wrestling / Columns

The Wrestling 5&1 09.29.12: Sable vs. Torrie Wilson!

September 29, 2012 | Posted by Tony Acero

Listen while you read as we’re joined by star Canadian Josh Alexander and DeMarcette Veda Scott!

BRING ON THE GIRLS!

Last Week: Thanks to 1891 votes, an 11 vote margin allowed Velvet Sky to stop Maria Kanellis’s ascent through the Hall of Bang, and her position is solidified at #5.

So until the next Battles begin, this is the current state of the Hall!

Future Versus Updates:
* Brooke Tessmacher has two wins, two away from a return engagement with the Hall of Bang…
* Candice Michelle has two wins, and will continue her own journey…
* Tiffany will receive a new opportunity at the Hall as soon as the opportunity is available…

This Week:

SABLE!

Torrie Wilson!

The Choice Is Yours!

Sable vs. Torrie Wilson
Take your pick and vote in the poll below!

Remember, you can vote multiple times—once every 12 hours.
And you can track the results right here, too!

Last week in The Wrestling 5&1…

WWE spent some time giving them wins. The fans caught on with their personas.

Like good sheeple, the fans caught on with the win streak. Not to say that they don’t have character but they are 90% record/10% ‘persona’.

And like Goldberg or Warrior “Warrior” Warrior they will likely fall apart once they try something that isn’t win win win win.

Posted By: Guest#9497 (Guest)

You touch on something I think I was trying to get to, but couldn’t fully flesh out, apparently. My concerns begin and end with the “win win win” nature of the two men, and anyone else they attempt to bring up in this manner. They’re bound to lose eventually, and it’s that loss that will most likely hurt them since the WWE doesn’t know how to properly handle this type of push.

Did you enjoy WWE’s Night of Champions?
NO! Every match was the sames moves. WWE has such a bad in-ring product and wastes it’s talent to such a degree that watching this PPV was an absolute chore, and the non-finish in the main event was just the cherry on top of the turd cake.

Posted By: Guest#2987 (Guest)

I have to respectfully disagree with your assessment, but wanted to post it to give you a voice. I hardly ever think that the in-ring product is the issue with the WWE, but instead blame a lot on the story-telling. I recall being immediately upset about the finish as well, but have since warmed up to it and am anxious to see where they are going. Hopefully you enjoy the column more than the PPV, ey?

Using months of televised squash matches to introduce wrestlers instead of putting them directly into main event programs is so stupid! It’s SO stupid that every successful wrestling promotion in the history of history has been using that dumb technique! Every wrestler should be in the main event of a pay-per-view the next day after completing their training for the same reasons I deserve an $80K job salary, a $150K house, a new car, a 60″ flatscreen and no college loan debt the day after I graduate!

Posted By: Guest#7947 (Guest)

Oh, I see what you did there. Using sarcasm to pull one over on the ol Assero, right? Ya got me, ya got me….
Please understand that not once did I ever say that I wanted Brodus OR Ryback in the main event, ever. No, I don’t want them anywhere near the main event. They are both midcard acts that can flourish in the midcard. You counter my argument with the fact that wrestling promotions have used the push that these two are getting, and that’s part of the issue I have. The WWE has done the SAME push with (takes breath), Ryback, Brodus Clay, Tensai, Antonio Cesaro, even Wade Barrett (since returning). And what about previous years, with Drew McIntyre, Ezekiel Jackson, Jinder Mahal, Mark Henry? The list is extensive, and of all those names, I can pick probably two where the monster push worked in their favor. It’s not about getting to the main event, it’s the trip that’s taken there I have an issue with.

In addition to Destination X, all of the Aries PPV matches this year have been great. His match with Bully Ray at Sacrifice was exceptional. Match of the year contender easily based on the story the match told and the build.

Aries vs Samoa Joe at Slammiversary was also great. Posted By: Guest#0938 (Guest)

The build to Destination X is good, so start with the weeks leading to the show. You should also watch the Before the Bell youtube video giving 30 minutes of never before interviews with the champion and contender for the title. If all of that doesn’t make you appreciate the product, then don’t bother watching anything after Destination X.

