Saturday is Before Sunday

First off, what did you guys think of Smackdown on Friday night? I loved CM Punk's promo!

I went for my usual run this morning, but I already miss the gym at EA. I'll have to get a membership to a gym in LA -- I doubt I can just roll up on muscle beach and hit the weights...

"WWE Vintage Collection" was on today, and they dedicated the entire show to WrestleMania XII's 60 minute Iron Man Match between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart. I remember when I was younger and watching this, I was amazed by HBK's entrance. The funny thing though is that I don't know whether that image is something I remember experiencing, or the WWE showing that video so much, that I just took the thought from that...

I'm writing late because we just got back from our going away party, I'll definitely miss the folks here in Vancouver, but I know I'll still see them -- this industry is smaller than one would think.

All for tonight (it's 1:09 AM)

Last Week's Winner Is......

The WWE! Combined with all of yours (thanks for voting) and my vote, the WWE is the winner.

So that's the WWE 1, TNA 0.

I'll post a poll after Friday Night Smackdown! for this week's shows.

WWE vs. TNA -- Who Won this Week? 4/20 - 4/24

If you're wondering what this is about, please read this entry.

The WWE wins for me this week because of WWE Superstars (the show). I ALMOST want to give it to TNA because of last night's Smackdown!, but iMPACT! was promo city this week. I have the WWE up 1-0 over TNA en route to next month's PPV battle. What do you guys think? Sound off via the poll to the right and I'll combine those votes with my score to get a final outcome for this week!

Friday Night Smackdown! Review 4/24

Two days away from "Backlash" meant that the WWE had to do their very best to try and encourage us to buy the PPV. Did they come through? NOT AT ALL.

After an awesome Smackdown! last week, I was almost positive that we were seeing a new trend in the WWE. If we wanted to see good wrestling, we could count on Smackdown! to deliver that. If we wanted "Days of Our Lives" wrestling style, we could watch RAW. Who knew that RAW would be the better show this week? And on top of that, by the looks of things, WWE Superstars topped them both, and that's only an hour show. Anyway, let's get on with it (this is almost as painful writing this as it was watching).

The show opened up with JR and Grisham teasing the main event of the evening which was the Undertaker vs. Big Show. I was thinking, "ok, ok...here we go." They also mentioned that Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase would matchup against Shane McMahon and Batista. I immediately felt like I got punched in the stomach. Aren't these guys on RAW? Didn't they say last week on Smackdown! that this week would feature the newly drafted Smackdown! superstars? More on that later.

Cue the best music in the WWE. Edge comes out to the ring and does a pretty serious promo. The only thing was that all of a sudden, the lights in the arena went out making it a bit too gothic for me. Edge did show his mic skills, and did his best to pump up his match against Cena at "Backlash." He (Edge) mentioned that he won his first world championship in 2006. Well, it's 2009 now which made me think of something...

He's won the title 8 times in three years. If he wins Sunday against Cena, which I'm sure he will, he'll have won the title 9 times in three years. Isn't that a bit obnoxious? Do you think the WWE realizes this? How much does this tarnish the legacy of the world championship in the WWE? In my opinion, this superficially catapults Edge onto lists of former champions like Hulk Hogan, Macho Man, Ric Flair, Triple H, The Rock, HBK, Bret Hart, and Stone Cold. You get what I'm saying... Edge is fantastic, but his three year reign happens a bit too soon.

Matt Hardy and Kane vs. CM Punk and Jeff Hardy

I'm really not a fan of mid-card matches at a PPV being promoted via a pre-show mixed tag match. Back in the day, a mixed tag match before a big PPV showdown was left to main eventers. Because this formula has been used so often, it's become stale to me.

The match was alright though. I thought for certain that because Kane was involved, they'd lose, but I was wrong. Matt Hardy and Kane won, which left JR and Grisham to say "That's three in a row for Matt over his brother Jeff." Here's where I have the problem. Doing this three times in a row all but cements a win for Jeff at "Backlash." Does the WWE really think we think Matt has Jeff's number? It bit too obvious guys. We shall see though at "Backlash."

Big Show vs. Undertaker

This match started with the Big Show doing a promo in the ring. Personally, I can't stand it when Big Show talks. I want to imagine him as this gigantic phenom that just destroys people, but the minute he opens his mouth, he ruins it for me. The gimmick's over. When Andre opened his mouth, you could hardly understand him. That was part of the appeal... Question: Do you still get chills when the Undertaker comes out? I do. His entrance is still one of the best, and it's good to see it hasn't changed much. Although the minute his matches start, he loses the persona of "the dead man," and becomes a boxer.

This was a ridiculous moment. Undertaker has entered the ring, and he's doing his removal of the hat routine, and while this is going on, Big Show is jumping up and down, shaking his arms, and shadow boxing as if he's getting prepped for a heavyweight boxing fight. Again, this just ruins it for me. I want to see Big Show just look straight at him. Not move, just stare at him. The match begins and they both start at each other as if it was the beginning of UFC 98. I guess I'm just old school here, but to me it's absurd to see the Undertaker get hit, and then stand up throwing punches at the air indicating that he can't see straight, if at all. Who made the decision to turn the Undertaker into this? I just can't let that go guys, I'm sorry.

I also want to comment, yet again, on the predictability the WWE shows. Why is it that it seems whenever someone initially goes for a choke slam, it's countered. Seriously, the next time you watch a WWE show, I guarantee the intial choke slam attempt will be countered. They make such a big deal about the "slap" noise of getting the lock on for the choke, but it's always countered. The WWE MUST see this. And of course, the Big Show did his usual, pin opponent up against the ropes, take a running charge missing him completely, fall to the outside of the ring.

