item #5 – Get a room, you two!! Wow...now I think I’ve heard it all. CM Punk apparently now has heat for, get this, “excessively making out with Maria” while on tour with WWE in Iraq.
At this point, I don’t know what to believe anymore. I mean, the guy has more heat than Orlando Jordan at a high school dance. I just don’t understand it. I mean, the guy has heat for being over (thank Arn Anderson for that beautiful suggestion), he’s got heat supposedly for disagreeing with the lay-out of the Extreme Elimination Chamber (out of place, maybe...but still common sense), he’s got heat for not working a WWE-style, he’s got heat because a writer suggested he lose to Bob Holly via heel tactics instead of by clean pinfall, and now he’s got heat for kissing his girlfriend in public.
But y’know what? I don’t know if I believe it all. There’s always a rumor going around each and every week about Punk getting heat for something. Until he ends up like Scotty 2 Hotty, I’m just going to set it all aside and try not to worry about it. Why? Well, at this point there’s no need to worry.
Seriously, Chris Jericho had heat at first in WWE due to his stiff offense and backstage attitude. He ended up with a rather fine run. Triple H had heat for a lot of things back in the 90’s...and whether or not he ended up banging Stephanie McMahon had nothing to do with his original main-event run and he would have been pretty darned successful regardless (maybe not as successful...but still...c’mon...).
CM Punk is small by WWE standards. His offense is bizarre by WWE standards. His wrestling style is different by WWE standards. He’s been in WWE for less than a year...so stop the complaining. He’s doing just fine. He’s not going to get the mega-push that Lashley’s getting...he’s not going to get the mega-push that Khali’s getting. Heck, he’s not even going to get the original push that Carlito got.
I truly believe, though, that Punk is talented enough to whether pretty much any storm backstage politics throw his way. I truly believe he can get over with any audience as a heel or as a babyface. I truly believe that the cream always rises to the top and that Punk will get his shot. In the meantime, he’s still one of the top 3 babyfaces in what’s left of ECW so he’s doing just fine. Everybody needs to chill, I think.
Now the real question becomes this...if given a choice, would Punk choose Maria or WWE?
***
Item #6 – TNA...meet St. Louis. St. Louis...meet TNA. Well, TNA has made one more good decision after making a long-list of bad ones. While the concept of Lockdown (i.e. every match inside of a steel cage) can be limiting and tiring by the time the final two or three matches come on, the idea of moving yet another PPV out of Orlando is a great idea.
Orlando is tired. The crowds are tired. The ideas are tired. The reactions are forced. TNA absolutely needs to start showing the world that their crowds can be hot all over the country and this is a great way to start. They need to show the world that they are not the 2-bit second-rate promotion they are looking like right now.
Congrats, TNA. It’s one step closer to you becoming a legitimate contender...because regardless of what Kurt Angle or the IWC says, you’re not there yet.
***
Item #7 – What?? ZAH is having a contest?? Yep yep.
Y’know, for the past few months I’ve been placing quotes at the top of every column. Well, those quotes are from 80’s hair-metal classics. All you have to do is tell me the song title, the band, the album, and the year it was released. Go back to the beginning of when I started the quotes and send your answers in. I’ll even give you until January 31st to do it.
So far I've got five correct answers so it's still anybody's race!
So what can you win? Great question! I have in my possession a few wrestling DVD’s...you can have your choice of TWO. The DVD’s to choose from are:
Ring of Honor: Vendetta – features Delirious, Nigel McGuinness, Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson vs. Roderick Strong, The Embassy vs. Generation Next, plus much more! Ring of Honor: Main Event Spectacles – features Samoa Joe vs. Steve Corino vs. Christopher Daniels vs. CM Punk, AJ Styles vs. Bryan Danielson, plus much more! Ring of Honor: One Year Anniversary Show – features Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe, CW Anderson vs. CM Punk, Steve Corino vs. Homicide, plus Paul London vs. AJ Styles vs. Low-Ki. Ring of Honor: It All Begins – features Alex Shelley vs. “Spanky” Brian Kendrick, Samoe Joe vs. Nigel McGuiness, Homicide vs. Bryan Danielson, plus Austin Aries vs. Colt Cabana. Pro Wrestling Guerrilla: 2nd Annual PWG Bicentennial Birthday Extravaganza Night One – features Ricky Reyes vs. Petey Williams, Christopher Daniels vs. Chris Sabin, plus AJ Styles, Super Dragon, Human Tornado, plus much more! Pro Wrestling Guerrilla: 2nd Annual PWG Bicentennial Birthday Extravaganza Night Two – features Human Tornado, Super Dragon, Chris Sabin, Petey Williams, and a main event featuring AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. James Gibson.