Posted By: Guest#9098 (Guest)

I would actually start post Lockdown for the full story as that is where the good run started. Just ignore the terrible actress and you are in for a very enjoyable ride.

Posted By: Hyde_Hill (Guest

Hey Guest, thanks for the input. I did check out Before the Bell as well, and it helped me understand why the matches happened, so thanks for that. My review of Destination X is below, and I can only hope that it fits what a bulk of you guys are feeling.

Maria is cute, but Velvet takes way better pics.

It’s about time something is done with Ryback and Clay, even though Clay has sort of had a couple feuds already like you said. Ryback vs Miz though, I’m legit worried about Miz in that feud once the match takes place.

Posted By: SS87 (Guest)

SS! Always welcomed here in the 5&1 and anywhere else for that matter. I feel that even though we want something to happen with them, nothing that happens will satiate what we want as fans because of their build up.

I think the excuse that “they don’t know what to do with new superstars” is ridiculous. It’s not like they only have Monday and Friday (or Tuesday, technically) to decide what to do with these guys. They have 7 days a week to decide what to do with a few guys. Hell, they also have years of footage to see what worked and what didn’t with past superstars. It’s a cycle people

Posted By: GeeSpotter (Guest)

I agree to an extent. I mean, these guys have several hours of television to come up with on a weekly basis, with over 50 characters that are each supposed to have their own quirks and idiosyncracies. The issue must stem from organization of these characters, constant input of the wrestlers, pressure from above, and various other outlets of stress. I have a little sympathy for the writers because of this, but not too much since this is their job and – as you said – there are templates that they could use, and use so well, yet don’t.

Aweome. I sincerely, will all m heart and soul hope demarco is absent this week because he went through with the suicide he promised a couple weeks ago.

Posted By: Guest#6446 (Guest)

I spoke to Greg on Tuesday night, and all signs point to him being as healthy as your grasp on proper spelling. Oh, that’s right…

You know who else got a monster push where they never looked weak, squashed guys and DID win titles and have it work? No, not Goldberg… go back further: Ultimate Warrior. You tell me him winning the title from HTM is not an all time best Summerslam moment.

You could EASILY do this with Miz/Ryback, but that’s not what they’re doing.

And btw- Warrior, in being the unstoppable monster, actually DID elevate at least one other guy (no, not Hogan or Savage): Rick Rude. Their feud for the IC and then WWF titles was some of Warrior’s best stuff, and the first time Rude looked like a legit threat to a title.

Okay, let’s come back closer to the present- but past Goldberg. You know who another character that got a similar push that got over was? Umaga.

Except when Umaga was doing it he was the only one. They tried Umaga 2.0 with Tensai but they blew their wad on it almost immediately and Brock coming back plus Kane getting more screen time made Tensai redundant.

Posted By: Guest#9838 (Guest)

You, sir, bring up very good points that I wish I had pointed out. Umaga wasn’t surrounded by people doing the same thing, feeling the same way. Another name where the monster push worked is Mark Henry. They just did it right with Henry, and he was such a sight to see on a weekly basis over on Smackdown. The difference is he had consistency and believability, and a lot of his matches were longer than five minutes.

I wouldn’t term the Brodus’ booking a push. Dude came in, danced, killed few noobs and looked like he would get in on a program with The Miz before he went on a sabbatical. He killed Miz twice and then was inserted into the Show – Cena feud. Nothing happened there and then moved on to a feud with Otunga (including a PPV pre-show match) and again nothing happened there. Then he moved on to a fairly promising program with Sandow and again nothing happened there. Now he seems to be set on a program with the Job Squad v2.0 of Slater, Mahal and McIntyre. Sorry to say, this is neither a push nor a build. Creative has been just trying Brodus like china clay, pegging him into different holes and seeing which would work. Fact is – all of the above programs might have worked if any semblance of conviction was placed in them. Sadly that seems to be the creative direction these days and frankly RyBack is also trodding dangerously close to that same booking issues.

