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Submitted by Hustle on Monday, November 24, 2008 at 9:25 AM EST
 Good lookin out for the graphics work, Noc "In case you forgot or fell off, I'm still hot.." Ha. Real talk.. today's intro line comes from a very special individual. It won't take much effort to figure out who I'm referring to, I'm sure. Welcome, welcome, welcome.. welcome back to The HIPE, readers and readerettes. It is I, your HIPEmaster on this and every other day.. ya boy, Hustle, back like cooked crack. I have a lot to type today, so I want to jump straight the fuck into it, and I think it's about that time. Shall I proceed? (Yes, indeed.) Less dew eet!! At this very second, it's 7:52pm, Hawaii time, about two hours or so since the Survivor Series went off the air. Whether you enjoyed the show or you hated the show, one thing that we can all agree on is the fact that it was definitely newsworthy and will have people talking about it for a while. Speaking of talking about it.. - So, MVP pinning JTG gets him his performance bonus, I suppose. It'll make no sense if they just have him start winning matches again like nothing ever happened, but you can almost see it coming. It's going to take a whole lot of work to pull his character from the dumpster at this point. I'm crossing my fingers for it to happen, though. Knowing the way the WWE writers work, look for MVP to beat Edge for the WWE Title on Smackdown this week. - I was a bit disappointed with the Divas Elimination Match, as there were several awkward spots. They just seemed kinda nervous or something. I did enjoy Maryse's work in the match, and I'll say it again.. she plays a really good "bitch" heel, and she's got a really bright future ahead of her if she keeps doing what she's been doing. Beth Phoenix looked like a star yet again, which isn't a surprise at all these days. She's absolutely carrying the division right now. I applaud you, Beth. - When Big Show had The Undertaker in the casket, but Taker used his leg to block the lid from being closed, why in the flippity floppity floo wouldn't Show have just slammed the lid on Taker's leg? That was the worst part of a really bad Casket Match. It was the worst Casket Match in recent memory, that's for sure. Those guys just weren't clicking very well in their feud, and one can only hope that they'll move on now. - How telling is it when The Boogeyman has the comedy moment of the night with his "gobble, gobble" comment after he revealed himself as the man in the Gobbledygooker costume? C & I laughed our asses off when he said it, and I suppose that says more about us than anything else. The crowd was absolutely silent for that entire segment up until Boogey's music hit. So, for those that think Boogey should be gone (myself included), apparently the fans want to see him more than Charlie Haas (no shit), Carlito, Primo, Brie Bella, and Nikki Bella. - There goes the hopes that William Regal will bring any sort of respect back to the Intercontinental Title. Goodness gracious, was that the quickest elimination to start a match in Survivor Series history? If it wasn't, it definitely has to rank towards the very top of the list. On the bright side, it allowed us to find out that Layla has sniper-like aim when it comes to throwing shoes from medium distance. As for the rest of the match.. the crowd didn't really seem too into the whole thing, until the very end when Randy Orton was setting up for the RKO. The live crowds seem to love Orton more than they ever have, which is a little strange to get used to, as it's not like he's playing to the crowds now or anything. - Was that a "T-N-A" chant I heard during the Triple H/Vladimir Kozlov match? If so, that may have been the ultimate slap in the face to WWE. The Boston crowd turned on the match almost immediately, calling for Jeff Hardy, starting multiple "BORING!" chants, and being uncomfortably silent for the rest of it. I'll get into the Jeff Hardy situation a bit later, but this match was a disaster, and it was one of the matches I referred to in my last "Ask Hustle" column, where a crowd can make-or-break a match with their reactions. Triple H, being the "ring general" that he's supposed to be, should have ad-libbed the match a bit once the crowd started to become restless. They had no business working in rest holds and slow-moving mat-based wrestling with a crowd like that. Conspiracy theorists would probably point to the fact that Triple H probably knew he wouldn't be blamed for any of it, and would actually come out looking good, because the fingers