The Triple Threat Column 08.08.10: 199th Edition

David Martell: Well, as of this writing there are only two matches announced. First we got Raven vs. Tommy Dreamer with Foley as the guest referee. You know, I will give credit to Tommy Dreamer, he can still go when he wants to. He had some of the better matches on WWECW. Dreamer isn’t anything great but he is pretty good and he is capable of giving us a good match. The problem is that his opponent is Raven. What does Raven have to offer now a days? Yeah, I am sure this is just going to be some hardcore match which is Raven’s strong point but that doesn’t mean it is going to be good. Raven and Dreamer do have a history together but in all honestly, it died many years ago. I just can’t seem to care. It might be fun but nothing memorable. There match announced is RVD vs. Jerry Lynn. Reports right now say that Jerry Lynn has backed out due to a back injury so what are the plans for RVD now? Other than maybe a few old school ECW fans, this PPV doesn’t really cater to the average fan. There is only one match announced at this point, nothing that makes me want to buy this PPV. Does anyone remember how December to Dismember was booked? In a very similar fashion and we all know how that turned out. ECW is dead and I just wish that TNA and the WWE would just let it rest in peace.

Jacob San Antonio: I know RVD is going to retain against Lynn, but with a match with an ending that predictable I want to see some serious chaos in and around that ring. If this is the swan song of ECW, then TNA should be prepared for some ridiculous antics throughout the night. I want to see a hardcore match the likes of which the WWE was not willing to give. I think Raven and Dreamer will certainly help with this, since I just can’t imagine Mick Foley refereeing this match without some kind of interference in mind. While I certainly hope we see some more matches on the card, be it a tag match or two or even a battle royale, I just want to see a real hardcore match again. I’m not entirely certain I’d want to pay TNA this much money to see a hardcore match, though. With only two matches on the card it’s a hard sell, even with all the unspoken promises it brings. I’m hoping, seriously hoping here, that this PPV doesn’t disappoint. Hardcore matches from ECW have gone the way of the dodo, so for someone who always appreciated those matches I’ve got my fingers crossed.

Zach Brown: Now this is a difficult card to preview. Sure, it is advertised in traditional ECW fashion by only announcing a few matches and keeping the rest of the card a secret. But it also helps this card to not announce the whole lineup because I think people will be kind of underwhelmed with the card going in if it were fully announced. And even without all the information, I’m still underwhelmed. As for Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven, we all know that Dreamer can still go, but can Raven? Man, knowing how they were in ECW, I never thought I’d write that sentence. But the reality is, Raven has kind of let himself go and doesn’t look like he is in nearly as good a shape as Dreamer, who has wrestled consistently for the last several years. So unfortunately, I think it will be Dreamer who will be pushing the pace of this match. Since these guys are reviving a classic feud and will be going for broke, I think this match will exceed a lot of people’s expectations. And I actually think Tommy Dreamer will pull out the win given how many times he lost to Raven in ECW. RVD vs. Jerry Lynn should be a great match but it’s not the most interesting match because there is literally no threat to RVD’s title reign. To hand Jerry Lynn the world title in 2010 when he is not a member of the regular TNA roster would be ridiculous, plain and simple. As for the card being buyable, I’d have to go with no. Yes, it will be an ECW reunion, and yes it will mean a lot to these guys and hardcore fans of the original ECW. But there isn’t a single match that TNA is putting together that I would consider a must see match. Even if every single match is a showstopper, it has no effect on future episodes of Impact or TNA in general. I would actually almost prefer the ECW guys to feud with the entire TNA roster instead of this because at least there would be some excitement with another ECW invasion. Another ECW invasion would be somewhat tired, but the way they are doing it now, the ECW guys are throwing their own private party for themselves, and it’s just not interesting enough in today’s wrestling world.

Topic # 2 TNA‘s Impact special titled The Whole F‘N Show is this Thursday. What are your thoughts on the card?

