wrestling / Columns
The Wrestling News Experience: 06.14.10
Monday, June 14th, 2010
From 411Mania’s Canadian offices in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, this is The Wrestling News Experience, with Stephen Randle!
You Watched It, You Can’t Unwatch It!
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Experience. I’m Stephen Randle, and let me just say this: I am so confused. Fortunately, I suspect that I’m not alone. So let’s get right to the wild speculations, shall we?
But first…this!
My Black Friend has your live PPV recap.
– Kurt Angle defeated Kaz (submission, Ankle Lock)
– Douglas Williams defeated Brian Kendrick to retain the TNA X Division title (pinfall, Tornado DDT)
I’m not sure the best build for the X Division is to have Williams face a bunch of guys at random, but then I’m under the assumption that they’re just killing time until either Kaz or Joe focuses on the belt.
– Madison Rayne defeated Roxxi to retain the TNA Knockouts title (pinfall, modified Lungblower)
Is there anyone left to challenge, or like the X title, are we just waiting on Angelina Love?
– Jesse Neal defeated Brother Ray (pinfall, spear)
– Matt Morgan defeated Hernandez (DQ, Hernandez touches a ref)
– Abyss defeated Desmond Wolfe in a Monster’s Ball match (pinfall, Black Hole Slam)
Anyone not see Chelsea turning on Wolfe and siding with Abyss coming? Anyone? I can’t be the only one who thinks Wolfe has lost a lot of the momentum he gained facing Angle when he came in, can I?
– Jay Lethal defeated AJ Styles (pinfall, Northern Lights suplex)
That’s a bit of a shocker right there. Will AJ lose Flair to Kaz now, even though Kaz lost too?
– Jeff Hardy and Ken Anderson defeated Beer Money Inc. (Anderson pinned Roode, Mic Check)
– RVD defeated Sting to retain the TNA World title (pinfall, 5 Star Frog Splash)
From the commentary, seemed like a criminally short match, but maybe they were running short on time. No shock to the finish, Jarrett-Sting is the obvious match they’re building to, I’m curious who will be RVD’s next challenger with Styles apparently on the way down.
Tonight’s Host
Couldn’t We Get The Guy On The Show That Airs Before This One?
Last week, a mostly mediocre show ended with a bang, as the entire first season of NXT rookies stormed the ring during the main event and laid waste to everything in their path, including WWE Champion John Cena and even the ring itself. While only Wade Barrett is technically under contract, the spectre of another assault will loom large tonight, especially for the fallen champion who bore the brunt of the damage.
Meanwhile, Edge continued to hold the upper hand over Randy Orton, one of his opponents in the upcoming Fatal Four-Way match, and assaulted the Legend Killer during their match last week. Will Orton even make it to the PPV this Sunday, and what obstacles will Edge place in his path?
Plus, the feud between the Usos and the Hart Dynasty continues to make waves, as the Harts successfully fought off the Samoan team’s attempt at a sneak attack last week. What will the two teams have in store for each other this time?
All this, and no doubt Vladimir Kozlov will do something comical with Santino, tonight on Raw!
Readers, every once in a while a wrestling storyline grabs your attention and won’t let go. It sets the message boards on fire and has everyone talking like they never have before. A potentially new era of pro wrestling could be on the horizon, and every fan wants to get in on the ground floor.
And then it all goes to hell. Welcome to our newest feature.
We are through the looking glass, people.
Whatever that means.
Yes, after the entire cast of the first season of NXT hit the ring on Monday Night Raw and kicked off what looks to be a major angle for the summer, wrestling fans the world over were excited, and even cautiously optimistic (hey, they have boned us before). This fervour built through last week’s first episode of the second season of NXT, which saw the WWE Pros attack their newly introduced Rookies as a way of “showing them their place”, and even through this week’s FCW show, which saw the angle continue even in WWE’s developmental territory. Excitement was reaching a fever pitch; could they really have hit on the hottest angle that pro wrestling has seen in a long time?
And then came Friday, and a small announcement on WWE.com’s News section:
WWE has come to terms on the release of NXT first season rookie Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) as of today June 11, 2010. We wish Daniel Bryan the best in all future endeavors.
And wrestling fans, collectively, s*** a brick.
