DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu – Survivor Series Review + 2007 Rookie Rankings
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 1:43 AM EST
THE WRESTLING MENU #252
Welcome one and all to the 252nd edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.
I have something to write about in this section today & I really think it’s worth mentioning & then stopping for a minute or two to take it in. It hit me during the week exactly what some wrestlers go through schedule-wise on occasions. Sure, their weeks aren’t always as busy as what I am about to set out, but damn, in this case it is a sobering thought.
The 2 wrestlers that seemed to have worn the brunt of the workload over the 9 days I am about to highlight are Jeff Hardy & Ken Kennedy. So whatever you may think of them, give them an imaginary pat on the back for getting through such a period & putting in so much effort for us fans. If I am not mistaken, this is exactly what those 2 men did over the outlined days:
- Monday Nov 5: Wrestled on Raw
- Tuesday & Wednesday Nov 6 & 7: Basically took a 20 hour flight to Australia. Time difference means that practically a full day is lost. Any additional spare time is taken up by both men visiting Australia Zoo in Queensland for a promotional photo shoot as seen on wwe.com
- Thursday Nov 8: Wrestled on a Brisbane house show.
- Friday Nov 9: Wrestled on a Sydney house show.
- Saturday Nov 10: Wrestled on a Melbourne house show.
- Sunday Nov 11: Another approximate 20 hour flight back to America.
- Monday Nov 12: Wrestled on Raw.
- Tuesday Nov 13: Wrestled on ECW & wrestled on SmackDown tapings!
For anyone who has ever taken a long-haul flight such as the 2 outlined above, you would know it takes a fair bit out of you. To have to wrestle as many dates as they had to over a 9 day period is a fairly big ask, especially for Hardy who not only wrestles a physical high-flying style but has also been involved in longer main-event style matches of late. Bottom line: kudos to both these men for putting in the effort & hardly missing a beat in their performances during this timeframe.
Ok, today’s column will be fairly straight-forward; My Survivor Series Review will be followed by my retrospective look at last years Rookie Rankings. And then, towards the end of my column will be my Rookie Rankings for this year. If that doesn’t make enough sense, stick with me & you’ll get the picture as I move along.
Ok, with all that out of the way, it’s on with the rookie show…..
APPETIZERS
Survivor Series 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: No Way Out '07)
55-59: Average. [C] (EG: Vengeance ‘07)
60-64: Worth A Watch. [C+] (EG: No Mercy ‘07)
65-69: Good event that was worth the money. [B] (EG: Cyber Sunday ‘07)
70-74: Very good. [B+] (EG: Great American Bash '07)
75-79: Make sure you add this ppv to your video or dvd collection. [A] (EG: Backlash '07)
80+: Make sure that the video or DVD is locked in a safe & cannot be erased. Memorable. [A+]
CM PUNK defeated JOHN MORRISON & THE MIZ in a Triple-Threat Match to Retain the ECW World Title: Interesting choice as opener seeing how poorly ECW Title matches have been booked on ppv of late. The heels & new WWE Tag-Team champions double-team the face champ initially, but Punk defies the odds in what was a very good & well-rehearsed extended opening sequence. The heels eventually get on top, but it isn’t long until Miz double-crosses Morrison. Predominantly 1 on 1 action then follows, but the pace is kept up & the combatants change frequently, yet realistically enough, to keep everyone entertained. It also helps that there are some great spots, including a split-legged corkscrew moonsault, as well as a fantastic hurracanrana into a powerbomb by the 3rd man! The end comes at the 8 minute mark when Miz accidentally clears the ring of Morrison & gets subsequently caught with the GTS to see Punk retain his title. Being picky, 8 minutes was a little too short, despite the great pace this bout was wrestled at. I just felt that it was a little rushed from a storyline perspective. But otherwise, to quote The Rock; “Finally…” an ECW Title match gets appropriately booked on ppv. Non-stop, entertaining, well-performed & all 3 men came out looking good. Match Rating…8
MICKIE JAMES, MARIA, TORRIE WILSON, MICHELLE McCOOL & KELLY KELLY defeated BETH PHOENIX, VICTORIA, LAYLA, JILLIAN HALL & MELINA in a 10 Diva Tag Match: The pre-match highlight/lowlight sees poor Melina stuff up her trademark entrance by missing the apron with her left leg! As the bout begins, the tags go at about a rate of 1 every 20 seconds, with the control of offense shifting constantly. An interestingly stiff sequence between Jillian & Kelly (of all people) catches my attention, but otherwise it’s all pretty standard stuff. The finish sees Beth cleared from the ring & Mickie using her new finishing sequence of a kiss & a kick to finish off Melina at the 5 minute mark. Kept short & non-stop, this was entertaining enough, yet still too unimaginatively booked. With the amount of women involved, I think they had the right idea over the first 3 minutes, but could have expanded on it better with the more wrestling oriented divas stretching this out for a further 3 minutes. Really tough to rate for all the reasons stated. Match Rating…6
