Monday Night Thoughts/Tuesday Morning Reactions

Lets be honest, this was a very strange and indifferent episode of Monday Night Raw. First off the best wrestlers tonight were the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions "Team Ego" Chris Jericho & Edge, with a great (but cut short) promo before their title defense, which was a fantastic match where all four performers work perfectly with each other.

I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, lets start at the start with Vince McMahon and his continuing heel turn, he's not giving away a commercial-free Raw or a ticket refund because WWE can't afford it and it creates easy heat. I heard something about a 15 man trade for about 2 seconds, but since that had already slightly leaked onto the net, there was no worries. Then he introduced the guest host not the GM, Batista! Ohhhhhh! I don't give a s**t! No no, I'm being harsh, he gave us a 4-man tournament and a 3-on-Randy Orton Gauntlet Match (which Batista did really well not to tell us that it was going to be 3 new Raw superstars). Tournament Cena-Miz & HHH-MVP, well I wonder how that's gonna turn out.

First match tonight, Triple H vs MVP. It was obvious which way the match was going to go, but this was a rubbish match to start Raw, it didn't even go over an ad break. The finish was rubbish, too predictable! MVP goes for the playmaker, I knew that HHH would get out of it then s**t all over one of the best young competitors in WWE with the Pedigree (which is the most boring and over use finisher EVER!). Will Triple H ever lose against someone like MVP. And can he please leave Randy Orton alone, how much more can they do between these two, Randy is great, HHH is a douche! They tried to re-vamp this feud in the Road to WrestleMania, considering they had a long summer run last year, ending quicker than WWE would have wanted when Hunter broke Randy's collar bone. So, for the rest of the first hour I was pissed off about how Triple H shat on MVP, why?

Next up was the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship Match, already talked about this, loved it all. Okay, at the time of writing, I hadn't watched the whole of "The Bash" PPV so didn't see all the Cena-Miz Match but I heard that it was crap and didn't live up to any of the hype. On Raw they replayed the recap promo from the night before and I think that it must have been longer than the actually match on Sunday.

This match, which was the second in the Night of Champions #1 Contenders Tournament was good and was a solid match and they should have had a match of that caliber at the PPV, it's called a Pay-Per-View for a reason! I enjoyed this match when I got into it and knew that it wouldn't be a straight squash (and why the f**k would it be!). Except for the very end, "Moves of Doom" and Short tap to shit hold, I like this match considering it was unfortunately obvious the outcome.

I'm really liking the Miz, he's good in and out (theoretically) of the ring, even Chris Jericho, master of the heel, said about Miz practicing his promos backstage on Sunday: "In the pretape room inside re Arco arena watching Miz stumble and mumble his way through humane society promos. Top entertainment!".

Haven't heard of a Women's Fatal-Four Way before yesterday night, not bad, but don't they have a better heel than Rosa Mendes. Alright match, but when they where on the outside trying to allow others to fight in the ring, they looked like right idiots. One thing, near the end of the match, Beth Phoenix was dropped off the apron and it looked like she really smashed her head on the ring steps, that look and sounded too real, if it was, Michael Cole said that Maryse was laughing at that point, evil bitch, haha.

Here comes the Big Show, where is he going with any storyline right now, what, is he going to get a United States Championship match at Night of Champions, shut up. Double countout, could you really see a non-Big Show win against Kofi being anything but a countout or DQ, but hey a double countout is the same sorta stuff. Show then looked like a douche by storming out, doing nothing and the camera following him all the way, couldn't they have just gone to a break earlier. Silly match.

The Main Event was a 3-on-1 Gauntlet Match with the WWE Champion Randy Orton facing off against 3 new performers that have been "traded" to Raw. First up Evan Bourne, yeah! That's good, and strangely I didn't know how much of a size difference the was going to be between Evan and Randy, Evan looked like a child with his child-like head. He did well in the short time but lost from a massive top rope RKO after Orton stopped the Shooting Star Press, lost. Up next, again from ECW, Jack Swagger! YES! I'm loving this, he showed in april at the Draft show against John Cena how he can hold his own against the big boys in WWE. His future is bright. And finally, Mark Henry, who got a great reaction? What? Does everyone in the arena remember who this is, but actually he played it as a babyface, this is the only way I think I'm going to be able to enjoy Mark Henry, but I think I'm really going to enjoy face Mark Henry. I started to remember Sexual Chocolate, it won't be like that, but he's smiling and soaking up the pop from the crowd, who have been very good all night. But the end was very lackluster, I was thinking "Oh, Is that it? I guess so... Erm, Yeay!"

