DaveyBoy's Wrestling Menu #110 - Armageddon Predictions, Invasion Review, Feedback + Raw
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, December 8, 2004 at 7:12 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #110

Welcome one and all to the 110th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

I took a week off column-writing last week & a fair bit happened. Most of it surrounded Raw & the World HeavyWeight Title, so I've decided to throw in an extra topic this week. That's right, today, you will be served an entree. As that will probably lead to a slightly longer column, I better not muck around here & say... On with the show.....


APPETIZERS - Rookie Feedback

A fortnight ago in edition #109 of 'The Wrestling Menu', I took my annual look at the WWE rookies for the year & ranked them. If you did not get a chance to view that column, you may do so now, by clicking on the following link: http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2004_/articles/1101286756.php

With only 8 rookies in 2004 & such a big gulf between the top 3 & the rest, there wasn't a great deal of controversy surrounding my picks this year. However, that didn't stop the feedback coming in, and as per usual, I thank all of those people that took the time to email throughout the week. The main gripe that readers had was my ranking of Nick 'Eugene' Dinsmore at number 3. And that concern was then probably broken down further into 2 separate points: (1) Eugene vs Luther Reigns & (2) Eugene vs Carlito Caribbean Cool.

Some readers suggested that Reigns was not much better than the other big men on the list such as Tomko, Snitsky & Suzuki. Or even if he was better than those 3 guys, he wasn't better than Eugene. As stated last week, I believe that Reigns is superior to the prototypical big man & has really added something to the SmackDown roster since he joined. To be honest, I can't put my finger on why, but I'm sure his wrestling experience over the years has helped him.

While Eugene most definitely had the best year of the top 3 (by practically main eventing on Raw), I do not rank the rookies on current form. I rank them on what they will add to the WWE in the medium to long term. And while some people are doubting Carlito's skills right now, I am fairly confident that he will be around in the WWE for a long time to come.

The main concern with Eugene in my opinion is obviously his gimmick/character. How long can it continue to be fresh? I've seen some excellent ideas to keep it fresh for 1-2 years, but that's about it. If/when he does get repackaged, it's going to be a damn hard job to pull off, and even then, I'm unsure that Dinsmore's technical wrestling skills are going to be what the WWE is after. However, please don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of both the Eugene character & Dinsmore himself, so I'd love him to prove me wrong.

Just one final thing on the 2004 rookies; I got a statement via email saying how the lack of quality & depth in the 2004 rookies proved that the WWE is in for a tough run in the next 1-2 years. I initially agreed, but have thought about it a little more & am now not as concerned. I think like sporting teams through a draft, there is a need to consolidate in some years & build on those who were drafted 1-3 years back. So, if the WWE make the most of the Ortons, Cenas, Batistas, Benjamins & Haas' over the next year or so, I don't think the relatively poor class of 2004 will hurt them all that much.


ENTREE

Raw's World HeavyWeight Title Situation

This topic wasn't initially in the plan for this column, but with everything that has gone on, it's way too hard to ignore. Let me first state that I think the 'control' stipulation from the 4 on 4 elimination match at Survivor Series has turned out to be an excellent idea. It has added intrigue, conjecture & variation, which are prime elements that result in sustained viewing of a weekly professional wrestling show. I think the ratings for Raw have proven this. Furthermore, I think that the overall quality of the Raw product has stood up well during these 4 weeks.

There is no doubt that the key show of the 4 weeks was the 3rd one which featured Randy Orton as the General Manager. Now, let me state that I thought when viewed individually, this was possibly the best Raw episode of the year. The bottom line was that more than half of the show was taken up by 2 main event matches that I would personally pay for to watch on pay-per-view, let alone free television. And in my opinion, the quality of those matches were also very good.

The removal of the stipulation for the battle royal added another main event to the show, so I never had any problem with that. The battle royal itself was excellent with a number of wrestlers such as Batista, Snitsky, Benjamin, Edge & Benoit coming out looking very strong. The ending, while obviously unoriginal, was simply a way of creating a more interesting, intriguing & unpredictable main event later on that night. So, apart from unoriginality to the ending sequence, I thought the battle royal was excellent.

On to the main event, which was also a very good triple-threat match with excellent interaction between the 3 wrestlers. Edge's character is working well (in my opinion) right now & I think it was that which gave that (pardon the pun) extra edge to this bout. Even the WrestleMania 20 main event didn't have this, as I would say HBK & Benoit had less heat with each other in that match, than Edge & Triple H did here.

