JoeDirt

Wow, that's a lot of PPVs in a short time period. And weird to see that Unforgiven will be Smackdown and No Mercy and Armageddon will be RAW next year.

This might have already been covered, but why split Trish from Christian and Tomko? What was wrong with that group?

Yeah, it wasn't a battle royal. It was just a way for Hogan and Warrior to go over twice. So it wasn't really a "sole survivor" thing.

When did this happen?

Royal Rumble: I almost always get the Rumble. Got the webcast. Backlash: Couldn't order Wrestlemania since I was out of town then. This show looked pretty decent though, I got the webcast with a few other people and only paid three or four dollars. Judgment Day: Shitty show, but I had nothing else to do and only had to pay a few dollars. Summerslam: Probably shouldn't have gotten this show. Paid the full price and I don't think it was worth it.

I believe Bret's wife got SLIGHTLY mad about it, too...

I know it doesn't make any sense, but watch that match again sometime...everything just looks like it was booked to have Foley win the title with the claw, though I know now that's not the case. Weird to look back on, though. Here's another question...was Austin really supposed to win the title at Final Four, but THAT was changed half way through?

Come on Mike...just try and tell me you're not wondering what HALL and NASH are going to do!!!!!!

I just watched that show for the first time the other day and while that's not a good match, the Buff Bagwell vs. Lex Luger match is a MILLION times more boring. Just a HORRIBLE match that goes almost 17 minutes!

I actually really like this match...though the crowd was COMPLETELY dead for it, there's some cool stuff there if you go back and watch.

From CZWFans: " The Cibernetica was awesome. What sounded like it was going to confuse the hell out of me was actually very simple and well layed out. Loved the match and with 16 guys 77 minutes really flew by. Spyrazul revealing himself to be Mike Quackenbush was a nice touch and the crowd loved Jigsaw finally getting the big pin to set up with match for the Young Lions Cup against Larry Sweeney. The IWA MS tag title match was one of the best Wildcard matches I've seen this year. Both teams brought their A game and turned it up. Black Jack Marciano going through a sequence of Lucha and then proclaiming "I hate Lucha" was money. The headbutt exchange between Eddie Kingston and Joker was brutal. Watch towards the end of the match for a step up yakuza kick from Joker to Kingston, fucking sick. Niles Young and Ravage clicked really well. Ravage has a decent character for Chikara, but I don't think it was get over anywhere else IMO. Lance Steel and Darkness Crabtree finishing their match 23 hours after is started was something only Chikara could make work, followed by Crabtree's line of "I have to go #2" after the submission. Oriental and Skayde put on a great match. Such a treat being able to see both guys 2 times this weekend as their work is top notch. I'll be the first to admit I wasn't all that impressed w/ American Gigolo his first time around in Chikara but my opinion has changed drastically after the match with Claudio. I love Claudio's European to the back of the head deal, great stuff. Hopefully Gigolo is around the area more often. All in all one of the best Chikara shows I've seen, definetly worth getting the tape."

I'm interested in seeing these shows on tape, should be fun.

How many buys did Unforgiven get? How about Summerslam?

Yeah, this is a good pick. Even with Austin out there the crowd just dies and the match goes for about 20 minutes. REALLY boring match.

Bingo. It comes down to the writers not writing characters in a realistic way. Once again...this all goes back to bad booking.

Good writeup, Coffey. I think you make some really good points. Think about how the WWE deals with their belts. Booker and Cena fought a best of 5 for the US title. That happened from Summerslam to No Mercy and no one else got a title shot during that time. Now I can understand they wanted to book that...but why not have a character at least bitch and moan about not being able to get a US title shot? Maybe have someone try to interfere in a match so it ended in three matches and he could get his title shot faster? Make it look like people actually CARE about the belt. Titles get over when held by a good champion and when chased by lots of good challengers who make it very clear that's what they want. Now while the tag, women's, cruiser belts, etc are all jokes, the WWE, World, US, and IC belts should all be seen as legitimate. The best thing going right now is the world title because of Edge's desire to get the title shot at Taboo Tuesday and that whole deal. It showed us how much he wanted the belt. But the WWE title on Smackdown? JBL feuds with one person at a time, and during that time no one else even CHASES the title at all. I guess that goes into characters not being realistic, and that's a whole other issue...

For some reason this just made me laugh my ass off. I hope others are as amused as I was, or else it just proves that I need help.