Posted By: Hatt Mardy (Guest)

An interesting point that I noticed but didn’t point out. Let me ask you this, Mardocious, do you feel they’re doing the same thing with Ryback? After disposing of the Miz rather quickly, we see him show up at the end of RAW to possibly be after CM Punk.

Re: Brodus and The Ryback: Neither of these guys are going to be anywhere near the main event if they can’t learn to use the mic. People can bitch and moan but that doesn’t change the fact that half of the show is promos and talking and they both need to improve. Can you imagine either of these guys being part of the promos that open Raw to set up important matches? I can’t.

And yes, Randy Orton is the exception to everything I just wrote. But you can only use the “silent badass” character on one guy at a time.

Posted By: Guest#0264 (Guest)

I think that both men are capable on the microphone, considering I’ve seen them do good jobs on the stick. Brodus is actually full of conviction and has an edge that I don’t think many people have seen. Ryback…well, all I have to base him off of is Skip Sheffield, but even that character showed that he was capable of emotional range (is doofus an emotional range?)

Ten bucks says you stop your TNA bullshit experiment within weeks. I’ve learned over the years not to trust a word you say.

Posted By: Guest#3393 (Guest
I love your comment. Trust me.

“we have both Brodus and Ryback take the slowest catapult ever towards the midcard”

Good fuckin lord Tommy Assero.

Six months of building someone up is considered slow? I guess you think stars are made in an instant. My god, you are just terrible.

The two men have years and years to develop. There is not some sort of huge rush to get these guys in a WM main event.

WWE spent some time giving them wins. The fans caught on with their personas. Now, they are stepping up to the next level. Seems like a good plan to me…

Posted By: Guest#3248 (Guest)

Your credibility is shot the moment you used the tired insult of Tommy Assero. It’s about as hurtful an insulting as a cotton ball being thrown at me.

But thanks for reading!

The TNA Experiment Commences with Destination X!!
By Tony Acero

Last Chance Qualifying Match: Rubix vs Mason Andrews vs Lars Only vs. Dakota Darsow
So we start right away with four guys that I only know by name, having not senen any of them actually perform. It appears the winner of this match face Kid Kash, who looks nothing like a Kid anymore, in a qualifying match. I was surprised to see Andrews get the win, considering how much the crowd was behind Rubix. This Lars guy seemed a bit jobberish, and Darsow hardly did anything worth nothing. I was told this is what to expect from the X-Division; spotty moments without being overbearing. (**)

X-Division Title Tournament: Kid Kash vs. Mason Andrews
First off, I have to give credit for neither of these man taking a break. I’m used to fast pace, fast pace, rest hold, rest hold over in WWE-land, so it was pretty exhilerating to see non-stop action that never went over the top, even if there was no emotion invested. I particularly enjoyed the missed moonsault that looked as if Kid’s teeth were embedded in the knee of Andrews after. Another mention goes to the middle finger making a comeback in the wrestling world. Is Kash always like this? The match wasn’t perfect, but fun enough for an opening match. (**)

The leaderboard of the Bound for Glory Series really made me realize that I have no idea how it all works, so I did some quick research, and now I get it. haha.

X-Division Title Tournament: Douglas Williams vs. Kenny King
I know Douglas from my small stint with TNA from last year, so the familiar face makes me more interested. Kenny King looks exciting but generic. I know he’s from ROH, but that’s about all I know. Let’s get to the match. This was more mat based match, but it didn’t get boring due to them being able to mix it up a bit with the X-Divison style. King started off as someone I could care less about into someone that was pretty impressive. WIlliams seems like the Regal of TNA, as he’s defintely able to adapt to any style, and seems to be more used as a way to put people over than to move forward. Is that a fair assumption? (**)

So this Daniels interview mentions the storyline of AJ gettin some chick pregnant that I assume I will get more information about in the coming weeks, but it seems awkward.

