This Week in ‘E – OH MY GOD!

Columns, News, Top Story

Joey Styles gives JBL the “right hand from hell” while the company says good-bye to everyone’s favorite foot fetishing baby killer. Meanwhile Jeff Hardy finally reaches the pinnacle of his career as I beg he doesn’t an RVD in the coming weeks ahead.

Opening Witty Banter
Congrats to the Vikings for an absolute pounding they put on the Cardinals today. I would be out celebrating, but the booze has already wore off, the hangover has already kicked in and it has now gone from 45 degrees and raining this morning in Minneapolis to below zero with a foot of snow on the ground, and growing. Gotta love this Minnesota weather. If you don’t like it, just wait around and it will change soon enough.

Let’s take some ‘E…

The News of the Week
The biggest, and most awesome, news of the week has to be the tale of Joey Styles punching out JBL during the company’s recent tour of Iraq. Apparently JBL spent the majority of the trip bullying Styles, being rude and even going so far as spilling a drink on Styles on purpose. JBL is a known bully and hazer in the WWE locker room, so even though many in the company don’t like his antics they put up with it due to his longevity. But apparently on this trip JBL did something to piss Styles off bad enough that Styles threw a punch that laid out JBL and gave him a black eye.

Many felt this was karma coming back to bite JBL in the ass after his known antics in the past, most notably his shoot on the Blue Meanie at the first “One Night Stand” and his abuse of Palmer Cannon back on an early 2006 European tour.

The next night on RAW, JBL was apparently out of character, keeping himself quiet and away from the boys in backstage. Styles, to his credit, tried to downplay the incident when it was brought up. This was Styles’ first trip to Iraq, which was something he was quite excited to be a part of, while JBL has always been an instrumental part on bringing WWE to Iraq all these years.

This is just fantastic news in my opinion. The stories are legendary around the IWC in regards to JBL’s backstage locker room antics, and I find it just brilliant that little Joey Styles, the lowly WWE.com guy, was the one who stood up to big bad JBL. The fact that JBL chose to act like this on WWE’s most important trip of the year, where the company builds up all the goodwill and PR they can is just a not-so-classy move. Styles seems like a guy who could keep a low profile about something like this. And judging by Joey’s appearances that night on RAW it appears as if no punishment will be coming to him for his retaliation. I wonder if Blue Meanie sent Joey a congratulations card.

On Saturday night at a house show in Hamilton, Ontario, The Miz and John Morrison beat CM Punk and Kofi Kingston to win the World Tag Championships. So far no behind the scenes reasons have been told as to why the sudden title switch, so perhaps they just wanted to spice up the house shows with a random title change in hopes of building attendance back up.

I for one am happy with the result as this means Miz and Morrison will remain a tandem for the foreseeable future. In an era where tag teams start and then dissolve within six months, it’s good to know that these two are remaining as close to as a long term pairing as you can get these days. On the other hand, remember when Punk and Kofi were feuding with Randy Orton and Priceless in a hot main event feud only for the program to be abruptly end? Yeah, me neither.

The rumor has been swirling that Victoria is planning on retiring as an in-ring performer in he near future. She has been with the company since 2002 and been the top female performer and the company down to the lowly enhancement talent she has become. Her knees are shot as she’s needed surgery on them for years but opted to go with the large brace option apparently at the suggestion of Stone Cold Steve Austin. She’s the last of the wrestling divas that were the rage back in 2002 as Trish, Lita, Molly, Jazz, Jacqueline and Ivory are all no longer with the company.

Victoria is a great talent who is awesome at making young, plucky, virtually untrained divas look good in the ring. If she were to leave it would be a big gap to fill. Perhaps if she retires from in-ring competition perhaps the company would be wise enough to keep her on as a trainer for the young females coming up in developmental.

It seems as if this column doesn’t go a week without another talent release. This time the unlucky guy was Gene Snitsky, as the company released him on December 11.

It wasn’t his fault. Okay, now that I got that joke beaten into the ground, I must say I’m surprised Snitsky lasted a solid four years in the company. He came in with what seemingly was a one-note gimmick as baby killer extraordinaire, but he transferred himself into the psycho hygienically challenged stalker. With Mike Knox transferred over the RAW recently it seemed as if he would take Snitksy’s place as the silent stalker of the brand.

In developmental news, Hade Vansen will be debuting on SmackDown! soon under a mask and gimmick that apparently is similar to Christopher Daniels’ “Fallen Angel” gimmick.

The first vignette aired this past week on SmackDown! and I’m intrigued to see where it goes. But what happened to the Kizarney videos?

Ryan Braddock will be apparently be repackaged and re-debut on SmackDown! under an Elvis-style gimmick.

Oh wow, that sounds like it has money written all over it.

