Another ROH star joins WWE, Jeremy Piven tries to hook up with Kelly Kelly and TLC looks to get its own PPV love.
Opening Witty Banter
I just found out that Boondock Saints 2 is finally going hit theatres in October 30. Hell yeah! It’s about time.
Let’s take some ‘E…
The News of the Week
Less than two weeks after “The Best in the World†joined WWE, it was announced that his arch-nemesis will be joining him.
Here is the official announcement from ROH:
Nigel McGuinness has agreed in principle to a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment.
Nigel has been a tremendous leader in the Ring of Honor locker room and, without question, a wonderful performer. His merits, both in and out of the ring, are extraordinary and any locker room with Nigel McGuinness in it is better for it. We couldn’t be happier for Nigel as he takes the next step in his stellar wrestling career, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Nigel for all he’s worked for and through.
Nigel has pledged to fulfill his scheduled Ring of Honor commitments. Please join us in Philadelphia, Boston, and New York as we bid an extremely fond farewell to another member of our family.
Everyone at Ring of Honor is extremely proud to have called both Nigel McGuinness and Bryan Danielson their own; and we looking forward to seeing their stars shine brighter than ever. Like many of the wonderful sons of Ring of Honor that have written new chapters in their wrestling annals, we will look on with a bittersweet smile to the future where we have no doubt that Nigel and Bryan will amaze the masses – just like they’ve done so many times in Ring of Honor.
With the closing of this chapter a new one opens in Ring of Honor. We now look to an exciting time where new stars will blaze their own paths, while looking back in reverence to those who came before them. Who will seize the opportunity and carry the torch for ROH? We only hope that whoever it is will carry it with the same respect – the same honor – that Bryan and Nigel have.
McGuinness has worked as enhancement talent for WWE sporadically a few years back plus did some time at both Heartland Wrestling Association and Ohio Valley Wrestling. Like Danielson, he will finish up his September bookings before officially reporting to WWE.
Now let the debate begin on who will get treated better in WWE, Nigel or Danielson.
Speaking of ROH talent, WWE started to pay attention to the company once they moved their TV show to Monday nights. Not surprisingly both Bryan and Nigel had been on the company’s radar for quite some time. Apparently Danielson was even thrown out there as a name to be Brian Kendrick’s partner a few months ago when he was feuding with The Colons. The creative team has been instructed to watch ROH and up with ideas for the people that they feel are “WWE worthy.” Some ROH talents are under contract, but there are some that have deals that will allow them to give 30-days notice if they are offered a deal.
If I’m Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli, Kenny Omega, Austin Aries and or Kenny King I might be getting excited right now.
Jeremy Piven took Kelly Kelly to the New York Jets game last Saturday. Apparently Piven was doing some work when he hosted RAW a few weeks back.
No word on whether they hugged it out after the game.
WWE has changed the December 13th Armageddon PPV to the rumored “Tables, Ladders and Chairs” PPV.
Okay I am all for WWE branding their pay per views, but I pray that this show isn’t just called TLC. It just screams a lack of creativity much like “Hell in a Cell†coming up in October. Plus it kind of shoehorns specialty matches into a specific month, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but also can lead to specialty matches for the sake of having them. But the saddest part is that WWE is sitting on the greatest gimmick match not named The Royal Rumble in The WarGames and McMahon won’t use it for some reason. He’s got all the greatest WarGames minds like Arn Anderson and Dusty Rhodes and a competent booker in Michael Hayes to make it work, but for some reason still no go. Not to mention Triple H is practically begging for the match himself and a ready-made DX-Legacy rivalry that would make sense inside the structure. Maybe when Trips takes over the company we will finally see it.
The Road To…Breaking Point
I Quit Match for the WWE Championship
John Cena v. Randy Orton (c)
World Heavyweight Championship Submission Match
Undertaker v. CM Punk (c)
Submissions Count Anywhere
DeGeneration X (Shawn Michaels & Triple H) v. Legacy (Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes)
WWE Unified Tag Team Championships
MVP & Mark Henry v. Chris Jericho & The Big Show (c)
WWE Intercontinental Championship
John Morrison (c) v. Dolph Ziggler
Singapore Cane Match
The Great Khali v. Kane
Wrestler of the Week
Week of August 31 – September 6: John Morrison
Morrison continues light up SmackDown every week. This week Rey Mysterio’s loss was Morrison’s gain, as the two men put on a fantastic pay per view caliber Intercontinental Title match on SmackDown, with Morrison walking out with his third I-C Title. He now heads into a one-on-one clash with Dolph Ziggler at Breaking Point that has all the potential to be a show stealer.
RAW’s On Tonight!
Bob Barker will be hosting tonight’s Labor Day edition of Monday Night RAW, emanating from Chicago, Illinois. I have no earthly idea what Barker will be promoting during his hosting duties on RAW as he isn’t known to a pro wrestling fan. Although his autobiography came out in August, so perhaps look for a plug or two for that. At any rate there is no better television host in American television history so Barker should do fine in the circus-like atmosphere of WWE. Generally past guest hosts have themed matches to fit their own character, so I pray for a “Showcase Showdown†battle royal or a “Plink-O on a Pole†match. As for matches, I have no earthly idea. But I bet that this is one guest host that Randy Orton won’t be punting this guest host in the head. Plus I’m sure Chavo Guerrero will be subjected to more ridicule. Maybe he’ll get to spin Bob’s big pricing wheel to find out his punishment.
On Last Week’s Episode…
SmackDown
ECW results and
ten thoughts
How They Rated
Superstars (8.27.09) – .9
SmackDown! (8.28.09) – 1.9
A.M. RAW (8.30.09) – .7
RAW (8.31.09) – 3.6
ECW (9.1.09) – 1.35
This is Boring, What Else is There to Read?
TNA
For more relevant, interesting and exciting wrestling information from your truly, check out my gig as the Pro Wrestling Examiner over at Examiner.com.
