The time is finally here. The final cuts have been made and the rosters have been trimmed down to 53. All of the meaningless preseason games are over and every team has a fresh start and a clean slate. Indeed, NFL kickoff weekend is upon us and the season starts on Thursday night with a great game between the Titans and Steelers. So today I wanted to give a general overview of how I see every division shaking out this year.
NFC East:
My Division Favorite – Eagles by a slight margin
Playoff Contenders – Eagles, Giants, Cowboys
The NFC East is always one of the best divisions in the NFL and it should be no different in 2009. I think it will be a knock down, drag out fight for the division title between the Eagles and Giants this year. Both teams come into this season looking very similar. The Eagles have been built around the defensive side of the ball for years and they have always gotten enough from QB Donovan McNabb (even through injuries) and RB Brian Westbrook to be perennial playoff participants. For whatever reason though, the Eagles just have not been able to get over the hump and a Super Bowl title has eluded them. After last season’s late surge, the Eagles come into 2009 with renewed hopes though. QB Michael Vick was given a 2nd chance by Philadelphia and he should be able to help the Eagles’ offense be more dynamic and unpredictable, but it remains to be seen how much he will help. The Eagles will once again hope that McNabb and Westbrook stay health and that they continue to get development from their receivers. The defense may not be as dominant as it has been, especially with the passing of Jim Johnson in the offseason.
The New York Giants are built the same way as the Eagles. They rely on a stingy defense to shut down other teams and then ask QB Eli Manning to do enough to manage the game while they pound it out on the ground. The problem for the Giants this year is at the WR position. After the sad situation with Plaxico Burress, the Giants have no big playmaker at WR. The loss of Burress clearly hurt the team last year, as Manning struggled to do anything in the passing game. The Giants did not do anything to bring in a dynamic WR this offseason, so those concerns remain. The Giants and Eagles should be battling atop the division and I really think it could go either way depending on how the two games between both teams shake out this year. I give the slight edge to the Eagles, but the Giants could easily walk away with the division title as well.
The Dallas Cowboys are hoping for a turnaround this season after releasing WR Terrell Owens and hopefully improving team chemistry. The problem though is that the Cowboys are really no different than they were last year and they are minus a future Hall of Fame WR. I am not sure Dallas will be able to take a step up and they should remain behind the Eagles and Giants. I think the Cowboys have a shot to battle for a Wild Card spot if they get some luck and bring consistent play to the field. They do have a good defense and QB Tony Romo can be one of the best in the league sometimes. As for the Washington Redskins, I see them as a .500 team and they should not challenge for a playoff spot. They have the talent to look like world beaters some weeks, but then other weeks they will look mediocre at best. I think they will lose enough divisional games to keep them in the bottom of the division.
NFC North:
My Division Favorite – Vikings by a small margin
Playoff Contenders – Vikings, Packers, Bears
Just like the NFC East, the NFC North is always a great division to watch. The games are rough and hard hitting and the division title race always seems to come down to the final week of the season. The addition of QB Brett Favre to the Minnesota Vikings gives them the edge to win the division this year in my opinion. In the past few seasons, the Vikings have been able to build up a really good defense and the drafting of RB Adrian Peterson instantly gave Minnesota a dangerous running game. However, inconsistent play and mistakes from the QB position has held them back. Brett Favre will be able to come in and offer stability to the position. He knows the offense like the back of his hand and I believe he will not have to be a gunslinger this year. If Favre is able to limit mistakes and lean on Peterson and the defense to do some heavy lifting, it should be a recipe for success. An injury to Favre would obviously derail this plan, but right now, Favre should only develop more chemistry with the offense and the Vikings should be in great position.
Behind the Vikings, it should be a great battle between the Packers and Bears. Both of these teams have the potential to sneak up and win the division if the Vikings run into problems and the Favre experiment does not work. The Packers will be driven by how good QB Aaron Rogers will be this year. Rogers is starting to show that he can be an elite level star in the league and he will carry the offense. The question is if he can get solid help from the running game and if he will get big play help from his receivers. The Packers will also need their defense to step up and try to allow Rogers to win games for them. The Bears have no trouble on the defensive side of the ball and now the franchise may have finally found an answer at QB with the acquisition of Jay Cutler. The Bears have relied on defense and a strong running game to win for years, but now they might be able to hurt teams through the passing game. The Bears still lack a weapon at WR though, so Cutler will only be able to do so much and it remains to be seen how quickly things will gel for the offense. I do think that the Packers and Bears both have a shot at contending for the Wild Card spots, and maybe the division, if they catch some breaks. And as for the lowly Detroit Lions, they will still suffer through a horrible season, but I do think they can get 2 or 3 wins this year. Expect growing pains from rookie QB Matthew Stafford, but if he develops, the Lions could finally be on a path to respectability.
NFC South:
My Division Favorite – Falcons by a small margin over the Panthers
Playoff Contenders – Falcons and Panthers
I feel that the balance of power has shifted to the Atlanta Falcons this year and I believe they will overtake the Panthers and win the division this season. QB Matt Ryan will only continue to develop and he has a wealth of weapons in RB Michael Turner, WR Roddy White, and newly acquired TE Tony Gonzalez. The Falcons also sport a pretty good defense and they should have enough to win the division this year. The taste of success, combined with playoff disappointment, should be enough to motivate Atlanta and give them confidence heading into this year. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I just have a feeling that the Panthers will not be as good this season. QB Jake Delhomme is another year older and the Panthers are still one dimensional in the passing game with WR Steve Smith. The Panthers can pound it out on the ground however, and they still have a really good defense, but I just have a hunch they will not be as good this season. They did not look particularly good against the Ravens in the most important preseason game, so maybe that skews my thinking. I do think the Panthers will strongly contend for a Wild Card spot though, but they could be shut out with the wealth of contenders from the NFC East and North.
The New Orleans Saints will be a fun team to watch with QB Drew Brees running their high powered offense, but I think their defense will hold them back and they will fall short of the playoffs again this year. The Saints pretty much rely on their offense to just outscore opponents, and usually that is not the way to go for long term success. One too many off days from the offense will bring about too many losses and I can only see the Saints being around .500 this year. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be bringing up the rear of this division. The Bucs are still fairly solid on defense, but they are far from the dominant unit they used to be. The Buccaneers biggest problem will be an anemic offense though. QB Byron Leftwich is not consistent enough and the team lacks enough weapons to get the job done. Add in a rookie head coach and I see a team that will be mediocre and finish below .500.
NFC West:
My Division Favorite – Cardinals by a decent margin
Playoff Contenders – Cardinals
The NFC West should basically be a one team division this year. The Arizona Cardinals have become the class of the division and they should have no trouble winning it and being the only playoff representative from the division. The loser of the Super Bowl has had trouble qualifying for the playoffs in the next season, but the weakness of the NFC West should prevent that problem for Arizona. QB Kurt Warner returns with his dynamic duo of WRs in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin and the addition of rookie RB Chris Wells will really help the offense be potent. Throw in a solid and improving defense and the Cardinals should have no trouble winning the division.
The 49ers and Seahawks should be battling for 2nd place, but the ceiling for both of those teams should be around .500. Behind Coach Mike Singletary, the 49ers are slowly improving. The have a pretty tough defense, but are still held back by the offense. They will try to pound it out on the ground, but they lack the ability to have balance because the passing game is weak. Rookie WR Michael Crabtree could have really helped QB Shaun Hill, but he decided to be a fool and “diva” and his contract dispute will hurt the team. The Seahawks get a healthy Matt Hasselbeck back at QB, but even with the addition of WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the Seahawks will still be lacking on both offense and defense and they don’t have enough to make a complete turnaround from last year. The St. Louis Rams will most likely be in the basement of the division. Their only bright spot is RB Steven Jackson, but he is not enough to overcome the other problems and it will be a struggle for the Rams as they continue to try and rebuild.
