DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu – WWE Releases + SummerSlam Predictions Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 12:45 AM EST
THE WRESTLING MENU #278
Welcome one and all to the 278th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.
Straight into it this week. I will explain why immediately…..
APPETIZERS – Filler
While this topic has been titled “filler”, it is a header which could easily be fitting for the entire column. Folks, this could be my shortest, thinnest & of course filler-est column ever. But I can assure you that there is a sufficient reason for it and that is because I am as sick as a dog.
Writing hurts. Hell, just moving hurts. More importantly, thinking very much hurts! Last Tuesday I came down with some sort of virus that has just whacked me around to no end. Everything from sore joints to a phlegmy cough to a constant headache has been with me now for over a week! I am slowly getting better though as late last week I had such a bad fever that I was often going from on fire to shivering cold within the space of 5 minutes. The drugs are gradually working I suppose.
It actually made me think of how wrestlers survive when they get such an ailment. And you would think that they would quite often since they are constantly on the road. But I suppose that presuming that the usual virus will last no longer than 4-5 days when caught early enough and treated with whatever prescribed medicines by Dr.McMahon, then the most shows that a wrestler would miss (or struggle through) would be two. That’s where the old “Cards are Subject to Change” disclaimer comes in handy.
Speaking of ailments, I caught most of TNA Impact last week and that was one hell of a cut that Kurt Angle received to his head. For those that did not witness it, he had the steel brace of the ladder thrown into his bald noggin by AJ Styles and you could immediately see that the angle of the strike was a little awkward. I was not surprised to see Kurt head straight for the mat where a pool of blood emerged. Ouch!
It was a strange old gimmicked episode of Impact otherwise that wasn’t too bad of a watch overall. It still makes me wonder what the hell is going on behind the scenes though when the likes of Rhino, Road Dogg & Billy Gunn are part of the main-event. Seriously, the latter 2 should not even have a wrestling role let alone be in the main-event. BG in particular moves as if he is about to enter a geriatric ward. Hell, I think I can move quicker than him right now and I can assure you that is saying something in the current state I am in!
MAIN – WWE Releases
While there was no Earth-shattering news amongst the latest batch of WWE releases, I thought it at least worth my while to take the time to write a little on each of the wrestlers who were recently let go by the biggest professional wrestling promotion in the world. Most of these guys will hopefully end up on their feet somewhere and will be able to continue to make a living in their chosen profession.
RIC FLAIR: While many fans will write this release off as rather irrelevant, I am not so certain myself as I kind of had the feeling that it was only a matter of months until WWE used The Nature Boy in one way or another on-screen. I don't mean in a wrestling role, but maybe as a manager, GM or even as a special comments man maybe. At worst, I figured he would surface on-screen just before WrestleMania 25. But alas, that may not occur now as Flair was required to be released from his contract in order to make a living elsewhere. Fair enough I suppose. I just hope it was all rather amicable because I get the feeling that both parties will need each other some time in the not so distant future.
TREVOR MURDOCH: Don't get me wrong, I was never a huge Murdoch fan and always felt that his shelf life in WWE was limited, but even I was a little surprised at the timing and circumstances surrounding this release. Murdoch had just turned face and it was always going to be apparent that the heel Lance Cade would have the better future of the 2 former tag-team champions. But why not at least put Cade over by having him tear apart Murdoch before releasing the latter? Add a recent switch of brands and an experimental singing cowboy character to the equation and I am a little perplexed as to why Murdoch didn't at least survive another 6 months in WWE.
BRADEN WALKER: I was a fairly decent fan of Chris Harris' in TNA. Disliking his ex tag-team partner James Storm may have some reason to do with that, but I also liked what Harris could do in the ring. Furthermore, he had that look which I thought WWE would like. Not too dissimilar to Edge actually. So when I had heard he had signed with WWE, I was initially optimistic. The truth is that I cannot comment on all 2 appearances that Harris (going under the name Braden Walker) had on ECW as I missed both episodes. I can only go by reports (including emails I received) as to how out of shape he looked. Why WWE would even have him on television if that was the case was perplexing. This is real wasted potential as far as I am concerned and I am unsure who is to blame here.
NUNZIO: The ECW veteran did well to last as long as he could as a tweener jobber in WWE, but I am not at all surprised that his run came to an end here in 2008. He didn't quite have that Scotty 2 Hotty (or even Funaki) likeability that keeps jobbers employed for the long haul and while he was occasionally useful for enhancement purposes in the ring due to his technical know-how, even that was being called on less and less of late.