David Martell: Now this is the card that should have been on PPV. It is just a shame that the TNA roster is getting overshadowed by ECW guys who want to relive their glory days. The good thing about this is that having a PPV quality show on free TV could bring in new fans. I know I am going to watch this. First off we have the MCMGs vs. Beer Money in a two out of three falls match. This will finish their best out of five series and this is a great way to end on a high note. Their matches have been the best part of Impact this year and you really cant go wrong with a two out of three falls match with these guys. This has potential to be match of the night by a long shot and personally I am going for the Guns here. Jeff Hardy’s open challenge should be interesting. I have no clue who he is going to fighting so that draws me in right there. I am not the biggest fan of Hardy but he can put on a good match from time to time so lets hope his opponent is talented. Matt Morgan vs. Mr. Anderson vs. The Pope is probably going to be the worst match of the night but that doesn’t mean it wont be good. All three of these guys have something to prove. I guess I would have to go with the Pope on this one. Kurt Angle vs. AJ Styles should be great if given the right amount of time. I am really enjoying the storyline with Angle climbing up the rankings ladder. He is looking stronger with every win and it makes me wonder who will be the champ by the time he is the number one contender. By far the best storyline TNA has at this point. Finally we have Abyss vs. RVD for the TNA world title in a Stairway to Janice match. Terrible name for a match but could be fun. I would love for Abyss to win here because his monster gimmick is going over well and I just can’t buy RVD as a world champ. I am sure RVD will win anyway but it should be fun. Overall, this should be a damn good episode of Impact and it will probably be the show to watch this week. If you haven’t checked out TNA yet this would be the show to tune into.

Jacob San Antonio: Well, I’m not looking forward to RVD and Abyss. Nothing against Abyss, but unless he decides to make this a jaw dropping match I don’t see anyone but RVD winning unless Bischoff does the unprecedented and turns heel. Kurt Angle and AJ Styles will be sure to put on a good show, so for the sake of caring more for the match than anything else I’ll say Angle wins just because. I haven’t the slightest idea where Jeff Hardy’s open challenge is going, though the possibility of it being Shane Helms is pretty high. I don’t think Madison Rayne will lose the Knockouts Title unless someone interferes, so I expect her to retain. It’s way too soon for the Machineguns to lose their tag titles, so I don’t think they’re going to lose the best of 5. Finally, I think we’ll see Dinero walk away the winner in his match against Matt Morgan and Anderson. I expect there will be some words and heat between Dinero and Anderson, and we might even see one of those old fashioned post-match brawls. Overall, it’s not a bad card. There’s just a match or two that seems to be way too transparent in setting up for interference. Oh well.

Zach Brown: I think this show will fare much better than Hardcore Justice. I believe this show will actually turn people on to TNA because they will not only be cutting a few of their backstage segments and talking segments (which often drag the show down), but are also putting on a near PPV-quality show for free. If that doesn’t attract new fans, I really don’t know what will. Beer Money vs. MCMG in their best of 5 series is going to tear the house down. Each match has been good so far and I’m positive that this last one will be the best of the five. Pope vs. Morgan vs. Anderson is another one that should be a great match. I just hope Morgan can look good because he just hasn’t been good in or out of the ring recently in my opinion. And what can you really say about Jeff Hardy’s open challenge? There are a couple of interesting possible matches that could come from this. I would be interested in either Shannon Moore, Amazing Red, Desmond Wolfe, or Brian Kendrick challenging Hardy. Just please, not Orlando Jordan. Madison Rayne vs. Angelina Love is the best Knockouts match TNA has right now, so it’s fine by me. As for Kurt Angle vs. AJ Styles, that match will steal the show, no doubt. That’s one of the best matches that TNA can put on, and it should be excellent. And finally, RVD vs. Abyss in a “Stairway to Janice” match. What an idiotic match name. Abyss just needs to lose Janice because it really doesn’t add to his character, and it’s not a weapon that he can use in the ring. The match itself could be good, but definitely not the best match on the card. Overall, this is a very strong effort by TNA, and as long as they nail the execution, this could be the best night of free TV wrestling all year long.

Topic # 3 Dolph Ziggler finally won the Intercontinental Title this past week on Smackdown. How do you feel about this?