AFC East:
My Division Favorite – Patriots by a solid margin
Playoff Contenders – Patriots and Dolphins
Barring another injury to QB Tom Brady or another bizarre scenario, the Patriots should be back on top of the division this year. It seems as if Brady’s shoulder is fine and the “injury” he suffered will just be a small scare. The Patriots looked great on offense in the preseason and Brady and WR Randy Moss look ready to pick up where they left off before Brady’s knee injury. The defense will be solid as usual for the Patriots and they should have no trouble winning the division. I think the Dolphins are primed to slip this year. They caught many teams by surprise last season, but they will not do so this year. The schedule is much tougher for the Dolphins and Tom Brady is back to 100% for the Patriots. That combination spells trouble and 2nd place for Miami. The Dolphins lack firepower on offense and I don’t think the methodical, no mistake philosophy will be enough. The defense should keep Miami in most every game, but they will come up short in too many. The Dolphins should still have a shot at a Wild Card spot, but the AFC is very tough and I would not be surprised if Miami’s schedule bites them and they miss the playoffs entirely.
The Jets and the Bills will be fighting to stay out of last place in the division. I probably have to give the edge to the Jets to finish 3rd. New Coach Rex Ryan has had first hand experience with a rookie QB, baring witness to QB Joe Flacco last year with the Ravens, so he should be able to support rookie QB Mark Sanchez in New York. I still think though that the Jets will not be able to do enough to make a playoff run. Their defense is solid but certainly not up to the Ravens’ level and they lack weapons on offense to really help Sanchez. The Jets will be solid and have a shot at .500. The Bills will end up being mediocre at best and will finish last. WR Terrell Owens was brought in to try and make the offense more explosive, but he will most likely be keyed on by defenses and he will not make that big of an impact. The offense looked terrible in the preseason and the defense is nowhere near being dominant enough to carry Buffalo. The Bills will struggle and it will be fun to see if Owens blows up this year.
AFC North:
My Division Favorite – Steelers BARELY over the Ravens
Playoff Contenders – Steelers and Ravens
As I have said a few times already, this should be one hell of a fight this season for the AFC North title. I can’t wait to see the two games between the Steelers and Ravens and the result will most likely decide the division. Both teams are built on defense and look to do enough on the offensive side of the ball to win. I am hearing many so-called “experts” say that the Ravens will miss former defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. You mean like the team missed Marvin Lewis when he left? That is a weak argument and I don’t think the people saying this realize how deep the Ravens are on defense. The Steelers still have an edge when comparing offenses however. QB Ben Roethlisberger has proven himself time and again as a star and he has a solid running game and WR Hines Ward to back him up. Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco is continuing to improve and develop though, and he looks to be better this year already compared to last season. The Ravens still have a good running game with RB Ray Rice improving and RB Willis McGahee now being the 2nd back to help spell him. Again, the Ravens could be held back because they have no game breaking WR, but Derrick Mason is as solid as they come and the Ravens have worked on getting Flacco to spread the ball around. Based on experience and a slight talent edge, I have to give the Steelers the edge to win the division. I think they find a way to be 1 game better than the Ravens, but I would not be surprised at all if Baltimore wins it because they have looked great in the preseason. No matter how it shakes out, both teams will make the playoffs.
The Browns and the Bengals will be fighting to finish in 3rd place, but it seems as though the Bengals have a solid edge over the Browns. Both of these teams have come into the past few seasons with hopes and promise and they somehow find a way to disappoint. The Browns are trying to rebuild around QB Brady Quinn (or QB Derek Anderson…who the hell knows with Mangini) and the Bengals are hoping a healthy QB Carson Palmer will bring more success this year. I do believe a full, healthy year from Palmer can bring more wins to Cincinnati, but I don’t think they have enough to make any sort of playoff run, even though a few misguided “experts” seem to think so. Clearly, the Ravens and Steelers are much better than the Browns and Bengals, so either team will be lucky to get a sniff at .500 this year. I expect the Browns to fall away though and be pretty bad while the Bengals should be able to hang in there. Make no mistake, the Browns and Bengals will still compete in every game, but they just do not have enough to get things done and they are looking at sub par seasons.
AFC South:
My Division Favorite – Titans by a small margin over the Colts
Playoff Contenders – Titans and Colts
The winds of change are slowly sweeping into the AFC South and the division now seems to belong to the Titans for the time being. Tennessee features a tough hitting and solid defense and a great running game. They are built just like the Steelers and Ravens and that is a good recipe for success. QB Kerry Collins remains the starter for the Titans and he will effectively manage the game and provide Tennessee with a lot of wins and a division title, building off of last year’s great regular season campaign. The Titans’ biggest challenge will come from the Indianapolis Colts, but the Colts are slowly starting to slip from dominance. The window is slowly closing on QB Peyton Manning. Coach Tony Dungy and WR Marvin Harrison are gone and the offense is not as explosive as it once was, but they do have young talent in place. The sheer greatness of Manning though will keep the Colts dangerous on offense and he will get the job done. The defensive unit in Indianapolis is still pretty good and I believe the Colts will be able to do enough to sneak into the playoffs. The AFC is going to be a slugfest this year, so I would not be shocked if Indy caught some bad breaks and not even made the playoffs. But then again, they could get hot and win the division outright. It should be a great battle.
The Houston Texans are starting to improve and there is talk that they could make a playoff run this year. I just do not see that happening. The Texans have many weapons on offense and success will hinge on whether or not QB Matt Schaub can stay healthy. He has already looked a bit shaky in the preseason, so I don’t know if that will happen. The Texans are held back by their defense. Mario Williams has developed into a dominating pass rusher and he is starting to justify his #1 overall draft pick status, but he needs more help. The secondary in Houston is extremely soft and I think these problems will be too much for Houston to expect a playoff berth this year. The Jacksonville Jaguars will most likely fall away and finish last in the division. I just do not see them having enough offense to contend and their defense is certainly not one of the tops in the league. Coach Jack Del Rio will have the Jags ready to play each week, but they do not have enough talent to be an elite team.
AFC West:
My Division Favorite – Chargers by a wide margin
Playoff Contenders – Chargers
Just like the NFC West, the AFC’s western division is a one team race. The Chargers should clearly be head and shoulders above the rest and they are a potential Super Bowl contender. The Chargers have an explosive offense and are good enough on defensive to get to double digit wins and win the division handily. Their top competition should come from the Denver Broncos, but there is so much turmoil in Denver that I don’t know how much of a challenge they can provide. Coach Josh McDaniels is trying to install a new system and get the team on board with it and he has had to already deal with the Jay Cutler situation and problem child WR Brandon Marshall. I am not convinced that QB Kyle Orton is the answer and the Broncos continue to have problems keeping a RB healthy. The defense has slipped in recent years and I only foresee a mediocre season at best. The Chiefs and the Raiders will be in the basement of the AFC West and they both have a long way to go to even reach respectability. I think this is the year that the Chargers finally avoid a slow start and they should beat up on their division rivals easily.
The Game’s Quick Hits
ECW Recap: ECW continues to be a fairly entertaining hour of television when the WWE allows the focus to be on in-ring action. I was pleased to see that tonight and glad the no-talent Abraham Washington did not grace my screen. The night started with a match between The Hurricane and Paul Burchill. These two have had a nice little feud going and even though there is nothing ground breaking here and it is only mid-card filler, they produced a pretty good match. I was pleased to see both wrestlers focus on their strengths and show a nice contrast. The Hurricane tried to use his speed and quickness, while Burchill relied on his strength advantage and tried to wear Hurricane down with power moves. The pace was good and the crowd was supportive of Hurricane and into the match. In the end, Hurricane won with an Eye of the Hurricane after Paul ran into Katie Lea on the ring apron. This was a solid effort all around and much appreciated. These types of matches need to happen more on Raw instead of stuff like the Hornswoggle garbage. It also seems as though Shelton Benjamin and Sheamus are headed toward a feud after an altercation they had following a tag team victory over Goldust and Yoshi Tatsu. I still believe Benjamin should be going after the ECW Championship or moved to Raw or Smackdown and challenge for one of the secondary titles. He can put on some great matches when given the chance. Let’s hope that he can produce some good things with Sheamus. I am still on the fence about the “Celtic Warrior”, but he is definitely the best of the “New Talent Initiative” wrestlers.
