The Crossface: Survivor Series 2002 preview

[Guest TSMAdmin]

Survivor Series appears to be on par with No Mercy, which itself appeared to be a throwaway PPV going into the event. However, the Smart Marks will still give you their predictions and thoughts on the show. Before we get started, let's meet the players...

 

Brandon Truitt: Brandon is a regular here on the Crossface and happens to own a heaping helping of shoot interviews. Check out his recap of the Sean Waltman (X-Pac) shoot interview. He will also be your moderator tonight.

 

Dr. Tom: Tom brings the content every week, providing the reader with his Smackdown recaps, The Mid-Week News, movie reviews and much more! Read up on Tom's feelings of this week's Smackdown.

 

O.R. Polk, Jr.: Polk is a regular in the weekly Crossface and has a knack for giving detailed, entertaining DVD reviews… without giving away the movie! Don’t forget to read his latest Velocity Recap!

 

William Helmick: While no longer the Crossface moderator or talent scout for the site, he still contributes to the Crossface.

 

 

 

Brandon: I'll start with our Survivor Series preview and predictions tonight. We'll move from the bottom of the card and move up.

 

The first match is Trish Stratus vs. Victoria in a hardcore match for the Women's Title. Will Trish retain the title for a second month against Victoria?

 

 

Dr. Tom: Yes, because I think they want the belt on her when Jazz comes back. Hotshotting it to Victoria, then back to Trish, doesn't make a lot of sense. I think the more important question, considering Trish's willingness to take bumps, is will she BLADE~! in the hardcore match?

OR Polk: First of all, I thought hardcore matches were over and done with. I'm gonna give Victoria the duke because every woman in the division has to win the title at some time or another.

William: Well, if the WWE wants to continue this storyline then I think it is mandatory that Victoria wins the title. If Trish keeps the title, then what do we have to look forward to? A match with Molly? Boring! A match with Jazz? Been there, done that! And as for Trish blading, I think wrestling would have sunk to even deeper levels of stupidity. I could see it if this was Hokuto vs. Kandori but these are not two serious competitors.

Dr. Tom: I just wouldn't want to see her mar that face, Will.

William: That is my point, Tom! These girls are really out there as TN'A (no NWA)!. They aren't wrestlers I take seriously. Save the blading for the REAL wrestlers.

Brandon: If Victoria wins, is there even anyone for her to feud with? Trish IS the face side of the women's division for the most part.

OR Polk: Who's fault is that? Maybe Victoria will just continue to torment Trish even though she has the title...

William: If Trish bladed, I think wrestling would have sunk to even deeper levels of stupidity. I could see it if this was Hkuto vs. Kandori but these are not two serious competitors. To Victoria it's not about the belt; she's PSYCHO. And Brandon, you're thinking of this in terms of a logical feud. You think WWE cares about the booking of the women's division enough to worry about the face/heel ratio and who will feud with whom? I think not.

Brandon: CJ, it's not completely they're fault on the face side... most of the faces are pure T and A, like Torrie, or are injured, like Lita.

OR Polk: So, it is their fault on the face side, Brandon. Who told them to hire faces who can't wrestle? To WWE face = pretty face who can't wrestle and heel = homely bitch who can work. So they set themselves up for failure in that respect.

Brandon: True enough, CJ. I'm just saying that the workhorses of the face side are Trish and Lita, one of whom is overexposed in her role and the other is seriously injured.

Dr. Tom: Torrie's been improving, though. She's not in the class of the girls who can actually work a little, but they've made some progress with her.

OR Polk: I'm sorry but I'm fed up with the "divas" and WWE's attitude towards pretty faces, female workers and the women's division in general. I think we've wasted enough time talking about it. Torrie and Stacy have supposedly been "improving" since their days training with Medusa in WCW. I have yet to really see any significant strides.

Brandon: Who will win and how good will the match be?

William: As for the match itself, Victoria has not done anything in the ring to impress me. Their match last month was an abomination and almost as bad as Torrie and Dawn Marie. If this match goes over *1/2, I would be surprised.

