The Triple Threat 10.02.11: The 253rd Edition – Hell in a Cell, David Otunga the Lawyer, More

Topic # 1 WWE‘s Hell in a Cell PPV is this Sunday. What are your thoughts on the card?

David Martell: Well at this point in time we have five matches on the card which looks to be pretty meh for the most part. Once again we get Beth Phoenix vs. Kelly Kelly for the Divas championship. I am thinking that we will finally see Beth go over here because having the same outcome three times in a row would just be ridiculous. Maybe I shouldn’t put it past the WWE. Sheamus vs. Christian should be a damn good match. I kind of wish they would of played out “Sheamus helping Christian win the title so he can get the first match against Christian” situation. It would have been a good storyline to play around with and it would certainly be different. At least we will get a good match out of this but I doubt it will be a long feud. Sheamus will most likely get the win here. I think I am one of the few people that enjoy the Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara feud. I just find it funny really. We have a 50/50 chance here of this being a good match or a botchfest. Either way, it should be fun to watch. I think EVIL Sin Cara will get the win here because I just have a feeling this feud isn’t over yet. Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton for the World Title probably wont be anything special. I don’t understand why this match is in the cell. There really isn’t much of a feud here between the two guys. I honestly wish they would of continued the Orton vs. Christian feud up this point because this could have been the final match in their excellent feud. Henry could of won at Vengeance and we would of all been happy. Unfortunately this didn’t play out the way I wanted it but this could still end up interesting. The best possible outcome here would be for Henry to manhandle Orton in the cell. Make Henry look unstoppable because when he finally loses the belt, it will actually mean something. I really think Henry should keep the title to at least TLC or maybe even the Rumble to cement himself in the main event scene. Finally, we have the triple threat hell in a cell match for the WWE title between John Cena, CM Punk and Alberto Del Rio. Of course I would want CM Punk to win the title here but I really do hate the constant flip flopping of the WWE Title. If Alberto wins, there really wasn’t a point for him to lose it in the first place. Actually, the same would go for Punk to be honest. John Cena would probably be the obvious pick to win the match but there are other factors to play in. If John Cena is the WWE champion come Survivor Series, their wont be a WWE Title match. So really it kind of points to John Cena losing. I can see Alberto winning back the belt become of some possible shenanigans. This would lead to a rematch at Vengence where some how Del Rio wins again. This would lead to a WWE Title match between Punk and Del Rio at Survivor Series. Yeah, I am fantasy booking here but all of this could actually happen. So in the end, I will pick Del Rio winning the title back but honestly anyone could win here. Overall, the PPV looks to be ok but with only two weeks of build, nothing seems special here.

Jacob San Antonio: Two weeks of build? Oh, this will be priceless. Kelly Kelly takes on Beth Phoenix yet again for the Divas Championship, and I think the world will riot if Phoenix gets denied by another last minute rollup…again. By all means Phoenix should finally dismantle Kelly Kelly and put this crappy feud away. Sin Cara decides to beat the crap out of himself because he can, and I’d wager Sin Cara is going to come out on top in this one. Sin Cara (Blue Ranger) should get the win over Sin Cara (Black Ranger), but I expect this feud to go a little further. Don’t be surprised when Sin Cara (Black Ranger) beats down Sin Cara (Blue Ranger) after the match. Maybe some Daniel Bryan involvement, just for the fun of it? Christian takes on Sheamus in what I expect to be the match of the night, and whoever wins the audience wins. These guys both are talented enough to bring the house down without a big cage, so I’ve got my fingers crossed that the WWE gives these two enough time. I’d like to see this feud go a little longer, so I say Christian gets a surprise win at the last minute. Cena defends his belt against CM Punk and Alberto Del Rio in the cell, and you couldn’t pay me to give a crap about this match. I’m really trying to, but I just know stupid hijinks will be involved and will ultimately ruin the match. R-Truth/Miz/Kevin Nash will try to get involved, HHH will then try to get involved, and it won’t matter in the long run since John Cena will rapado his way to another win anyway. I don’t know why anyone would pay to see this match. The cell isn’t even the focus for this match. What a brilliant move by the WWE. Finally, we get to Henry defending his title against Orton. I want to see Henry successfully defend his title, and I want to see him completely dismantle Randy Orton. This won’t be the end of the feud, but this should be the most violent match of the night. Henry will destroy the cage, and Orton will be defenseless in the long run. If there was a match I’d get this PPV for, it’d definitely be this one. Overall, this PPV is setup to be good in the best case scenario, and outright garbage in the worst case. I doubt it’ll get that bad, but you’ll still get a pretty good look at why it’s a bad idea to have only two weeks between PPVs.