Is it real? Is it a work? A conspiracy? What on earth is going on in WWE? And for the first time in a very long time, the Internet doesn’t seem to have any real answers.
After compiling all the news of the weekend, here is what we think we know so far, complete with TWNE-exclusive opinions as to why each may or may not be true.
1. It’s a work. – Clearly WWE is not above working the Internet. Anyone recall when Jeff Hardy was found unconscious in a stairwell before Survivor Series, and WWE.com was right there with the first report? Equally clear is that this angle is set to blur the lines between reality and kayfabe a little, and what better way to incite some more excitement, especially amongst Internet fans, than to “fire” their pet wrestler so he can make a “shocking” appearance on a future Raw (or even on, say, the ROH Internet PPV upcoming)?
Of course, such a work would require everyone in WWE to fall into line behind it, with nobody leaking anything to the usual sources, and the common consensus seems to be that such an undertaking would be nearly impossible. I’m of the opinion that Vince McMahon knows damned well who’s leaking stuff to, say, Dave Meltzer (hell, Meltzer mentioned two prominent employees by name when discussing this story), and if he told them either “If you tell him the truth, you’ll be fired for leaking our big story” or “Here’s a nice bonus, now go lie to the Internet guy”, then they’d do exactly what they were told. Also, the fact of the matter is that as of right now, we, the Internet, know precisely nothing specific about this story. We have non-specific rumours and vague ideas, but nothing concrete has come out of anywhere. And that has to be a first, because 99% of the time, somebody knows something.
2. It’s real. – This leads into what small rumours we have, which involves an outside force with some kind of pull (popular opinion being Mattell, who just signed a big action figure deal with WWE, or Linda McMahon’s doomed Senate campaign) demanding that Bryan be fired as a result of his actions on Monday night, specifically choking Justin Roberts with a tie, which may have led to fears that children would mimick the behaviour (begging the question, how many children are wearing ties these days?), as well as parallels with, who else, Chris Benoit choking his family to death. As an aside to this, apparently the firing was done begrudgingly, with plans being to bring Bryan back in once “the heat dies down”. There was also a hilarious rumour going that Triple H forced Bryan out of WWE because his actions on Raw caused HHH’s children to cry during Raw and he feared for everyone’s children, which is so ludicrous that it only bears mentioning so that we can all mock it together.
Now, for this to be real, it is a massive over-reaction from a company that gives you multiple chances when you get busted for drugs/steroids/etc by company policy. Secondly, the thought that there is an “outside force” so powerful that it could force Vince McMahon, the most arrogant and stubborn man in the world, to fire someone who he actually was reportedly thrilled with is nearly unbelievable, and if true, would suggest that sometime in the last decade, Vince must have lost something important:
Of course, there’s also one more small issue that comes to mind. Someone says “no choking with foreign objects” is an unwritten rule, that’s fine (if suspect, since I can think of several such incidents post-Benoit, most notably the Chris Jericho-JBL feud where they hung each other all over the arena with mic cords), whatever. But vague unwritten policy or not, how can Daniel Bryan be blamed for his actions during a segment which, reportedly, was essentially unscripted and only known to the wrestlers involved? A segment which came off incredibly on TV, reportedly made everyone, including Vince, super pleased with the NXT rookies, and which could, potentially, make WWE a whole lot of bank. Also, even if Justin Roberts is not a trained wrestler (and he’s not), if there were any wrestlers that I would trust to pretend to strangle me with a tie, one of the best technical wrestlers of the last decade would probably be somewhere on that short list. And do you know how hard it actually is to strangle someone with a tie? You do it wrong, the tie falls apart. Not that I’ve tried it, but I have accidentally untied several ties by pulling the wrong end.
So, here we are. And with Daniel Bryan being silent (aside from two cryptic Twitters), and everyone else quieter than the grave on the issue, at this point, the harsh reality seems to be that this most likely is a real and legitimate firing, even if it doesn’t make any sense from an outside perspective.
