Sunday, February 28, 2010

Smackdown 02/26/10

Smackdown 02/26/10

Smackdown from Milwaukee, Wisconsin

First off, let me apologize for not being here last week. I had an intense weekend, filled with a variety of emotions, stories, and an awesome Alpha 1 Wrestling Show that I will be touching on at the end of the report. Things are rapidly changing, so I want some feedback on the new style in the report.

Welcome to another excellent episode of Smackdown. First off, the show starts with a great package showcasing the fallout of The Elimination Chamber PPV, adding to the build for Undertaker’s match with Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania, in less than thirty days.

Tonight, we emanate from the good land of beer and cheese, Milwaukee, Wisconsin! Matt Striker and Todd Grisham, as usual, are manning the desk, and reminding us all about who the top is and who the bottom is.

Chris Jericho makes his way down to the ring, carrying the ten pounds of gold that is the World Heavyweight title. This promo is really great, as usual. He’s going to do everything he can to be the smart, evil heel. He goes on about how Monday was to be his crowning achievement, but it was stolen from him by Edge. This brings out Edge, who goes on to do a great promo featuring an over usage of the word ‘Spear’. I love how they are putting over the Spear as his main weapon, and it looks great. It’s just as good if not better than Bill Goldberg’s.

This is a going to be such a great match, going like two Canadians fighting over the last beer. Edge says Jericho doesn’t believe that he can beat him. He has doubt in his eyes, and Edge thinks he’s in Jericho’s head all nightmare long. Edge wants Jericho at his best, the best in the world, for Wrestlemania, because if he isn’t, and he comes to the show with doubt in his eyes, one more spear and it’s all over. The crowd is really into this segment at this point. Jericho says Edge will never spear him again, and hooks Edge. He goes to hit the Codebreaker, but misses and lands in Edge’s sights for a big spear. The posturing has begun, and the belt is on the line, come thirty days in Phoenix. With the end of that, we head into the first commercial break of the night.

As we come back from commercial, we get a Mania video package and AC/DC’s Thunderstruck, leading into a three way match for a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match at Wrestlemania. Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on with this match and the PPV of the same name, but I’m hoping its just filler until they come up with something better.

Match 1: Dolph Ziggler vs. R-Truth vs. John Morrison

The match was fast paced and well timed. Truth came down with David Otunga, his protégé from the NXT program. I’ve seen little bits of this guy, and if he can get his in ring stuff together, he could be something down the line. He’s a magnificent specimen, as Stu Hart would say. Ziggler plays a great heel, though out the whole match, and I can really see something coming from this guy down the road. At one point, Truth and Ziggler are outside, by the announce table, and Otunga just sits there while Truth is out on the ground. He should have got up and attempted to help him, if they’re to be the team/mentors that they want from the NXT experiment. Ziggler ends up winning this after Morrison hits Truth with Starship Pain, stealing one, and I like this. He’s heading to the big ladder match, and I hope that it’s good things for him. I don’t see him winning it, necessarily, but I can certainly see him making some good spots in the match.

As we come back from commercial, we see an absolutely STELLAR video package to explain the whole Undertaker-HBK feud. I am totally and completely into this story and I simply cannot wait to see how it all pans out. If it were me, I would retire HBK with the Deadman at Mania, and then have Taker get beat next year by some young punk, giving them the rub of a lifetime.

Match 2: Michelle McCool vs. Mickie James

Vickie Guererro is the guest referee tonight, so that automatically puts this entire thing out the window. At one point, she falls on her fat ass and just makes an overall idiot of herself. She slaps Mickie across the face, which gives McCool time to hit a nice crescent kick to the head, and McCool picks up the pin and the win to become the new Women’s Champion. This whole thing has gone on too long, but I’m assuming that it’s going to lead to Beth Phoenix taking on both of them in a three way for the belt at Mania. I could also see Mickie taking some time off, doing the country music album, and having just Beth and McCool at Mania, and that too, could be something really special.

Match 3: Kane vs. Drew McIntyre


This was a Money in the Bank qualifier as well, and Kane did a number on McIntyre. In about five minutes, Kane hoofed Drew in the skull and pulled out the win. Everyone knows we need at least one big guy in the ladder match, and I guess Kane is back in again this year. I’m sure we’ll get Mark Henry or Finlay in there as well, coming up closer to the event. While I’m all for an IC title defense at Wrestlemania, I thought we would get Drew into the MitB match for sure. With Morrison and Truth losing this week, perhaps one of them will be into something with Drew coming into the end of the month and into Wrestlemania.

Drew does this whole psychotic, pissed off loser after the match, this being his first loss, and I’m hoping we don’t get the whiney pussy loser out of this. He’s much too good for that and I think he’s got more talent to do much more, if given the chance.

Miz comes out to the ring, covered in belts. Now that he’s the tag champ, he can be on any show, at any time. I don’t see Daniel Bryan and I don’t see Big Show, so I guess he’s all by his lonesome tonight. Miz says he wants someone for Wrestlemania, in the tag division. He demands Teddy Long finds him a tag team, because he needs to have his Wrestlemania and because he’s awesome. I gotta tell you, I don’t believe it.

Teddy comes out, and says since Big Show isn’t here, he’s gonna have some singles action for Miz. He sets him up with Edge for later on, and I’m already stoked for it. All I know is, that if Miz and Show are looking for a tag match at Mania, I’m hoping it’s the Hart Dynasty.

