This Week in ‘E – A Quiet Week in Connecticut

If a week in the wrestling industry goes by without any news, does the week really happen?

Opening Witty Banter
Welcome to another edition of ‘This Week in E’ my faithful readers. Has it been a week already? I’ve got nothing important to report and apparently WWE doesn’t either. I’ve complained about slow news weeks before but this week might take the cake. There’s a couple interesting tidbits, but nothing to write home to mom about. Apparently X-Pac is out of rehab and looking to get back into WWE but that rumor has been coming around for years now, and John Cena continues to think Rock is a meanie for leaving wrestling, but this is starting to sound more like WWE fishing for a WrestleMania dream match than anything.

Random Filabuster
There is really nothing happening in the ‘E right now that I would consider a “Big Story” so in the instances when there is nothing worth reporting, I’m going to take my virtual space to speak on whatever comes to mind…hence the filabuster line.

Let’s see what I can come up with at a quarter to midnight…

Remember when…

– Tag teams were plentiful, and they had a cool team name, matching tights and even cooler double team finishing moves.

– Terry Funk was considered old twenty years ago when he retired the first time.

– A decade ago high schools were littered with people wearing wrestling t-shirts and Tommy Hilfiger jeans.

– Male managers were plentiful and they had run a whole stable of men that never interacted with each other.

– WWF pay per views could have up to 14 matches per show, and anything considered eight was considered a massive disappointment.

– There was a time when Vince McMahon would look viewers straight in the eye and say that “Virgil could very well win this year’s Royal Rumble.”

– The Miz and John Morrison were just MTV reality show participants.

– Wrestling magazines were the only way to get “inside” information.

– Vince Russo was considered “cutting edge” rather than a walking punch line.

– Scott Hall changed the wrestling world thanks to his appearance on Nitro on Memorial Day nearly twelve years ago.

– the North American wrestling landscape was littered with promotions, from WWF and WCW to ECW, Smokey Mountain, USWA and the GWF.

– We didn’t all think that Ultimate Warrior was legit bat-shit crazy.

Not bad for twenty minutes of thinking off the top of my head. It’s now well past my bed time, so good night to one and all out there in Internet-land.

Everything Else Fit For Print
According to the Wrestling Observer, “Rey Mysterio was scheduled to return to the ring from bicep surgery next month. However, the company has pulled him from all house shows in June. No return date for Mysterio has been set either. WWE had plans for Mysterio to return at One Night Stand on 6/1 because it’s in his hometown of San Diego, but that’s obviously off the cards.”

Mysterio has really become a shell of his former self in the past few years. Personally I have been pretty much tuned off from him since his abysmal pity World Title reign in 2006. I really hope he can overcome all of these injuries and continue to make a successful living, but he just isn’t the same guy that blew American audiences’ minds back in 1996. On a side note its great to hear that Mysterio wasn’t injured during that massive earthquake that struck China last week, as he was over there doing promotion for the company.

Wrestling Observer is also reporting that it was Vince McMahon’s decision to strip Undertaker of the World Championship. He apparently feels that Edge is a better champion than challenger, and Undertaker is best with strong challengers.

It is also reported that Vince also felt that Edge and Undertaker wasn’t a “money match” yet it has now run three pay per views in a row. And judging from tonight’s result from Judgment Day it looks like we might be up for match four in two weeks at One Night Stand.

Ric Flair has a new DVD coming out in July, and the match contents have been released already. And since I’m such a mark for Flair and there’s nothing else to write about, here’s the rundown:

Complete Matches
*Jack Brisco vs. Ric Flair – Mid-Atlantic (8/18/82)
*2 out of 3 Falls Match: Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair – World Class (8/24/82)
*Ric Flair vs. Harley Race – Mid-Atlantic (8/31/83)
*Ric Flair & The Andersons vs. Dusty Rhodes & Magnum TA & Manny Fernandez (12/15/82)
*Sting vs. Ric Flair – NWA Clash of the Champions I
*Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk – NWA Great American Bash ’89 PPV
*Ric Flair vs. Roddy Piper – 10/28/91 WWF at Madison Square Garden
*Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat – WCW Spring Stampede 1994 PPV
*Steel Cage: Triple H vs. Ric Flair – WWE Taboo Tuesday 2005 PPV
*Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE Wrestlemania XXIV

