DaveyBoy's Wrestling Menu - Draft Lottery Picks, WM 21 Feedback + House Show Review
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 at 4:54 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #126

Welcome one and all to the 126th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

Well, it's been a big & busy week. I've hardly had a day of rest over this past 7 days. Work has been busy, I've been to a WWE show, I went & watched my beloved Kangaroos win their 3rd straight game to open up the AFL season, plus there's been a few other nights out. But come Wednesday, it's back to the ever reliable 'Wrestling Menu'.

I have 5 sections today!!! I'll attempt to keep them short, but I better get on with it just in case I fail miserably. I hope you enjoy.....


WELCOME DRINKS

WrestleMania 21 Feedback

It seems with each week, I make up a silly new topic heading. I've just had more than the usual 3 sections in my column lately. 'Welcome Drinks' comes courtesy of my better half. What can I say... She's obviously a pi$$head!!!

I just thought I'd give some quick feedback from my column last week. If you are yet to read my WrestleMania review & my opinions on the road ahead for both Raw & SmackDown, you may do so by clicking on the following link: http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2005/articles/1112785582.php

I have to be honest & state that the majority of people agreed with my review of the biggest pay-per-view of the year. And it was quite refreshing to see, to be honest. I was especially happy that I did not have 1 person disagree with my thoughts on the Randy Orton vs Undertaker match (although some would have rated it a point lower). So, if you're reading this & did not like that match, count yourself in the minority, by the look of it.

Of the slight objections that I received, they were mainly to do with 3 matches:

(1) A few readers thought that the Sumo Match wasn't all that bad. Maybe it was a matter of personal taste here. No-one loved it, but some people would have passed it. I couldn't & really just felt it was a time-waster.

(2) I received differing opinions on Angle vs HBK. Pretty much everyone felt it was of a high quality, but some thought it was a perfect 10, while others rated it a disappointing 8. I think I landed smack bang in the middle with my 9 rating.

(3) My harsh comments on the JBL vs Cena bout. Not so much my rating of 5 (which most agreed with), but my criticism of the wrestlers themselves. Many felt that both Layfield & Cena were harshly done by the WWE, who were rumored to have shortened the planned match by approximately 5 minutes. While this shouldn't be ignored, I feel people are reading too much into it. Both men should have been professional enough to adjust, while there is no guarantee that the bout would have been any better if the duration was longer.

Either way, it appears as if we are getting a JBL vs Cena rematch at the Judgment Day pay-per-view (if we can believe the rumors). If this is the case, I would presume that Kurt Angle will have his requested feud with The Undertaker, before taking on Cena around SummerSlam.


APPETIZERS

Melbourne House Show Review

It was great to see the WWE back in Australia last weekend. My hometown of Melbourne hosted the SmackDown brand, and while I feared for SmackDown's future in my column last week, I have openly stated that I wasn't too upset to see them instead of Raw. Overall, it was a very enjoyable night & I just thought I'd give a quick rundown of my thoughts match by match. Here goes:

- REY MYSTERIO defeated EDDIE GUERRERO: I was actually a little surprised to see this open up a houseshow, but it sure got the night started off tremendously. About 5 minutes longer than the WrestleMania 21 match, this also had the extra advantage of Rey wearing a proper mask. The 2 were a lot crisper here than in LA (where nerves must have played a part) & there was the usual good mix of everything. There were also great dual simultaneous chants of "Eddie" & "619" from the crowd. Rey won the bout when he spectacularly reversed a top rope Splash Mountain (Razor's Edge) into a hurracanrana. Then, as everyone realized that Rey didn't actually perform the 619 move, we heard "I spit in the face of people who don't want to be cool" over the loud speakers. Great idea here, as Carlito got huge heel heat (when talking on the microphone), a bronco buster from both Rey & Torrie Wilson (who was the guest ring announcer), plus the predictable 619.

- HEIDENREICH defeated HARDCORE HOLLY: Holly got a decent pop I suppose. I'm not a fan, so I definitely stayed silent. Heidenreich seems to be playing his character for laughs more than anything else. The match was average. Nothing was too bad, but nothing was too good either.