LANCE CADE & TREVOR MURDOCH defeated CODY RHODES & HARDCORE HOLLY to Retain the World Tag-Team Titles: I liked the opening sequence between Cody & Cade, despite the crowd remaining silent throughout it. In fact, they didn’t really get involved until the face challengers cleared the ring of the champs 3 minutes in. The heels eventually regain control with Murdoch hitting his impressive running boot & then the redneck duo using some solid double-teaming to isolate Holly. The hot tag finally comes to Rhodes who cleans house & gets a close 2 count with a missile dropkick. But seemingly out of nowhere, Murdoch then hits the rookie with his flip powerbomb (that we haven’t seen in a while) for the victory at the 7 minute mark. The lack of crowd involvement hurt this bout a little, but it was fairly solid despite not having any sensational moments involved. Booked in a rather standard fashion, but performed well enough & was acceptable filler. Match Rating…6.5
TRIPLE H, JEFF HARDY, REY MYSTERIO & KANE defeated UMAGA, FINLAY, BIG DADDY V, KEN KENNEDY & MVP in a Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match: It was announced pre-match that Matt Hardy would not take his place in this bout due to injuries suffered at the hands of MVP on SmackDown. Also to be noted is that all 9 men got individual entrances, while all 6 commentators chimed in during the bout. Rey & Kennedy kicked things off at a nice pace, while Jeff continued the momentum when tagged in. We soon see a battle of the big men which ends with Kane being eliminated by Big Daddy V in the 6th minute (following a Finlay distraction). The feuding Triple H & Umaga then go at it as things appear to settle down a little. Of course, with 2/3 of a team consisting of Rey & Jeff, things aren’t settled for long! The crowd is in raptures as Mysterio gets a super close 2 count on Umaga with a 619. But then the Samoan hits the hugest of all spinning side slams & follows up with a spike to eliminate Rey. With the odds down to 5-2, the crowd gets behind the faces as the heels ground Jeff & slow things down. Out of nowhere though, Jeff hits a twist of fate on MVP to score one for the good guys. Triple H then eliminates Kennedy & Big Daddy V soon after to even the odds at the 16 minute mark.
Finlay then shows why he was in the bout by wrestling for minutes on end against both of the remaining faces. It’s all kept at a decent enough pace with some good back & forth action involved. Unfortunately for the Irishman, he eventually gets caught in the pedigree & is eliminated. It isn’t long later that Umaga is hit with a pedigree / swanton combination & it’s all over after 22 minutes in favor of the faces. As entertaining as always & interestingly structured with the face comeback storyline being used, without getting too unrealistic. As action-packed as expected, although I felt there could have been a couple more payoff moments with nothing really being built up to like some of the older elimination matches. Being picky, it was also a little disappointing to see MVP not play more of a role. To sum it up, this was as entertaining as always without being super memorable. Match Rating…8
THE GREAT KHALI defeated HORNSWOGGLE by Disqualification: Shane McMahon graced us with his presence to help announce his half-brother Hornswoggle, as the crowd start a “We want Shaq” chant since the big fella (& 2nd greatest center of all time behind David Robinson) is sitting in the front row! Hornswoggle gets rid of Runjin Singh with some Tajiri-like green mist to begin with & then heads under the ring for a shillelagh. But Khali swipes him away with 1 wave of his arm, before Finlay interferes to save the midget with a shillelagh shot of his own & a low blow for the DQ result after only 3 minutes. Nothing like 2 heels going at it! A waste of time as all up it lasted 11 minutes & it really wasn’t all that funny or entertaining. Match Rating…3
RANDY ORTON defeated SHAWN MICHAELS to Retain the WWE Championship: HBK begins things with an interesting 2 minute long neck-vice variation, as Orton emerges from the hold like a man on a mission with fist after fist. Shawn soon gets back to his headlock substitute clearly trying to wear the champ down since the match stipulations mean he cannot use his usual finisher. Orton frustratingly takes a time out at ringside, but Michaels responds with a nice asai moonsault. Orton gets a nearfall soon after with a top-rope cross body counter, but his offense doesn't last long as HBK predictably locks on the sharpshooter 10 years after the infamous screwjob. Orton reaches the ropes though & soon regains control as he mounts an extended period of offense that includes a close 2 count with a rope-assisted DDT & a rather long resthold. We then get some back & forth action that is solid rather than spectacular. HBK gets things rolling with a top-rope elbow-drop & then feigns sweet chin music to get a 2 count with a simple schoolboy roll-up. Of all things, HBK then locks on a crossface as the crowd call for a tap-out. The heel champ gets to the ropes though, but only to be met by an ankle-lock soon after! Orton escapes and, in a nice booking touch, uses HBK's split-second hesitation in going for the superkick, to hit the RKO for the pinfall victory at the 18 minute mark.