The main event featured ECW Champion Christian and Tommy Dreamer taking on Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov. We learned that Christian will be defending his belt against William Regal at Breaking Point, so this match turned into the WWE’s hard sell for the PPV tonight. The two sides put on a perfectly acceptable tag team match. As you would expect, Christian and Dreamer had to rely on speed and veteran savvy, while Kozlov and Jackson brought pure power. Jackson was showcased a little more in this match, looking very imposing and dominant at times and he was able to pick up the victory on Dreamer after a grab of the foot from Regal on the outside. The “Ruthless Roundtable” stood tall at the end of the night and we were left to wonder if Christian’s title reign would soon be over.
- Oklahoma could use some more good news, but they did not get any on Tuesday as Coach Bob Stoops told the media that star TE Jermaine Gresham underwent arthroscopic surgery on his injured right knee to determine the severity of cartilage damage. Unfortunately for the Sooners, the injury was not a simple removal of anything and the doctors determined that Gresham needed stitches to repair the cartilage, which will require a recovery time of 5 months and put Gresham out for the season. Gresham returned to school and put off the NFL for a year, so this is extremely bad news for him and could hamper his draft value. He was Oklahoma’s leading returning receiver this year and a real playmaker on offense. Now that he is out for the year, it is pretty much a given that the Sooners offense will suffer and miss his big play ability. At this point, I still stick to my view that Oklahoma will lose against Texas and now the game against Miami is looking more dangerous. It will take a huge effort and tons of determination for the Sooners to fight through this adversity.
- The Richard Seymour watch continues as he failed to report to the Raiders for the 2nd straight day. Raiders Coach Tom Cable said he has nothing new to report and nothing has changed, Patriots Coach Bill Belichick refuses to talk about it since the Patriots no longer have the rights to Seymour, and the NFL is saying to get a statement from the teams. This is quickly starting to turn into some drama now. Reports are saying that Seymour had no advanced warning of the trade and right now, things such as his contract and his role with the Raiders and what they expect from him need to be “worked out”. As I stated yesterday, this move must suck for Seymour, but he really needs to be a professional about it and report to the team or at least give a statement. I would have thought he learned some class and professionalism from the Patriots, even though they did deal him a tough hand. In the NFL, business is business.
- Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick spoke to a group of 200 students on the first day of classes at Nueva Esperanza Academy, a North Philadelphia charter school. He warned the students not to bow to peer pressure and to make good choices that will allow you to be a leader and not a follower. Vick offered himself up as an example of what happens when you lose focus and how your life can go down a bad path. I am happy to see that Vick is getting out in the community and trying to do some good work. As I have stated before, if he can work to make a positive difference and stay on course himself, then the 2nd chance he is getting in the NFL is totally justified. I hope that more schools and organizations give Vick a chance to make a positive impact and not just sit back and bitch and moan about how Vick is bad for young people. That will solve nothing.
- The captain’s selections are in for the 2009 President’s Cup: Ryo Ishikawa, who at 17-years old will be the youngest player ever in the competition, and Adam Scott were chosen by Captain Greg Norman for the International team and Captain Fred Couples chose 2009 U.S. Open Champion Lucas Glover and Hunter Mahan for the United States team. Scott’s selection was a bit curious considering the fact that he has fallen to 53 in the world rankings and is suffering through the worst year of his career. Glover and Mahan bring experience to the U.S. squad, as they also were the Captain’s picks 2 years ago. The President’s Cup is a very fun event to watch, even though it is not at the level of the Ryder Cup. I love seeing the match play format, as well as the different foursome matches. There is some real drama that is created and I still say that even though on the surface golf might not seem that exciting, it really can be some of the best competition that you can watch if you are a sports fan.
- I thought this tidbit was worth mentioning with the U.S. Open going on right now. The new head of the men’s tennis tour, Adam Helfant, said that the tour is planning an All-star event in March to try and boost the sport’s popularity. He said the top players are in favor of the event, which would include a skills competition, celebrity doubles matches, and an awards show. Helfant wants to try and create more buzz at the beginning of the year for tennis, something he claims other sports do well. While I think this is a noble cause Helfant is trying to do, I don’t think it will do much good. Tennis is more of a niche sport that will always appeal to a segment of the population, but it will never grow to the heights of the four major professional sports in America. Tennis is a great recreational sport and it will always be around, but it can only grow so much. Unless you can somehow bring along new stars that grow to the level of guys like John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, and other greats, AND have them develop intense rivalries, tennis will always lag behind in viewership and popularity. That’s just the way it is.
- U.S. Open Update: The women’s side of the draw has reached the quarterfinals and #2 seed Serena Williams still has not really been tested as she cruised by #10 seed Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-3. In the other women’s quarterfinal of the day, Kim Clijsters routed #18 seed Li Na 6-2, 6-4 to reach the semifinals against Williams. This is an amazing run by Clijsters after being away from the game for 2 years and the match with Serena has the potential to be very intriguing. On the men’s side, a huge upset occurred as #2 seed Andy Murray was blitzed and totally outplayed in losing to #16 seed Marin Cilic, who won in straight sets 7-5, 6-2, 6-2. Cilic will now play #6 seed Juan Martin del Potro in the quarterfinals. Men’s #3 seed Rafael Nadal lost the first set to #13 seed Gael Monfils, but Nadal was able to eventually wear down Monfils as he slowly faded away and Nadal won in 4 sets. Nadal will now face #11 seed Fernando Gonzalez, who advanced by beating #7 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 4 sets.
Showing posts with label Christian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Celebrating Summerfest: WWE Summerslam Review
The WWE had its “biggest event of the summer”, Summerslam, last night and the big question is how did my predictions do? Right? Ok, no, the big question is how did the event come off and did it deliver as a big time show and Pay Per View? In my opinion I have to say that Summerslam did in fact bring the goods and it was an excellent show. I feel that it was the best overall PPV since Wrestlemania 25. The crowd was hyped all night and was extremely excited and involved. The in-ring action was solid to great throughout the evening and I thought there was a great deal of exciting wrestling and drama. There were also some really good booking decisions and they generally outweighed the ones that could be considered questionable. So the bottom line leads me to give the show a thumbs up and recommend a DVD purchase when it is released in a few weeks. Let’s take a match by match review and compare the outcomes to my predictions shall we?
Intercontinental title match: Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
My prediction: Ziggler (New IC Champ)
Actual result: Mysterio via pinfall (retains IC title)
The match got off to a very quick start and it was full of fast paced action which saw Mysterio flying around and Ziggler trying to keep up with him and gain an advantage with a few power moves. Ziggler was indeed finally able to gain the advantage in the middle of the match and was trying to use his size advantage to wear down Rey and work on his neck. The match then started to really build with some great back and forth action. There were plenty of near falls and the crowd was very hot for the opening match. In the end, it appeared as if Ziggler was going to get the win but Mysterio was able to get a quick pinfall and retain the IC title. In my opinion, this was not the right move. It was extremely clear that Ziggler has the potential to be a star and on a big stage like Summerslam, I felt that he could have been seriously elevated with a victory. I score this as a missed opportunity by the WWE and wonder how they will justify Ziggler getting yet another rematch. He still seems destined for the title, but when will the trigger be pulled?