- MARK JINDRAK defeated LUTHER REIGNS: This was better than the previous bout, mainly due to Luther. Reigns got genuine heel heat out of the Melbourne crowd & earnt every bit of it. It's a shame he has been used to job to The Big Show & The Undertaker over the past 2 months. Jindrak did well to play off of Reigns' heat, but that's about all he did, as he didn't generate his own reaction. This match ended strangely as Luther was disqualified for intentionally crotching Jindrak on the top rope. But Jindrak had the last laugh with his left hook afterwards.

- THE BASHAM BROTHERS defeated SCOTTY 2 HOTTY & FUNAKI: Solid & entertaining tag-team match. The Bashams received genuine heel heat, while the 2 faces received their fair share of cheers. Scotty used some of his old "Too Much" comical routines & it went down a treat. Surprisingly, the Bashams played along successfully. The Worm obviously got a huge pop as well. But the actual wrestling wasn't overshadowed, which was good to see. I know I go on about it, but I paid close attention to The Bashams. They performed well as a team on this night, but I still see Doug as being wasted in this role. He does the little things both in & out of the ring which could really see him become successful behind the correct angle & persona.

- BOOKER T vs KURT ANGLE: Sensational bout & quite easily the match of the night as it turned out. Seriously folks, this was ppv quality. It had it all, so I won't go into detail. Angle was the only heel of the night to get any sort of favorable reaction, but the crowd was still predominantly on Booker T's side. I actually noticed that Angle hardly played to the crowd. I'm unsure what to make of that, but I actually think it added to the perception that the match result was so important (when really it wasn't). If a house show match can be unpredictable, this was. Most people felt Angle would win, but Booker pulled his spinning roll-up off the top turnbuckle out of nowhere for the pinfall. A sheer pleasure to view this tremendous match. Kurt is a true great, while there is still some main-event action left in Booker T.

- RENE DUPREE defeated CHARLIE HAAS: After a short intermission & Dawn Marie throwing out a few t-shirts, we had this average match. Shortish in length & not too high in action, this was a tad disappointing. Dupree got some good heel heat, especially with his mic work before the bout. While Haas only got a so-so face reaction. He needs a change of scenery or character badly.

- PAUL LONDON defeated SPIKE DUDLEY: Unsure what to think of this bout, to be honest. It started well, with London getting a great pop & Spike getting some good heel heat out of the crowd. The action was also good, but it didn't last long, as London went down holding his knee only a few minutes in. I did think it was a work all along, as 3 referees (not trainers or doctors) came from the back. But it stretched out so long, that they almost got me in. Then when Spike (who had been looking disappointed & worried) attacked the knee, all was revealed. The bout lasted a few more minutes unspectacularly, before London got a roll-up pin. Unless London was carrying a slight injury, I saw no purpose to book the bout this way. Obviously, a little disappointing.

- JOHN CENA & THE BIG SHOW defeated JBL & ORLANDO JORDAN: First off, JBL got on the microphone & I have to admit, he worked the crowd into a right royal frenzy. He received by far the biggest heel heat of the night. The noise was at times deafening. Then Theodore Long came out & said that JBL would be fired if he left the match or got disqualified. This was a nice little face intro for The Big Show's music to hit. And that, in turn, was only just another intro for the crowd to go into raptures when John Cena came out. Cena also received the best face pop of the night. The tag match was quite solid, without being spectacular. It was definitely entertaining enough & I must say that both the clothesline from hell & (especially) Big Show's double chokeslam (to the Bashams) are a lot more impressive live, than on television. Afterwards, Cena & Show stuck around for about 20 minutes to entertain us. We got a typical Cena face promo, a little rap from both Cena & Show, but the highlight was The Big Show doing another rendition of his Hulk Hogan impersonation.

All in all, a great night. Very entertaining from a fan's perspective & very successful from the WWE's perspective. Rod Laver Arena (which hosts the Australian Open tennis final) was pretty much full. I don't think it was totally sold out, but it was damn close. The crowd were great all night, and I couldn't fault the performance of any superstar. With the slight exception of the London injury angle (which sort of worked anyway) the card was just well booked from top to bottom.


ENTREE

Draft Lottery #2

At approximately this time last year, the WWE used an entire episode of Raw to run what we soon knew as the Draft Lottery. Prior to the event, there was a genuine sense of confusion as to how it would work & most fans felt that the WWE would purely treat something so important as a joke (or filler episode) to purely entertain in the short term. This was most probably a combination of the WWE being vague as to what was to happen on the night, and terrible memories of Vince McMahon & Ric Flair trying to outdo each other a year or so before, by drafting big man after big man to their respective television shows.