Zach Brown: Typically, I am very excited about Hell in a Cell. I’ve always thought it was a great idea for a PPV because it has a big event feeling to it. Even though some people think it lessens the importance of the Cell matches, meh, it’s still typically a good PPV. I even went to last year’s Hell in a Cell which was a phenomenal show. But this year, in my honest opinion, it doesn’t look like it will add up to much. Overall, WWE’s storytelling has been lackluster ever since Summerslam, and the product has been suffering because of it. Maybe they can turn it around at Hell in a Cell, but when looking at the card, I’m not betting on it. First of all, Sin Cara vs. Hunico Cara is a storyline that does not interest me in the slightest. The black Sin Cara mask looks cool, but that’s about as far as it goes. Plus, with both men known to botch, how will this match play out? I’m hoping that since both men are talented luchadores, that they will have some chemistry. But there’s just no guaranteeing it. Sheamus vs. Christian is a great matchup but is sloppily thrown together with nearly no storyline behind it. This kind of match is just what happens when you have PPVs that are two weeks apart! There was no time to build this at all. I expect Sheamus to win, further angering Christian to the point of forming a stable with DolphZiggler and Cody Rhodes. And even though it could be a great outing by both men, it just doesn’t make much sense to me. As for Kelly Kelly vs. Beth Phoenix, good God, it is time to let Beth Phoenix win. Kelly Kelly is not the John Cena of the Divas division. There is no feasible way that Kelly Kelly could beat Beth Phoenix this many months in a row. It’s almost insulting. Kelly is decent but she’s not on the level of Beth Phoenix. I know WWE wants to push the fact that Kelly was on the Maxim Hot 100, but the Divas of Doom are important in turning that division around, and they need to freaking pull the trigger already. Randy Orton vs. Mark Henry should be a decent Cell match, and one of the only things helping this card. I never thought I’d say that about a Mark Henry match. But this match should play to Mark’s strengths. Mark will look like a powerhouse in this match, and Orton will probably do a great job of working with Mark to bring him to a great match. I expect some pretty sick spots here, and Mark Henry to retain. And finally, Jason…The Cowardly Lion…John Cena goes to Hell. Is anyone honestly excited about this match? I mean really? John Cena will win. And it will be insulting. By all means, CM Punk should win. He’s been part of the biggest storyline of the past few years recently, which unfortunately has nearly fizzled out completely because of completely wrongheaded booking. And by all means, Alberto Del Rio deserves to be champion as well. He won Money in the Bank only to cash in and win the title but not defend it successfully, even once. He should have been the next big thing, but the rug was pulled out from under him. But no, John Cena will win, in yet another stalwart attempt by WWE to portray him as an unbeatable superhero. It’s sickening really. The match could be decent, but I’m expecting the end result to make me more angry at the entire happening of it. So what makes this show a buy? I’m predicting every champion to retain, except for (hopefully) Kelly Kelly. Does the possible match quality of this card make you seriously want to bust out your wallet? What about a hastily thrown together tag-match that they could add at the last minute? Would that make you toss in your hard earned cash? I say no. Hell in a Cell is typically a great event with some brutal and memorable matches. I sense none of that from this card, and that’s a problem. The storylines going into it are bad, plain and simple. And Mark Henry vs. Orton could be great, but one match does not make me bust out $50 to $60 bucks. Let WWE know that they need to try harder, because I’m definitely passing on this half-hearted effort.

Topic # 2 With the recent lawsuit angle with Dolph Ziggler, Christian and Cody Rhodes, do you think this could lead to a possible stable and how would you feel about them as a group?

