DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu #190 – SSlam Review, Women’s Div + Cruiserweights
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 at 12:07 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #190

Welcome one and all to the 190th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

Damn DQ finishes!!! For the first time in over 2 years, I was a genuine chance to go 100% in my PPV Predictions. This surprised me a little because I didn’t feel it was the most predictable of events, while I also received a fair bit of email disagreeing with many of my predictions. But it seems I was pretty much right on the mark, because I went 6 from 7 & the one I missed was Batista defeating King Booker by disqualification. The thing was that I totally predicted that match (as well as Edge vs Cena) on who would come away from the match with the title around their waist! Damn DQ finishes!!!

Today, my SummerSlam review separates 2 topics that actually emanated from emails sent to me by my readers. One of them was direct, while the other was a little more indirect. But I always welcome & encourage reader feedback & discussion, as it usually gets my mind thinking about future topics. So thank you to everyone that has emailed me (or left feedback in my LOP Forums thread) in the past. You know that I appreciate it.

On with the show…..


APPETIZERS – Women’s Division

Longtime reader Andres has actually been asking me to write about the Women’s Division for quite some time. It probably stems from my first ever column that I wrote on the LOP main page, where I wrote about the division and was more positive concerning it than the average professional wrestling fan. If you would like to take a trip down memory lane just to see how much I have improved as a writer, you can view that column by clicking on the following link: http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2002_/articles/1037182419.php

The reason why I haven’t written much concerning the division in the meantime was because I didn’t really have any clear thoughts about it. And those that approached a clear thought weren’t exactly positive. With the exception of the terrifically booked Trish Stratus vs Mickie James storyline earlier this year, it’s pretty much been a 2-3 person division that has reeked of monotony & a lack of depth. In fact, it’s pretty much taken a backseat to the latest versions of the Diva Search, which is rather sad.

Last year, the WWE made the inexplicable decision of releasing Gail Kim. To this day, I still cannot fathom why this was done. Not only was she a talented wrestler in the first place, but it was clear to everyone that she had genuinely worked on improving herself in the ring. That’s not even mentioning that she has the look & body that undoubtedly is given high marks by the male demographic of the WWE. Her release was a clear pointer that the WWE were satisfied in giving the bare minimum of time & resources to the division & it was not anywhere near the top of their priority list.

Things may not have changed had it not been for the debut of Mickie James on Raw & the subsequent terrific storyline & matches that she had against Trish Stratus. This may have opened their eyes a little & I would have to say that since then there has been a marked improvement in the division. And I also think that there is more improvement on the horizon!

This is possibly a very relevant topic right now & a few important decisions may have to be made in the near future due to the recent rumors regarding Trish Stratus & Lita. For those unaware, there are rumors swirling around the industry that both ladies may leave the WWE to pursue other interests when their respective contracts run out. And from all reports, both women’s contracts expire before the end of this year! So let’s take a quick look at the division, how it has improved & whether or not the division can step up if these 2 ladies leave.

Trish, Mickie & Victoria are still there as the mainstays of the division at the moment. But more have been added, while there is potential to add even more in the near future. Think about it… Candice Michelle has done a surprisingly terrific job improving as a wrestler in the past few months. Her performance in a tag match 3 weeks ago was very good & I’m genuinely shocked at her advancement. The last time I saw such an improvement was from Trish Stratus!

Melina Perez has been moved to the Raw roster & while I’m yet to be convinced she is anything special in the ring, she can be used effectively in one way or another during tag-team matches, and not just as a valet for Johnny Nitro. And don’t forget the injured Beth Phoenix, who looked rather decent in the ring during her couple of performances on Raw.

Following several injuries, Lita looks as if she has returned to full time competition now that she regained the title from Mickie James last week. While her current main-event valet gig probably stops her from wrestling every week, I think she can used on a part-time basis where the storyline may make sense (EG: A potential crossing of paths between Edge & Carlito, therefore Trish & Lita). In fact, I don’t mind the title change at all. It freshens things up a little & I think the potential for a Lita vs Mickie (and/or Trish) feud is rather positive.

