wrestling / Columns
The Triple Threat 10.16.11: The 254th Edition – Bound for Glory, Johnny Ace the Gm, More
Topic # 1 TNA‘s Bound For Glory PPV is this Sunday. What are your thoughts on the card?
David Martell: This is TNA’s version of Wrestlemania and I have to give it to them, they put together an interesting card. First off we have Ink Inc. vs. Mexican America for the TNA Tag Team Titles. What happened to the TNA tag team division? It use to be one of their strong points and now its seems like they barely have any teams. This is one of the weaker matches on the show but it shouldn’t be bad if given time. I don’t see Mexican America losing the straps just yet. Bully Ray vs. Mr. Anderson in a falls count anywhere street fight should be a fun match. Bully Ray has really stepped up his game as of late and you really cant go wrong with a street fight. You don’t have to be a great wrestler to have a great street fight and that plays to both men’s strengths. Anderson should get the win here. Jerry Lynn vs. RVD in a full metal mayhem match should be another classic in their feud that has been going on since ECW. This is smart booking in my opinion. You want everyone to flock to your biggest show of the year, why not have a match that people love to see. RVD will get the win here. Since TNA is giving ECW fans a match they want, they are also giving old school TNA fans a match they love to see. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels in an I Quit match should be nothing less than great. I honestly believe it will be the show stealer. Classic feud for TNA and they never disappoint. I’ll have to go with AJ to win this one. Of course you always have to have your women’s match on the card. It will probably be the piss break that will probably be between the Hogan vs. Sting match and the Angle vs. Roode match. I am going to go for Velvet Sky in this one. We have Brian Kendrick vs. Austin Aries for the X Division Title. I kind of wish Aries had a better opponent for this match. Kendrick is good but there are better people out there. I consider match to be one of the weaker matches on the card. I don’t see Aries losing here. Hogan vs. Sting is obvious the match that they want to bring in the fans with but lets be honest here, this really isn’t a match. Even Hogan is saying its just a fight. This match is just on its name value but it will probably be the worst match on the card. Hogan probably wont even take any bumps. Hogan will win because that’s just what he does. Our main event is Kurt Angle vs. Robert Roode for the TNA World Title. Roode wasn’t the person I thought would win the BFG series but I am glad it is one of TNA’s home grown talent. They have built him up quite nicely the past couple of weeks but he is still and obvious underdog. I think both men are going to bring out all the stops here to give us a great match. If Roode wants to be a champion, this is his time to prove himself. This could go either way really but I am going to go with Roode. Overall, TNA has built a good show here. Mostly solid matches with some spectacle with Hogan and Sting. It is a must buy PPV.
Jacob San Antonio: Samoa Joe takes on Crimson and Matt Morgan in a triple threat, a match in which I think Crimson walks away the victor. I’d like to see a lot of monster dominance by Joe, but what you get out of him in this day and age is a toss up. AJ Styles takes on Christopher Daniels in an “I Quit” match, a match that should see Daniels walk out of TNA, if for just a little bit. RVD and Jerry Lynn try to bury the hatchet in a Full Metal Mayhem match, which given these two’s backgrounds should be a pretty hellish endeavor. I expect a bloody, brutal affair that sees RVD once again triumph over Lynn. Mr. Anderson squares off against Bully Ray in a Falls Count Anywhere Street Fight, which should come and go as another wicked match. It’s tough to choose a winner in this one, but I’m going to give the win to Bully Ray. Winter defends her title against Velvet Sky, Mickie James and Madison Rayne in a four way match. I think Winter will lose her belt after Angelina Love fails to make a save from outside the ring. Should lead to a breakup of the two later on down the road. Austin Aries defends his X Division Championship in another match against Brian Kendrick. Aries should retain, but it being an X Division match I’m willing to bet it’ll be one of the best matches of the night. Sting and Hulk Hogan throw down in what should be one of the most cringe-worthy matches of the year. I just don’t have any faith in Hogan’s ability to wrestle at his age. In any case, Sting should be the victor in this match, though it’ll hardly be the end of Hogan. Finally, Kurt Angle defends his title against Bobby Roode, winner of the Bound for Glory series. Should be a close match, and I honestly can’t say who’ll walk away the winner. It certainly should be Roode, otherwise it’d make a complete joke of the series. I’ll hold out hope that he walks away the new TNA Heavyweight Champion. Overall, a pretty decent card. This is TNA’s biggest event of the year, so this should be a pretty good show.