Dr. Tom: Trish retains, but I'm skeptical of how "hardcore" the girls can get, so I'll go *.

 

 

Brandon: The next match on the card is Goldust and The Hurricane vs. William Regal and Lance Storm. Will this unusual combination be able to work, given the clashing styles involved?

Dr. Tom: Eh. This looks like a good match to drain the lizard and refill the nacho bowl.

OR Polk: It can't be any worse than anything else on the card. I'm not into Regal so I see him as being the only thing that will drag this down. Goldust is slightly better than average in the ring and I mawrc for Helms and Storm.

William: Talk about your matches with no build!!! I think this match is the perfect example of what is wrong with WWE today. Let's throw out half-ass tag matches on the PPV and hope the people don't notice. I think Regal and Storm win but I wouldn't put money on it.

Dr. Tom: It's sad how utterly *pathetic* Raw's tag team offerings are in comparison to Smackdown's. I don't expect much, since Regal is a style clash with anyone in the ring, and generally sucks anyway.

OR Polk: But to be fair, Smackdown's tag teams are just as thrown together; just with better singles wrestlers.

Dr. Tom: True, CJ, but the combination works.

William: I agree with your assessment on Regal, Tom. People hype his guy up but just because he had one good match with Benoit and a good, stiff feud with Fit Finlay six fucking years ago, people still sing his praises. Put him in Jerry Lawler's announcing position and get him the hell out of the ring.

OR Polk: Tom, I'm not complaining. But you could throw any combination of the Smackdown Six together and get a good tag team. I remember when Cena was one of those "future" of Smackdown guys... what happened to that? He was doing run-ins with Edge and Rey at one point. Now he's rapping.

William: But I love rapping Cena!!!!

OR Polk: Will, I said Regal sucks, too and would drag the match down.

Dr. Tom: It's the standard de-push after the initial big push, OR.

OR Polk: Tom, of course. That's so standard. I'm still waiting for Angle's and Brock's de-push.

William: And yet again, Tom, you give another example of what is wrong with the damn fed! Cutting guys off at the knees does not build interest, it builds apathy. Just like the apathy we have toward these two mathces we just discussed.

Dr. Tom: They came in with a lot more hype, though, and legit amateur credentials.

OR Polk: All I'm saying, Tom, is that it's not really "standard". I say it all depends on the guy.

Dr. Tom: It's pretty common, though.

Brandon: Predictions?

William: I think that these guys could squeeze out a ** match if they keep the energy level up but Regal works about as fast as Mark Henry. I think a trip to the fridge, or bar, is in order.

OR Polk: I'm gonna go with Regal and Storm. I don't do star ratings.

Dr. Tom: I'll flip a coin and go with HurriDust, *1/2

 

 

Brandon: Here's a match that was announced tonight... Jamie Noble vs. Billy Kidman. Will Kidman resume the push he was getting around Backlash?

 

 

OR Polk: Kidman, as good as he used to be, is one unmotivated sack of fuck lately. He picked up a win tonight on Smackdown, so I don't see a win at the Pay Per View in my magic 8-Ball for him.

William: I hope that Kidman comes out on top... of Nidia! I wouldn't mind seeing this match but I really don't care who wins. The handling oif the cruisers has been pathetic.

Dr. Tom: Kidman's way too boring as a singles guy. The Shooting Star Press is nice, but he's just so bland and vanilla otherwise. I think they'll keep the belt on Noble since he brings more to the table in a **1/2 affair

Brandon: Did the cruiser division deteriorate because Rey Misterio was put at the top of the card, in addition to other booking stupidity like Mark Henry crushing Tajiri?

Dr. Tom: I think Rey leaving to play with the big boys definitely hurt. you had to know that was coming, though. Once he showed he could hold his own and the fans were behind him, there was no way he was staying with a bunch of guys who are seen as high-flying jobbers for bigger guys.

