wrestling / Columns
Thursday Sports Entertainment News Report 06.14.12
New Marina without a doubt…and either you or your old lady is fuckin’ blind.
Posted By: Guest#3701 (Guest) on June 07, 2012 at 12:23 AM
I can reveal that I was in favor of new Marina, while my wife thinks that Old Marina is more attractive. It also gives me great pleasure to say that it was nearly UNANIMOUS – New Marina is the hotter Marina! Yeah! Which makes me think – which are the hottest kids show ladies of all time (live action only)? While I’m no expert, the ones that immediately pop into my mind are new Marina and Xuxa. Anyone else?
OK guys, the wife of Sean here, and just thought that I should point out that the images posted for your voting pleasure show Old Marina in her costume and New Marina’s professional head shot…I suggest that you do a search for the New Marina and see what she looks like in her costume in all her big mouth glory…then tell me who you really think is hotter…
Posted By: The Wife (Guest) on June 08, 2012 at 04:52 PM
This is clearly an imposter, because, as we all know, women can’t read.
But no, this really was my wife posting. While I can understand her argument, I must say in my defense it was hard to find a clear picture of New Marina as she recently replaced Old Marina, and thus there aren’t as many publicity photos of her available in costume. No real headshots, anyway. But still, I knew that Team 411UniverseNationArmy would come through and make the right choice, and indeed they have. Thanks guys!
I didn’t even say a bad word about people with addiction troubles, and even I feel guilty for Kelly’s nonsense.
I think he is just a typical reactionary. Somebody who bases his opinions on guy reactions, rather than thoughtful analysis.
Since Kelly does not have a drug or alcohol problem and it’s not even an issue for him, he assumes Hall just woke up one day and chose to curtail a lucrative career, destroy his family, and slowly kill himself so he could become a slave to pills and booze.
He can’t understand how having a few drinks to relax after work can became a dozen and then 2 dozen and before long your body craves that drink.
He doesn’t get that you could use painkillers for a legit injury, then a few pills becomes a handful and before long, you’re hooked.
I can’t imagine there are many addicts out there who consciously decided to become a addict, but apparently Kelly thinks that is always the case.
Posted By: King Tonga (Guest) on June 07, 2012 at 02:36 PM
I sympathize for people that inadvertently become addicts. Those are the ones who, for example, start taking pain meds for legit reasons, but then need more and more until it spirals out of control. The difference is, I have no sympathy for people who recognize they have a problem and make an insincere effort to fix it. I have no sympathy for people who turn to substance abuse to escape problems rather than deal with them.
Scott Hall has publically stated he has an addiction problem. He’s gone to rehab numerous times but he’s still an addict. The only one who can stop Scott Hall from being an addict is Scott Hall. He has a choice – which is more important to him: his family, career & health, or getting wasted? He’s clearly chosen the latter, and until he chooses the former, I don’t feel bad for him. His family & friends are another story. I feel bad for them, as it’s gut wrenching to watch someone you love fall apart. But if Hall really cared about them, he’d make a serious effort to stop his substance abuse and turn his life around.
What a lot of people apparently forget is that Hall is a grown man capable of making conscious decisions, and those decisions have consequences. How about we stop making excuses for the man and instead demand he summon the will to “conquer his demons” once and for all?
And on that happy note, greetings, folks, and welcome to another edition of Thursday Sports Entertainment! Sit on it!
WORLD (WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT) NEWS TONIGHT
The latest word is that WWE creative is working on a major angle for the summer. They are working on an idea that will be big, similar to the original NEXUS angle in 2010 and the CM Punk angle last summer. It is said that there is a lot of pressure to come up with something, partly because of the low ratings and partly because of the state of the current product.
WWE Creative needs to be under this kind of pressure ALL THE TIME. If they’re only working on a big idea now, then what the hell have they been doing all this time? To keep the product compelling, they need to be thinking of big ideas all the time. I’ve thought of five different, general scenarios that tend to be used when coming up with a big angle. Below, I’ve listed the scenarios, mention some instances where it’s been done before, and speculate on how it could be used for Summer 2012. Note, these aren’t Summer-only angles, but merely generic angles in wrestling that can be used to come up with the next big storyline:
Scenario 1: A major star turns heel
Prior Examples: Hulk Hogan becomes Hollywood Hogan, Bret Hart hates America, The Rock becomes Corporate Champ
Contenders: Cena is the only obvious choice for this. Maybe Punk? They’d have to have a corresponding face ready to take over Cena’s spot, though.