Anyway, the Big Show won with a knockout punch, but instead of winning by pinfall, the ref called the match. Seriously? Since when does the towel get thrown in? WTF? This match sucked.

BTW -- JR and Grisham kept referring to this match as the "Main Event." If this was the "Main Event," then why is it ending the FIRST hour of the show?

Gail Kim vs. Maryse

"sandwich break"

A pretty cool Jeff Hardy promo happened where he appeared to be in a boiler room talking about his match with his brother at "Backlash." Reminded me of the old days. Good job here.

Chavo vs. MVP

Why did the WWE even bother with this one? And isn't Chavo and MVP on RAW now? Didn't they say on Smackdown! last week that it would be MVP's final appearance on Smackdown!? Inconsistent WWE, again, YOU MUST SEE THIS! Add the fact that MVP is AGAIN facing Dolph Ziggler next week on Smackdown!, and I'm certain that the WWE thinks we're idiots.

MVP won the match

At this point, I don't know how much more I can take. It has been an awful show, and I was ready to turn it off.

I didn't even want to watch the actual "Main Event," and turned the TV off. I couldn't help myself though, and turned it back on. Luckily, I did catch an awesome promo of John Cena talking about his match with Edge. Cena was right, they both are the Yankees and Red Sox of the WWE. The WWE has made certain of that. I'm looking forward to this one at "Backlash," but I can't see how Cena walks out of there with the belt. If he did, what a pleasant surprise that would be from the WWE.

Shane McMahon and Batista vs. Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase

I love Ted, you guys know that, but I'm not even commenting on this match. These guys are RAW superstars taking Smackdown! real estate to hype their "Main Event" match at "Backlash," because the bookers / writers aren't convinced, after beating us over the head with this storyline, that we are convinced. The only thing this match showed was that Batista may turn at "Backlash." They won the match by the way.

No random notes guys. Why do you think I've waited this long to write my review? It's 9:08 PST, and I still haven't gotten over it. The show sucked, and if I wasn't gone last weekend, "Lockdown" would've been my PPV of choice because of this show, I've lost hope for "Backlash."

I hope I'm wrong. Sort it out WWE!

I Want YOU to Help Select a Pay Per View!

First off, let me just say that my rhymes are DOPE!

Alright, now to the point of this post (besides showing a "sandwich break" in an "Uncle Sam" outfit). In these economic times, one must be super careful where and how they spend their money. I'm not saying I'm dirt poor, but I wanted to make a game of this. To be honest, only one brand actually deserves money each month, and in that EXTREMELY rare occasion that both PPVs are a lock for quality, I'll purchase both. But that probably won't happen because let's face it, both promotions don't bring it every month.

So here's how the game will work. Each week Headlocks 4 Breakfast will review Monday Night RAW, WWE Superstars, TNA iMPACT! and Friday Night Smackdown!. I'll then, at the end of each week give one promotion a nod over the other. So, if I think RAW, Smackdown and Superstars was better than iMPACT this week, I'll give the WWE a score of 1-0 and vice versa. "But that's not fair! TNA only has one show that's not a recap!" I took this into account. That's why I'm doing it American Idol style! Every Friday, after Friday Night Smackdown!, I'll post a poll asking you guys which promotion won this week. I'll then process that final poll vote with my own personal score and use a very super complicated method to pick a winner for the week (which I'll announce). Whoever wins the most amount of weeks before the PPVs, will win my cash and extremely prestigious review skills.

Make sense? If not, actually READ this story.

Monday Night Raw Review 4/20

Whenever there's a show before a PPV, THAT should be the show that makes you salivate at the mouth to purchase the PPV because you can't wait to see what happens next. Did the RAW brand deliver on this with tonight's episode? Partially, but I can't help but feel a little robbed of my intelligence. Sure, we (wrestling fans) are ADD, forgetful (on purpose), and we keep coming back for more, but that shouldn't make the writers sit in cruise control and do the same crap all the time.

With that said, RAW brought it tonight to London, England. The set was very London-esque with the stereotypical phone booths and rounded 1960's car. The crowd was pumped and seemed louder than a typical US crowd, often clearly telling the WWE who they liked and hated. At the top of the show, I said to myself "RAW is completely different from Smackdown! (in a bad way)," but after tonight, I think they took a page from Smackdown's all wrestling, little drama approach. I think the WWE is turning a corner a bit. It may be predictable, it may insult our intelligence, but it's wrestling none the less. It's a hell of alot better than Vicky Guerrero's love triangle though, so let's see how the night played out...

Chris Jericho opened the show claiming that this was his final RAW appearance, and that he's glad because he was never appreciated. Ricky Steamboat's music hits, and he and Jericho trade words for a bit, then Jericho challenges Steamboat to a match Sunday at "Backlash." John Cena then interrupts and Jericho cuts him off before he can say a word, and starts to walk backstage. Steamboat then says that he accepts the challenge which garners a sly smirk from Jericho. John Cena, after Steamboat, then says that since Vicky Guerrero is not at RAW tonight, they're going to have a match to send him (Jericho) off to Smackdown!.

There's something I just don't get....why do all of you boo Cena? Are you sick of him being the face of the WWE? I can't help but like the guy because he's all about the business and I applaud that. Sure, he can get a little corny sometimes, his rap skills suck, "The Marine" and "12 Rounds" suck, but the guy's a beast that gives his all night in and night out. Plus, did all of you get on Hulk Hogan for Suburban Commando? I don't think so (I secretly liked that movie). I'm one of you, but I'll never understand the mentality of the wrestling masses. I think you're all waiting for Cena to go heel, which I agree, would be awesome, but I don't think it's happening anytime soon. The WWE needs a big babyface, Cena's perfect for the role.