OR Polk: They went away from featuring a good cruiser match each week like they did at the start of the brand extension. Then they traded Helms to RAW for no good reason. That can't help.

William: I think that Rey enhances the cruiser division, not detracts from it. I do agree that having guys like Albert, Rikishi and Mark Henry squashing the workers is an embarassment.

William: There is no reason that the cruisers can't be pulling out the **** matches just like the Wrestling Gods.

OR Polk: Yeah, then you'd have a Smackdown 12 instead of 6.

Dr. Tom: It's all about Vince's bias toward big men. The cruisers can work awesome matches, but the fans are programmed to think that the big fat guy is going to beat them.

William: And we would all be better because of it, Polk. Where in the wrestling rulebook does it state you can only have two great matches per tv show?

 

 

 

Brandon: Moving on to the big selling point of the PPV... Los Guerreros vs. Edge and Rey Misterio vs. Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit. Will this top the MOTYC from No Mercy last month?

 

 

Dr. Tom: I think it will emerge as the Match of the Year, yes. There's too much talent in the ring, and I think they'll have an awesome match in store.

OR Polk: I think adding EDDY to anything can only make it better. Personally I didn't find the match from No Mercy a MOTYC like everyone else...but what do I know, I'm just a "casual fan" now.

William: I think the match has potential but not if it turns out like the three-way from Super Tuesday.

William: I think Kidman and Noble can turn out a match around *** but only if they are given time and hit their spots.

OR Polk: Will, I think they guys from Super Tuesday dogged it because they had to work twice that night.

William: That may be true, Polk, but three-ways in general tend to be clusterfucks and very few ever seem to live up to expectations.

Brandon: CJ, is it possible they dogged it so they wouldn't make the guys in the 10-man from RAW look any worse than they already did?

OR Polk: Perhaps, Brandon, but I don't think that was on their minds. If anything, you try to outdo the guys from the other show. Besides, they couldn't have known how bad that 10 Man was.

William: If anything Brandon, I think that showing up the Raw guys should have been the goal. They should have brought with them a "We are better than them" mentality.

Brandon: Winner and star predictions?

William: If this match emerges as a MOTYC, then I would be shocked! Crowds are already becoming apathetic toward the Gods and they would have to nearly kill themselves to get this match over.

Dr. Tom: Edge and Rey just got the belts, and there's no reason to put them on someone else. It's a good belt for Edge to have until they're ready to push him onward, so I'll look for the champs to retain. ****1/2

William: I think the Guerreros celebrate the win with a big bottle of tequila in a ***1/2 affair.

OR Polk: I think Rey and Edge will retain. But some seem to be of the school of thought that it might be Eddy and Chavo because both Angle and Rey need to nurse some injuries.

Brandon: Even considering the injuries to Angle and Rey, Dr. Tom?

William: That is exactly why I chose the Guerreros, Brandon.

Dr. Tom: Hmm, I forgot about Rey's knee.

OR Polk: I think Rey and Edge will lose the titles on TV to the Guerreros perhaps to put on one more really great TV match and then we can reshuffle the deck and try something new.

Dr. Tom: That does make the Guerreros the safe choice. I know Angle's supposed to have surgery soon, but I don't know when Rey's going for it.

Dr. Tom: I'll go with Rey and Edge for now, then figure they'll drop the straps on TV when Rey needs to go under the scope.

 

 

Brandon: Now we're up to our main events... Let's start with Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show. Will Brock retain or will Big Show end up winning a World title at Survivor Series for the second time?

 

 

William: Holy shit! The rumors indicate that Big Show is going to end Brock's reign and I think that is the absolute worst possible scenario. Do NOT give the title to that pitiful excuse of a man. If anything, since they have been pushing Edge for so long, let him take the belt from Brock due to some mistimed interference from Heyman. Something... anything but the Big Show!

Dr. Tom: If Slow wins, I will take back every good thing I've said about Smackdown recently, and I will stop recapping his shitty matches until they wise up and get the strap off of his tubby, useless ass.