X-Division Title Tournament Match: Sonjay Dutt vs Rashad Cameron
They start with the flippity floppity that gets a bit too showy for me. (How does everyone else sell an arm drag as dastardly, yet these guys get up like nothing?) Sonjay is from India and is as far away from the stereotype as possible, so I love that. The Rashad guy seems like generic heel #23, complete with audience harrassment. I quick search shows that we’ve seen him before in the WWE, getting squashed by Ryback. Well there’s no doubt who is winning this match now. As I mentioned, the action was somewhat generic, and the start didn’t do much for me. Sonjay is pretty solid, though, and I’m interested to see where he goes from here. (**)

X-Division Title Tournament Match: Zema Ion vs. Flip Casanova
So Zema establishes real quickly that he is the heel here, and does so with some flair. I do like that this match started a bit differently than the ones preceding it, something really important in a contest-type PPV such as this. Zema is more aggressive here than Destination X-like. His hairspray thing is cliché, but I suppose it adds to the character. Speaking of cliché, Flips’ constant reference to the air by pointing to it, asking for the fans approval, got rather annoying and it was apparent who the loser was because of it. So Zema moves on in a short match that I neither disliked or enjoyed. (**)

Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle
Right away, I’m excited for these two. I’ve never seen them two go at it in all the years that have gone by. I hope they don’t disappoint. The first two minutes of the match results in stalemate, but it’s nowhere near as cheesy as the one that we had earlier. Samoa Joe is so freakin fast considering his size and I love how it seemed that he knew what Kurt was going for during pretty much the whole match. I saw a sign in the crowd that said this was the fifth match they’ve had together. I haven’t seen any of them before, so this was one hell of a treat. Was it the best they’ve had? If not, which one would you consider the best? Let me know in the comments! (***1/2)

AJ’s Affair
This is, apparently, the storyline that everyone claims is the worst part of TNA. I can see where they’re coming from considering Dixie isn’t all that exciting, and there’s a bit too much going on here that belongs on Jerry Springer, and not on a wrestling show.

AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels
Another one-on-one that has happened many, many times before yet I have yet to see. Expectations are high. One thing this match has is that it’s got TNA all over it. This is a positive aspect, don’t get me wrong. This match had brutality that you just don’t see in the WWE anymore, and it went a long way in showing WHY TNA needs to be watched. This was a solid match that had escalating violence, but never depended too much on it, and made me excited for more from both of these – even with the atrocious story behind the match. (***3/4)

Mason Andrews vs. Zema Ion vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Kenny King
Ah, so THIS is the Ultimate X match. Seems like the possibilities for awesomeness are high. Zema seems like a good enough choice in terms of heeldom. There were a lot of innovative moves here from each man, and for the most part they looked good doing it. This match was everything I’ve expected it to be; flashy with a bit of sloppiness, particularly at the end. I enjoyed it for what it’s worth, but it’s going to take me a bit to get used to the selling efforts of the X Division. (**1/2)

Aries Spears vs. Robert Roode
The video package here really added a lot of intensity to the match and added so much importance to the match coming up. I’m well aware of the end result, but there’s no denying that the video package set this thing out to be a great match…and a match it was! I’ve seen some complaints about Aries’s size, and I just don’t see the issue. It’s all in how it’s sold, and how he comes across on the screen. During the match, he was sold as a legit threat on the commentary and in the ring, which goes a long way in selling him as not just a threat but a possible champion. The win stamps the change in TNA and gives them at least one edge over WWE in that they’re willing to give someone a chance. Aside from all of this, it was just a great match. Aries is something to behold, and Roode did a great job in being the shocked heel at Aries’s intensity and longevity. (****)

Final Thought:
Greg said Destination X was where I should start on my road to TNA acceptance, and I’d say he was right. I don’t know if there was anything as good as this before the PPV, but the PPV itself was a joy to watch and a waaaay different product than the last time I attempted to watch TNA!
Next week, I’ll review the two Impacts following this PPV. I won’t give a match-by-match breakdown, but rather a review of the show as a whole for space reasons.

You Decide: What should I most look forward to in the weeks directly following Destination X?

Why Sheamus Should Wrestle Alberto Del Rio…Again.
By Greg DeMarco

WWE Night of Champions signaled the end of World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus’s feud with Alberto Del Rio. The feud ending match was a traditional one-on-one contest where Sheamus’s Brogue Kick was banned—until right before the match started.

Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio had their best match to date at Night of Champions. They competed at SummerSlam. They competed (in the second match, mind you) at Money in the Bank. They were scheduled to face each other at No Way Out, but Del Rio suffered a concussion, and was replaced by Dolph Ziggler. Del Rio and Sheamus were joined by Randy Orton and Chris Jericho in a Fatal-Four-Way that should have main evented May’s Over The Limit pay-per-view.

While many online fans have expressed their desire to see this feud end, the pair has had two singles matches against each other, and one more is exactly what the WWE needed to do.

Spoiler Alert: Sheamus’s Real Hell in a Cell Opponent
Thanks to the results of Friday’s Smackdown (taped on Tuesday, September 25), we know that The Big Show will challenge Sheamus in Hell in a Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship. At this present time, there is no justification for their match to take place inside a cell outside of the fact that it’s October, and it’s time for the Hell in a Cell themed pay-per-view event.

The WWE still has eight combined editions of Raw and Smackdown (after Friday’s already spoiled edition) to build this feud. But that isn’t enough time to build a Hell in a Cell worthy match. Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio have months of build behind them—use it.

Hell in a Cell is a Feud Ending Match
Since its origin, Hell in a Cell has primarily been viewed as a feud ending match. Jim Ross has often termed it a “demonic device” on commentary, and wrestlers like Triple H and Mick Foley used the structure to cement their legacy.

Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus had a heated feud in the WWE. The feud involved stolen vehicles, arrests, lawsuits and banned finishers. In the modern day WWE, that is a heavy feud that deserves a proper resolution. Hell in a Cell is the place to do that.

Sheamus did in fact beat Alberto Del Rio—clean—at Night of Champions. How can you justify continuing the feud through Hell in a Cell? Simple. Have Del Rio attack Sheamus, and make Sheamus demand the match.

Put Sheamus in a position where he is willing to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Del Rio one more time in exchange for having him in a cell, alone. No Ricardo Rodriguez or David Otunga to get in the way, Sheamus gets the one-on-one match he desires.

Damaging the Legacy of Hell in a Cell
Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker. Triple H vs. Mick “Cactus Jack” Foley. Batista vs. Triple H. Edge vs. The Undertaker. CM Punk vs. John Cena. These are feuds and matches worthy of the cell.

If Sheamus and The Big Show collide again at November’s Survivor Series and/or December’s TLC, the WWE will hurt the legacy of Hell in a Cell—a match so brutal that it should be reserved for the deepest feuds needing a resolution.

Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio have that feud, and it deserves a proper resolution at Hell in a Cell.

You Decide: Sheamus-Del Rio > Sheamus-Show?

WWE News: Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H Delivers Strong SummerSlam Buy Rate
By Greg DeMarco

WWE released their business results on Tuesday, and according to a report from PWTorch SummerSlam’s preliminary buy rate is 350,000 buys. The main event was Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H.

Per the report:
“The preliminary Summerslam figure is the product of WWE reporting an average of 273,000 buys for the first two events in Q3-2012. The first PPV of the quarter, Money in the Bank, drew a preliminary total of 196,000 buys. Summerslam’s prelim figure of 350,000 buys averaged with MITB results in the 273,000 average.”

This is an 18% increase over the preliminary numbers for the 2011 event, headlined by CM Punk vs. John Cena in a title “unification” match (WWE Championship vs. WWE Championship). Punk and Cena also met at this year’s event, as part of a Triple Threat Match that also included The Big Show.
This increase seems significant, but is it? The 2010 event drew the same number, and 2011’s 311,000 buys was a bigger disappointment than this year’s number is a success.

In fact, according to a Wrestling News World report from 2011, SummerSlam’s buy rate has been dropping every year since 2007, when the event scored 537,000 buys.

What can we really learn from these figures?

We can easily determine that business is down for the WWE’s second most important pay-per-view of the year. 2007’s event was headlined by these two world title matches: John Cena vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship and Batista vs. The Great Khali for the World Heavyweight Championship. You could easily argue that this year’s card featured stronger top matches compared to the 2007 effort.