Okay, well done guys. Now here is today's "What if" #2: -What if HBK had never hurt his back in that casket match with the Undertaker at the 1998 Royal Rumble? Clearly he was going to drop the title to Austin at Wrestlemania anyways. But what would he have done after that? Give a general booking plan for HBK from post-WM 14 to Wrestlemania 15 and tell us what feuds and stories HBK would have been in.

What if #1: It's Wrestlemania 21, and it's main event time. HHH is defending against the winner of the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton. The match starts, and two minutes into the match Orton tears his ACL. He tries to continue for about a minute before realizing it's a lost cause. There are 25 minutes left in the pay per view originally devoted to the match. You're Vince MacMahon, and backstage you're shitting yourself. You've built this match up for months, and now Orton is out, and you have to give the fans a main event worth of Wrestlemania! What do you do?

-Clips from last week. Roll credits. -LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION! It's the last UWE show before First Blood! The show starts with Rey Misterio coming to the ring to talk to Josh Matthews in the ring. Josh informs him that UWE is having a new television title made for him that will debut at First Blood, since Brian Pillman destroyed the original TV title last week. Misterio said that Pillman disrespected him and the TV title last week, and that he wouldn't get away with it. Matthews asked if Misterio could co-exist with his tag team partner for tonight's match, Paul London, when he had to defend the TV title against him at First Blood, Misterio said he and London were good friends, and that they wouldn't have any problems. Brian Pillman came to the ring and made fun of Misterio for not having his TV title with him. He got in the ring and jawed with Misterio. Pillman said that he was a loose cannon, and so was his tag team partner for tonight. David Flair came through the crowd and bashed Misterio in the knee with a crowbar! It was a two on one beatdown until Paul London ran down to make the save. We have our first match! 1) Brian Pillman and David Flair d. Rey Misterio and Paul London at 7:15 after Pillman made Misterio tap out to a knee bar submission. **1/2 Pillman and Flair worked Rey's knee all match, setting up the finish. Rey made the tag to London, but London tagged Rey back in too soon, and Rey eventually lost. After the match, London helped Misterio up, but Rey shoved him away in anger. -Mike Tenay and Joey Styles got in the ring to welcome the crowd to Rage. They ran down the First Blood card so far. Tenay said that tonight's main event is a special 10-man elimination match as HBK, Shamrock, Sting, Scott Hall, and Sid will team up to take on Savage, Chono, Orton, O'Haire, and the Mountie! Randy Orton came to the ring with Masa Chono and said that it was unfair UWE officials were making him wrestle twice in one night. He called out the Bulldog right now. 2) British Bulldog d. Randy Orton and 0:41 by DQ when Chono came from behind and hit Bulldog with a chair. DUD Chono and Orton beat down Bulldog until Sid came out to make the save! Orton escaped, but Sid caught Chono and powerbombed him! -JJ Dillon was backstage with Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton, the tag team champions, and their running buddy Sweet Stane Lane. Josh Matthews interviewed them. Dillon called this stable the "Midnight Horsemen" and said that they were going to teach those three thugs a thing or two at First Blood. Dillon said that Arn Anderson was going to prove a point to Perry Saturn here tonight. Dean Malenko walked by, and Dillon stopped him. He said that Malenko was just the guy they were looking for. As a former Horseman, why not join the Midnight Horsemen? Malenko said he'd think about it, but he had bigger things on his mind tonight. Malenko walked off. -Josh Matthews was backstage with Jamie by God Noble. He asked him about the threeway match with Daniels and Pillman at First Blood, with the winner getting a TV title shot. Noble said that he was going to win because nobody embarrasses Jamie Noble like Daniels did last week. Matthews asks what went wrong against Daniels last week and Noble gets in Matthews' face and slaps him. Noble says if wrestling is so easy, why not face him tonight in the ring? 3) Jamie Noble d. Josh Matthews at 1:55 with a tiger bomb. 1/2*. Noble beat down Matthews and asked him if he wanted some more. Matthews said bring it on, and Noble said this match was now 2/3 falls. Noble put Josh in a guillotine choke for the submission at 2:34. Noble asked Josh if he wanted more pain. Josh flipped off Noble. Noble grabbed a chair and said how about a hardcore match? Josh nodded, and Jamie blasted him with the chair and pinned him for the third straight time. Josh got back up, bleeding, and