Hawk 34

They can't fire him because he'd just go to TNA or anyother promotion and kill himself there. They need to bench him for awhile, get a field of shrinks to get into his head before even considering putting him back into the ring. Angle has always had this unhealthy drive even before WWE came along and he needs to get that out of his system.

They should just have him take one bump during the ladder match and write him out of ECW and WWE until the Rumble.

At a house show. That's just cold man, way too cold. Sometimes you just gotta feel for Dreamer. It isn't like Sandman needed to be protected on a house show.

I swear every game of Cincy that Madden covers is devoted to Skyline Chili. We get it John, you are fat and enjoy food.

If they need to kill air-time, just follow Alex Shelley around. What brain-dead moron thinks of Monty in this situation?

I guess they will rush alot of the matches now.

Will it be HUSS~! Jacobs or Emo Jacobs? I don't advocate TNA stealing from other promotions but if they don't do Ballad of Traci with Jacobs, they are clueless.

Nash injured his neck upon hearing he was going to job. I'm on the fence about this show. Haven't ordered a TNA show since AAO but I have a free credit for a PPV from my cable provider. I might just cash that credit in tonight.

You would think Coffey might lose a little weight with all of his bull-like charges to the mound but he doesn't.

Cincy knocks 3 straight homers as they get away from Philly in a crucial game for each team.

What about Propel? I like the traditional Gatorade flavors(orange, lemon-lime and fruit punch) and the new Tangerine Rain but I tend to drink lemon Propel more then anything else.

I'm missing out on the new arrivals thanks to the local network going ahead and dropping UPN last month. I still don't where the CW network even ends up here.

In case you haven't noticed, I've been rather inactive for the past week or so around these parts and there are reasons for that...but nothing I want to get into just yet. Other happenings are... -One week from yesterday will be my final day in the office. As you might recall from a previous entry, I made the decision to go to school full time again passing over a well paying job with potential. A choice I'm assured to regret for awhile. Like everything else in live, politics played a part. My official title with the company was "Director of Production", which basically means manager of the workforce. I made a healthy income for the past couple months which is monumental for a 20 year old student, I got the job because of politics and because of who I knew. The owner being my father's best friend of many years put me in this seat but I didn't take it for granted and did the job with the utmost integrity as I could. Being handed a job is the worse possible situation in the work environment because it breeds contempt. Despite having worked shoulder to shoulder with the guys in the shop (another word for factory floor) and busting my ass for the better part of the last 2 years, they still resented me for being young with this position. I had to prove my worth and I think that I accomplished this. I'd like to think my performance would warrant me the ability to select my successor but that isn't the case. I wanted to appoint a guy who has worked off and on for this company for 15 years and knows everything about it far greater then I ever could imagine. He is generally liked by the office and floor except for one single person and that is the owner. The very same guy who placed an inexperienced 20 year old into a perk spot with his company that he built from the ground up. He feels more inclined to place someone from his secondary company into my seat. I'm very disappointed in this because I promised a man, a husband and father of 3 that this job was his when I leave. Monday morning, I had to inform him that he got passed over and that his many years with the company wasn't enough to satisfy the asshole in charge. Originally, I planned on sticking with the company on a part-time basis going back to the shop floor but after this situation, I close the door for good with the company. -I did well enough that I can maintain a regular lifestyle for the next couple months before going back to the work-force. I've been working non-stop for years; I will gladly welcome this break. I don't believe I'll have much difficulty in finding a new line of work. Luckily my now former job presented with experience in a variety of fields. ----------------- I start school in just 12 days. My first collegiate year was rather lackluster but with a newfound motivation and drive, I have high expectations for this upcoming semester. I've said this many times and it holds true, for any aspiring students not sure about their direction, don't waste time and money on some big school and having your (or parents) pocketbooks gutted. There are a number of community colleges that offer the exact same basic introductory education that you'll receive from any 4 year program. Or do what I did...attend a regional branch. Most schools have regional campus and they are significantly cheaper and they offer identical education. LLiving at home and commuting might not seem attractive but when you examine the bills I got from Miami (OH) at Oxford and the Middletown regional branch, it was light and day. Attending regional branches doesn't limit your social life by any means. --- My sister gets married in exactly 29 days. I'm still not convinced I want the guy to be my brother in law. He's a good guy and all but he's pretty much the equivalent of paint drying. He's an accountant, so I'll appreciate his services in the future regarding my taxes and such. My sister is smart though. She's fairly good looking and never had problems attracting all sorts of guys. I figure she got all the fun out of her system and grabbed onto a guy who isn't going to turn her life into a live episode of COPS and won't sleep around on her and will give her financial happiness. I love weddings. I just recently attended one over the weekend but being behind the scenes for the preparations for my sister has me seriously contemplating staying single for life. It's bad enough that you feel stressed out but you throw in meddling parents who can't stand each other and disagree on everything and every single possible "disaster" known to man and its fun if you got a front row seat but eventually you'll get thrown into the scene and it's downright ugly. Drive-thru Wedding Chapels. Seriously, utilize this. --- That's all I feel like going into now. Next chapter, learn about my trip to a childhood past, chance meeting with prego friend and my adventures at the auto mall.

