thuganomics

I figure the kid can hold off until March where they can have his "debut" live at WM XX. But there's more, as Vince McMahon attacks Shane in the room, thank kidnaps his grandson. This can then lead to months and months of pointless storylines once again taking attention away from the talented wrestlers that actually work for the WWE.

Not sure about the Cena DVD as he really hasn't had that many great matches. However, despite the Stone Cold Truth special being rather average, the extras may make that DVD worthwhile. Good to see WWE using the resources they have sitting around Titan Tower.

I don't feel the book stumbles at all. It's incredibly weighty compared to even his Sandman work, but it still possesses an uncanny level of depth to it. As to Neverwhere, it isn't exactly a masterpiece novel, but it is still a very high quality book (not to mention mini-series).

I'm guessing you can find most issues from that era of Superman in the 25 cent bin at comicons... As to the wedding issue, it sold for $6 and if you pay more than that for it, you were ripped off. It was overprinted, overly boring, and rather pointlessly long. Oh, and absolutely action free! As I recall, I kept mine solely for the wedding dress designs by every major Superman artist from the reboot on...

This should be a damn good show. I'm really looking forward to seeing both Juvi and Aguila again. They both are seriously underrated talents.

A bit old school but I like the team in the early days when it consisted of Cap, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Giant-Man & Wasp. That was a good solid team. Second votes would go to the West Coast Avengers team of Vision, Scarlet Witch, Mockingbird, Hawkeye, Wonder Man, Tigra and Moon Knight.

This is old news for me now. I'm trying to get my copy on Legends II without paying $25 dollars now. Short story sequel featuring Shadow in it. Oh, and 1602 is also a damn fine read. Quite different than most of Gaiman's work. And anyone who doesn't own the Neverwhere DVD should go find a copy immediately.

Essential Daredevil reading is as follows: Visionairies: Frank Miller TPB's, Daredevil: Man Without Fear TPB, Daredevil: Guardian Devil TPB, Daredevil (original series) 240-260 (this is Ann Nocenti's follow up to Miller's second run, featuring Typhoid Mary, great stuff), Karl Kesel and Joe Kelly also had pretty decent runs on the title before it became Marvel Knights, and Bendis' current stories are pretty decent. As to the movie, Daredevil is one of Marvel's best releases, right up there with X2 and Spider-Man. They took some liberties with the character, but they serve to make a more streamlined story for a 2 hr movie. I think Elektra may have been downplayed a little too much, but as she has a movie in the works as a spin off I can't complain too much.

Spanky could be huge for TNA, but my guess is going to Sabin or Shane. TNA seems to really like both, and I'm guessing Sabin's win was just to move Shane out of the X-Division.

You forgot Alan Moore's Swamp Thing as well, which I consider the original ideal that both Sandman and Preacher draw from.