Noble said he couldn't believe Josh wasn't smart and would be stupid enough to get back up. Noble asked Josh if he wanted a falls count anywhere match? Josh attacked Noble, and Noble dumped him to the floor. Noble beat up Josh some more before Christopher Daniels ran down and BLASTED Noble in the face with a chair shot! Daniels put Matthews on top and Josh pins Noble at 4:55! Daniels poses over Noble and trash talks him as the crowd goes nuts. -Backstage is New Jack, Perry Saturn, and Jerry Lynn. Saturn says he's going to "eliminate" the Enforcer here tonight. New Jack says that at First Blood he's going to take all three of the Midnight Horsemen and carve them up like pigs. New Jack says that if you thought Eric Kulas was bad, wait until you see what I do to those motherfuckers. We quickly cut back to ringside before New Jack can say anything more offensive. 4) Perry Saturn d. Arn Anderson at 5:03 with the Rings of Saturn after hitting a DVD on the outside through the timekeeper's table. **1/4 Lynn and New Jack brawled with Lane and Eaton, taking them out of the match. After the match, JJ Dillon ran in and blasted Saturn with a chair shot from behind and then helped Anderson off. -Kronik challenged Carlito Caribbean Cool and Savio Vega to a tables match here tonight. Savio agreed, but said it was time for him to dance, first. -It's Dance Dance Revolution time! Blue Meanie announced that the first four matches in the tournament would take place right now! Winners would be decided by the crowd. Up first was Blue Meanie vs. Alex Wright. Meanie wins according to the crowd. Up next was the battle of the Nasty Boys. Knobbs beats Sags! Third was La Parka defeating Savio Vega. Vega and Carlito argued the decision and got into a brawl with La Parka until security broke it up. Up last was Danny Doring and Dean Malenko! Doring busted his moves and then told everyone it was time to laugh at the "Iceman" Dean Malenko. Malenko calmly stepped up and busted a move! The crowd went nuts as Malenko was dancing! A jealous Danny Doring attacked Malenko from behind and piledrived him on the DDR machine! (Malenko advances in the tournament via DQ!) 5) Kronik d. Savio Vega and Carlito Caribbean Cool in a tables match at 4:04. Clarke gave Carlito the meltdown through a table at 2:30. Savio and Carlito double suplexed Clarke through a table at 3:04. They double teamed Adams, but La Parka ran down and hit Savio and Carlito with a chair, and Adams and Clarke hit the High Times through the last table for the win. * -The announcers run down the First Blood card: HBK vs. Savage vs. Sting vs. Shamrock (UWE title) Misterio vs. London (TV title) Midnight Horsemen vs. New Jack, Saturn, and Lynn (extreme rules match) Scott Hall vs. Sean O'Haire Christopher Daniels vs. Brian Pillman vs. Jamie Knoble (TV title #1 contendership) Sid vs. Chono Danny Doring vs. Dean Malenko Just added: La Parka vs. Savio Vega in a Caribbean Strap match -Backstage the five babyfaces are getting ready for their match, discussing strategy, etc. We then see Clockwork Violence walking towards the ring. 6) Clockwork Violence d. HBK, Shamrock, Sting, Hall, and Sid in a ten man elimination match at 22:40. -HBK pinned the Mountie at 4:50 after the sweet chin music. -Shamrock was DQ-ed at 6:41 after not releasing the ankle lock on Randy Savage. Shamrock then belly-belly suplexed the referee. Stevie Richards ran in when the ref was down and blasted HBK with a chair shot in the back of the head. -Randy Orton pinned Shawn Michaels at 7:50 with the RKO. -Sid and Masa Chono fought to a double countout at 10:41. -Scott Hall pinned Sean O'Haire with a rollup using the ropes for leverage at 15:05. -Randy Savage pinned Scott Hall with the big elbow drop at 18:59. -Sting pinned Randy Orton after countering the RKO to the Scorpion Death Drop at 21:04. -Randy Savage pinned Sting with the big elbow drop at 22:40 after a masked man ran in and hit Sting with a pipe, leading to Savage getting the pin! -After the match the masked man ran off and Clockwork Violence celebrated their victory! Stevie Richards said nothing would stop Randy Savage from becoming world champion at First Blood!

Yes.

The part of KC's show that made me laugh the most (aside from DDR) was Stevie Richards being forced to visit a burn ward.

You mean they got over 4 MILLION VOTES and only 170,000 buys? That can's POSSIBLY be true!!!!

I not as excited about this year's Rumble since it seems certain Orton will win. But you're right, the Rumble is probably their second best draw of the year, after Wrestlemania. Don't know if it'll get close to 400,000, this year though.

I guess you could say the WWE is going through a "rebuilding" stage... At least we don't have Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, and Kevin Nash getting pushed now, I guess... And hey, just a little over a year ago the big feud was Vince vs. Steph.