Scenario 2: A new stable forms
Prior Examples: nWo, DX, Evolution, Legacy, Nexus
Contenders: CM Punk leads a stable of excellent technical wrestlers. He can call in friends from the indys, bring up guys from FCW and/or take existing talent like Ziggler or Cody
OR An established veteran like Flair or Michaels hand picks the next generation and grooms them to take over the place
Scenario 3: Midcarder does something drastic to rocket up the card
Prior Examples: Summer of Punk 2011, Nexus dismantles RAW, Rikishi runs over Stone Cold (ok, that one failed)
Contenders: Ziggler, Rhodes, and/or Kofi practically murders HHH, Cena, Johnny or Vince
Scenario 4: Faction A vs Faction B
Prior Examples: Invasion, nWo vs WCW, Team Teddy vs Team Johnny, to a lesser extent
Contenders: A true RAW vs SmackDown war, Dueling authority figures fight for control of the company (Johnny vs HHH or Vince)
Scenario 5: Soap Opera Angle
Prior Examples: Who blew up Vince? Who is Vince’s son?
Contenders: I dunno. Something like “Who’s the father of AJ’s baby?” The crazy possibilities are endless.
Former WCW announcer Mark Madden said on Twitter that WWE is trying to get rid of Randy Orton. Madden posted:
WWE wants to get rid of Orton PERMANENTLY. Character and popularity have plateaued, and he’s a pain to deal with.
When asked by a follower whether Vince McMahon has “stopped liking money,” Madden said:
Vince thinks everybody is a WWE creation, and therefore disposable, to be replaced by another WWE creation. And you’re overrating Orton.
As previously reported, there is said to be a small but vocal group in WWE trying to get Randy Orton fired and while Vince is considering the idea, most believe they will keep him due to roster depth issues. For the first time, employees are openly talking about CM Punk as the second-ranked babyface as opposed to Punk and Orton being on the same level.
ALSO
Randy Orton’s reaction to his Wellness suspension has caught the ire of Vince McMahon. McMahon is said to be furious with Orton, who has been “outspokenly indifferent” to the suspension. A source in the company says Orton was quickly suspended so that he could come back in time for Summerslam, but that something has happened that pissed McMahon off. This has reportedly turned into a discussion of Orton not being brought back at all.
I doubt that WWE is actively trying to get rid of one of the few true main eventers it has left. Madden does have a point that Orton has seemingly plateaued at this point in his career. He’s gone from being a midcarder with a unique “legend killer” gimmick, to a young champion who follows a veteran in Evolution, to the Leader of young champions in Legacy, and now he’s just floating aimlessly. I’m sure that there are some exciting potential storylines out there for young Randal, but they must be few and far between. If I were Vince, I’d use Orton to get over the younger talent in a big way, while giving him an occasional main event match from time to time. I’d never put a belt on him again, though.
And I also suppose that “outspokenly indifferent” could be re-worded as “telling a lot of people he doesn’t care.” The politically correct thing to do in these situations is show remorse and say how you made a mistake and will now live by the Girl Scout law going forward. Truth be told, I don’t blame Orton for being indifferent. He has a ton of money and is probably looking forward to spending two uninterrupted months with his young daughter. Someone of Orton’s stature is probably away from his family nearly 300 days a year, so this suspension will essentially double the amount of time he gets to spend with his kid.
My prediction: Orton will return and will fail another test within the next year, only because he wants to. This will actually be best for all involved. Orton’ll get to witness another year of his daughter’s young, innocent life, Vince will get out of Orton’s big contract, and the fans will get someone new to replace him. After a year passes, Orton can make a surprise return with a clean slate.
According to Pwinsider.com, once WWE heard that Kelly Kelly was looking for projects outside of the company during her time off, there was a push to get her to sign a new deal as soon as possible. Kelly is still under a WWE contract, but had taken time off, due to feeling burnt out. The company feels that she is the most marketable Diva on the roster, and they are willing to spend to lock her into a longer-term deal.