Dr. Tom: Will, I'd rather see freaking Paul Heyman win the belt than Slow.

OR Polk: I don't know why everyone is worried. I don't think it's even a possibilty that Show will go over.

William: Brock has to win. Why would you invest all of this time and effort into him and have him lose to a glorified 500lb jobber?

Brandon: The plan, should Show win, is for he and Lesnar to have a rematch at Armageddon. Given the house show reports on their matches, why are they even considering that?

William: They are considering it because the WWE heads don't have a fucking clue, Brandon.

Dr. Tom: Because Slow is big and untalented, which puts him in Vince's favorite class of "superstar."

Brandon: Star ratings and winners?

William: Look at it this way... this is a company run by a man who thought the necrophilia angle would bring viewers back.

Dr. Tom: Brock retains, if for no other reason than Heyman slaps some sense into whomever came up with the idea for the Big Fucking Slow to win. Since Slow sucks and Brock is hurt, I'll generously go with 1/2*, just for the Shooting Star press Brock will use to end the match.

William: I like Brock...a lot. I was pleasantly surprised with the work he did with Taker, and I think he will get a watchable ** match out of Show.

OR Polk: I also think that Brock may have to bust out the Shooting Star Press to put away Show. This would certainly do wonders for that face turn.

William: Brock is not going to use the Shooting Star Press, Tom. Supposedly, he has a cracked rib.

OR Polk: Damn. Forgot about that.

Dr. Tom: I like Brock too, Will, but I don't think he's been around the block enough to carry an inferior worker to a good match, especially not a talent black hole like Slow.

Dr. Tom: Bah, he'll still use it. If getting tossed around the ring doesn't hurt him overmuch, an SSP won't kill him.

William: But Tom, the SSP impact is directly on the ribs.

Dr. Tom: Brock's a HOSS BAH GAWD. He can take it.

 

Brandon: And now on to the true main event... The Elimination Chamber, pitting Triple H vs. Kane vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho vs. Booker T vs. Rob Van Dam in the confines of a custom-built cage, using rules taken from the Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and Tower of Doom (triple cage) matches.

 

 

OR Polk: I've made my official prediction for the Elimination Chamber. Since they've built the Chamber itself the most, I think it will collapse and "kill" all the participants.

Dr. Tom: Don't you mean HHH, Shawn Michaels, and four guys who have been systematically buried over the past month, Brandon?

William: Once again, rumors indicate that the only two possible winners of this match are HHH and HBK. These are the two superstars who need the belt the least. Trips has already proven he can't draw. HBK is not an active wrestler. RVD, Booker T, and Kane could all use the belt. Jericho is damaged goods as far as I am concerned. With that logic, Trips retains and kills the business even more.

Dr. Tom: It's so obvious that HHH and HBK are being made to look like the big stars. Kane and Booker have been jobbed out of late (and there was no reason at all for Booker to lose a goddamn NON-TITLE match), Jericho's been a joke ever since Since he started picking up dog poop, and RVD's had his heat sapped by the HHH Heat Sink, also. Rob's the wild card, though, since he's not really feuding with anyone else involved in the match. Then HHH will get to no-sell Death again, CJ! "Even a ten-ton cage-uh, cannot kill me-uh!"

OR Polk: The Chamber will come out on Raw with the Big Gold Belt and HHH will cheat "death", run-in and destroy the Chamber with his sledgehammer.

OR Polk: In all seriousness, I can't rule Hunter out even though every piece of logic dictates he should lose. I didn't think he'd beat Booker AND win the 10 man tag on Super Tuesday but it happened. Dr. Tom:

OR Polk: But continuity and logic are ideas that are apparently foreign to such a big star and billionaire like Vince McMahon.

Since he started picking up dog poop, and RVD's had his heat sapped by the HHH Heat Sink, also. Rob's the wild card, though, since he's not really feuding with anyone else involved in the match.