Funaki is in the ring, about to give an interview. Out from the crowd comes the debuting Aja Kong, who attacks. Funaki gets whipped into the turnbuckles by Aja Kong. Northern Lights Superplex! Funaki has been laid out by Aja Kong (65%) Sadly enough, Funaki gained 3 points of overness from this angle. Nidia vs Lucy Furr. Match Background: Nidia and Lucy are currently feuding. Neither has managed to get an in-ring victory in this feud. The Match: Nidia walks into a spinning heel kick which almost causes a decapitation! Lucy Furr hits a shitty missile dropkick on Nidia. There's a two count on the pin. Nidia pulls a mule kick out of nowhere. Nidia hits a back kick, doubling Lucyover. Nidia hits a spinning back kick. All those spinning kicks look alike, don't they. Covers for a quick two count. Swan dive headbutt from Nidia but without much elevation on the move. Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! I would have bought that as the finish! Lucy Furr takes a knee lift from Nidia. *sigh* Running knee lifts always remind me of the late Curt Hennig. Lucy reverses a waistlock. Lucy Furr uses a running dropkick into the corner. That was just...ugh. Covers for a quick two count. Lucy face jams Nidia. Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! Lucy Furr arm drags Nidia over and locks on an armbar. Lucy hits a back kick, doubling Nidiaover. Nidia counters an arm wringer with an elbow to the side of the head. Nidia hits a soaring kick on Lucy. Nidia blasts Lucy with a superkick. Dawn Marie comes running down the aisle and into the ring! Lucy Furr turns around. Dawn Marie spins Lucy around. Dawn Marie hits the Low Blow! Dawn leaves the ring, the damage done! The ref gets into position, administers the three count, and it's over. Nidia pins Lucy. Nidia shakes hands with Dawn Marie, showing that their plan worked perfectly. My Opinion: I'll give it a *3/4 rating. If you think of it like currency, it's a 1.75. You can't even take the subway with that anymore here. Work harder man. (85/94/67%) Aja Kong comes out to introduce her new manager. Out from the back comes Jim Cornette, apparently making his debut as the new manager of Aja Kong. (69%) Lucy Furr is backstage. She continued their rivalry by getting on THE STICK~! and ripping into Nidia. I'm happy that they're giving the feud enough time to develop. (88%) Team Mattitude vs Ultimo Dragon and Funaki. Match Background: None. The Match: Shannon uses a basement dropkick to the knee and it looks like it might be TIME TO GO TO SCHOOL~! Funaki takes a NICE hurrancarana from Shannon Moore. There's a two count on the pin. Shannon tags out to Matt Hardy. Team Mattitude whip Funaki into the ropes and hit a double backdrop. Spin kick by Matt Hardy to the face sends the opponent FLYING across the ring. Hooks the leg for a two count. M.Hardy just WAFFLES Funaki with a STIFF chop that hurt ME to watch! Funaki blocks a punch. Vicious kick to the teeth from Funaki. Tag between Funaki and Ultimo Dragon. Dragon hits a dropkick on Matt Hardy and gets right back up. Flying reverse elbow by Ultimo Dragon. M.Hardy backdrops Ultimo Dragon out of a piledriver attempt. That took a lot out of Matt Hardy. Tag to Shannon Moore. Lightning kick by Shannon on Dragon. Tiger suplex on Dragon. No Misawa references from me, I swear. Oh, Bloody Hell! Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! I would have bought that as the finish! Shannon just WAFFLES Dragon with a STIFF chop that hurt ME to watch! Dragon kicks Shannon Moore in the gut to reverse the momentum. Flying cross body off the top rope! Shannon Moore is in trouble. Asai DDT!!! That shook the ring. 1....2....3!! Team Mattitude don't look like they're finished by any means...and they rush forward to attack Ultimo Dragon and Funaki, and send them to the outside. Threats are exchanged as the chaos ends. My Opinion: Smack dab in the middle of the star spectrum for an average match. **1\2. (63/40/86%) This match suffered because the crowd were still pumped up from the last one, and so this bout was seen as something of a let-down to them. So, apparently, Nidia and Lucy Furr work really well together in all their 1 and 3/4 star glory. Stephanie McMahon is backstage, and announces that next week we will see Nidia & Dawn Marie and Lucy & Aja Kong fight in a tag team match. (79%) Joanie Laurer is backstage. She was building up the feud with Sable. Well, that's just...neat! (78%) Tajiri vs Jamie Noble. Match Background: This match is