Zach Brown: So if TNA becomes super popular or ever beats WWE in ratings, will they just change the name of this Pay Per View to “Glory?” You know, because they would have reached it, I guess. Anyway, this year’s Bound for Glory actually looks like a great card. First of all, the triple threat match with Crimson, Samoa Joe and Matt Morgan could be a great match if done correctly. I was actually more interested in this match before Matt Morgan got involved. Crimson should win here because he is most likely a future main eventer in TNA. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels is a time-tested classic match, and should steal the show. I hope Daniels wins because he needs to be a bigger deal in TNA, and it has never quite happened for him. Austin Aries vs. Brian Kendrick should be fantastic, and a definite sleeper hit of the night. I’m expecting Aries to retain. Anderson vs. Bully Ray is another match that will more than likely deliver. The Falls Count Anywhere Street Fight stipulation will probably work well for Bully Ray here, and it will make the match much more watchable. I’m expecting Bully Ray to win here because this match is his specialty, and I think TNA wants to make him a bigger deal. RVD vs. Lynn is another classic and well-booked matchup. This is easily one of the best undercards TNA has had in years. I’d like Lynn to get a win over RVD here because its far less likely. The Fatal Fourway for the TNA Knockout Championship is the most interesting offering that TNA could have given us from the Knockouts division. I’m hoping for Velvet Sky to get the win here. She is arguably TNA’s most popular Knockout, and she’s never held the title. What better night to reward her success than Bound for Glory? Especially since all three other women have held the Knockouts Title, she deserves it. Sting vs. Hogan is an interesting matchup, and a definite selling point for the PPV. Will this be the final in-ring performance for Hulk Hogan? That’s what I keep wondering. With his health and at this stage of his career, I’m kind of hoping that it actually is his last match. But the way Hulk has been selling this match, I’m actually not excited to see it. I think TNA will take some kind of steps to ensure that what we get will not be a full-blown match. Even with the stipulation, I think it will devolve into some sort of fight, not an actual match. I think they will take several precautions to avoid Hogan from taking any serious bumps. Hogan even came out and said that he is not going to go all out in this match, and he’s not going to go crazy here because he doesn’t want to have another back surgery. He’s well within his rights to play it safe, but that doesn’t bode well for anyone that wants to watch this match. If there is some sort of end result with a pinfall, I’m expecting Sting to win so that the whole Dixie Carter ownership of TNA thing is put to rest. And finally, Robert Roode vs. Kurt Angle. I absolutely hate all the talk that puts down Robert Roode in the main event. I really dislike what Hogan said and I dislike any other doubts in Roode that people have been saying. Robert Roode might be largely untested in the main event, but he will step up because it is his time. Angle will bring Roode to a fantastic match, and I am truly expecting this match to be one of the best in TNA’s history. It needs to be that good in order to put over Robert Roode. He needs to silence the critics on this one. He needs to go out and give us the best match he’s ever had. Only then will people nod their heads in approval and say, “Ok, I was wrong about Robert Roode.” For God’s sake, the man was half of one of the best tag teams TNA has ever seen. That has to count for something. I’m expecting Roode to win in a career defining match, and TNA closes the show after having made a new star. That’s exactly what needs to happen, especially after all this ridiculous buildup that was the Bound for Glory series. All in all, it’s obvious that TNA is going all out here, and wanting to put on the best show possible. This is a rare occurrence where I think this TNA PPV is going to be worth every penny. The only way that TNA can shoot themselves in the foot here is with bad booking. As long as TNA makes the right decisions, it could be a fantastic night of wrestling, and the most important night in TNA’s history. I think it’s a definite buy.
Topic # 2 How do you feel about Johnny Ace becoming the Interim RAW GM?
David Martell: Nothing shocking here. We all knew it was going to happen eventually. I didn’t like how they brought back Vince to announce it since it really hasn’t been that long since Vince was fired. I figured that would have been a bigger reveal. Ace did the obvious thing and brought back the Miz and R-Truth. Its only a matter of time before we see Kevin Nash back on our television screens. I think all of this is really for Survivor Series. Johnny Ace will have his team and Triple H will most likely have his team. I imagine if Ace’s team loses, he loses the GM position. Which will then lead to the permanent RAW GM, whoever that will be. It works for me. Anything is better than Triple H really. All H did during his time as GM was bury the entire roster when he cut promos. We will just have to see where this goes.
