WWE Draft Results

Triple H is wondering the same thing I am...Smackdown is still on T.V?!

Well that was some draft huh? Forget about the mistakes they made, or even if it was a perfect shake up…the WWE draft definitely succeeded in one aspect…shock value. WWE’s last couple of drafts have basically been talent boosts for the company’s flagship show RAW.

Not this time around.

So let’s break it down Including WWE’s supplemental draft that was held Wednesday afternoon on WWE.com.

To Raw:

* Jamie Noble (from Smackdown) – I always wanted all the cruiserweights on one show so they could attempt (and fail as usual) to build a cruiserweight division. He’ll be lost on Raw guaranteed.

* Deuce (from Smackdown) – Guessing he’ll be repackaged with a different gimmick, or will just try to see if his current gimmick will get over with a different audience.

* Chuck Palumbo (from Smackdown) – I honestly haven’t seen Chuck Palumbo wrestle in years. Apparently he’s got some biker gimmick right now which is awesome…not really. Unless your Magnum T.A, Undertaker, or DOA…biker gimmicks are gay!

* Matt Striker (from ECW) - I like Matt Striker a lot. He isn’t anything special in the ring, but he has plenty of potential as a manager. My only concern is he may steal some steam from Santino with the cocky/funny/annoying gimmick. Well he can try and steal some steam but it won’t work. Santino 4 life…

* Layla (from ECW)- Bah…next.

* Kofi Kingston (from ECW)- This draft pick is interesting because if used correctly, Kofi can be a really nice addition to Raw’s I-C Division…if they even have one. He’s got talent, energetic in the ring, should mesh well with the live Raw atmosphere. I’m counting down the days till the first Cryme Time/Kofi backstage segment. Come on…you know Vince is all over it.

* Rey Mysterio (from Smackdown)- The first couple of picks of the draft were awesome because I predicted all of them! In my fantasy draft a few weeks ago I said Mysterio should go to Raw with C.M Punk, and Jeff Hardy should go to Smackdown. The Booking…GAWD still has it!As for Mysterio going to Raw, honestly it HAD to happen. He has fought everybody on Smackdown at every level whether it was mid card, upper mid card or main event. He needs new opponents and a change of scenery, Raw will provide him with both.

* CM Punk (from ECW)- I was amazed CM Punk didn’t go to Smackdown to feud with Edge. Everything seemed to be pointing in that direction. Edge was getting involved in his matches a month or so ago on ECW and Punk has Money in the Bank waiting to be cashed. But it wasn’t meant to be. I doubt WWE has any idea when he is going to cash in MITB; either way Punk should get over great on Raw. C.M Punk vs. HBK…me likey.

* Michael Cole (from Smackdown)- I’ll cover this little draft/trade with JR.

* Batista (from Smackdown)- Batista is sort of in the same bought as Rey Mysterio. He’s fought everybody…and he needs a change. My only concern is he’s already fought with HBK and Y2J. Who is left for him to fight? Cena? OOOOOO…maybe Orton? Interesting.

* Kane (from ECW)- I hate Kane. Ok I said it. I hate him. He has decent mic skills, but the man has had the same move set for 11 years. Would it kill him to sit down with the choke slam? How about a submission move?! Do something you big red gap toothed bastard. He’ll get boring on Raw once again and will find another brand to put on boring matches.

To Smackdown:

* Trevor Murdoch (from Raw)- No idea what they are doing with this guy…if anything. He’s not bad in the ring, but his gimmick is a dead end street.

* Big Daddy V (from ECW)- Big Breasts V seems like a nice fit on Smackdown until you remember they drafted Umaga. Two monsters heels…unless they tag, Big Daddy V is going to be screwed.

* DH Smith (from Raw)- Good idea, let him develop in a more controlled environment. Kid needs to turn heel though, not a chance in hell he gets over as a face.

* Brian Kendrick (from Raw)- So let me get this straight. WWE is breaking up Cane and Murdoch, London and Kendrick, and Deuce and Domino. What the fuck? Is there even a tag team division anymore on either show?

* Maria (from Raw)- Bah!

* Shelton Benjamin (from ECW)- Shelton Benjamin is going to be in the same friggan situation no matter where they put him UNLESS they get him a manager. He’s athletic, he can bump, but he can’t talk. You would think they would figure this out by now.

* Carlito (from Raw)- I guess Carlito finally got his wish…although he’ll probably be fired by this time next year. I can’t say I blame him…they have done nothing with him since he gave his two weeks notice a while back. Vince, if you don’t want him…get rid of him. I would be down for a Carlito/Triple H storyline though…especially after Carlito ripped Triple H in shoot interview a few weeks ago. On a side note…can you remember Carlito actually main evented a pay per view in an Elimination Chamber with Chris Masters? Talk about falling off the track.

* Jeff Hardy (from RAW)- I always thought Smackdown was the better situation for Hardy. Less pressured environment so hopefully he won’t get addicted to crack again. I am a bit confused though, Hardy is obviously on the verge of main eventing…so moving him to Smackdown where it’s WIDE open for a face is a great idea…UNTIL. Until you draft Mr. Kennedy and Triple H with him, now he is right back where he was on Raw, only minus an HBK but plus an Undertaker.