to determine the #1 Contender to the Cruiserweight championship. The Match: Tajiri connects with a back heel kick on Noble and gets back up quickly. Tajiri misses a big legdrop after stalling too long. Spinning back kick from Jamie Noble. Noble whips Tajiri into the turnbuckles...and the ref is crushed! Back heel kick off the second rope, Tajiri goes down. Hooks the leg, but the referee is still out! Tajiri once again takes the advantage after blocking a few punches and connecting with some forearms. Tajiri hits a rolling kick on Noble. Konnan has ruined any chance for me ever enjoying this maneuver again with his shitty execution of it. Flying reverse elbow by Tajiri. Hooks the leg for a two count. DDT from the top rope by Tajiri. That looked KILLER. Hooks the leg! ONE...TWO...NO! Tajiri drops an elbow...but Jamie Noble moves out of the way. Lightning kick by Noble on Tajiri. Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! I would have bought that as the finish! Noble charges into the corner but EATS BOOT. Akio comes running down the aisle and onto the apron! Noble turns...and is dropped throat-first onto the top rope by Akio! Akio has left Noble in big trouble. Tajiri moves in for the kill. Here it comes - Buzzsaw Kick. 1....2...3, it's finished. Tajiri \ Akio are beating down on Jamie Noble! The music of Rey Mysterio Jr. hits, and he comes running down the aisle into the ring. Tajiri and Akio bail out of the ring, leaving Jamie Noble down in the ring. Rey Mysterio Jr. may have saved Jamie Noble from a brutal beating. My Opinion: Good bout. In my estimation, it's about ***3/4. (74/58/91%) Joanie Laurer is in the ring. Sable comes down carrying the DWWE Womens belt, and gets in the ring. After a few words, Sable uses the belt to deck Joanie Laurer! Sable poses above her, the belt safely in her hands. (84%) Shaniqua is backstage. She was building up the feud with Torrie Wilson. Well, that's just...neat! (82%) Torrie Wilson vs Shaniqua. Match Background: Torrie and Shaniqua have been feuding recently. Neither has managed to get an in-ring victory in this feud. This match is for the United States title. Shaniqua has been United States champion since 01 January 2004. The Match: Shaniqua strikes Torrie Wilson with a hard blow. Shaniqua hits a piledriver on Torrie Wilson. I know I wouldn't let someone that bad give me a piledriver. Hooks the leg for a two count. Torrie Wilson reverses a hip toss. Shaniqua takes a weak kick. Weak slam from Torrie sets Shaniqua for something, but if it was as weak as that slam, then Shaniqua has no worries. There's a two count on the pin. Sloppy discus punch from Torrie Wilson barely connects on Shaniqua. Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! Torrie Wilson strikes Shaniqua. Shaniqua backdrops Torrie Wilson out of a piledriver attempt. That took a lot out of Shaniqua. Shaniqua hits a sloppy double axe handle off the top. Covers for a quick two count. Shaniqua turns Torrie inside-out with a clothesline. Reminds me of Willow's 'Bored Now' skin ripping finisher. Inside joke, don't worry about it. Cover, ONE...TWO...NO! I honestly thought that match was going to end right then and there. Shaniqua strikes Torrie Wilson with a hard blow. Uninspired brawling from Shaniqua. Torrie Wilson avoids a Shaniqua avalanche by getting out of the damn way! Big forearm by Torrie draws laughter from the crowd because it was THAT bad. Side suplex from Torrie. Could have been done a hell of a lot better though. Shaniqua slugs Torrie Wilson, sending her down into the corner. While Shaniqua fires up the crowd, Torrie is removing the turnbuckle pad! Shaniqua comes over...but Torrie goes low! Torrie Wilson gets up, then goes for the irish whip into the corner, but Shaniqua reverses! Torrie Wilson goes head first into them, knocking her silly! Schoolboy from Shaniqua: 1....2....3! The referee never noticed the exposed turnbuckle. Another referee comes running down the aisle, and points out the exposed steel turnbuckle to the assigned official. The referee reverses the decision! He is disqualifying Shaniqua for using it to gain an advantage! The fight has started up again! Torrie Wilson attacks Shaniqua, and they brawl all around ringside, then into the crowd! They eventually disappear backstage, still fighting. My Opinion: DUD. That's about all I can say without getting into obsenities. (73/86/43%) Another quality match between Shaniqua and Torrie. Dang, can these two wrestle. Overall Rating: 76%