Jacob San Antonio: Well, you knew something like it was going to happen. Now it’s up to the “fallen hero” HHH to save the day and the WWE with his manly heroics. I really would like to know who thought this storyline was a good idea. It’s not entertaining, it totally hijacked the hot angle of CM Punk/John Cena, and the most shocking thing about it has been HHH’s repeated burial of the roster while maintaining face status. Will Laurinaitis as GM really change anything? No. He’ll book some matches that put HHH/Punk/Cena at some disadvantage, they’ll rise to the occasion and no one will be shocked or surprised or interested in any way. Johnny Ace as GM doesn’t bother me; it’s the continuation of this bogus storyline that I have a problem with.
Zach Brown: It was sort of just a matter of time before this happened. It became obvious that John Laurinitis was getting a bigger on-screen role for the past several weeks. I think it’s obvious that there will be an ongoing storyline for some time revolving around Laurinitis, Triple H, and Vince McMahon. But for the time being, I’m more interested in Laurinitis as GM of Raw than Triple H as COO because the authority figure should be a heel in this instance, which John Laurinitis is. Triple H as a face COO was painful and stupid to watch. But the thing I don’t like about the entire thing is that the focus is being taken off of wrestlers somewhat. I really could care less about some fake backstage power struggle over WWE. Triple H was hogging enough of the spotlight when he was COO. Honestly, it’s painful to watch at this point when the guy that should be running things behind the scenes and stepping out of the view of the cameras is making himself the focus of the show every week on Raw. Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk are the ones that are being damaged the most. Del Rio is the WWE champion, but you’d barely know it from the way the storylines are going week to week. And CM Punk was in the hottest storyline in years, but it was extinguished so fast it was ridiculous. I’m hoping that John Laurinitis as GM will mean a more hands-off authority figure; one that lets the wrestlers do the talking, only stepping in when necessary, and not hogging up a ton of screen time. But with Triple H probably still involved with everything going on right now, I’m skeptical of that happening.
Topic # 3 Who would you like to see as the permanent GM of RAW?
David Martell: If logic serves me right, who ever it will be will have to be a face. With that said, I would have to go with Mick Foley. Yeah, he is the obvious choice but honestly, I think he would play the part the best. I enjoyed his work as commissioner in the past and I don’t see why he couldn’t do the same job now. He is in good graces with the WWE right now and it would be perfect for when The Rock returns. It just makes the most sense and I think most fans could get behind it. Who else is there really? I guess you could bring back Vince or Triple H to run things but Mick Foley would be a hell of a lot more entertaining.
Jacob San Antonio: Look, regardless of how much I dislike either of them, I’d be fine with HHH or Kevin Nash in charge. So long as they can keep themselves out of the spotlight (which would be difficult for them, sure) I think they’d be interesting authoritative figures to clash against. There’s always the rumor of Mick Foley rejoining the WWE, and he’d be a great GM as well. With Foley, he’s already had an awesome run as the commissioner back in the Attitude Era, so seeing what crazy things he’d bring to each show would be interesting. I think in the long run wrestlers would be far more entertaining to see in charge than random dude in a suit. Teddy Long isn’t bad, but imagine a guy like Mark Henry in charge. There’s seriously potential there.
Zach Brown: Call me crazy, but I liked the Anonymous Raw General Manager, and I wish they would bring that back. While it seemed completely gimmicky and stupid at first, I ended up really enjoying the character, if you can even call it that. I wish WWE would pick that up again. They never answered who the anonymous GM was, which was a huge let-down to say the least. But even with the question not being answered, the anonymous GM was interesting. Week after week, the lingering question remained of who it could possibly be. The GM dropped hints as to who it was, stating a few wrestlers that he or she never liked. Plus, it did two interesting things during the time that the character was on television. First, the authority figure would be absent from Raw for a good period of time, until you would hear that distinct Apple text message sound. The second it happened, everyone reacted instantly. It stopped all on screen action in it’stracks, and the crowd would get excited every time they heard it. It was an interesting experiment that really made things exciting. And second, it really elevated Michael Cole as someone people love to hate. Every time Cole said his whole speech about receiving an email from the Anonymous GM, along with the phrase, “And I quote,” the audience would eat it up. People would boo the crap out of Cole anytime he had anything to say, and that was very entertaining. I was kind of hoping that the anonymous GM would be Michael Cole anyway, possibly through having him text the email box from his announcer’s chair. But in the end, I think WWE just didn’t know who the Raw GM was going to be, and they didn’t know where to take the storyline, so they just dropped it. It’s too bad, because a simple, seemingly automated laptop is far more interesting than Triple H and John Laurinitis combined.
