Canton’s Corner: The Wrestling Week in Review – December 10
By John Canton
Follow me on Twitter at @johnreport
Welcome to Canton’s Corner. It’s the usual lineup this week with the polls, Raw, Smackdown, the Twitter Ten, the TNA part will be a preview of Sunday’s Final Resolution PPV and then we’ll bring it home with the random video as well as some commentary from The Melo Man. Let’s roll.
Last Week’s Poll Results
The poll question was: Do you watch TNA Wrestling? The results after nearly 2,000 votes:
Only occasionally (ex. clips online) 40.5%
Never 29.21%
Only TV, not PPV. 12.04%
“What’s TNA Wrestling?” 8.29%
Yes. All TVs and PPVs. 5.82%
Other 4.15%
Those are telling numbers. Again, it’s not a small sample. That’s after nearly 2,000 total votes where you could only vote once. There are nearly 30% that never watch and another 40% that only watch when you might hear about something good happening so you seek out a good clip. I selected the “Yes” answer meaning I’m in that 6% group that watches all the TV and PPVs. Yes I watch them because of the site, but I used to do that before I wrote as often as I do. Of the 4% of you that voted other, some of the comments were great with this one standing out the most: “Only the days when I’m dead.”
This Week’s Poll Question: When will CM Punk lose the WWE Title?
After I got some heel heat last week for the poll (“Why the fuck are you doing a poll about TNA?”), the focus is back on the WWE Title picture. CM Punk won the title at Survivor Series. The question is, how long do you think he’ll hold it for?
When will CM Punk lose the WWE Title?
Note that WrestleMania 28 is on April 1. There’s not technically a PPV in the month of March, but it’s an option anyway. Not like he has to lose it at a PPV. My vote is May 2012. I’m not sure to whom at this point. I just think it will be a long title reign like Miz’ title reign last year.
I wrote about Raw on Tuesday, so here are some more thoughts on Monday’s show.
LIKE – The John Cena angle
Last week, Roddy Piper questioned John Cena’s passion and wanted him to speak out to those that don’t like him. Cena didn’t let loose. This week, Cena’s friendship with Zack Ryder was questioned. Instead of getting a shot at the WWE Title once again, Cena gave it up so Ryder could get another shot and he also helped Ryder win his match against Mark Henry to get that shot. What’s next for Cena? I don’t know. I like that. If they add him to the TLC WWE Title match like I expect I doubt he’s going to win it, so I’m interested in seeing what’s in store for Cena down the road. Is the heel turn finally happening? Not sure, but it’s possible. Even if it doesn’t happen I am genuinely interested to see where things are going with this angle.
DISLIKE – Kelly beats Beth with a rollup
Yawn. Again with this? They already did this angle months ago. They need to hire some new babyface women wrestlers or convince Trish Stratus for an angle because the ones they currently have are not as good as they need to be. That’s why they’re back to where they were five months ago when Kelly was beating Beth in this same exact fashion.
LIKE – Prominent matches for Dolph Ziggler
He’s had matches with the top babyfaces in WWE such as Punk, Orton and Sheamus in recent weeks. It’s a sign that a permanent push to main event level is happening. I’m very happy to see that. Nobody deserves it more. Some wins over these guys would be nice, but we all know how strongly WWE likes to book their elite babyfaces these days. Let’s hope the wins happen sooner rather than later, though.
DISLIKE – Still no Brodus Clay
It’s obvious that there’s a lack of long term planning in WWE, which is a very bad sign. Apparently they re-write things on Raw on Monday afternoons and every time they do they write out the debut of Clay. I don’t think they are doing it for some genius reason. It’s likely because of the poor planning.
Other thoughts:
– Chris Jericho on Twitter (@IAmJericho): “Haven’t watched Raw in a month and I haven’t seen the mystery promos. Sorry…don’t know and don’t care so u can stop asking.” – He said what he should say. If he wanted people to know it was him then the promos would say that he’s coming back on January 2nd. I still believe the promos are about him, or maybe I just hope it will be him.
– Slammy Awards on Monday. Always a trainwreck of a show. Three hours too, which is not a good thing. At least I can watch my Rams get whipped on Monday Night Football also. What a night Monday is going to be.
The 2011 WWE Johnny Awards are coming soon. We’ve had seven polls up already and we’re ready for your vote. For more info on The WWE Johnny Awards click here. You need to keep visiting thejohnreport.net because the polls will be posted all throughout this month in anticipation of prestigious awards on December 19th.
A few likes and dislikes from this week’s Smackdown, which continues to be the best weekly show in WWE.
