The Triple Threat 09.19.10: The 204th Edition – Night of Champions, Matt Hardy, Jay Lethal As X-Division Champ, More

Topic # 1 WWE‘s Night of Champions PPV is this Sunday. What are your thoughts on the card?

David Martell: I have to say that this years card looks pretty solid. I am glad that they are finally unifying the Women’s belts because it was useless to have two in the first place. The Diva’s title has always been a joke so it will be good to see it gone for good. This could actually be a solid match between Melina and McCool. I honestly hope McCool wins but I am afraid what ever happens, this is going to lead to the end of LayCool. Not going to lie, LayCool is entertaining. Supposedly they are still going to add a Tag Title match to the card. I am guessing that McIntyre and DASHING Cody Rhodes will be getting their shot at the belts since they defeated the Hart Dynasty on Smackdown this past week. The Hart Dynasty has been lousy champions but I can’t really blame them since the WWE forgot about the titles after they won them. The Big Show vs. CM Punk is kind of a low point to this PPV. It will be good to finally end this feud but I am hoping that Punk gets the win here. The SES was a major disappointment and he needs to start building himself up again. Beating the Big Show is a good way to start. I am not really excited about another Ziggler vs. Kofi match because I feel like I have seen it a million times already. Yeah, they can have good matches but I am just not invested in the feud. Ziggler should hold on to the belt here. The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan for the US Title should be damn good. I think it is time for the Miz to drop the US Title and move on to bigger things. The Miz is a future world champion and he needs to start squirming his way into the main event. At this point the US Title is just dragging him down. On the other hand, Daniel Bryan could use the US Title. It would be good to see him get his first title in the WWE and beat the Miz who is red hot right now. I really think this match is a win win situation as long as Miz drops the belt. Kane vs. The Undertaker in a no holds barred match for the World Title should be good. This feud has been one of the most interesting parts of WWE TV for the past month and it will be interesting to see if Taker can finally get the upper hand on Kane. It would be even more interesting to see Kane pull off a win here which I am all for. Undertaker losing is a rare thing and having Kane get a victory here will make him look even more like a monster. The Six Pack challenge for the WWE title looks to be awesome. I am happy that they made it an elimination match because that really adds to the overall excitement of the match. There are a lot of storylines going into the match and it is hard to really pick a winner here. Randy Orton has looked better than ever and he is getting the biggest push of his life right now. He is literally getting the upper hand on everyone and it is hard to bet against the guy. Of course they would want you to think there is a clear cut winner. I would love for Jericho to win just so I know he isn’t leaving. It would also be interesting to see Wade Barrett win here. It would make the Nexus look even more dominate. Either way it is hard to not want to see this match. It will steal the show. Overall, Night of Champions looks solid and I would say it is a must buy.

Jacob San Antonio: Let’s get the smaller stuff out of the way. I think the Divas unification match could go either way. If McCool wins the unified belts I expect a feud with Layla and the falling out of LayCool to follow. If Melina wins we’ll see more LayCool, with the chance of Beth Phoenix’s return to shake things up. CM Punk vs the Big Show has the opportunity to be the worst match of the night. I can’t see the Big Show losing convincingly to CM Punk, so I figure it’ll be a squash match or the official ending of the SES, with interference by Gallows and Mercury costing Punk the match. It’s just another tale of the WWE mishandling another heel stable, so I guess I’m just getting used to it at this point. I’m hoping Dolph Ziggler surprises everyone by retaining the Intercontinental Title against Kofi Kingston. Ziggler’s made it this far with Vickie at his side, and I’d like to think this will be the moment where he breaks out on his own. In any case, don’t be surprised to see another post match beatdown by Kingston. The Miz defends the US Title against Daniel Bryan, and despite my better judgment and the presence of Alex Riley at his side, I think The Miz is going to lose the belt to Bryan. The Miz hasn’t done much with his title, the result will solidify Bryan’s spot in the roster, and depending on how Riley gets used there could be the beginnings of a whole new feud after the match. The Undertaker will most likely win the Heavyweight Title from Kane using the Hell’s Gate. I’m hoping for a good match, but with Hell in the Cell a month away they could be holding out on their matchup until then. Finally, I expect Randy Orton to win the 6 way elimination match for the WWE Title. It’s complete crap to see Barrett’s title shot wasted like this, but I assume we’ll see interference by Darren Young and an RKO to finish the match. It allows for Barrett and the Nexus to feud with Darren Young, possibly even Daniel Bryan if he involves himself, and opens the door for another Randy Orton/Sheamus feud. I’m not entirely happy about this prediction, but it makes sense to me. It should be mentioned that the possibility exists for the Hart Dynasty to defend their tag belts, despite not really having a match announced. It’ll most likely be Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre, and I just don’t expect the Hart Dynasty to drop the belts yet. That being said, if the WWE wants to expose Rhodes and McIntyre to RAW before the big Smackdown move, then I suppose there’s the very real possibility of them winning. I’m putting my money on the Hart Dynasty.