would probably point in Kozlov's direction. That guy is just slick enough to do something along those lines. - John Cena's new HLR merchandise is snazzy looking. That shirt ranks right up there with his "You Can't See Me" Nintendo-themed shirt. It'll be another top-seller for the company, making them another nice chunk of change, but oh yeah, I forgot.. Cena's "bad for business". What the hell was I thinking? I'm also a fan of the Under Armour kicks that he was rocking. You know, if UA and WWE came together to market shoes for Cena, they'd sell like hotcakes (I hate that phrase), as well. Someone in charge at either company should get a hold of me for some ideas. - The psychology of the Jericho/Cena was about as top-notch as anything I've seen in all of 2008. There were so many little touches that were well done, such as when Cena was hesitant to go to the top rope and try his diving leg drop (because he "broke his neck" the last time he went for the move), Jericho working on Cena's neck (including the Walls Of Jericho while cranking down and driving his knee into Cena's neck at an awkward angle), and Cena crawling to the ropes to break up a submission with almost a "I may have come back too soon" look on his face. I always love when matches can do all of the little things, and do them well. All that, and John Cena won, making the match an epic win in my book. All in all, this was a pay-per-view that was riiiiight in the middle, in my opinion. Some good, some bad, and some so-so. The main event stood out for multiple reasons, but there wasn't a whole lot else that could be considered extra-special. If we would've seen the advertised Triple Threat for the WWE Title, it probably would've pushed this show to "above-average", no matter who won. I said that I'd discuss the Jeff Hardy situation from yesterday, and here I go with just that. I hate it. Hate, hate, hate it. First of all, I've never been a fan of worked angles that cause wrestling announcers to use their "I'm lowering my voice because this is SERIOUS" acting skills. They come across as so fake, and they cheapen the moment whenever something really does happen. On top of all that, the bait-and-switch is a terrible direction to go in for a pay-per-view. It's bad when it happens on free TV, but it's unacceptable at an event where people are dropping $40 to watch it. The fans wanted to see him, as the chants for him throughout the WWE Title match would indicate. Watching it live, it almost appeared as if the decision to bring Edge out was made at the last minute, in an effort to try and save the crowd that Triple H & Kozlov were losing more by the second. I'm almost sure that it was a planned-out decision (at least as much as the WWE writers plan anything out these days), but it wasn't executed very well, giving it the look of panic on the company's part. The decision to give Edge the title wasn't a bad one at all. He's an established talent, of course, so it isn't like they're taking the title off of Triple H and giving it to someone they need to roll the dice with. Coming off of an absence, his character is fresher and the fans are hungrier to see him. Fear not Jeff Hardy fans, as this isn't the end of his Quest For The Gold. Not by a longshot. Obviously, with Edge being the man who was revealed to have taken Jeff out, there's plenty of revenge that will need to be seeked out. To make it even better, there's a few years worth of chemistry between Edge & Jeff to play off whenever they do get in the ring together. The rumored return of Christian only makes things that much more exciting, as it would be a great way for Jeff to stay in a top-level feud while the champion feuds with the man who he took the title from. Speaking of Triple H, there's something odd about him losing the match off of a single chairshot like that, but hey, he lost, and that's what matters. He'll be on the warpath, looking for a rematch, and Kozlov even has a storyline shot at remaining in the mix because of the way the match ended. Basically, this entire thing is good in the long-run for Smackdown, but in the short-term, it was just brutal to watch. It's another Monday morning, which means one thing for me.. another edition of The HIPE 25. Last week was a bit of a slow week, but this week is jam-packed full of show results to go through, so the Top 25 will be very interesting. Some of the choices are a bit obvious, while some aren't so obvious. Without any further adieu, ladies and gentlemen.. The HIPE 25~! 