Pulse Wrestling Recap: WWE Tough Enough, 05.09.2011

Reviews, Shows, TV Shows

We start with a replay of last week, where we are reminded that that Luke was in danger, but Ryan was the one that ultimately go eliminated.

This week starts with Luke returning to the mansion, saying that his time in the Elimination ring was more of a mental test than anything else. Ivelisse also offers her reactions by saying that she expected Christina to come back but had hoped that she wouldn’t. Christina also comments on their relationship saying that they both hate each other.

When morning comes the daily training consists of squats, pushups, and crunches. Eric has some problems keeping up, causing Booker to get in his face asking him if he wants a break.

Rolls in the ring are also done, with Bill yelling at the two remaining diva contenders.

Stone Cold enters the room and tells the group that the theme is all about focus this week. Focus takes care of yourself as well as your opponent. He uses his own entrance as an example of how he is always focuses.

Slams start up with Jeremiah and Luke in the ring. Jeremiah ends up spitting blood into a bucket at the end of the training, but bill complements him on his determination. AJ also takes part in the slamming, but hold his bag backwards, prompting Trish to yell at him a bit. Bill joins in, telling AJ to get out of the ring.

We’re back and Bill explains to the contestants that its time to jump off the rope.  Jeremiah offers to go off the top rope first. Stone Cold says that Jeremiah impresses him but right now he is half dangerous.  We get an elbow montage with each contestant getting reamed by the trainers. Ivelisse mentions that she is still hurt from Christina last week, visibly limping in the ring. Booker T comments on it saying that she is using the injury as a crutch, and that in this business you suck it up.

Christina is one of the few to get nothing but complements from the trainers on her form for the in ring exercise.  Bill said after everyone had been through, that it was a great day of training, and everyone seemed excited, but something is wrong. Ivelisse is nowhere to be found. Bill and Booker find her. She tells them that she vows not to quit but her injury is terrible. Booker tells her that it is up to her to decide how far she wants to go in the competition and how much pain she wants to endure.  He also mentions Triple H as a guy who finished a match with an injury.

We come back from commercial to see the gang arrive at an obstacle course. John Morrison is with Stone Cold to help the potential wresters out.

Morrison tells everyone that focus is important, in not so many words. Then Stone Cold lays out the course.

Martin is up first, then AJ, then Ivelisse. Stone Cold says that the course is kicking Ivelisse’s ass, causing Morrison to climb up and give her some words of encouragement. Ivelisse later tells the camera that she appreciated Morrison’s help, and that she was able to push through the pain.

After Ivelisse got through the course, Andy was up next, who said that he was afraid of heights. Luke came after Andy but didn’t catch up to him. Eric came next, but he took a spill in the middle of the course, allowing Christina to pass him, by simply walking over him. After 50 minutes, Eric is still up in the obstacle course. At the 1 hour 34 minute mark, Stone Cold calls it and sends up help after Eric. Eric tells the camera that it was the most embarrassing moment of his life.

Before he leaves, Morrison tells the group to not worry about what they can’t control and simply do their best the whole time.

We come back from commercial with the skills challenge, which is called Cop a Squat, which involved contestants squatting on the top rope.  Andy, Ivelisse, Jeremiah and Martin are first. Andy doesn’t even make it through the fifteen squats, which he tells the camera made him pissed.  Upon holding the position, Martin ends up getting out because he had to touch Bill.

Next are AJ, Christina, Eric and Luke. Luke doesn’t even make it to the second squat before loosing his balance. Eric makes it to about six before falling leaving the other two as winners. The four winners get back up and begin squatting again. Only this time Eric and Andy start running the ropes. Christina and Ivelisse are the two that can’t make it and loose their balance. The final two, Jeremiah and Luke attack a bag with slams and elbow drops. Luke is jugged to be the better of the two making him the winner of the skills challenge.

We’re back and its time for the serious talk.

Booker complements Jeremiah saying that he refuses to loose. He has impressed Booker more that anybody else. Luke is called solid by Stone Cold and the rest of the judges echo this line of thought, calling him focused. They question if Andy will ever be a top contender. Eric has been a huge disappointment to Booker. Stone Cold says he sees flashes of greatness, but that he can only be good for 5-8 seconds. They mention Ivelisse and her injuries.  They wonder if she is milking it.  As for the other diva contender, Christina, they think that being in the bottom three last week helped her step it up. AJ. (Tumbleweed) is the name because he could go out the door and nobody would notice. He is viewed as simply happy to be there, but Bill says that he can never see AJ as being a top WWE superstar.

Stone Cold Calles Eric, Ivelisse, and AJ as the bottom three of the week. As usual, they are told to pack their bags and come back to the ring. AJ says that he is happy with the competition for the bottom three but he is not going to pretend that he is safe.Eric, trying to stay optimistic, says that he thinks he will come back since he has been improving. Ivelisse spends some time alone in the room, and tells the camera that she fears that her injury is robbing her of her opportunity.

The bottom three return to the ring. Stone Cold confronts AJ. He says that he would be a good guy to be living next to in a neighborhood. But he would never want to buy a ticket to watch AJ wrestle. When AJ says that he would inspire Stone in a way that he can’t describe, Stone Cold complements him on his bullshit. Stone Cold brings up that AJ has won a total of zero skill challenges. He next turns to Eric, saying that his conditioning has not improved. Eric tries to say that he has improved and the workouts have simply gotten harder. Stone Cold mocks him by miming writing a letter to the trainers asking them to be nicer.Stone says that Eric could have potential or could be a nobody. The Ball is in Eric’s court.

Stone asks Ivelisse her pain level. Ivelisse tells him 8. Stone says that he can see she is in pain. Stone then says that normally he only takes on belt, but tonight he’s taking two. He confronts AJ and tells him to hand over the belt. AJ says that Stone is going to have to take it from him.  Stone then likens him to grass growing. Stone then turns on Eric and tells him that he needs to want the contract bad enough. Eric says he doesn’t want to go home but Stone Cold tells him too bad, because he is taking his belt. Then Stone give AJ, the lone survivor of the elimination, a final warning before letting the group leave the ring.

Ivelisse, tells the camera that she is sad that her injury had to happen during the competition but she is happy. Eric tells the camera that he feels like he failed. He thought he was ready, but he now knows that he is not. He learned that he has a long way to go.

Stone says that he likes Eric and sees flashes of Greatness, but he was not tough enough. As for Ivelisse, he says that it’s a shame that she got hurt, but that if she keeps working then he thinks he may see her in the WWE someday.

 

Joel Leonard reviews the latest movies each week for Inside Pulse. You can follow him @joelgleo on Twitter though he's not promising to ever tweet anything from there. Joel also co-hosts the Classy Ring Attire podcast and writes the No Chance column on Inside Pulse as well.