Dangerous A

I remember right after Fall Brawl 98 where DDP won that atrocious War Games to win a shot at Goldberg, the next night he was cutting a promo and uttered "HALLOWMEEN" Havoc, emphasis on the "M" because he then rolled his eyes at himself in disgust for not being able to pronounce the word. Just funny as hell to me.

I think with Punk and Joe, it's to stave off TNA. The Observer reported those 2 along with Bryan "American Dragon" Danielson were on an internal memo to Lauranitis saying to give these guys a hard look because TNA was looking to sign them and WWE has the oppurtunity to wrap them up before they could go to TNA. These 3 were supposedly targeted because the thought was they would have the best chances of getting over on TNA. Sad that WWE would resort to signing them just to keep them away from TNA as opposed to, oh I don't know, using them to create an entertaining product and give us something fresh? Smith and Hart have the family legacy thing going for them and are probrably well schooled and versed in how things go in the WWE locker room.

While it is interesting to see this interbrand matchup, I'm concerned with match quality since it appears JBL could very well be the best worker of the 4.

Speaking of Transformers markout moments, I marked when Optimus looked at Autobot city being decimated and then announces "Megatron must be stopped, no matter what the cost". He then transformed, rolled out, and proceeded to kick 59 different types of Decepticon ass. I am a huge replay fan of Optimus running over about 3 or 4 guys and then jumping in the air to shoot off like 4 or 5 more. I am getting goose bumps typing this. One of my most recent markout moments was in Sin City. I'll just say, Marv's execution scene. Classic. Tack on Anakin walking to the Jedi temple with a ton of clones behind him getting ready to execute Order 66 as well.

And it's so obvious when you watch him. Haven't seen his indy stuff, but when he was in the WWE, every couple moves (or so) would remind you of Benoit. Good read. Hopefully they bring him back soon. He was my favorite guy in the company. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Good observation here. Noble kind of had that snug way of striking with his kicks and punches and had that certain snap when executing things of a suplex nature, like Benoit does.

- Is the sole reason Jimmy Fallon continues to get work This is HHH's most infamous crime of them all !!!!!!!!!!

Mikan was a member of the Minneapolis Lakers.

"Be" opened up #2 on Billboard behind Audioslave's new album. Pretty good. Hopefully this album will have some legs and help usher in more conscience hip hop on the radio, mainstream, etc.

Thank you very much.

Kudos to Shaq for that gesture. The Players Association really needs to look into helping their own once they have retired. Guys like Mikan are the reason these guys can live the lives they do. Shaq recognizes that. Game respects Game I say.

D-Wade did not practice today and I predict he'll be a game time decision to keep the Pistons guessing whether or not he'll play. This is a huge wrinkle in the series. You don't want to risk Wade aggravating the injury if he can't get up to at least 85-90% because you do have Game 7 in your house, but you also want to take advantage of oppurtunities when they present themselves and if the Heat can eliminate Detroit on Sat., they should go for it. The Finals start next Thrursday no matter if this series goes to 7 games or not. The Heat should try to do what it can to wrap things up Sat. I don't think they will because I'm banking on the Pistons coming out guns blazing in their house since they are facing elimination. Plus, Rasheed WILL get back on track. If you think he's going to play like he did in Game 5 for a second consecutive game, you are wrong. He also guaranteed a win, which I think he does to push himself to be more aggressive. As Barkley said last night, when Rasheed is interested in the game, he's as tough a cover as anyone in the league.

Excellent observation, starvenger. I think Fox is sort of like WWE Creative in that they have to have the same TV template and cliches. Gordon Ramsey is good enough to move the show on his own, they don't need the gimmick of the competition and such. WWE continues to have the same style show as the Attitude era and the product is stale because it's the same old, same old. Start with 15 minute promo in the first 30 minutes somewhere to guide the rest of the show along with backstage skits where the wrestlers don't acknowledge there is a camera crew there. That was innovative in 1998 and such, but now it's old hat. Same with this show in that we don't need 2 teams and interviews from the contestants about how they felt about certain situations and then there is the goofy elimination ceremony where they hook the apron of the newly departed cast member. Give me something new and refreshing, please. Somewhere. Anywhere.

