Around THE Horn
– The first Around The Horn of the new yearâ€â€and unfortunately for all of us wrestling fans, things haven’t changed much.
The Shows:
RAW
HHHouston we have a problem:
And for the “E†it definitely is a HUGE problem. As plans were concerned- it scraps everything WWE had in motion for Wrestlemania and DX with HHH’s injury. For many, this may be a good thing as this puts a halt to another possible HHH title run, beefs up mainly Edge and tag along Orton, and forces RAW to set up some new contenders for Cena to take against. Personally, I definitely see this as a good thing- I’ve been gun-ho for the DX thing, but I wasn’t ready for HHH to take up the spotlight once more. I’m looking for Edge to step it up again and the possibility of someone new as well (as long as it’s not Masters or anyone like that). Plus, I’m not sure if anyone else mentioned it, but this may be a good oppritunity for HBK story wise to possible “recruit†new DX members and in the process put over the new talent they are trying to set up- whether it be as heels or faces. To bad Kenny is already set up- this would be a perfect fit.
To be honest, I’ve only caught glimpse of RAW during the holidays- mainly because I was uninterested and there was NFL football and College Bowl Games to be had. Plus I’d see the Boise State vs. Oklahoma game a thousand times over before seeing Khali take on Cena or “Donald†vs. “Rosieâ€Â. This is starting to look like a low point for RAW.
Rating: C
ECW
Is finishing a match too much nowadays?:
Thankfully there isn’t much on Tuesday’s and while I did see the Orange Bowl, it didn’t completely take my attention away from ECW. But what was really disappointing about it was how they catch everybody’s attention with two straight ECW title matches against RVD and Lashley, yet on both occasions fail to deliver an ending. Amazingly enough the whole RVD/Lashley hasn’t been as bad as expected- but common- I’m tired of these fluke endings in wrestling, and yes this is the “new†ECW, but this is ECW!!!
Even as I complain- RVD/Lashley has been keeping this show afloat- Punk continues to do what he does (even if its against Holly) and the other matches have been fairly viewable. If you’re looking for a wrestling show to watch without getting too much frustrated, this is that show. Plus it’s only an hour!
Rating: B
Smackdown!
The 2-Minute Warning:
Smackdown has been relatively stuck in neutral over the past few weeks- nothing major to report about, not much to go over. It’s pretty much a wrestling show with just- well wrestling (who would have thought huh!?) People you have to start looking after is Chavo- Booker- and Kennedy.
Really there isn’t much to complain about this show, even though it’s been stable, this is just wrestling as it purest. And with the clock measures they had this past Smackdown it’s just trying to find its way and get viewers. To bad I don’t have the CW network- cuz I’d be watching this one over RAW
Rating: A
TNA
No TNA this time for me- sorry.
PPV: New Year’s Revolution
This PPV was just one of those under the radar shows that really didn’t have anything to grab anyone’s attention. But HHH’s injury has picked up the headlines and he’s expected to be out up to 6- maybe 9 months to rehab another devastating injury to the game. Love him or hate him- you have to give the guy props for finishing the match.
Plus was there anyone out there who sort of wanted to see Cena lose the title to Umaga. It just seems that Umaga has more (dare I say) fire in the way he’s performing than Cena? Just a thought.
And I know people don’t like this guy- but Jeff Hardy continues to stay constant and maintain his fan base. Another solid match to keep his IC title around his waist.
Kenny has started to move up the ladder- taking on Flair was just the first step.
Rating: B-
The Extras:
— Putting on the Mask:
HHH:
I honestly need to see this as a blessing in disguise. I started to hear the rumblings of the DX act starting to get stale- hell I was even hearing it from the rejects over at TNA and even though I’m a fan favorite right now- I know there are some people who aren’t that quite ready to carry another title reign. If I look at this in the positive light- I get time off to rest, and time off from the fan base. I get to spend time with my new daughter and Steph (ok, maybe the Steph part isn’t such a positive). And when everything is set for my return, I’m guaranteed another title shot with another run at the top with the fans behind my back. Truth be told- it’s time to reset the game.
— The Cheap Shot:
Craptacular match endings: First I hit on ref bumps now I’m going after the finishes. It’s bad enough that 75% of the matches end with refs missing it up, but then there’s the other 24% of the time where we get no ending at all. A no contest- draw- undecided. Enough. We want to see winners and we want to see losers. We pay to see someone get their ass kicked- if there is outside interference then so be it- but at least have someone win the damn thing. Like how it’s been said before, ending things in a tie is like kissing your little brother- no one wants to do that and no one wants to see it. The only time it’s worked was in Rocky and that was 30 some odd years ago. The last time I checked, the clock hit midnight and turned to 2007. Oh by the way Rocky Balboa was one hell of a movie!
The Wrap-up:
— Football Fix:
Did anyone see butterfinger fumble that capped off Romo and the Cowboys season? That had to be the biggest botch in playoff history and it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving team. Romo was a fluke- he didn’t deserve to be voted in the Pro Bowl by playing half a season in which half of that was average. The first few games he played were successful because he was lucky and no one had tape on him. Well the magical season is over (finally) and now Romo is just another average QB backup and its time for the Cowboys organization to implode thanks to the T.O. virus just like what happened to 49ers and the Eagles. Hope you enjoyed this year Cowgirl fans- cuz it doesn’t look like it’s gonna get any better next year. Other than that massive choke job- the only one that can stand up next to that is simple: Ohio State and the Big Ten Conference (Michigan)- so much for your “dominanceâ€Â- ouch. Word of advice, play people next year during your regular season who actually matter! Then we’ll see how good you are.
Playoff Picks: SAINTS- SEAHAWKS- COLTS- PATRIOTS
— Last Word:
The winter break has finally come to a close- but it has been worth it. Good holidays- good games- Playstation 3 and Fall of Man: Resistance works out pretty well. So as the next column that rolls around, school will be back in session and the break will be over. So till then- if there’s anything anyone wants to share- hit me up- the door is always open.