LIKE – Cody Rhodes
I can’t pinpoint one thing that he did because he did a number of things well. He attacked Booker to start the show, then he mocked the fave five, cut a great promo at the announce table and then did a really good job announcing too. Later, he attacked Daniel Bryan when he was berating Cole at the announce desk. Then he had a good match with DBry that ended when Booker T. came out for the DQ finish to set up their TLC match. I would love for them to feud post TLC. It’s a shame that Bryan doesn’t have a TLC match, but at least they can say he’s too injured to compete. Back to Rhodes, the man is on fire right now. His main event run is coming in 2012. You can (money in the) bank on it. I know that was cheesy. Deal with it!
DISLIKE – Beat the clock for match stipulations
I don’t mind beat the clock when it comes to determining a number one contender or something like that, but to determine who gets a match stipulation? That’s weak. Barrett beat Big Zeke early in the show and then in the main event Orton beat Ziggler one second faster than Barrett got his win. Guess what the stip is? A Tables Match. Of course it is because we already know the WWE Title match is a TLC, the HHH/Nash match is a Ladder match (with a sledgehammer) and the World Title match is a Chairs Match. Of course this one was going to be a Tables Match because that’s how they always do the TLC PPV. I just thought it was a lame way of announcing what the stipulation would be.
LIKE – Clean wins for Sheamus, Ryder & Dibiase
Clean babyface wins for all three. That’s rare. Usually heels get wins like that. It’s nice to know that they realize they are thin on the babyface side and have done a much better job in the last few months of building up the midcard babyfaces. Obviously Sheamus is near the main event level, Ryder is likely winning the US Title at TLC and Dibiase is being built up. There’s also Daniel Bryan hovering in that upper midcard while Cena, Punk, Big Show & Orton are the established main eventers. Finally the babyface side of the roster can be matched up well against the heels.
DISLIKE – Michael Cole
He was really obnoxious on Smackdown this week, even more than normal. I already missed Booker T. on commentary, but without him there to argue with Cole it made MC more annoying because Mathews sticks to play by play instead of trying go head to head with him. There’s a reason that Cole is the favorite to win the KTFO Award in the Johnny Awards once again. His character hurts the show more than it helps.
Other thoughts:
– They didn’t show the match from tapings where Kaitlyn joined Beth/Natalya after she turned on AJ. They changed their minds I guess. I’m okay with it because Kaitlyn doesn’t fit that group. Beth & Natalya are accomplished, skilled wrestlers. The only thing Kaitlyn has in common with them is her look because she can lift a lot of weight in the gym too. In the ring she appears lost a lot of the time and would be exposed if she was out there with two experienced, talented veterans like them. I’m okay with the move. With that said, they could have done something on Raw where they had Beth & Natalya beat her up after she lost a tag match to kick her out of the group. By doing that it would then build up Beth & Natalya even more as heels. They certainly have options with this. My guess is they don’t go in the direction of a Kaitlyn heel turn. If they really liked it they would have aired it.
It’s Twitter Ten time. You can follow me on Twitter @johnreport and fire questions at me any time you want. I’m answering questions on there all the time, so ask me anything you want. I asked for ten questions prior to this column and here they are with my answers.
@TheCarg Mike McGillicutty has been off the major shows for a while now. What are the odds of coming back using his actual last name?
I doubt he wrestles under his real name. They like to own names for trademark purposes. He needs a gimmick, just not Mr. Perfect 2.
@CheeseForTheWin Who would be your favourite for this year’s rumble? Orton presumably? Maybe Ziggler for a shock win?
I think Orton will win in his hometown of St. Louis. Would love to see Ziggler or Barrett win though.
@staggassi Why when the Wwe had tough enough on did they allow the line to be blurred between pg and tv14? Made TE that much better.
Because it was a “reality” show and they wanted it to be more realistic in its presentation. Plus a company outside WWE produced it.
@StevieHoudini Which wrestler is the most annoying Tweeter?
Ha. I dunno. I unfollow if I get bored or annoyed. Just unfollowed Melina for that. At least Maryse knows to post pics. Others should realize that.
@LukeTheMorgz What sort of character would you like to see @IAmJericho return with ? Same as when he left or something new?
I think he should return as a heel, but then morph into a face later in 2012 because they have so many young heels that he can work with.
@lastmanoftruth Who fit the face role better ahmed johnson or big zeke?
I’d say Ahmed was better because at least he was over and showed babyface fire. Still not sure what is likable about Zeke.
@kjbrophy Greatest stable/faction of all time?
I’d say the Four Horsemen, but the NWO and Evolution were pretty great too. I’m love the Hart Foundation, but didn’t last long.
@hulkster1982 Is there a better catchphrase than “huss huss”?
Hell no. The Berzerker was a legend! His finishing move was to win the match by countout. Hilarious.