But what pleasingly occurred was a well-structured & original show which was not only quite entertaining & informative on the night, but also provided changes in direction to both brands for the future. It actually added to most fan's interest in what already was the peak period of the year. For these reasons, and others which I will explain shortly, I honestly believe that the WWE should once more hold another draft lottery sometime over the next few weeks.

A draft lottery has so much potential if used cleverly by the WWE. It can revive careers of those superstars who are currently treading water, or it could even give some wrestlers that extra little push that they have been looking for to make a genuine impact. This could be as a result of a fresh change, a new set of opponents, or even simply by reminding the fans that they even exist.

This year, the main goal should be to balance up the 2 brands a little better. Over the past 6-12 months, it has become evident at the single brand pay-per-views, that SmackDown is in genuine need of not only more depth, but also a little more star-power (especially after losing the likes of Lesnar & Benoit). The rumored signings of at least 3 well-known international cruiserweights will help with the depth, but with the WWE's shaky track record booking that division, that will not be enough.

So in the next 2 sections, I try my hand at listing the 12 individuals (6 from each roster) who I believe should be the superstars that will change brands in the upcoming few weeks. Here goes.....


MAIN - SmackDown Draftees

Please note that (1) these are in no particular order & (2) that I originally had Matt Hardy & Johnny Nitro listed, but circumstances have obviously changed over the past couple of days.

ROB CONWAY: I pretty much think La Resistance has outlived it's stay (at least in it's current form), so I feel that one of it's members should be moved. While a Grenier/Dupree tag-team might work for a few months on SmackDown, that would be about all. I think it would be better then, to move Conway over & attempt to give him a singles push. Conway does show flashes of potential & has genuinely improved during his time on the Raw roster. So I think this is worth a try. While an initial teaming with Rene Dupree should be hinted, it would probably be best if Conway turned face on SmackDown.

SHAWN MICHAELS: Here is where the star-power comes in. I think either Michaels, Jericho or Benoit has to be moved to Thursday nights, and I have chosen HBK. Being a little overly critical, he has become a tad stale on Raw. The tremendous feud with Kurt Angle proved exactly what he can achieve with fresh opponents & angles. And I do feel that there are just as many capable opponents for him on SmackDown, as there are on Raw. More importantly, I think HBK is away from the World HeavyWeight Title scene at present & any return there will be more of the same. But on SmackDown, he can move around the card wherever fits best. If that includes a WWE Championship reign, then I have no problem with that.

GARRISON CADE: The forgotten man on the Raw roster. And don't ask me where the hell he is! But this is one of those instances where simply mentioning a wrestler's name immediately puts him back in the spotlight to some extent. Hell, it makes more sense than having him just come out & wrestle one night. Plus, this could be the catalyst for the rumored angle with his trainer, Shawn Michaels. Hell, everytime I read "HBCade", I chuckle to myself.

CHRISTIAN: Many will remember that I wrote a favorable topic on Christian in my column a couple of months back. And a move to Smackdown may indeed be the catalyst for a genuine main-event push. I really think that Christian has just continued to improve over the past 18 months & it has to be rewarded. While he should initially be kept as a heel on SmackDown (wrestling the likes of HBK, John Cena, Booker T & Rey Mysterio), a face turn could be made later this year. This would involve even more great feuds & matches against the likes of Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero & even JBL.

TYSON TOMKO: This is a tough decision to make, but I think that it could ensure that Christian settles into SmackDown closer to the top of the card. I'm unsure what it means for Tomko personally when the eventual break-up occurs though. This decision may also make more sense in balancing out the rosters when you see 2 wrestlers I have moving to Raw. There can only be so many big men on the one show.

THE HURRICANE: This one doesn't need too much explaining. Shane 'The Hurricane' Helms is simply too talented to be under-used as he currently is on Raw. It couldn't possibly get any worse for him on SmackDown. The character could be given a second wind working off of new opponents, while it also could instigate some sort of character turn.

Just finally, I think that the other 2 main wrestlers who will be thrown up for a move will be Tajiri & Randy Orton. Personally, I'd keep them both on Raw for now. Tajiri's tag-team with William Regal still has legs in my opinion, and there just isn't enough depth in that division at present to split up both La Resistance & the current champions. While Randy Orton's shoulder injury & heel turn should pass enough time until at least this time next year. In all honesty, I actually expect Orton to move. But personally, I'd keep him where he is for another year, as only about 6 months of that year will be spent wrestling.