However, you can also determine that Brock Lesnar is in fact a big draw for the WWE, despite his sporadic schedule. According to a separate PWTorch report, the 2012 Extreme Rules pay-per-view event outdrew the 2011 effort 251,000 buys to 216,000 buys. This event was headlined by Brock Lesnar’s in-ring return, against John Cena.
That means both Brock Lesnar pay-per-view appearances have led to significant increases in the specific event’s performance over the prior year.

In 2012, the WWE has seen that Brock Lesnar equals ratings and buy rates. His reported $5 million contract is paying off for the WWE. The next question is obvious: why not bring him in for more appearances?

That would require more money, as his current contract limits his number of appearances. This is something the WWE can handle.

But it could also take the novelty out of Brock Lesnar. And I’d argue that the novelty is driving the buy rate up for the Lesnar-headlined events. I would advise the WWE to keep him away until the next big events, Survivor Series and The Royal Rumble.
Oh, and figure out a way to make him so special that he out draws the 2007 totals!

You Decide: Does the increase in pay-per-view buys mean Brock Lesnar is worth a $5 million contract? Should he be resigned to a new deal next year?

WWE Remembers Tag Team Wrestling Exists?
By Tony Acero

I remember a time when there were but three teams within the WWE that made up the tag team division. While most will immediately assume it’s the six men known as Edge, Christian, Mat and Jeff Hardy, and the Dudley Boyz, I am actually referring a few years after their heyday. Edge and Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero, those names bring back memories of awesomeness that I’ll never forget in terms of tag team wrestling – and wrestling in general. It marks the last time I recall the tag team championships mattering, actually. Whether that’s true or not is debatable, but it’s the last time I remember enjoying the tag team ranks of the WWE.

The past year, we have seen an interesting rise of teams within the WWE. No, not just random thrown together teams (although that’s still present), but actual teams. The Usos, Epico and Primo, the Primetime Players, and to some degree The Ascension are the teams with unity and show some semblance of ties while there’s Ryder and Santino, Kidd and Gabriel, Truth and Kofi, and the newly crowned champs Bryan and Kane. That’s eight teams! We can’t forget the new team of Rhodes and Sandow, either! Yes, ladies and gents, there are teams on the roster, and they’re ready and eager to bring back the tag team division to the forefront of the WWE. But where do the issues lie, and will they be faced?

When Kane and Bryan won the tag team titles, red flags everywhere went up. I quickly got worried and frightened. I assumed that the WWE found something hot and decided to eradicate month’s worth of build of teams just to jump on the hotness of Bryan and Kane. I pictured a world where Kane and Bryan destroyed everyone within the tag ranks and decimated any chance of those titles meaning anything other than tools to help make more comedic wrestling moments from Kane and Bryan. Although it may still be too early, I can say that as of now, I was completely wrong. The WWE has decided to not only emphasize tag teams, but also give each team a bit of an edge, particularly the Primetime Players, who have been proving themselves to be quite the fun group.

Although I’ll never forget the six spectacular men that kicked ass on a weekly basis, there are at least nine teams that are ready, willing, and able to take the spot of the empty tag ranks and get some much needed and wanted action within the WWE. I’m very anxious and very excited to see it turn into something. So much, in fact, that I don’t think my cynicism is even allowed to come up without being challenged by the sheer anticipation of tag team wrestling making its return!

You Decide: Will the WWE keep interest in the rebuilding of the tag ranks?

Whyback?
By Tony Acero

The end of RAW had one hell of an interesting moment. CM Punk is walking through the backstage area grabbing his abs that were beaten by Cena’s pipe (eyyooo), sees Mick Foley, and recalls the undressing that he received from Foley earlier in the show. After walking by, he reconsiders a thought, then goes to attack him. One swift kick later and Punk is walking away smugly. He’s not done, however, and turns around, ready to lay into Foley a bit more, but instead of being able to, he finds this:

There was no crowd response because apparently this wasn’t shown to the live crowd. Why? It appears the WWE was “just trying it out” to see what kind of reaction it would get. I question that motive, considering if they wanted to gauge a reaction, they had a crowd right there to use, and I’m sure it would have gotten quite the pop.

