JoeDirt

It's a big night tonight in Nashville as not only is there the regular show, but there are going to be four more main matches taped both before and after the card for the taped 4/7 PPV. Taped tonight will be two tag team matches and an eight-man elimination match involving Team Mexico (Hector Garza, Heavy Metal, Abismo Negro and Mr. Aguila) vs. Team U.K. (Robbie Dynamite, James Mason, Dean Allmark and Frankie Sloan), plus the finals of the NWA tag team title tournament (semifinals will air live). For the live show, it'll be: *Abyss vs. A.J. Styles vs. Raven vs. Ron Killings with Sting as ringside enforcer to prevent interference. The winner is supposed to face Chris Harris on 4/14, but let's just say supposed to face for now *Amazing Red vs. Frankie Kazarian for the vacant X title *Semifinals of the NWA tag title tournament with Christopher Daniels & Low Ki vs. Chase Stevens & Andy Douglas and Kid Kash & Dallas vs. Slash & Sinn *Shane Douglas & Michael Shane vs. Glenn Gilberti & David Young vs. Simon Diamond & Sonny Siaki vs. D-Lo Brown & Gran Apolo with the winning team in line for a tag title match *Monty Brown vs. Sabu *Plus highlights of Jeff Jarrett vs. Latin Lover from 3/21 at El Toreo in Naucalpan, Mexico -Interesting note from him with the "The winner is supposed to face Chris Harris on 4/14, but let's just say supposed to face for now" comment.

Meltzer writes back to people just like that? I should do that sometime.

Oh, and did anyone ever post spoilers of the X-Cup matches taped last week? Were they any good?

So what are the odds of a no contest in one of the major matches tonight?

Has a mic segment with Angle and Bradshaw, or so I hear...

When in 98 was the Wolfpac formed? Why did Scott Hall turn on Kevin Nash at Slamboree 98, but they didn't have a PPV match until Halloween Havoc?

That _has_ to be a mistake. The last ECW PPV getting 400,000 buys? That's 150,000 more than recent WWE PPVs! But yeah, I checked it out and saw that it got a monster buyrate...weird. I think TNA could get around what WCW was getting near the end, at the very least.

Yeah, getting a decent timeslot on a good network is huge for them. I think a lot of people would give them a try that wouldn't for $10 a week. I don't know if they really should do monthly PPVs, but I guess they need the income from them. Has anyone said when (if the deal goes through) the shows would start to air? In a few months? Immediately?

That's great news...more wrestling on my TV = good news. And hopefully they can evolve into viable competition for the WWE.

From 411...sorry if it was already posted: "- WWE has been very pleased with how the Booker T vs. The Undertaker matches have come off on recent house shows. They feel that the matches have made both men look good." Yeah...because getting squashed in a minute makes you look AWESOME!

Off topic, but where do you guys get those ppv banners from? Someone posted a link on here before - they have 'em at completewwf.com - so there ya go.

I had never heard about the Taker/HBK thing. Did Ventura ever have a confrontation with Hogan, or anything personal that ever brought about his resentment? Or did he just think Hogan was an asshole?

It's kinda sad when Brian Gerwitz is the cream of the crop of your writing staff...

Hold on, so it's not a real tournament, but people "vote" for the winner? Yeah, like we can trust WWE polls... If Bradshaw wins I swear to God...

America's Cup = the new KOTR?

Anyone want to post non-spoiler Velocity matches, too?

1) Dudley Boyz def. Billy Kidman, Paul London and Orlando Jordan in a Six Man Tag Match when the Dudleys hit 3D on London. 2) OVW Tag Challenge: Johnny Jeter and Sean O'Haire def. Nick Dinsmore and Inspector Impact. 3) Chavo Guerrero def. Nunzio and Rey Misterio in a Triple Threat Elimination Match to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Title. 4) Mark Jindrak def. Billy Gunn with his feet on the ropes. 5) John Bradshaw Layfield def. Shannon Moore with the Clothesline From Hell. Interesting note that he is still using the APA theme and wearing APA tights. 6) Undertaker def. Booker T with the Tombstone in a total squash in less than a minute. 7) Rob Van Dam def. Charlie Haas with the 5 Star Frog Splash. 8) Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty def. Basham Bros and Akio/Sakoda in a Triple Threat Elimination match to retain the WWE Tag Team Titles. 9) John Cena def. Renee Dupree with F5 to retain the WWE United States Title. 10) Eddie Guerrero def. Big Show by using the title belt when the referee was down to retain the WWE Title. =============== Pretty standard stuff here, but Booker keeps getting squashed in a minute to Taker? What's up with that? And are the Dudleyz going heel, perhaps?

On the DVD they show Benoit yelling during a Nitro something about how there are a group of guys in the back who are sick of all the bullshit politics. When did this happen, and what brought it about? Was it a real shoot?

I don't know if there's one of these or not (probably not) and if anyone cares but me (probably not), but the playoffs start tonight, baby!