Dr. Tom: I think they'll give Michaels the belt to try and pop a rating. Then have Scott Steiner come in and "injure" him again.

William: I seriously think the ratings will have to dip into the low 2's before Vince finally snaps out of his dementia and throws the steroid-injecting freak back to the midcard.

William: That strategy really worked with Hulk Hogan, Tom! Give the belt to a cripple who shouldn't be in the ring.

Dr. Tom: I didn't say it would be successful, Will. It's just what I think they'll do.

Brandon: Does anyone think that the rumors of Triple H and Shawn Michaels winning the match are being spread to work the dirtsheets and the Internet Wrestling Community, similar to Hulk Hogan's claims that he made at World War 3 in 1995, saying that he worked Dave Meltzer about a Randy Savage injury and The Giant (Big Show) winning the title that night?

William: It certainly wouldn't surprise me if they put the belt on Holy Bible Kid (trademark JHawk) but it is the worst possible solution. As for your theory, Brandon, I don't think it's right. I think that this really IS the plan. Nothing in the booking in the last month has proven otherwise.

Dr. Tom:Maybe. The WWE appoints a mouthpiece to blast the internet fans every week, so I think they'd definitely try and work them. That may not be what they're doing, but I sure wouldn't put it past them.

OR Polk: I'd say in this case, they're not just working the smarts. The whole television build up has been all about HHH and HBK.

William: IF the McMahons were interested in working the smarts then they would send out leaks about Benoit's upcoming world title feud.

Brandon: That's one theory... although the other is that they'd feed stories of the worst case scenario happening so we'd be satisfied with something else happening, like Kane winning the title.

Dr. Tom: I'd rather see Kane have it than HHH at this point.

William: I really don't think this match will be any good. Just the thought of HHH and HBK being the last two men in the ring kills any good vibes I was feeling prior to this point. How can you be excited about a match that is void of drama and intrigue.

OR Polk: Why do you keep picking these scenarios? I swear to God, if Kane won the RAW title and Big Show was the Smackdown Champion, I'd pull an Al Wilson and off myself. But somehow I think HHH and HBK will convince Vince that they need to be the last two in the ring and use their SummerSlam match as proof.

William: If Kane and the Big Show were the two champions then I think the most credible champiuon would be Xavier, the Ring of Honor champion. That is pathetic.

Brandon: Winners and star ratings?

Dr. Tom: I'm going to stick to my call of HBK winning the belt, with RVD as the dark horse. This is a tough one to predict a rating for, since the match hasn't been done before. There's some talent out there, though I'm sure those guys will be jobbed early. **1/2-***

William: I honestly think this match will be a clusterfuck. I am hoping and praying that they surprise me but I don't think they will. three worlers aren't very good. One is a walking cripple. One is so uninspired he hasn't had a good match in months and RVD will be baked. ** tops! I think HHH retains since he is fucking the boss's daughter.

OR Polk: This is a hard one to call. But I'm going all out and saying HBK. Hunter won't retain, they won't go with Kane, Booker or RVD and they can't go with Jericho (a heel to heel switch won't work), so that leaves Michaels.

 

 

Brandon: Any matches that I missed?

William: Oh shoot, the 6 man tables match...

Brandon: Yeah... the match so forgettable that I left it off of here... Three Minutes and Rico vs. Jeff Hardy, Spike Dudley, and Bubba Ray Dudley.

OR Polk: I think you did us all a service by forgetting that much. And you just told WWE how forgettable their card is.

Dr. Tom: Wow, that's certainly a throwaway match. Christ, Raw's contributions to this show suck.

William: RAW's contributions to the last two PPV's have sucked, Tom.

Dr. Tom: Yay, three guys no one cares about against three other guys no one cares about. Smell the ratings!

Brandon: What do you expect, Tom? RAW's short on talent to begin with and they threw six top names into one match.

Dr. Tom: I can't expect much else, Brandon, but it's still pretty pathetic to sit down and look at it.