David Martell: I have always been a fan of stables and I would to see one with the talent of these three men. By far three of the best heels in the WWE today and some of the most underrated wrestlers at the moment. I definitely like the pairing but I believe this will end up being a part of the Survivor Series team. Add in the Miz and R-Truth and you got your five. This could be one of the best Survivor Series teams I have ever seen put together. This could really benefit these three guys. It could help Christian stay in the main event spotlight without having to be in a title match. This could help Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes break the mid card barrier and finally be recognized as top tier talent in the WWE. It depends on how they play this out. If they get built up and ultimately lose to John Cena over and over again, its going to fizzle out as fast as the Nexus. If they let them gain ground and look strong, we could have something good here. In the end, they will most likely lose to the Rock and John Cena at Survivor Series but maybe, if booked right, they can continue on after the fact.

Jacob San Antonio: The last time I said I wanted to see a stable, we all got to see the Nexus fall apart over the course of a few months. I really don’t want to go through that again. As sad as it is to say, that is precisely the reason why I’m against a Ziggler/Rhodes/Christian stable. The WWE doesn’t know how to book stables unless HHH is a part of it, and as such I don’t want to see anything of the sort in the WWE. I think promo-wise it’d be a fun run, sure, but overall the end result would be the same as the Nexus. The months drag on, Cena/Orton and their magic powers lead them to squashing the group time in and time out, and by the time the stable crumbles you’ve already lost interest. I think I’ll be quite alright without this stable, thanks. I get enough crushing disappointment from the WWE as it is already.

Zach Brown: Absolutely I would. These are three men that are fantastic wrestlers, great heel characters, and for some reason or another, are not breaking through into the upper echelon of WWE. I am a big fan of all three of these men, and it would make perfect sense for them to band together. Now, since they are also talking about suing WWE, and seem to hate Triple H as COO, I have a strong feeling that they will align with Miz and R-Truth. It makes perfect sense. All 5 men are excellent wrestlers, have great characters, and are all fantastic on the mic. What an incredible super-stable that would be. It would make the Main Event Mafia look like an utter joke because these guys are all at the top of their game. But even if Miz and R-Truth were not included into that group, those three guys are all dynamite. It makes perfect sense for them to form a group right now. We are in a time where Triple H as the authority figure is very polarizing, and the main events on Smackdown and Raw are each doing their own thing, with no plans to include anyone else for the next several months. Why not steal the spotlight from what I believe to be two very lackluster main event storylines? This is a real chance for these men to stand out and steal the show every week. I hope WWE lets them do what they want to do, because it would make great television all around.

Topic # 3 Do you think David Otunga using his Harvard law education is a good gimmick for him?

David Martell: David Otunga really wanst that bad on NXT. He had a decent gimmick of being a somewhat celebrity and it worked. Once he became a part of the Nexus, he kind of just floundered. In the end, Nexus didn’t really help him at all. Being paired with McGillicutty didn’t do him any favors. Now that he is on his own once again, maybe he can flourish. I am fine with him using his Harvard education. At least it gives him some substance. Although I may have no idea what lawsuits he is talking about, it makes him a player and someone to watch.

Jacob San Antonio: David Otunga trying anything to get over is better than nothing. He’s still pretty green in the ring, though he’s made some progress over the months. The biggest roadblock in his way is Creative’s disinterest, so if this Harvard thing is a stepping stone back to the limelight, I say so be it. Say what you want about gimmicks, but there’s no denying that they can and have gotten many wrestlers over before. The big test in relying on a gimmick, however, is what you manage to do after said gimmick runs its course. For a guy like Otunga, he shouldn’t be too worried about all the stuff that comes later. Focus on getting over now, and worry about how to stay over later. The door to wrestling relevance has a tendency to shut on you pretty fast.

Zach Brown: Considering his recent gimmick was….well…nothing at all, I am all for David Otunga relying on his law degree to help shape him as a character. He looked outright goofy in his bowtie, but he was the most interesting that he has been since NXT. I like that he was giving law advice. It’s an interesting change to see Christian, Ziggler, and Cody Rhodes all listening to a guy that barely had a decent spot two weeks ago. Maybe this could mean good things or Otunga, and he could be an interesting part of this possible upcoming stable. Maybe Otunga will re-discover his mic skills in this new character, and he can become more interesting in his career after this phase is all said and done. And hey, anything is better than getting paired up with Michael McBlandicutty at this point. 

Topic # 4 What are your thoughts on Mason Ryan‘s return to RAW?