Obviously though, a lot of people looked past the actual quality of the match & based their opinion solely on the ending, which saw a disputed finish between Edge & Benoit. Now, while I did not agree with the ending, and realize that it was a rather cheap way of not having Triple H lose the title as cleanly as possible, I don't think it ruined the bout all that much. If anything, it only had me worried as to what was going to happen with the title the following week. And if millions of other people felt the same way, I am presuming that would mean that they would do what I did & tune into Raw to see what occurred. Fan conjecture (even if the fans fear the worst) = ratings. The WWE knows that.

So on to the next episode, and Chris Jericho's week as General Manager, we go. The show itself was a more typical television show. Nothing at all very spectacular, with the best match being (of all things) the women's title bout. However, there was decent angle progression all night with another good promo by Hassan, Simon Dean's wrestling debut, a new women's champions, more Triple H & Batista tension & a solidified heel turn for Maven. I don't think we can complain too much with all that.

But obviously the main focus was the announcement as to who would be the World HeavyWeight Champion. Vince McMahon correctly took the decision out of Jericho's hands & postponed it for another week by allowing Eric Bischoff to do the honors. More importantly though, he stated that Triple H was not the champion. I have no problem with the whole announcement. They wouldn't want to drag it on any further than next week, but I can wait another week.

We may get a tournament, another battle royal, or maybe even another match of some sorts. The Royal Rumble is a little too far away for that to be involved, and this isn't really the time of the year for a tournament that spans longer than 2 weeks. So right now I'm favoring a match for the title. Maybe a 6 man match involving Triple H, Edge, Batista, Benoit, Jericho & Orton. When 6 men in a singles match is mentioned to me, the one thing that comes to my mind is the Elimination Chamber!!! Whatever happens, I have been happy with this whole angle since Survivor Series. Well done WWE.


MAIN

Invasion (2001) Review

Ok, I've decided to stretch out my 1990's Review series into the new millennium. But fear not, I will only be choosing the very best pay-per-view events from the years 2000, 2001, 2002 & 2003. I hope you enjoy them all.

Please note that this is a continuation of my monthly series reviewing past ppvs. Over the past year or so, I have reviewed SummerSlam '90, WrestleWar '91, 1992: The Year In Review, 1993: The Year In Review, 1994: The Year In Review, SummerSlam '95, King Of The Ring '96, Survivor Series '97, Halloween Havoc '98, No Mercy '99, Royal Rumble 2000 & WrestleMania 17. Once more, I will include my monthly 'PPV Rating' system, so that we can make some sort of comparison on the quality of ppv cards between now & 3 years ago.

For those wondering, yes I have reviewed 2 pay-per-views from 2001 in this series (I reviewed WrestleMania 17 at the end of September), but I thought it was warranted with 2 such interesting events during that year. With such a jam-packed edition this week, there is no room for a spinoff topic. That should be posted next week. On with the review.....

The Gund Arena. Cleveland, Ohio. July-22, 2001.

Commentators: Jim Ross & Michael Cole

EDGE & CHRISTIAN defeated LANCE STORM & MIKE AWESOME: Very solid 10 minute opener with a good array of tag-team moves. The pace was kept up, while Storm & Awesome's different styles actually complemented Edge & Christian surprisingly well. A little sloppy at times (especially a badly botched dive to the outside by Christian), but overall, a very good & fitting opening to this important event. Match Rating...7

EARL HEBNER defeated NICK PATRICK: Mick Foley was the special guest referee for this (want of a better word) match. Three minutes in length & even that was a minute too long!!! Entertaining to a certain point, but not entertaining enough to justify this debacle. No wrestling skills on show & Earl wins with the worst looking spear that you will ever see. Match Rating...2

THE APA (BRADSHAW & FAAROOQ) defeated CHUCK PALUMBO & SEAN O'HAIRE: Mediocre tag match between the then WWF & WCW tag-team champions. Seven minutes worth & they just were able to get something passable out of it. It was strange seeing Chuck with long curly hair again, but wrestling-wise he actually looked quite decent. While O'Haire will always be a wasted talent. The APA did what they always did & the result was average & sloppy. The feud at the time was actually a good & intense one, but it only showed a little in this bout. Match Rating...5

BILLY KIDMAN defeated X-PAC: The WCW Cruiserweight champion gets the alliance's first win of the night, as he defeated the WWE Light-Heavyweight champion of the time. Slightly disappointing match, as I always felt that X-Pac was very good in his cruiserweight matches, but this bout just didn't gel well at all. It started off ok, but turned tedious quickly enough. Then, just as the action started to get better once more, the match ended way too quickly at only the 7 minute mark. Still ok, but could have been a lot better. Match Rating...6

