JoeDirt

With this show, the TPI, the PWG show on 9/4, ROH and CZW on 9/11, September is going to be a GREAT month for indy wrestling.

5 -- ERIC YOUNG & JOHNNY DEVINE & SCOTT D'AMORE vs. KONNAN & B.G. JAMES They've set this up as being a huge disadvantage for Konnan and James without having Dusty with them, but considering the partner of Young and Devine is D'Amore, a chubby ex-wrestler big mouth manager, how exactly does having the opportunity to isolate him in the match and pin him count as a disadvantage for Konnan and James? If I were a baseball coach, and my opposing team added a retired, chubby ex-baseball player as a tenth man in the batting order, that'd hardly be considered a disadvantage. It would instead be a "sure out" every time that guy stepped up to the plate. So either D'Amore never tags in, in which case it's two-on-two, or he tags in and is a big step down from the actual wrestlers he manages, in which case Konnan and James get to beat him up instead actual current wrestlers. Tenay and West must get a headache having to act so absolutely stupid when reacting to each of these dumbed-down angles. I hate to be so negative, but there's no point in sugarcoating a product that is so half-assed because you want to be "supportive of the industry." It doesn't do the industry any good to have a legitimate contender to be a no. 2 promotion that employs dozens of wrestlers full time with a dream money backer funding it week after week be putting out such a shoddy product, blowing such a great opportunity, and turning away potential fans who check out the product for the first time each week. I can only hope when the schedule slows down, they are able to catch their breath in September and October and produce a more intelligent, compelling product once a month starting in November. If they think this shallow booking makes no difference, they're limiting themselves to fans who don't notice or care about the product making any sense. That's a smaller audience than the majority of potential customers who want to be drawn emotionally into a well-told story, but won't settle for nonsense like this. With James beat down at 6:00, D'Amore tagged in and took some cheap shots, then tagged Young back in. That hardly constitutes a "major advantage" for James and Konnan. At 8:40 Konnan hot-tagged into the match and worked over Young and Devine at the same time with a double-clothesline. Then they shoved D'Amore into the ropes, but he bailed out of the ring. Konnan tossed young out of the ring. Dusty made his way to ringside through the crowd. He went after D'Amore as he threatened to hit James with a hockey stick. Dusty gave him a series of bionic elbows. James then gave Young a pump handle slam for the three count. Vince Russo then came to ringside and reversed the decision due to outside interference. Tenay said that was the first time he could recall Russo overturning a decision by a referee. Russo then yelled at Dusty as Dusty was about to drive away. Dusty said, "This is not over." Russo said, "Don't show up at Impact on Friday. You're suspended." WINNERS: Team Canada via reversed decision at 10:15. STAR RATING: *1/4 -A brief vignette aired plugging Jeff Jarrett vs. Jeff Hardy on Sept. 8. This feud has been so undeveloped, also. They have been promoting it for a month and you couldn't even write ten sentences detailing any depth to the storyline. It comes down to this: "Jeff Hardy was in the WWF, he has charisma, and he's cool to watch; he won a no. 1 contender's match and now gets a title shot. Jeff Jarrett doesn't want to defend against him because he isn't a fighting champion, but he spend as much time bad-mouthing Monty Brown. Jeff Hardy wants the title, or so we assume based on him talking about his destiny. Hardy also hangs around the Asylum and runs in on brawls at the end of shows he isn't even scheduled to wrestle on." That's about five sentences. Am I missing anything? And how much of those five sentences wasn't established three or four weeks ago? What's happened since then to add layers to the hype and build to a crescendo? Nothing. -Tenay and West got in their weekly ringside plugs for the website and the announced matches for the next two weeks. -Hudson interviewed Monty Brown who gave an intense promo vowing that he's in line for a title match against the winner of the Sept. 8 match. Jeff Jarrett interrupted and told Brown that he isn't standing in his way of a World Title shot because he'd give him a shot any day of the week. He said Jeff Hardy is the one standing in his way. Jarrett tried to trick Brown into taking out Hardy so he can have his title shot. Brown said it all sounded good, "but you look like a liar, you smell like a liar, and the Alpha Male doesn't trust you one bit," he said. Jarrett said he doesn't trust anyone in the arena, let alone the wrestling business. He said they do share a common enemy, Vince Russo. He wished him luck later.

Statement: It's been over 10 years since being a tag team champion meant anything in the WWF/E.

Keller ripping on TNA is kinda funny. Seems like an "eh" show so far.