Well, I can see this bout dividing opinion big time... Where do I start? While the beginning of the match definitely took a page out of the old-school book, both men used far too many restholds in what only turned out to be an 18 minute match. If the bout lasted 25+ minutes, then I would have had no problem with the storytelling there, but it just came off as far too unentertaining in that regard for mine. I also had a problem with the choice of submission holds that HBK used. No, the (Benoit-used) crossface wasn't the problem on its own, it was more its usage along with the ankle-lock for some reason. I just felt it was a little cheap. And finally, on the negative side, there was absolutely no need for Orton to go back in the ring in the aftermath to be eventually superkicked just so we could hear the entrance theme of the face. That reeked of politics and/or a Hollywood happy ending for mine. Fortunately, the entertainment factor was high throughout the 2nd half of this bout, but that didn't fully overcome the fact that the match stipulations actually hindered rather than helped, as the pacing didn't match up with its duration. Match Rating…7
BATISTA defeated THE UNDERTAKER in a Hell In A Cell Match to Retain the World HeavyWeight Title: Standard offense kicks things off as the most startling thing I notice is the silence/confusion of the live crowd. 'Taker gets an early 2 count with a big boot, before heading to a steel chair & then the cell to draw some blood from the champ. He then follows up with a chair to the throat to draw more blood from Batista's mouth this time. Back in the ring, The Animal counters an old-school attempt with a spinebuster for a 2 count, as he then gets the same result with a powerslam before heading out of the ring. But that turns out to be unwise as he is thrown like a dart into the cell by the dead man which draws even more blood. 'Taker adds a few chair-shots for good measure & then locks on a triangle choke, despite Batista sneaking in a superplex. The champion escapes the submission hold though & goes to work viciously on his opponent with multiple steel steps shots to bust open the phenom. The Undertaker pulls a Last Ride Powerbomb out of nowhere for a 2 count & then gets the same result with a chokeslam.
The false finishes continue with Batista getting a 2.9 count with a spinebuster & then a 2.95 following a Batista Bomb through a table! The Undertaker is given time to recover as Big Dave gets some steel steps into the ring. It's enough time for 'Taker to pull out a tombstone, but Batista somehow kicks out. Things appear to be over soon after though when 'Taker hits another tombstone, this time onto the steel steps. But just as the referee is about to make the 3 count, Edge (who had been disguised as a cameraman) pulls the ref away, hits a chair-to-steps conchairto on The Undertaker & proceeds to lay Batista's limp body on top of the dead man for the decisive pinfall at the 22 minute mark. Sufficiently brutal & hard-hitting, this was as methodically paced as most HIAC matches. The unpredictability helped the 2nd half of the bout immensely, although it really did take an eternity for the crowd to get involved for some reason. Fairly similar to last month's bout between these 2, although this one did go a little over the top with the false finishes at the end, despite them being rather entertaining. And then there was the ending which was a little confusing (not helped by the fact this was a face vs face match), but will still be interesting to follow come the end of the week. Match Rating…8
PPV RATING (46.5/70) = 66
Looking at the key, I have basically given the 2007 version of ‘No Mercy’ a 'B' grade & said that it was ‘good event that was worth the money’. I think that makes it 3 WWE pay-per-views in a row that I have given 'B' grades too, so they seem to be on the right track. Only 7 matches helped the rating here, but when you consider that one of the bouts was an absolute dud, then I feel that things balance out. We really can't complain here as 2 of the filler bouts were ok, the ECW Title match really stepped up & arguably 2 of the 3 main-events were very good. In fact, your opinion of the HBK vs Orton bout could very well be your barometer of this ppv. Either way, while none of the matches contained on this card will go down as a classic, there was enough that was very good to make this entire show more than acceptable & definitely worth our money at the end of the day.