From WO newsletter via 411. - Rob Van Dam: RVD isn't expected to move up the ladder on Smackdown. With The Undertaker, Eddie Guerrero, John Cena, and Rey Mysterio, there isn't room right now for anything above a mid-card face, which is what RVD is expected to be. WWE had been planning to move RVD to Smackdown for awhile now. He may end up feuding with Booker T. - Rene Dupree: Dupree will likely go back to a variation of his "French Phenmom" gimmick from OVW. He is also expected to feud with John Cena for awhile. - Spike Dudley: He will be the new Cruiserweight fall guy. - The Dudley Boys: The Dudleys are expected to eventually turn heel, replacing Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas as the top heel tag team. This sets up potential programs with face teams like RVD & Booker T (if they are paired again) and Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi. - Teddy Long: Will likely manage Mark Jindrak. - Booker T: For now, he will be used as a upper level heel which is what Smackdown needs. Look for him to work programs with all the top faces such as The Undertaker, John Cena, Eddie Guerrero, and Rob Van Dam. He may also go back to teaming with RVD at some point. - Rico & Jackie Gayda: Rice isn't expected to get any sort of push following his move. The main reason for this move was so that Smackdown can use Jackie in their bikini contests and such. ================================================ - Shelton Benjamin: It is somewhat of a question what they will do with Benjamin, as well as Charlie Haas. Benjamin may team up with Garrison Cade who also does not have a partner now. RAW's tag division is very weak with the loss of the Dudley Boys and Booker T & RVD. - Nidia: She will be used as a wrestler in the women's division. She will fill the spot left by Trish Stratus who will be serving as Christian's manager for awhile. - Chuck Palumbo: WWE has hopes for him due to his solid physique and height. WWE has been planning to break him away from FBI for awhile now. - A-Train: He will likely get another big push on RAW to take advantage of fresh matches with guys like Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho. He may also end up being teamed with Chuck Palumbo. - Edge: Is expected to get a HUGE push and may even be put over by Triple H due to the lack of other main eventers for Triple H to work with once he wins the World Title back. - Tajiri: Being taken out of the Cruiserweight division will hurt him. WWE may throw him in a comedy tag team with Lance Storm or Matt Hardy. - Rhyno: It isn't expected that he will have a better role on RAW than he did on Smackdown.

From PWI... Dark Matches Chuck Palumbo beat a jobber with a punch (I'm not joking). I can't remember exact names because it was tough to hear, but a bigger guy named Trent Taynor (with a Batista look) or something similar beat a small local guy from Cincinnati. Heat Garrison Cade beat Rosey with an Elbowdrop from the top rope La Resistance beat two smaller guys with a double team slam when one of their opponents grabbed them in a headscissors/headlock combo, and they slammed him down. Val Venis made Steven Richards tap out to a variation of a leglock in a good back and forth match. --------------------------------------- I attended Raw tonight at the US Bank Arena. After the show ended, Triple H got on the mic and called Shelton Benjamin back to the ring for 5 more minutes since his win was a "fluke". Triple H and Ric Flair prepared to jump Benjamin until Stone Cold's music hit, and he came down the ramp on the four wheeler. Austin circled the ring, and Triple H told Austin to go back to the dressing room like the coward he is. After teasing an entry to the ring, Austin drove back behind the curtain. Then, Triple H asked Benjamin to amateur wrestle The Nature Boy. After Flair told Benjamin that he'd make his skin a "few shades lighter by riding him around the ring," Benjamin got on the mic and told "Toucan Sam" and Flair that they couldn't be trusted. Flair and Triple H then jumped Benjamin, but he started to fight them off with a nice superkick on Flair and low blow on HHH. Then Austin's music hit, and he came back down to stun Flair and The Game. Austin drank some beers and asked Shelton if he needed a beer. Benjamin began drinking and was quickly greeted with a Stunner. Benjamin made his way up the rampway and a smiling Austin tossed him some more beers and toasted him from a distance. The show closed with Stone Cold and Lilian Garcia chugging some beers and riding around on the four wheeler. All in all, I felt it was a quality show with a pretty live crowd.

Don't lump those two in with Eddie when talking about great match ability.... Well they're obviously not on his level...but they're easily a step above the next tier...

The scary thing is of all the guys in "top" positions, how many can be counted on to work a really great match? Eddie for sure...Booker...RVD...I'd say Rey and Chavo, but they're cruisers... And then we have Taker, Bradshaw, Big Show, Cena, Rene Dupre, Rikishi and Scotty, Bob Holly... The SD writing crew is going to have to come up with some kick ass stories to cover the lack of wrestling talent, I can tell you that much.

A good site I've used before: http://www.softcom.net/users/abingham/

See, this is where the shades of gray should come in. RVD could align with Heyman when he returned and be more heelish, but obviously still over with the fans. He'd be the perfect tweener. Then he could feud with faces and heels, and be more over than before.