It was alright and it'll be interesting to see how the new superstars will slot in, is Jack Swagger the new Legacy member, Randy was rather surprised at Jack's actions and count-out (on the ring apron). I think I'm looking forward to next week, Ted DiBiase Sn. as Guess Host and HHH-Cena for WWE Title shot at Night of Champions (btw its so obvious its going to be a triple threat, because they've done Orton-HHH, too much and they will not let either of their biggest faces be beat like they beat Miz & MVP), YEAH?

WWE Changes Both October PPVs

From NoDQ.com: WWE has made changes to their two October PPV events. The No Mercy event will now be known "Hell in A Cell" and will take place on October 4th. Last week, WWE posted a fan survey regarding cage-themed shows this change isn't a big surprise. It's interesting because a Triple H vs. Randy Orton HIAC match was originally planned for Summerslam. After several years of being among the least-purchased WWE PPVs of the year, it appears that Cyber Sunday is finally being put to rest. "WWE Annihilation" will be the new name and will take place on October 25th.

Video.dot.Blog - Legacy speak on The Bash, Time on the Road, Body Size & The Fans

UFC lose UK Broadcaster, Setanta, Thanks to Recession

From MMAjunkie.com: After weeks of rumors of its potential collapse and questions about the station's ability to air UFC 99 earlier this month, the Ultimate Fighting Championship today officially announced it has terminated its agreement with Setanta Sports. The UFC today released a press release in which UFC UK Division President Marshall Zelaznik stated that the decision was made to assure U.K. fans won't miss any future UFC events, including next month's historic UFC 100 card. Zelaznik stated the UFC will announce a new broadcast partner "shortly." The UFC and Setanta first joined forces in January 2008. The partnership fueled the UFC's move overseas and into a variety of U.K. and other European markets. "They were the right partner for us at the right time as we continued to build the sport of mixed martial arts and our brand," Zelaznik stated. "Throughout the last few weeks, we have been kept informed of the situation at Setanta, and therefore, we are in a position to ensure our U.K. and Eire fans will not miss any of this summer's huge UFC events, commencing with UFC 100 in July." Setana reportedly lost millions of dollars while denouncing rumors of a potential demise. However, BBC News today reported that the company has entered into administration, ceased its U.K. operations and will lay off 200 employees following sagging subscription numbers and missed payments to partners such as the English Premier League; The rights have since been purchased by ESPN. (O'DEA NOTE: Read that full article here.) Zelaznik wished Setanta well. "On behalf of the UFC I want to wish the team at Setanta all the strength to get through what must be very difficult times," he stated. "We have worked very closely with the entire Setanta team over the past years and wish them the best of luck in the future." Prior to the June 13 UFC 99 event in Cologne, Germany, UFC President Dana White posted multiple Twitter updates to reassure fans that the event would be available on Setanta despite the station's problems. The event did air without incident, though no assurances could be made for future events.

Video.dot.Blog - The Marine 2 Trailer featuring Ted DiBiase Jr.

Donald Trump to Refund 100% of All Tickets at Tonight's Commercial Free Monday Night Raw

From WWE.com: GREEN BAY, Wis. – Continuing to give back to the WWE Universe, new Raw owner Donald Trump announced at today’s press conference that he will be issuing a refund to everyone attending tonight’s Raw in Green Bay, Wis. This is in addition to the already unprecedented proclamation made during last week’s show that tonight, for the first time in it’s 17-year history, Raw will air completely commercial-free. Judging by Mr. McMahon reaction to last week’s announcement, The Chairman will no doubt be floored by this new development. Meanwhile, “The Donald” is living up to his promise to appreciate the WWE Universe by literally giving back to the fans. To find out what Raw’s new owner will do next, make sure to tune into a completely commercial-free Raw tonight at 9/8 CT on USA Network.

