Wednesday, December 31, 2008

12/30/08 ECW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/30/08 ECW:
Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry: *3/4

DJ Gabriel vs. Paul Burchill: *

The Miz & John Morrison vs. Finlay & The Boogeyman: 1/2* (Match was No DQ, but was treated as a regular tag match?! Plus, Boogeyman didn't really do much. What gives?! Miz and Morrison are the only reason why this match did not get a full-on DUD.)
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And a Happy New Year to everyone! Hope everyone gets 2009 started off on the right foot!

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

12/29/08 RAW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/29/08 RAW:
Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk: *1/2

6-Diva Battle Royal (Melina, Kelly Kelly, Mickie James, Katie Lea, Jillian, Candice Michelle): 1/4*

Sim Snuka vs. "Super Haas" Charlie Snuka: 3/4*

John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Kofi Kingston, & Cryme Tyme vs. Kane, The Miz, John Morrison, Dolph Ziggler, & Mike Knox: **3/4

Matt Hardy vs. Manu: **3/4 (Manu really impressed me in this match.)

JBL vs. Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels: **1/4 (Although I liked the crowd reaction for the finish, they really stalled on the ending too much for my liking.)

Sunday, December 28, 2008

12/26/08 Smackdown

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/26/08 Smackdown:
Triple H vs. Chavo Guerrero: 1/2* (Sorry Chavo, Eddie's trick doesn't really work too well with HHH.)

Shelton Benjamin vs. Hurricane Helms (U.S. Title): ***1/4

Carlito vs. The Brian Kendrick: *1/2

Maryse vs. Michelle McCool (Divas Title): **1/4 (McCool delivered a lot of the offense. Nice to see a Canadian win the title in her home country. It clears the way for McCool to fully turn heel and feud with Maria.)

The Great Khali vs. MVP: DUD

Vladimir Kozlov vs. Jimmy Wang Yang: -*** (Squash match.)

Jeff Hardy vs. The Big Show: **
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Ratings for the next few days will likely be delayed, as I am in Maui and computer access will be limited.

Friday, December 26, 2008

12/25/08 TNA Impact!

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/25/08 TNA Impact!:
Chris Sabin vs. Kiyoshi (X-Division Tournament Semifinal): **

Scott Steiner & Booker T vs. Brother Devon & AJ Styles: *3/4

Christy Hemme, Roxxi, Taylor Wilde, & ODB vs. Sojournor Bolt, Rhaka Khan, Raisha Saeed, & Awesome Kong (Santa's Workshop Knockout Street Fight): **1/2 (I didn't understand why it started so orderly...after all, it is a street fight. But there was some nice action after it all went to chaos.)

Kurt Angle vs. Rhino: **1/4

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

12/23/08 ECW

This show was a "Best of ECW 2008" show, showing various highlights over the past calendar year. Highlights looked at CM Punk, Chavo Guerrero, Kane, The Miz & John Morrison, Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, Jeff Hardy, and a bunch of rising ECW stars like Jack Swagger and DJ Gabriel.

Monday, December 22, 2008

12/22/08 RAW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/22/08 RAW:
Shawn Michaels vs. Kane (Race to the Rumble): *3/4 (Decent action. HBK using the crossface was a nice twist to the match.)

Kofi Kingston vs. Manu: *1/4 (Nice moves from Kofi, otherwise an ordinary match.)

Mickie James & Melina vs. Jillian & Layla: 1/4* (Some good spots, but at least a couple of botched spots. Looks like Mickie might have injured herself in the match, probably after being pushed from the top rope to the floor.)

JBL vs. Rey Mysterio (Race to the Rumble): **1/2 (While HBK's slap on JBL led to a DQ, I actually liked the dual function the slap served: (1) HBK hates working for JBL and the crowd loved it, but (2) it helped JBL advance so it really helped JBL.)

Randy Orton vs. Batista (Race to the Rumble): N/A (Batista written out of storylines with Orton punting Batista in the head last week. Batista was to have impacted wisdom teeth removed today and actually has a torn hamstring that will require surgery.)

Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk (Race to the Rumble): ***3/4 (Because we were in Toronto, the crowd was unbelievably loud for Jericho in this one.)

John Cena & Trish Stratus (!) vs. Santino Marella & Beth Phoenix: *1/2 (Crowd went nuts when Trish came out. Trish appeared to have no ring rust. Otherwise, it was a very ordinary match.)