Batista vs. Chavo

The entrances of the two took longer than this entire match. Chavo went running at Batista who then nailed him, then gave him a Batista Bomb for the win. Why did the WWE waste space with Chavo? If you're going to commit to Chavo as a jobber, I'd rather see a "Barry Horowitz" than a Chavo. Make a new jobber, don't take someone from your ranks and then give him jobber status. I know what some of you are saying, "Chavo has always been a jobber." Well not a 10 second match type jobber...

Kane vs. CM Punk

I'm not sure why, but I just can't get into CM Punk. He's a good wrestler, executes some killer moves, but I just think his gimmick is boring. Maybe it's the fact that his music (screaming) is extremely lame. On the other hand, Kane is officially a mid-card wrestler. It's a sad thing to see too. Where's the old Kane that would slowly walk down the aisle, stalk his prey, and dominate them? Instead, he's an ugly human being (not a super power) who acts tough, but always loses. Punk had a great counter DDT for the win, but would the old Kane lose like that to a DDT? Not a chance...

Beth Phoenix vs. Melina

"sandwich break"

Chris Jericho vs. John Cena

This match was the best of the night. Again, Cena got alot of boos, but when he did the "five knuckle shuffle,(google that for me)" the fans chanted loudly "you can't see me!" See what I told you? ADD...

The match went back and forth for a lengthy period of time (which now equals a good match in today's standards), and both wrestler's kicked out of each other's finishers and didn't tap to their secondary finishers. I think the WWE saw everyone's reaction to Taker / HBK at Wrestlemania 25, but this one felt totally scripted. Jericho would hit the code breaker (which is an awesome finisher btw), and then take his time, because he's tired, to make the cover resulting in Cena kicking out. Then Cena would hit his FU, and again, take his time to make the cover resulting in Jericho kicking out.

Cena would then get the STFU on Jericho and he wouldn't tap, then Jericho would get Cena in the Walls of Jericho (lion tamer was a better name), and Cena wouldn't tap. This is a classic case of the WWE screwing up a good thing they had with the match at Wrestlemania 25. We didn't expect HBK or Undertaker to kick out. They could've gone either way, and it floored us the entire time. With Cena / Jericho we knew what was going to happen the entire time. The writers have to think this stuff through. But they won't because they think so top line and without any depth. I guarantee you that creative was sitting in a room and mentioned "people loved what happened with Taker and HBK, we should shock them with both wrestlers kicking out of their respective finishers." Ok, maybe they didn't use the words "respective finishers."

Anyway, I'm griping, but it really was a good match (don't you believe me now? haha). Edge came in to ruin the party, but that's the WWE right now. They use Edge to do this type of crap and instead of using him as a fantastic wrestler (which he is), they have him end a match that both wrestlers worked their tails off in. "Couldn't leave well enough alone, could you?" - "Johnny" in the Karate Kid.

Rey Mysterio vs. Big Show

Before going into this one, I thought to myself "If they make Mysterio win this match, I'm going to keep watching because I have nothing else better to do." I said last week that I'd like to see Big Show go on a little bit of a run, and it looks like he's doing just that. I'm now sold on the "knockout punch," and he did exactly what he should have done to Mysterio, destroyed him. There were some great "big man" moments in this match, most notably Big Show palming Mysterio's head from outside the ring and lifting him up over the top rope. If you get a chance to see that on YouTube, do it. It looked awesome and really made you feel like you were watching a "giant."

Triple H vs. Randy Orton

This was announced as a no DQ match last week which I think everyone in the world knew that it wouldn't end cleanly. You just knew Rhodes and DiBiase would get involved, and likewise with McMahon and Batista setting up the classic mini-battle royal to lead up to a stable vs. stable main event at a PPV. It's a proven formula. The actual match before that chaos was pretty good. I actually wouldn't mind seeing these two in a main event (singles) competition again because of it (it erased my thoughts on the underwhelming Wrestlemania 25 Main Event). I think the Backlash main event is a cop out, and in no way am I ordering the PPV to see this match. I have a feeling Batista's going to turn on Triple H, but we'll see.

There were a few things in this match that was all sorts of awesome. Triple H's spine buster on Orton onto the trash can and Triple H's figure four were my two main highlights, but let's go back to all of that chaos I mentioned in the previous paragraph to find out the result of this one.

When everyone who will be in the Backlash main event interrupted the match, Batista accidentally speared Shane giving Triple H an excuse to turn his back on Orton. Once this happened, did anyone who was watching not know that Orton would hit his RKO? Seriously, I'm sick of these results. I don't mind at all if Orton wins cleanly, but you've had this result about 1270273189047389278423902317908412378940321890324 times. Please be original. This just kills momentum that you have built up throughout a pretty good show when you end like this. There's no chance that the talent is enjoying this writing. No chance.

Overall I enjoyed the show. I know I complained, but that's me. I could look past the writing tonight and see that the talent gave an A+ effort. They're only as good as the creative makes them, but tonight they overshadowed the creative brown stain.

We have WWE Superstars and Friday Night Smackdown! left to make us feel like we should plunk down our change to order Backlash. RAW brought it tonight. Your turn Wednesday and Friday...

Random Notes:

- It's cool to see the Jericho / Steamboat angle considering Jericho's a HUGE Steamboat fan. Watch the "Greatest Superstars of the 80's" DVD to hear him go on and on about Ricky.

- The WWE plugged "The Wrestler" DVD release throughout the show. Mighty big of them. I think they realized that any publicity on their business is good publicity.

- Lawler was on FIRE tonight. He had some gems. "London is such a historic city (understatement of the year)," and his ribbing of Jericho's former band, "Fozzy" were two of my favorites.