He'll pull a Savage and wrestle with a bandana.

Hollandsworth making that catch reminded me of that scene from that Angels In The Outfield movie.

Entourage used to be the Ari Gold Show, not anymore. It's Johnny Drama's World and we're just living in it. Louie just gets better and better.

I don't really see the purpose of unifying the belts when Nigel had made that belt finally mean something. I know Nigel has a wacky schedule where he can't make every show (although, as of late he has appeared at most of the shows). Nigel/Danielson III, was a big enough draw for Liverpool that it didn't need need a stipulation like this. The first match was a classic and the second match was heading that direction before the abrupt finish... Gabe has a reason for doing the things he does and he usually has success in delivering it but I'm pretty confused and disapointed to see Nigel's run with the title come to an end like this after a year of making that title worth something. ROH has had a fantastic year and the first trip for a non-joint show in UK is just another big part of this year. We'll see what happens.

I'm surprised it took this long for Jeff to return to WWE.

So a soceity that craves violence in all forms is guilty about another avenue of violence? Boxing, before it's downfall was called the Sport Of Kings for a reason. MMA is a sleeker and modernized upgrade of Boxing. Boxing has been an american staple since the early 1900's. The reason it has taken MMA long to get "over" here is because like most sports, it takes time to adjust from being a niche sport to mainstream sport. MMA, has really only existed on a mainstream level in America for roughly a decade and it spent half that time fighting a negative image that has almost been wiped away. X Game sports originated way back in the 1970's but it took years of building to become a legitimate mainstream entity. That's what MMA is going through right now. People aren't guilty about watching something that is essentially the same world as boxing but only with a different design. If there was any guilt about MMA, it's via influence of a negative campaign from media and polticians years ago painting MMA in a bad light. That image has been absolved now.

Guilt in watching mma? If anything, a guilt for watching pro wrestling exists as it has always been a embarassment even during the peak points of business. MMA doesn't give fans a reason to feel guilty watching it. MMA doesn't have a negative side to it like pro wrestling generates. Pro wrestling, has been viewed as a low class market (with supporting numbers to back it up). So where is the guilt in MMA fandom now? In the early form of MMA, when it was decried as human cockfighting...that statement had more ground but not anymore.

MMA is fighting the initial doubts from skeptics that it's merely a niche sport like the X games did a decade ago. Very few people will doubt the legitimate claim that X Games are beyond a niche sport. MMA is getting out of that realm of doubt and inching closer towards a respected viewpoint from mainstream public and media. MMA, is clearly having an effect on wrestling and WWE as a whole. Its subtle right now but growing. The obvious part being workers incorporating MMA into their work. This is very obvious on the independent circuit as the current trend is to work a shoot style offense. ROH and TNA already submit to the influence of MMA and will not deny it. WWE, is clearly realizing the popularity that MMA is reaching. It'll be another year or two before it becomes more apparent but it's seeping into the WWE. I'm curious to know if Vince is using MMA to take away from the UFC crowd by glamorizing the concept or does he really believe MMA has a place in his company? Vince has used MMA once with Shamrock but he presented UFC as a novel niche market where Shamrock was too big for and had to come to WWF for more "legit" challengers. Heyman is clearly a mark for MMA and that is seen in the introduction of CM Punk. It's just a matter of the perception Vince has for MMA.

Chavo has lived off his uncle's name for years, it's not that unusual and surprising to see that he would go along with the charade. Without his connection to Eddie, WWE doesn't see anything in him. Vicky, needs the money and going along with this storyline keeps a cash flow intact for the three kids she is left alone with. The only worthless and disapointing person in this whole thing is Rey. Rey never needed Eddie's name to get over. While Eddie's death and the subsequent injury of Batista is what propelled Vince to put the title and push onto Rey, it wasn't as neccesary for his career/life like Chavo and Vickie. How often does anyone stand up against Vince McMahon? It was one thing to do it in the past, where you could go somewhere else. Today, TNA still hasn't made a dent in challenging WWE. ROH, isn't suited for 90 percent of WWE's roster and Japan isn't that attractive anymore. So people like Chavo, Benoit, Rey aren't going to say anything because they want the push and the paycheck. Vince will be using Eddie for years to come, he'll find a way to squeeze anything out it. The only thing that'll stop it is if another major name dies and they find ways to exploit that death.