Zach Brown: This year’s Night of Champions has a mostly exciting card with a few missteps. First of all, CM Punk vs. Big Show…I’m glad that they are getting a one on one match, but it’s less important now that SES is down the toilet. It could be decent though. I hope Punk gets the win but it’s hard to predict. The Women’s title unification match could be good for a Women’s match but I’d much rather see Layla in the match rather than Michelle McCool. I’d like for LayCool to win here since I like them much more than Melina. The Tag Title match is obviously unpredictable and has zero build. The Hart Dynasty doesn’t even have a solid enough feud with any tag team, so I’m barely even interested in this match. I hope it is Dashing Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre. If it is them, I hope they win the titles because they are far more interesting than Hart Dynasty at this point. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston is a decent feud right now and it should be a good match. Ziggler had better retain though because Kofi does not need the belt back anytime soon. Miz vs. Daniel Bryan is a match I would pay money to see since it’s Daniel Freaking Bryan and this is a very solid feud right now. I’d like Bryan to walk out with the belt. He can look very solid as WWE’s newest submission master, and Miz should drop the US Title before he cashes in his MITB briefcase. Kane vs. Undertaker looks good, but I’d rather see their match at Hell in a Cell because that will obviously be the better match. Kane should win here. Taker simply doesn’t need the belt right now and Kane looks good as champion. And finally, the Six-Pack challenge. This match is the one I’m most interested in because it’s clearly hard to predict. And right now, I’m going to talk about a potential spoiler. Maybe they’ve been airing this commercial everywhere, (but I think they’ve only been airing this commercial in the DFW region because Hell in a Cell happens here in Dallas,) but the ad for Hell in a Cell keeps promoting Sheamus vs. Orton in a Hell in a Cell. Maybe you’ve seen it, maybe you haven’t. It could telegraph Orton winning at NOC, or it could mean that Orton costs Sheamus the title. Really, the ad doesn’t tell me much, but it’s interesting to note anyway. I think it’s obvious that Cena and Edge will not win this match. I’m really hoping for either Barrett or Jericho to win. I would be behind either of those decisions 110%. Barrett is turning out to be a top tier talent, and Jericho has a good storyline leading into the PPV. Sheamus retaining or Orton winning would also be fine with me. Orton is getting massively over lately, and it’s tough to think that WWE wouldn’t give him the title right now. Either way, I’m really interested to see this match. Overall, WWE is hitting a middle ground between putting on quality matches and having something you can’t afford to miss. The matches don’t look spectacular, but they still look good, and there is a slight element of unpredictability going into this PPV. Overall, I’m on the fence on whether I should buy this or just wait a few short weeks till Hell in a Cell.

Topic # 2 What are your thoughts on last weeks RAW Roulette?

David Martell: The main reason I wanted to talk about this show was because several people really gave this episode a bad rap while I thought it was one of the better episodes of RAW in the past few months. There really wasn’t much not to like. I personally thought it felt like watching an episode of RAW from the attitude era. The Sheamus vs. John Morrison match was awesome. Lots of good spots and just plain entertaining. The stuff John Morrison pulled before the match was crazy and it really shows how athletic this guy really is. The Goldust vs. Regal match and the promo before it was hilarious. It didn’t take up that much time on the show and it was fun. That stuff use to always happen during the attitude era and no one complained. Maybe Jericho beating the Hart Dynasty in a handicap cage match might piss some people off but it wasn’t a squash. You should expect Jericho to people Tyson Kidd in a one on one match anyways. Plus having Jericho back in the six pack challenge is a win. Lets not forget about all the ridiculous table spots at the end of the show. Overall I just thought it was a pretty damn good show and it did a good job of building the PPV. I just don’t get what all the fuss is about.