- I really wish they'd go back to cutting promos with an interviewer instead of making us think that there happens to be a camera where an intimate conversation, like the one Rhodes, Orton and DiBiase had, happened. The hidden camera approach sucks.

- Santino's skit with his "sister" "Santina" was epic. Santino pulled a Milli Vanilli. (Wrestlecrap)

- When RAW did their "WWE Slam of the Week" segment, they showed Shane's "coast to coast" that he attempted to do on last week's WWE Superstars. He doesn't get over as far as he used to...

- Cody Rhodes has a lisp like his father and it is fantastic!

- During the Orton / Triple H match, Michael Cole said "Orton's been waiting 5 years for this opportunity." Really? At Backlash? Didn't he have his "opportunity" at Wrestlemania? That's just poor writing there and not believable.

Friday Night Smackdown! Review 4/17

With only a week and 2 days left until "Backlash," and 4 days removed from the WWE "Draft" on RAW, Smackdown! was determined to make us buy that damn PPV, and I'll tell you what, they really worked their asses off!

If you didn't get to watch last night's Smackdown!, then you missed 2 hours of ALMOST wall to wall wrestling action. This show was packed to the gills with young talent that's sure to be the future of the WWE. The show also only had one "sandwich break!" (I'll explain later) Let's get on to the matches shall we?!

Jeff Hardy vs. Big Show

Smackdown! opened up with Jeff Hardy coming to the ring for a MATCH. Not to talk, not to spend the next 15 minutes in a promo, but to wrestle. Big Show came out next, and it was on. The match had your typical aerial maneuvers by Hardy, and your "I'm a big dude, so I move slowly and just use my weight" moves by Big Show. One thing that bothers me is that the WWE uses Big Show in a predictable fashion sometimes. Do you notice that every time his opponent is near the ropes and he (Big Show) gears up to run at him, the guy just drops to the apron sending Big Show over the top rope? You don't think we see it coming WWE, but we do! I'd also like to see Big Show go on a little undefeated streak. When I used to see guys like him, I used to think they couldn't be beaten. Now I KNOW they can be beaten and it's just a bit sad (just a little).

During Big Show's matches, the commentators are always talking about how he's "the largest professional athlete," and "an unstoppable force!" Well, use him like that. Let the biggest stars in the WWE only beat him, and in PPVs only for that matter. With that said, Big Show won the match (did I just contradict myself?) with his "knockout punch." The match was good and clean. Smackdown! was starting off on the right foot.

Side Note: Matt Hardy came down to the ring to distract Jeff Hardy, but Jeff would have nothing of it jumping over the top rope and onto Matt leaving him down for the remainder of the match.

Maryse vs. Gail Kim

"sandwich break"

R-Truth vs. John Morrison

You knew that when they promoted this match before the commercial break, that it was going to be a good one, and it was. I'm so happy to see Morrison in singles competition, and JR alluded to him possibly making a run on Smackdown!. R-Truth actually was the show stealer in this match though. He performed outstanding athletic moves that made the audience cheer while mixing in the occasional "Wassup?!" chant. After all of R-Truth's work, Morrison hit his "moonlight drive" quickly to win the match. It was a fun match to watch , but that's because R-Truth's work overshadowed what the WWE did for the match. They had a nice opportunity to have both of them go back and forth, but instead chose to go the usual route of having the eventual winner get beat down until an opportunistic moment for him to hit his finisher for the win. It feels like a cop out.

Shelton Benjamin vs. The Undertaker

This is the first time I've seen the Undertaker since Wrestlemania 25 (WWE Superstars doesn't air in Canada until Sunday). Shelton Benjamin was a perfect opponent for him though. Benjamin's always been an incredible wrestler, but his mic skills are terrible leaving him in low to mid-card status for eternity. The Undertaker was apparently nursing a "neck injury" which left him vulnerable throughout the match. Benjamin took advantage of it hitting a devastating neck breaker that would change the momentum a bit. Benjamin, showing his cockiness (good writing), tried to go for a tombstone, but it was reversed by the Undertaker into a tombstone of his own to win the match.

MVP vs. Dolph Ziggler

This was my favorite match of the night. I love MVP as a face, and Dolph Ziggler is that perfect narcissistic heel. They went back and forth the whole match, and it looked like Ziggler was actually outperforming MVP, who seems like he's put on a little baby fat. The crowd didn't react much to MVP's call for support (stupid fans), but he did his usual ring gimmicks anyway ("Ballin!"). Ziggler won the match on a roll up for a pin while grabbing the tights. I loved the classic heel pulling the tights. It's a clean win, but not really which makes it great!

Batista vs. Ted DiBiase

It's good to see Batista back in a WWE ring, and I was pretty excited for this matchup. I think Ted DiBiase is already a phenomenal wrestler, and he proved it in this match. DiBiase always uses the ring well, working all four corners and focusing on individual body parts. This match was like the R-Truth vs. Morrison match though, with DiBiase winning the whole way until Batista hit his spinebuster which sent him into his "routine" (I hate those btw) resulting in a Batista Bomb for the win.

DiBiase really shined in this match, and I think the audience felt that he deserved the win for the effort he put in. Please WWE, make him JUST like his father. He's perfect for it. He wore red trunks tonight, but it just looked wrong. Keep him in black trunks.

Overall, I really enjoyed Smackdown! significantly over RAW this past Monday. Why? Because it had WRESTLING in it. Not tons of crap (they had promos too btw), but WRESTLING. I know I usually have my sarcastic undertones to show reviews, but I have to hand it to the WWE, Smackdown! was good. It may not have been the best wrestling in the world, but I don't know if I know what that is anymore.....