RAVEN defeated WILLIAM REGAL: Lifeless heel vs heel match. Their styles didn't mix well at all, while the fans didn't care much about either of them in the first place, so having a heel vs heel match was simply a stupid idea. The only time the crowd came to life was when Tazz interfered, resulting in a win for Raven. Pretty boring & sloppy. Match Rating...4

HUGH MORRUS, SEAN STASIAK & CHRIS KANYON defeated THE BIG SHOW, ALBERT (A-TRAIN) & BILLY GUNN: Second filler match in a row, and a fairly bad one at that. Only decent when Kanyon was in the ring. Four minutes in length & these 6 men couldn't even make that passable. Big Show actually disappeared out of camera shot for most of the match!!! And the final bad thing about this bout is that it unfortunately reminded me that Albert (aka A-Train) was once an InterContinental champion. Match Rating...4

TAJIRI defeated TAZZ: Almost identical to the Kidman vs X-Pac match in that the end product was disappointing. Started off well, turned tedious & then just as it began to pick up again, Tajiri spit the mist & the match was over at the 6 minute mark. Their styles were an interesting mix, but at the end of the day, all this bout had to do was let the 2 performers take turns at doing what they do best. Unfortunately, that only really occurred in dribs & drabs. Match Rating...6

ROB VAN DAM defeated JEFF HARDY to Win the Hardcore Title: Very entertaining mixture of cruiserweight & hardcore action, although the former was very much the emphasis. While none of the many spots showcased were jaw-dropping, they were all well performed, well strung together & entertaining. Furthermore, of all things, these 2 actually put together a half-decent story during the 12 minute duration. Jeff pushed himself out of frustration, while watching RVD's egotistical heel character was actually quite fascinating. Match Rating...8

LITA & TRISH STRATUS defeated TORRIE WILSON & STACY KEIBLER in a Bra & Panties Match: Mick Foley was the special guest referee here, but it's fair to say that he stayed in the background. Probably one of the best ever of these types of matches. The WWE ladies controlled most of the offense, but Torrie & Stacy definitely played their roles as best as possible. A good combination of everything, and it very much kept the crowd involved. The 5 minute duration was just about right. Match Rating...6

BOOKER T, DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE, RHYNO & THE DUDLEY BOYZ defeated 'STONE COLD' STEVE AUSTIN, KURT ANGLE, CHRIS JERICHO, KANE & THE UNDERTAKER in the 10 Man Inaugural Brawl: It is fair to say that the build up for this match may have been one of the best ever for a non-title bout. And, when viewed in isolation, the 30 minute match was not too much of a letdown at all. It's a bout that is often criticized, but apart from the controversial ending, there is absolutely no reason for it to be. The first half of the bout was an excellent combination of intensity & feeling out process which suited the match perfectly. The 15 minutes felt like they lasted just over 5!!! While the pace slowed down a little at the half way mark, it was not allowed to last long, as the match broke down on the outside. A few good spots occurred there, but it was all a set up for Austin turning on the WWE & halting Angle's exciting comeback against Booker & Buh-Buh. Very well performed & predominantly booked with Angle, Booker & Jericho the standouts of a terrific match. Match Rating...9

PPV RATING (57/100) = 57

Looking at my usual 'PPV Review' ratings key, I have basically given 'Invasion' a 'C' grade & said that it was 'average'. It's probably not an event that suits my ppv rating system well, as it's more like a late 1980's pay-per-view which includes many short throwaway bouts. Having said that though, the event deserves to be marked harshly, as it definitely would have gone over better if quality was concentrated on, rather than quantity. Remove the referees match, the 6 man bout & the Raven vs Regal bout, give that time to the cruiserweight & Tazz vs Tajiri match, and hey presto, this would have been an excellent event. Even still, it's most definitely worth a watch. Solid tag & hardcore matches are backed up well by an under-rated main event. Now as to the ideas & booking behind the whole angle, and indirectly this ppv, that's another story which we will discuss next week!!!


DESSERT

Armageddon Predictions

ROB VAN DAM & REY MYSTERIO vs RENE DUPREE & KENZO SUZUKI for the WWE Tag-Team Championship: This feud has actually been built up decently well. It could have been done better, but anything is taken nowadays with either tag-team division. There is no doubt that RVD & Rey have been exactly what the division has needed & they should be commended for being rather innovative with their double teaming. I think this bout can be above-average, as especially Dupree seems to perform well in tag-team action against these 2. The title change was definitely necessary, although I did feel that it was going to happen a little later. The faces should prevail here. Winners: Rob Van Dam & Rey Mysterio

