Smackdown – August 19, 2004

Smackdown
Date: August 19, 2004
Location: Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz

The Canadian adventure continues as JBL is still Smackdown World Champion and likely in line to continue feuding with the Undertaker. I’m sure you’re as thrilled as I am. Other than that Kurt Angle pinned Eddie Guerrero in a match that should set up a third match to settle things for good, though you never know with them. Let’s get to it.

Read moreSmackdown – August 19, 2004

ECW on Sci-Fi 12/23/08 & 12/30/08

12/23/08 is the annual Best Of show that’s all recap and video packages so I’m fucking that off and skipping to the last show of 2008 instead.

We get a cold open with The Dirt Sheet, with both men debating the positives of abs vs. eating cheeseburgers. Various wrestlers get insulted with Morrison mocking Cena’s acting abilities (woah there, Boone) before comparing Hornswoggle to an animal. This brings out both Finlay & Horny (Miz: ”down boy, down!”) resulting in both guys/freaks getting beat up by Morrison & Miz until…The Boogeyman makes the save. You have to try really hard to make a Miz & Morrison match unappealing but By Jove Holmes, you’ve done it.

Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry

This feels like an apology for the previous segment. Loud-arse chants for Matt who throws his awesome punches to no effect on Mark who headbutts Matt down. Matt won’t stay down so Henry has to keep pummelling him. A press slam doesn’t stop him so Tony Atlas has to distract Matt so Mark can connect with a Banzai Drop. When we return from break, the commentators are silent for a minute as we get the second week of production fuck-ups. Maybe Gavin Spears is moonlighting. Mark squeezes Matt which only increases the cheers. Mark attempts to skidmark Hardy across the ropes but he scurries away, sadly resulting in Hardy getting sling-shotted instead. Mark misses a sit-out splash enabling Matt to hit his second-rope elbows off the top and get a Side Effect for two. Matt takes out Tony on the apron leaving him clear to hit the Twist of Fate…except Swagger runs in and gives Matt a Doctor Bomb for the DQ.

Winner via DQ: Matt Hardy (An abbreviated version of their usual match, working as a side-dish to the Swagger main course. Was good while it lasted though due to the sheer amount of love Matt brings with him.)

Promo package for Kizarny, who spends the entire time hanging out with sideshow freaks and speaking in carnie.

This was annoying after thirty seconds so no wonder they dumped him quicker than Eric Escobar.

Paul Burchill vs. DJ Gabriel

Oh wonderful, we go from one award-winning gimmick to another as we get the debut of Incest Paul and Katie Lea. They’d dump it after a while but not after some arm-rubbing and DO YA GET IT YET looking-at-the-camera levels of implication. Burchill does his best to wrestle wearing a sneer but looks more like he’s just been told he’s going from pirate to sister-fucker.

I don’t remember Burchill being bad last time they allowed him on TV but he’s regressed to Mike Knox-levels of clothesline-stomp-chinlock and the only noise the crowd makes is chanting BORING. Another clothesline followed by another rest-hold and you’d think Burchill was the newbie here rather than DJ. Another chinlock from Paul who is moving around like he’s got two peg-legs until DJ hits a complicated slam, Paul recovers and rolls-up Dead Gimmick’s Chest for the awkward win.

Winner: DJ Gabriel (Paul bombed harder than Cutthroat Island.)

Finlay & The Boogeyman vs. John Morrison & The Miz (No DQ)

Fit slaps Miz around while JBL watches happily in the back, wearing a hat and nothing else. Miz & Morrison are double-teamed by Finlay & Horny, taking Earthquake splashes and then a clothesline by Boogey. Miz goes the other side of the ring but Boogey’s hand holds him in place from under the ring while Horny dives with his tiny tope.


It’s a testament to Miz & Morrison’s talent that they can sell for Hornswoggle and still be taken seriously as wrestlers. Finlay gets dumped on the apron and takes various double-teams from the Slammy Award winners as Boogey earns his money and drools on the apron. Boogey eventually clotheslines both Miz & Morrison but goes back on the apron and when Finlay tries a comeback, Morrison rolls him up for the three. Oh.

Winners: John Morrison & The Miz (No idea what the ending was about, it looked set up for Finlay to turn on Boogeyman for being shit but instead he dances with some kids to end the show and Finlay points at the camera and laughs at you for watching wrestling in December.)

Overall: This time of the year is for family and Muppet’s Christmas Carol so it’s your own damn fault for expecting something good on the brand featuring Boogeyman, Kizarny, incest and Main Event Hornswoggle. Happy new year and fuck you too.

I’ve been Maffew and I’ll be doing 2009, don’t worry. Follow me on Twitter and watch me on Cultaholic. Please.

Oh also I finally watched Botch Club so you can find out my thoughts by clicking here.

Saturday Night Thread

Saturday continues building momentum as the blog rolls on!

UFC debuts on ESPN+ tonight with their first show and a new belt.  Plus the usual array of sports.

Monday is the debut of Superstars on the Network!  34 episodes drop, and hopefully they have a better rate of addition than Heat or Prime Time.

Hopefully everyone is enjoying the weekend, so talk about it here!

Best Rumble World Title Match?


In honor of the upcoming World Title matches at Rumble (which both have the potential to join the list of best) what do you think is the best one? I feel like the obvious would be Angle/Benoit or Triple H/Foley. Some of my favs were Brock/Rollins/Cena, Undertaker/Mysterio, Cena/Umaga and Styles/Cena. Orton/Hardy for honorable mention.