WWE fans, if you're looking for which show to watch between RAW and Smackdown! post-draft / Wrestlemania, I have Smackdown! 1, RAW 0.

Random Notes:

- Matt Hardy loves being a heel. You can just see it in his eyes.

- The Great Khali "Kiss Cam" is "wrestlecrap," and he could be used so much better!

- The Triple H / Orton "Face-Off" was out of place. I know they're trying to hype "Backlash," but it just broke up the momentum of the show. I think no matter how hard the WWE tries to promote this "personal" match, it's not working. Triple H won at Wrestlemania. Orton should be gunning for him, not the other way around.

- R-Truth sounds like DMX when he raps

- Triple H's entrance is still the best in the biz

- The "I Quit" match announced at "Backlash" between the Hardy's has the potential to be GREAT!

- The Undertaker is still going strong, but I don't want to see him as a human. He's a "dead man." Stop having him move around like a MMA fighter, and instead slowly creep towards his opponents.

- MVP to RAW is upsetting now that there's tons of talent on Smackdown! (US title's a joke)

Work Week is Over, but Headlocks 4 Breakfast ContinuesThis Weekend!

I thank all of you for supporting Headlocks 4 Breakfast in its first week! Be sure to follow along during the weekend where I'll post a Friday Night Smackdown! review, impressions of "Legends of Wrestlemania" the videogame, and another edition of "Mr. I Take Wrestling Way Too Seriously!"

Once again, thank you!

WWE Superstars Review: The Debut Show 4/16

First, let me say that I had no expectations for this show. As a kid I sat through endless episodes of Sunday Night Heat holding onto hope that one day a main event type match would take place and I was left with disappointment. Despite questioning whether or not the quality of the show will be maintained, the only show where you can see superstars from RAW, ECW, and Smackdown had a promising debut. Let’s take a look at the night’s matches.

Undertaker vs. Matt Hardy

I was shocked to hear the show open with the distinctive music of the Undertaker as he walked to the ring to in his first public appearance since beating Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania. Matt Hardy came down to the ring and it was clear from the start that he was going to be the heel yet again. Seeing Hardy in this role is somewhat hard for me to believe because I have met him in person and he was an all around nice guy. Regardless, Matt does a good job of selling it.

The Undertaker dominated the match from the beginning and sat Hardy up for the finisher before he crawled out of the ring and intentionally caused himself to be counted out. As Matt walked up the ramp with the entire crowd booing him, his brother Jeff ran out and attacked him. The two fought back in forth, before Matt ran into the ring and into the arms of the Undertaker who delivered a devastating choke slam to end Hardy’s night.

Christian vs. Finlay

These two were fighting for more than just pride as the winner would go on to Backlash to face ECW Champion Jack Swagger for the belt. Christian is the type of guy who can carry a match against anyone he is facing and adjusts well to their style. The match started out as a hard nose technical battle just how Finlay likes it. Finlay continued to force a physical match, but made a critical error after running Christian into the corner and was finished off with the "Killswitch."

I get the fact that Christian is a “fresh” face in the WWE again, but he needs to be on RAW. He has always been a main event attraction and that is why Vince brought him back. If you’re going to bring the guy back, then give him the push that he deserves and the fans want! Anyone who questions my thought process here, go back and watch any of his matches at TNA and/or his classic WWE matches.

Shane-O-Mac vs. Cody Rhodes

First things first, Shane might have my favorite entrance in wrestling. Let’s face it, Shane is not your typical athlete, but he is a great showman and will serve the company well along with his sister when it is time for Vince to pass the torch. Should I buy a Shane-O-Mac shirt?

The match started out with Shane taking the fight to Cody and even showing some submission skills. He put Cody in an arm bar triangle. Can you believe it? Shane continued to take the fight to Cody and rammed his head and left arm into the ring post and continued to work on the arm in the ring. For a second, I thought Shane paid for lessons at the Dean Malenko School of Wrestling.

Shane continued to force the action with his high flying offensive attack and dropped Rhodes to the concrete floor outside of the ring. After five minutes of domination, we all knew that it was time for Shane to take a bit of a beat down and that’s what happened. Rhodes choked and taunted Shane repeatedly and had the match well in hand before he let his cockiness get in the way. He bulldogged Shane from the top of the ropes, continuously kicked him in the ribs, tried to beat Shane with a steel chair and punched him in the face. After being thrown out of the ring, Shane grabbed the steel chair and beat Rhodes with it. That was just the beginning. Shane then grabbed a trashcan, put the can over Rhodes head, and hit him with the “Coast to Coast.”

What a way to end the show! I like the angle of using the McMahons with Triple H and showing the family unity, but I’m curious to see how they are going to play this out at Backlash. I wouldn’t be shocked if someone (Batista) does not turn their back on Triple H and cost him the title. The feud has to end somewhere and take the focus off of the McMahons. Seriously, Vince is 63 years old and still out there performing at a high level. It’s time to give the guy a break.

For Those of you who Care.....

Here is the complete list of post-draft rosters by brand. The WWE held their "Supplemental Draft" today on WWE.com. There were some interesting moves and of course, stupid ones. Thanks to WrestleZone.com who provided the list.




RAW

WWE Champion Triple H
United States Champion Montel Vontavious Porter
Divas Champion Maryse
Matt Hardy
Big Show
The Miz
Mr. Kennedy
WWE & World Tag Team Champion Primo
Nikki Bella
Chavo Guerrero
Hornswoggle
WWE & World Tag Team Champion Carlito
Festus
The Brian Kendrick
Brie Bella
World Champion John Cena
Batista
Beth Phoenix
Cody Rhodes
Goldust
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Jamie Noble
Jerry Lawler
Jillian
Kelly Kelly
Kofi Kingston
Lilian Garcia
Michael Cole
Mickie James
Mr. McMahon
Randy Orton
Rosa Mendes
Santino Marella
Shawn Michaels
Sim Snuka
Ted DiBiase
Vickie Guerrero
William Regal

SMACKDOWN!

Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio
Women's Champion Melina
CM Punk
Kane
Chris Jericho
Shad
Alicia Fox
Mike Knox
Candice Michelle
Ricky Ortiz
Layla
John Morrison
JTG
Dolph Ziggler
Charlie Haas
Curt Hawkins
Edge
Eve
Gail Kim
Jeff Hardy
Jesse
Jim Ross
Jimmy Wang Yang
Justin Roberts
Kung Fu Naki
Maria
Michelle McCool
R-Truth
Ranjin Singh
Shelton Benjamin
The Great Khali
Theodore Long
Todd Grisham
Umaga
Undertaker

ECW

Vladimir Kozlov
Ezekiel Jackson
Zack Ryder
DH Smith
Natalya
Hurricane Helms
ECW Champion Jack Swagger
Christian
DJ Gabriel
Evan Bourne
Finlay
Josh Mathews
Katie Lea Burchill
Mark Henry
Matt Striker
Paul Burchill
Tiffany
Tommy Dreamer
Tony Atlas
Tony Chimel
Tyson Kidd

RAW Review - WWE Annual Draft 4/13

First off, it was nice to see that the WWE was going to give us 3 hours full of wrestling drama for their annual "Draft" (FIX). The sad part is, you just knew how the 3 hours would play out:

- 1 hour devoted to promoting Backlash, Diva match and buildup for the main event at Backlash (McMahon's vs Legacy) which is probably the same as promoting Backlash.

- 1 hour to wrestling / draft

- 1 hour to commercials

Has wrestling really come to this? Where's the WRESTLING in "World Wrestling Entertainment?" If you're going to hype up a 3 hour show, make what you're hyping it up about take up the MAJORITY of the show! With that said, let's get to the actual matches that took place.

"Draft" Match: Rey Mysterio (RAW) vs. Evan Bourne (ECW)

The commentators made this matchup sound like it'd be the next big thing, but I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed. Poor ECW, they couldn't catch a break all night (more on that later). Matt Striker and Josh Matthews (commentators for ECW) were calling Bourne the "Rey Mysterio of ECW." Unfortunately, the match only lasted 3 minutes with Mysterio hitting his 619 finisher for the win. While Mysterio was setting up the move, I kept saying to myself "there's no way he hits it this early." Well, he did. Match over, ECW = fail.

Because one of RAW's superstars won the match, they gained the 1st pick in the "draft." The show cuts to a screen with every superstar's headshot which was absolutely seizure central because there was a light (multiple lights) flashing over everyone's headshot randomly. I get that they were trying to make it seem like there was some super computer playing duck, duck, goose inside the titan tron, but then why did they do almost the EXACT same thing right afterwards by shuffling through every wrestler's full body shot randomly? Was this the "super computer" moving into an advanced stage of randomness before it suddenly spat out a wrestler? Anyway, MVP finally came up on the screen which indicated that he is now a RAW superstar. I like MVP. I think he has some charisma, and has good in-ring ability (terrible ring attire though). It'll be nice to see him on RAW defending the United States Championship.

Draft Match:
Kane (RAW) vs. The Brian Kendrick (Smackdown!)

Was there any doubt about who was going to win going into this one? The Brian Kendrick looks and acts like a jobber. Which makes me question why the WWE cares to list him as a "Superstar" on an official roster. Bring BACK the jobbers where no one knows your name. You just show up, lose, collect paycheck. And Kane, PLEASE put back on your mask. You were so much cooler and mysterious. Now you're human, and lost alot.....

RAW won again and had the 2nd pick in the "draft." The "super computer" starts up again and Big Show comes up. What's with Big Show's punch? Throughout his career, did he suddenly develop this knockout punch in the gym? By the looks of him, he must've ONLY worked out his fist every day, every hour and every minute in the gym. Andre would be disgusted with how the WWE uses Big Show.

Draft Match: Mickie James, Melina, and Kelly Kelly (RAW) vs. Michelle McCool, Natalya, and Mayrse (Smackdown!)

If there's one thing you'll learn about me on Headlocks 4 Breakfast, it's that I can't stand women's wrestling. I just don't get it. With much respect to girls like Mickie James and Beth Phoenix (who actually can wrestle), this is mine and everyone in the arena's time to get snacks from either the refrigerator or concessions. Does the WWE seriously think that these girls are hitting a women's demographic? If they're aiming for the sex appeal, I don't know about you guys, but I don't think it's hot watching girls throw each other around. Keep women as managers, and if you MUST have women wrestle, do it with a little dignity and develop an actual division with more girls like Mickie, and less girls like Melina. Although Melina's a champ, does she not pale in comparison to Mickie James or Beth Phoenix as far as in-ring ability? Plus she's lost the skirt which makes her amazing ring entrance as irrelavent as a lap dance 6ft. away. I've talked about this for too long. Moving on. (oh, Michelle McCool, Natalya and Mayrse won - Smackdown!)

It's no secret that the WWE plans things before a show, but the least they could do is not make it too obvious. Especially if their "super computer" is randomly selecting people for the "draft." Melina was the 3rd pick of the draft going to Smackdown! All of the women in the ring, and of course a woman wrestler was "randomly" selected. Try harder writers!