Jacob San Antonio: I look at this gimmick as the chance to showcase dream matches, start new feuds, or expose new talent. This RAW did a little of everything, depending on how you look at it. Morrison got a fantastic showing in against Sheamus in the Falls Count Anywhere match. The match was fantastic, and revitalized my faith in Morrison’s ability to hang with the best. Jericho’s handicap cage match against the Hart Dynasty was also a great watch. Despite the odds being stacked against him, Jericho managed to win in a plausible way, while the Hart Dynasty got an opportunity to go all out on a talent that’s capable of doing just about anything. On the other hand, Evan Bourne was completely destroyed by Edge, and I couldn’t be more confused. I realize the WWE has a nasty habit of pulling pushes away at the last second, similar to Kofi Kingston and even Jack Swagger, but to let Edge completely squash Bourne just doesn’t sit well with me. Finally, I have to ask if anyone still wants to see Cena face Orton anymore. I’m genuinely curious. Also of note, that entire ending segment with Orton RKOing just about everybody walking around was ridiculous. John Cena isn’t the only Superman anymore. Altogether, the RAW roulette was a success, I think. It definitely had its mistakes and downright stupid choices, but it still managed to bring an entertaining night to a RAW destined to fail against Monday Night Football.

Zach Brown: I thought this past episode of Raw was seriously underrated by many viewers. Yes, it had it’s fair share of dumb segments. R-Truth and Eve against DiBiase and Maryse in a singing contest was atrocious. The Edge match was stupid. And Regal vs. Goldust was funny but pointless overall. But you know what was awesome? John Morrison vs. Sheamus. Morrison looked like a pure athlete and Sheamus looked powerful. That was a match that could have easily gone on a PPV. Had it gone on for another 5 or 6 minutes, I think it would have been a contender for TV match of the year. It obviously wasn’t as good as Beer money vs. MCMG, but still damn good. Something that was also awesome was Jericho vs. Hart Dynasty in a cage match. I have heard complaints that Jericho shouldn’t have tapped out a member of Hart Dynasty so close to the PPV. I disagree because Jericho has looked terrible lately, and I was seriously worried that he was leading up to his retirement or at least taking a break. Not only was the match very good, but Jericho reversed a Frankensteiner into the Walls of Jericho. It was incredible because he easily could have killed Tyson Kidd if they messed that up. The Hart Dynasty having no build to the PPV is a problem, but this match was still a great thing to watch. And finally, the ending of Orton vs. Cena was very good as the table spots turned into pure chaos. It wasn’t a perfect Raw by any means, but the Roulette gimmick added some fun to the show and they put on some of the best matches I had seen on Raw in a long time.

Topic # 3 How do you feel about the whole Matt Hardy situation?

David Martell: I just wish they would fire this guy already. I am tired of hearing all his excuses about being out of shape and how he isn’t getting his just due. It is the same shit over and over again, Matt Hardy just can’t stop crying. I use to really like the guy and it is sad to see how he is acting. If he wants to get out of the WWE that bad then just fire him. Losing Hardy doesn’t hurt the company what so ever. He can go to TNA and be happy with Jeff and most likely get fatter. You know, not everyone is meant to be a world champion and not everyone gets their shot. That is just how wrestling works. He should be happy that he has been relevant for this long. But right now the WWE is in a transition period. They are building the young talent to take over in the next few years. Matt Hardy just has to step aside and help build the future of the WWE. I guess he can’t get that. Just get rid of the guy already.