You can send your answers to ZAH@worldwrestlinginsanity.com. I’ll send the DVD’s anywhere in North America on me and if it’s gotta go overseas...well...we’ll talk.
GOOD LUCK!!
***
Item #8 – Congrats to Dr. Tom. Our very own Dr. Tom Prichard is heading back to WWE as a trainer...the job he was born to do. It’s great for him and great for WWE. Best of luck.
***
Item # 9 – Wait a second...you’ll ignore TNA but go after WSX?? Not a whole lot here other than rumors of WWE going after some of the younger WSX stars simply to kill the promotion before it starts. Who? Well, Teddy Hart is being offered a deal (primarily to assist in the new Hart Foundation idea). Who else? Ruckus and Matt Sydal.
Now, I can understand Hart. But Ruckus and Sydal?? These guys are small by even cruiserweight standards. Sydal is all sizzle and no steak. Ruckus is at least a little bit more substance but not much. Both men are talented but bring little to the WWE table other than high spots...which WWE tends to lean away from.
So why WSX and not TNA? I mean, after turning Monty Brown into an immediate laughing-stock you’d think that people like Christopher Daniels and AJ Styles would be on their hit-list. I guess it really all depends on who is under contract and who isn’t. It’ll be interesting to see in 2007 who WWE goes after and why. I can definitely tell you this...you’ll never see gold around the waist of Sydal or Ruckus any time in 2007 in WWE. I’d be shocked if even the new Hart Foundation win the tag belts in 2007. They’re being hired away from WSX simply because they can...plain and simple.
I, for one, would at least wait until WSX aired a couple of times before jumping the gun but that’s just me.
*** Item # 10 – LOSER OF THE WEEK. Each and every week, I pick somebody (not necessarily always from wrestling) who has either acted in a dumb way, said something stupid, or generally was an idiot in some way, shape, or form. This week was tough. I didn’t really have a whole lot of choices that popped up in my head. Then I watched last week’s TNA Impact and it all became clear. This time ZAH’s Loser of the Week is...
Abyss!!!
Listen, I’ve been a fan of Abyss since I first saw him in TNA. The guy is big, agile, and has turned a Mankind rip-off gimmick into something unique and different and all his own. Hell...he’s now a former NWA champion!!
He’s also about to have reality slap success off his ugly little face. The current storyline with James Mitchell and Sting combine both work and shoot and Abyss losing everything that made him different. How? Well, Mitchell is now calling him ‘stupid’ and taking credit for all of his success...turning him babyface in the process. Not a horrible idea, but where Abyss can’t talk it’s not the smartest, either. Also, Sting is now calling him by his real name on a regular basis. This must be Vince Russo’s idea because he just loves to “shoot” on things. Not only do you have those two things, but you’ve also got the newest storyline where Abyss shot his father and went to jail...hence him turning into the monster you see now.
Okay...raping dead people and burning down houses and burying your father in cement on a live PPV is bad enough. Now TNA is taking away everything that made Abyss awesome and turning him into Kane part 2. It’s ridiculous.
Therefore, it’s with great regret that I must name Abyss on being my Loser of the Week! Here’s to hoping you live to see 2008 in your current incarnation.
***
Item #10 – World Wrestling Insanity Fantasy NASCAR! C'mon and join up now! Group Name: World Wrestling Insanity
We had a smaller group last year so I’d like to see something a little bigger this year. The season doesn’t start until February 18th so you’ve got LOTS of time!
By the way...here are the results thus far in the NHL and NBA fantasy seasons:
NHL
NBA
4. ZAH-Riffic
PLUS, I’m going to show you the top 15 so far in the WWI-WWE Fantasy game league:
We’ve got over 30 people in our league...so a big THANK YOU for joining up. The more the merrier!!
***
Pillar to Post
Each and every week I’ll take three statements that you, the WorldWrestlingInsanity.com readers, have submitted on the hot topics du jour and then get two or three volunteers to give their thoughts and insight. Ladies and gentlemen, this week (and I encourage every reader to throw me an e-mail and volunteer), I was able to find three great World Wrestling Insanity readers in G Hall, willsbigboy, and Aaron Wood!
1. Agree or Disagree
G Hall: Undecided.
After some of the PPV's of late, I don't think even the WWE Creative knows who wins the Rumble yet.
willsbigboy: Both/Neither.
