DaveyBoy's Wrestling Menu - 'SummerSlam' & SmackDown Reviews + Annoying America
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 5:11 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #144

Welcome one and all to the 144th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

I've decided to change my plans for this column for a few reasons:

(1) I didn't want to overload this edition of 'The Wrestling Menu' with reviews
(2) Due to typing up my 'Detailed North America Comments' for the LOP Forums, I haven't actually had the chance to view the 'Unforgiven' pay-per-view as yet
(3) I have already received some feedback for my forum comments & have submitted to a request or two here in this column, and
(4) I just had to review SmackDown after watching it last Friday.

Oh well, sometimes unplanned columns end up being better than the planned ones. Let's see, shall we.....


APPETIZERS

Annoying America

Over this past weekend, I took the time out to type some detailed comments regarding my vacation of North America, for those that were interested. I pretty much discuss as briefly as possible every single city that we visited over the 7 weeks that my girlfriend & I were there. Those comments have now been posted in the LOP Forums & are available to view by all (whether a member or not) on page 2 of the following link: http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=4889

In the past couple of days since that post has been up, I have already received some interesting feedback on particular cities & particular things. While I was attempting to be constructively critical on some cities, it seems that there were a few readers who actually thought that I was too positive about America when all was said & done. I had a pretty standard response here & that was that there wasn't too much to be negative about really.

But just for those people, and any others interested, I've decided to set aside this space in my column for the few things that annoyed me about America. Or, in some cases, where the country could improve. I don't think I'm being too critical here, and I must remind you that in the grand scheme of things, these are probably pretty petty. I thought they were worth mentioning somewhere though.

So here goes (in no particular order)...

PENNIES: Good God, I had forgotten how annoying these things were. Sometime in the late 80's (from memory), the Federal Government of Australia decided to phase out copper 1 & 2 cent pieces. Despite the initial backlash from traditionalists, the phase-out went extremely smoothly & this country hasn't looked back since. All goods & services are simply priced in 5 cent blocks, and to be honest, I couldn't give a flying f**k if they were rounded up. Pennies are extremely annoying & despite giving away so many of them to servers & the homeless, I still ended up with over 100 by the time I got home. Get rid of them!!!

FOOD QUANTITY OVER QUALITY: This is a tough one & I shouldn't be so general with the comment. Serving sizes are huge in most states of America. Too huge in fact. So much so that ordering appetizers or dessert is pretty much an impossibility. That obviously has its advantages for the finances (as prices are still decent in most areas), but it means that you miss out on food quality most of the time. Whether you want to believe it or not, smaller servings often mean more taste. Plus, appetizers usually are full of taste & complement your main meal nicely. But who would want to order appetizers when 15 pieces of bread are put on your table for free.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL MADNESS & COVERAGE: I've never seen so much hoopla over a lower standard of any sport. Now I know many Americans feel passionate about their college football team because they feel attached to the college they went to. But good God, does that mean ESPN has to cover 10 matches per week. Hello McFly, it's a much lower standard than the NFL... I can't put it more simply. Seriously, it's college football that actually stops many people from watching more weekly games of the highest standard. If I was the NFL, I'd play 6 games Saturday afternoon, 1 on Saturday night, 7 on Sunday afternoon, 1 on Sunday night & 1 on Monday night. That would mean more people could watch 5 games of the highest standard per week (instead of 3). Oh & for those that have even considered the question seriously, my opinion on what the final score would be for the (stupidly) discussed fantasy match: Houston Texans 41 vs USC 3.

QUIET WEEKENDS DOWNTOWN: I actually only experienced this twice, but I get the feeling more cities may have been the same. In Dallas on a Saturday & Cleveland on a Sunday, the downtown areas were basically ghost-towns. We walked 8 blocks in the heart of Dallas at about 2pm & saw 4 people. 2 of them were homeless & the other 2 were tourists. I just don't get it. I understand people are at home & all, but if a city can't in any way attract both locals & tourists to their downtown area on a weekend, then they are doing something terribly wrong in my opinion.