Video.dot.Blog - Commercial Free Monday Night Raw

Video.dot.Blog - Ring Collapse (HD)

Candice Michelle's last WWE Universe Blog

After Candice Michelle's release from the WWE on Friday, she wrote a blog that was later removed from the WWE Universe site, here it is in its entirety:

"Dear WWE Universe, Today is the first day of my next journey! I am filled with excitement and gratitude that I wanna express! First and foremost I wanna say thank-you to the McMahon family! Thank-you Vince, Linda, and Stephanie! I have had an amazing 5years wrestling for you guys! You have taught me and given me so many incredible memories! My time in the WWE was so heartfelt and an incredible journey that I will never forget. I wanna thank the people who have helped me there to be successful! Thank-You Johnny Laurenitis, Mark Corrono, and the rest of talent relations! You guys are awesome at what you do and I appreciate everything you have done for me! Thanks to the amazing agents Arn, Dean, Ricky, Mike, Fit, Barry, Steve, and Billy. You guys are incredible at what you do and it was so exciting for me to get the oppurtunity to learn from the BEST! Speaking of the best, John Cena was a champ in every sense of the word, inside and outside of the ring! Thank-you John for our great friendship, conversations, and encouragement in the business! I have so many fun filled memories on the road that I will never forget thanks to Victoria, Torrie(vote for her, shes amazing), Carlito, Tommy ( what a Dream), and Mickie ( one half of the nasty girls)! You guys will be my buddies for life and I will never forget you! Thank you to the other amazing superstars and Divas! You guys are simply the best at what you do! You have contributed so much in me becoming a wrestler, thanks to HHH, Big Show, Melina, Mickie, John Cena, Tommy Dreamer, Shawn Michaels, and everyone else who every helped me in the ring(in no particular order)! Thanks to the awesome crew and people behind the scenes, without them the show wouldnt even begin, they are all so incredible and full of talent! My time in the WWE was a true blessing! I am excited that I was the FIRST WWE Diva Search contestant to become the WWE Womans Champion! I know I have paved a way for the woman like me and am so proud of them now! Go get em ladies, your all so talented and beautiful! A special dedication to all the amazing and wonderful fans who have supported me, made sites for me, were always positive, and mostly just showed your love! I really appreciate you! I hope to see you in my next journey! I feel it coming fast! You can see my new website in less than 1.5 months at candicemichelle.com and catch up with my updates, also on twitter! I have loved that journey and am ready to grow into this next chapter! Stay tuned.... much more to come! Yours Truly, Candice Michelle"

Wrestling Quote #18: Cena describes himself

This is a line from the Song 'Summer Fling' by John Cena on his amazing album 'You Can't See Me' which if you haven't got or heard i recommend you do. "I got class like a Ric Flair robe" I'm sure that is the highlight of Naitch is legendary career being mention in John Cena's rap song. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wrestling Quote #17: I'm Built like a Black Man

From NoDQ.com: The latest issue of Maxim Magazine features an interview with UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar and you can read it online over at Maxim.com. Earlier this week, Brock Lesnar was quoted in the UK Sun saying he's doing MMA for the money and it's just the job. In the Maxim interview, he set the record straight - he likes to fight. "I like to punish people," Lesnar said. "It's a feeling you can't get anywhere else, really. If I did it to somebody on the street, I'd get sued or arrested." Lesnar was asked about an interview he did with ESPN last year where he got pissed off after being asked about taking steroids. Lesnar told Maxim, "I bet you I've taken over 60 steroid tests. In college I had 15 random drug tests in two years. I've taken drug tests for the NFL, the WWE, the UFC. I must be pretty good at masking steroids. God gave me this body: Are you jealous of it or what? Give me a break. I got the genetics of—not to get into racism or anything—but I'm built like a black man. Would you say so?" The Maxim interviewer brought up an issue that angered Lesnar during that ESPN interview, saying "There's a difference between saying, 'I've never tested positive,' and saying, 'I've never taken steroids,'" the Maxim interviewer pointed out. Lesnar responded, "How isn't it the same thing? It's all genetics. I wouldn't say we're all created equal. That's just to make the other guys feel good who don't have what you've got."

Donald Trump "Buys" Monday Night Raw

So... where are they going with this?

WWE Change "The Bash" PPV Poster

The poster for the WWE's next PPV "The Bash" has been changed from a roaring Batista to a picture of a posing Jeff Hardy with red eye tints. The New poster is below.