Draft Match: John Cena (RAW) vs. Jack Swagger (ECW)

This match began with a pretty good promo between Swagger and Cena. Right before the promo was a preview for a segment on ESPN's "E:60" show airing tonight explaining what the WWE did (from a production perspective) on the eve of Wrestlemania 25. Stephanie McMahon was quoted as saying they have writers from Conan (Conan O'Brien show). Because this segment between Swagger and Cena was funny, that fired (?) guy from Conan must've written that. The great thing about Swagger is his lisp. The writer definitely knew this because he had "Thwagger" say every word in the book with the letter "s." Pure comedy.

On to the match. John Cena came out first. Why does the WWE do this? The champ should come out LAST!!! I actually really enjoyed this one. "Thwagger" is an impressive beast towering over an often hulking Cena. I still think "Thwagger" should be in a tag team to develop a bit more, but it looked like he carried that match with Cena (which doesn't usually happen). What did stand out to me with "Thwagger" was his obvious amateur wrestling background. Striker and Matthews noted that when "Thwagger" went for a cover, he'd hook the head and leg. "Thwagger" even pushed his head into the midsection / ribcage of Cena to roll him over for the cover which has amateur wrestling written all over it. Good attention to detail there.

Of course Cena won the match, but "Thwagger" stole the show. Because RAW won, they got the 4th and 5th picks in the draft (this match was a 2 draft pick match). Matt Hardy and Triple H both were sent to RAW (have you noticed that Smackdown! doesn't have a top championship now?)

Draft Match: Santino Marella (Raw) vs. The Great Khali (Smackdown!)

Santino is the definition of "Wrestlecrap," but as long as you go in knowing this, he's a delight to watch. He's excellent on the mic, and has trimmed down a bit too. He's so / so in the ring, but he's not out there for that. On the other hand, The Great Khali is being used completely wrong. He should be used like Yokozuna. An uncontrollable, non-english speaking (which makes him uncontrollable because non-english speaking people are scary), giant (pun intended) that is what he is. Ranjin Singh (his manager) could be bad ass like Mr. Fuji too right?! Make it happen WWE!

Let's be honest, this match was just to plug the ongoing weirdness between Marella, his "sister" Santin(a) and Beth Phoenix. It was again, "Wrestlecrap," but I loved it. Khali won the match and Smackdown! recieved the 6th draft pick. CM Punk went to Smackdown!

Draft Match: The Miz (ECW) vs. Kofi Kingston (RAW)

The Miz came out with the amazing John Morrison and their slammy trophies (get rid of those please). I only say this because this match pissed me off so much. The match itself wasn't bad at all. The Miz is really coming around as a wrestler, and it seems like he's dedicating more time to the craft. Kofi's fantastic too (which you already know). My beef is with the Miz losing to Kofi, then being drafted to RAW (7th draft pick) essentially breaking up the tag team between Miz and Morrison. I'm fine with the break up, but why did you have The Miz turn on Morrison? It should be the other way around. Morrison's a WAY better heel than The Miz. Good idea, wrong result. Did I mention that Morrison's like a young HBK? How can you NOT see this?

Draft Match: 15 man inter-brand battle royal

This match included Edge so you knew he'd win (even with Big Show and Mark Henry in the mix). Edge did win on the most hilarious / stupid ending to a battle royal ever. Big Show was dominating, and Edge looked scared shitless when it was just him and Edge in the end. Edge sold it well, but Edge was lingering along the ring ropes, while Big Show was gearing up for an attack. Big Show charged towards Edge resulting in him ducking down sending Big Show over the top rope and onto the floor. Very anticlimactic. The "ultimate opportunist" wins again. By the way, that phrase is short for "I shortcut all the time to win matches. That's my gimmick." It's old WWE, Edge isn't that bad of a wrestler. Use him.

This was another 2 pick match which Smackdown! won. With the 8th and 9th picks, Kane and Chris Jericho were sent to Smackdown!

Draft Match: Christian (ECW) vs. Shelton Benjamin (Smackdown!)

Next to Cena / "Thwagger," this was probably the best match of the night. Benjamin sucks on the mic, but there's no denying that he's a fantastic wrestler. Christian's got it all, and he proved it. But boy is he being wasted over in ECW. I like Christian's finisher, but Striker and Matthews were wrong when they said that he has many ways he can pull off the move. Actually, he has one way, the way he does it. Christian won the match resulting in ECW getting their first pick (LOL) of the "draft." The 10th pick sent Vladimir Kozlov to ECW.

Draft Match: CM Punk (Smackdown!) vs. Matt Hardy (RAW)

CM Punk probably has the worst entrance music in the WWE. The screaming at the beginning is just obnoxious. How can any 12-yr. old get behind this dude? There hasn't been a Jeff Hardy sighting all day so when Matt Hardy comes out from behind the curtain, you know the ending of this match already. The match wasn't bad at all, but in typical WWE fashion (no clean wins), Jeff Hardy came out to interrupt / give Matt Hardy the win in a DQ over CM Punk. The win gave RAW another "draft" pick (11th) which was wasted on a diva / sandwich break Maryse. I guess fans care about having the two lead brands split evenly with women's championships (but the men's championships obviously don't matter).

Draft Match: Chris Jericho (Smackdown!) vs. Tommy Dreamer (ECW)

Match was worthless other than two things:

1.) Jericho needs to go back to the full pants attire. His trunks make him look bloated (maybe he just is)

2.) Jericho's finisher / counter from a flying Dreamer off the top rope was pretty sweet

Other than those two things, you knew Jericho was winning this match. He did and Smackdown! got another "draft" pick. The 12th pick sent Rey Mysterio to Smackdown!. YES!! I wanted the Intercontinental Championship on the Smackdown! brand. Now who's going to compete for it? :(

Main Event: Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes vs. Shane McMahon, Batista, and Triple H

This match was recieving plug after plug after plug all night long that by the time it came, I didn't want to watch it. The buildup to this match was absolutely ridiculous. The entire night, you had three guys trying to get their hands on Randy Orton. Shane said that it's because he kicked him, Stephanie and Vince, Batista said it was because Orton's kick put him out for 4 months and Triple H said that he started this and he was going to finish it.