Sunday, December 21, 2008

12/20/08 Tribute to the Troops

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/20/08 Tribute to the Troops:
R-Truth, CM Punk, & Jeff Hardy vs. The Miz, John Morrison, & JBL: **

Rey Mysterio, Batista, & John Cena vs. The Big Show, Chris Jericho, & Randy Orton: *3/4

Saturday, December 20, 2008

12/19/08 Smackdown

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/19/08 Smackdown:
Hurricane Helms & R-Truth vs. Shelton Benjamin & MVP: **1/4 (Good job to continue MVP's frustrations. The new year will bring hope for MVP...it's inevitable.)

John Morrison vs. Festus: *1/2 (Decent, but the bell has really just been used way too much over the last couple weeks. It was funny at first, but now it's just hindering the capabilities of a good match.)

Edge vs. Matt Hardy: *** (Very well done. Easily the match of the night.)

Ezekiel Jackson vs. Carlito: 3/4* (Probably just a real glorified squash, but Carlito did get in some decent offense.)

Maryse vs. Maria: 1/2* (Couple of bright spots, but nothing to really write home about.)

Jeff Hardy vs. Vladimir Kozlov: *1/4 (Kozlov's offense is slow. I couldn't get real into the match. Plus, the DQ finish kills any momentum this match could have had at the end.)

12/18/08 TNA Impact!

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/18/08 TNA Impact!:
Rhino vs. Lance Rock: -* (Glorified squash)

Chris Sabin vs. Sonjay Dutt (X-Division Tournament Quarterfinal): **1/2 (Very entertaining match with an excellent go-home sequence)

Scott Steiner & Booker T vs. Abyss & Matt Morgan: *3/4

Kiyoshi vs. Consequences Creed (X-Division Tournament Quarterfinal): **1/4

Christy Hemme & ODB vs. Rhaka Khan & Raisha Saeed: *

Samoa Joe & AJ Styles vs. Kevin Nash & Booker T (Six Sides of Steel): **1/4

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

12/16/08 ECW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/16/08 ECW:
Matt Hardy vs. Chavo Guerrero (ECW Title): **1/4

Finlay vs. Gavin Spears: *1/2

The Miz, John Morrison, & Jack Swagger vs. Kofi Kingston, Ricky Ortiz, & CM Punk: **3/4

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

12/15/08 RAW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/15/08 RAW:
Kelly Kelly & Melina vs. Beth Phoenix & Jillian: -* (I did like the part before the match when Milena Roucka - playing the crazed Beth Phoenix fan - wanted her picture and Santino had to take it. The match was very forgettable otherwise)

Rey Mysterio vs. Sim Snuka (the former Deuce): *3/4 (DQ finish sucks. But it looks like Snuka might join Team Priceless - or the Legacy - and Mysterio will be occupied with Mike Knox)

Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs. Chris Jericho: N/A (Match never happened)

The Miz & John Morrison vs. CM Punk & Kofi Kingston: ***

Dolph Ziggler vs. "Santa Claas" (Charlie Haas in Santa suit): *

John Cena & Batista vs. Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, & Manu (Handicap Match): **3/4 (The match was very good until the no-contest finish.)

Sunday, December 14, 2008

WWE Armageddon recap

WWE Armageddon was one of the best WWE PPVs of the year. I'd rank it alongside WrestleMania in terms of entertainment and wrestling. Honestly, I was shocked at how good this PPV actually was.

The Kozlov/Hardy match kicked off the show. While it was a passable match, it was by no means fit to be an opener, and probably only was so because Matt Hardy is a popular draw. Kozlov controlled much of the match, Hardy came back, but Kozlov hits a nice impact move for the win.

The Intercontinental Tourney Final between CM Punk and Rey Mysterio was for many people the match of the night. I would have preferred this to be the opener, as a note. This match delivered on so many levels. The amount of counters and false finishes in this match were off the charts. It's a shame my parents had to call during this particular match, but I still watched all of it and definitely felt it deserved an excellent rating. The finish was very well done. Punk's GTS on Mysterio busted Rey's nose, and I felt that was the spot that pushed the match to four stars.

The Belfast Brawl was simply a bunch of chaos, and there were no real shock spots in this one. Sure, there were weapons, a leprechaun (Hornswoggle), and big Tony Atlas getting involved in some form, but in the end, a shillelagh shot had to be the one to down Henry. Of all weapons, a shillelagh? Whatever.

