Hunter's Torn Quad

As far as the match itself went, yes, Hunter put Jeff over big, and I'll be the first to admit it. The pedigree that Jeff kicked out of was a GREAT nearfall. However, it's all in the follow up. If it's used on Raw as a way to build up Jeff, then Jeff was put over more than at Armageddon. But if the story of Jeff kicking out of the pedigree and everything is barely mentioned, then Jeff was put over no more last night than he was at Armageddon.

And before the usual suspects jump in, that's not a comment on HHH's actions, whatever their motivation, just a comment on some people still not knowing when someone is really put over. Putting someone over is more than just doing a clean job; if it was, then Rey would have gained something when Nash lost to him clean on Nitro. Putting someone over isn't just about losing to them clean, or even losing to them at all. It's about making them look strong in the body of the match, not making them weak, and treating them seriously. But just as important, if not more important, is the follow up to the match, clean job finish or not. The night after the Jeff beat Hunter clean, neither Hunter or Jeff said anything about the match, and if the announcers talked about it at all it was in passing. How was that match and that finish put over at all the next night? It didn't matter to Hunter that he lost clean, because he didn't even talk about it. It didn't seem to matter to Jeff that he beat a star like Hunter clean, because he didn't talk about it, either. How did any of that put over the fact that Jeff beat Hunter clean? It didn't. Because the match and, more importantly, the finish, was treated almost like an afterthought, it made the clean job virtually meaningless. The clean win by Hardy over Hunter was given no importance or significance. That isn't putting somebody over.

Was that the one where on Raw the next night neither HHH or Hardy said one word about the match and it was barely talked about by anyone else? And before the usual suspects jump in, that's not a comment on HHH's actions, whatever their motivation, just a comment on some people still not knowing when someone is really put over.

The Hassan title challenge was planned a month or two beforehand, because they thought he'd be super hot by that time. I don't know whether he'd have won, but it's possible given how hard Vince wanted to push the gimmick. Of course, Hassan never did get over to where they wanted, and then they ran that angle with the five masked guys and Hassan attacking the Undertaker on Smackdown right at the time of the suicide bombings in London, and we know what happened after that.

It's possible Reed simply wasn't anywhere to be found when it came time to set up and have the match. For Reed to be there and yet not wrestle does seem like something was up, especially when it appears just about every other person on the roster had a match that night.

Observer. The best bet for long-term health is to take the hit, miss Wrestlemania, and get the needed surgery. Rey won't want to do that, no matter what he's told, but the company might take the initiative and insist that's what he does.

The Butch Reed IC title story has been confirmed by numerous people.

He couldn't report it, because he needed the printing room to write that there's very week rumors that the UFC is being sold, and if it was, there'd be very little talk about WWE buying it.Why even report that? This is why I don't subscribe to the observer.. it seems like alot of fluff. The potential sale of UFC is a far bigger story than why a faceless WWE writer was fired. As for why Meltzer didn't speculate why Lagana was fired, it is possible that either he hasn't had it verified by enough people who are high up the food chain. Or it could be something involving the personal life of a member of staff or the roster. Stuff like that Meltzer won't print unless it breaks elsewhere, and you know he's had to have heard about plenty of stuff that's never made it to print for just that reason.

Russo was sent home the Thursday before Souled Out. The last Nitro before it was all Russo.

Also, the World X Cup is coming back according to a kayfabed interview with Jim Cornette on the TNA site.

Why did Tomko take out Christian in the first place? He saved him on Thursday and even shook his hand, but three days later he turns on him? The usual TNA PPV, with the wrestlers working hard to put on a good show, and the bookers seemingly trying their best to make the wrestlers job as difficult as possible.

Children's MMA (Seriously) And YAMMA's first big fight, according to Don Frye, will see Frye take on Oleg Taktarov.

Maria Playboy preview picture (SFW)

For what it's worth, the Observer of the time said Simmons was going to or probably going to retain the title against Rude. If the decision had already been made to put the belt back on Vader, which seems likely, that result does make sense.

On the surface, it does look like MNTV is the front runner. NBC probably don't want Smackdown on USA for the aforementioned reason of not wanting to look the wrestling network, and WWE probably don't want Smackdown on Sci-Fi, if only because it would put Smackdown on the same network as ECW, and that might be seen as dragging Smackdown down to the level of ECW.

A couple of notes about the PPV this weekend, prefaced with a UFC note for comparison: Observer F4W And for reference, the AAO main event last year was the same main event as this year, Christian Cage against Kurt Angle, with Samoa Joe as the outside enforcer. The only difference is that this year, Angle is the champion going in instead of Christian.

Frank Mir. Meltzer.

The point was that a series of different schools headed by teachers who specialize in different styles makes for a better education. Or not. I mean I really don't see the problem with the WWE style. A wrestler learning different styles, so he can be a more well-rounded talent, doesn't make for a better education? Ok.

The point was that a series of different schools headed by teachers who specialize in different styles makes for a better education.

Murder is rational? While the notion of wanting to spare his son suffering might seem rational, the judgment behind it clearly wasn't, because he then killed his son. What's rational about that? It's a problem/weird because he wasn't talkative or 'normal'? I don't think Michael Benoit wants his soon to be seen as innocent and blameless. He just doesn't want his son pilloried as a purely evil man.

Let's play a game to reduce the tension:

People calling for WWE to open up more training places aren't 'pining' for anything. They're realizing that the current WWE developmental system, even with OVW, is wholly inadequate when it comes to training and preparing talent for when they're called up to the main roster. As great as OVW was at what they did, there's only so much you can learn in the one place with the same set of teachers. Much better for developing talent that they're able to go from once school to another and learn different styles from a variety of teachers. If a guy can learn from three or four different schools, and thus pick up three or four different ways of doing things, he'll probably be more well rounded than someone who was only able to learn one way of doing things from one school. Because it's a sure thing that the small group they have now are going to make it in some fashion? Much better for the company to have a large developmental talent pool so that there is a better chance of someone picking things up well enough to be ready to get called up to the main roster. All you need is one or two strong upper midcard or main event talents to make it, and the whole system pays for itself. This has far more chance of happening with a large and well stocked developmental system. That is true. While some people who came from OVW were trained elsewhere, people shouldn't disregard what they picked up in OVW.

With all the talent OVW helped bring along and the myriad of decent-to-solid workers they produced, I'm amazed people still question their contribution or legacy.

Lesnar smashed up Benoit's leg with a chair to set up Benoit passing out. How is that a clean finish? Not only that, Benoit got a visionary tap out on Lesnar and kicked out of the F5. There was plenty of reason to build to a rematch between the two with the story told in the first match.