Now, I’m torn on this “development” of Ryback. On one hand, I want to point out that both last week AND earlier in the comment responses, I was – and still am – adamantly against the push that Ryback has received, but not solely because of the man behind the character. Rather, I dislike it from a writing perspective. This isn’t me backpeddling, because if this Ryback experiment works with Punk then I’ll have no choice but to eat my words, but I have to recall other times “monsters” were brought into the main event. They have a role, and that role is to give credence to the champion at the time. Considering Punk is a heel, though, if they do move forward with this, Ryback must win – and that’s where the issue lies.

Ryback has been pushed to the brink of invincibility. The only possible threat he had was Miz, and he dispatched him easily, only an hour previous to his prevention of Punk’s attack. The next big feud he is to be a part of, he just has to win, otherwise all the jobber squashes will have been for nothing. It may not make sense, because losses shouldn’t matter (ask Dolph), but he is built as a beast that wins – and that’s when losses matter.

I feel that the ONLY reason this seemingly random placement of Ryback was done is as an insurance policy. Cena can guarantee left and right that he’ll be at the Hell in the Cell PPV, but we truly don’t know if that’s going to happen, and I don’t think the WWE knows either. They went into panic mode and created another possible opponent for Punk. If this is true, then Punk will not be losing the title, which is great, but it also means that Ryback will…do what, exactly, after the loss? Of course, this is all speculation, and I could be very wrong, but if I’m right, this may very well stop Ryback’s push short.

You Decide: Is Ryback being used as an insurance policy or as a viable main eventer?

Darin Corbin and DeMarcette Scarlett Bordeaux join the program!

The Greg DeMarco Show with Greg DeMarco and Patrick O’Dowd, presented by 411Mania.com/Wrestling, aired Monday night at 11:00 PM eastern and streams Friday and Saturday at VOCNation.com.

This week:

Listen as Greg, Patrick and Andy Critchell breakdown the WWE, discussing where we are now and what we want to see happen moving forward.

Special guest Darin Corbin joins the show. He talks about training and traveling with Arik Cannon, life on the road, his W.R.E.S.T.L.I.N.G. webseries, and his reaction to the appearance of WWE development talent “Baron Corbin.” Darin also gives his account of dating one of the most beautiful women in the world—DeMarcette Scarlett Bordeaux!

DeMarcette Scarlett Bordeaux then joins the show to talk about her new role as the hostess of Chikara’s Throwdown Lowdown and to provide an update on her OVW status. Plus, Scarlett provides immediate thoughts on the debut of her new show theme and commercial.

Listen in for hour three as Greg, Tony Acero and Terra Calaway answer listener questions submitted by members of the VOC Nation!

You can listen all weekend at VOCNation.com, or you can listen here:

About The Greg DeMarco Show:

Discussing current events in professional wrestling—including WWE RAW, Smackdown, TNA Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor and many US independent promotions and regularly featuring guests from Ring of Honor, Chikara, Extreme Reunion and countless other promotions, Greg DeMarco and Patrick O’Dowd present opinionated analysis on the wrestling world that remains rooted in a love, passion and respect for the industry. The show is presented live each week nby 411Mania at http://www.411wrestling.com/wrestling and streams worldwide each weekend via Bruce Wirt’s Voice of Choice Nation at http://www.vocnation.com. You can reach the show via e-mail at [email protected], Facebook by searching for “Greg DeMarco Show” or Twitter @gregdemarcoshow.

Here are the six men that reinvigorated my love for wrestling when it was all but fading.

Hit up the ‘Mania on the TWITTER (so Ashish will like me, okay?)

http://www.twitter.com/411mania
http://www.twitter.com/411wrestling
http://www.twitter.com/411moviestv
http://www.twitter.com/411music
http://www.twitter.com/411games
http://www.twitter.com/411mma
http://www.twitter.com/gregdemarcoshow – that’s Greg!
http://www.twitter.com/TonyAcero411 – that’s me!

Oh Melina, you and your splits. Truly, the best thing about Melina was her flexibility. The banshee scream never did anything for me, but man she was botchtastic wasn’t she? Is Morrison still hittin that?