CanadianChick is all over it in regards to Christian. I mean, I love the guy, but his in ring is not ME caliber yet. (then again, neither is Batista or Cena and they are the champs) I'd like to think that those guys would rather not be the "next" Flair, but rather just have their legacy as who they are. I'd much rather be known as the first DA then the next *insert name here*, get my drift?

My favorite part of the first episode is when Gordon Ramsey tells the impatient blonde plastic women to shut the fuck up for 30 seconds, and then when their friend comes back to ask for an apology, Ramsey tells them he meant it and has the maitre'd escort them back to plastic surgery! Classic. Greatest reality TV moment I've seen in years.

.....and Angle-Plex and humongous2002 bring the truth!!!

That's pretty much what I had in mind.

More ESPN Insider news on the draft and what lottery teams are thinking... One week after the NBA draft lottery and it seems like no one, with the exception of the Bucks, is particularly happy with where they landed in the draft. While it's still pretty early in the process, there's been a flurry of draft trade talk and speculation flying around the league. Who's willing to sell draft picks? Who's willing to buy? Insider breaks down the trade market for the draft this season. Buy! Charlotte Bobcats: GM Bernie Bickerstaff got screwed on lottery night. The Bobcats needed to end up with either Marvin Williams or Chris Paul, and everything would've been perfect. Both were local products who have the talent to energize the fan base in Charlotte. By slipping all the way to five, the chances of landing either are slim. Bickerstaff almost immediately began exploring how to move up in the draft, sources told Insider. He has the goods to do it, but is he willing to pay the price? A combination of their own No. 5 pick and the 13th pick they got from Cleveland could get them the second or third pick in the draft. That would guarantee they'd get one of the two players they want, but it's an awfully high price to pay. Bickerstaff thinks he'll get a starter at 13, and on an expansion team with just four players under contract, that's pretty important. The alternative is to try to convince a team to take the fifth pick and either Melvin Ely, Jason Hart or a future first-rounder as compensation. So far, the Bobcats haven't had any luck going that route. Utah Jazz: The Jazz slipped from fourth to sixth last week and face a dilemma similar to the Bobcats'. They need a point guard desperately, but most likely, their top choices, Paul and Deron Williams, won't be on the board when they pick. In a perfect world the Jazz would move up and add another high pick. They have a thing for Andrew Bogut as well. The Jazz have another first round pick to offer (No. 27) and they have a number of other assets, including Matt Harpring, Mehmet Okur, Carlos Boozer, Kirk Snyder and Kris Humphries, that they might be willing to include in the right deal. The only Jazz player who is untouchable at this point is Andrei Kirilenko. Toronto Raptors: After the draft debacle of 2004, the Raptors would prefer to play it safe and move into the top four this year. Right now, they sit at No. 7 and nothing is certain about where they're drafting. They'd love to add Bogut if they could, but that would mean getting at least the No. 2 pick. They also are high on Paul and Deron Williams, meaning they'd need to get to at least No. 5. Gerald Green is an option, too. Toronto also has assets. In addition to their own pick, the Raptors have the No. 16 pick (from Philadelphia) as trade bait. They also have Rafer Alston, Eric Williams and Morris Peterson to offer. Given their current situation, Chris Bosh is the only guy on the team that they wouldn't be willing to trade. Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers feel they must make a big splash in the draft and have also been trying to move up into the top four. They have several needs. The team loves both Williamses, Bogut, Paul and Green. None of them will be on the board when they select. Their bait? The 10th pick in the draft and Caron Butler, according to sources. For a team like the Hornets, who need a good starting small forward badly, it might be a deal that makes sense. Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavs should have the 13th pick in the draft this year. However, they foolishly dropped their lottery protection on the pick they owed Charlotte so that they could send their 2007 first-rounder to Boston for Jiri Welsch. That worked out. Now owner Dan Gilbert is trying to get back in the draft. They team has no draft picks to dangle, but the Cavs are offering teams their choice of Sasha Pavlovic or Welsch in return for a mid first-round pick. Given the number of teams in that area – Clippers, Celtics, Grizzlies – that are willing to deal out of the first round, it appears they might get their wish. Sell! Atlanta Hawks: GM Billy Knight needs a lot of help and is in a difficult position. If the Bucks select Marvin Williams, Bogut falls into their laps and the pick becomes much more valuable. However, if the Bucks take Bogut at No. 1, keeping the pick doesn't make much sense. The next best player on the board, Williams, doesn't fit a need, and there seems to be a strong sentiment coming out of Atlanta right now that the Hawks prefer Deron Williams to Paul. If that's true, the Hawks could make a deal with the Bobcats, Hornets or possibly the Jazz, and still get the guy they want plus either another first-rounder or an established young player. The Hawks probably won't pull the trigger until they have a better idea what the Bucks are going to do. Portland Trail Blazers: GM John Nash has been quietly calling teams such as the Bobcats, Hornets and Jazz to offer a deal. The team is drafting third, and most likely will have its choice of either Paul or Green. The Blazers would pass on Paul because they've already committed to Sebastian Telfair. They like Green a lot, but some in the organization feel they might be able to trade down, still get Green and pick up another asset in the process. The Bobcats are the primary target, though it's unlikely that they'd give the Blazers both the No. 5 and the No. 13 to move up two spots. The Raptors are another possibility if they include the No. 7, No. 16 and Morris Peterson to get a deal done. That's a pretty high price to pay, but the Raptors are hungry to move up. New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets had a lot of interest in Marvin Williams and would move up to get him – offering the No. 4 pick and either Speedy Claxton or David West as compensation. However, if that's impossible, don't be surprised if they move down in the draft. They need a starting small forward and a young backup power forward they can groom to eventually replace P.J. Brown. Where they sit right now, the best prospects on the board are guards. While Paul or Deron Williams would be an upgrade from what they have, they sound willing to deal. The Raptors could offer the No. 7 and the No. 16 to move up to No. 4. The Lakers have the 10th pick and Caron Butler to dangle. And the Timberwolves might be willing to offer Wally Szczerbiak for the pick. The Hornets are actually one of the few teams that would have the cap room to absorb Szczerbiak's contract. Los Angeles Clippers: The team has filled most of its needs in the draft the past few years and appears to be on the precipice of the playoffs. What the Clippers need most right now is the financial flexibility to re-sign Bobby Simmons and Marko Jaric and perhaps one more free agent in the open market. If a team is willing to offer the Clippers a veteran who can help them now (the Clips are also willing to throw in Chris Wilcox for good measure) or future considerations and cap relief, they'll be willing to deal. One deal they might want to consider: Wilcox and the No. 12 to Golden State for Mike Dunleavy, Jr. Head coach Mike Dunleavy Sr. told reporters last year that he didn't think he'd be comfortable coaching his son. However, that's changed in recent months. Dunleavy would love to get a deal done if he could. If the Warriors could land a great small forward prospect like Danny Granger at No. 9, they might be inclined to move Dunleavy. With Mickael Pietrus showing improvement and a bright future for Granger, the team might be able to address two needs (defense and a long, athletic power forward) in one fell swoop. Boston Celtics: Celtics vice president Danny Ainge has had five first-round picks in the past two years. Do they really need a sixth? If a team can offer a nice, proven young player, the Celtics will sell the 18th pick. Memphis Grizzlies: Jerry West has also been shopping his pick along with point guard Jason Williams or Bonzi Wells. The team hasn't really had a chance to give much playing time to its picks from the past two years and doesn't need another rookie on its roster. With the 19th pick, the chances the Grizzlies get someone who could help them right away are slim anyway. Chad Ford is a senior writer for ESPN Insider.