INNER SUBURBIA: What I am referring to here is the suburbs bordering the downtown area of a city. And while I am again being a little generalistic with the comment, most of these areas look very very dodgy. It's as if the local law enforcement agencies of a city purposefully get rid of the bad elements of the city from the downtown areas & then leave them alone in the inner suburbs. Yet, with some of the better cities in America & Canada, these were the best & most affluent areas of the greater metropolitan area. I know that in Australia, these inner suburban areas are often the most unaffordable places to live. In a lot of cities in America, I felt that exactly the opposite was true.

And finally...

HURRICANES: Well, I'm unsure that these can be controlled by anyone & I know they are getting worse for whatever reason, but how annoying to those living in the south-east coast to be constantly on guard for these destructive forces of nature. I missed seeing new Orleans because of one, but I count myself lucky, as I could have easily been a house occupant with a lot more to lose.

So there you have it; Some of the annoying things about America that I noticed. But who knows? It's all in the eye of the beholder & some people may somehow see one or more of these things as a positive.


MAIN

SummerSlam Review

For those that cannot recall my previous PPV review columns, this is the key that explains what the final PPV Rating means:

<50: Ask for a refund for not only your money, but also your time. [F] (Armageddon '04)
50-54: Mediocre & disappointing. [D] (EG: G.A Bash '05)
55-59: Average. [C] (EG: Royal Rumble '04 & No Way Out '04)
60-64: Worth A Watch. [C+] (EG: Judgment Day '05)
65-69: Good event that was worth the money. [B] (EG: WrestleMania 21)
70-74: Very good. [B+] (EG: Vengeance '05)
75-79: Make sure you add this ppv to your video or dvd collection. [A] (EG: ECW: One Night Stand)
80+ : Make sure that the video or dvd is locked in a safe & cannot be erased. Memorable. [A+]

CHRIS BENOIT defeated ORLANDO JORDAN to Win the United States Title: How do you rate a 25 second match...??? I could give it a 0 as there was hardly a bout. I could give it a 10 as Benoit should have won the title at the G.A Bash ppv & it was well-performed for all of the 25 seconds that it lasted. But I think I will split the difference & pass it. It achieved it's purpose, was unpredictable & was actually a brave move by the WWE after building up OJ with a 5 month title reign. Match Rating...5

EDGE defeated MATT HARDY via Referee Stoppage: The much anticipated first bout between these 2 enemies was basically a 5 minute slugfest that ended disappointingly when the referee stopped the match. This was because a bloodied Hardy looked knocked out following a head shot to the steel post in the corner of the ring. Strangely placed as the 2nd match on the card & that should have been the hint that this bout was merely a set up for the following 2 months worth of feud. Well put together while it lasted I suppose, and it did include a nice spear through the middle rope by Edge. But rated individually, this match can't be seen as anything special, especially to the live audience who were really into it. Match Rating...5.5

REY MYSTERIO defeated EDDIE GUERRERO in a Ladder Match: Another strangely placed bout, surely this could have at least been the 3rd last match on this card. The stipulation here was that the winner would get custody of Dominic, and while the psychology wasn't entirely there (shouldn't Rey have desperately been running for the ladder early on?), this was still a great match. 20 minutes in length, the bout was pretty much ladder spot after ladder spot. Some were new, some weren't. Some were performed excellently, while others didn't quite go to plan. But most importantly, all were entertaining. The match could have been a few moments longer in actual fact (maybe the ladder could have been introduced a few moments later), and Eddie had so many opportunities to win it that realism never played a part here. Rey ends up with the victory following distractions by Dominic & (Eddie's wife) Vicki. Still not the 10 out of 10 classic that we've been waiting for, but another in a long line of a great series of matches. Match Rating...8.5

KURT ANGLE defeated EUGENE: I love it when Angle is this intense! Great start to this match which was all Kurt. And I actually liked the way that Eugene's little offense came from Angle's over-enthusiasm. The 5 minute duration was about right considering the story being told. I'm not a Eugene-hater, yet I have absolutely no problems with Angle's domination here. Although having him kick out of the Rock Bottom & Stunner in such a short timeframe probably wasn't wise. J.R said it best at the end of the bout: "I don't know if anyone can beat Kurt Angle when he is in that form". Very good for what it was & I'm unsure what the future holds for the Eugene character now. Match Rating...7.5