MAIN
2006 Rookie Rankings In Retrospect
Last November, I actually used my milestone 200th column to post my Rookie Rankings. In order to make it a little more special, I went back & had a retrospective look at all of my Rookie Rankings throughout the years since I landed here on the LOP main page back in 2002. That column still makes for a decent read, so if you get the time after getting through this column, feel free to go & take a look at it by clicking on the following link: http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2006_/articles/1162357608.php
But today, I do what I had done in years past & only take a retrospective look at last years batch of rookies before ranking this years. Believe it or not, in 2006 there were 21 rookies used by WWE! Needless to say, that was way too many & that is practically proven by the fact that almost half of them are no longer with the company. Anyway, in order to prove just how wrong I can be & just how right I can be, here is my retrospective look at the way I ranked all 21 young men this time last year. Remember that the comments I have listed here have been written in the here & now. To read my original comments on each wrestler, please click on the link in the previous paragraph.
And please remember that when I do these Rookie Rankings each year, I base my rankings on my opinion of who is going to make the most impact in the medium to long-term, and not just who has been most successful in their rookie year.
(20T) JESSE GYMINI: Still contracted by WWE at the time of my rankings last year, I didn’t see too much of a future in this generic (if distinct) tag-team that was managed by Simon Dean. I was proven correct soon after as they were released by the company.
(20T) JAKE GYMINI: See above as Jake & Jesse were one & the same as far as I was concerned.
(19) CHAD DICK / TOLAND: Another tag-team that didn’t last too long on WWE programming despite spending quite some time in their developmental regions. Were given a terrible gimmick upon debut & could never shake it. Have the look to pop up somewhere else in the near-future, but probably won’t.
(18) JAMES DICK / TANK TOLAND: See above, although I always though James/Tank was slightly better than his partner
(17) RORY McALLISTER: Despite some talent, The Highlanders tag-team have probably stuck around longer than I expected them to. They obviously play a role on the Heat television show as well as at house shows. It will be interesting to see if their heel turn will extend their shelf life. I doubt it & if anything, a trip to the SmackDown roster is probably what is required.
(16) ROBBIE McALLISTER: See above. Looks younger than Rory & impressed me with a move or two when watching The Highlanders live last week. But I doubt he would be able to break away from Rory anyway.
(15) ‘THE BOOGEYMAN’ MARTY WRIGHT: Last year I wrote “His character is the kind of crap that Vince likes, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him stick around for the next year or so. Not much longer though. Well, his first mission has been accomplished as he is still contracted by WWE. In fact, niggling injuries from time to time have probably helped his cause as we haven’t been over saturated by his presence. Obviously, plays a role in the (for want of a better word) entertainment stakes, but at his age (nearing mid-forties) I would think that WWE would soon realize that his body will become more of a liability than an asset.
(14) GUNNER SCOTT / BRENT ALBRIGHT: Had already been released at the time of my rankings last year, but I still ranked him decently due to his technical wrestling skills & the fact that he had played such a large part in WWE’s developmental territories before being called up to the main roster. Is apparently making a decent living on the independent circuit & his future will probably lie there, even if he is not without some sort of shot of returning to one of the big 2. If that occurs, it will more likely be TNA as his lack of charisma mustn’t have gone down well with WWE.
(13) NICK ‘MITCH’ MITCHELL: I never hid the fact that I hated Mitch. I really wanted to rank him dead last. The only reason why I didn’t was because I thought WWE could turn him into a decent Matt Styker-like manager. To say that I am not perturbed that they didn’t is an understatement. This guy simply could not wrestle from what I could tell.
(12) NICKY NEMETH: To be honest, I am unsure if Nemeth is still under a WWE contract. Technically sound & was given 2 separate characters by WWE on the main roster, but I always thought his blandness would catch up with him & it would surprise me to see him resurface.
(11) THE GREAT KHALI: Since he won the World HeavyWeight Title after challenging for the WWE Championship, I suppose I underrated the gigantic Indian last November. Still with WWE & there are probably a few more feuds that he can be used in, but the fact that he has been shuffled around the rosters probably suggests he will do well to still remain with WWE come the end of next year.