OR Polk: Next PPV, Jeff Hardy will be in the RAW main event. I'm surprised him and Goldust aren't in the elimination chamber this month.

Brandon: Silly CJ... Goldust won't be in there because he actually gets a reaction.

William: They could have solved this problem by throwing in a Hurricane vs. lance Storm singles match. (and it is christian, not rico as the third tag partner)

Dr. Tom: I'll go with the Dudleys and Jeff, since I think the former Island Boys have fallen out of favor with management. This one might get to *1/2.

William: I disagree, Tom. I think the 3Minute Warning kill the opposition and win the match in a guaranteed DUD!

OR Polk: 3Minute Warning hurt Pat Patterson. That's a no-no in Titan Towers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brandon: Will any of you buy Survivor Series on Sunday? I know I'll be watching the Sopranos instead...

OR Polk: Brandon, do I have to tell you what I'll be watching on Sunday?

Brandon: No, OR, I know we'll be discussing the Sopranos, especially since it's hitting the end-of-the-season stride.

Dr. Tom: I doubt it, though I might grab a six-pack and a bag of nachos and watch it at a buddy's house.

 

 

Brandon: Speaking of RAW's lack of talent, the WWE is supposedly putting Scott Steiner on RAW and negotiating with Steve Austin to put him on the show, too. Anyone else think they're going about fixing RAW the wrong way?

 

William: Absolutely! Bringing in cripples past their prime is NOT the way to attract fan interest.

Dr. Tom: Austin can help them if he's motivated. It remains to be seen how the crowd will react to him, since I'm sure the vast majority of fans know he walked out on the promotion and then took to cuffing his wife around.

William: I don't think the majority of the fans would care that he walked out on a piece of shit like Vince McMahon. They saw what McMahon did to Bret Hart. As for beating his wife most of the WWE fanbase cheers that behavior so he would probably be over huge!

OR Polk: I think a lot less fans know about that stuff than we think.

William: I think tht most wrestling fans have seen Wrestling With Shadows

Dr. Tom: I don't know. He'd probably get the pop everyone gets when they're gone for a while, but I don't think the fans will take to him like they did before. He'd be good as a heel.

William: I loved Austin's heel work but right now, the fans are looking for anything to attach themselves to and Austin would be the perfect choice.

 

 

 

Brandon: Also on the subject of RAW... This past RAW saw the ratings drop to a 3.1, the lowest since early 1998. Will this ratings, especially contrasted with Smackdown's rating holding strong at 3.6, have any effect on Vince's booking of the show?

Dr. Tom: If he puts the belt on HBK, then yes, I'd say it will have an effect.

William: I think the ratings would have to dip into the 2's before Vinnie Mac finally wakes up and realizes how bad that show is.

OR Polk: I think having too much faith in HBK is not good. He's only gonna work so much and not everyone out there worships Shawn like the 'net fans do. Hell, the smarts don't even go for him like they used to.

William: And I think that HBK will actually turn more viewers away than he attracts. He is just so 1997 in my eyes.

 

 

Brandon: And, finally, our last topic of the Crossface... According to various reports, Joanie "Chyna" Laurer and Sean "X-Pac" Waltman have gotten engaged. Thoughts?

OR Polk: I'm looking for a HHH run-in with a sledgehammer at the wedding. Wrestling weddings NEVER go down like expected.

Dr. Tom: I'm just picturing "The Crying Game" as their wedding night...

William: This has to be a joke. If not, I am speechless. The only thing I could hope for is that X-Pac doesn't secure a job for Man-beast in the NWA. Even worse, let us pray that she doesn't bring the gerbil-fucker to New Japan.

Dr. Tom: Although if X-Pac wants some of HHH's sloppy seconds, I'd hold out for Stephanie.

William: This is true but if X-Pac was fucking Steph, HE would have been unified chmpion.

Brandon: Something tells me Vince wouldn't make an exception to his "no-wrestlers date my daughter" rule for X-Pac like he did for Triple H.