Of course, then John Cena, who’s apparently been more active and vocal in backstage/Creative discussion lately (including apparently being behind the push of Evan Bourne), had to go on Twitter and say this:
“I am very upset to hear about the release of bryan danielson. Social networks were formed so people would have a voice, and an opinon. I Know you all have your own, theories and whatnot. I respect that. I have never asked any of you to feel a certaint way about me. But Bryan left a lasting impression on the wwe universe in a very short time, and although it came at my expense, I agree with the majority Of you who are caught off guard by this choice. I know I’m not exactly appreciated by all, nor do I care to be, but I believe what I believe. I would like bryan to come back to the wwe. I would like to sign your petition to bring him back. I was taught to stand up for what I beileve in. I tried and failed, so I could Use some help. Tell me how to sign and I will. If for nothing else, to at least have a chance to have a match with him after what was done I know that seems a bit more fair. Give me a chance to have a fair match with him, and give him yet another chance to prove that he does Belong with us. Sorry for the long message, I know I am probally way out of line, I am sorry if I have offended anyone. But like me or not That is what Hustle. Loyalty. And most importantly Respect means to me. Enjoy game 5.”
Must…resist…urge to correct all spelling and grammar. Damn you, Twitter and all text messaging services!
So, anyway, now I don’t know what to believe anymore. I guess I’ll have to watch WWE programming and see what happens.
…
Wait a second…
Dammit, Vince. You win again.
And believe it or not, there was other wrestling-related news this week, as Dixie Carter was once again busy on Twitter, hyping some sort of “nice surprise” for Slammiversary last night (presumably the appearance of Tommy Dreamer), and also another big change related to TNA that she’s not going to tell anyone about just yet. However, in the hours since the initial message, she’s narrowed it down a bit, as it apparently has nothing to do with TNA Creative team changes, or a new owner or TV network deal, although apparently she did meet with the head of Spike TV to discuss whatever it is she’s hiding from everyone.
I assume we’ll find out what it is soon enough, but for now, enjoy how neither major North American wrestling company is actually telling us anything that we want to know. Revel in the instability, the insecurity, the pure lack of concrete knowledge!
Shockingly, former World’s Most Dangerous Man Ken Shamrock announced that he did, in fact, do steroids over his career. I’ll wait for you to get over your shock. That’s long enough. He blames the fans for his steroid use, by the way, so shame on us, I guess.
And some sad news to close us out, as Grizzly Smith, father of Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Sam Houston, and Rockin’ Robin, passed away this weekend, at the age of 78. The condolences of everyone here at the Experience go out to his family and friends.
Inactive List as of 06.07.10
WWE Raw
– Ezekiel Jackson, out 6 months as of April 10th (torn quad)
– John Morrison, day-to-day as of May 16th (ankle)
– Melina, out indefinitely as of January 4th (torn ACL)
WWE SmackDown
– Beth Phoenix, out indefinitely as of May 14th (torn ACL)
– Matt Hardy, out indefinitely as of May 28th (kayfabe, suspension)
– The Undertaker, out 2-3 months as of June 1st (broken orbital)
TNA
– Angelina Love, out 6-8 weeks as of April 20th (torn bicep)
– D’Angelo Dinero, out 3 weeks as of April 20th (separated shoulder)
– Daffney, out 2-3 weeks as of April 20th (bruised sternum)
– Hernandez, out indefinitely as of March 22nd (kayfabe, head injury)
Transactions
– Daniel Bryan, released from his contract
Probably.