As if I don’t give Vince McMahon enough of my money, it has been announced that the company will be releasing a three-disc “Best of Saturday Night’s Main Event” DVD in early 2009. Here’s the rundown of the awesomeness:

Disc 1:
Gene Okerlund – A Must See Attraction

WWE Championship Match: Hulk Hogan vs. ‘Cowboy’ Bob Orton – Saturday Night’s Main Event May 11, 1985

Uncle Elmer’s Wedding – Saturday Night’s Main Event October 5, 1985

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff – Saturday Night’s Main Event October 5, 1985

A Trip to the Zoo – Saturday Night’s Main Event October 5, 1985

Gene Okerlund – Field Reporting

Halloween Contest – Saturday Night’s Main Event November 2, 1985

WWE Championship Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Terry Funk – Saturday Night’s Main Event January 4, 1986

Randy Orton Reflects on his Dad

Boxing Match: Mr. T. vs. ‘Cowboy’ Bob Orton – Saturday Night’s Main Event March 1, 1986

Gene Okerlund – Settling the Score

Snake Pit Match: Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat – Saturday Night’s Main Event October 4, 1986

Jake “The Snake” Reflects on Saturday Night’s Main Event

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: “Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts – Saturday Night’s Main Event November 29, 1986

Gene Okerlund – The Steel Cage Match

Steel Cage Match: Hulk Hogan vs. “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff – Saturday Night’s Main Event January 3, 1987

Gene Okerlund – The 8th Wonder of the World

Battle Royal: Saturday Night’s Main Event March 14, 1987

Natalya Neidhart Reflects on her Dad

Best 2 out of 3 Falls: Hart Foundation vs. British Bulldogs – Saturday Night’s Main Event May 2, 1987

Gene Okerlund – Insurance Policy

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Honky Tonk Man vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage – Saturday Night’s Main Event October 3, 1987

Mega Power Formation – Saturday Night’s Main Event October 3, 1987

The Union of the Mega Powers

“Piledriver” Music Video – Saturday Night’s Main Event October 3, 1987

“Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Bret Hart
Saturday Night’s Main Event November 28, 1987

Extras:
First Ever Match on SNME: Ricky Steamboat & The US Express vs. The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff & George “The Animal” Steele – Saturday Night’s Main Event – May 11, 1985

“Real American” Music Video: Saturday Night’s Main Event – March 1, 1986

Disc 2:
Gene Okerlund – Turning Back the Clock

WWE Championship Match: Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy – Saturday Night’s Main Event January 2, 1988

Gene Okerlund – The Rematch

WWE Championship Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant – The Main Event February 5, 1988

Ted DiBiase, Jr. Reflects on his Dad

“Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. “Million $ Man” Ted DiBiase – Saturday Night’s Main Event March 12, 1988

Andre Passes Out – Saturday Night’s Main Event March 12, 1988

Hulk Hogan vs. “The King” Harley Race – Saturday Night’s Main Event March 12, 1988

Gene Okerlund – Macho Madness

“Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Andre the Giant – Saturday Night’s Main Event November 26, 1988

“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan Reflects on His Flag Match – Saturday Night’s Main Event November 26, 1988

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Ultimate Warrior vs. Honky Tonk Man – Saturday Night’s Main Event January 7, 1989

Beefcake Shaves Ron Bass’ head – Saturday Night’s Main Event January 7, 1989

Gene Okerlund – A Supreme Alliance

Twin Towers vs. Mega Powers – Main Event February 3, 1989

Gene Okerlund – A Grueling Encounter

Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship: Hulk Hogan vs. Big Boss Man – Saturday Night’s Main Event May 27, 1989

Best 2 out of 3 Falls: Rockers vs. Brain Busters – Saturday Night’s Main Event November 25, 1989

Extras:
Brother Love Interviews Hulk Hogan – Saturday Night’s Main Event – November 26, 1988

Dusty Rhodes vs. Big Boss Man: Sapphire’s Debut – Saturday Night’s Main Event – November 25, 1989

Disc 3:
Gene Okerlund – Hogan vs. The Genius

Mr. Perfect & The Genius Smash the WWE Title – Saturday Night’s Main Event November 25, 1989

Hulk Hogan & Ultimate Warrior vs. Mr. Perfect & The Genius — Saturday Night’s Main Event January 27, 1990

Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura on Horseback – Saturday Night’s Main Event April 28, 1990

Hulk Hogan vs. Mr. Perfect – Saturday Night’s Main Event April 28, 1990

Arrogance

The Rockers vs. Hart Foundation – Saturday Night’s Main Event April 28, 1990

Gene Okerlund – Intercontinental Competition

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Mr. Perfect vs. Tito Santana – Saturday Night’s Main Event July 28, 1990

Oktoberfest – Saturday Night’s Main Event October 13, 1990

20 Man Battle Royal – Saturday Night’s Main Event April 27, 1991

Bret Hart vs. “Million $ Man” Ted DiBiase – Saturday Night’s Main Event April 27, 1991

Gene Okerlund – FOX Takes Over

Undertaker & Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan & Sid – Saturday Night’s Main Event February 8, 1992