Just for kicks, I created this little EWR scenario where the Divas control the WWE, and the male wrestlers are just second raters in the Men's and Cruiserweight divisions. Here's the line up of champions to avoid any confusion: World: Molly Holly, World TT: Ms. Jackie & Ivory, IC: Gail Kim, Mens: HHH, DWWE: Sable, US: Torrie Wilson, DWWE TT: Torrie & Nidia, Cruiser: Rey Mysterio Enjoy!

Let me see... I'd probably promote a show mostly around cruiserweights, but keep a few heavyweights around to promote the title. 1) D'Lo Brown 2) Raven 3) Spanky 4) AJ Styles 5) Chris Daniels 6) Low-Ki 7) American Dragon 8) Samoa Joe 9) Jerry Lynn 10) Buchanan 11) CM Punk 12) Chris Sabin 13) Frankie Kazarian 14) Sonjay Dutt 15) Jack Evans 16) Teddy Hart (if he can get along with everyone else...) 17) Amazing Red 18) Jushin Liger 19) CIMA 20) Doug Williams

I agree with the suck. Now even Velocity won't be that entertaining, sans Spanky.

Fuck goddamn sumbitches in WWE.... *ahem* Hopefully, Spanky will be able to find himself a good niche in the indy circuit. Future X-Division champion maybe?

Bob Harras micromanaged the X-Men... how... um... shocking. Age of Apocalypse was a damn fine piece of work overall, but Alpha and Omega blew chunks. Probably some Harras influence there as well.