@DannyWilson89 If you could book any match you want in the WWE with the current roster what would it be???
Elimination Chamber that lasts 45 minutes with Punk, Bryan, Ziggler, Christian, Orton and Rhodes.
@TheFoxUK1988 Would there be a design from the past WWE titles you would bring back or would you change it completely?
I’d use the winged eagle WWF Title but change it up so the WWE logo is more prominent in it.
That was ten. Follow me on Twitter @johnreport and look out for the next Twitter Ten on Monday afternoon to be posted in the Raw Deal.
This Sunday, TNA has their annual December PPV known as Final Resolution. The poll above let us know that not a lot of you are watching TNA’s product, but I watch it. See what I do for you? It’s actually a good lineup on paper and I like how there are five title matches too. They actually care about putting titles on PPV, which is nice. Of course my issue in this case is that they have too many titles, but that’s TNA for ya. In terms of drawing in fans they are not doing a great job since ratings remain the same as always.
Television Title: Robbie E (c) vs. Eric Young
This feud isn’t over? Young is one of my favorites, but the comedy gimmick has ran its course. I miss him in the heel role he did a few years ago as the leader of World Elite. I guess Robbie wins here to retain the title that has less value than any title in TNA. Too many freakin’ titles bro. The Pick: Robbie E.
X-Division Title: Austin Aries (c) vs. Kid Kash
The best they can do for the X-Division shouldn’t be a guy in his 40s like Kid Kash. Not using Alex Shelley because Chris Sabin got hurt is ridiculous. Now they’ve taken Kash out of the heel role that he’s been good at so that they can use him as a face against Aries. Dumb booking. Aries is too good to drop the title to Kash, so I’d assume he keeps it. Where are the future babyface contenders? The X-Division sucks right now. No surprise because Hogan & Bischoff don’t care about smaller wrestlers. They never have. The Pick: Kid Kash.
Knockouts Title: Gail Kim (c) vs. Mickie James
I’d love to see Mickie James get the title back here, but I don’t see it happening. It’s odd how they built up Velvet to win the title, then she lost it in less than a month and is already out of the title picture. Mickie’s the better wrestler obviously, but they really killed all the momentum they had in building up Velvet. I’m sure these two will have a good match to make amends for the one on Raw in 2009 when Gail hit her head and the finish was all messed up. I’ll go with Gail winning thanks to heel shenanigans because TNA can’t book a Knockouts Title match without some kind of overbooked finishes. They are worse than finishes to Jarrett matches. The Pick: Gail Kim.
Tag Team Titles: Matt Morgan & Crimson (c) vs. Devon & The Pope
The faces have momentum until Morgan turns on him in a few months. The Devon/Pope team is temporary with Pope showing heel tendencies, which means the Morgan & Crimson team winning is the biggest lock on this show. Make it a quick match because I wouldn’t book Morgan & Crimson to sell a lot of moves here. It should be a dominant win. The Pick: Morgan & Crimson.
Rob Van Dam vs. Christopher Daniels
Nobody in TNA mails in performances more than RVD, which is saying a lot. I don’t think he cares too much about anything there these days. They should have a decent match, but after watching them last month my enthusiasm has been curbed. I’ll go with a Daniels win here just because he has more for him going forward than RVD likely does. The Pick: Christopher Daniels.
Kurt Angle vs. James Storm
Happy birthday to Angle, who turned 43 on Friday. Is it shock that the match I care the most about involves Angle? No. That’s how good he is. In this case, Storm has delivered the goods too. His promo on Thursday was terrific as he got in Angle’s face to tell him about everything he’s been through in his life. It was his way of saying that despite what Angle’s done to him, Storm has been through even more pain. It’s been a really good story. With that said, I see this as a two or three PPV type of feud, so I’ll go with the Angle win here in an excellent match. This has the potential to be TNA’s best feud in a long time. Don’t rush it, let it play out and Storm will look like an even bigger star by the time it’s over. The Pick: Kurt Angle.
Steel Cage: Jeff Jarrett vs. Jeff Hardy
A Jeff Jarrett match with stipulations? What a shocker! It’s in a cage with the stipulation being that if Hardy wins he gets a World Title shot while if Jarrett wins then Hardy leaves TNA. Gee, I wonder what happens. Another stip is that Sting will be handcuffed to Karen Jarrett on the floor to ensure that she doesn’t interfere. They have had a good build to the match, but there are too many stips going on here. Hardy will win obviously, which is the right move of course. I’m just really tired of anything involving Jeff Jarrett. The Pick: Jeff Hardy.