Last night's show was interesting on many levels from the reactions of the fans, the energy of the wrestlers and even the viewpoints adapted here. The opening tag match was almost vintage ECW with a hot crowd for a semi-decent brawl that involved blood, chicks and barbed wire. I think alot of you guys are way to impatient with the Heyman Vs Old ECW storyline. It's a slow burn and slow burns are almost always a better way of going about things, I know it's not a standard pratice at WWE HQ and that's why alot of you are complaining about it. It's building to something, Heyman/TBS/Test/Knox/Bashams/Kelly is a good connected stable going against the OLD ECW led by Dreamer/Sandman/Sabu and RVD when he returns. It's interesting to see the reactions here for CM Punk. Punk has had a reputation for being one of the best in the world for not just his work inside the ring but for his promos and his charisma. What is everyone's first reaction to him? That he can work, has charisma and has a different look and moveset. Look at JustPassingBy, who apparently never seen a shining wizard despite the fact Hurricane, Tajiri and London have been doing it on WWE tv for years. That blows him away. Punk's 5 minute match showcased just a minimal part of his ability but the crowd(a perfect place to debut him) made him look like a superstar. It's rare for someone to debut to a "new" crowd like that. The camera frame with Punk and the "I paid to see CM Punk" sign was just superb. It added to the whole aura. Punk has been booked almost to perfection in ECW and that's because of Paul Heyman. Hopefully next week Punk can work with someone more skilled in the ring instead of Credible. Angle's squash was pointless and I actually think he needs to take more time off because ECW doesn't need him. Kevin Thorn? Yikes. Fertig was fine for a vampire name. Martinez reallys looks good in vampire gear. The main event was expected to be a entertaining train wreck and it was. Usually, I would say the opener should main evented but that crowd really pushed the New Vs Old ECW storyline. It's a shame that type of crowd won't be in effect much longer. Mary-Kate, of ROH was great ringside(she was the oft referenced girl in the Franchise shirt). It's things like that I love about NYC crowds. You can debate all you want about "hypocritical fans" and whatnot but that crowd had something very few WWE crowds have and that is passion and interest. I'll take a "hypocritical" crowd over a dead crowd. ECW is the most important brand for WWE right now. No, really. Smackdown might have better "wrestling" but it doesn't mean anything as the show is presented as junk with a depleted roster and no star power beyond Batista and Mysterio. Raw has been in the dumpster for awhile now despite having a healthier and active roster. The two main storylines are recycled garbage and the most interesting storyline is Foley's masturbatory angle with Flair that only a handful of the crowd gets to begin with. ECW has a smaller but more defined roster aside from the rotating main event slots with Raw/Smackdown which has to end now since ECW will get the extension. They have the ability to stretch out storylines due to a lack of PPV build. Only one match will end up at Summer Slam, so you can slowly build storylines now and establish characters.

They traded between each other, establishing a flow to each climatic bump. Necro bled more but BJ took more punishment(such as the powerbomb onto the wired table) but at the end it was BJ murdering Necro with multiple exploders, splash off ladder(while Necro was covered by the wire board) and then irish whipped Necro on the thumbtacks and finished him with a super-exploder onto the tacks for the win. As for Cleveland, it was probably a better show from top to bottom. Rave, took a huge shot from Ace and had to be legit taken to the hospital. Jacobs's performence to Lacey had the crowd rolling. The DG Rules match was interesting as Richards, Clark and IA appeared to be more in touch with the DG rules as opposed to Gen Next, whom were actual DG workers. The double duel 630/SSP spot was fantastic and executed perfectly. I mentioned in the Dayton update that it's impossible for other workers to keep up with Evans and that remained the case as Evans moves so fast that the others can't react quick enough which makes it looks like a botch but it wasn't. Cage delivered a great pre-match promo and the Cleveland crowd gave him a proper response. Danielson/McGuinness II, was heading to classic terriortory before the abrupt finish. The 3rd installment in London should be incredible. --- BJ/Necro, was easily the most memorable match of the weekend but I felt Dragon/Nigel and the DG 8 man were tied for MOTWC.

WAR OF THE WIRE II-Dayton, OH For only the second time in ROH history, they will present a No Rope Barbed Wire match. Dayton, OH is famous for the heat generated from the building and the fans and that won't be any different for this show which includes more then just a brutal main event offering. Here is the card No Rope Barbed Wire BJ Whitmer Vs Necro Butcher Jack Evans and Roderick Strong Vs The Briscoes Four Corner Survival Non-Title Homicide Vs Delirious Vs Austin Aries Vs Bryan Danielson Matt Sydal Vs Christopher Daniels ROH Pure Title Match Nigel McGuinness Vs Colt Cabana The Embassy Vs Jerrelle Clark and Davey Richards ROHVideos.com Match Trik Davis Vs Jimmy Jacobs Also on the card: Irish Airborne I'll be attending this show and will most likely give a semi-detailed account McGuinness Vs Danielson II-Cleveland, OH Last april, McGuiness and Danielson battled in what many have called a MOTYC and has been praised from many top minds. This time, the match won't take place under pure rules, taking away Nigel's 'home field' advantage. That's not the only big match of the night as Christian Cage makes his second ROH appearence against a fellow TNA star in Christopher Daniels. The stable known as GENERATION NEXT will have it's swan song in Cleveland as it will be the final match under the Gen Next banner for those four as they take on four talents considered the "new breed". The card ROH World Title Match Nigel McGuiness Vs Bryan Danielson Christopher Daniels Vs Christian Cage Dragon Gate Rules Generation Next (Aries, Strong, Evans and Sydal) Vs Irish Airborne, Jerrelle Clark and Davey Richards Homicide Vs Mark Briscoe Jay Briscoe Vs Jimmy Jacobs The Embassy Vs Second City Saints Delirious Vs Claudio Castagnoli BJ Whitmer Vs Chris Cage I'll attend this show as well, and have a review late sunday night