Hunter's Torn Quad

What is the logic in putting a title on someone when you'll probably have to take the title off of them shortly afterwards? Better yet, if you do put the title on Joe and he says he wants to leave, what is the logic in stripping him of the title when you can just have him drop it in the ring? Either way, you're devaluing what is meant to be your main title. If the idea is to put the belt on Joe to try and convince him to stay, chances are rather high he'll see right through it and all you will have done is engineered a short-term title run that does nobody any good because it will ultimately mean nothing at all. If Joe wanting to leave is a swerve, it's the kind of pointless swerve that TNA love to do. It serves no purpose at all, and if they really want people to care about Joe, it's the wrong way to go about it. The idea of Joe beating Cage and then Angle for the TNA title sounds good on paper, but it's doomed to failure. First, let's assume Joe does beat Cage at the PPV. It's a top level match, which means it'll get the standard finish that TNA gives to it's bigger matches, meaning a bunch of run-ins and a lot of overbooking, all of which will serve to overshadow Joe's win, which will be as undecisive as all big wins in TNA are, and so Joe will gain absolutely nothing from it. Now, we'll assume that Joe goes on to beat Angle for the TNA title. Again, being that it's a main event match in TNA, and being that Karen Angle is now a character, we'll get the usual plethora of run-ins and overbooking which will, again, overshadow the match and Joe's win, meaning it won't have the value it should have on paper. However, assuming the match is wrestled without any kind of interference and Joe wins clean, so what? Joe has been so badly booked over the last six months or so, through incompetence and/or pettiness, that he's no longer special, he means a fraction of what he used to, and fans no longer believe in the guy or get behind him like they should do for a top babyface. If he wins the title from, Angle, it's a title that means almost nothing as it is, and it's being put on a guy that TNA have successfully turned from their best prospect of a homegrown superstar into a face in the crowd, literally, that the fans have been educated into not caring about or believing in. I don't believe for one second that Joe's talk of leaving TNA is some big swerve set up the company. I think it's pretty clear from their treatment of Joe since March that TNA have no intentions of ever giving him a serious push of any kind. Instead of listening to their fans and making Joe the top face of the company, TNA would rather act like a petulant child and punish a guy for saying in front of 750 fans what everyone else had been saying anyway but what TNA will never have the balls to face themselves. Joe knows he's never going anywhere in TNA, so what is the point in staying around? If he's going to be miserable, he's better of being miserable in WWE. At least then he'll probably make more money and not beat himself so much for it. As for bringing in Lesnar, he either has signed or is soon to be signing with UFC, which, if it happens, pretty well ends his involvement in wrestling. The most you could do with Lesnar then, and it's still not likely, is doing a run-in, but that would make no sense as well because you'd be getting the fans to want a match that can never happen.

The most overdone thing in TNA is the run-in. I think every match on Impact had a run-in of some kind.

If Eddie had lived, the plan was to go ahead with a heel turn and for Batista to beat him for the belt when he came back.

They didn't get a chance to, what with you getting stripped of the title for failing a drug test. I don't have anything against Barnett for trying to get a job with the UFC, but he's going about it the wrong way for a number of reasons: 1: Dana White hates him. A lot. 2: Knocking Randy Couture directly. Seriously, why would this be a good idea for anyone already on the bad side of the president of the UFC? 3: He beat Randy while on steroids. Could he have beaten Randy clean? Maybe. But it looked liked Barnett wasn't so sure, or he wouldn't have tried to cheat. 4: He doesn't have a lot of friends, or credibility, with the NSAC, when his main defense against the positive steroid test result was his attorney arrogantly/contemptuously asking the NSAC, "Does he look like he's on steroids?" The heavyweight division in the UFC is looking pretty good right now. Maybe if that changes, Josh might have a chance to get signed. As it is, it's probably not going to happen, and will almost certainly never happen if Fedor comes on board.

I believe the woman in the cowboy hat is Baby Doll.

I think that was the presumed plan before the details of the bastard child storyline came out.

On the B&V show that reviewed the PPV, they speculated that there was no title change because if the plan is for a heel Kennedy to headline WM against Hunter for the title, he'd probably have the title, which means he's beating a face for the belt. Putting the belt on Orton would mean having to change the title again to get it back on a babyface to drop it to Kennedy. A short-term reign does nothing for Orton and it would be too many title changes in short period of time, so Cena keeps the belt to drop it to Kennedy, presumably around November, who then holds it until WM. If that is what is intended to happen, then I don't mind Cena retaining here, because too many title changes in rapid order makes each one mean less and less.