* Jim Ross (from RAW)- I really felt bad for JR. It was obvious they didn’t tell him shit before the show started and I wouldn’t have been surprised if he walked right off the show. One side of me feels awful, the other side says suck it up. You’re getting paid to do a job, do what your told bitch. JR and Foley should be good together though.

* Umaga (from RAW)- Umaga has wrestled/killed everybody on RAW, get him on Smackdown. Hopefully he stays far away from Hardy since they have wrestled 478 times. Good chemistry, but give it a rest for a while.

* Mr. Kennedy (from RAW)- I REALLY don’t understand drafting Kennedy/HHH/Hardy together. Only thing that will help things is if they turn Hardy heel…which I don’t think he has the mic skills to pull off. Not much to say other than he’ll be fighting with Hardy for Hunter’s scraps for a while.

* Triple H (from RAW)- Shocking? Hell yes. My guess would have been to draft John Cena instead of Triple H. Why? Well he gets booed on Raw for starters, and secondly his prime demographic is children. Kids watch Smackdown because of the time slot, why not put Cena on a show where he may actually get cheered and sell even more merchandise. I’m not saying Triple H going to Smackdown won’t work, just seems that Cena would fit in a whole lot more.

To ECW:

* Mark Henry (from Smackdown)

* Hornswoggle (from Smackdown)

* Super Crazy (from Raw)

* Finlay (from Smackdown)

* Matt Hardy (from Smackdown)

I actually predicted Finlay going to Smackdown but this won’t mean shit if Smackdown and ECW use each other’s talent so often. Good idea getting Super Crazy on ECW…although I bet the current ECW audience doesn’t even know he’s an ECW original.

Reading JR’s blog right after Raw basically explained to me why Smackdown got so much talent in the draft.

“It has been explained to me that the WWE's Smackdown tenure on My Network is a high priority within the corporation.”

That says it all folks. WWE is banking on Smackdown’s ratings to rise once again and what a better time to focus on that while Raw’s ratings have been sliding. Seriously Smackdown has been the minor leagues for years now while Raw got stacked with all the talent. Things look to be somewhat even now which will only help WWE and only screw me over since now I must watch Smackdown. SHIT!

-Mike

Review/TNA Impact

That's right Million Dollar giveaway!!! Step aside, The Booking...GAWD is actually going to review Impact. Now let me be honest...I haven't watched an entire episode of Impact in a rather long time. But for some reason last week I decided to check it out and I was honestly... pleasantly surprised.

Impact June 12th

TNA World Title Match

Samoa Joe Vs. Kaz

Kaz may have gotten in a little too much offense but I really dug this match. TNA needs to decide whether they are going to have Joe be the dominant wrestler he was when he first entered TNA and dominated the X-Division or if he will come across as he did tonight. Not overpowering or dominant...just a good wrestler who gets the wins. Kaz didn't look out of place either. Great opening match...could have used another 2-3 minutes, but I liked what I got.

After the match Booker T wastes no time in getting into the mind of Samoa Joe. I would have liked him to come out to some music instead of just walking out from the back like he just wondered onto the stage high. Booker T starting the mind games with Joe is a great idea. Obviously Booker T is way past his prime and Joe can obviously beat him physically...but mentally Joe is new to the World Title scene. Booker T can expose that with his experience and I hope they continue on that path. Strong promo work from Booker.

Backstage Kurt Angle cuts a kind of creepy promo explaining a bounty he has put on the head of his wife Karen Angle. On a side note, how skinny does Kurt Angle look? That can't be good. As for the promo itself, it was well executed even if the idea behind it is kind of corny. But they have to continue the storyline somehow, and this way isn't that bad.

The Motor City Machineguns Vs. Naruko Doi and Masato Yoshino

It may have been a spot fest, but this tag match was very entertaining. Reminds me of the old Rockers philosophy. They always said if there are 4 guys in the ring...there should be no reason for the action to stop or even slow down. This match was exactly that. The moves were innovative, hard hitting and fast. This is what TNA should be all about. Putting on matches that WWE either can't, or won't put on television.

I haven't been following the Nash and Joe storyline week to week, but whenever I do catch a promo they are well delivered. Say what you will about Big Kev's in ring work (or lack there of)...but on the microphone he is still one of the very best. Nash seems to rub off on Joe on the microphone which can only be good for TNA's hopes for their World Champ. Nash being involved with Joe is a nice extra layer to whatever World Title feud he happens to be in. Just another element to work off of.

One thing I am concerned with is Joe going against Kevin Nash and Booker T. Nash is a top face and always gets a pop...sometimes one that rivals Samoa Joe. And as for Booker T...he is a pure heel, BUT TNA's next ppv is in his home town. Does TNA really want their top face and World Champ to be booed? Do they care? We'll see what happens, but the cheers may be stacking up against him heading into the ppv.