(10) SYLVESTER TERKAY: I think it’s fair to suggest that even at #10 I overrated Terkay this time last year. Had practically no charisma, but I was probably fooled by his pairing with Elijah Burke that hid that fact for the most part. Had great size, a decent character & a decent look, but WWE wasted no time in parting ways with the shoot-fighter. That was a little surprising, but I didn’t exactly fall off my chair when it happened.
(9) MIKE KNOX: After disappearing from the ECW brand a few months back, Knox has recently returned to show that he is still under a WWE contract. To be honest, I don’t expect that to last much longer at all. It simply doesn’t look as if he has the charisma to make it with the company.
(8) MIKEY MONDO: From memory, this former Spirit Squad-er has been released, but don’t quote me on that. Very short, but had a positive energy that may have made him a decent undercarder, hence the top 10 rating. If he has indeed been released, I am a little surprised it occurred so quickly, but his future was indeed limited in WWE.
(7) ELIJAH BURKE: My ranking was proven to be too low as soon as Vince McMahon (in a storyline sense) anointed him the future of the ECW brand. I wouldn’t say he has totally lived up to Vince’s kayfabe words, but he has made a decent fist of whatever role he has been put in, without super standing out. Can he make the jump to genuine upper midcard in the future…??? I still have my doubts to be honest. But with continued improvement, I think he can play a midcard role on any brand for a few years to come. It will indeed be interesting to track his future progress.
(6) JOHNNY JETER: I am fairly certain that Jeter is still contracted by WWE & reports have suggested that they have toyed with the idea of recalling him back up to the main-roster. Has good ability & decent charisma, I also liked his interesting wrestling style. But his small stature is definitely a concern & could mean that the only way he will ever see the light of day again in WWE is if the cruiserweight division is given a push out of nowhere.
(5) KC JAMES: Following a rather short stint in what appeared to be a potentially good tag-team with Idol Stevens, James has been in OVW waiting for another call-up. He has sort of got that promotion of late re-appearing with a new look in ECW under the name of James Curtis. The problem is that he is playing a jobber role & that is never a good sign for the future. Still young at 25 & appears to have a good work ethic, so who knows. But the signs are unfortunately not good at this stage.
(4) MIKE ‘THE MIZ’ MIZANIN: The Miz has justified my rather high rating (I received many emails saying he wouldn’t last a year) by making an impact on SmackDown initially & now on the ECW brand. He definitely has not been overawed by recent shots at the ECW World Title which is a good sign. Is still learning the business & provided his excellent work ethic remains, should improve since he is only 27 years of age. Gets good heel heat & I think Miz’s big test will come in the future (probably a good 2 years away) when he is asked to turn face.
(3) IDOL STEVENS: In most years, I will rank someone a lot higher than expected due to gut feeling. Last year, it was Aaron/Idol Stevens & it appears I was way off the mark with that ranking. I thought he had a great look, good charisma & a lot of room for improvement. WWE obviously felt otherwise as he was released earlier this year. From memory, reports suggest he no longer wrestles, which means the likelihood of a return is extremely low. Put this one down as a DaveyBoy “Miss”.
(2) CM PUNK: I came under a fair bit of fire for not ranking Punk #1 last November. So the big question is am I ready to admit that I was wrong ranking CM Punk as the #2 rookie of 2006…??? Ooh, that’s a tough one. There is no doubt that I have come around to the idea a little more throughout 2007 as Punk has continued to show a great connection with the crowd, while occasionally looking absolutely terrific in certain matches. But I am not ready to roll over just yet. And that’s not so much to do with Punk, but more to do with the opportunities that come to my #1 in the following years. Punk has improved steadily enough in WWE & even done what I recommended and ditched his Anaconda Vice finisher. And what better finisher to have than one that is similar to that of WWE’s #1 man (John Cena). In a way, I do hope Punk proves my ranking wrong, but the jury is still out right now for mine.
(1) KENNY DOANE: Changing his name to Kenny Dykstra & heading to the SmackDown brand hasn’t exactly skyrocketed this youngster to super-stardom. Did I expect it to? Well, not really, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t expect Dykstra to be a little higher up the card than he is at present. He still has oodles of potential as he gradually packs muscle on to his 6-4 & 21 year old frame. I’m hoping he is simply learning the business as we speak. If that is true, it will only do him good in the long-term. And anyway, last year I asked WWE to be “patient & not push him too soon”. So I suppose I got what I asked for. Will he be the next Randy Orton or the next Rene Dupree…??? I am still confident it will be the former, but we still may be a few years away from knowing the answer to that question!