David Martell: I guess it is about time. The only surviving member of the spirit squad finally makes his mark in the WWE history books. I think he deserves it. He has vastly improved in the ring over the years, he’s in a decent storyline and he doesn’t really disappoint. This is a good case of a harder worker getting his just due. The one thing that interests me the most about the whole situation is the fact that it seems that Kofi may be turning heel. I mean, I guess he has good reasons to go off on Ziggler since he did basically cheat to win. This feud is definitely not over and I hope they can get a SummerSlam match out of this. Kofi turning heel would be fresh and it would make you wonder if Dolph would end up turning face. All the makings of a good storyline, just have to wait and see what happens.

Jacob San Antonio: I’m still having a hard time believing it. It’s taken him roughly a year, but Ziggler’s finally struck gold. It’s a little irritating it required Vickie Guererro’s help, but like all wrestlers who work with her I won’t be surprised to see that end quickly. I hope Dolph can make a good show with the title, and continues to have good matches along the way. The post-match beatdown from Kofi was a bit of a surprise, but I’m not sure if this is the start of a heel turn for Kofi or just the turning point of the Kofi/Ziggler feud. Either way, there’s interesting things happening around the Intercontinental Title right now, and I’m very relieved to see Dolph at the center of it.

Zach Brown: Thank goodness. Dolph finally got what he’s been after for what seems like forever. Good for him. The match was good, but not as good as it was two weeks ago with Kofi in my honest opinion. And I did not care for the way in which he won the title. Vickie distracted Kofi? Really? After all the chasing that Dolph has done for that title, he deserved a clean win just as an apology. And then the post match beating was beyond unnecessary. Sure, Kofi had a right to be angry, but the post match beatdown was bordering on a heel turn. It made me wonder, can you really turn heel against a heel like that? I don’t know. He’s probably still face, but Dolph deserved to celebrate his victory; not get beaten down in tired fashion. Overall, I hope Dolph has a good title reign. Maybe getting him on the mic for a change will get him some much needed character building. Ziggler is a good wrestler and it’s great to see him get something that he has deserved for a long time now.

Topic # 4 How do you feel about Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin going to RoH on there September 11th show?

David Martell: Now this is interesting. The worlds greatest tag team going against the Kings of Wrestling. Sounds like a movie to me. I hope this isn’t just a one time appearance because RoH would be a great fit for Haas and Benjamin. It is sad to say that both of these guys never really got their chance to shine in the WWE. Both are great wrestlers but neither one of them could cut a decent promo. RoH just makes sense for them. Who wouldn’t want to see them face off against the Kings of Wrestling, the Briscoe Brothers and the American Wolves. Plus it would be smart for RoH to sign them because it could bring in more fans. Yeah, they weren’t the biggest stars in the WWE but they stayed around long enough to be remembered. Kudos to RoH either way, this match is a must see.

Jacob San Antonio: This is pretty great news for Charlie Haas. Sure, Shelton Benjamin can do some great things in RoH as well, but I’ve seen him do great things already. It will be great to see Haas wrestling seriously again. He was one of a few talents that got absolutely no work for what felt like a year (Jamie Noble, too, but…well, we see where that went), and it’ll be refreshing to see him in the ring. I know the two are friends, and I do hope they work together. Maybe work off the natural chemistry and get a tag team going. I’m looking forward to it. It makes me wonder, though: does this mean more or less suicide spots for Benjamin? There’s a pro and con for either side, really.

Zach Brown: I think this is the most logical choice for Shelton and Charlie. I think their wrestling style works much better in a company like ROH rather than TNA. These guys are pure wrestlers, plain and simple. And that is something that I think ROH respects a little more in my opinion. Sure, Benjamin has incredible athleticism, but TNA would exploit that to no end in the X-Division instead of focusing on his awesome wrestling ability. And Haas would have definitely fallen through the cracks in TNA. Hell, with all the bad talkers in ROH, Shelton and Charlie could look like gods on the mic by comparison. ROH is a company where someone who is a great wrestler but a bad talker can make it far in their company. Case in point, Tyler Black is their champ right now. And ROH is actually a company where these two guys could come into their own. But at the same time, the thing I strongly do not like about ROH is that there is hardly any selling of hard hitting moves. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen people like Kevin Steen take something like a powerbomb and then proceed to stand right back up a second later. Haas and Shelton have learned to sell the right way, and it may be a difficult transition to take a devastating move and then continue the match seconds later as if nothing happened. Seriously, watch ROH and watch how they sell. Especially in something like a tag match or a triple threat, there is nearly no selling at all, and it’s frustrating. I’m not saying that Shelton and Charlie can’t hang, it’s just that it’s a different style of wrestling, and I don’t really want to see them conform to that style. OK…rant over. But all in all, ROH is the wiser choice for these two.