Jack Swagger vs. MVP
My prediction: Swagger
Actual result: MVP via pinfall
This match was preceded by a very nice promo/interaction between MVP and Swagger. They jawed back and forth with Swagger putting over his all-American persona and contrasting it to MVP’s past and the fact that he is an ex-con. This match had a pretty good start but was at a slower pace than the IC title match. Swagger was able to gain a small advantage and went to work on MVP’s body with moves like an abdominal stretch. The crowd was still very into the action and vocal throughout. The wrestling in this match was pretty good but it was not overly exciting or any sort of technical masterpiece. MVP was able to hit a solid chain of moves in quick succession, including the Playmaker, to get the pinfall victory. So again, I got the result of this match wrong and started the night 0 for 2. This does not seem like any sort of blow off for the feud and I would expect Swagger to get a measure of revenge somehow. Maybe I misinterpreted things and expected the heel to get the win since Swagger seems in line for more of a push. But, if this feud continues, then it stands to reason that Swagger gets the final victory of the feud before moving on. We’ll see in time…
Unified Tag Team Championship: Chris Jericho/Big Show (c) vs. Cryme Tyme
My prediction: Jericho/Show
Actual result: Jericho/Show via pinfall (retains titles)
You have to love Jericho on the mic giving it to the crowd before the start of the match. This match was basically what you would expect. The wrestling was perfectly acceptable, especially when Big Show was in. He was in there in the beginning portions of the match and it was pretty slow and plodding. Again the crowd was to be praised for staying into the action and trying to help Cryme Tyme. They did have a good showing in there and Jericho was solid as always. Show was able to deliver a knock out shot at the opportune time to allow the Unified Tag Champs to retain their titles. This match went exactly as I expected and was nothing special. It was just another solid showing for JeriShow as they kept plugging along and get me on the board with a correct prediction.
Kane vs. The Great Khali
My prediction: Kane
Actual result: Kane via pinfall
Well there wasn’t too much to say about this match. It was your standard big man match and again I give props to the crowd for staying into the action. Kane looked pretty good and did the best he could to carry Khali to a decent showing. That is about what Khali was too, decent. This match also ended up going as I expected with a clean win for Kane. I am not sure where these two will go from here, but I don’t really think people would want to see too many rematches. Kane should slowly move back up the card and possibly try to help put over some new talent.
D-Generation X vs. Legacy
My prediction: DX
Actual result: DX via pinfall
Wow…that really was one hell of an entrance and production for DX’s return to PPV. It kind of looked like something out of Call of Duty if you ask me. And without question, the grand fanfare of it all should have told you who was going to win the match. The start of the match was pretty slow and was standard tag team formula. Even so, the crowd was very hot and extremely behind DX and booing the hell out of Legacy. The action did start to slowly build and there was some solid tag team wrestling going on. Legacy was able to gain control and slow the match down, really working on Triple H and getting the crowd salivating for a hot tag. This paid off as the action really started to get hot toward the end and the build up to the finish was great. Shawn Michaels was able to hit some Sweet Chin Music at the end and as expected, DX picks up the win and sent me to 3-2 for the night so far. Now I fully expected DX to get the win and one can argue that HHH and Michaels put in a great performance to make Legacy look good and make them look like a threat. Some people would say this is great and they helped to elevate them. However, I fall to the other side of the fence and say that it is all well and good, but Dibiase and Rhodes fell short and didn’t win, bottom line. I feel like a Legacy win through shenanigans would have done wonders for them. They could have gotten major heat from it and it also would have given them bragging rights. I suppose this feud could have legs and maybe they will pick up a big win in the future. But Summerslam is a major PPV where you can make a statement and unfortunately, Legacy was left to fall short.
ECW Championship: Christian (c) vs. William Regal
My prediction: Christian (or possible DQ)
Actual result: Christian via pinfall (retains ECW title)
Now when I saw Regal walking down to the ring with Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson, I thought for sure that it was going to end in a DQ. However, the bell rings, Regal turns to take off his robe, and Christian hits him with a Killswitch to get the pinfall in about 10 seconds. Very quickly afterwards though, Kozlov and Jackson hit the ring and the newly named “Ruthless Roundtable” do a good beat down on the ECW Champ. So obviously this match turned into an angle advancement segment. My thoughts were correct though since Christian retained and it looks like Kozlov and Jackson stand to be elevated and possibly in line for a shot at the title. Of course, we could always get a future match where Kozlov and Jackson blatantly cheat to help Regal win the belt. Guess we will just have to tune in to ECW and find out.
WWE Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
My prediction: John Cena (new WWE Champion)
Actual result: Eventually…Randy Orton via pinfall (retains WWE Title)
Wow, what a crazy match this turned out to be and I couldn’t have been more thrilled to be wrong. The crowd sounded about 60/40 against Cena for this one and I really think a majority wanted to see Orton retain. It was a slow and cautious start by both competitors and it eventually led to Orton gaining control and trying to wear down Cena. The crowd was molten for this match with dueling chants going back and forth and the excitement was just off the charts it seemed. Cena was able to make a small comeback, only to be stopped by Orton who got back in control of things. As expected though, Cena “hulked up” and was looking like Superman (to the increasing displeasure of the crowd), but Randy pulled a classic heel tactic and hit the referee for the DQ. Oh but this was only the beginning. Vince McMahon seemed to magically phone down to Lillian Garcia and the match was restarted with the stipulation that if Orton was DQ’d again, he would lose the belt. I seriously thought this totally choreographed a Cena win, but not so fast. Orton goes and gets counted out. And again, Vince rings the magic phone and restarts the match and now if Orton gets counted out again, he loses the belt. Orton runs back into the ring, ducks a shot from Cena, and then rolls him up with his feet on the ropes for a three count. Finally, this match is over. But here comes another ref who says that Orton’s feet were on the ropes and the match is restarted AGAIN. Are you kidding me? So the match continues and Cena has Orton locked in the STF in the middle of the ring. Match is over right? Again, not so fast. It seems as if a “fan” bum rushed the ring and jumped on the ref! Now I put “fan” in quotes because I believe it was a plant. Time will reveal if it was or not, but since the camera followed the guy being taken away up the ramp, I felt it was a dead giveaway that it was planned (this seems to be confirmed now and the "fan" was 21 year old Brett Dibiase). So finally after the confusion, Orton is able to able to drop Cena’s neck on the middle rope, slide in the ring, and hit an RKO for the victory. Now some people will say this was an overbooked mess, but I will lean more toward saying that it was cool to see the match end up being crazy and unpredictable. I will happily enjoy at least a few more weeks of Orton as champion, even thought it seems like Cena will be getting another shot somehow and will eventually take the belt from Orton.
World Heavyweight Championship (TLC Match): Jeff Hardy (c) vs. CM Punk
My prediction: CM Punk (new W.H.C.)
Actual result: CM Punk (new W.H.C.)
So it was time for the main event and this one started out slowly and continued to build throughout. Both Punk and Hardy were pulling out some really stiff shots with the “toys” they were given to play with. The bumps that they were taking were pretty good and the hot crowd continued. The match went back and forth fairly well. Punk got in some great chair shots and was able to dump Hardy off the ladder. Hardy was able to send Punk flying down through a table outside the ring and got in some stiff chair shots of his own. The match finally built up to the highlight and signature spot of the match. Hardy was able to use a TV monitor to lay out Punk on one of the announce tables. He then set up a ladder that had to be close to 30 feet I would say and he climbed to the top and hit a picture perfect Swanton right onto Punk. Medical personnel rushed down to the ringside area and tried to take them away, but Punk struggled back into the ring and Hardy soon followed. They both scaled the ladder and in the end, Punk was able to punch Hardy off of it and unhook the belt to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. This was a great match that deserved the main event spot and these two delivered. As predicted, Punk reclaimed the belt. As a final surprise, Punk was standing over a beaten Jeff Hardy when the lights went out and the gong rang through the arena. When the lights came back on, the Undertaker had replaced Jeff Hardy underneath the triumphant Punk and he ate a chokeslam to end the evening. So it seems like Jeff will be taking his break and the Undertaker will be the next challenger for the World Title.