JAMES CURTIS: Just in case some had forgotten, Curtis also had a run in WWE as K.C James. In fact, I actually ranked him quite highly as 5th of the 21 rookies of 2006 in my Rookie Rankings column when he had shown me a thing or two as part of a tag-team with partner Idol Stevens. He looked to have a good work ethic and was fairly technically proficient for someone still in his mid-twenties. He is the kind of guy where it wouldn't surprise me to see him return some time in the future... Although, I won't be holding my breath.
SHANNON MOORE: No amount of tattoos could save Moore this time. The talented high-flier is still a joy to watch on occasions as he zips around the ring like lightning, but it seems his act is not required any longer by WWE. That's a little surprising as he actually gets quite a solid reaction from crowds, but with Jimmy Wang Yang, Super Crazy and some rumored newer Mexican luchadores about to be hired, it seems as though Moore was surplus to requirements. Another one who would not surprise me if he returned some time in the future and one who may have the best chance at scoring a TNA contract.
DOMINO: Ranked 7th of 9 in my 2007 Rookie Rankings column last November, I am not too surprised that Domino has been let go. Maybe more telling in those rankings of mine was that I had his then tag-team partner Deuce at #4. You could just sense that WWE were higher on the adopted son of Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka compared to Domino, who while looking to show a decent work ethic and an overall solid proficiency in everything he did, just didn't seem to have that special ability that WWE crave; The ability to stand out!
BIG DADDY V: It seems that the "big" part of Big Daddy V finally caught up with him as it is reported as being health & weight issues that has seen the former Viscera be held off television for most of this year. It has been practically 6 months now, so I suppose we should not be at all surprised at this release. If anything, by keeping him employed as long as they had, WWE are telling the big fella that if he gets himself right, he will most likely be welcome back some time in the future.
Referee NICK PATRICK: Oh no, which referee are WWE going to call on now if they need a ref to turn heel...??? Actually, I've never really liked Charles Robinson, so he'd fit the bill well I reckon!
Oh and one more thing folks; Notice who is NOT on this list. That's right; Old Man Boogey is still an employee of WWE. Stay tuned for a return any decade now!
DESSERT – SummerSlam Predictions
MVP vs JEFF HARDY: This would be a perfect choice as opener and is the kind of match-up which is integral to a quality card. Both guys can legitimately get the job done in the ring and should theoretically combine well in a one-on-one match. Having said that, they did not a few months back when they actually did wrestle each other on pay-per-view. But there were circumstances against them at the time which can be used to defend them, so let's just hope they get it right here after a decently constructed feud. I would like to see this get about 12 minutes worth and hopefully MVP doesn't get too resthold happy as he sometimes can. As for the result, it could go either way as this feud could still have legs in it, but the safe option is to get the crowd hot from the get-go and have the face come out on top. Winner: Jeff Hardy
MARK HENRY vs MATT HARDY for the ECW Title: The big question out of this feud is whether or not Matt Hardy can be the man to not only breathe some life into the ECW Title situation, but whether or not he can breathe some life into ECW full stop. So far so good as the ratings for the weekly show have been climbing of late, but will that mean more time to the brand's title match on ppv? I doubt it and this bout pretty much books itself structure-wise. Can Matt become champion? Definitely. But you get the feeling WWE want to lead you on an entertaining chase to get you there, so I don't believe it will be here unfortunately for all those studying Mattitude. Winner: Mark Henry
TRIPLE H vs THE GREAT KHALI for the WWE Championship: Speaking of matches that book themselves structure-wise, I think someone who has been watching WWE for at least 6 months could tell you the way this bout is going to progress. Khali is simply decent fodder for H until WWE work out which main-eventer is going to be thrown at him later in the year and then eventually at WrestleMania 25. I have nothing more to say really. Apart from..... Winner: Triple H
KOFI KINGSTON & MICKIE JAMES vs SANTINO MARELLA & BETH PHOENIX for the InterContinental & Women's Titles: I like this match-up that WWE have put together here. For once they have been able to infuse the comedic aspect of things into a feud and ppv match without totally making it seem like it is there just for the sake of existing. Sure, the relationship between Kingston & James is thin, but at least they have had an adequate reason to be placed here due to what has transpired over the past few weeks. The crowd reaction is the only concern I have with this match-up as the Marella/Phoenix pairing is clearly drawing more cheers than boos, indirectly effecting James & Kingston in a way that faces really don't want to be perceived. Just to clarify, whichever team prevails in this tag match will earn "both" titles. For some reason, that makes me think that WWE will actually pull the trigger here as one of Santino or Beth can boast that they won a title for their partner! Winners: Marella & Phoenix