– John Morrison, RAW, returned to action on June 7th Raw
– Hernandez, TNA, returned to action on June 10th Impact
– Tommy Dreamer, appeared in the audience at TNA Slammiversary PPV
WWE
WWE Champion: John Cena
– 78 day reign, defeated Batista on March 28th (WrestleMania XXVI PPV)
– Next title defense: vs Randy Orton, Edge, and Sheamus, Fatal Four-Way Match, Fatal 4-Way PPV
World Heavyweight Champion: Jack Swagger
– 73 day reign, defeated Chris Jericho using his Money in the Bank title shot on April 2nd (Smackdown)
– Next title defense: vs Big Show, Rey Mysterio, and CM Punk, Fatal Four-Way Match, Fatal 4-Way PPV
WWE Intercontinental Champion: Kofi Kingston
– 22 day reign, defeated Drew McIntyre on May 23rd (Over the Limit PPV)
WWE United States Champion: R-Truth
– 21 day reign, defeated The Miz on May 24th (Raw) to win the vacant title
WWE Unified Tag Team Champions: The Hart Dynasty
– 49 day reign, defeated ShoMiz on April 26th (Raw)
WWE Women’s Co-Champions: Layla and Michelle McCool
– 31 day reign, defeated Beth Phoenix in a Handicap Match on May 14th (Smackdown)
WWE Divas Champion: Eve Torres
– 63 day reign, defeated Maryse on April 12th (Raw)
TNA
TNA Heavyweight Champion: Rob Van Dam
– 56 day reign, defeated former champion AJ Styles on April 19th (Impact)
TNA Tag Team Champions: The Band
– 32 day reign, defeated Matt Morgan on May 13th (Impact)
TNA X-Division Champion: Douglas Williams
– 29 day reign, defeated Kaz on May 16th (Sacrifice PPV)
TNA Knockouts Champion: Madison Rayne
– 57 day reign, defeated former champion Angelina Love and Tara in a “All Knockouts Belts On The Line” Match on April 18th (Lockdown PPV)
TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions: The Beautiful People
– 98 day reign, defeated Taylor Wilde & Sarita and Tara & Angelina Love on March 8th (Impact) to win the vacant titles
TNA Global Champion: Rob Terry
– 138 day reign, defeated Eric Young on January 27th (UK house show)
If it’s fake, Daniel Bryan is clearly being set up to be a major part of the NXT storyline. If it’s real, Bryan Danielson just became potentially the hottest free agent in professional wrestling. |
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Ended a lacklustre Raw with an angle that has had everyone who is remotely interested in pro wrestling talking for the entire week, something that hasn’t been true in years. The loss of Danielson will hurt potential match quality, but I think we might be a couple weeks of sneak attacks away from that becoming a serious issue. |
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He’s been dominant against the injured Randy Orton for the last two weeks, re-injuring Orton’s shoulder, then getting himself DQ’d last week in an effort to increase the severity. Positioning himself as the likely favourite (if one exists) to separate Cena from the WWE Title. |
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In the last month, he’s defeated CM Punk on PPV, went toe-to-toe with the Undertaker, won a battle royal to qualify for Fatal 4-Way, and defeated the World Heavyweight champion cleanly. He’s not going to win next Sunday, but he’s definitely got momentum. |
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On his crusade for vengeance (and maybe answers, if they don’t interfere with the vengeance), Kane has been unstoppable the last couple of weeks. Maybe they should send him after the NXT rookies. |
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Dominated the #10 ranked (by TNA) Kaz in the start of his challenge to climb the ladder back to the TNA World title, and it was a great match in the bargain. Not that anyone would be shocked by the second part. Angle is clearly a man to beat in TNA |
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With a landslide victory over Chris Jericho on Raw, a big match against Fatal 4-Way opponent CM Punk (which he won, technically), and a guest spot on Royal Pains upcoming (hey, look who’s guest hosting tonight), Show is definitely still in contention on Smackdown. |
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Retained the TNA World title at Slammiversary, against the Icon, Sting, but because the finish wasn’t really in doubt, he doesn’t rank any higher right now. |
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Continues to baffle Drew McIntyre on a weekly basis, plus scored a solid victory over SES member Luke Gallows on Superstars. |
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God, I hate these two women. I guess that’s the point, though. Although Michelle McCool should thank her lucky stars for getting paired with Layla’s charisma and in-ring ability. |
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Merholz has the Wrestling 5 & 1.
Martell has The Triple Threat.
Ari has an all-CHIKARA Column of Honor.
Hubbard has The Contentious Ten.
And the 411 Hall of Fame welcomes the first member of the class of 2010: Mr. Perfect.
411 will have live coverage of Raw tonight starting at 9 pm EDT.
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That’s our show, Small is in probably in tomorrow, I’ll be back next week, and don’t forget to look for me this Tuesday in the Games Zone for Four Player Co-op.
Here it is, your Moment of Buddy.
Buddy Doesn’t Even Have Balls And He Wouldn’t Have Folded Like Vince
What? He’s fixed. Don’t you people listen to Bob Barker?
Have a good one, and always be a fan.