Final thoughts: So at the end of the night, I finished 5-3 on my predictions. I thought that overall, the 2009 version of Summerslam did end up having a big show feel and for the most part, the action delivered. The crowd was great the entire evening and the wrestling was pretty good. I am very interested to see where things go from here and let’s hope that the WWE can build some momentum.
The Game’s Quick Hits
- Reports are saying now that Michael Vick is showing little rust as he returns to the NFL after 2 seasons. Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said that Vick looks “pretty good” in the offensive and says that things are progressing. They are working with Vick to try and fine tune the small details that help win games and a final decision about whether Vick will play in Thursday’s preseason game should be made on Tuesday. Well if all this is true and if Vick provides an impact this year, the Eagles could become a big favorite to get to the Super Bowl and I bet the anger over his signing will subside quickly. Now reports are also saying that Vick is scheduled to appear at bankruptcy court in Newport News, VA Thursday morning at 9:30 am. He would have to then fly back to Philadelphia to make that evening’s preseason game. Sounds like a fun day for Mr. Vick…
- Roger Federer easily beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5, to win the Cincinnati Masters title. It appears that Federer is back in top form and deserving of the #1 ranking heading into the U.S. Open next week. With Nadal still trying to get his legs back under him, I think Roger is the heavy favorite to win his 16th grand slam championship. I definitely would not mind seeing Andy Roddick get another shot at him though after their epic Wimbledon final in July.
- The United States defeated Europe to retain the Solheim Cup for the 8th time and 3rd straight time overall. I am not a huge fan of woman’s golf nor do I really follow it, but I do have to give some respect and congratulations to the U.S. women for doing our country proud and winning this competition.
- Michigan Wolverine head football coach Rich Rodriquez was quoted yesterday saying that the team would use 3 different QBs in the season opener against Western Michigan on September 5. That seems like a pretty odd strategy unless the guy really doesn’t know what he has yet or unless he truly believes that he can utilize the talents of all 3 in different situations. Michigan football has been struggling to rebuild for a few years now and I don’t think this seems like a good move. I would think Rodriquez would want to try and develop one QB and hopefully have the whole team elevate with him this season and in seasons to come. The key to any successful offense is repetition and rhythm and I don’t see how you get that with 3 different QBs. But who knows, maybe this is just an early sign of more struggles to come or maybe he knows something everyone else doesn’t.
- Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Eric Bruntlett turned an unassisted triple play to end the game and preserve a 9-7 win over the New York Mets. He caught a line drive up the middle and then was able to touch 2nd base to double up one man and then tag the runner coming from 1st base as a double steal was on. It was only the 15th unassisted triple play in major league history and only the 2nd to end a game. The win improved Pedro Martinez’s record to 2-0 as well. Pretty cool feat to witness, so big props to Bruntlett as the Phils look like they are headed back to another NL East Division title and a shot at defending their World Series title.
- John Smoltz won his debut with the Cardinals, pitching 5 scoreless innings and striking out 9 in the 5-2 victory. Well, well, well…maybe I spoke too soon writing him off. If he can keep this up until the end of the season and help the Cards get into the playoffs and then transfer to the bullpen as the rotation shrinks for postseason play, then maybe St. Louis will look like geniuses for picking him up. The reward could be a trip to the World Series if all pans out well, but Smoltz will still need to prove he can consistently get people out.
Intercontinental title match: Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
My prediction: Ziggler (New IC Champ)
Actual result: Mysterio via pinfall (retains IC title)
The match got off to a very quick start and it was full of fast paced action which saw Mysterio flying around and Ziggler trying to keep up with him and gain an advantage with a few power moves. Ziggler was indeed finally able to gain the advantage in the middle of the match and was trying to use his size advantage to wear down Rey and work on his neck. The match then started to really build with some great back and forth action. There were plenty of near falls and the crowd was very hot for the opening match. In the end, it appeared as if Ziggler was going to get the win but Mysterio was able to get a quick pinfall and retain the IC title. In my opinion, this was not the right move. It was extremely clear that Ziggler has the potential to be a star and on a big stage like Summerslam, I felt that he could have been seriously elevated with a victory. I score this as a missed opportunity by the WWE and wonder how they will justify Ziggler getting yet another rematch. He still seems destined for the title, but when will the trigger be pulled?
Jack Swagger vs. MVP
My prediction: Swagger
Actual result: MVP via pinfall
This match was preceded by a very nice promo/interaction between MVP and Swagger. They jawed back and forth with Swagger putting over his all-American persona and contrasting it to MVP’s past and the fact that he is an ex-con. This match had a pretty good start but was at a slower pace than the IC title match. Swagger was able to gain a small advantage and went to work on MVP’s body with moves like an abdominal stretch. The crowd was still very into the action and vocal throughout. The wrestling in this match was pretty good but it was not overly exciting or any sort of technical masterpiece. MVP was able to hit a solid chain of moves in quick succession, including the Playmaker, to get the pinfall victory. So again, I got the result of this match wrong and started the night 0 for 2. This does not seem like any sort of blow off for the feud and I would expect Swagger to get a measure of revenge somehow. Maybe I misinterpreted things and expected the heel to get the win since Swagger seems in line for more of a push. But, if this feud continues, then it stands to reason that Swagger gets the final victory of the feud before moving on. We’ll see in time…
Unified Tag Team Championship: Chris Jericho/Big Show (c) vs. Cryme Tyme
My prediction: Jericho/Show
Actual result: Jericho/Show via pinfall (retains titles)
You have to love Jericho on the mic giving it to the crowd before the start of the match. This match was basically what you would expect. The wrestling was perfectly acceptable, especially when Big Show was in. He was in there in the beginning portions of the match and it was pretty slow and plodding. Again the crowd was to be praised for staying into the action and trying to help Cryme Tyme. They did have a good showing in there and Jericho was solid as always. Show was able to deliver a knock out shot at the opportune time to allow the Unified Tag Champs to retain their titles. This match went exactly as I expected and was nothing special. It was just another solid showing for JeriShow as they kept plugging along and get me on the board with a correct prediction.
Kane vs. The Great Khali
My prediction: Kane
Actual result: Kane via pinfall
Well there wasn’t too much to say about this match. It was your standard big man match and again I give props to the crowd for staying into the action. Kane looked pretty good and did the best he could to carry Khali to a decent showing. That is about what Khali was too, decent. This match also ended up going as I expected with a clean win for Kane. I am not sure where these two will go from here, but I don’t really think people would want to see too many rematches. Kane should slowly move back up the card and possibly try to help put over some new talent.
D-Generation X vs. Legacy
My prediction: DX
Actual result: DX via pinfall
Wow…that really was one hell of an entrance and production for DX’s return to PPV. It kind of looked like something out of Call of Duty if you ask me. And without question, the grand fanfare of it all should have told you who was going to win the match. The start of the match was pretty slow and was standard tag team formula. Even so, the crowd was very hot and extremely behind DX and booing the hell out of Legacy. The action did start to slowly build and there was some solid tag team wrestling going on. Legacy was able to gain control and slow the match down, really working on Triple H and getting the crowd salivating for a hot tag. This paid off as the action really started to get hot toward the end and the build up to the finish was great. Shawn Michaels was able to hit some Sweet Chin Music at the end and as expected, DX picks up the win and sent me to 3-2 for the night so far. Now I fully expected DX to get the win and one can argue that HHH and Michaels put in a great performance to make Legacy look good and make them look like a threat. Some people would say this is great and they helped to elevate them. However, I fall to the other side of the fence and say that it is all well and good, but Dibiase and Rhodes fell short and didn’t win, bottom line. I feel like a Legacy win through shenanigans would have done wonders for them. They could have gotten major heat from it and it also would have given them bragging rights. I suppose this feud could have legs and maybe they will pick up a big win in the future. But Summerslam is a major PPV where you can make a statement and unfortunately, Legacy was left to fall short.