RANDY ORTON defeated THE UNDERTAKER: I'm not exactly sure why, but these 2 sure do mesh well in the ring. Not quite as good as their WrestleMania 21 bout, but not too far behind, especially considering that Orton was not long back from injury here. Whether that is enough to satisfy Orton's critics is another matter of course! 17 minutes in length, what I especially liked about this match was the counters. A word usually associated with cruiserweights or the likes of Angle & Benoit, these 2 big heavyweights subtly reversed the others momentum time & again. Nothing too spectacular, but in a way that was consistently surprising & full of impact. 'Taker was good, and despite the cheap ending (Bob Orton's interference), Orton continues to show improvement (or has he always been this good?). Match Rating...8

JOHN CENA defeated CHRIS JERICHO to Retain the WWE Championship: Extremely well-booked match. I wasn't a fan of the way this feud was set up, but it really carried over well to the beginning of this bout. And while there were a few moments of not-too-crisp wrestling, this back & forth match got everyone involved (including the very loud DC crowd). Capped off by a great final few moments where it was entirely believable that Y2J actually could have pulled off the victory. A nice variation on the F-U finisher capped it all off rather nicely. This bout not only proves that Jericho will indeed be missed on the Raw roster, but also that in the correct circumstances with a good opponent & booking, Cena can have a top quality 1 on 1 bout. Match of the night. Match Rating...8.5

BATISTA defeated JOHN BRADSHAW LAYFIELD in a 'No Holds Barred' Match to Retain the World HeavyWeight Title: Undoubtedly better than their terrible match at the G.A Bash, pure & simply because they kept it short & full of impact here. Nice touch at the start with JBL interrupting Batista's entrance. And the momentum continued through to the 3 minute mark when the champ awesomely speared the challenger through the railing. The following 5 minutes was the usual NHB stuff, but it was at least sufficient. 2 Batista Bombs later & the champ retains at the 9 minute mark. I would have liked to have seen them stretch the bout out for another 2-3 minutes, but I can see why they didn't take that risk. Neither man silenced their critics, but this was pretty good. Match Rating...7

HULK HOGAN defeated SHAWN MICHAELS: Pretty much as expected, but probably a little better than it had the right to be. Not quite The Rock vs Hogan, but we are 3 years down the track now. It was actually a joy to see the heel HBK act frustrated, dazed, confused, cocky, play heel, play face, etc... While Hogan did what he had to do. It was amazing that these 2 could draw this entertaining match out for 21 minutes! The ending baffled me though & simply doesn't belong in 2005. It was quite possibly the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen during a match, as Hogan kicked out of a chairshot - elbow drop - sweet chin music combo to win following the big boot & legdrop of doom. Maybe the Ultimate Warrior should make a comeback, as we all know he could have kicked out & won that match! Match Rating...7

PPV RATING (57/80) = 71

Looking at the key, I have basically given 'SummerSlam' a 'B+' grade & said that it was 'very good'. I think I very much agree with that comment & grade. This event was right up there in quality with (if a fraction behind) the best that 2005 has had to offer thus far. The grade was brought down by the 2 openers which took up no more than 6 minutes in total match time & were more storyline-advancers than anything else. A sensational midcard was followed up by 2 decent main events. SummerSlam definitely achieved above the minimum that all dual brand pay-per-views should. Kudos to the WWE for a very good event.


DESSERT

SmackDown Review

Those that read my column loyally will know that I rarely review either WWE television show. Mr.Tito does a terrific job of reviewing Raw each & every week, while Chad Matthews also does an excellent job of reviewing SmackDown in his weekly recap. But every now & then, when I see an episode which stands out to me, I simply must devote a column topic to it. And while most may not agree totally, I felt that last week's episode of SmackDown was extremely good.

SmackDown has done this before to me. It's thrown me shows that astound me as to their lack of direction, and then just as I comment on that (as I briefly did last week in my WWE Update), they'll throw a terrific episode at us. I really think last week's edition of SmackDown was that good. And because I like pointing out the positives that the WWE offer us, I'm going to briefly review the show. So here goes...

- I really liked the opening segment between Randy Orton & Eddie Guerrero. Orton correctly acted cocky after (naively) feeling that he has ended The Undertaker's career & who would logically be his next target (for more than one reason)? Batista. But Eddie comes out continuing to play the face & decides to make a stand that he is still the #1 contender due to a close loss at 'No Mercy'. But there was still just enough heel Eddie in the promo for the whole segment to work. Logical booking which was well-performed.