DESSERT - Raw Draftees

DOUG BASHAM: Those that follow my column regularly will know that I am a fan of the senior Basham brother. I just feel that he needs to be unleashed, especially on the microphone. Moving him to Raw would probably suit his style (both in & out of the ring) & practically force the WWE to allow Doug to compete in more singles matches. Meanwhile, back on SmackDown, Danny Basham would most likely be best suited to form another tag-team (most likely with Orlando Jordan) & double as a lower-midcard jobber.

CHARLIE HAAS: Ineffeiciently used on SmackDown ever since Shelton Benjamin moved to Raw on last year's draft lottery, a move to Raw would open up so many opportunities for Haas. While his face run could continue initially, whether it be in singles action or teaming with ex-partner Benjamin, the real story here could be jealousy. Jealousy at the more successful InterContinental Champion would obviously result in a heel turn which could lead him to have excellent upper-midcard feuds with Benjamin, Benoit and/or Jericho.

HEIDENREICH: Many would argue that Heidenreich should be simply cut, but knowing the WWE, they will keep him around for a year or two at least. Having already outstayed his welcome on SmackDown, a move to Raw may be best suited from a flexibility standpoint. While an obvious feud with Kane would be included, Heidenreich could spend most of his time competing in the tag-team division with fellow grunter Gene Snitsky (who is currently treading water himself).

BILLY KIDMAN: There is no great reason here. But with the WWE most probably bringing in international cruiserweights for SmackDown, Kidman may be better served over on Raw. It's not as if he's currently being used as a cruiserweight showcase anyway, so the switch couldn't hurt, and may indeed help. Plus, he is a bit bigger than most cruiserweights, and could therefore attempt to fit into the lower midcard of the Raw roster.

KENZO SUZUKI: I'm not entirely sure on this one. but it was either Kenzo or Scotty 2 Hotty (pretty similar comments to Billy Kidman) for this position. The reason I'm a little hesitant on this decision is because I think there is a little danger of sending both Kenzo & Heidenreich to Raw. It may just be one too many untalented big men on the one roster. But seeing as though Kenzo was initially slated to debut on Raw anyway, this may be worth a try. Hell, it was Kenzo's Raw debut which is rumored to be the reason why the likes of Jericho & Benoit are now announced as either residing or being born in America. At best though, Kenzo will only provide filler matches for the midcard faces.

PICK A DIVA My preferred choice here is Michelle McCool. She is the diva who appears most likely to potentially wrestle the occasional match in the future & may even have the ability to make it as a valet. Hmmm, she's as skinny as a rake & has some sort of fitness background, so how about her being the lady that makes Simon Dean more than just a jobber? But otherwise, this spot could be filled in by Torrie Wilson, Miss Jackie or Hiroko, as I have the real-life partners of all 3 of these ladies moving over to Raw.

Just quickly to finish up, I must thank Phil Martin, who sent me a tremendously detailed email concerning this draft lottery & the future for both brands. In Phil's email, he had some excellent ideas which were similar to mine, but not quite exact. For example, he had Sylvain Grenier moving to SmackDown (instead of Rob Conway), as he felt that la Resistance & Hassan/Daivari on the one show caused angle duplication. That's indeed a fair argument. Phil also had Gene Snitsky moving shows, rather Heidenreich. One great idea was to have 'The Boss' Spike Dudley manage the tag-team of Snitsky & Heidenreich in an initial feud against the returning Dudley Boyz. That's quite imaginative indeed & may just work. But overall, I'll stick with my picks.


Ok, that is all for edition #126 of 'The Wrestling Menu'. I hope you enjoyed it. No two people probably have their draft lottery picks exactly the same, but I'm sure that a few of my choices will be popular amongst fans. I would like to hear which ones are, and which ones aren't, and why. As per usual, I will reply to all feedback. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com

Next Wednesday in 'The Wrestling Menu', I have yet another DVD review to serve up to you. It's actually quite timely in a roundabout way. And if I get any draft lottery ideas that stand out to me amongst feedback, I may also include them in my column. So look out for it 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 (but 5 won't hurt every now & then).












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