“Ric Flair Stories”
*Too Many Distractions
*Buying Boots
*Bleaching His Hair
*Hanging with the Outlaws
*Ric’s Relationship with the Members of Evolution

Extras
*A DVD documentary on Flair covering his career beginning through Wrestlemania 24.
*Ric Flair receiving the Key to the City March 24, 2008
*Ric Flair Tribute Video
*Ric Flair’s Raw Farewell Address

Promos
*Limousine Drivin’ Jet Flyin’
*Stylin & Profilin’ – NWA World Championship Wrestling May 25, 1985
*Take a Ride on Space Mountain – NWA World Championship Wrestling June 22, 1985
*The Boss – NWA World Championship Wrestling August 17, 1985
*Slick Ric – NWA World Championship Wrestling September 7, 1985
*Real Men Stay Up – NWA World Championship Wrestling September 21, 1985
*What’s Causing All This – NWA World Championship Wrestling December 20, 1985
*Space Mountainettes – NWA World Championship Wrestling April 7, 1987
*Golden Spoon – NWA World Championship Wrestling November 13, 1987

I’m glad the legendary 45 minute draw with Sting and ’94 match with Steamboat will finally be released. But I wish is Starrcade ’93 match against Vader was included as well. But the true buy for this one is to have the entire farewell address, easily the one of the top five most emotional moments in wrestling history.

RAW’s On Tonight!
WWE.com hasn’t released an official preview of tonight’s RAW, but following last night’s Judgment Day expect some pay per view fallout and the start of some new directions. One Night Stand is only a couple weeks away so build for that card is going to have to come hard and fast. At Judgment Day Triple H won and so did John Cena, so does the build to their much-awaited rematch start or will more rematches be in store? Plus Jeff Hardy returned last week and is back in the same spot he was when left. Mr. Kenendy is also on a newly found face hot streak and he should be featured prominently as well. And the goodness between Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels and Batista thankfully isn’t over yet either.

On Last Week’s Episode…
Hepple gets to review an episode of SmackDown! featuring Funaki versus Vladimir Kozlov and a main event where one of the participants is in a wheelchair. I know I was envious.

Blatt continues his ongoing visit into the land of Extreme, while MM can only muster up 5 thoughts about the show.

Marshall brings the love for RAW. I mean on what other show can you hear such a quality rendition of Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler?”

How They Rated
A.M. RAW (5.11.08) – .7

RAW (5.12.08) – 3.3

ECW (5.13.08) – 1.1

SmackDown! (5.16.08) – 2.4

This is Boring, What Else is There to Read?
Glazer talks about how he’s swearing off ROH for good and becoming a convert of TNA.

Wiswell has a really good piece about ROH’s upcoming World Tag Championship tournament.

In Case You Didn’t Spend the $40
Here’s the quick ‘n’ dirty results from last night’s Judgment Day card, courtesy of Marshall’s live coverage. Oh yeah, and there’s some guy called Scott Keith who’s also back to his old ways, recapping pay per views live as they happen.

Cody Rhodes and Bob Holly beat Santino Marella and Carlito in a dark match before the PPV aired
John Cena pinned JBL. (15:09)
John Morrison and The Miz beat Kane and CM Punk in a WWE Tag Championship match. (7:30)
Shawn Michaels pinned Chris Jericho in a non-title match. (15:56)
Mickie James beat Melina and Beth Phoenix in a three-way dance for the Women’s Championship. (4:55)
Undertaker beat Edge by count out in a match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. (16:30) As a result the Championship still remains vacant.
Jeff Hardy pinned MVP. (9:50)
Triple H beat Randy Orton in a cage match to retain the WWE Championship. (21:20)

IP Staff Roundtable Results for WWE Backlash
Here’s the IP staff’s roundtable picks for Judgment Day.

Paul Marshall, MM and Raffi Shamir all came out at 4-2, so congrats to all of you.