The only thing that is left is for the WWE to stop mucking around with any semblance of Women’s wrestling on SmackDown & ship the talented Jillian Hall over to compete on Raw. That would not only complete the picture, but provide the division with enough depth & talent to make it worthwhile once more. With the above average job that the writers & bookers have done with what they have had to work with in the division thus far this year, I think there is the potential for this division to actually win over some fans that would otherwise prefer to change the channel when a women’s match or segment came on.


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: Royal Rumble '06)
55-59: Average. [C] (EG: New Years Revolution '06)
60-64: Worth A Watch. [C+] (EG: G A Bash '06)
65-69: Good event that was worth the money. [B] (EG: One Night Stand '06)
70-74: Very good. [B+] (EG: No Way Out '06)
75-79: Make sure you add this ppv to your video or dvd collection. [A] (EG: One Night Stand '05)
80+ : Make sure that the video or dvd is locked in a safe & cannot be erased. Memorable. [A+]

CHAVO GUERRERO defeated REY MYSTERIO: Decent enough combination of pace, intensity & high-flying to begin with. It doesn’t take long for Chavo to use some higher impact moves to get on top though. That is until Rey counters an ambitious top-rope maneuver with a top-rope face-plant. Rey hits the 619, but can’t get the pinfall as the 2 head to ringside. This brings out Vicki Guerrero, who pleads with both men to stop the bout. Both wrestlers then hit Eddie’s patented 3 Amigo suplexes, with Rey getting the upper hand & heading back to the top rope. But Vicki (sort of inadvertently) crotches him, allowing Chavo to hit a brainbuster & frog splash for the pinfall at the 11 minute mark. Good back & forth stuff that wasn’t really allowed to reach great heights. Gave the impression that it was a set-up match for a longer bout & one can only presume we will see more of these 2 before this year ends. Solid opener & my rating may even be a little harsh. Match Rating…7

THE BIG SHOW defeated SABU to retain the ECW World Title: Sabu wastes no time taking advantage of the ECW Rules stipulation, as he uses a chair to mount some offense right from the opening. He gets tripped into the same chair though & The Big Show removes it from the equation by destroying it with his boot! Soon after, he counters a cross body block with a huge fallaway slam, but Sabu uses another chair or 3 to swing the momentum back in his favor. The challenger then sets a table up in the corner & bulldogs TBS through it. He can’t capitalize though & eventually gets a Vader Bomb for his trouble. This allows The Big Show to set up a table (balanced on steel steps) in the ring, which Sabu eventually uses (after a botched first attempt) to DDT the champ through. But a second attempt through another table is countered by TBS for a chokeslam through the table for the pinfall at the 9 minute mark. I predominantly liked the way this bout was put together & booked around the strengths of both men. Although while it was never allowed to get bogged down, Sabu’s chair-based offense did wear thin. Furthermore, it was a real shame that the ending didn’t go to plan, as it really hurt the impact a fair bit. Match Rating…7

HULK HOGAN defeated RANDY ORTON: A thunderous applause greets The Hulkster as he uses his greater strength to overwhelm Orton during the early moments of the bout. He even goes the DX crotch shop, as he bites & eye gauges his way to keeping control of the match. Orton fights back by systematically attacking Hogan’s left knee, but it thankfully doesn’t last for too long, as he misses an ill-advised top-rope cross body block. Orton counters some Hogan offense with a dropkick though & then hits his patented RKO. But in a booking move that has the audience in raptures, the referee continues the bout after noticing that the veteran got his foot on the rope before the 3 count. The usual Hogan finale immediately follows (including the legdrop of doom) & The Hulkster gets the victory at the 11 minute mark. By the numbers, if not terrible, new millennium Hogan bout that was lifted a little by the booking which got the terrific live crowd very much involved. Match Rating…6

RIC FLAIR defeated MICK FOLEY in an “I Quit” Match: Foley attacks at the bell & then uses the garbage can that he brought to the ring to squash Flair’s face in the corner. Mr Socko then makes an early appearance as Foley grabs the mic & ambitiously asks for the end of the bout within the opening 2 minutes. Mick then goes for the barbed-wire, but Flair counters with a grab of Mick’s crotch & then chops away with a barbed-wire covered socko! Following a little offense by Ric, Foley regains control by grabbing a barbed-wire covered board from under the ring & ravaging Flair with it over & over again. It’s an understatement to say that Flair bleeds & turns into a redhead! Foley then heads for the thumbtacks & body-slams Flair into them. Ric doesn’t quit though & gets raked in the forehead by Barbie as his penalty.

