The Rob Rant 12/12/06
Posted by TWV Guest Columnists
on 12/12/2006
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Guest Column By Rob Szydlowski
Hello there, wrestling fans. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of reading one of my columns/blogs: welcome. For those who have: welcome also. Hope you enjoy it. This is my first column in a long time, but I am back and ready to rant! I figured that I'd just get back to what I do best and that's discussing wrestling. So let's get to it.
First, ECW and the December To Dismember PPV. Really, about the only thing this "Pay Per View" did was cement the belief that not only is ECW dead, but it will never ever be what it was. It was a mess from top to bottom. First, we get a bunch of matches that really mean nothing (or filler matches). They promoted only two of the matches, one of which is the Extreme Elimination Chamber and the other being the Hardyz versus MNM. You'd think with all the talent they have (and yes, there are some talented, good workers in ECW who never get any props) they could have cobbled together a few more storylines for this PPV. Heaven knows they had enough time. Instead, we're subjected to what we were given: a bunch of matches that really could have been on Sci Fi. Let's break down the other two matches.
Hardy Boyz Vs. MNM
I actually liked this choice as they are 2 solid tag teams. To me, MNM really remind me of a tag team we would've seen during the Attitude era and the Hardyz are always fun to watch when Jeff is not trying to kill himself. I thought it would be a good match and it was. It will be interesting to see where the four of these individuals go from here. Jeff Hardy is still the IC champ and will continue to feud with Nitro. Hopefully Matt will return to SmackDown!! and begin a new feud as Gregory Helms looks to have moved on. And what about Mercury? Who knows; he could end up in ECW with all of the other talent that Vince doesn't want on RAW or SmackDown!
Extreme Elimination Chamber
First off, why do they feel the need to call it an extreme elimination chamber? I know; "It's got weapons!" Back when ECW was actually ECW, and not "Vince's other show," they didn't have to call things extreme. Everything was! It's in the name of the promotion for crying out loud. Every match was extreme rules. There were no count outs and no disqualifications! But this, my friends, is not ECW, make no mistake. But, I digress. As far as the combatants go, I actually liked the mix until they replaced Sabu with Holly. Don't get me wrong, I like Holly and I feel like he belongs in ECW (unlike say, Matt Striker), but I really was hoping to see Sabu take some crazy bumps in the chamber. But, Vince has to be Vince so Sabu was out and Holly was in. We now have only one ECW original (and I hate to hear Joey Styles call them that; can't stand the extremists moniker either) in the main event. Big Show, Holly, Test, and Lashley are all WWE guys and CM Punk, while massively over, is apparently not going to get his shot. We're not going to break this match down; we're just going to say that is was okay at best. Yes, there were some crazy spots, but the two most over wrestlers in the match are buried very quickly (what?!). The minute RVD was gone; you knew the Lashley was getting the belt. Big Show is leaving because of all his problems and you know that Test and Holly are not going to be put over as champ. We'll see how Lashley does as champ, but I have my doubts. This guy has absolutely no charisma at all. Great wrestler, not much else.
To top it all off, you have a show that is supposed to be close to three hours ending at 10:18. Unreal. I really believe that this is the beginning of the end for ECW. With Paul Heyman gone, there is no hope. Within a few months, all of the ECW originals will be gone. Sci Fi has ECW until next December I believe. It will be a miracle if it lasts that long. Shame on you, Vince. Shame on you, WWE. They really should issue a public apology for this mess. TNA is coming, Vince, and this time you may not get out on top.
So let's talk about TNA for a moment. We should just call this WCW II. For the most part, the wrestling is at a much higher level than WWE. But everything else just falls short right now. Granted, they are still up and coming, but come on TNA; the gimmicks are absolutely terrible!
Eric Young
What in the hell is going on here? He is feuding with a valet! Yes, I know it's really Robert Roode, but come on. By the way, nice turkey costume on Thanksgiving, Eric.
VKM (or whatever they are called this week)
Seriously, Road Dogg and Billy Gun (and make no mistake, that's who you'll always be) get over it. You are not part of DX and although DX may be somewhat stale, you are just as bad if not worse for these pathetic attempts at getting back in the spotlight. Nobody cares, guys. Not Vince, not DX, and not us. You just look silly. You're doing exactly the thing that you accuse DX of doing only at least they are successful at it. Go back to feuding with
Team 3D (I hate the new name) over who was better in the WWE. At least that was somewhat entertaining.
Ron "The Truth" Killings
K-Kwick, please retire. You bring nothing to the show and your dancing is horrible. Only Scotty 2 Hotty is a worse dancer. How you have a roster spot is beyond me.
Don West
I am sure he's a great guy, but he is the worst commentator I have ever heard. Makes The King look like Orson freaking Wells.
Ok, I'm not bashing TNA as I am going to cover some of the good things in a moment. It is very obvious that they have a lot of things that are going for them. I really want to see someone step up and really challenge Vince again because at the end of the day, I am a wrestling fan and the product overall right now sucks. With healthy competition, we all win. Some of the best things in wrestling happened during the Monday Night War.
Now, onto the upsides of TNA:
Samoa Joe/Kurt Angle
Duh; great choice to go after this right away. Good feud. I just hope Angle can stay healthy and not let his demons get him. I'm very concerned for his health. We've already lost Eddie and I don't want to say goodbye to Angle prematurely. I really like how this has developed and now of course they need to have the rubber match, having won a match apiece. I like everything about Joe's character. I feel like he really could be the next superstar. Oh and Angle's new entrance? Terrible. The WWE one was way better.
The X Division
Another no brainer. This is usually where the best wrestling is on the show and is a lot of fun to watch. These guys put it all on the line out there and it shows. You just can't look away. Even better, all of their core X Division guys are "home grown." That is to say, no WWE guys. Chris Sabin, AJ Styles, The Fallen Angel, Senshi, and Jay Lethel to name just a few are all amazing.
Christian Cage
Push this guy to the moon. Great wrestler, great on the mike, and now with Tomko, a real force in TNA. Good job and great entrance. Is it a Y2J ripoff? Maybe, but I still dig it. I see really big things for Christian.
LAX
I can't believe I can like anything that contains Konnan, but this has been done right. This trio has caused terror throughout TNA and giving them the belts was absolutely the right choice.
Ok, there you have it. The first rant of many. Any feedback is always appreciated, I love hearing from other fans. Take care and stay safe!
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azbats75@yahoo.com.
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