ECW Championship: Christian (c) vs. William Regal
My prediction: Christian (or possible DQ)
Actual result: Christian via pinfall (retains ECW title)
Now when I saw Regal walking down to the ring with Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson, I thought for sure that it was going to end in a DQ. However, the bell rings, Regal turns to take off his robe, and Christian hits him with a Killswitch to get the pinfall in about 10 seconds. Very quickly afterwards though, Kozlov and Jackson hit the ring and the newly named “Ruthless Roundtable” do a good beat down on the ECW Champ. So obviously this match turned into an angle advancement segment. My thoughts were correct though since Christian retained and it looks like Kozlov and Jackson stand to be elevated and possibly in line for a shot at the title. Of course, we could always get a future match where Kozlov and Jackson blatantly cheat to help Regal win the belt. Guess we will just have to tune in to ECW and find out.
WWE Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
My prediction: John Cena (new WWE Champion)
Actual result: Eventually…Randy Orton via pinfall (retains WWE Title)
Wow, what a crazy match this turned out to be and I couldn’t have been more thrilled to be wrong. The crowd sounded about 60/40 against Cena for this one and I really think a majority wanted to see Orton retain. It was a slow and cautious start by both competitors and it eventually led to Orton gaining control and trying to wear down Cena. The crowd was molten for this match with dueling chants going back and forth and the excitement was just off the charts it seemed. Cena was able to make a small comeback, only to be stopped by Orton who got back in control of things. As expected though, Cena “hulked up” and was looking like Superman (to the increasing displeasure of the crowd), but Randy pulled a classic heel tactic and hit the referee for the DQ. Oh but this was only the beginning. Vince McMahon seemed to magically phone down to Lillian Garcia and the match was restarted with the stipulation that if Orton was DQ’d again, he would lose the belt. I seriously thought this totally choreographed a Cena win, but not so fast. Orton goes and gets counted out. And again, Vince rings the magic phone and restarts the match and now if Orton gets counted out again, he loses the belt. Orton runs back into the ring, ducks a shot from Cena, and then rolls him up with his feet on the ropes for a three count. Finally, this match is over. But here comes another ref who says that Orton’s feet were on the ropes and the match is restarted AGAIN. Are you kidding me? So the match continues and Cena has Orton locked in the STF in the middle of the ring. Match is over right? Again, not so fast. It seems as if a “fan” bum rushed the ring and jumped on the ref! Now I put “fan” in quotes because I believe it was a plant. Time will reveal if it was or not, but since the camera followed the guy being taken away up the ramp, I felt it was a dead giveaway that it was planned (this seems to be confirmed now and the "fan" was 21 year old Brett Dibiase). So finally after the confusion, Orton is able to able to drop Cena’s neck on the middle rope, slide in the ring, and hit an RKO for the victory. Now some people will say this was an overbooked mess, but I will lean more toward saying that it was cool to see the match end up being crazy and unpredictable. I will happily enjoy at least a few more weeks of Orton as champion, even thought it seems like Cena will be getting another shot somehow and will eventually take the belt from Orton.
World Heavyweight Championship (TLC Match): Jeff Hardy (c) vs. CM Punk
My prediction: CM Punk (new W.H.C.)
Actual result: CM Punk (new W.H.C.)
So it was time for the main event and this one started out slowly and continued to build throughout. Both Punk and Hardy were pulling out some really stiff shots with the “toys” they were given to play with. The bumps that they were taking were pretty good and the hot crowd continued. The match went back and forth fairly well. Punk got in some great chair shots and was able to dump Hardy off the ladder. Hardy was able to send Punk flying down through a table outside the ring and got in some stiff chair shots of his own. The match finally built up to the highlight and signature spot of the match. Hardy was able to use a TV monitor to lay out Punk on one of the announce tables. He then set up a ladder that had to be close to 30 feet I would say and he climbed to the top and hit a picture perfect Swanton right onto Punk. Medical personnel rushed down to the ringside area and tried to take them away, but Punk struggled back into the ring and Hardy soon followed. They both scaled the ladder and in the end, Punk was able to punch Hardy off of it and unhook the belt to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. This was a great match that deserved the main event spot and these two delivered. As predicted, Punk reclaimed the belt. As a final surprise, Punk was standing over a beaten Jeff Hardy when the lights went out and the gong rang through the arena. When the lights came back on, the Undertaker had replaced Jeff Hardy underneath the triumphant Punk and he ate a chokeslam to end the evening. So it seems like Jeff will be taking his break and the Undertaker will be the next challenger for the World Title.
Final thoughts: So at the end of the night, I finished 5-3 on my predictions. I thought that overall, the 2009 version of Summerslam did end up having a big show feel and for the most part, the action delivered. The crowd was great the entire evening and the wrestling was pretty good. I am very interested to see where things go from here and let’s hope that the WWE can build some momentum.
The Game’s Quick Hits
- Reports are saying now that Michael Vick is showing little rust as he returns to the NFL after 2 seasons. Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said that Vick looks “pretty good” in the offensive and says that things are progressing. They are working with Vick to try and fine tune the small details that help win games and a final decision about whether Vick will play in Thursday’s preseason game should be made on Tuesday. Well if all this is true and if Vick provides an impact this year, the Eagles could become a big favorite to get to the Super Bowl and I bet the anger over his signing will subside quickly. Now reports are also saying that Vick is scheduled to appear at bankruptcy court in Newport News, VA Thursday morning at 9:30 am. He would have to then fly back to Philadelphia to make that evening’s preseason game. Sounds like a fun day for Mr. Vick…
- Roger Federer easily beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5, to win the Cincinnati Masters title. It appears that Federer is back in top form and deserving of the #1 ranking heading into the U.S. Open next week. With Nadal still trying to get his legs back under him, I think Roger is the heavy favorite to win his 16th grand slam championship. I definitely would not mind seeing Andy Roddick get another shot at him though after their epic Wimbledon final in July.
- The United States defeated Europe to retain the Solheim Cup for the 8th time and 3rd straight time overall. I am not a huge fan of woman’s golf nor do I really follow it, but I do have to give some respect and congratulations to the U.S. women for doing our country proud and winning this competition.
- Michigan Wolverine head football coach Rich Rodriquez was quoted yesterday saying that the team would use 3 different QBs in the season opener against Western Michigan on September 5. That seems like a pretty odd strategy unless the guy really doesn’t know what he has yet or unless he truly believes that he can utilize the talents of all 3 in different situations. Michigan football has been struggling to rebuild for a few years now and I don’t think this seems like a good move. I would think Rodriquez would want to try and develop one QB and hopefully have the whole team elevate with him this season and in seasons to come. The key to any successful offense is repetition and rhythm and I don’t see how you get that with 3 different QBs. But who knows, maybe this is just an early sign of more struggles to come or maybe he knows something everyone else doesn’t.
- Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Eric Bruntlett turned an unassisted triple play to end the game and preserve a 9-7 win over the New York Mets. He caught a line drive up the middle and then was able to touch 2nd base to double up one man and then tag the runner coming from 1st base as a double steal was on. It was only the 15th unassisted triple play in major league history and only the 2nd to end a game. The win improved Pedro Martinez’s record to 2-0 as well. Pretty cool feat to witness, so big props to Bruntlett as the Phils look like they are headed back to another NL East Division title and a shot at defending their World Series title.