Topic # 4 Would you like to see Brock Lesnar back in the WWE?
David Martell: I use to hate Brock Lesnar for the longest time. When I was a kid, I thought the match he was going to have with Goldberg was going to be the best match of all time. Boy was I wrong. As a wrestling fan, that match has scarred me. It made me hate both men. I knew they were both leaving but they could of at least respected their fans to go out there and have a good match. Its been long enough though, that I would actually like to see Brock back in the WWE. I think he has matured enough that he could respect everything that is going on. After all, he was a great wrestler and there are tons of people I would like to see him face off with. I think Brock vs. Daniel Bryan would be at the top of my list. He said if it’s the right deal he would come back to a certain extent. I think we will see him again once his UFC career is over.
Jacob San Antonio: I couldn’t care less, but there’s a ton for the WWE to gain by getting Lesnar back. Even if it were just for a single throwaway match like the upcoming Rock/Cena, I can see a ton of buys for event tickets and PPV broadcasts. That being said, I don’t know if I’d entertain the idea quite yet. If the WWE wants to do a throwback match involving former top stars, I’d prefer to see Stone Cold return before Lesnar. Get the biggest names out of the way first, then work your way down memory lane. Bringing back Lesnar for a match is a great idea for business. I’d just sooner see someone else come back first.
Zach Brown: Would I like to see Brock Lesnar in a WWE ring? Sure. But I know if it ever happens again, it will most likely be only one match, and it would be at Wrestlemania. At this stage in Brock’s career, he’s only interested in paydays. I know he’s not interested in coming back full time or even for a month or two as an active wrestler. He would only want one night to put his name on the marquee and money in his bank account. And if he does come back for one match, I’m not entirely sure who he should face. Most fans would probably want to see him face Undertaker to squash that stupid beef we all got a taste of after his fight with Cain Velasquez. But how long does Taker really have left in his career? It would be interesting to see, especially with the streak involved, but I doubt it will happen. The most logical and evenly matched bout that WWE could put together would be Cena vs. Lesnar. And Cena would probably even do the job to Lesnar in the end. But who knows? It may just all be talk and Lesnar may never come back. But even if it would be just for one night, Brock Lesnar is a phenomenal athlete, and I’d love to see an F-5 one more time.
Topic # 5 Darren Young recently got suspended for his first Wellness violation. Your thoughts?
David Martell: Well maybe someone will finally get eliminated off of NXT to make it one step closer to ending! All joking aside, its always sucks to see someone get a wellness violation. You do the crime you pay the time. He did apologize for his actions and said it will never happen again. Hopefully this is a true statement and Young can get cleaned up. I think Young is a decent talent and I believe he can have success in the WWE. I honestly think they should of kept him with Percy Watson so they can continue their party boy tag team they had in FCW. He is definitely one of those guys who has improved a lot since he came to the WWE. He has a ton of heart and hopefully when he returns he can get back on the wagon.
Jacob San Antonio: As disappointing it is to see Young screw up, he’s taking it pretty well. He apologized sincerely, and I’d like to think he won’t make the same mistake twice. A big concern is how the WWE is going to react to it, though. With NXT strictly an online affair, there is the question of how important Young is to the WWE. After a suspension like this, is there even a good chance he’ll get included back into NXT? In the long run, the biggest factors involved in Young’s future after this is how much longer NXT will run and whether or not the WWE feels he’s valuable enough to keep on after a mistake like this.