Among the WWE crew there is a feeling of burnout now that everyone is pretty much working every TV taping. With travel, many talents are losing the 1-2 days that they used to have to mentally and physically rest before going back on the road. There is a feeling among some that the Bellas, much like Jeff Hardy years ago, might have started a trend with the women, which would be to get out and take breaks as opposed to continuing the grind of the road.
Sometimes in certain industries, there’s a brain cloud that fogs the minds of the people who live in that exclusive little bubble. Like in Hollywood, everyone thinks that Colin Farrell and Clive Owen are leading men, while the rest of us couldn’t care less about them. Their movies fail, but they keep getting big parts and big paydays. I think there’s a similar brain cloud that permeates the minds of the folks in Stamford, CT, wherein they think that Kelly Kelly is actually worth anything. The woman can’t wrestle and she can’t talk, so why bother keeping her? Because she looks good? There are plenty of good looking women out there who would work for a fraction of what Kelly’s making, and it wouldn’t take much to get them over at the level that Kelly is at now. Plus, her options are limited. At best, she could be a model for print magazines or do something like Dancing with the Stars. So best of luck in your future endeavors, Kelly! You’re sure gonna need it!
Vader posted the following on Twitter, following his appearance on Raw…
Wow what a fantastic night. I want to thank the @WWE from the bottom of my heart. I also want to thank all the fans for the love & Support.
Vader recently dropped 60 pounds, and at age 58, is looking to make an in ring comeback while he still can
Let’s be honest, that big pop that Vader got on Monday was a nostalgia pop. While he looked pretty good in the ring, you could tell that he had some problems, especially if you re-watch him walking up the ring steps before the match even started. There’s no way that Vader would be able to keep that level of audience enthusiasm on a long term basis.
If the big man ever did come back full time, I think his talents would be better utilized as a manager of Big Men. Put Mason Ryan, Brodus Clay, Mike Rotundo’s kid and maybe one more into a stable of unstoppable monsters, all under the tutelage of the Mastodon. That way, he’s on camera, he’s helping out younger stars, and he can wrestle a match every now and again as the story calls for it. What name would you give such a stable?
There is word that Linda McMahon’s Senate campaign in Connecticut could affect both a WWE storyline on tonight’s RAW and the company’s decision to fire talent.
The campaign is currently promoting McMahon as a “job creator”. WWE has been known in the past to do spring cleaning after Wrestlemania and release several talents in a short period of time. It hasn’t happened yet and it may not happen this year, just to avoid bad publicity for McMahon’s political campaign.
There is also word that it may affect tonight’s storyline with John Laurinaitis’ job evaluation from Vince McMahon. McMahon could let Laurinaitis keep his job instead of telling him he’s fired.
While I could understand not actually firing talent at this point in the election cycle, it seems ludicrous that they’d not fake-fire anyone. In fact, I’d fake-fire a lot of people in the hopes that her opponent criticizes her for it. Then she can retort saying that her opponent doesn’t even know the difference between real life and a scripted television series. That, and her husband has been passionately saying “You’re Fired!” for years on camera. So it’s a bit of a good time to be a low-level WWE talent. They now five months to make a name for themselves! Get on it, Tyler Reks!
NO WAY OUT WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN
Pre-Show Match (YouTube): Brodus Clay vs. David Otunga
Will Win: Brodus Clay. Funkasaurus has never lost, although he got his jiggly ass beat by the Big Show prior to the ring bell a few weeks ago. However, his first official loss ain’t gonna be against David Freakin’ Otunga
Should Win: Brodus Clay. Keep the Funkadelic winning streak intact, and end it when it truly matters, not on a YouTube pre-show against Mr. Jennifer Hudson.
IC Title Match: Christian (c) vs. Cody Rhodes
Will Win: Christian. WWE tends to keep the straps on new champions for at least a few months. I also suspect that Cody will be on to bigger and better things in the near future, so he’ll need to leave the midcard belt behind to fully pursue the top championship.