1. John Cena Who: WWE World Heavyweight Champion What: Defeated Chris Jericho at Survivor Series to win the title Why: Haters be damned, could you realistically place anybody else at this spot? In his return to the company after a few months off to have neck surgery, he came back and had a really good match with Chris Jericho, culminating with him becoming the brand new World Heavyweight Champion. It's a great time to be a Cena fan, and a bad time to be a hater. Minnesota, Hello. Last Week: Not Ranked 2. Edge Who: WWE Champion What: Defeated Triple H & Vladimir Kozlov in a Triple Threat Match at Survivor Series to win the title Why: If you get a pinfall victory over Triple H, it's a really big event. If you get a pinfall victory over Triple H, and win the WWE Title in the process, it's epic. Edge was a surprise entrant into the match, and he was only in the ring for a few short moments, but he's still the new champion, and that puts him right here in this comfortable spot. I like his new look, too (no homo). That's a badass beard he has. Last Week: NR 2.9 Austin Aries Who: One of the top names in RoH What: Defeated Nigel McGuinness & Tyler Black in a Non-Title Three Way Match on Friday.. Defeated Jimmy Jacobs in an "I Quit" Match on Saturday Why: Short of winning the RoH World Title, it would be difficult to have a bigger weekend for the company than Aries had this weekend. While he did pin Black, and not the champion McGuinness, he definitely placed himself right in line for another title shot with his win on Friday night, and his victory over Jimmy Jacobs on Saturday should be putting an end to one of the more personal feuds in recent wrestling history. He continues his quest to become the first two-time RoH World Champion in the company's history. Last Week: NR 4. Beth Phoenix Who: WWE Women's Champion What: Came to the rescue of Kelly Kelly on Raw, attacking Victoria.. was the sole survivor in the Team Raw VS Team Smackdown Divas Elimination Match at Survivor Series Why: She's on an incredible roll right now, and she really is carrying the WWE women's divisions on her back. She's still able to put on some solid matches week in and week out, and still be able to be entertaining in her segments involving Santino. The only question now will be just who's left for her to face.. enter Gail Kim? Last Week: #10 5. Randy Orton Who: One of the top names on Raw What: Defeated CM Punk in a Lumberjack Match on Raw.. along with Cody Rhodes, won their Elimination Match at Survivor Series Why: The only reason he didn't rank higher on the list this week is because I wasn't all that impressed with the Lumberjack Match on Raw. He did win it, though, and carried that momentum over to Survivor Series, which is his event, having been a survivor in four consecutive SS events now (this year was the only time he wasn't the sole survivor). Now that he's getting back into the swing of things, look out. Last Week: NR 6. Samoa Joe Who: One of the top names in TNA What: Teamed with AJ Styles to defeat Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin on Impact.. defeated Tyler Black in a one-time-only return to RoH on Saturday Why: Well, for one, he gets bonus points for winning in two different promotions this week. Obviously, that's a rarity for the people eligible to be ranked here. While it was a disappointing match, overall, he was still part of a marquee match on Impact, and he then went to make his long-awaited return to RoH in a "Past VS Future" style match that was said to be really good. I don't doubt that for a second. Last Week: NR 7. The Undertaker Who: One of the top names on Smackdown What: Defeated Big Show in a Casket Match at Survivor Series Why: Even though I didn't like the match, or the entire feud as a whole, it was still one of the marquee things going on in all of WWE, and it appears that Taker has ended it correctly, and will now move on to feud with someone else. Whether it's against Umaga, some other name on the roster, or whether Taker throws his name into the mix for the WWE Title, he'll always be right towards the top of the Smackdown totem pole. Last Week: NR 8. Kevin Steen Who: One half of the RoH World Tag Team Champions What: Teamed with El Generico to defeat Jimmy Jacobs & Delirious on Friday.. teamed with El Generico to defeat Jay & Mark Briscoe on Saturday Why: "Kel Steenerico" is firing on all cylinders right now, and they're building up an impressive title reign with each passing show. They work so well together, and they're both improving as workers, which only promises even brighter things for their futures. The only reason Steen gets ranked ahead of Generico is that he picked up the pinfall