Zach Brown: This was a little disappointing. It looks like the guy that never takes a day off was finally forced to take one whether he likes it or not. I do like Darren Young, and it’s kind of disappointing to hear that he has been taking some form of banned substance. I don’t want to speculate on what Young may have been using because it’s just not my place to guess. I do hope that Darren comes back from his suspension with new motivation and not wanting to take any more shortcuts. And hopefully he can make it off NXT before the next millennium.
Our thoughts on John Morrison.
David Martell: I don’t know what to think about John Morrison right now. I do believe he is a good talent. He has a great look and he is probably one of the most athletic guys in the industry. I never though he was that good on the mic but he was good enough to get by. He had a great push at the beginning of the year but after Melina got fired, it has been a downward spiral. It seems he just can’t get Melina to shut her mouth. The more she talk about him, the more its going to hurt him and I don’t know why he doesn’t understand that. There has to be something else going on backstage for him to be buried this bad. It might not be a bad idea for him to leave the WWE and reinvent himself in the indies or in TNA. Sometimes that can be a good thing. Look at Christian for example. He didn’t like where he was going in the WWE. He went to TNA and has a ton of success even becoming their world champion. He comes back to the WWE and now he is a two time World Heavyweight champion. Sometimes it takes leaving for someone to know your worth.
Jacob San Antonio: I was growing increasingly frustrated with John Morrison’s recent string of losses, and his overall depush over the past few months. That being said, it was a couple of days ago that I realized that Morrison’s contract is nearly about to expire. For a guy who hasn’t re-signed with the company, it’s really not that surprising that the WWE is using him as the go-to squash of the week. That doesn’t make it any better, but it at least make a bit more sense. With any luck, as soon as Morrison resigns with the WWE we’ll see him get a second wind. I think his chance at reaching the main event has come and gone, but he can still work his way back up the card pretty high. I’ve got my fingers crossed that things turn around for Morrison. There’s no reason for him to be stuck in this rut forever.
Zach Brown: Ah, JoMo. What a great wrestler. No, seriously. This guy is a phenomenal athlete. The things he does in the ring are ridiculous feats of athleticism. One of the only times that I have seen that kind of jaw dropping agility was with Shelton Benjamin. There are only a few men in WWE history that you can truly claim are pure athletes. I believe John Morrison is one of them. But damn, the guy cannot seem to catch a break in WWE, can he? I think being attached to Melina has done him much more harm than good, especially recently. The drama he has with Melina clearly affects his work to some extent. I think Morrison is held back and being made an example of in the locker room, simply because of Melina’s comments and that time she came to Raw when she wasn’t supposed to. It’s just very unfortunate. But even though Morrison is kind of being held back, it’s really nothing new for his class of wrestlers right now. Morrison, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne and others are all just waiting patiently for WWE to give them a chance in the main event. Who knows when it will happen for any of them? They all constantly flirt with the #1 contender status, and are put in matches where the contender is decided, but they never are given a chance to capitalize. John Morrison is one of the key examples of this. I really want John Morrison to break through and prove why he is in the WWE. His athletic feats have given us some of the greatest moments in WWE for the past few years. Remember his leap to the outside barrier at Royal Rumble? His off-the-wall kick at Elimination Chamber?His jump off of the stage scaffolding at the 2010 Hell in a Cell? All of them are incredible moments that make John Morrison worth his weight in gold. I really hope he gets his chance in the main event, because I know the guy can deliver. Hopefully in 2012, when all this drama washes off him, he can make the progress he needs to make.
That is all for this week. Fell free to comment at the bottom of the page and have a great week in wrestling. CYA!
Listen to the latest edition of the 411 on Wrestling podcast! On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka is joined by co-host Steve Cook for a loaded show. During the show, the guys talk with Kristin Astara (formerly Krissy Vaine) of Lucha Libre USA! Kristin discusses her 10-year career, breaking in working with Amber O’Neal, her WWE Developmental time, her brief run on the main roster, what led to her leaving the company, her name change, return to wrestling and how she got involved with Lucha Libre USA!
From there, Larry and Steve discuss Hulk Hogan’s comments on Bobby Roode not being “the guy,” Dave Lagana signing with TNA and the company’s plans for an additional international brand, review Impact, preview Bound for Glory and so much more! The show is nearly three hours long, and free, so enjoy and share the link with everyone you know!
You can listen to the show on the player below, or you can download the show here.