Commercials hit, and when we come back, it’s Punk vs. Shelton Benjamin, who avoided the big axe and came to Smackdown from the former ECW. I don’t know if anyone else is on my wavelength here, but I think I could go for seeing the Worlds Greatest Tag Team making a comeback. The matches they could have with The Dynasty, Legacy, or Colt and Barreta would be fantastic.

Match 4: Shelton Benjamin vs. CM Punk

Surprisingly, this match was only about five minutes long, and if they had maybe ten more, it would have been a complete and total wrestling clinic. Shelton has been in almost every Bank Ladder Match, more than any other athlete in the WWE, and I hope that this year’s display is just as good as every other year. He’s the king of the big bump. The match ends up breaking down with Mysterio coming out to distract Punk long enough for Shelton to hit Paydirt and get his one way ticket to the biggest show of the year. I guess that this cements Punk and Mysterio for the show as well, and I can only assume that the match will be off the charts. I just hope the story going in is as compelling as Punk is as the heel.

So to recap, the Ladder match will consist of Christian, Kane, Shelton Benjamin, and Dolph Ziggler. I would think we’ll get maybe two or four more entrants, but as to who that will be; only time will tell. Right now, I’m hoping we see Evan Bourne, Yoshi Tatsu, Kofi Kingston, or maybe Zack Ryder. All of those guys could use the elevation and are certainly deserving of a great spot on an awesome show.

I’m surprised, but I didn’t see a Hall of Fame clip for Wendi Richter tonight. That’s going to be some acceptance speech, what with it being the ORIGINAL screw job and all, if shoot interviews on YouTube are to be believed.

Match 5: The Miz vs. Edge

The match got about 12 minutes and it was exactly what I needed to see out of the Miz. This guy is really coming along great, he’s a superb heel, and his mic skills are top notch. Certainly a lot better than what we saw out of Truth and Morrison last week, which was overall ridiculous. The more chances he gets to work with top tier talent, the more he’s going to end up endearing himself to enough fans to build a solid base. He and Edge seemed to compliment one another quite well, and I would be very interested in seeing more out of these two in the coming months. I was really expecting Jericho to make a run in or at least get Edge disqualified or something. Edge getting over clean made sense, but it would have made MORE sense to have Jericho come down for a little action for himself.

The show this week ends with Edge celebrating, the fans letting him know how much he was missed since he’s been gone.

So, we got the beginning of our Wrestlemania lineup, and it looks good thus far. I’m sure we’re going to see Mysterio rocking an awesome Iron Man costume at Wrestlemania, since he tends to do the whole superhero thing on that night. The Ladder Match is always a high point for me, and I’m sure the rest of the show will be padded with some great action.

So, as I mentioned before, I spent last weekend working at the Alpha 1 Wrestling show in Hamilton and MAN OH MAN, what a SHOW! If you don’t get out to the Indy’s very often, or you just don’t have the inclination to see some non television talent, you should give this at least the benefit of the doubt. I saw some of the best young talent in Ontario this past Sunday, from Scotty O’Shea to Ethan Page and from Colin Delaney to 'Big Rig' Brodie Lee. Lee has possibly the BEST big boot in the business right now, very reminiscent of the late Andrew ‘Test’ Martin. Scotty O’Shea’s match with Josh Alexander had to be match of the night, although the entire card was well booked, well organized, and full of action packed entertainment.

I’ll include the link to some of the video from the event, featuring yours truly on the stick, and implore you fans once again, to get out and see your local talent. Sometimes, it’s better than what you see on Thursday night. Wait… IT IS BETTER THAN THURSDAY NIGHT. The next Alpha 1 show will be coming up on April 11th, and the tickets should be available soon, along with the card and lineup.

If you want to contact me, you can always do so through the Fight Network, or on Facebook at Jeff ‘Fat Jack’ Goodridge. Hope to talk to some of you soon! Let me know if you like my old format, or the new style. I’m always looking for new ways to meet the needs of the wrestling faithful online!

Jeff Goodridge is a freelance writer and a lifelong wrestling fan. If it weren’t for people like Mr. Perfect, Ricky Steamboat, Brian Pillman and Bret Hart, he would have fallen out of love with it a long time ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrjBbJ8f2M4

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Alpha 1 Pro Wrestling COMETH!



ALPHA 1

Ladies and gentlemen, I have seen some amazing wrestling in my life. I was there when Randy Orton beat Chris Benoit for the World Heavyweight Title. I was there when John Cena threw up under the ring at Copps. But what I saw, on Feb. 21 was something extraordinary.

Not only did I get my first real taste of Indy tag Sensations, The Super Smash Brothers, but I also bore witness to possibly one of the best cruiserweight style matches I have ever seen in my life. Josh Alexander and Scotty 'Hacker' O'Shea went the time limit and showed not only could they get the crowd rocking, but also keep them sucked in for the entire match. Some might have said it went too long, but that was the point, and I enjoyed every second of it.

Another standout from the event, was the battle between Ethan Page and former WWE wrestler, Colin Delaney. These two guys went for all of it, going with a few high spots but doing some great mat wrestling as well. I would have to say, that with Melo in his corner and Joey Kings having his back, only Ethan Page will decide how far and how fast he can climb the wrestling ladder into utter and complete stardom.

The next Aplha 1 Wrestling show will be in Hamilton on April 11th, showcasing more of the great indy talent that our continent has to offer and I emplore all my readers to get out, see the show, enjoy what is fastly going to become the coolest thing to do in Hamilton since Roller Gardens went out of buisness!