I think the potential is there to have a decent entertaining run. I'd like to see them give Carlito a decent push to where he could be Yin to Cena's Yang. The key is to keep them away from each other for awhile and build up Carlito. I like how last week's SD, Carlito mentioned that he still had not forgotten he beat Cena in his first match in for the US title. It'd be nice to see if they could use the summer and fall season building Carlito up as more than just a comedy act and then start the real push around Survivor Series to lead to a WM main event of Carlito v. Cena. My only issue with their feud is Cena stinks in the ring and has not improved in years. Carlito is on the same level, although I still have hope for him to improve enough to carry a match out of Cena to something resembling a WWE Main event match.

Although the series went 4-1, this was still an entertaining series and we all saw the emergence of the future "most dominant player" in the league in Amare Stoudamire. With Shaq's health and age going south, I think next year will be the year that Amare might put an MVP trophy next to Nash's. He averaged 37 ppg in the series, mostly against 8 time All NBA Defensive team member Tim Duncan. Barring injuries, the sky is the limit on this guy. He only has minor things to work on, but really this guy is the complete package. He is even developing a good midrange jumper. The only other things he needs to look at are passing out of double teams when he gets the ball on the block(which will only come through experience) and hitting the glass more. He averaged a little over 8 boards a game and that could be a little bit better. Those are minor things though and I already etch him in my Top 5 players in the league list.

If the Suns miraculously come back to Red Sox this baby, that block should be etched in stone.

From the Observer website... --Dave Nelson posted on his NWA Ohio website that his group has pulled out of negotiations to buy TNA yesterday when Panda Energy turned down the latest falling offer of $10 million. He claims they will start a new promotion in the fall. The key is Nelson said that the WGN deal with TNA has fallen through, which was the rumor going all day yesterday. However, that story is not true. What we've managed to ascertain is negotiations between the sides are continuing, but it is doubtful anything will be finished this week. There are a lot of negatives from a TNA side to the deal as it is currently done, but TNA officials were hopeful of a deal being completed next week. Still, having been around wrestling, "we hope to make an announcement next week" usually turns out to be overly optimistic. Even people in a need to know basis in TNA don't know this, but inside the office yesterday, there were mixed signals. One person said they couldn't believe on something so big the office was kayfabing them. Jeff Jarrett was saying the story isn't as bad as it sounds, although Jeff may wind up aligned with Nelson. Nelson also posted the possible deal with Spike couldn't benefit the company and would prove fatal to them.

Actually, after the Tyson's last fight in which the proverbial "tomato can" beat his ass, yes, I give this guy a puncher's chance.

It's a Nike ad.