Old "The Bash" Poster:

Tonight on the WWE 3-FOR-ALL

Tonight at 8/7 CT (1am BST), The 3-for-all, with 4 massive title matches from all 3 brands. From ECW, The New ECW Champion Tommy Dreamer goes up against former champ Christian, the "gold" on the line. From Smackdown, a Triple Threat for the World Heavyweight Championship, the new champ CM Punk defends against Jeff Hardy and Edge. The vacant WWE Championship will be put on the line in a Fatal-Four Way between the Big Show, John Cena, Randy Orton and the returning Triple H. Also, Chris Jericho will put his newly won Intercontinental Championship on the line against Rey Mysterio. With Former Raw GM Vickie Guerrero quitting last week Vince McMahon is back to announce Raw's new GM! And So make sure you tune in for 3 hours of WWE at its very best!

Batista's Injury A Cover Up?

From WrestlingInc.com: This past weekend, some people within World Wrestling Entertainment leaked a story to the internet saying Batista had suffered a biceps tear. The story was later changed to a torn tendon in his left biceps and that it was not a full fledged muscle tear. The webmaster of his official website, www.Demon-Wrestling.com, soon acknowledged his injury, "confirming" it as a torn tendon. The webmaster wrote: "We originally thought Dave had a torn muscle (he's been hurt for around 2-3 weeks), but this has now been confirmed as a torn tendon." However, the official WWE website would say differently. According to their report concerning Batista's injury, he suffered a completely torn left biceps requiring surgery that will keep him out of action for at least four months — not a torn tendon. A full fledged muscle tear is much more serious than a tendon tear, so something's clearly not adding up. If he did indeed suffer a torn tendon like his official website is saying, the amount of ring time he would miss would be considerably less. I'm told the injury is far less severe and is not a complete tear. Among some of the wrestlers, there has been plenty of skepticism over the true severity of his injury. The injury supposedly occurred over three weeks ago, but he had been working television, pay-per-views, and live events without any sort of tape on his arm whatsoever, let alone showing any signs of an injury. If the biceps tear was serious, and people within WWE are claiming it was serious enough for him to get surgery two days after his championship victory, it would certainly have been taped up. If the injury was not serious enough to require tape, one would think there would be no need for surgery. Even partially torn biceps injuries are taped up, but considering WWE is saying he suffered a full fledged muscle tear, it makes the severity of his injury all the more suspicious. At Monday's Raw in Lafayette, the wrestlers were told his injury was legitimate and he was having surgery the next day. However, the talk among wrestlers in the locker room is that his injury angle on Raw was a cover-up to have him avoid being suspended due to a violation of the company's drug testing policy. For what it's worth, Monday's show was re-written several times during the day and the creative team was given a list of wrestlers not to use for the foreseeable future prior to show time as a result of drug testing held earlier in the day and at shows over the weekend. WWE covering up a drug test failure with an injury would certainly be a major change of philosophy on how they handle their drug testing policy, and while things appear fishy, right now there is no concrete evidence indicating that has happened.

Wrestling Quote #16: As Exiciting as a Coma and last longer than a Recession

Jim Cornette has a feature on his official website, www.JimCornette.com, where fans can ask him his take on any subject. He admits to being "politically incorrect." Anyway, when asked who he feels is the most overrated wrestler of the past and today, he feels overrated is not the correct term, instead opting for "overpushed." Cornette wrote:

"The whole idea of promoting wrestling is to make the fans think a wrestler is better than he is, so to me, overrated is not the term. OverPUSHED is a different story. Who has been pushed on a major league basis way more than their talent or attitude should have dictated? One has to look no further than the mass hypnosis Vince McMahon worked in getting the Ultimate Warrior over. A body with no substance, Warrior was stunningly bad when he entered the business, and never got much better. His work sucked, he was dangerous, never tried to get better, he couldn't cut a coherent promo, he had a superstar attitude, he was a prick to many of his fellow talents, and he was pushed solely because of Vince's fascination with steroided-up male bodies. He had a 3 or 4 year run before both his bad attitude and the public seeing through him coincided, and a 6 week nostalgia run 4 or 5 years later. The only legacy he left was that he made a lot of money undeservedly and had really bad matches with some really good workers.

On the female side, look to the female version of Warrior, Sable, and pretty much repeat the above paragraph. Couldn't talk, no emotion, couldn't work and wouldn't try to learn, star attitude (she did hide it well toward those in power--for awhile), and was pushed only because of her ability to pick a good plastic surgeon and Vince's apparent sexual frustrations. I've seen hotter ice sculptures. Killed her husband's career by powerbombing him on TV and no guys would sell for him (or in Steve Austin's case, even WORK with him) after that.