DESSERT
2007 Rookie Rankings
Ok, so that was last year’s bunch… And what a big bunch it was. Thankfully, I make it that we have only had 9 rookies throughout 2007. But it should be noted that I have left off a few wrestlers for various reasons. Jesse (aka Terry Gordy), Festus (aka Fake Kane), DH Smith & Drew McIntyre have all been left off as they have only just debuted. These 4 will be included in next years Rookie Rankings. Furthermore, Marcus Corvon & Chuck Palumbo were not included as they have both wrestled at the top level (yes, I’m counting TNA as the top level) previously. And of course, I made a rule that I do not rank women rookies here as I don’t believe it to be fair to rank them with the men in this case. The same can be said for midgets!
And finally, I should repeat the one IMPORTANT NOTE about each years Rookie Rankings; These rankings are based on my opinions of who is going to make the most impact in the medium to long-term, and not just who has been most successful in their rookie year. Without further adieu, let’s get stuck into the rookie class of 2007:
(9) JTG: The smaller of the 2 members of the Cryme Tyme tag-team was often the more outlandish & extroverted when seen on WWE programming. Yet, that didn’t necessarily mean that his mic work or charisma was anything special. His ring work was solid for a rookie, but nothing more & didn’t appear to be up there in quality with men of similar stature already in WWE. Along with his tag-team partner, has already been released by the company with his status currently unknown to me.
(8) SHAD GASPARD: I actually didn’t mind the larger of the 2 members of Cryme Tyme & felt that he had some potential. He just had a certain something about him that connected with the audience for mine. He wasn’t always clear when he spoke, but there was a natural way to his mic work that worked well. Had a good size about him without being so big as to be restricted with what he could do in the ring. Was still raw in the ring, but with seasoning in a tag-team, I felt he could have given a singles career a shot somewhere down the track. Unfortunately, along with his tag-team partner, Shad has already been released by the company & chances are that he won’t be back.
(7) DOMINO: Tough one to rate as he has been playing his character very well. This probably shows good work ethic to some extent & an ability to do what is told of him. But he doesn’t really stand out in every way imaginable. Only has an average size. Is passable, but nothing more, in the ring. Is ok in a limited role on the mic. I just worry that he hasn’t stood out more since he has been on television for almost a year now. Could this mean he is a little too bland? I fear so & have therefore ranked him lower than his tag-team partner.
(6) BRETT MAJOR: One half of The Major Brothers tag-team that are currently on the ECW roster… Although I don’t actually believe they are brothers in real life! While neither member is anything flash on the mic, Brett may in fact be the solider of the 2 in the ring. Brett appears to have more of a mat-based offense but importantly does have the ability to quicken the pace & head to the air when required. This is a major positive for Brett & it would then seem strange that I have ranked him lower than his tag-team partner. But I’m going on gut feeling here & the major reason I am ranking Brett below Brian is charisma & charisma alone. Both Major’s have a great look & this could genuinely save them until they are given the chance to prove their worth in the future.
(5) BRIAN MAJOR: Pretty much see all my comments regarding Brett Major. Brian has a great look as well, but also backs that up with energy, enthusiasm & extroverted character that may give him a slight edge in the future if these 2 are given a chance to break out from their tag-team. While Brian may be the less solider in the ring at present, I am banking on the fact that he will be allowed to improve in the future as long as these 2 can hold their jobs for a couple of years.
(4) DEUCE: Also known as Deuce Shade, this member of the former WWE tag-team champions is apparently the fostered son of WWE hall of famer Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka. That may count for something, although I am uncertain as to how much. Some may be surprised that he is not that young & is in his mid-30’s, so the room for improvement factor may be lower than some others on this list. But Deuce has a strong character & it’s one that I believe can be molded into a gimmick other than the 1960’s thug that he currently has. Furthermore, he has a definite presence in the ring & that’s usually something WWE likes. Sure, he is still a bit raw in the ring & may actually be too stiff, but that can hopefully be polished up as time goes on.