Here is some Draft talk from ESPN Insider Chad Ford... We really should take more time mocking mock drafts. At this stage of the game, mocks are little more than educated guesses – strategic placement based on whispers, innuendo and a whole lot of rock, paper, scissors. NBA teams are fickle. The guy a general manager can't live without one day is kicked to the curb the next. Draft stock rises and falls like the volatile NASDAQ. One day you're shopping for an Escalade. The next you're cruising around in a Ford Focus. Remember, last year at this time we had Josh Smith in the lottery and Rafael Araujo panhandling for change in the late first round (on second thought, that's where both of them should have stayed). Our mock draft drew a lot of response from NBA GMs and scouts over the past week. Based on the volume of feedback, here's whose stock is rising and whose is falling heading into the Chicago pre-draft camp. STOCK RISING • While most mock drafts, Insider excluded, have Andrew Bogut going No. 1, it still appears that Marvin Williams is not only in the running, but might have the edge. The Bucks plan to bring in both players after the Chicago pre-draft camp and work them out. The results of the workouts probably will be the deciding factor for the Bucks. If Bogut looks stronger or more athletic than he did in college, he'll probably be a lock for the No. 1 pick. However, if Williams looks like he's ready to contribute right now, he'd be tough to pass on, especially when GM Larry Harris would then have the luxury of shopping Desmond Mason around the league. The latest sign the Bucks may give Williams the nod comes from former Ute coach Rick Majerus, who reportedly is telling his close friend, owner Herb Kohl, that he's better off taking Williams. Considering how well Majerus knows Bogut (he recruited him to Utah), that should raise a few eyebrows. • Insider readers sent a flurry of e-mails after we raised Channing Frye from a late first-round pick to a lottery pick in our first mock draft. How could a guy rise so fast – especially a college senior who should be a known product? We still have the same questions, but sources in Golden State, Orlando and New Jersey told Insider that they'd have a hard time passing him up if he was on the board. The Warriors, especially, are looking for a long, athletic, shot-blocking center who is ready to step up and contribute right now. I don't believe the Warriors have made him a promise, as some have suggested, but unless someone else comes in and knocks their socks off, I think Frye will be their guy. • We have Texas A&M guard Antoine Wright going to the Bobcats at No. 13, but he might not be around that long. Sources claim the Clippers are in love with Wright and told him that they'd take him at No. 12 if he shut down his workouts. Wright's agent declined, hoping that if he impressed the Clips at 12, he might rise even higher. Wright has looked very solid in individual workouts. His body has gotten stronger and he's proving to teams that his improved jumper is for real. The team is also high on Martynas Andriuskevicius, but it sounds like Andriuskevicius is likely to withdraw from the draft again this year. • We wrote last week that we probably had Tiago Splitter way too low at No. 24. That was the general consensus among NBA scouts and GMs this week. Almost all of them had him slotted late in the lottery, going either to the Knicks at No. 8, the Lakers at No. 10, the Nets at No. 15 or the Raptors at No. 16. The one big issue for Splitter, however, is his buyout. He still doesn't have a set amount, which is a major problem for teams drafting in the lottery. If his agents can't work out a deal with Tau Vitoria (the club is reluctant to let Splitter go because chances are it's losing big man Luis Scola to the Spurs this summer), there's a chance he may not be able to come to the NBA next season. That will scare off teams that think that the big Brazilian could come in and contribute right away. • Two months ago we had Julius Hodge on the first-round bubble. We put him at No. 28 in our first mock draft, but chances are he's not going to be around when the Spurs pick. The feedback we're getting from teams that have worked him out is extremely positive. He could now go as high as No. 17 to the Pacers. The Grizzlies will take a long look at him at No. 19. So will the Rockets at No. 24 and the Jazz at No. 27. Given the high praise he's gotten from all of those teams, it's tough to see him slipping past all four to San Antonio. Just to bolster that contention, Hodge withdrew from the Chicago pre-draft camp. That's always a pretty solid sign that a player's gotten word from a team that it will select him in the first round if he is still on the board. • Our new first-round sleepers are Providence's Ryan Gomes and Louisville's Francisco Garcia. Both players have been playing to rave reviews at workouts over the past few weeks. Gomes has lost about 15 pounds and is showing teams he has enough of a perimeter game to make the transition to the three. A few teams have compared him to a bigger Corliss Williamson. Garcia also has worked out great. He's shown a little more athleticism than scouts thought he had, and he's been shooting the lights out in workouts. We're probably going to have to find first-round spots for both of these guys in our next mock draft. • We also had a few folks who were shocked that Croatian point guard Roko Ukic didn't make the cut. Several GMs and scouts made a recent trip to Croatia to watch him play and came back convinced Ukic might be the fourth-best point guard prospect on the board behind Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Raymond Felton. That's right, they had him ahead of Jarrett Jack and as a possible mid-to-late first-round pick. We'll see him in Italy in two weeks at the Reebok Eurocamp and give you a full report. The other international sleeper to watch is Italian forward Angelo Gigli. He's already in the U.S. working out, with sources saying the Sonics are giving him serious consideration at No. 25. STOCK DROPPING • How far could Chris Taft drop if he isn't selected by the Knicks at No. 8? He didn't impress Knicks exec Isiah Thomas in his first informal workout and there's word the Knicks may be looking at Frye at No. 8 instead. If the Knicks pass on Taft, the Warriors might consider him at No. 9 and the Lakers could bite at No. 10. But if he gets by those three teams, he could be in a free fall. The Magic, Clippers, Bobcats and Timberwolves don't need or want him. The Nets could use him, but sources say that the Nets don't like him. The next team on the board that actually has a need for a guy like Taft is the Kings at No. 23. • We still don't know where to put Hakim Warrick. Two weeks ago, we wrote his stock appeared to be on the rise, based on the comments of a couple of GMs who claimed he was being seriously considered in the lottery. We still think there's a chance the Knicks could tab him at No. 8 and the Warriors at No. 9. However, a number of other scouts and GMs claim they have Warrick ranked in the 20s on their boards. I have a feeling we're going to go back and forth on him all month. • This could end up being a tough year for international players fishing for first-round promises. Andriuskevicius, who many feel has the most upside of any international player in the draft, took a huge hit when the two teams most interested in him, Milwaukee and Portland, moved up into the top three. The Clippers like him, but it isn't a guarantee that they'll take him. He may have to withdraw. The same goes for Nemanja Aleksandrov, Yaroslav Korolev, Peja Samardziski, Mile Ilic and, possibly, Marko Tomas and Splitter. All have yet to find teams willing to commit to them in the range they want to go in the first round. It's still early, but so far the prospects aren't looking great. Chad Ford covers the NBA and the NBA Draft for ESPN Insider.

Sorry to be anal, but Dalip "Giant" Singh was actually a worker for New Japan, not All Japan. Just clarification is all. Proceed with movie talk.