Jacob San Antonio: Good riddance. I was really hoping Matt would turns things around after his stomach surgery and his brother’s departure, but he has seriously disappointed me. He doesn’t look anywhere near in shape, his ring work has gotten really sloppy, and his gimmick at this point is “I am a generic babyface but please remember my last name.” I have no idea what happened to the Matt Hardy before the surgery, with his heel gimmick and decent matches in the midcard. All I know is, for the past couple of months Matt has spent his time whining and complaining about his being badly utilized on Smackdown. He has a point, I’ll admit, but it’s not doing him any favors when he has yet to get himself into shape and immediately whines on Twitter whenever anything rubs him the wrong way. At this point, Hardy has become a spoiled child, throwing tantrums when things aren’t going his way. Unfortunately for him, I’ve got the feeling that the WWE is just about ready to be rid of him. I figure the merch sales aren’t what they used to be, the value of the Hardy Boys has seriously diminished, and it’s just a matter of time before we see Matt’s departure. According to Hardy, he’s looking forward to it and the fresh start it will bring. If only he knew how much everyone else was looking forward to it as well. I can’t wait for Matt’s debut on TNA to fall on deaf ears. If you’re not entertaining on the WWE, I don’t see how you’ll entertain on TNA. I’ll be glad to see Matt go. It just might do him some good.

Zach Brown: Matt Hardy needs to just make it official and go to TNA. I was predicting him ending up in TNA long before he started going crazy on the internet. Now that he seems to actually be losing touch with reality and hinting a departure with WWE, I’m not surprised in the slightest. First of all, he needs to realize that the “fans” he loves so much have been much more critical of the way he’s been acting than he realizes. I would know, I’m one of them. I like Matt Hardy a lot, but when he begins to whine about not getting a fair chance…ugh. You know what? He has been given a fair chance. FOR OVER A DECADE. He’s won a butt load of belts when you really go back and look at how many he’s won. I’m sure there were guys that would have killed for the spotlight that Matt Hardy used to get. Look at Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas, Jamie Noble or Elijah Burke. All of them as good if not better wrestlers than Hardy and probably would have loved to have his WWE career any day of the week. So I don’t want to hear that crap. That coupled with the lack of effort he’s been putting in with his physical appearance and his matches make me care less about the guy. If he really wanted to bump up into the main event, there are several changes he could be making, and his weight isn’t even what I’m talking about. The guy is stale. His move set hasn’t changed in forever, and he’s still the same old Matt Hardy that throws up the V1 sign even when no one remembers what it means anymore. Matt, it’s 2010 for God’s sake. If you can’t understand that you have to evolve with the rest of the WWE talent to stay relevant, then you deserve to go to TNA. And if you seriously think that they are going to throw you into the main event or put the belt on you, I’m sorry but there are 4 to 5 older ex-WWE or WCW stars that are ahead of you in line. Call it harsh or whatever you want, but the truth hurts.

Topic # 4 What are your thoughts on Jay Lethal winning the X Division Title?

David Martell: I guess they couldn’t save this for Bound for Glory. I really felt like this was an uneventful way to win the X Division title. The match was pretty shot and it didn’t really feel like anything special. I kind of thought this title change was out of left field. I would of rather seen a big feud built up for Bound for Glory and then Lethal win. It would make more sense and people would be more invested in it but I guess that isn’t how TNA sees it. I don’t mind him being the champ but this definitely wont be a memorable title change.

Jacob San Antonio: This is certainly interesting. I was hesitant to see where Lethal’s feud with Ric Flair would take him, but it seems my worries were unfounded. Despite my initial take on everything, Jay Lethal has taken this feud and really gone places with it. I’m excited to see him win the X Division title, since it looks like TNA might have even bigger plans if this reign goes places. It’s interesting to see just how big Flair’s stable is starting to expand, and how the various titles are starting to get incorporated into the middle of it all. With any luck, Lethal’s involvement into this feud could just be the start of something bigger in TNA. I’m hopeful about this, since it’s usually in these large-scale feuds that even midcard talents and champions can shine just as bright as the main event. I’m happy for Jay Lethal, but this isn’t the time to sit back and relax. There’s some good matches headed his way…hopefully.

Zach Brown: This really came out of nowhere on Impact. I read the spoiler so I knew it was coming, but Douglas Williams is just a more credible champion than Jay Lethal in my opinion. If Williams was going to lose the title, I’d rather it be after the end of a long feud. He had that title for a long time, so to lose it randomly to Jay Lethal out of nowhere is just odd booking to me. Ok, so Williams is no longer champion. Did they have some kind of grand plan for Williams coming up soon? I sincerely doubt it. Jay Lethal is a great wrestler and I like him a lot. But this felt more like TNA just giving someone a belt because they don’t really know what to do with a good wrestler who is only half decent on the mic (when he’s himself) like Lethal. Oh well. I hope the belt makes Lethal look good, but the match outcome just sort of left me scratching my head.