(3) SANTINO MARELLA: A really tough one to rate, there was a genuine chance that Santino wasn’t going to keep his job just a couple of months ago. He literally saved his position in the company with some excellent mic work following his heel turn. It is arguable that his mic work is the best in the company as we speak… Especially from a comedic perspective. While he did not work well as a face upon debut, he may have learnt from his mistakes & could make a better fist of it 2nd time around. Unfortunately, Santino is bland in the ring & since he is the wrong side of 30 years old, his room for improvement could be low. He is also fairly short at 5-10, so that won’t help him in the long-run either. Basically, I don’t see Santino ever getting past the midcard, but his mic work may mean that he keeps his job with WWE for a couple of years as an entertaining undercarder.
(2) CODY RHODES: The son of Dusty & the younger brother of Dustin (aka Goldust & Black Reign) has had a decent beginning to his WWE career. In all honesty, a #2 ranking seems a little high, but it’s not exactly the strongest batch of rookies ever this year. Lean looking & not as tall as he would appear, but his frame looks as if it can handle the extra muscle mass that will hopefully come with age. It has to be remembered that he is only 22 years of age so the room for improvement factor is high. Yet, he already appears to have the basics of in-ring action, so that is a super positive sign & also suggests that he is a good learner with a good work ethic. Appears to have deficiencies in the charisma department, but that will hopefully improve markedly with experience & I can’t see why it wouldn’t. I believe he will be given a shot at the upper midcard (just like Dustin was) some time in his career & that will be when his big test will come.
(1) MVP: The clear standout of this group in my opinion, even if Cody Rhodes could very well have a longer future ahead of him. Upon debut, MVP appeared to have question marks in every single area; Looks, wrestling ability… Even his mic work & charisma seemed questionable. But in the matter of approximately 12 months, he has improved in every single area and that has to be a very positive sign. Has steadily improved his in-ring work & I get the feeling he still has a little more up his sleeve. Is often excellent on the mic & has shown a nice variety of techniques. He gets good heel heat, yet sometimes shows glimpses that he could successfully play a face when called upon to do so in the future. Has a good look about him & is actually taller than he appears. MVP is approaching his mid-30’s so that is a question mark to some extent, but as long as he keeps fit, I can see him flourishing in the midcard to upper midcard for years to come, with the occasional tilt at the main-event level. Could he be a future World Champion? Without being a given, I would say that it is indeed possible.
Ok, so there we have the 2007 Rookie Rankings out of the way. This is my 6th annual rookie rankings & I would probably suggest that this is one of the weakest batches I have had to rank, with only the top 2 realistic chances of ever being a WWE World Champion (unless one of the Major Brothers break out of nowhere). One thing in the favor of this group of rookies though is that I believe there is a good chance that over 50% of them will still have a job with WWE in 2 years time. I think that has something to do with the WWE promoting quality over quantity to the main roster over the past 12 months. But, as always, I will only be proven right or wrong about everything I have written today in time.
Hokedy kokedy, I hope you all enjoyed edition #252 of 'The Wrestling Menu' & its length didn’t put you to sleep. It’s always a challenge doing my Rookie Rankings, but it’s also always fascinating to see what you readers think about the way I have ranked the WWE newbies. So please don't hesitate to let me know what you thought of them and/or my 'Survivor Series' review. 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=217&page=9. I am still rather busy at work, so if you do drop me a line, please be patient for a reply. I can assure you that I will reply to all feedback though.
And while you are on the LOP Forums, why don't you check out my weekly contributions to the Album Review thread. So far, I have reviewed multiple albums by groups such as My Chemical Romance, Muse, Rise Against, Razorlight, The Killers, Kasabian, The All-American Rejects, Kaiser Chiefs, AFI, Panic At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, Jet, Hinder, LostProphets, Trust Company, Orson, Daughtry, Bayside, Funeral For A Friend, The Klaxons, Taking Back Sunday, The Fratellis, Wolfmother, Story Of The Year & Franz Ferdinand. All these reviews can be viewed by simply clicking on the following link & scrolling down: http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=99&page=3.
Ok, now I am still tossing up as to what I will be doing next week & it may be a call that I don’t make until around Monday. To cut a long story short, I will either be taking a week off from my column or including my now annual shot at trying to predict/book the card for the upcoming WrestleMania 24 pay-per-view in approximately 4 months time. Along with that should be some general reader feedback on my Rookie Rankings from today’s column. If that doesn’t come your way next Wednesday the 28th, it will be here for all to read on December the 5th. Whichever week it is, my column will be posted at the same Wednesday time on the same LOP channel. Until then, this is DaveyBoy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.
DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu. 2002-2007
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