in the Briscoes match. Real scientific shit right there, folks. Last Week: NR 9. El Generico Who: One half of the RoH World Tag Team Champions What: Teamed with Kevin Steen to defeat Jimmy Jacobs & Delirious on Friday.. teamed with Kevin Steen to defeat Jay & Mark Briscoe on Saturday Why: The "quiet" half of the team, Generico makes all of his noise in the ring with his high-flying and crazy-selling. There are people that think he has a possible RoH World Title reign in his future, but for now, he's a part of what could very well be the best tag team on the planet right now. Last Week: NR 10. The Miz Who: One of the top young names on ECW What: Teamed with John Morrison to defeat Shawn Michaels & Rey Mysterio on Raw.. teamed with John Morrison to defeat Jesse & Festus on Smackdown.. was a member of the losing team in an elimination match at Survivor Series Why: In what was a really good match on Raw, Miz got the pinfall victory over a man who has held 12 different titles in his WWF/WWE career (Shawn Michaels, of course). He then went on to get the pinfall victory in MorriMiz' match on Smackdown, and he closed out his week by getting an elimination of Shad Gaspard in their match at Survivor Series before being eliminated himself. That's a pretty busy week, I'd say. He just keeps getting better and better. Last Week: #20 11. Cody Rhodes Who: One of the top young names on Raw What: Teamed with Mark Henry & William Regal to defeat Matt Hardy, Finlay, & Kofi Kingston in a six-man match on ECW.. along with Randy Orton, won their elimination match at Survivor Series Why: If not for his showing on ECW, where he wasn't involved in the match all that much, he'd rank a bit higher on the list. Being a co-survivor with Randy Orton last night was huge for his career. He got to pin former World Champion CM Punk, and he made it to end, ahead of teammates Mark Henry (former ECW Champion), Shelton Benjamin (current US Champion), and William Regal (current IC Champion). Last Week: NR 12. John Morrison Who: One of the top young names on ECW What: Teamed with The Miz to defeat Shawn Michaels & Rey Mysterio on Raw.. teamed with The Miz to defeat Jesse & Festus on Smackdown.. was a member of the losing team in an elimination match at Survivor Series Why: While he may have the brighter future out of his current tag team, there's no denying that he didn't have as big of a week as The Miz did, hence Morrison coming in right behind his partner (lololol) in these rankings. Last Week: #12 13. Nigel McGuinness Who: RoH World Champion What: Lost a Non-Title Three-Way Match to Austin Aries & Tyler Black (but wasn't involved in the decision) on Friday.. defeated Bryan Danielson on Saturday Why: His match with Danielson was described as "epic", and while I haven't seen it, I'd almost believe that right off the bat, based on their classics with each other in the past. He ranks somewhat high on the list, even technically being on the losing end of the Three-Way Match, but Aries pinned Black, not him, so I can justify it. As of today, he's held the RoH World Title for 415 days, which is just unheard of these days. Last Week: NR 14. AJ Styles Who: One of the top names in TNA What: Teamed with Samoa Joe to defeat Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin on Impact Why: A somewhat slow week for AJ, but he was still involved in a big win on Impact, and although the stipulation tagged to the match is incredibly stupid, he still stands to become the new TNA World Champion at Final Resolution if his team can pull out the victory. Last Week: NR 15. The Great Khali Who: One of the top names on Smackdown What: Along with Shawn Michaels & Rey Mysterio, won their elimination match at Survivor Series Why: He's more of a comedy character these days, but he still picks up victories. I was pretty surprised that he was one of the survivors in the Team HBK VS Team JBL match, not because he shouldn't have been, but because I figured he wouldn't be involved too deeply in the match itself, and I couldn't picture him just standing on the apron for 20 or so minutes. Sure enough, though.. he did just that. Last Week: NR 16. Kevin Nash Who: A member of TNA's Main Event Mafia What: Teamed with Kurt Angle to defeat Matt Morgan & Abyss on Impact Why: The Main Event Mafia continue their winning ways, and since Nash is a member of said Main Event Mafia, that means he continues his winning ways, as well. Physically, he's limited in what he can do on a full-time basis right now, but he remains a huge, tough bastard that is one of the smartest wrestlers around. Last Week: NR 