Thank God. The AJ Styles backstage segment with Karen did something great... it really shows how he is done with the goofy side kick gimmick. AJ seems to serious once again which will only help him get back to main event status.

TNA World Tag Team Title Match

LAX Vs. Robert Roode and James Storm

I found the match rather sloppy with guys obviously waiting for previously planned spots to occur. Don't get me wrong, I think with proper time on a pay per view these guys can put on an above average match. But this match was trying to fit too many ideas into 5 minutes. The after match beatdown was effective, although TNA seems to have one of these every couple of weeks.

I'm a little confused with something. Wasn't the point of breaking up AMW and Team Canada to make Robert Roode and James Storm into singles stars? And didn't TNA successfully turn them both into solid upper midcard talents? Now they are in tag teams again? What's the point of that?

A womens match? Moving right along....

Backstage Storm and Roode brag about the beating they gave LAX and wonder if LAX can give them what they want...a FIGHT. The two may not have much in common gimmick wise, but they do have nice chemistry on the mic.

Curry Man Vs. Alex Kozlov

Poor Christopher Daniels. Nice to see TNA dedicating a good portion of their wrestling show to actual wrestling...but why not scrap this match and give Joe and Kaz an extra 2 minutes.

In the back Joe agrees to a title match at Victory Road face to face with Booker T. Nice little segment, the two guys don't hate each other yet...which is good. Let Booker T slowly get in Joe's head...then the segments can get more intense.

Sonjay Dutt vs Consequences Creed

I'm sorry, but the name Consequences Creed has 'Vince Russo' written all over it. As for the match, it was short and sweet and was only booked to get Jay Lethal involved. I really can't get into the Lethal/Dutt mega powers storyline since its basically TNA's biggest problem. They seem to enjoy trying to be like WWE...instead of developing their own product.

Lumberjack Match

Kurt Angle Vs. AJ Styles

Fun main event with Kurt Angle basically just going through the motions so he doesn't further damage his neck. Speaking of Kurt Angle's neck...is it really necessary to have this guy wrestle on Impact? His head is about to fall right off his shoulders...and they are wasting a money making AJ Vs. Kurt rematch on free t.v? TNA has to realize that Kurt Angle's wrestling career is on borrowed time and they have to pick his spots carefully. You can continue storylines without the guy wrestling...so save him for ppvs and match Impacts right before the ppv.

I really wish we could see a Kurt Vs. AJ match with Kurt at 100%...or even 80% but that day may never come. TNA has to protect Kurt Angle or else they are going to end his career...and lose one of their biggest name draws. And with Sting flirting with retirement they may not be able to afford that.

Overall I enjoyed this edition of Impact. They spared us the silly over comedic segments and stuck to solid storylines and even better....solid wrestling. As for the Kurt Angle/Kong ending...I don't know what to say about it. I guess it makes sense having Angle hire Kong to kill Karen but honestly...can anyone who is a fan of TNA or even someone on the booking committee truly tell me, that Awesome Kong has ppv buy rate written all over her. No, nobody watches TNA for Awesome Kong...so why bother to have her involved in a big storyline?

And what the hell happened to Christian Cage? I know he left WWE because of being underutilized...TNA may be following the same trend. But that's just me nit picking...and I really like Cage as a performer.

The show was solid though..and hopefully something the company can continue going into Victory Road.

Yeah...That Will Help TNA

Rumor has it that Total Nonstop Action is trying to bring in The Ultimate Warrior in hopes of reuniting The Blade Runners.

Who?

What?

Huh?

My point exactly.

TNA is hoping to reunite a tag team that honestly...nobody really even knew existed. Especially the casual fan who doesn't find anything before 1998 very interesting.

But Mr. Unmarked Wrestling blogger man, aren't the die hard smarks going to love this reunion?! Isn't this something that they have been waiting for...for years!!! No, not even close.

EVEN if this was going to attract some smarks to tune in Thursday nights... TNA doesn't need smarks. In fact most of the guys who are watching every Thursday night are smarks anyway, who watch TNA not because of their love of that product, but their hatred for what Vince puts out on a weekly basis.

Bringing in The Ultimate Warrior in order to give Sting his tag team partner from 1985 will not help anybody...except Warrior who can collect a paycheck...and Sting who is doing shit right now.

The Blade Runners weren't a big deal when Bill Watts decided to book them in The Mid South and they certainly wouldn't be a big deal now. Not for the smark fans, who are the only ones who know they ever existed in the first place, and not for the marks who would rather buy Cena and Rey Mysterio merchandise.

If you HAVE to bring Warrior for some God forsaken reason...bring his psychotic ass in to job for Samoa Joe or AJ Styles. THAT'S IT. Nobody wants to see Kevin Nash pin him. He comes in, cuts a promo that only blind def squirrels can understand, lays down for a wrestler who can contribute to the product for the next 10 years, collects his paycheck, and goes back home...I mean to PLACES UNKNOWN!!!

Besides...didn't WCW do this already? Nitro 1998? Hogan/Hart Vs. Sting/Warrior?

...Damn you TNA, damn you.

-Mike/Booking...GAWD