I’m sorta torn on this one as it seems like HBK is going to be Cena’s opponent at WM, although I really feel an Orton/Cena or Edge/Cena or even Orton/Edge/Cena match would be better suited for the title match simply because HBK has been at the top so long that he doesn’t need the title. Between Orton/Edge/Cena you have a champion main eventer and HBK as a main eventer also with or without the title so why narrow your top moneymaker matches down by putting it on someone that’s going to be there anyways? Same thing With Taker (as some rumors are going) but I see the need to have one of them win with "winner gets a shot WM" stip, so I’m going with Taker winning the Rumble and HBK/Cena happening some other way.
Aaron Wood: I'm so very disagreeing with this one.
Not because he shouldn't, but simply because he won't. Put it this way. They've already started to build towards an Undertaker vs. Batista program, but I'll bet my last penny that during the course of it, neither man will be turned heel. That means that they have to find a way of shoe-horning Undertaker into a World Title match without having him doing anything overtly evil on a consistent basis. That's where the Rumble comes in.
2. Agree or Disagree
G Hall: Undecided.
I can't expect to see Trump IN a match. However, a carefully casted Apprentice gimmick involving actual wrestlers (represented by Vince and Donald) could light it up. For example, I'd go with Shane (for Vince) and Foley (for Trump). This would follow previous storylines logically, and potentially bring out a holy-shit moment of the night. I'd rather see new-blood like CM Punk, but the E won't do that.
willsbigboy: Disagree.
The average wrestling fan could give two sh!ts about Donald Trump. They want guys(and girls) that can get in the ring and wrestle, not millionaire a$$holes with bad haircuts who wont do anything to help out by putting anyone over except maybe Vince and why does he need to be put over for again and again? Maybe if he was having a beer drinking contest with Stone Cold then I could see it, but I don’t think that will happen anytime soon.
Aaron Wood: I have to agree, because logic would state that Trump can hardly LOSE Vince PPV buyers.
Unless, of course, Vince does actually go mental over the next few weeks until Trump actually turns up (which could be as late as the middle of March), when people will turn off, but I have a feeling that once they get around to actually making a wrestling angle out of this, be it before Trump shows up or not, the rough of the current times will likely be forgotten, and we could be in for some K-Fed like goodness (a sentence I thought I'd NEVER write...).
3. Agree or Disagree
G Hall: Disagree.
The Observer covers wrestling outside of TNA and WWE. The fact that Mistico is not well-known in mainstream U.S./Canadian wrestling is likely the bias that creates debate. The smarks always buck the top dog. As WWE has deteriorated significantly and TNA's current show has drawn a fair bit of ire from the internet community, is it a shocker that the notoriously elitist wrestling journalists go with the under-appreciated OMG work-rate guy? No. Do you have to care what Dave Meltzer thinks? No. But the Observer has the right to their own opinions too.
willsbigboy: Agree.
While he is probably the biggest thing going in Mexico and they always focus on the in ring work without all the silly storylines and whatnot, I still can’t see someone whose not an WWE and/or TNA star winning such an award simply because they don’t compete here in the States. Is it fair, NO. But that’s the way its always been. There are far superior wrestlers in Mexico and Japan than probably 90% of the talent here in the States, but it just doesn’t seem right to give someone top billings without that person competing in the States on a regular basis. Maybe it’s a Pro-USA/Anti-everyone else thing, I can’t really explain it and I’m sure there are plenty that will disagree with me on it, but that’s the way I feel.
Aaron Wood: This is a tough one, because I simply don't know.
I've seen the guy wrestle what must be all of three matches, and even then, since I know little about the workings of Lucha Libre (basically, all I know is that the technicos are the faces, the rudos are the heels and some, if not most, matches are 2/3 falls). I can't say he doesn't deserve it, but within my own lexicon of knowledge, I can't say it's a merited award either.
***
Great job guys, thanks!! I’m looking forward to seeing who gets to join me as a guest columnist next week.
No problem. Seriously...it’s not a problem at all. It’s a whole new year and my waiting list is sitting at one so NOW is the time for you to participate. Really...RIGHT NOW!! You can let me know either by e-mailing me at Zah@worldwrestlinginsanity.com or hitting me up at ZAH Nation, found in the Insanity Message Board and letting me know that you’d like to participate. Also, don’t forget to stop by my MySpace page and add me.
So until next week…
L8R
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| © 2005-2007 All content contained here Copyright 2006 by James Guttman *** World Wrestling Insanity and ClubWWI are not affiliated with any wrestling promotion. |