30 Minute Ironman World Title: Bobby Roode (c) vs. AJ Styles
An Ironman match always has its challenges because it’s not always easy to be entertaining for an hour or 30 minutes in this case. With these two, though, I have little doubt that it will be very good. The problem is I doubt many people believe Styles will win because of the Hardy stipulation on the card. Jeff Hardy is the top babyface in TNA right now arguably with James Storm after him. Even though Styles is main eventing, he is the third top babyface at best. That hurts the match in terms of selling the PPV. I’ll say Roode retains by getting three falls to two for Styles. Then they go to Roode vs. Hardy as the top feud heading into the new year. The Pick: Bobby Roode.
On paper it’s a pretty good card, but good luck drawing in fans when you only get about 8,000 PPV buys and you’re competing against a huge Sunday NFL game as the Cowboys take on the Giants. They should think about going to six PPVs in a year while airing six TV specials that are like PPVs because then at least people will see them.
Random Clip of the Week
In honor of the TLC PPV coming up next Sunday, here’s one of my favorite TLC matches. It’s a lot harder to have a good one of these matches in a one on one setting, but Edge & John Cena did a great job of pulling it off. It’s one of best matches of each of their careers. Give it a look when you can.
It was in Toronto, so Edge’s home turf. Cena was hated as much as ever. The effort of both guys plus the really hot crowd led to an incredible battle that probably played a part in Edge’s career being cut short as well. I’d rate it at ****1/2 out of 5 on the infamous five star scale.
Melo Out with Steve Melo
Hello all you Melonites! I figure the more I use that word, the more it will stick. What didn’t stick well with me was Monday night RAW. I see most people in the IWC enjoyed the show. It had its good moments but once again, it had its bad moments and in my opinion I think the bad outweighed the good and made me shake my head several times throughout the night. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but this was one of the most predictable Raw’s I have seen in a long time. At least we know now when a superstar is going to interfere in a match because their theme music plays. I guess a guy like Barrett is a heel nice enough to let the production staff know ahead of time. They did it twice during the show. They need to stop doing that during the show. It kills the match and is not realistic by a long shot.
What I liked about Raw was Zack Ryder getting a lot of air time. Some people don’t like his gimmick but most seem to be on page. He has a good head on his shoulders. Now if only his hair would agree with that head of his and stop falling out. If he keeps balding like this, they are going to have to do an angle where someone shaves his head and they eliminate the whole “take care and spike your hair” catchphrase. What I didn’t like was Cena’s involvement here. I liked the fact that they had a decent match but thought it was in poor taste for Cena to give up his title shot. I understand some people like this because it is a change from seeing Cena in the title picture for once and because he claims to have done it so Ryder could get his shot to shine. That’s good and all, but when you admit that you are a former 10 time WWE Champion, then give up your right to be in a match for what is supposed to be the top prize in the company, (it’s hard to tell because there are two and not one undisputed world champion) then you are basically saying it is not important when it should be regardless of how many times you have been champion. I just thought that was really stupid. I could be alone here.
I also thought when they announced Ryder was having another match, I instantly thought of Mark Henry as his opponent. And I was right. When the GM made that same match a no DQ, I knew Ryder was winning because Cena was going to get involved. And I was right again. Miz faced Orton, I predicted he would win because Wade would interfere. And I was right once again. Maybe I should have bought a lottery ticket that night or maybe I have just been watching too much WWE over the years. Eiher way it made for a very predictable and therefore boring show for this fella. I will say that overall the in-ring action was above average this week. Smackdown was alright too. Cody Rhodes was sensational as always. Nice to see Lillian back as well. Wow!
Until next week, sit back, relax and Melo Out…because that’s what wrestling is all about.
Steve “The Melo Man” Melo
Facebook: MeloOutTJR
Twitter: @MeloOutTJR
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That’s a wrap for this week. The Austin column is coming soon. I don’t even want to give you an exact date because my schedule is so full that it’s hard to find the time. Next week we’ve got the Slammy Awards (condensed Raw Deal posted Tuesday AM) and then on the weekend we’re back with the TJR Staff preview of WWE TLC on PPV. No Canton’s Corner next weekend due to the PPV. I never have time to do both. Then on Monday December 19th are the 2011 WWE Johnny Awards, which are always a lot of fun to write. Keep on checking out [email protected] to vote in the polls to see if your winners match up with mine.
We taped the final two hour edition of TJR Radio of 2011 on Wednesday December 7. The Ace, Jakey and myself took your calls, looked back at 2011 and previewed 2012. Download the MP3, play in browser or click the iTunes button to download it there.
On another note, my top three Christmas movies are as follows: A Christmas Story, Bad Santa & Home Alone. Bad Santa is fantastic.
Thanks for reading.
John Canton – [email protected]
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