David Martell: I don’t really care for Mason Ryan. Although he has a great look that he was obviously born with, it doesn’t help the fact that he isn’t a very good wrestler. He also has no mic skills what so ever. He’s a monster and that should be his role but for some god awful reason, he’s a face. I would of liked it much better if he aligned himself with Vickie and became the monster he should be. it’s a simple wrestling equation. When you have a monster with a mouthpiece it usually means interesting television. It did wonders for Brock Lesnar, Kane and Abyss. I have a feeling he will probably end up like Big Zeke in the end. Eventually no one will care.

Jacob San Antonio: For what it’s worth, I really do want to see this guy succeed. If all the reports are to be believed, Ryan is a pretty cool guy. The dude was initially against even getting the FCW championship when he did, saying that he wasn’t ready yet. It’s rare to see a guy look the way he does and yet be as humble as he is. I think Mason’s got a lot of potential in the WWE, and with enough time I think he can and will develop into a fantastic wrestler. He’s got the image that the WWE adores (this is where someone makes a comment about Batista-clones), and I can’t say for certain yet if his mic skills would shoot him in the foot. Honestly, if the past is any indication, you merely need be able to talk better than Shelton Benjamin and you should be okay. I want Mason Ryan to do well, all things considered. He’s got a lot of good things going for him, and success couldn’t happen with a nicer guy.

Zach Brown: It was surprising to say the least because I had all but forgotten about Mason Ryan. So seeing him come out in the middle of that six man tag match was kind of cool. And then turning face? Hwhaa? I really don’t get why they did that. Mason Ryan just seems like a better heel in my honest opinion. He’s kind of a scary looking guy, and while I wouldn’t say he was necessarily over when he was a heel, no one could question how intimidating he looks. And now he turned face in the middle of that match. More than anything else, it weirded me out because Mason Ryan has a very bizarre looking smile, especially when you haven’t seen him smile in WWE before…because he straight up has not smiled in WWE before. The image just sort of made my brain hurt. Mason Ryan is not good on the mic, so how good of a face can he possibly be? Whatever the case may be, it’s obvious that WWE is trying to make Mason Ryan a big deal because giving someone a face turn like that means that they want to make the guy popular. He looks like a clone of Batista, and he definitely fits that strongman physique that WWE goes bananas over. I’ll wait and see on Mason as a face, but this whole thing kind of just left me scratching my head.

Topic # 5 Hulk Hogan recently announced that he is retiring from wrestling. Do you think this will be legit or are we going to see him in a ring sometime down the line?

David Martell: Its hard to believe that Hogan will actually retire from wrestling. There will always be voice in his year that says one more match and I am sure if the money was right, he would do it. I do hope he is being truthful with his words because there is no way he could have a match that would be worth watching with age and health problems. He had a great career and now he should just ride off into the sunset. Stop trying to be better than Vince and just get a legends contract and be done with it. It would be better for Hogan and his fans. I loved Hogan growing up but now I just cant stand him. This could be the right step for him to redeem him self but only time will tell.

Jacob San Antonio: One can certainly dream. The day Hogan stops getting involved with wrestling is the day he dies, I figure. For better or for worse, it’s his home, and I just don’t expect to see him ever step out of it. He’s certainly not coming back to the WWE, I’m sure, but I really doubt TNA is done with him. I’d prefer that they actually do cut ties completely with him, but for a company like TNA it’s better to leave doors open to any possibilities down the road. That isn’t to say more Hogan would be good for TNA, but you want to try and keep a friendly relationship with everyone to build a decent reputation. I don’t know where Hogan goes from here, in the long run. I’d like to see him stay away from TNA for a while and allow it to get back to its (arguably) better days of wrestling before Bischoff and he showed up, but I’m not entirely sure we’ll see that.