Topic # 5 WWEs PPV buyrates have been on the decline. (Fatal 4-Way, Over the Limit, and Extreme Rules) Your thoughts?

David Martell: Well I guess not all gimmick PPVs can bring in the money. Besides Extreme Rules, Over the Limit and Fatal 4-Way brought in no interesting what so ever. Even for those people who enjoy all gimmick PPVs, how is a PPV based off Fatal 4-way matches going to bring people in. There is a reason why Hell in a Cell and Money In the Bank work. Those are matches people want to see. Get rid of Fatal 4-Way and bring in War Games. That is a PPV people can get behind. Extreme Rules is an interesting gimmick but maybe the PG audience just isn’t into “hardcore” wrestling. Over the Limit was awfully booked. That one was no surprise at all. I really think the WWE needs to continue to rethink there PPV ideas. Sometimes you don’t need flashy gimmick matches to bring people in as long as you can give us matches that people are wanting to see. There is nothing wrong with giving away a big match on a small PPV. That is what brings people in. WWE has a lot of work to do.

Jacob San Antonio: Of those three PPVs, only one really interested me and it ended up being mangled by the PG rating. The WWE has not been smart with their PPVs for the past year or so. They refuse to acknowledge that UFC draws fans away, they make ridiculous excuses for horribly booked cards, and of course they continue to book rather badly for the next PPV. It’s pretty telling that out of the past three or four PPVs, the main event was never the part of the show I cared to watch. If the WWE really wants to improve their sales, they need to improve their booking and they need to spice up pretty much every area in their business. The midcard is filled with talent, but we only see one or two people in the running for the US/Intercontinental Title in a matter of two months. Why? The Divas cannot wrestle, with a few exceptions. I’d love to see their matches become something more of a restroom break. The main event is as predictable as they come, and it’s to the point that no one cares about the WWE Title anymore. Simply put, the WWE is putting out a product that hits its stride in every now and then (The MitB PPV wasn’t too bad, I thought) but is better suited for TV than anything else. You can’t expect people to want to pay a ridiculous amount of money for “Rematches and a Tag Match: The PPV” every single month. The Nexus is the hottest angle in the wrestling business alongside the ECW Invasion, and there’s a very good reason why: it’s unexpected, and going in an unknown direction. Take that hint and figure out what’s wrong with your product, WWE.

Zach Brown: Is WWE really surprised? They try so hard to come up with new concepts for PPVs, yet Over the Limit and Fatal Four Way are not fresh at all. Over the Limit has no theme to it whatsoever. It’s just a new name. What’s exciting about it? Oh and that event was crap. Hardly any good matches, Swagger looked weak when he needed to look good, that match ended in DQ, Orton vs. Edge ended in double countout, and the I Quit match was completely predictable if you knew anything about what Batista’s plans were. Who would want to buy it? And who would have been satisfied with it afterwards? It was a sloppy effort by WWE. Not only was there nearly nothing to draw you to the card, there was hardly anything good when it was all said and done. Extreme Rules…meh. The card was slightly better than the others. But all I can say is that it was completely predictable and not nearly extreme enough. And Fatal Four Way? Sure, the match outcomes were unexpected, but that doesn’t get people to buy the PPV. It still boggles my mind that they built a PPV around the match concept of a Fatal Four Way. Oh and everything besides the Fatal Four Way matches themselves were all just filler and didn’t feel important. Even though Evan Bourne vs. Jericho was a highlight of the night, for all intents and purposes, that was a two match show. Overall, WWE shouldn’t be shocked. The mystique of renaming a PPV or coming up with a new match concept is not always a hit. They need to think more outside of the box than naming something Over the Limit and expecting everyone to immediately bust out their cash. Hell, if they bring back any new concept, I think they should bring back King of The Ring. WWE is all about giving their younger guys random title shots or feathers in their cap right now, so why not KOTR?