For the present, let's go with Hunter Hearst Helmsley-McMahon. Actually, he's a very good worker and studies the business. His promos are usually as exciting as a coma and last longer than this recession, but he has good matches. Problem is, as hard as he's been crammed down people's throats for the past 10 years, he should have surpassed Hogan, Austin, and Rock, but HHH is what is called in the business "the guy that works with the guy that draws money." He should be in there to have a good match and put the star over. Actually, he should have been fired in 1996 when he s**t on the entire sport with the infamous "curtain call" at MSG, but Vince, the guy with "balls of steel", let HHH piss in his face and not only didn't do anything about it, but let him marry his daughter! And a sledgehammer? Jesus Christ, I wish he'd hit me in the head with it before he starts talking on TV. HHH will be the top guy in the WWE until he looks like Dick the Bruiser in his final days working an Indiana county fair show, and if THAT'S not overrated, I don't know what is."

History Making Raw on 22th June

From PWInsider.com : The June 22nd edition of WWE RAW will be a historic broadcast for World Wrestling Entertainment. For the first time ever in the show's 16 year history, RAW will air without any commercial breaks. No word on whether the show will feature alternative product placement to make up for the lost advertising revenue, but it should be interesting to see how this change affects viewership. The commercial-free show will take place from Green Bay, WI and will be the final RAW before The Bash on the 28th. O'DEA'S VIEW: I think this will be a great Raw to watch, just like a PPV or a Live Event, I think that at the moment watching Raw Live is too cut up, too many add breaks and doesn't really allow for longer and flowing Wrestling Matches and breaks up the show too much, so I think that this is great for the WWE, and a fresh view of TV for all the people in America who only know TV with Adverts.

Joey Styles vs Barack Obama

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter As is to be expected by those aware of the predominant political ideology within WWE, Vince McMahon reportedly enjoyed Joey Styles' string of Twitter comments on Barack Obama. Political discussions are reportedly frequent on McMahon's plane trips and in company meetings, and sources say McMahon has historically given favorable treatment to those who offer staunch conservative rhetoric. Nonetheless, while the anti-Obama rants have reportedly turned Styles into a Vince McMahon "favourite," those close to Styles say he has been offering his true beliefs. WWE officials recently put pressure on Styles to scale back the comments, as noted by the recent Tweet about Styles' views not representing those of WWE. Higher-ups felt that the partisan rhetoric could hurt the company on a number of levels, including in its relations with advertisers, in its non-partisan "SmackDown! Your Vote" campaign and in executive Linda McMahon's standing as a School Board official.

Master's Legacy?

If the rumours that Orton helped get Chris Masters his job back with WWE then perhaps he will be the fourth member of Legacy. But is he the only option and does he fit the bill? Well technically he is not a Second or a third generation. But could the rules be flouted so that Legacy could get the power house they need. the real question is who else is there? Perhaps the return of Brian Christopher AKA Grand Master Sexay, although that appears highly unlikely. Perhaps the Bizarre One Goldust could be reunited with his half brother Cody. Would WWE actually bring in Teddy Hart again and if they did would he be Legacy or New Hart foundation material? Would the Colons, sorry the Colóns became Legacy second tag team member, unlikely as Team Priceless are currently gunning for the tag titles. Now his aunt Vickie is leaving could Chavo revert back to being a serious Heel with Legacy. An interesting plot change could be The Big Show joining legacy as in his WCW days as The Giant he was billed as being Andre the Giant son. A unexpected and some what random twist could be Paul Bearer's Kayfabe son and The Undertaker's Half brother Kane could be the power house member of Legacy but don't hold your breath. So Legacy desperately need a power house in the Stable because their cunning not ignored Legacy are one man away from being the best.

Randy Orton the Reason Chris Masters is Back at WWE

Credit: F4WOnline.com According to Dave Meltzer, Chris Masters had a meeting with Vince McMahon in Los Angeles at the tapings and was recommended by Randy Orton to be brought back. Masters was fired in late 2007 on his second strike instead of his third strike, when at first he was being suspended for 60 days based on first, the Signature Pharmacy case, and shortly after his return, failing a drug test. Several months earlier he had a stint in rehab for an issue with prescription painkillers, but that does not count as a strike in the Wellness program because there was no test failure associated with him being sent to rehab.