Zach Brown: After all his recent health issues, Hulk’s retirement pretty much has to be for good at this point. I mean there’s no point in continuing in the ring at his age with all his back and hip problems. The guy has had so many back surgeries, I don’t even know how he has kept it going for this long. But I don’t really think that Hulk will be absent from onscreen roles altogether. I mean Hogan loves the spotlight and he will probably want to stay in the public eye in some capacity. Whether that is as some sort of legend or authority figure, much like he has done lately, or hosting some kind of show, I don’t think Hulk Hogan will be far from the wrestling world. His match against Sting will definitely be his last time in the ring. But how disappointing is it that his last match is not in WWE. That is not some sort of elitist WWE viewpoint that I have. Hulk Hogan has spent the majority of his career under Vince McMahon. Even though he’s much closer with Eric Bischoff, most of Hulk’s fans are with WWE, not TNA. If they were, we would have seen a large exodus of fans leave WWE and go to TNA to watch Hogan. But ultimately it’s sad to see Hogan go. It’s kind of the end of an era, and that’s a little depressing. I hope Hogan does find happiness in whatever he decides to do outside of the ring.

Our thoughts on Drew McIntyre.

David Martell: You mean the chosen one? The former Intercontinental champion? The guy Mark Henry almost literally killed? What happened to this guy? He was once billed as the next big thing and now he is fighting for TV time in small segments. I guess it goes to show you that if you are connected to a crazy women in wrestling things aren’t meant to go your way. Just ask John Morrison. I didn’t like McIntyre when he first debuted. He didn’t impress me and saying the party is over a million times didn’t help him at all. But he grew on me. I liked his stint with the IC title and he actually started to have some damn good matches. Then he just fell off the map. I definitely think he has a lot of potential but right now he is just one of those guys who doesn’t have a place. Maybe he should start his own internet show, it worked wonders for Zack Ryder. Maybe he is just an underachiever like the late great Carlito and he will end up just riding into the sunset. I hope the best for him but his chances seem slim.

Jacob San Antonio: So…whatever happened to Drew McIntyre? I know I never liked the guy, but it’s been a bit shocking these past few months to learn that nobody else did either. Perhaps it’s just my group of friends, but I was under the impression that he actually had a decent following. Oh well, I don’t really mind to be wrong. Drew McIntyre, simply put, was not ready for what was handed to him in the WWE. There’s no denying he has a marketable look, decent ring work, and passable mic ability. The problem, however, was how the WWE booked him in the course of a year and how well McIntyre responded to it. “You are McMahon’s chosen one. Hand picked to be the best.” Seemed like a good start for the guy, but that wasn’t to be the case. What should have been used as a warning that McIntyre was a dangerous man turned into spoiled temper tantrums when things weren’t just handed to him. The most heat he ever achieved was when he came dangerously close to winning Money in the Bank. That’s never a good thing. I think McIntyre still has a chance to come back and come back big. He should take a chance as a face this time, though, since he managed to be the most bland heel I’ve seen in a while. He’s got a lot of good qualities, as far as wrestlers go, but his past year or so has just been a series of missteps that really took the wind out of his sails. I’m willing to give McIntyre another chance, but he’s going to seriously need to repackage himself in order to get anywhere.

Zach Brown: I’m kind of hot and cold on Drew McIntyre. Sometimes, I like his gimmick, like the Chosen One gimmick that he used to have. I liked that he went around saying that he was handpicked by Mr. McMahon. That really helped set him apart and it gave him some wow factor. And I’m often surprised by Drew McIntyre’s matches. They can be pretty good at times, when he’s given the chance. He can often come across as a brutal and athletic guy with a lot of strength. But at the same time, I’m often turned off by Drew McIntyre. I often wonder when he is going to be used correctly. When is he going to show that potential that he so seemingly has? Maybe that’s not entirely his fault because I got the feeling that WWE kind of killed his push back when he had that entire incident with Tiffany. And while I can often be impressed by some of McIntyre’s matches, I often find his other matches to be middling at best. He doesn’t seem to be consistent with having matches that are impressive. Sometimes he’ll just go out and put on a snoozefest. I’m kind of wondering what else there is to this guy besides being The Chosen One and having a Scottish accent. I want to see more out of Drew McIntyre, I really do. I like the guy, but at some point, he kind of stopped exhibiting the potential he showed early on, and just became a mid-carder that got lost in the shuffle. I’ll see him show up randomly in a backstage segment sometimes, and I’ll wonder, “Hey, why isn’t that guy being used?” That’s not a good thing for an audience member to think. Please WWE, give Drew McIntyre another shot. He’s a good wrestler, and he deserves a better showcase for himself. Don’t put a midcard belt on him, but put him in a decent storyline for once.

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