Should Win: Cody Rhodes. I still see him as an IC-level guy, and, absent a big angle to advance him up the card, his best spot is still holding the IC championship. Personally, I think that he should be considered one of the top Intercontinental champions of all time before he starts his inevitable rise to the Main Event. He’s young, he’s got all the time in the world, so why not build him properly?
(Unadvertised) Squash Match: Ryback vs. Nick Tesla, Tommy Edison and Alex G. Bell (aka “The Brain Trust”)
Will Win: Ryback. This match hasn’t been advertised for the show, but Ryback squashes seem to be the go-to distraction for an underdeveloped PPV card these days. Also, the man asked to be fed three opponents this past RAW, so it’s likely he’ll be tossing around a trio of skinny jobbers this Sunday.
Should Win: Ryback’s tummy. He always seems hungry.
(Unadvertised) Diva’s Title Match: Layla (c) vs. Beth Phoenix
Will Win: Layla. This is another unadvertised match, but I feel safe including it as, much like a Ryback squash, there’s typically some Diva action on a WWE PPV. With Beth getting the 1-2-3 on Layla this past Monday, it makes sense that they’d be grappling again. My rationale here is the same for Christian – title holders these days tend to keep the belt for a few months before losing it. Also, there’s no real angle with a payoff here, other than Beth wanting the belt back.
Should Win: Beth Phoenix. She’s a better champion and I like her. That is all.
World Title Match: Sheamus (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Will Win: Sheamus. This was a last minute, thrown together match due to Alberto Del Rio’s injury. Whatever plans they had for the Sheamus/Del Rio feud are on hold, and I doubt that they’d go into full re-write mode to come up with a Championship reign for Ziggler. My guess is that they want to see if Ziggler can hang with the big boys and further establish his main event cred before he gets his own lengthy reign.
Should Win: Dolph Ziggler. Because no one expects it, it’s refreshing, and he’s earned it at this point. Also, having two babyface champions is anti-climatic. If I were WWE, I wouldn’t just let him win and keep him as-is, it would have to be coupled with a re-invention of the character, including giving him a better name.
WWE Title Match: CM Punk (c) vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Kane
Will Win: CM Punk. CM Punk has become the de facto #2 full-time talent on the roster, and he’s likely to keep the championship for a while longer. He’s great at making media appearances with that big belt over his shoulder, and he’ll gain more exposure as champion than as #1 contender. I suspect that Punk will win via screwy means to continue the feud, particularly with the Bryan/Punk/Kane/AJ love quadrangle going on.
Should Win: Daniel Bryan. I want to see this feud continue, and with AJ being thrown into mix, chances are, it will. The best way for this to continue would be to have Bryan win and let Punk be the guy chasing the title. Punk being on top has less edge, while hungry Punk is far more entertaining to watch. Plus, it’d be fun to hear Bryan scream W! W! E! CHAMPION!
Cage Match, John Laurinaitis’ Job on the Line: John Cena vs. Big Show
Will Win: Big Show: Big Johnny ain’t going anywhere. Who’d they replace him with? Cena losing to the guy who took out half the roster won’t make Cena look any worse, and Big Show becomes a credible main event heel with a win over Cena.
Should Win: Big Show: He’s been hyped as an unstoppable monster that can do whatever he wants. To keep that aura about him, he has to win against Cena. Otherwise it’s Brock 2.0, where they build up a huge threat to Cena only to have Cena squash it, undoing months of storylines.
NON-SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT THING OF THE WEEK
I’m a sucker for hidden camera pranks. I also consider myself a fairly religious/spiritual guy with a sense of humor. So, I present to you, Team 411NationUniverseArmy, some hidden camera pranks featuring our favorite Savior, Jesus. Enjoy.
YOU’RE IN FOR A REAL TWEET
And of course, follow all the 411 stuff on Twitter! #spon
http://www.twitter.com/411mania
http://www.twitter.com/411wrestling
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http://www.twitter.com/411games
http://www.twitter.com/411mma
SIGNING OFF
Thanks for making Thursday Sports Entertainment your go-to destination for Wrestling-related news. Join us again next week when we find out the first person Kofi Kingston eats after bath salts are slipped into his coffee. (Card subject to change).
Hasta Jueves,
This is Sean.
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