SPIKE DUDLEY vs FUNAKI for the WWE Cruiserweight Title: Not exactly a marquee match-up & I'm a little perplexed as to why Chavo isn't challenging for the title here. Hard to tell how the styles of these 2 guys will mix in the ring, but I'm sure they can come up with something decent. The fact that an underdog is in the ring challenging for the title on a ppv, means that we may see a title change. But to be honest, I hope we don't. Winners: Spike Dudley

DANIEL PUDER vs MIKE MIZANIN in a Dixie Dogfight Boxing Match: Boxing match, wrestling match, sumo wrestling match, it really wouldn't have mattered. No matter how legitimate a UFC fighter Puder is, he has shown enough to prove that he will win this. With the proper training, and some time, I also feel that he could be of value to the WWE. Winner: Daniel Puder

THE BIG SHOW vs KURT ANGLE, LUTHER REIGNS & MARK JINDRAK in a Handicap Match: Sometimes, handicap matches do serve a purpose, but not here. Hell, I would almost predict an Angle victory if he was by himself, so how could he realistically lose with 2 other big men on his side!?!?!? Well, we know the heels can lose, but they definitely shouldn't. I'm of the opinion that Angle's challenges over recent weeks were leading up to the Egyptian olympic gold medallist debuting here. When the current olympian looked elsewhere, this handicap match was what the WWE hurriedly booked. Winner: Angle, Reigns & Jindrak

JOHN CENA vs JESUS for the United States Title: As easy as this match seems to be to predict, who is to say that the WWE wouldn't pull a Carlito & have Jesus win the U.S title on his wrestling debut!?!?!? Ahhh, who am I kidding? Cena to overcome the odds of his injury & Carlito at ringside is almost a certainty. The main point of interest here is how much of a streetfight will it be & how decent is Jesus in the ring. Winner: John Cena

DAWN-MARIE vs MISS JACKIE with Charlie Haas as the Special Guest referee: All I can say about this feud which has been given way too much time for my liking, is that it better result in a push for Haas. He has been way too under-used this year. I'm feeling that the love triangle angle may continue though & Haas will somehow accidentally cause a Dawn-Marie win, much to Jackie's chagrin. Winner: Dawn Marie

JOHN BRADSHAW LAYFIELD vs THE UNDERTAKER vs BOOKER T vs EDDIE GUERRERO in a Fatal Fourway Match for the WWE Championship: Talk about a tough one to predict. Two weeks ago, I could have almost guaranteed that JBL would be losing the title & that it was probably going to be to 'Taker or Booker. Now, I'm very unsure & it sort of has to do with Kurt Angle. I think the original plan was for Booker to win the title & have Kurt beat him in the lead-up to WrestleMania 21. But with Kurt's olympic/challenge plans, plus a possible showdown with Shawn Michaels at the big dance, I see no title on the horizon for Angle. Therefore, JBL may very well retain here. I will be egging on Booker, but I think it's fair to say that the WWE haven't been over-impressed with his face turn so far, while a poll I looked at on WWE.com showed that the fans were definitely more excited about Eddie than Booker. It's all too confusing & when it's like that, I tend to look at the one constant in the whole equation. To me, that's 'Taker. Winner: The Undertaker

I'm unsure if another match will be added to the card. If there is, it will probably be Chavo vs Kidman. If that match does take place, I am predicting a Chavo Guerrero win. All in all, this card looks very ordinary. I cannot see any match tearing the house down & the only thing that interests me about the main event is it's unpredictability & what it means for the next 1-4 months for the SmackDown roster. I really am hoping the WWE can pull a rabbit out of the hat with this one, but I am seriously doubting it. Oh well, DaveyBoy is ordering it & will review it for you all next week.


Ok, that is all for edition #110 of 'The Wrestling Menu'. Hopefully, everyone enjoyed reading it. Any feedback concerning the Raw World HeavyWeight Title situation or my Armageddon predictions would be appreciated. But more specifically this week, I'm looking for your ideas on what was needed to make the Invasion angle a success. If your thoughts are so good, they may even get a run in my column next week. As per usual, I will reply to all feedback. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com

So, what's on the agenda for next week's 'Wrestling Menu'...??? Well, there will obviously be my Armageddon Review. Here's hoping for an enjoyable & exciting pay-per-view. Along with that, I will give ideas from myself & also you readers as to what the Invasion angle needed to succeed. That almost sounds like an entire column right there, except there's only 2 courses. I'm sure I'll find some appetizers to serve you over the following week. Look out for that column same Wednesday time & same LOP channel next week. Until then, this is DaveyBoy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.












• TUESDAY: Elimination Chamber Spoiler, WWE Star in Brawl with Tasered Fan, Triple H as WWE Champ? LOTS MORE
  

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