Our thoughts on Nexus.

David Martell: The Nexus is definitely the hottest storyline of the summer. I actually enjoy the group for the most part. They have been booked pretty well thus far and have looked strong as a unit. The one problem I have with the group is that they don’t look strong as individuals. None of them have won a legit match against any of the top guys in the WWE. If the WWE let Wade Barrett go over Edge, Jericho or Cena, he would look like a main eventer. A win over Mark Henry doesn’t do anything for you. Have Justin Gabriel beat Evan Bourne. That is a match people would want to see and it would make Gabriel look like the superior high flyer. Have Skip Sheffield squash some people. Make them look strong as individuals and they will become even more popular and even more legit. That is the main problem with the Nexus. As a group they are awesome. They are being booked to be unstoppable and that is the right move. I don’t expect them to lose at SummerSlam. I actually expect this to run to Survivor Series because we all know that PPV needs something to make it interesting. The best part about the Nexus is that is WWE’s way of pushing seven young guys at once. For all those people who don’t think the WWE can make new stars just look at the Nexus. Yeah, they cant stand on their own but everyone knows who they are. It will be their responsibility to shine once the whole Nexus thing is over but for right now they all look like stars. They are the main focus of RAW at this point and you really can’t get bigger than that.

Jacob San Antonio: Did you enjoy the NWO but disliked the behind the scenes politics and ego trips? My friends, do I have a stable for you. The Nexus has been a nifty idea executed well enough, with a few slips here and there. Wade Barrett works well as the mouth of the group, and Skip Sheffield has been impressing as the enforcer. Justin Gabriel gets his spot every now and then, Michael Tarver gets to stand around and look intimidating, Darren Young takes his time recreating his image, and everyone gets to ignore David Otunga and Heath Slater in the background. Everybody wins. The group really works well together, and I’ve found it pretty interesting just how they manage to stay together each week. Given how most teams in the WWE usually go (hello Team WWE), I was expecting the Nexus to fall apart only a few weeks into their debut. I do regret there not being more singles matches with the Nexus, as I’d love to see the members get their individual time in the spotlight, but I can be patient until things with Raw and the mystery GM tide over.

Zach Brown: Well I’m glad that WWE has shown that they haven’t completely botched this yet. Back when Nexus was being chased out of the arena by FREAKING SANTINO MARELLA, well…lets just say I didn’t have high hopes at that point. But now, Nexus is looking strong and legit. It really is an interesting storyline, and they are a good stable. Wade Barrett is consistently awesome, and he proves week after week that he is a future World Champion. Surprisingly, someone else who looks awesome in the stable is Skip Sheffield. I never thought I would write that sentence. But he keeps killing bitches every week. And my favorite thing is when he walks up to some random WWE staffer backstage saying, “Huh? What’d you say to me boy? Huh? What?” *Punch*. Downright hilarious. Even Michael Tarver hasn’t been bad lately. Michael Freaking Tarver. You know a stable is working when even Tarver looks legit. I have to say, I have really enjoyed him on the mic lately. Especially when just after their first attack, Tarver took the mic and addressed his kids at home saying, “Daddy is sorry.” Fresh stuff. Darren Young looks good, and his finisher looks cool. Nuff said. And Justin Gabriel hitting that 450 splash never gets old. But two people that I think are blending in are David Otunga and Heath Slater. Heath Slater especially. David Otunga hasn’t had much to say as of late, and he just needs a different finisher because I just don’t care for his spinebuster. For the person that hosted Raw, had arguably the biggest “It” factor, and finished second in NXT, I would expect more from him in Nexus. But Health Slater is far worse. Has he done anything notable in this stable? He is the quintessential Mr. Blend In for Nexus. He does not stand out in any discernible way. Heath needs to think about how he is going to stand out because once Nexus is finished, he needs a way to separate himself from the pack. Overall, Nexus is very entertaining right now, and they always give Raw a feeling of unpredictability and chaos. It’s just good television in my opinion.

That is all for this week. Feel free to comment at the bottom of the page and have a great week in wrestling. CYA!