Batista vs. Randy Orton was a very good match. There were a good amount of counters and false finishes, but I must give props to the finish, which was well done.

The Santa's Little Helper match was merely for entertainment purposes and to continue the ongoing feud between Michelle McCool and Maria. I completely marked out when McCool used AJ Styles' finisher (Styles Clash) to get the win. I love the move and it is a move you can hit as a counter (think countering a hurricanrana). I do hope McCool keeps that heel hook move as well.

The Kiss Cam segment was just funny. I'm just happy I wasn't eating when Mae Young came out for the Kiss Cam.

The World Heavyweight Title match between John Cena and Chris Jericho was another awesome match that just misses four stars. It gets a better rating than the Batista match because finishers were hit and kicked out of in this one. I did not like the fact that Cena stays in the Walls of Jericho for a long time, but Jericho only can last five seconds in the STFU. My friend also thought that was ridiculous.

Finally, the WWE Title match between Jeff Hardy, Edge, and Triple H was a match-of-the-year candidate. To me, this was the match of the night. I gave this match a better rating than the Punk match because the storyline buildup for Jeff Hardy's title win was extremely well done, and the feel-good story of a person defying the odds to win the richest prize in the game was a great way to end the show. It is by no means the same feel-good story as when Chris Benoit won the World Title at WrestleMania a few years back, but the Hardy win confirmed that this PPV is a keeper.

Two four-star matches on a PPV that is not one of the "big" PPVs? Four of the seven matches rating at least ***1/2 on my scale? That is one hell of a way to end PPVs for 2008.

PPV rating: ****

12/14/08 Armageddon

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/14/08 Armageddon:
Vladimir Kozlov vs. Matt Hardy: *3/4

CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio: ****

Finlay vs. Mark Henry (Belfast Brawl): **

Batista vs. Randy Orton: ***1/2

Maria, Mickie James, Michelle McCool, & Kelly Kelly vs. Maryse, Natalya, Victoria, & Jillian (Santa's Little Helper Match): *1/2

John Cena vs. Chris Jericho (World Heavyweight Title): ***3/4

Jeff Hardy vs. Edge vs. Triple H (WWE Title): ****1/2
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Armageddon thoughts will either come later tonight or sometime later in the week. I head back home on Tuesday, so ratings for shows this week could be delayed a bit.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

12/12/08 Smackdown

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/12/08 Smackdown:
R-Truth vs. MVP: *1/4

The Brian Kendrick vs. Primo: **

Hurricane Helms vs. Shelton Benjamin: **1/2

The Great Khali vs. Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder: -***

The Bella Twins vs. Maryse & Natalya: *

Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy: *** (No-contest finish with Edge taking both out ruined an otherwise great match)

Thursday, December 11, 2008

12/11/08 TNA Impact!

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/11/08 TNA Impact!:
Eric Young vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir (X-Division Tournament Quarterfinal): **

Alex Shelley vs. Jay Lethal (X-Division Tournament Quarterfinal): *1/4

James Storm vs. Abyss (Beer Bottle on a Pole Match): 3/4*

Christy Hemme vs Sojournor Bolt: *1/4

Kurt Angle vs. Bubba Ray: **1/4 (liked the blood and the brawl; hated the double DQ)
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As predicted, Curry Man got the pink slip. Hernandez got the World Title shot and Homicide got the X-Division Title shot.

Final Resolution; WWE news

I thought Final Resolution was a decent show, but nothing to really get giddy over. The best match for me was clearly the Feast or Fired match because there were a bunch of big spots (easy to do when you have a dozen or so wrestlers) and the match was simply meant to be a chaotic one. I would think Curry Man is getting the pink slip after he won one of the cases last night. I was hoping BG James would win a case and get the pink slip because he has been hardly used and he has been mainly working as a road agent the last few months. In any event, Jay Lethal's case gave him a tag team title shot for the future, and we'll find out what the other cases hold tonight.

If Curry Man does indeed get the pink slip, could this signal a return for Christopher Daniels?

The Knockouts impressed me with some decent ring work last Sunday. I was certainly impressed with Hemme's work against the much-larger Awesome Kong. I just wish any interference did not happen, or we would have had a very good match on our hands. The initial interference from Saeed and Khan made no real sense anyway. Why would Kong need ANY help in dispatching a much smaller opponent, even if Hemme was putting up a good fight? As is my usual mantra, the match ratings dip when interference occurs, unless we have the very rare circumstance where it doesn't really detract much from the match (and actually enhances the quality of the match, like the TLC match at WrestleMania X-Seven).