Lilian Garcia and Terri welcome us to RAW as Evolution's music hits the arena. Molly Holly, Gail Kim, Miss Jackie, and Ivory (Evolution) come out to the ring. They got on THE STICK~! and spent the interview putting themselves over. (84%) Debra comes out from the back. She takes the microphone and makes it clear that she is in a position of power within this company. (74%) John Cena vs Randy Orton. Match Background: None. The Match: Cena slams Randy Orton. Cena walks into a drop toe hold. Cena gets slammed down hard and winces in pain. John Cena charges, Orton moves, and the referee is knocked silly! Powerbomb on Cena. Cover, but there's no one to count for Randy Orton! John Cena reverses a hip toss. BAAACK Body drop by Orton gets a bit of a pop from the crowd. Big piledriver on Orton. Hooks the leg for a two count. John Cena scores with a big spinebuster. Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! I would have bought that as the finish! Cena goes for a splash but Orton puts the knees up. BRAINBUSTAH~! by Randy Orton! Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! I would have bought that as the finish! Cena powers out of a headlock. Triple H runs down the aisle and into the ring, carrying a chair! Cena turns...and gets floored with a chair to the head! The referee has no choice but to call for the bell! Disqualification! Orton and HHH are putting the boots to John Cena! Chris Jericho comes running down the aisle with a chair! He slides in, sending Orton \ HHH running for cover. Chris Jericho saved Cena from a major beating. My Opinion: A wise man once said 'Can I get a side of bland with that bland'. He's dead now, though. That's what this match was...bland. ** (62/64/75%) Debra is backstage, and announces that tonight we will see Jazz and Stacy Keibler fight one on one for the #1 contendership to Gail Kim's Intercontinental title. (74%) Jacqueline vs Victoria. Match Background: None. The Match: Double leg takedown from Jacqueline sets up a ground and pound in the middle of the ring. What the hell is this, UFC? Jacquie hits a piledriver on Victoria. I know I wouldn't let someone that bad give me a piledriver. Hooks the leg for a two count. Jacquie walks into a drop toe hold. Victoria strikes Jacquie. Implant DDT by Victoria! I will always and forever mark out for that move. Hooks the leg for a two count. Power drive elbow by Victoria. That sounds like a feature on a 4 x 4, doesn't it. Cover, ONE...TWO...NO! I honestly thought that match was going to end right then and there. Jacquie takes a flying neckbreaker from Victoria. Jacquie reverses a Victoria hammerlock. Jacqueline hits an ugly looking bulldog off the ropes. There's a two count on the pin. Sloppy discus punch from Jacqueline barely connects on Victoria. Hooks the leg! ONE...TWO...NO! Big kick from Jacquie staggers Victoria but that's about it. Jacquie takes down Victoria and begins wailing away with some weak punches. Victoria blocks the suplex attempt and is able to hit the suplex instead! Spin kick by Victoria to the face sends the opponent FLYING across the ring. Diamond Dust from Victoria and Jackieis out! Molly Holly comes running down the aisle and into the ring! Jacqueline turns around. Molly Holly slams Jackie down. Molly Holly climbs to the top rope and hits the Molly Go Round! Molly leaves the ring, the damage done! The ref gets into position, administers the three count, and it's over. Victoria pins Jacqueline. Molly Holly remains in the ring. Victoria pushes the referee away. Victoria spins Molly around. Victoria hits the Widow's Peak! My Opinion: I'll give it a *1\2 rating. Consider getting more stars to be the adventure of a lifetime. Get started. (69/82/67%) Gail Kim is backstage. She put herself over on THE STICK, talking about how great she is. (71%) Stacy Keibler vs Jazz. Match Background: None. The Match: Uninspiring brawling from Stacy Keibler. Check them brawlin' stats, boy. Stacy walks into a drop toe hold. Jazz hits some punches. How generic. Jazz misses a clothesline...and takes out the referee accidentally! Jazz scores with a big spinebuster. Cover, but there's no one to count for Jazz! Stacy counters a sleeper with a jaw breaker and is able to get free! Weak slam from Stacy sets Jazz for something, but if it was as weak as that slam, then Jazz has no worries. Powerslam from Stacy Keibler on Jazz. There's a two count on the pin. Stacy Keibler knocks Jazz down to the canvas with a clothesline. Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! Jazz reverses a waistlock. Spear by Jazz. Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! Jazz charges into the corner but EATS BOOT. Jazz can barely stand. Here it comes - Spinning Heel Kick. 1....2...3, it's finished. Gail Kim comes running down the aisle, and gets into the ring! Gail Kim spins Stacy around. Gail Kim hits the Tornado DDT! Stacy Keibler has been left down on the canvas. My Opinion: -*. That's right. NEGATIVE ONE STAR. That's what you get for this CRAP. (61/81/41%) How can Dames dare to give a Stacy Keibler match a negative star. This is THE Stacy Keibler we're talking about here! Honestly. Lita and Trish are backstage. They continued the feud by ripping into Ivory and Miss Jackie. Hooray for properly booked feuds! (82%) Lita and Trish vs Ivory and Miss Jackie. Match Background: Lita and Trish and Ivory and Miss Jackie have been feuding recently. Neither team holds an in-ring victory since the feud started. This match is for the World Tag Team titles. The Match: A weak headbutt on Trish by Ivory causes nothing but pain for both. Trish gets splashed in the corner. There's a two count on the pin. Tag to Miss Jackie. Ivory and Miss Jackie whip Trish into the corner. Ivory whips Miss Jackie in for a hard clothesline to follow-up. Hooks the leg for a two count. A powerslam so weak, my grandmother could have performed it, is actually pulled off by Jackie on Trish. Trish Stratus is able to duck a clothesline attempt and connect with a counter clothesline. Jackie walks into a side slam. Think about how much talent it takes to side slam someone. Nash can do it. Covers for a quick two count. Tag between Trish Stratus and Lita. Lita crushes Jackie with a huge legdrop. Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! Lita uses a basement dropkick to the knee and it looks like it might be TIME TO GO TO SCHOOL~! Jackie blocks a punch. Lita takes a couple of weak clotheslines. Tag between Miss Jackie and Ivory. Ivory strikes away at Lita, not doing much damage at all. Tag to Trish Stratus. Ivory strikes Trish Stratus with a hard blow. Molly Holly comes running down the aisle and into the ring! Trish Stratus turns around. Molly Holly slams Trish down. Molly Holly climbs to the top rope and hits the Molly Go Round! Molly leaves the ring, the damage done! The ref gets into position, administers the three count, and it's over. Ivory pins Trish. Molly Holly is still in the ring. She signals for the Molly Go Round! Running down the aisle comes Victoria! She slides in the ring, and chases Molly out of the ring! Victoria chases her through the crowd and out of sight. My Opinion: Usually, this is designated for good matches that were usually way too short for some reason. What's your excuse? *3/4 (76/95/65%) I'm amazed that a match featuring Miss Jackie can have a quality of 65%. Trish, Lita, and Ivory must have really fucking carried her. Overall: 72% Apparently, HHH's gimmick is weak. Go figure. Damn, the gimmicks of Molly Holly and Gail Kim are as well. Next week on RAW, gimmick overhaul day!