I don't think anyone's ever topping HHH v. Cactus.  Styles/Cena was amazing as a technical exhibition, but the street fight had the storyline and emotion in addition to being a ***** match.  

Degrassi T.V. Series


Since you are Canadian, I just have to ask;  Did you ever get into the "Degrassi" t.v. series?  I.E.-Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi; The Next Generation, etc.  
No, so don't blame me for Drake.  My parents did watch The Littlest Hobo and Beachcombers all the time, though. 

Jericho going off on a newsletter?

Was it true that in the early 2000's after a PPV, Chris Jericho publicly went off on a newsletter,(I'm going to say it was the Observer, but I'm not sure), for not giving his match enough stars?  I've heard bits and pieces of this over the years, but obviously never the full story.  

There's not much a story, really.  He pitched a fit on a website after King of the Ring 2002 because people online only rated his match with RVD at ***3/4 or something.  I don't think it was specifically directed at the Observer, and in fact he was probably just working everyone anyway.  

Impact Wrestling – January 18, 2019

Impact Wrestling
Date: January 18, 2019
Location: The Asylum, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

We’re still in Nashville and that means the fallout from last week’s medium sized angle. Moose cost Johnny Impact his non-title match with Killer Kross, but Brian Cage is still lurking. We also get to find out who Scarlett Bordeaux’s new talent is, which could be a disaster. Let’s get to it.

Read moreImpact Wrestling – January 18, 2019

Rollins vs. Lesnar


Who do you pick to win? Any chance Lesnar retains and holds the title until another Reigns rematch at WrestleMania 36? This could be their chance to really get Roman over!

Pretty sure they're just gonna keep the title rotting on Lesnar until they decide once and for all who their guy is gonna be or Brock commits to UFC one way or the other.  

Jerry Blackwell

Hey Scott–

In today's Hidden Gems review, you say that Jerry Blackwell's face turn saved the AWA for a while.

Can you go into a little more detail? From the stuff I've seen, his in-ring work wasn't particularly great, and he doesn't look like the "legit athlete" that Verne typically gravitated towards. He certainly doesn't look like a reasonable successor to Hogan.

I guess that's my long way of asking: How did he (temporarily) save the AWA when he looks like the only thing he could save would be a Cheesecake Factory?

Short answer, Hulk Hogan and all his friends left in January 84, so Verne turned Blackwell babyface and pushed him to the top along with the Road Warriors, and it was actually enough to maintain a pretty high level of crowd interest for whatever reason.  I never really got Blackwell but obviously it worked. Of course it couldn't maintain and losing the Warriors really killed them.  

The Friday Night Party Thread: January 18, 2019

WE MADE IT!

More to the point, I’ve made it — I’m celebrating 8 years at my current place of employment.  And there was a time I was certain I couldn’t hold a job longer than 8 months.

Your NBA on ESPN showdown is Spurs/Wolves, followed by Warriors/Clippers.  St. Joseph’s plays St. Louis on ESPN2, and then it’s Aussie Open time.

Hey, I’m gonna pimp NOVA Pro here whenever I get the chance.  Here’s an undercard match from our most recent show on 12/27, featuring rising star Harlow O’Hara against AEW signee Penelope Ford.  If you want to see more of us, go to IndependentWrestling.TV and sign up!  (Code NOVAPRO extends your 10-day free trial to 20 days.)

 

Enjoy the weekend, y’all!

Six of the Best – WWE Royal Rumble 2009-2018 – Non-Rumble Matches

The Royal Rumble event has always been about more than just the Rumble itself, with some real gems to be found on quite a few of the undercards. Because there have been so many Rumble events, I decided to split the Non-Rumble matches into three different segments, 1988-1998, 1999-2008 and 2009-2018.

As always, these are just my own personal picks. This isn’t supposed to be some sort of objective list or anything. If I leave out a match that you think warrants inclusion, then please feel free to put it down in the comments section below. As with previous lists, I’ll be listing the matches in chronological order.

So without further to do, let’s get to it!

Read moreSix of the Best – WWE Royal Rumble 2009-2018 – Non-Rumble Matches

What the World Was Watching: WCW Pro – April 22, 1995

WCW Prime aired on April 17 with a new feature bout:

–Prime “MOOO” Match of the Week:  Alex Wright (26-0-1) defeats Steve Austin (w/Colonel Robert Parker) (8-1) via disqualification when Arn Anderson interferes at 6:05:

Read moreWhat the World Was Watching: WCW Pro – April 22, 1995

Lesnar shooting star press

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If you were Vince, would you encourage or allow Brock Lesnar to do the shooting star press one time at the Rumble or Wrestlemania this year, to give the fans something memorable & totally unexpected? 


No, because he might get hurt and then we’d have to go without a champion for months on end.  
In a related note, the WWE Champions game has one of the funnier inside jokes I’ve seen, as the “Next Big Thing” version of Brock features a shooting star press move that deals “x” damage to your opponent and “x/2” damage to yourself.  It’s a pretty great gag.  

Worlds Collide Championship



Scott,

   I like the idea of this tourney to crown the best in the WWE Universe. To that end, wouldn't the Universal Championship be better suited for this? At least it would be defended once in a while.

Obviously you just don’t understand the brilliance of having a champion who is never on TV and constantly threatens to go do other sports.  Sure makes me wanna watch the Rumble.