- John Smoltz won his debut with the Cardinals, pitching 5 scoreless innings and striking out 9 in the 5-2 victory. Well, well, well…maybe I spoke too soon writing him off. If he can keep this up until the end of the season and help the Cards get into the playoffs and then transfer to the bullpen as the rotation shrinks for postseason play, then maybe St. Louis will look like geniuses for picking him up. The reward could be a trip to the World Series if all pans out well, but Smoltz will still need to prove he can consistently get people out.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Celebrating Summerfest: WWE Summerslam Thoughts
Well it is just about that time for the "biggest party of the summer" according to the WWE. That's right, it's time for WWE Summerslam...or Summerfest if you are recent Raw guest host Jeremy Piven. I have been a WWE fan for the longest time and Summerslam has always been a solid card and it should be considering that it is one of the "Big 4" PPVs along with the Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, and Survivor Series.
Now in recent times, the direction of WWE storylines and angles have left some things to be desired. However, I am not one of those people who will constantly bash the product. I recognize wrestling for what it is. It is an escape. It is meant to be fun and over the top. It is meant to provide entertainment and mix in some great athletics and at times, really stir your emotions and provide some great memories. My opinion has always been that if you can't just sit back and try to enjoy what you can, then don't watch! It makes no sense to watch something and all you do is criticize it and say "this sucks". Do I like everything I see on WWE programming? Absolutely not. Creative drops the ball numerous times, match outcomes seem utterly stupid sometimes, and the comedy/humorous angles sometimes fall woefully flat. However, I still enjoy seeing great matches and there are great laughs and enjoyment to be had if you just allow yourself to let it happen.
So with that said, let's take a look at Summerslam coming up this Sunday. I think the card has some potential to deliver some good matches, although I will have to say that it does not feel like it is something extremely special. Cena/Orton has been done before...DX returning has been done before...much of the under card does not have a great amount of heat and build. I still expect some good wrestling and fun matches though and the TLC match between Jeff Hardy and CM Punk has the potential to be a great match. Here is a match by match rundown of the card and my thoughts on the outcomes:
Kane vs. The Great Khali - Ugh...I have absolutely no interest in this feud since it was seemingly thrown together for no apparent reason. It just feels like one of those things to satisfy Vince McMahon's "big man" fetish. Kane always has the potential to be higher up the card and he has deserved more than he has gotten over the years. He has always been a reliable worker and maybe a win at one of the "Big 4" will be his "reward". It is Kane's first big match back on PPV and considering that Khali is the face and they probably want to drag this feud on longer, I think Kane will get the win. Or we could get one of those wonderful DQs...
Prediction: Kane
Jack Swagger vs. MVP - This has the potential to be a great match if Swagger and MVP are given time for it. I unfortunately think it will be shorter than it needs to be, but both men are talented enough to give a good performance with what they will be given. Obviously, Swagger is one of the future players in the WWE and will most likely be given a run with a major belt in the future. MVP has continued to improve and has gotten much better in the ring and is entertaining on the stick. The feud has centered around Swagger wanting to fight on "his terms" and it seems the bright lights of Summerslam will fit the bill. It seems like these two have been jawing for a good 2 months or so at this point, but it feels like the feud has not run it's course yet. That usually has me leaning toward the heel getting the victory. I think MVP could be in danger of getting lost in the shuffle and it seems like something creative would do, so I give the nod to Swagger in this one.
Prediction: Swagger
DX vs. Legacy - I'm not sure it is worth going into any type of analysis for this one. Shawn Michaels is returning to PPV and the WWE and reforming DX with Triple H and you think they will lose at Summerslam? Yeah right LOL. I assume that Legacy got the bone thrown to them on Raw when they beat down DX during their usual antics. Honestly, I think Legacy needs to win this match to be seen as a more serious threat because WWE blew it by not making them the Unified Tag Champions and letting them "run the show" with Randy Orton. Rhodes and Dibiase are still treated too much like lackeys and I can only assume the plan is for one (most likely Dibiase) or both to finally get tired of it and turn on Orton. So anyway, DX cruises in this one.
Prediction: DX
ECW Championship: Christian (c) vs. William Regal - Again this match seems rushed out there and came out of the blue, but fortunately Regal is extremely solid and a bad ass and he should be able to have a good match with Christian. Christian's 2nd run with the ECW Title has not lasted that long yet and I don't think they will be taking the title off of him so soon. I could easily see this match ending in a DQ to extend things. I can also see a Christian victory and instead, Regal continues to come after Captain Charisma with his new henchmen, Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson. It just seems like Christian will drop the belt to one of those two and Regal is there as a placeholder to have a few solid matches and guide the two younger guys.
Prediction: Christian (or a DQ)
Unified Tag Team Championship: Chris Jericho/Big Show (c) vs. Cryme Tyme - Well the pairing of Jericho and Big Show has been interesting and I think it was a pretty good decision by the WWE after Edge went down to injury. Jericho is allowed to be even more cocky considering the back up that he has. Cryme Tyme has been solid and have done a good job to get themselves over with the fans and they deserve the match at Summerslam as much as anyone. However, I don't think that they should be getting the win. Jericho and Big Show still have room to run with this angle I believe and they should not drop the belts yet. There needs to be more tension between the two at some point and Chris Jericho being the Unified Tag Champ means more of him on both Raw and Smackdown and that is a good thing.
Prediction: Jericho/Big Show
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler - Well I am as shocked as anyone that Ziggler has been able to get this character over. He seems to getting more heat with the crowd and his in ring work has gotten better and better. He showed he could hang with Mysterio in their last PPV encounter and it seems like now is the time for him to take the belt at a big PPV like Summerslam. I really have nothing against Mysterio, but I feel his character really has no room to develop and he will always be over as a popular superstar. Ziggler could really benefit from getting the title and it will continue to move him up the ladder as a major player.
Prediction: Ziggler (New IC Champion)
TLC Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Jeff Hardy (c) vs. CM Punk - I have thoroughly enjoyed Punk's heel turn and it has been the best piece of work that the WWE has been doing over the past few months. These two have delivered some great matches in the ring and this match should be no different. However, the outcome of the match seems to be a foregone conclusion. It seems that there has been no news to break that Hardy has signed a new deal with WWE and he seems determined to take some time off. They ran the "injury" angle on Smackdown and are speculating that he might not be at 100% for the match. So to me, all the pieces are in place for Punk to really "injure" Hardy in this match, take the title, and then Jeff just disappears for a while and takes his time off. A Punk wins allows him to transfer into a title feud with John Morrison (more matches between those two would be welcomed) and possibly a feud with a returning Matt Hardy. All evidence points to this and it is what I would have to go with.
Prediction: CM Punk (New World Heavyweight Champion)
WWE Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena - I'm not sure this match needs much analysis either. I expect Cena to be superman again and win the title. I like Randy Orton's character and think the half-psycho gimmick fits him great. He has gotten really good on the stick and can deliver a good match in the ring. I still believe he has more room to run with the belt and terrorize the rest of the roster. John Cena on the other hand...I just can not stand. Granted, I know Cena works hard and is a model employee and he always delivers when it comes to enthusiasm and interacting with the fans. But to me, his whole schtick is just so bland and feels old. I really would like to see a heel turn because it would freshen him up and be a shock and that would make for some interesting TV. That seems like a dream however, so expect Cena to "hulk up" and become Superman Cena by the end of the night and beat Orton to give the fans their "go home happy" moment.
Prediction: John Cena (New WWE Champion)
The Game's Quick Hits:
- Plaxico Burress reached a plea agreement and was given a 2 year jail sentence. Well good to see he was smart enough not to take this to trial and get the mandatory minimum of 3 and 1/2 years slapped on him. Just another case of bad judgement costing someone millions of dollars and it could have easily been avoided.
- Memphis Tigers are forced to vacate their 38 win Final Four season from 2007-2008. More stupidity and bad judgement. The sad thing is that this is now the 2nd time that John Calipari has had a Final Four trip vacated and yet he skips away to his cushy job with Kentucky now. So much for caring about your players being "student" athletes right John?
- Usain Bolt breaks his own world record again with a 19.19 in the 200m at the World Championships. Damn...is this guy human or did he mutate and escape from that District 9 compound?