Finally, Flair fights back with a low-blow & goes to work with some intense, if unspectacular, offense. He then charges Foley on the apron & Mick takes a hard fall near the entrance-way. The referee calls for the bell at this time (11 minute mark), but Flair won’t allow it to end that way, as he channels Jack Nicholson’s character from “The Shining” & drags Mick back into the ring to attack him with Barbie for a minute or so! Melina then throws the towel in the ring & begs an end to the bout, but Flair once more won’t take anything less than Foley saying “I Quit”. He soon says this as Flair charges at Melina, who was trying to shield Mick from the attack. Entertaining & intense 13 minute fight that just never let up. In fact, it may have been better if it took a breath at some stage. The ending was probably a little anti-climactic & premature, but I suppose it was a decent way to have a fairly clean finish without burying one or the other. Most importantly, the “I Quit” stipulation (which bothers me at times) was used well & added to the bout, if anything. Could have been a classic, but still pretty good. Match Rating…7.5

BATISTA defeated KING BOOKER by Disqualification in a Match for the World HeavyWeight Title: Before the bout, Sharmell says “All hail King Booker” enough times for us to wish laryngitis upon her. The match starts methodically with both careful not to make a mistake & playing mind games. Batista’s greater strength sees him take control, but the champ fights back by hanging Batista up on the ropes twice. A shot to the head with his scepter keeps Booker in control, but he can’t get the pinfall, nor a submission from some glorified restholds targeting the challengers injured arm. A missile dropkick & a bookend both get 2 counts, and then Batista gets the same result (plus some Goldberg chants) with a jackhammer! The challenger then sets up a Batista Bomb, but Sharmell jumps on the 2 men leading to the cheap DQ result at the 11 minute mark. Batista does hit an awkward Batista Bomb in the aftermath. Inconsistent title bout that took a long time to get into gear. The 2 didn’t seem to mesh together very well, while the storyline of the bout was decent at best. Nothing too bad though & it did have its moments. The disappointing finish definitely wasn’t one of them. Match Rating…5.5

TRIPLE H & SHAWN MICHAELS defeated VINCE & SHANE McMAHON: Preceding the beginning of the bout, the McMahons send out The Spirit Squad, Ken Kennedy, William Regal, Finlay & The Big Show to take apart D-Generation X. This includes TBS choke-slamming Triple H through the ECW announce table. All in all, the heel destruction lasted 5 minutes. Predictably, both Shane & Vince dominate HBK in the opening minutes, and they surprisingly even throw in some double-team maneuvers mimicking some tag-team finishers of the past (EG: Demolition, The Hart Foundation & The Legion Of Doom). They can’t find a 3 count though & Michaels almost unrealistically fights back & tags a now conscious Triple H. The Game predictably cleans house & Umaga predictably comes out & saves Vince from a Pedigree. But before he can do too much damage, Kane appears to pummel the Samoan Bulldozer back to the locker-room.

Vince then decks the referee after a 2 count & Shane makes up for the lack of an RVD appearance by attempting a Van Terminator. But it’s nicely countered (although not perfectly executed) by HBK intercepting it with Sweet Chin Music. H follows up with a pedigree to get the pinfall at the 13 minute mark. Well booked bout that thankfully threw a few different variations into the predictable happenings to improve its entertainment factor. The pre-match attack, early double-team maneuvers & finishing sequence were all well thought out, if nothing super special. Hard to fault really, although it wasn’t up to any of the combatants best matches of their career. Match Rating…7.5