I was also impressed with the X-Division Title match between Eric Young and Sheik Abdul Bashir. We may have finally seen the last of Shane Sewell as a full-time referee, and he should be making the transition to in-ring wrestler soon to feud with Bashir. At least that's what I think will happen, but we'll see tonight.

The Kurt Angle match was good, but it didn't wow me like previous Angle matches. I did like the eight-man tag because the right people were given the longest to shine and carry the match. Eventually, the Front Line will need to start pulling off more victories, but that should come relatively soon.

Kurt Angle has been telling friends and family that he wants to go back to WWE because he has been unhappy with the TNA creative situation. The good news for Angle is that WWE would welcome Angle back despite Angle's negative comments about WWE in the past - after Angle had debuted in TNA. WWE would put Angle on a limited schedule similar to what Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker have. Naturally, Angle would be a main eventer.

Christian Cage is likely to jump to WWE as well, further concentrating the main event card if so. Christian would at least be a high-midcard wrestler, likely lost in the shuffle if WWE brought him in. It does remain to be seen if Christian does return to WWE, but Edge, his real-life best friend and former tag partner, has been one of the people urging WWE to bring Christian back.
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And now on to a ton of WWE news:

WWE Armageddon is this Sunday. I wholeheartedly expect Jeff Hardy to walk away with the WWE Title this time. It's been teased for months now about Hardy coming so close and yet so far, and with probably some other person lined up to win the Royal Rumble, this would be a perfect way to add some sizzle to what would otherwise be an average card.

I am looking forward to seeing the IC Tournament Final between Mysterio and Punk to see who faces Regal for the belt. Punk had a great match with John Morrison this past Monday and we should hopefully see much of the same on Sunday. I wonder if Punk will be focusing much of his attack on Mysterio's arm, "injured" after falling off the ramp and getting beaten on by Mike Knox (and then Miz working on it for a bit of the match later in the night).

Belfast Brawl between Finlay and Mark Henry will either be passable or will really suck. I have not really been a fan of Mark Henry's ring work, but his work in skits has been good. With the way Henry treated Tony Atlas in a skit on ECW, look for Henry to branch off on his own soon.

The ECW title match is doomed to be a repeat of the WWE Title match at Survivor Series. Matt Hardy might be one of the more popular wrestlers in the company, but Kozlov's style can be very slow and too methodical. If you didn't catch the Kozlov/HHH match at Survivor Series, you didn't miss much. If you did see it, you know what I mean. Kozlov only has a limited moveset (even worse than Cena's used to be), so I don't think this match will be getting a good rating from me.

Batista vs. Randy Orton has been hyped, but not very well. They have faced each other before several years ago, but the focal point of this encounter is to further the alliance between Orton and Team Priceless. The reasoning is that if Orton and Priceless take out a big name in Batista, that will help solidify the combination that much more. Batista has a chance to win this match, given the events on RAW, but even so, I would look for a gang beatdown at the end. In any case, Team Priceless should be interfering in this one.

The World Title match between John Cena and Chris Jericho should be another main-event caliber match, but I don't see a title change again. With the belt changing hands a few times in the past 2-3 months (including at Survivor Series), it would cheapen the belt to see a title change here. But who knows, with Jericho winning the Superstar of the Year Slammy award, it would make sense to put the gold back on him and have him gloat more. Jericho is by far the best heel on RAW, in my opinion.

I have no idea where this storyline between Shawn Michaels and JBL is headed. There has to be more to this one, but I just don't see anything yet. Of course, HBK will have to become fed up with JBL's antics at some point, but we'll have to wait and see on how this one pans out.

Speaking of JBL, the report on him getting punched out by Joey Styles on the overseas tour was hilarious. Sure, JBL was apparently intoxicated at the time, but given JBL's history of ribbing people, he deserved that one. JBL had apparently gotten Lilian Garcia earlier in the tour when Lilian was caught sleeping and JBL dumped ice water on her. As a note, the unwritten rule on the overseas tour is you cannot sleep on the flight over there.

Reports are coming out that Victoria is planning to retire soon. I think that's a shame, considering that Victoria is one of the few divas on the roster who can actually put on a good match. Victoria's Widow's Peak finisher is one of the best-looking finishers, man or woman, in WWE. I would hope WWE thinks of giving her one final run - as a Divas champion. The Smackdown brand should still be in good hands with the likes of Natalya, Michelle McCool (her in-ring work has drastically improved), and the returning Gail Kim (likely re-debuting early next year).