The medical suspensions: http://boxing.nv.gov/2007%20Results/08-25-07%20MMA.pdf

Something off the F4W board that explains Cena retaining: Someone posted this: And Alvarez responded with:

A vulnerable champion isn't one that tends to mean much. Ask Chris Jericho. It's a good idea in theory to have a guy you're going to make champion do a few jobs beforehand to set up challengers, but generally not with a guy who who already isn't seen at that top level. Sure, if Kennedy does wind up being Vince's bastard seed, then that part might be overlooked, but if the jobs keep coming, there's always the risk that Kennedy being revealed as the bastard doesn't boost his standing like is hoped. After all, if Vince's bastard son has been losing left and right, why should we care that much about him? Sure, it might make for some great comedy, but it won't make for one half of the Wrestlemania main event, which is where he's intended to go. Leaving the match analysis and such to others, what I noticed was that a lot of people, including Kennedy, have shrunk a great deal in recent weeks. Kennedy was looking less muscular on Raw last week, and he looked even more natural last night. The change in his body is remarkable over the last month or so. Khali has also shrunk. Hunter looked more natural than he has in a a while. Which is good for his career, because I think he's about reached his limit on quad tears.

The nature of Gonzaga's injury might have been random, but that he was injured was not. And it turns out Gonzaga broke Randy's arm in the third round: http://thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4673 For good measure, here's the payroll for UFC 74 courtesy of UFCjunkie.com: Shit happens in a fight. Nothing tainted about Randy's win just because Gonzaga broke his nose early in the right. That kind of thing happens regularly, with a guy getting injured in the fight and going on to win or lose. Look at Randy.

Gonzaga said to Herb Dean that he couldn't see, but then said he could fight and wanted to continue. Telling the referee you can't see is going to make him want to stop the fight. That Gonzaga said he couldn't see just because he wanted his eye cleaned up, something Herb told him they couldn't do, is probably what annoyed Herb. It's a reach to call Gonzaga's nose breaking 'random shit', when it happened as a result of Couture slamming the guy to the mat. 'Random' would be a fluke clash of heads when locking up, similar to Belfort getting cut at UFC 49. Nothing 'random' about Couture slamming Gonzaga to the mat. Some post-UFC 74 notes from F4W: At the press conference, Dana claimed a sold out crowd of 11,118 for a gate of $3.5 million.

I forgot to mention 'that' high kick. For a split second, when it landed with full force I was worried. And then Randy shrugged it off like it was nothing, not even acknowledging it. That was fantastic.

UFC 49 is probably the best all-round UFC card ever. Was it just me, or did Koscheck's stand up solely consist of throwing his right hand as hard as he could and hoping it landed somewhere? GSP taking him down in less than thirty seconds, when Koscheck claimed it wouldn't happen at all, was sweet. GSP just owned him on the ground, and while not a great fight it was one I enjoyed because Koscheck had nothing to counter GSP. What more can you say about Randy that hasn't been said already? The guy is phenomenal. I don't think anyone gave him a serious chance. Sure, plenty of people wanted him to win, but I didn't see many people seriously thinking he could do it. If Mirco can KO Check Kongo with a high kick, we might get Randy/Mirco after all. It won't mean as much is would have pre-Gonzaga, but it should draw very nicely. That crowd HATED Babalu for not letting go of the choke. There were 'asshole' catcalls all over the place after the finish got replayed on the big screen. It's good that he got fined, because that kind of thing is something UFC doesn't need. If you haven't seen the fight, you have to in order to get a real sense pf how badly Heath was bleeding. It was splattering all over the mat. Just crazy, and one of the biggest blood showers in UFC history. And yes, Huerta using the big screen to help was awesome. Outside of Randy winning, it was the moment of the night.

Vince Russo booking is the fast food of wrestling. If you like that sort of thing, it requires no thought or effort to enjoy, can provide immediate satisfaction, but posses no long-term benefits and too much of it makes you sick.

PWI

And for those wondering how TNA will determine Angle's tag team partner next month: I know it seems obvious that it can't be Joe or Cage because of their match at No Surrender, but we know how TNA loves the pointless swerve.

I don't know if Gerweck is right, but I do know the Observer reported the plan is for Jarrett to return as the top babyface to take on Angle, and that the match would likely happen at Bound for Glory.

I want Randy to win, but I know that Gonzaga is probably going to win and win decisively. All I hope is that Randy goes down fighting and gives a good showing. I think Gonzaga wins by KO or TKO in the second round or third round, but no later. I will sacrifice virgins if I have to in order for GSP to wipe the mat with Koscheck. I don't just want GSP beat Koscheck, I want GSP to make him scream like a bitch and go crying to his momma. What I want is for GSP to win by tap out in ten seconds, but I'll settle for a TKO of some kind.

Not shoots in the sense of going against the script but shoots in the sense that they were the real feelings of the person delivering the promo in question. The first one was Vince taking a shot at Austin. The second was both Vince and Shawn taking shots at Austin as well as Shawn taking a shot at Rock.

I'm counting on the Summerslam name still having a strong value.

I think the idea was because the The Patriot was pro-America and he hated The Patriot, Dark Patriot stood against the things the Patriot upheld.

It was meant to be a heel version of The Patriot. It started in Global.

The obvious speculation, and plenty are making it, is that Lesnar has signed and it's getting announced on the PPV. If he hasn't signed yet, then White being on the same page as Lesnar in terms of playing up the 'outsider heel' role would indicate White thinks it's close to happening. Signing Lesnar would be a big boost for UFC, not only because of Lesnar's name value, but because of his physical talents, raw ability and willingness to learn.