A few things. Didn't Triple H "finish" it at Wrestlemania 25? I know they want to hype up the main event at Backlash, but making these three guys salavate at the mouth to get Orton in the ring is ridiculous. Especially when the "revenge" was handed out at Wrestlemania. This is a classic case of the WWE extending a storyline after it died painfully in a poor match with no emotion to it (WM 25). Triple H won the match with a pinfall over Rhodes resulting in a one on one match on next week's RAW with Orton. Orton then came out for a stare down with Triple H to end the show. Suddenly Orton's a hunted man? Wasn't Randy the "hunted" just last week? Did the WWE forget? Ridiculous.

Random Notes:

- Did you catch Josh Matthews's nose bleed incident when the show first started?

- Shane's them song never gets old

- Commercials during matches have to go. Remember, WRESTLING FIRST! Putting a commercial during a match basically tells the audience that what happens during breaks means nothing.

- The show had a ton of mic problems in the ring. You heard Cena talking to the ref (to coordinate the match) and Shane yell out "I want him so bad" when arguing about Orton.

- The Intercontinental Title still means nothing in the WWE. (sad)

- Matt Striker, next to JR, is the best commentator in the WWE.

- Chavo's a slave now.....

- In the WWE's PSA "Don't Try This," they say "not at home or in school." Why not say "at the grocery store, at your cousin's house, at baseball practice and ice cream parlor?" The saying is, "If they say it, someone must've done it." So all of you kiddies wrestling at school, "Don't Try This!"

- The ECW Championship belt looks like the plastic and foam belts you could buy in the early 90's

- Lawler called "Thwagger" "John" Swagger

- Cena's STF(U) sucks. Please stop...

What SHOULD Happen in the WWE Draft (but probably won't...)

As we approach tomorrow's 3-hour RAW extravaganza featuring the annual WWE Draft, we do know two things:

1.) It'll most likely under deliver - The WWE Draft, like Wrestlemania is a yearly opportunity for the company to dramatically shift things without an explanation. They can end / start feuds, introduce or kill storylines, and most importantly launch a deserving wrestler's career. The WWE clearly has not seen this as a golden opportunity to re-right (or rewrite) the ship.

2.) There will only be 12 Superstars involved (at least on TV). You'll have the opportunity to witness the "Supplemental Draft" on Wednesday over at WWE.com

Triple H, John Cena, Edge, Big Show, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, CM Punk, Jeff Hardy, Batista, Randy Orton and Chris Jericho will probably be the 12 wrestlers highlighted (big shock), but I wanted to focus on a few others that would make tomorrow's "draft" more interesting if they were involved.

John Morrison - ECW (Currently)

Are you kidding me? Morrison's obviously done something wrong to have been on the ECW roster for so long, and I know what it is.....he's been too good! Seriously, does Morrison not remind you of a young Shawn Michaels? This guy's got the charisma, and athleticism to really shine in the WWE.

My Recommendation: Put him on Smackdown to rejuvenate the Intercontinental Title like a Mr. Perfect.

Christian Cage - ECW (Currently)

Vince, I know he was in TNA. I know you don't think he's a main eventer, but guess what? YOUR FANS DO! Christian has already had one of the best matches of the year (and it's just begun). Christian 's stint in TNA really did him well as he's gained a new found charisma (no pun intended) that can put him over the top in the WWE.

My Recommendation: Put him on Smackdown, like Morrison, to compete for the Intercontinental title.

Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes - RAW (Currently)

I put these two superstars together because they're exactly what the WWE needs to bring the tag team division up to snuff. Even if these two couldn't wrestle for shit (which they can), fans still like to see them in action because it gives them those warm and fuzzy feelings thinking about the golden days of the WWE (yes I'm talking about their fathers).

My Recommendation: Put these guys on RAW and give them tag team gold!

Kofi Kingston - RAW (Currently)

Kofi is already a former Intercontinental Champion, and he has arguably the most catchy entrance music in the WWE. Kofi's a great athlete, with mic skills that need developed. He could be a face in the Intercontinental title hunt.

My Recommendation: Put Kingston on Smackdown to develop his mic work, and compete for the Intercontinental title.

Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger - RAW / ECW (Currently)

Could these guys not be the new "Hollywood Blondes?" Swagger and Ziggler have the physiques and charisma to be a great tag team. Let them develop as a tag team before bringing them into singles fame (although Swagger has already captured ECW gold -- which doesn't really count).

My Recommendation: Put them on RAW to compete for the tag team titles.

So there you have it. If the WWE saw tomorrow night's draft as an opportunity to reinvent itself and two divisions that have been under appreciated for so long, rather than a space filler to focus on the same key talent (I know, ratings), we might all be in for a good year ahead. I surely doubt it though because after all, a WWE writer's only requirement is a 4th grade reading level.

Take a RISK WWE, we all want to see it!

*SHOCKER* WWE Getting Rid of Good Storyline

"The Wrestling Observer is reporting that the Stretcher Match featuring Matt Hardy vs Jeff Hardy, which took place on Smackdown this past Friday night, is most likely the blow-off to their current program. When creative initially put the fued together, it was expected to be a short term angle, as the two wrestlers are slated to begin working with other talents in the very near future." - wrestlezone.com

So Bret / Owen 2 won't be going on any longer? That's a shame.... their match on Friday's Smackdown was fantastic!