What is up with WWE banning another move? This time, McCool's Wings of Love finisher has been axed, seemingly because it looks too much like Awesome Kong's Implant Buster finisher. I don't know if that's the right reason for the ban, but the only other reason I can see is its likely chance that it injures another diva. According to McCool herself, she has apparently debuted a new finisher that has not been seen on camera yet, so that'll be something to take note of.

Hurricane Helms made his long-awaited return to Smackdown, debuting new music and longer hair. Helms defeated MVP, extending MVP's losing streak. Maybe Helms will try a run for the U.S. Title, but could we see the Cruiserweight belt come back? Who knows. I would think bringing back the Cruiserweight Title gives guys like The Brian Kendrick more time on TV. Hell, a match between Helms and Kendrick would be great for TV.

MVP's losing streak is now at 19 matches after his loss to Charlie Haas and his "MVC" impersonation of MVP. The word going around is that the losing streak is meant to test MVP to see if he is intent on staying with the company. The last few guys to be brought in with huge pushes, like Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley, bolted after WWE had made them world champions. I beg to differ that this is to set up a storyline purpose. I can see this losing streak as a way to make MVP take his job "more seriously" and to quit being that showboating star. Eventually, he should rise to the occasion and truly become the most valuable player on the roster next year.

Fear not, Mickie James fans. Mickie is working through a shoulder injury right now, but should heal up fine for next year.

Melina made her return to RAW the other week, a much-needed boost to the Women's division. Melina's new finishing move, a sunset flip powerbomb, is dubbed "Last Call." I really like the move; it's flashy and innovative, fit for her gimmick. The skits between Melina and Glamerella have been hilarious. Add Goldust into the mix and you really have a chaotic situation. Keep it up, WWE.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

12/9/08 ECW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/9/08 ECW:
The Miz & John Morrison vs. Kung Fu Naki & Jimmy Wang Yang: **3/4

The Boogeyman vs. Scott Reed: -***

Mark Henry & Tony Atlas vs. Finlay & Hornswoggle: 1/2* (long and I basically didn't really care about the match because we all knew Hornswoggle was not getting much action anyway)

Monday, December 8, 2008

12/8/08 RAW (3 hours)

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/8/08 RAW (3 hours):
CM Punk vs. John Morrison (IC Tournament Semi): ***1/4

"MVC" (Charlie Haas) vs. MVP: *

Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Hardy: ***

Finlay & Hornswoggle vs. Santino Marella & Beth Phoenix: 1/4*

Rey Mysterio vs. Kofi Kingston (IC Tournament Semi): **

Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, & Manu vs. Batista & Triple H: **1/2

Dolph Ziggler vs. R-Truth: 3/4*

John Cena vs. Edge: *1/2

Sunday, December 7, 2008

12/7/08 Final Resolution

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/7/08 Final Resolution:
Hernandez vs. Curry Man vs. Homicide vs. Jay Lethal vs. Cute Kip vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Jimmy Rave vs. Lance Rock vs. Alex Shelley vs. Chris Sabin vs. BG James vs. Consequences Creed vs. Shark Boy (Feast or Fired Match): Hernandez got Case #4, Curry Man got Case #3, Homicide got Case #1, and Jay Lethal got Case #2. Very nice ending. ***1/2

Jeremy Borash was just awesome in mouthing off to the Guns. Hilarious.

Just a thought for right now, but it appears that Curry Man is getting the pink slip after Jay Lethal's case was opened and he got a Tag Team Title shot.

Roxxi, ODB, & Taylor Wilde vs. Sharmell & The Beautiful People: *1/2

Eric Young vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir (X-Division Title): **3/4

Christy Hemme vs. Awesome Kong (Knockouts Title): ** (Great match, but DQ finish sucks)

Beer Money, Inc. vs. Matt Morgan & Abyss (Tag Team Titles): **

The 30 seconds of action from Suicide was awesome stuff. I look forward to seeing more of Suicide.

Kurt Angle vs. Rhino (If Angle loses, he leaves TNA): **1/2

Main Event Mafia (Sting, Kevin Nash, Booker T, & Scott Steiner) vs. TNA Front Line (AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, & Team 3D) (If Front Line wins, AJ Styles becomes TNA World champ): ***

Saturday, December 6, 2008

12/5/08 Smackdown

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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12/5/08 Smackdown:
Edge vs. Kung Fu Naki: *1/4

Maria vs. Michelle McCool: ** (A very impressive match, especially for the Divas.)