JOHN CENA vs BATISTA: This month's face vs face pay-per-view match-up pits these 2 genuine main-eventers in their first ever WWE bout against each other and without a title on the line. There is no doubting that this is a marquee draw for the company, although it is a shame that there just wasn't a few weeks more worth of quality build-up for this showdown. Batista is coming off the back of face vs face feuds against The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, so he should be an expert at the dynamics required to make this match a success. Hey, I have an idea; Turn him heel! Anyway, these 2 are professionals and will get the job done. The eventual quality of this match will simply come down to the booking of it. I can see the feud continuing, but really do wish for a clean result either way. My guess is that Cena will most likely arrest his form slump. Winner: John Cena
CM PUNK vs JBL for the World HeavyWeight Title: On rare occasions there are ppv matches where I simply barrack for a result and even the quality of the bout becomes secondary to that. This is one of those occasions. I am by no means a JBL hater, but I just do not think it appropriate if he were to end CM Punk's title reign here. It just wouldn't seem right considering the way Punk's title reign has been booked thus far. Do I think WWE would end the reign here? Well, of course they would if they wanted to, but I am mildly optimistic that even they know it isn't the correct thing to do just yet. As for the quality of this match, well frankly, it worries me. JBL has been struggling in the ring ever since he returned and his better matches have included a stipulation or gimmick of some kind. I fear that a straight one-on-one wrestling match may end up very ho-hum, especially to the live audience. Oh well, I guess we will find out soon enough! Winner: CM Punk
EDGE vs THE UNDERTAKER in a Hell In A Cell Match: I am fairly certain this will be the main-event as the return of The Undertaker from any kind of absence is always reason for live crowds to break out in raptures. Add the cell to the mix and this is definitely the safe bet to go on last come Sunday night. I must say that despite the over-the-top shenanigans between Edge, Vickie & The Family over the past month or so, WWE have actually done a good job of piecing together a feud without one-half of the participants even showing their face. Kudos must go to Edge there as well for captaining a couple of terrific segments over the past 3 weeks on SmackDown.
The past storyline is there, the cell is there and I am sure something else might be lurking in the background, knowing this feud. All the ingredients are in place and if these 2 hit it off, then they just might top every other match they have already had this year. As for the result, it is actually a tough one to pick for mine and relies on how WWE are proceeding with Edge's unstable heel character more than anything else. A loss wouldn't necessarily harm said character and safe money always lies with the dead man, so..... Winner: The Undertaker
Ok, so there are the 7 official matches that will take place at the 2008 version of SummerSlam. I am pretty certain that there will not be another bout added as there is also a promoted announcement of some kind by Shawn Michaels. Chris Jericho will obviously get involved in such a segment, even if it doesn't result in an official wrestling match. To be honest, I'm not entirely certain what the announcement will be, although the rumored kayfabe retirement angle does seem to be likely since it would be a good send-up of sorts of the recently released 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair. Considering a Flair vs Michaels match-up was actually what began the HBK vs Y2J feud, I think that would indeed be fitting.
Overall, this is a very solid SummerSlam card that WWE has put together here. Sure, the 2 main title matches aren't exactly the most attractive that they could have gone for, but in conjunction with everything else on the card, they fit in well. For the first time since WrestleMania 24, I think I can genuinely say that I am pumped up to watch a WWE pay-per-view. Hopefully, they can follow through on the night and have a tremendous show.
Man… I got there. That was a tough one to get through for obvious reasons. Now let me get back to taking some drugs (prescribed anti-biotics of course) and if you send off an email to me, expect the response to be drug-infused! 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=159
I will have hopefully reduced my drug intake sufficiently to be able to see my keyboard properly by next Wednesday. If that is indeed the case, I will be here with yet another column chock-full of wrestling goodness. Presuming my cable company doesn’t f**k with me again, I will review SummerSlam for you. In addition to that, I will somehow fill up at least 2 other topics. Hey, I have a gimmick to stand by… Couldn’t you tell in this column!?!?!? My column will be posted at the same Wednesday time on the same LOP channel next week. Until then, this is DaveyBoy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.