17. Go Shiozaki Who: A member of RoH's Sweet-N-Sour Inc. What: Defeated Sami Callahan, Rhett Titus, & Grizzly Redwood in a Four Corner Survival match on Friday.. teamed with Chris Hero & Davey Richards to defeat Brent Albright, Roderick Strong, & Ace Steel in a six-man tag match on Saturday Why: Sure, his win on Friday wasn't against the most top-notch competition on the planet, but it was still a win nonetheless, and he was on the victorious side of a big six-man tag match the next night. As he continues getting more and more experience working in this country, he continues to get better. He has a chance of being a major player in RoH in the future. Last Week: NR 18. Kurt Angle Who: A member of TNA's Main Event Mafia What: Teamed with Kevin Nash to defeat Matt Morgan & Abyss on Impact Why: Everything I said about Kevin Nash earlier holds true for Kurt Angle, other than the parts about being physically limited and huge. He even has a chance at getting the match against Jeff Jarrett that he has all but begged for, but he needs to beat Rhino at Final Resolution to get the match. Last Week: NR 19. Booker T Who: TNA Legends Champion, and a member of TNA's Main Event Mafia What: Defeated Eric Young in Impact Why: Beating Eric Young these days, although still not an earth-shattering event, means a lot more than it used to. The TNA Legends Champion should almost get ranked every week just for getting to own that gorgeous title belt, but it does take a little more than that for me to rank someone. Perhaps he should bribe me? Last Week: NR 20. Ezekiel Jackson Who: One of the top young names on Smackdown What: Teamed with The Brian Kendrick to defeat Carlito & Primo Colon in a non-title match on Smackdown Why: The company is giving him more and more ring time, which is a good thing, giving him experience and letting him improve before the inevitable feud he'll have down the line with Kendrick, once he stands up to TBK's bossy ways. They appear to be the #1 contenders for Carlito & Primo's titles, though, so it should be interesting to see if gold is in Big Zeke's near future. Last Week: NR 21. Shawn Michaels Who: One of the top names on Raw What: Teamed with Rey Mysterio and was defeated by The Miz & John Morrison on Raw.. along with Rey Mysterio & The Great Khali, won their elimination match at Survivor Series Why: Even though he was on the losing end of the tag match on Raw, it was still a great match, so he gets credit for being part of that. He's one of the few names that can lose and lose and lose, and still remain over and a legit main event guy, but he's still winning matches. Being one of the survivors last night was big. Last Week: NR 22. The Brian Kendrick Who: One of the top young names on Smackdown What: Teamed with Ezekiel Jackson to defeat Carlito & Primo Colon in a non-title match on Smackdown Why: He seems to be riding Big Zeke's wave of momentum to a title shot against Carlito & Primo, but hey, that's him being a good heel, isn't it? If he wins gold, he'll probably jump up into the first half of these rankings. Last Week: #18 23. Rey Mysterio Who: One of the top names on Raw What: Teamed with Shawn Michaels and was defeated by The Miz & John Morrison on Raw.. along with Shawn Michaels & The Great Khali, won their elimination match at Survivor Series Why: Hopefully his feud with Kane is finally over and he can focus on something else, because it's needed. Like Shawn Michaels, he still gets credit, even in a loss, because of just how good the match against MorriMiz was. He had a somewhat impressive performance last night at Survivor Series. Last Week: #5 24. DJ Gabriel Who: A brand new name on the ECW roster What: Defeated Sal Rinauro on ECW Why: "Alex Wright 2008" made his debut on ECW, and although his gimmick is silly, something about it is just silly enough that it could get over with fans. I'm not saying he'll be main eventing WrestleMania 25 or anything, but he could be a fun guy on ECW for the kids, as they could be Dancing Machines with him. ECW needs that. Last Week: NR 25. Consequences Creed Who: One of the top young names in TNA What: Teamed with Jay Lethal to defeat Sonjay Dutt & Hiroshi Tanahashi on Impact Why: His performance on Impact was probably some of his best work during his brief TNA career. His gimmick is probably too over-the-top for him to reach whatever the next level is, though, so I'd be hoping for some sort of a gimmick change if I were him. Maybe not a heel turn, but just something different other than a knockoff Apollo Creed. Last Week: NR After another wild week of college football, let's