Hurricane Helms vs. MVP: *3/4

Triple H & Jeff Hardy vs. Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder: 1/2*

The Miz & John Morrison vs. Triple H & Jeff Hardy: **1/4 (Countout finishes suck, but it was expected.)

Matt Hardy vs. Chavo Guerrero: *1/2 (DQ finish w/Kozlov interference knocks rating down a peg.)

Undertaker vs. Big Show (Steel Cage Match): ***3/4

Thursday, December 4, 2008

12/4/08 TNA Impact!

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

12/4/08 TNA Impact!:
Booker T vs. Samoa Joe (Street Fight; Legends Title): ** (interference and no weapons lowered the rating in a decent match)

Christy Hemme & AJ Styles vs. Awesome Kong & Scott Steiner: *1/4

Consequences Creed, Jay Lethal, & Eric Young vs. Jimmy Rave, Sonjay Dutt, & Sheik Abdul Bashir: *1/2 (Sheik decides to do commentary instead of be in the match...deduction)

Rhino vs. Sting: **1/4 (interference takes away from the action in the ring again, but blood is a plus here, so it's a bit higher than the Booker/Joe match)

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

12/2/08 ECW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

12/2/08 ECW:
Jack Swagger vs. Ricky Ortiz: *3/4 (Pretty impressive match for two guys who weren't even here a few months ago.)

DJ Gabriel vs. Josh Daniels: -** (Way too one-sided; clearly meant to be a squash. Wasted my time. Give Gabriel better competition already.)

Matt Hardy vs. MVP: **3/4 (Close but no cigar; a lot of good spots and reversals, but to me, it just lacked more flash and dash to make it three stars.)

Monday, December 1, 2008

12/1/08 RAW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Bathroom break; should not be on TV
DUD = Fit for TV, but a big letdown
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above-average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match-of-the-year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

12/1/08 RAW:
Kofi Kingston & CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes & Manu: **1/2

Melina vs. Jillian: 1/4* (Santino is hilarious)

JBL vs. Shawn Michaels (Street Fight): N/A (match never happened)

Batista vs. Dolph Ziggler: 3/4*

John Morrison vs. Finlay: *1/2

Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz: **1/2 (although it was relatively shorter than Punk/Kofi vs. Team Priceless, the action was real fast-paced with lots of counters and provided great storytelling with Rey's injury from earlier in the night)

John Cena vs. Kane: *3/4
_________________________________

I died laughing when Santino attempted (unsuccessfully) to do Melina's ring entrance. Pairing him with Goldust for a skit later on was just awesome.

Milena Roucka made yet another appearance in the crowd with another Glamazon sign. Seems like the internet reports are true that Roucka will work something with Beth Phoenix later. It could be similar to when Mickie James first debuted as an obsessed fan of Trish Stratus, although the means of debuting Roucka on TV are different.

Stephanie "pulled an Adamle" in announcing the matches for next Monday's 3-hour RAW. That was hilarious.

Thanksgiving 2008; finals

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was a great one. This will just be a short annual Thanksgiving post, albeit a few days late.

This year's Thanksgiving was different from last year: basically just hung out with a couple of friends for a little while and went out to eat at Rudy's. It's more of a fine dining place with expensive food. I had filet mignon, which is obviously not your traditional turkey and stuffing Thanksgiving meal. I'm usually an unorthodox person on food nowadays anyway.

My first final is in about 12 hours, and my exam schedule is as follows:

Monday, 12/1: Professional Responsibility (1:30 p.m. - 2 hours)
Wednesday, 12/3: Evidence (1:30 p.m. - 4 hours)
Friday, 12/5: Business Organizations (1:30 p.m. - 3 hours)
Tuesday, 12/9: Criminal Procedure (1:30 p.m. - 3 hours)

Hopefully I'll do way better than last semester. I should be able to pull that one off, anyway.

It's funny. I looked at my Thanksgiving post from last year, and that post made it seem like I was so confident heading into finals. I was not as confident as you may think, but I got through it. This year, I'm actually way more stressed, probably because finals are so much more bunched together this time. Perhaps I should take a cue from last year and just relax, eh?

Anyway, I should still be able to do wrestling ratings this week, but we'll see.

And if by chance you are a college student, grad student, professional student, etc., good luck on any finals you may have.