Topic # 5 How do you feel about Roderick Strong being the ROH world champion?

David Martell: Good for him, but I think everyone saw this coming a million miles away since Tyler Black has already signed with the WWE. He is deserving of this honor. He has worked his ass off in ROH for years and he has paid his dues. I really don’t think this title reign will last that long though. Although he is deserving, I never really though of Strong as a World Champion. Although I could be wrong since ROH doesn’t have the talent it use to have. He might hold on to it for a long time. He is a credible champ and hopefully he can give us the matches to back that up.

Jacob San Antonio: I’m not entirely sure about this, but to be fair I wasn’t completely sold on Tyler Black at first, either. Roderick has put on some great matches in the past, I’m just hesitant to believe that he’s going to be the next big champion. To be fair, he hasn’t held the belt very long, so I guess I can’t really give my full opinion until he’s had some title defenses. However, if his history with ROH champions is any indication, he should be fine. He’s wrestled with the best ROH has to offer, past and present, and if ROH thinks the guy is champion material I’ll trust them on it. I’ll try to be optimistic. I’m looking forward to just how far Strong takes this reign of his. Will he become the next “internet darling?” I certainly hope so.

Zach Brown: I think this is long overdue for Roderick. I think Roderick Strong was one of the best wrestlers left on the indy circuit who had never held the ROH or even the PWG title. I am glad that Tyler Black left ROH on his back, and Roderick Strong is a great replacement for Black. ROH is running out of credible talent to become World Champion, but out of the few that are left, Strong is a great choice to carry the brand. He has a great stiff style, has a good mix of speed and power, and is not bad on the mic, especially by ROH standards. I had the honor of meeting the guy a few years ago. And while he was pretty sauced up after the show ended, he was just awesome to all the fans that wanted pictures or autographs. Overall, I’m excited for Roderick and I hope he has a long reign as champ.

Our thoughts on Goldust.

David Martell: I really feel that Goldust is one of the most underrated wrestlers in the WWE. After coming back to the WWE, he has lost a ton of weight, he has looked great in the ring and he has been entertaining. I am serious, Goldust is a damn good wrestler. For his age and size, he is a very agile guy. I wish he played a bigger part in the WWE but I understand why he isn’t. At least give him a tag partner so he can be used to help out the tag division. Goldust has always been an entertaining character and it really isn’t that surprising that he has lasted this long. He is a great enhancement talent. He definitely deserves some of the credit for Sheamus. Overall, he is a great talent and I hope he gets a bigger part on RAW in the near future.

Jacob San Antonio: Man, Goldust is awesome. The guy’s life was not exactly in the best of places not too long ago, his run in TNA was going nowhere, and all the man wanted to do was wrestle. He heads back to the WWE, taking his weird gimmick with him to ECW, and for whatever reason the crowd goes crazy. For a wrestler destined for midcard, Goldust has seriously made the most of things. He had some stellar matches on ECW, putting over Sheamus and marking the beginning of his rise to the top. He’s been willing to put over the younger stars like that, and in the borderline stagnating roster the WWE has, Goldust’s efforts are a welcome change. He’s not above putting himself in ridiculous spots either, very much like William Regal, and when you absolutely must have someone embarrass themselves in front of a celebrity, it’s good to know there’s more wrestlers to fall back on than Santino. I admit, Goldust may be past his prime, and his name may not carry the weight most wrestlers do today. That being said, whenever I see Goldust I know now that good things are going to happen. Either a great match is coming, or at least an opportunity to laugh.

Zach Brown: What’s really unfortunate about Goldust is that he is actually a good wrestler. Why is that unfortunate you may ask? Because WWE never utilizes his talent in the ring. Remember his feud with Sheamus in ECW? For those that don’t, they had surprisingly solid matches and good chemistry. It ended prematurely though, and Goldust went back to being his obscure, weird self who barely wrestles a serious match. I like his gimmick because it’s funny and easy to like. The problem is that he hardly ever wrestles. He’s kind of like Ethan Hawke. Put the guy in more things! He’s good! I’d like to see him more often! But hey, anything is better than being Fat Reign over in TNA.

That is all for this week. Feel free to comment at the bottom of the page and have a great week in wrestling. CYA!