IWA-MS manager and co owner Jim Fannin posted on another board: "CCW runs in the Coliseum in Evansville. The same building that USWA runs. CCW fired Ian supposedly because he wasn't a good trainer and IWA didn't acknowledge CCW's existence even though we had a title change there and had posts about them on our message board. It will be nice to put them under just like USWA and KCW didn't survive in Louisville going head to head against us. Good Day."

With Vito having said his goodbyes, I can believe that he just said "Fuck it," and decided to stay home instead of making $500, but being on the losing side of a match to Chris F'n Vaughn. Question I have to ask is: How in the hell did Vito develop such an ego? Is being a midcarder for a dying ECW and dying WCW really that much to build yourself up over? -=Mike Apparently so. I think it was in the Observer I read a story that sums up Vito's sense of self-importance, about when he was WCW tag team champion, a parking attendent requested to see some ID before letting him in, to which Vito responded in anger: "Don't you know who I am!? I'm one half of the WCW tag team champions! I don't have to show any ID!" Yikes. Maybe he's REALLY into kayfabe and being a heel. ... Or he's an ass.

Well if Paul Bearer is his father, then technically his name is Kane Bearer, right? I think Kane should be able to control people's minds or make people do things they don't want to do, a la Papa Shango. But in all seriousness...why not bring in Father James Mitchell as a manager? Could be cool.

Very cool...I believe it's a first time ever match also, right? Can't wait to see it...though who knows how long it'll take before the DVD comes out.

Statement: With his unique look, great in-ring presence, and great wrestling ability, Super Dragon would be a fantastic addition to Smackdown's Cruiserweight division.

Other notes from the spoilers: -RVD got beat down by Suzuki and Dupree after his match. (I'm kind of surprised they jobbed Suzuki) -Heidenreich didn't botch any moves when beating up Matthews, and looked to be in better shape than before. -Long told JBL either he or Jordan had to defend the title against Taker, so the main event might be for the belt. Taker tombstoned Jordan, but JBL pulled out the ref to cause the DQ.

I have a hard time picturing a RAW vs. Smackdown match with fans cheering "YEAH! RAW! FUCKING _RAW_ WON, BITCHES!" Or vice versa with Smackdown. But I guess people really don't get involved emotionally into matches anymore anyways...at least very rarely. It's more of just cheering for entertaining characters and spots, etc. But if John Cena gets pinned on Smackdown...do the fans really fucking care?

Thing is --- if you go back and actually WATCH his work, Russo has never shown an ability to write a coherent storyline. He is unable --- TO WRITE AN ENDING. Go back and rewatch all of his work. His angles usually just fizzle out or go so long that the pay-off is minimal (heck, McMahon v Austin went on far too long for it to be of any use at the very end). -=Mike The stuff leading to Rock winning the title at Survivor Series 98 was pretty damn good, IMO.

Jeff Jarrett and Jeff Hardy are boring. No amount of clean finishes can change that.

Another match just added: JC Bailey vs. Chris Cash vs. Nate Webb in a ladder match, stips to be announced.

http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=4687&p=1 "Mike Burns resigned as CZW booker last week. The parting, which was said to be amicable, was said a case of Burns tired of dealing with politics and washing his hands on the situation. Burns' Smart Mark Video company will continue to film and produce CZW home videos and DVDs. I haven't heard of someone replacing him, so perhaps Zandig will be taking over the booking. This may lead to the return of some of the names who were often at odds with Burns, such as the Backseat Boyz. One of the knocks on Burns as a booker from some of the wrestlers was that he seemed more interested in bringing outside talent in as opposed to utilizing the local workers who had put more time into the company. Burns was a driving force in the push behind Robby Mireno's Blackout, which has been the best gimmick of late in the company, so it will be interesting to see how their push continues from this point on."

Isn't that Quiet Storm's move, the Storm Cradle Piledriver? I think the guy doing the move, though, is one of the Maximos, aka the SAT.

Oh, and don't forget those kooky honeymoon vignettes coming up!

I haven't watched RAW in months...I tune in...to the WORST RAW EVER?

High brow entertainment at its finest, folks.

"I love chair!"

Wow. Just...wow. And once again I am reminded why I watch indy wrestling and not the WWE. Where are my IWA-MS tapes?

Did Al Snow book this wedding?

I don't know about you guys, but I was hoping she saw a ghostlike figure of the Ultimate Warrior in the mirror. KANE! WARRIOR! ONLY AT UNFORGIVEN! ONLY ON PAY PER VIEW~!~!~!

I feel bad for the fans in Anaheim. KANE THE PIMP~!

"Wait a minute...did I just hear myself say...THREE...MINUTES?" *HBK, Rosey, and Jamal attack Kane*