- I know Chris Benoit vs Orlando Jordan has been done to death, but this was actually a good match. In fact, the only thing that they did wrong was not have OJ pick up the mic & say that he would quit if he tapped to the crossface live. I felt that would have got the crowd more into the bout & cheering the house down for Benoit. Furthermore, I really liked Jordan's counters to the crossface. They actually showed that he does have some talent (whether Benoit taught them to him or not). Very good match which had the clever & logical finish of OJ tapping to the sharpshooter.

- Holy Cow!!! Is this a tag-team division on SmackDown. 9 months ago, Regal & Burchill would have been long-reigning champs, but now they are lucky if they are 4th in line. I'm unsure if a 4 team match was the best method to showcase the teams individually, but it sure as hell was the best way to make the emphatic comment that a tag-team division was here. And it's a damn good one at that. The champs are loved by the fans (despite being average in the ring), MnM are a solid, improving, charismatic & impressive duo, Psychosis & Super Crazy add the entertaining cruiserweight touch, while Regal & Burchill may well be the most solid of the 4. And I'm not even mentioning the impressive, if brief, debuts of the Toland Brothers!

- Peep Show... Christian's almost always funny. Unfortunately, he didn't get to speak much here. Oh well, he'll have Matt Hardy to verbally joust with this week!

- Great fourway for the #1 contendership to the US Title. Not only was it an entertaining & dramatic bout filled with quality nearfalls, but it really put over the midcard title as something these 4 are aspiring to. In fact, I would have added short vignettes throughout the night by all 4 competitors stating how bad they want a shot at Benoit. Rightfully so though, the man who has stated that (through his wife at the very least) gets the title shot next week. And meanwhile, we are all kept guessing as to when, or if, a Booker T heel turn is coming, which the resultant backstage segment put over very well.

- Kennedy... You're on the verge of starting to annoy me buddy. That means you're a sure bet to have the US Title within 6 months!

- Bobby Lashley squashes Nunzio in about 2 minutes. While the jury is still out on Big Bob, this is the way he should be booked. Yet, his much more serious demeanor during & after this bout is an interesting little addition to his character, which will be fascinating to follow.

- All comments on Darth Sith... I mean The BoogeyMan, will be reserved at this moment. Actually, I will say one thing; If they play this character for laughs, it could actually work!!!

- Interesting main event. Not great, but interesting. Sort of like the main event of 'No Mercy' in a way. It's like it's a tease & there is so much more to come. It may be predictable with Eddie's character, but it still has me wondering in some way. I don't know... Maybe Eddie has lost a step. His graying beard suggests it. Or maybe Orton wasn't on his game & he reverted back to resthold city. Yet, somehow the match sort of worked in building things up over the next few months.

Like I said earlier, this was a real good episode of SmackDown. Hell, I used the word 'logical' at least twice! If you threw in a 5 minute cruiserweight match like Spanky vs Juvi, this would have been near perfect. Does this mean I have great faith that SmackDown is on the improve & will be very good over the next few weeks? Not at all. In fact, the WWE's website has just promoted the fact that they are bringing a minis division in. See you on Velocity Juvi! Or maybe he is short enough to qualify!


Ok, that's all I have for edition #144 of 'The Wrestling Menu'. I hope that you enjoyed it. If you haven't already, let me know what you thought of SummerSlam... Or this past week's episode of SmackDown. And how about my North America comments? Anything to comment on my detailed city review in the forums OR my 'Annoying America' topic here. Let me know... As always, I will reply to all feedback. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com

Or alternately, if you are an LOPForums member, you may also leave feedback by clicking on the following link: http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=4889

Remember that the above link also has my 'Detailed North America Comments' which absolutely everyone can view. Just remember to click page 2 & scroll down a little to see my comments.

What's on the agenda for next week's 'Wrestling Menu'...??? Well, I should have viewed 'Unforgiven' by then, so I will review that ppv. I will also have another WWE related review which I'm still writing up. Finally, I will attempt to share with you my predictions for the upcoming 'Taboo Tuesday' ppv. Like last year, I'm just not looking forward to this event. I know I'm in the minority with that thought, but that's just the way I feel. 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.











*NEW GALLERY* Very HOT and Revealing Gail Kim Photos! WOW!!!

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