EDGE defeated JOHN CENA to Retain the WWE Championship: Good main-event feel to the beginning of this bout, as Cena was full of intensity & nicely acted out a wrestler trying to maintain his emotions. For his trouble, he got a rather mixed reaction during the bout, after a loud initial pop. After dominating the first minute or two, Cena runs into the ringpost & then almost gets counted out… 3 times! Edge takes control for minutes on end, and in amongst countout win opportunities, puts together a variety of methodical offense. The mid-match resthold (2 actually) comes & this cues the crowd into dueling chants. Edge tosses a chair away due to the DQ stipulation of the bout, which leads to a huge flurry of offense from Cena. But Edge counters an F-U attempt & gets a 2 count with an impaler DDT. Cena then gets the same result following a victory roll & a rollup, and then a double clothesline gives both men a break leading into the final sequence.

Edge goes for his spear, but Cena takes him down in a toe-hold, which he obviously uses to lock on the STF-U. But Edge dramatically reaches the ropes and, following a couple of Lita distractions, hits Cena with some brass knuckles for the pinfall at the 16 minute mark. Up & down bout that began well, but too quickly got into a bit of a rut. Some good storyline stuff attempted to hide the fact that they were trying to stretch the match out, but wasn’t completely successful. The slightly overbooked last 5 minutes or so was an undoubtedly dramatic & entertaining 2 count-fest though & definitely helped the match quality out. Good job overall, although (being harsh) I felt there was something missing & was looking for these 2 to do better. I’m actually wondering if a completely biased crowd in Cena’s favor wouldn’t have helped out a lot, as it would have made Edge’s win look all the more stronger! Let’s see how the dynamic works at ‘Unforgiven’ in Edge’s hometown of Toronto. Match Rating…7.5

PPV RATING (48/70) = 69

Looking at the key, I have basically given the 2006 version of 'SummerSlam' a 'B' grade & said that it was a ‘good event that was worth the money‘. I don’t think that there is anything too wrong with that grade & comment. It was a very solid pay-per-view that was crying out for a superb match that could have taken this event to the next level. Most bouts did their job sufficiently & no match failing is always a good thing. But it’s arguable that the card will falter from memory in the future due to no match scoring 8 out of 10 or above. Flair vs Foley was undoubtedly the huge possibility & it was a shame that a little more time didn’t go into that bout, as it could have even neared a perfect 10. Elsewhere, we were treated to more solid, if unspectacular, bouts that were well put together & performed, without being anything sensational.


DESSERT - Cruiserweights

Well, Rey Mysterio’s World Heavyweight Title reign is finally over & I think it’s fairly unanimous that apart from a couple of matches & segments here and there that it wasn’t the best booked title reign of all time. If anything, the quality of his last match as champion at ‘The Great American Bash’ further drilled home the fact that Rey was made to look rather weak at stages of his reign & wasn’t fully allowed to show his stuff. He is such an individual & groundbreaking talent that I was quite disappointed that he was merely used as “the greatest underdog champion of all time”.

But I wonder if Rey’s Mysterio World Title reign may have indirect effects that continue the groundbreaking nature of his career. Think about it; It was only a couple of years ago that Rey Mysterio was wrestling in the cruiserweight division on SmackDown. Yet, he went on to become World HeavyWeight Champion. And while some people didn’t buy the reign as realistic, I think a sufficient amount of people did for it to have a potential major impact on the cruiserweight division as a whole.

In the past, other smaller wrestlers such as Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho & Eddie Guerrero have held a major title in the WWE. And while at least half of them had competed in a cruiserweight division of some sort in the past, they weren’t totally what many people thought was the true definition of a cruiserweight. And the bottom line is that you can’t get a professional wrestler that is much smaller than Rey Mysterio. So if Rey could become the World HeavyWeight Champion, then couldn’t almost anyone?

Well, the answer to that last question is a resounding “no”. In my opinion, Rey Mysterio is something a little more special than your average cruiserweight. I feel that he not only played a major role in revolutionizing the type of professional wrestling that we see today, but is still one of the most entertaining wrestlers to view of all time. Whether it is his amazing offensive repertoire or his ability to make his opponents look like a million dollars, Rey plain & simply gets the job done. It is for these reasons, that I make no effort to hide the fact that I rate Mysterio as one of the top five greatest wrestlers of all time!