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper Shocks The Mountie – Saturday Night’s Main Event February 8, 1992

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: British Bulldog vs. Shawn Michaels – Saturday Night’s Main Event November 14, 1992

Gene Okerlund – The Return

Street Fight: Shawn Michaels vs. Shane McMahon – Saturday Night’s Main Event March 18, 2006

RKO on Hulk Hogan – Saturday Night’s Main Event July 15, 2006

5 on 2 Elimination Match: D-Generation X vs. Spirit Squad – Saturday Night’s Main Event July 15, 2006

Gene Okerlund – One of the Greatest Rivalries in Sports

WWE Championship Match: Edge vs. John Cena – Saturday Night’s Main Event July 15, 2006

Gene Okerlund – Television History

Extras:
Lord Alfred Hayes & Gene Okerlund Go On Safari – Saturday Night’s Main Event – July 28, 1990

Shawn Michaels Talks About Winning His First Intercontinental Title

Matt Hardy Talks About Boxing Evander Holyfield

Seriously, this DVD set has awesomeness coming out of everywhere. Two battle royals, Rockers-Brain Busters, Rockers-Harts, Harts-Bulldogs, campy vignettes and a whole lotta Macho Man. Who said Randy Savage was persona non grata on WWE DVDs? He’s all over this thing with six matches and all the gloriousness of the Mega-Powers break-up that got me hooked on wrestling in the first place. Yeah this thing is an absolute must buy. Plus it’s got more Mean Gene Okerlund than you can shake a stick at as well, which is kind of cool as he’s been there for probably every episode.

Wrestler of the Week
Week of December 8 – 14: Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy finally did it. After months of teasing and “will they, won’t they” and wellness infractions the company finally pulled the trigger and gave Jeff Hardy the richest prize in the game – the WWE Championship. Jeff Hardy became the fourteenth man to win the true WWE Triple Crown, which of course includes the WWE Championship, the Intercontinental Championship and the World Tag Titles defended on RAW. I’m all for a World Title reign for Jeff but I question why they chose to pull the trigger on an off-brand pay per view like Armageddon when the Royal Rumble is right around the corner and WrestleMania is closer than we think, and Edge himself just regained the belt three weeks earlier. Regardless, kudos to Jeff and here’s hoping he makes the most of the opportunity.

RAW’s On Tonight!
Tonight’s RAW will include the fallout from Armageddon and the start of the build to my personal favorite pay per view of the year, the Royal Rumble. John Cena remained World Heavyweight Champion and the field looks to be wide open for his next challenger. CM Punk became the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship and is on a collision course with William Regal. Batista beat his old running buddy Randy Orton, but with Orton’s new “Legacy” teammates by his side I imagine that feud isn’t over. And will Ted DiBiase, Jr. ever return to join up his old running buddies?

On Last Week’s Episode…
Norine lays the SmackDown!

Marshall likes it RAW.

How They Rated
SmackDown! (12.5.08) – 2.1

A.M. RAW (12.7.08) – .5

RAW (12.8.08) – 3.0

ECW (12.9.08) – 1.2

This is Boring, What Else is There to Read?
Wiswell what needs to be done to beat Nigel McGuiness.

Ditch looks back at Kobashi year of 2008.

In Case You Didn’t Spend the $40
PK covered last night’s Armageddon for the Pulse. Here’s the quick ‘n’ dirty:
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Matt Hardy in a non-title match.
CM Punk pinned Rey Mysterio to become number one contender for the Intercontinental Title.
Finlay pinned Mark Henry in a Belfast Brawl.
Batista pinned Randy Orton.
Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Mickie James & Maria beat Natalya, Victoria, Maryse and Jillian Hall in a Santa’s Little Helper match.
John Cena retained the World Heavyweight Championship over Chris Jericho via submission.
Jeff Hardy won a triple threat match over Edge and Triple to become the new WWE Champion.

IP Staff Roundtable Results for WWE Armageddon
A couple of the guys got together to give their two cents on last night’s Armageddon. Here’s how their predictions fared.

Roundtable Champion: Paul Marshall: 5-2 (106-71) Marshall got the win because of his pick for Hardy to win the WWE Championship, otherwise he was with everyone else in erroneously picking a Randy Orton victory and a heel divas victory in the Santa’s Little Helper match.

The rest:
Iain Burnside: 4-3 (134-78)
Raffi Shamir: 4-3 (66-52)
Andrew Wheeler: 4-3 (118-65)

For more relevant wrestling information from your truly, check out my new gig over at Examiner.com.

Mark was a columnist for Pulse Wrestling for over four years, evolving from his original “Historically Speaking” commentary-style column into the Monday morning powerhouse known as “This Week in ‘E.” He also contributes to other ventures, outside of IP, most notably as the National Pro Wrestling Examiner for Examiner.com and a contributor for The Wrestling Press. Follow me on Twitter here.