Smackdown January 1, 2004 Marissa Mazzola and Rue welcome the fans to Smackdown as we kick things off with Rey Mysterio v. Tajiri for the cruiserweight title! Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Tajiri. Match Background: Mysterio and Tajiri have been feuding recently. Tajiri has yet to get an in-ring victory in this feud. This match is for the DWWE Cruiserweight title. The Match: Mysterio takes a flying neckbreaker from Tajiri. Flying reverse elbow by Tajiri. Hooks the leg for a two count. Rey Mysterio Jr. is able to duck a clothesline attempt and connect with a counter clothesline. Dropkick connects to the BUTT of the jaw and Tajiri goes down. Hard back suplex on Tajiri. Come to think of it, that move had WAY too much power in No Mercy for N64. Hooks the leg for a two count. SHINING WIZARD~! on Tajiri by Mysterio! Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! Second rope flying axe handle, Tajiri goes down. One day, Mysterio might even consider coming off the top with that. You know...for more impact and stuff. Tajiri powers out of a Rey Mysterio Jr. headlock. SUPER frankensteiner on Mysterio, who hit hard and is loopy as a result. Hooks the leg for a two count. Tiger suplex on Mysterio. No Misawa references from me, I swear. Oh, Bloody Hell! Hooks the leg! ONE...TWO...NO! Tajiri hits a rolling kick on Mysterio. Konnan has ruined any chance for me ever enjoying this maneuver again with his shitty execution of it. Tajiri strikes Mysterio. Rey Mysterio Jr. pulls a mule kick out of nowhere. Second rope flying axe handle, Tajiri goes down. One day, Mysterio might even consider coming off the top with that. You know...for more impact and stuff. DDT from the top rope by Rey Mysterio Jr.. That looked KILLER! Rey Mysterio Jr. moves in for the kill. West Coast Pop! 1....2....3. Tajiri slides to the outside and grabs a chair, then climbs back into the ring. Mysterio turns around...and gets planted with a huge chair shot to the head! He is left down and out on the canvas. My Opinion: Nothing offensive, but nothing too special either. **1\2 rating. (67/71/80%) In the ring is Stephanie McMahon, who has a microphone. She announces the newest signing, Lucy Furr. She comes out from the back, and gets into the ring. Suddenly she attacks Steph and beats her down. Stephanie McMahon is in trouble. Frankenscreamer!!! That shook the ring. Lucy plays to the crowd, leaving Stephanie McMahon down in the ring. (80%) Shaniqua is backstage. She was out there to hype a match against Torrie Wilson. Good way to get the fans interested in what is coming up. (73%) Stephanie McMahon is backstage, and announces that, because of the assault earlier tonight, we will see Nidia and Lucy Furr fight one on one. (81%) London and Spanky vs Kyo Dai. Match Background: None. The Match: Flying elbow from Spanky connects. Flying cross body off the top rope! There's a two count on the pin. Tag between Spanky and Paul London. Paul London scoops up Sakoda. Spanky bounces off the ropes and hits a flying Hart Attack clothesline. Spin kick by Paul London to the face sends the opponent FLYING across the ring. There's a two count on the pin. London just WAFFLES Sakoda with a STIFF chop that hurt ME to watch! Sakoda counters a sleeper with a jaw breaker and is able to get free! Sakoda hits a great swinging DDT on Paul London. Sakoda then hits a pair of HARD clotheslines and a BAAACK Bodydrop! ULTIMATE HOUSE...EN...FUEGO~! Sakoda tags out to Akio. Hard back suplex on London. Come to think of it, that move had WAY too much power in No Mercy for N64. Super kick by Akio. London backdrops Akio out of a piledriver attempt. That took a lot out of Paul London. Tag to Spanky. SUPER frankensteiner on Akio, who hit hard and is loopy as a result. Tiger suplex on Akio. No Misawa references from me, I swear. Oh, Bloody Hell! Cover, ONE...TWO...NO! I honestly thought that match was going to end right then and there. Akio walks into a high dropkick from Spanky, almost losing several teeth in the process. Akio reverses a hip toss. Spinning bulldog in the corner and Spanky is down! Tajiri comes running down the aisle and into the ring! Spanky turns around. Tajiri spins Spanky around. Tajiri hits the Buzzsaw Kick! Tajiri leaves the ring, the damage done! ONE...TWO...THREE. Akio defeats Spanky. Tajiri is still in the ring. He signals for the Buzzsaw Kick! Running down the aisle comes Rey Mysterio Jr.! He slides in the ring, and chases Tajiri out of the ring! Mysterio chases him through the crowd and out of sight. My Opinion: Well, hello there *1/4 rating, how are you? (57/37/76%) Sable has come out, carrying the DWWE Womens belt. She climbs into the ring. Before she can say anything though, the debuting Joanie Laurer comes out of the crowd and attacks. Joanie Laurer moves in for the kill. Here it comes - Rear Naked Drop. Joanie Laurer grabs the title belt and leaves through the crowd. (98%) Nidia vs Lucy Furr. Match Background: Lucy is making her debut at this show. The Match: Nidia hits a short arm drag on Lucy. Nidia snapmares Lucy Furr and goes for the DREADED chinlock. Nidia hits a dropkick on Lucy Furr. Actually, it barely touched! Lucy Furr takes a knee lift from Nidia. *sigh* Running knee lifts always remind me of the late Curt Hennig. Lucy reverses a Nidia hammerlock. Nidia takes a knee lift from Lucy. *sigh* Running knee lifts always remind me of the late Curt Hennig. Lucy Furr uses a running dropkick into the corner. That was just...ugh. Hooks the leg for a two count. Nidia reverses a hip toss. Nidia hits a shitty missile dropkick on Lucy. There's a two count on the pin. Nidia blasts Lucy with a superkick. Hooks the leg! ONE...TWO...NO! Nidia charges into the corner but EATS BOOT. Nidia takes a kick to the chest, and staggers back. A blind charge only gets an even HARDER kick. Nidia backdrops Lucy Furr out of a piledriver attempt. That took a lot out of Nidia. Face crusher from Nidia on Lucy sets up for an elbowdrop. Dawn Marie comes running down the aisle with a chair! Lucy goes to irish whip Nidia into the ropes. Dawn prepares to swing the chair...but Nidia reverses! Dawn accidentally smacks Lucy with a chair to the back! Nidia floors Lucy Furr...and climbs the turnbuckles. Off the top - Moonsault, forget about it. 1....2...3! Dawn Marie remains in the ring. Lucy Furr pushes the referee away. Lucy Furr spins Dawn around. Lucy Furr hits the Frankenscreamer! My Opinion: When I give out 3/4*, it means that I'm being REALLY nice about it. (77/88/59%) Sable is in the ring. Joanie Laurer comes out, carrying the Women's belt, and challenges her to a match at Royal Rumble. The challenge is accepted. (81%) Torrie Wilson is backstage. She was on Hype Central (HYPE CENTRAL!!!) tonight, this time for a match with Shaniqua. Can you believe that I just marked out for Lance Wright? How many people even remember that guy? (90%) Torrie Wilson vs Shaniqua. Match Background: This match is for the United States title. The Match: Shaniqua strikes away at Torrie Wilson, not doing much damage at all. Uninspired brawling from Shaniqua. Weak bodyslam on Torrie by Shaniqua sets up a legdrop. Torrie takes a vertical suplex, but pops right back up. Torrie blocks a kick from Shaniqua. Punch by Torrie, missing Shaniqua COMPLETELY. I'm just glad that Shaniqua didn't sell it. Powerslam from Torrie Wilson on Shaniqua. There's a two count on the pin. Shaniqua reverses a hip toss. Powerslam from Shaniqua on Torrie. There's a two count on the pin. Flapjack from Shaniqua on Torrie. Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! Shaniqua walks into a drop toe hold. Weak kick from Torrie. I am unpleased. Shaniqua once again takes the advantage after blocking a few punches and connecting with some forearms. Torrie Wilson takes a right hand to the temple from Shaniqua. Sable comes running down the aisle and into the ring! Torrie Wilson turns around. Sable spins Torrie around. Sable hits the Sablecarana! Sable leaves the ring, the damage done! ONE...TWO...THREE. Shaniqua defeats Torrie. Shaniqua and Sable are beating the hell out of Torrie Wilson! Joanie Laurer sprints down the aisle and slides into the ring! She goes toe-to-toe with Shaniqua, exchanging punches, while Torrie Wilson comes back, sending Sable out of the ring with a clothesline. Laurer \ Torrie have cleared the ring, driving off Shaniqua and Sable! My Opinion: A DUD here would have actually been generous! -* (69/84/37%) [Apparently, Torrie Wilson sucks as a wrestler. Huh.] Overall Rating: 77% Lucy just made her debut, and is already suffering from a weak gimmick... *SIGH* She's going to be a "bitch" from now on. Shouldn't be much of a stretch. Oh, and apparently she works well with Nidia. Since their match only got 1 and a quarter stars, I'm a little scared.

I think she might be going a little far with this Chynna Doll thing...

WWE wouldn't know what to do if it didn't piss off part of its fan base week after week.

Benoit will get the title, if only because WM XX is the one time a year McMahon TRIES to please the fans.

Saint of Killers was one of the few special series from Preacher that didn't seem pointless to me. Really damn good, too.

Joss can produce a good X-Men I think. And I think he's one of the few people who can take Grant Morrison's run and work it in to continuity. Grant did a lot for X-Men, but it strikes me that he's leaving it a much larger mess than when he came in. And wasn't the revamp when he came in supposed to clean thing up?

if we get a double DVD of WM III & IV out of this, I shall be overjoyed.

I thought Benoit's winning the rumble was kind of obvious, as Lesnar & Heyman's "you'll never get another title shot ever, Benoit" set up is the exact same set up Angle & Heyman used on Lesnar the year before. My guess is that Heyman will still refuse Benoit's title shot, leading to him taking on HHH. That way HHH gets to main event WMXX.