But while not every cruiserweight is a potential HeavyWeight Champion, I think that Rey’s title reign may have opened some doors for the little fellas. Whether it be through motivation, storyline or perception, I can’t help but feel this title reign is more of a breakthrough than the previous title reigns of Michaels, Benoit & Guerrero. The motivation factor is obvious. With a bit of luck, a few cruiserweights will hopefully feel that if they work as hard as Rey Mysterio did, they can one day climb the mountain to such a title reign. And I really feel that Rey has indeed worked very hard to evolve his wrestling into the WWE style without losing some of his flare, as well as greatly improve his storytelling skills & mic work.

The perception factor is one I have my doubts on due to the arguable success (or lack thereof) of Rey’s title reign. But let’s just hope that those within WWE management look a little more favorably at cruiserweight wrestlers in terms of future potential from now on. While I also believe there really could be an opportunity for storyline advancement for the division resulting from Rey’s title reign. A cruiserweight wrestler could look up to Rey as an inspiration (leading to an eventual heel turn), or the most obvious one being that a current cruiserweight targets Mysterio as he now may think he is too good for them. In fact, it’s almost a shame that the current ‘Guerrero’ storyline against Chavo is taking precedence. Remember that it was basically a storyline with Eddie that elevated Rey in the first place.

Is there a potential breakout star form the division at the moment. That is arguable. Super Crazy may be the most talented of the current group, but there has to be doubts about his progression to such a high level in the WWE’s eyes. He would have to work his a$$ off to become a better storyteller in the ring, while his mic work may never improve to such a level. The current champion Gregory Helms has worked well on his character & is decent enough on the mic (despite his accent), but I’m starting to think that he is struggling to adapt to the WWE style of wrestling, although he is undoubtedly working hard on it.

But to me, the potential HeavyWeight Champion amongst the group is Paul London. He has his knockers & has arguably been a little disappointing since debuting in the WWE, but I don’t think he has lost any of his potential & is improving, if a little more slowly than he should be. That’s fair enough too, as it’s always going to be difficult for a spotty type of wrestler to acclimatize to the main-event style that the WWE demands. I think he is getting there. I just wish the WWE would give his storylines (whether as a singles wrestler or part of a tag-team) a little more time & effort, as this is what is required to allow (a) the fans to care about him, and (b) the opportunity for London to improve his charisma & mic work.

Paul London has a good base to work on though. He is above average in the ring, has the look to gather a following & also has the body that looks as if it could handle extra muscle mass. I think the turning point in his career will actually come some time in 2007 when he turns heel on Brian Kendrick. He needs to take this opportunity & really make it into a successful character progression. Study Shawn Michaels’ turn on Marty Jannetty if that’s what is required, because this could be the time that determines whether Paul London is the next Rey Mysterio or the next Scotty 2 Hotty!

Who knows… It may be a future cruiserweight that follows in the footsteps in Rey Mysterio & becomes a genuine main-eventer. Either/Or, I just hope the WWE has opened its eyes with regards to smaller talented wrestlers stepping up in the coming years.


Ok, that’s #190 in the books. I hope you all enjoyed another 3 mini-columns in one. I’m still computer-less at home, so only have limited access to my email. I should be able to view emails that you send me, but replying is a little trickier. But if you would like to email me your feedback on any one of the 3 topics I have written about today then my e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com. But if you are an LOP Forums member, it would be much appreciated if you could leave feedback on my thread at http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=4889

Now this is where continuing my weekly streak gets a little difficult. Presuming that my computer isn’t up & running by early next week, I will have even less access to an internet connection anywhere over the next fortnight (as I am on leave from work as of this Friday). But I’m going to try my damnedest to get this streak to a year. Just note that it may not be at my usual time next Wednesday & who knows how lengthy a column it will be & what it will constitute. Wish me luck! Until whenever, this is DaveyBoy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.


DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu. 2002-2006

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***DIRECT LINK*** VERY CONTROVERSIAL Shots of LETICIA CLINE on Howard Stern!! WHOA!!

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