look at my Top 5 rankings, as well as my Top 5 Heisman Trophy candidates, once again. As usual, the team rankings come first: 1. Oklahoma - I had Texas Tech ranked as my #1 team in both of my rankings, and Oklahoma made them look ridiculously bad in a 65-21 laugher. Their offense looks like it could hang 40 points on most teams in the NFL right now. The fact that their defense absolutely shut down Texas Tech's offense was one of the bigger surprises of the year, in my opinion. A lot of people predicted an Oklahoma victory, but they still thought it would be a shootout on both ends. 2. Alabama - Sorry, Bama fans, but your team gets "punished" by having a bye week this time, instead of being "punished" for not being potent enough on offense. The "Iron Bowl" is coming up, and although it's a home game for the Crimson Tide, and although they're a much better team than the Tigers, you can never count out how hungry a team like Auburn will be to knock their hated rivals out of the national title picture. 2.9 Florida - Their modus operandi remains the same.. speed, speed, speed. Watching them is a real treat, as they just fly all over the field on both sides of the ball. They have a big rivalry game coming up when they travel to Tallahassee to face Florida State, who is looking better than they have in recent years, so this game is much more anticipated than it has been in a while. The Gators shouldn't overlook Florida State's defense, who is playing really well so far this season. 4. Texas - They had a bye week this weekend, but they moved up in most people's rankings due to Texas Tech's loss. On Thanksgiving day, they play in-state rival Texas A&M. Again, you can never overlook a rival, as they'll be looking to knock you off, but with Texas' potent offense facing A&M's porous defense, it could get ugly quickly. 5. Utah - The Utes had 12 opponents on their schedule, and they now have 12 victories to show for it, and they'll be a highly-ranked BCS crasher when bowl season rolls around. You simply can't hate on them, as they've done everything that has been asked of them, and they've been doing it well. Next up, the Heisman Trophy candidates: 1. Sam Bradford (QB, Oklahoma) - 68% pass completion rate.. 3,710 passing yards.. 42 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions.. 4 rushing touchdowns 2. Colt McCoy (QB, Texas) - 77% pass completion rate.. 3,134 passing yards.. 30 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions.. 527 rushing yards (leads the team).. 8 rushing touchdowns 2.9 Tim Tebow (QB, Florida) - 66% pass completion rate.. 2,114 passing yards.. 22 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions.. 427 rushing yards.. 11 rushing touchdowns (leads the team) 4. Graham Harrell (QB, Texas Tech) - 71% pass completion rate.. 4,438 passing yards.. 39 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions.. 6 rushing touchdowns 5. Michael Crabtree (WR, Texas Tech) - 84 receptions.. 1,072 receiving yards.. 18 touchdowns Click Here For The HIPE & HIPRN Archives, in case you'd like to go back and read any of my 50 or so Main Page columns What Hustle Is Listening To Right Now: "Heart Songs" by Weezer.. "In The Trunk" by Bone Thugs N Harmony & Swizz Beatz.. "Sittin At A Bar" by Rehab.. "Sick & Tired" by Nappy Roots & Anthony Hamilton.. "I Got 5 On It (Remix)" by The Luniz, Dru Down, E-40, Shock G, Richie Rich, & Spice 1 Writer's Note: Quite possibly coming soon to The HIPE.. a column all about "Hustle, Loyalty, & Respect" that has nothing (well, very little, anyway) to do with John Cena. Some of you reading this are about to be put completely on Front Street. It's been a long time coming, and you've had opportunities to fix the situation, but have failed to do so. Time to get aired out. Damn, we got through another one? The HIPE Train just continues steamrolling along, and I'm glad you're all along for the ride. Believe The HIPE. It's real. Keep those "Ask Hustle" questions coming in, as another edition will be dropping sometime this week. I'll be back tomorrow.. same Hustle time, same Hustle page.. with another banger, even though I haven't quite figured out what it'll be yet. Until then, from a place where the sun finally came out yesterday, I bid you farewell. Aloha and Mahalo Nui Loa. "I'm exceedin expectations, you barely meeting quota.. I give it to em straight, you cut it with baking soda.." "See, that's the difference between you and I.. you get money, and you get crazy.. I get crazy, and I get money.." Hustle HIPRNFeedback@gmail.com 
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