- Fran Tarkenton has been running his mouth and calling the whole Brett Favre scene in Minnesota an "absolute circus". That's all well and good but the guy seems to be going out of his way to rip on Favre. Seems like someone still craves a little spotlight and attention, right Mr. Tarkenton?
Now in recent times, the direction of WWE storylines and angles have left some things to be desired. However, I am not one of those people who will constantly bash the product. I recognize wrestling for what it is. It is an escape. It is meant to be fun and over the top. It is meant to provide entertainment and mix in some great athletics and at times, really stir your emotions and provide some great memories. My opinion has always been that if you can't just sit back and try to enjoy what you can, then don't watch! It makes no sense to watch something and all you do is criticize it and say "this sucks". Do I like everything I see on WWE programming? Absolutely not. Creative drops the ball numerous times, match outcomes seem utterly stupid sometimes, and the comedy/humorous angles sometimes fall woefully flat. However, I still enjoy seeing great matches and there are great laughs and enjoyment to be had if you just allow yourself to let it happen.
So with that said, let's take a look at Summerslam coming up this Sunday. I think the card has some potential to deliver some good matches, although I will have to say that it does not feel like it is something extremely special. Cena/Orton has been done before...DX returning has been done before...much of the under card does not have a great amount of heat and build. I still expect some good wrestling and fun matches though and the TLC match between Jeff Hardy and CM Punk has the potential to be a great match. Here is a match by match rundown of the card and my thoughts on the outcomes:
Kane vs. The Great Khali - Ugh...I have absolutely no interest in this feud since it was seemingly thrown together for no apparent reason. It just feels like one of those things to satisfy Vince McMahon's "big man" fetish. Kane always has the potential to be higher up the card and he has deserved more than he has gotten over the years. He has always been a reliable worker and maybe a win at one of the "Big 4" will be his "reward". It is Kane's first big match back on PPV and considering that Khali is the face and they probably want to drag this feud on longer, I think Kane will get the win. Or we could get one of those wonderful DQs...
Prediction: Kane
Jack Swagger vs. MVP - This has the potential to be a great match if Swagger and MVP are given time for it. I unfortunately think it will be shorter than it needs to be, but both men are talented enough to give a good performance with what they will be given. Obviously, Swagger is one of the future players in the WWE and will most likely be given a run with a major belt in the future. MVP has continued to improve and has gotten much better in the ring and is entertaining on the stick. The feud has centered around Swagger wanting to fight on "his terms" and it seems the bright lights of Summerslam will fit the bill. It seems like these two have been jawing for a good 2 months or so at this point, but it feels like the feud has not run it's course yet. That usually has me leaning toward the heel getting the victory. I think MVP could be in danger of getting lost in the shuffle and it seems like something creative would do, so I give the nod to Swagger in this one.
Prediction: Swagger
DX vs. Legacy - I'm not sure it is worth going into any type of analysis for this one. Shawn Michaels is returning to PPV and the WWE and reforming DX with Triple H and you think they will lose at Summerslam? Yeah right LOL. I assume that Legacy got the bone thrown to them on Raw when they beat down DX during their usual antics. Honestly, I think Legacy needs to win this match to be seen as a more serious threat because WWE blew it by not making them the Unified Tag Champions and letting them "run the show" with Randy Orton. Rhodes and Dibiase are still treated too much like lackeys and I can only assume the plan is for one (most likely Dibiase) or both to finally get tired of it and turn on Orton. So anyway, DX cruises in this one.
Prediction: DX
ECW Championship: Christian (c) vs. William Regal - Again this match seems rushed out there and came out of the blue, but fortunately Regal is extremely solid and a bad ass and he should be able to have a good match with Christian. Christian's 2nd run with the ECW Title has not lasted that long yet and I don't think they will be taking the title off of him so soon. I could easily see this match ending in a DQ to extend things. I can also see a Christian victory and instead, Regal continues to come after Captain Charisma with his new henchmen, Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson. It just seems like Christian will drop the belt to one of those two and Regal is there as a placeholder to have a few solid matches and guide the two younger guys.
Prediction: Christian (or a DQ)
Unified Tag Team Championship: Chris Jericho/Big Show (c) vs. Cryme Tyme - Well the pairing of Jericho and Big Show has been interesting and I think it was a pretty good decision by the WWE after Edge went down to injury. Jericho is allowed to be even more cocky considering the back up that he has. Cryme Tyme has been solid and have done a good job to get themselves over with the fans and they deserve the match at Summerslam as much as anyone. However, I don't think that they should be getting the win. Jericho and Big Show still have room to run with this angle I believe and they should not drop the belts yet. There needs to be more tension between the two at some point and Chris Jericho being the Unified Tag Champ means more of him on both Raw and Smackdown and that is a good thing.
Prediction: Jericho/Big Show
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler - Well I am as shocked as anyone that Ziggler has been able to get this character over. He seems to getting more heat with the crowd and his in ring work has gotten better and better. He showed he could hang with Mysterio in their last PPV encounter and it seems like now is the time for him to take the belt at a big PPV like Summerslam. I really have nothing against Mysterio, but I feel his character really has no room to develop and he will always be over as a popular superstar. Ziggler could really benefit from getting the title and it will continue to move him up the ladder as a major player.
Prediction: Ziggler (New IC Champion)
TLC Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Jeff Hardy (c) vs. CM Punk - I have thoroughly enjoyed Punk's heel turn and it has been the best piece of work that the WWE has been doing over the past few months. These two have delivered some great matches in the ring and this match should be no different. However, the outcome of the match seems to be a foregone conclusion. It seems that there has been no news to break that Hardy has signed a new deal with WWE and he seems determined to take some time off. They ran the "injury" angle on Smackdown and are speculating that he might not be at 100% for the match. So to me, all the pieces are in place for Punk to really "injure" Hardy in this match, take the title, and then Jeff just disappears for a while and takes his time off. A Punk wins allows him to transfer into a title feud with John Morrison (more matches between those two would be welcomed) and possibly a feud with a returning Matt Hardy. All evidence points to this and it is what I would have to go with.
Prediction: CM Punk (New World Heavyweight Champion)
WWE Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena - I'm not sure this match needs much analysis either. I expect Cena to be superman again and win the title. I like Randy Orton's character and think the half-psycho gimmick fits him great. He has gotten really good on the stick and can deliver a good match in the ring. I still believe he has more room to run with the belt and terrorize the rest of the roster. John Cena on the other hand...I just can not stand. Granted, I know Cena works hard and is a model employee and he always delivers when it comes to enthusiasm and interacting with the fans. But to me, his whole schtick is just so bland and feels old. I really would like to see a heel turn because it would freshen him up and be a shock and that would make for some interesting TV. That seems like a dream however, so expect Cena to "hulk up" and become Superman Cena by the end of the night and beat Orton to give the fans their "go home happy" moment.
Prediction: John Cena (New WWE Champion)
The Game's Quick Hits:
- Plaxico Burress reached a plea agreement and was given a 2 year jail sentence. Well good to see he was smart enough not to take this to trial and get the mandatory minimum of 3 and 1/2 years slapped on him. Just another case of bad judgement costing someone millions of dollars and it could have easily been avoided.
- Memphis Tigers are forced to vacate their 38 win Final Four season from 2007-2008. More stupidity and bad judgement. The sad thing is that this is now the 2nd time that John Calipari has had a Final Four trip vacated and yet he skips away to his cushy job with Kentucky now. So much for caring about your players being "student" athletes right John?
- Usain Bolt breaks his own world record again with a 19.19 in the 200m at the World Championships. Damn...is this guy human or did he mutate and escape from that District 9 compound?
- Fran Tarkenton has been running his mouth and calling the whole Brett Favre scene in Minnesota an "absolute circus". That's all well and good but the guy seems to be going out of his way to rip on Favre. Seems like someone still craves a little spotlight and attention, right Mr. Tarkenton?
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