Umaga Released due to Wellness Policy Violation

World Wrestling Entertainment has confirmed that Umaga was fired because of a Wellness Policy violation. The company released the following statement on their corporate website: As reported on WWE.com on Monday June 8th, 2009, WWE Superstar Umaga (Edward Fatu) has been released from his World Wrestling Entertainment contract. However, consistent with the practice of announcing wellness policy violations, it should be noted that Umaga’s termination was due to his second violation of the WWE Wellness Program and his subsequent refusal to attend a rehabilitation facility.

Video.dot.Blog - Extreme Rules Slo-Mo Recap

Video.dot.Blog - WWE 3-For-All

Wounded Animal?

WWE.com has reported that "The Animal" Batista will be out for atleast 4 months, it is not yet known if this is just a cover for his original injury or the beatdown on Monday Night was as real as the WWE want you to believe. Saying that he has a "completely torn left bicep" This Article is from WWE.com: Less than 24 hours after capturing the WWE Championship for the first time in his career, Batista has suffered a completely torn left bicep requiring surgery that will keep him out of action for at least four months. The day after he defeated Randy Orton at Extreme Rules, Batista was looking forward to beginning his first ever WWE Championship reign. However, when he appeared on Raw he was in for an unpleasant surprise as he was viciously attacked by The Legacy. The assault left The Animal with a torn bicep, for which he will be undergoing surgery today. Unfortunately, even with the prompt medical treatment, this injury is expected to render Batista unable to compete for several months. Though Batista struggled mightily against his foes, the superior numbers of The Legacy were ultimately too much, as the group of multi-generational Superstars overcame the WWE Champion. The three devious ring warriors focused their attacks on Batista’s left arm, using every underhanded method available to them, applying pressure using the ring ropes, the group’s trademark stomps, and even bringing a steel chair into the mix. Following the craven attack, Orton retrieved the WWE Title from his fallen nemesis, a symbolic act, but one that raises an important question: With Batista injured, what does the future hold for the coveted WWE title?

WWE Release Umaga

The following is from WWE.com: World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of SmackDown Superstar Umaga as of today, June 8, 2009. WWE wishes Umaga the best in all future endeavors.

Tonight on Raw

Tonight on Raw, along with the new WWE Champion Batista opening the show, 24 Hours after beating the Big Show, John Cena faces The Miz, in a lesson of respect? And also the Divas Champion Maryse will put her title on the line in a rematch against Kelly Kelly. Announced on the WWE Universe Live Chat was a Non-Title Match between Unified WWE Tag Team Champions Primo & Carlito and Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase, if Legacy win they get a future title shot.

Taken to the Extreme

Firstly, I'm glad that the WWE Championship Steel Cage Match wasn't the main event, because on paper I still think Batista is a douche and the WHC Ladder Match was always going to steal the show. And Now we know why it was only 7 minutes long, because Batista got injuried even before he set foot in the ring. Taking that into account I still think they could have put on a better match, I was rubbish for a WWE Championship match and not even taking into account it was a Steel Cage Match. I think that the Steel Cage match Cody Rhodes and Batista made last Monday was better than the one yesterday. There was one shade of hope for me in this match, when Randy Orton tried to crawl out of the cage door and got both hands on the floor, it looked like Randy was reaching for something underneath the ring that he could use as a weapon, but he didn't so that was another disappointment. At other points in the match I thought they did alright and that included using the steel, I just thought that this match and especially the ending was very weak for a championship match. The moment when Randy could have easily escaped but he didn't and tried for the punt, was stupid because he could have escaped, retained, got a couple of weapons and along with Legacy destroy him, then punt him, so he could go and have surgery on Tuesday with no questions asked, so it will be interesting to see how they write the injury into the storyline. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself, lets go back to the start of the PPV, and the Fatal-Four Way Match for the United States Championship. This match on paper could have been good and was an alright start to the PPV, but there were too many botches in this one for me and it didn't actually get extreme at anytime. Except when Regal slammed Kofi down to the mat from the top turnbuckle, at first I thought that Kofi had seriously injured his neck, but from another angle it looked like nothing happened. This match was solid with the normal spots and situations that triple threat or fatal four way matches always posses. The end was rather out of nowhere, but thats Kofi Kingston for you, and I think that he's the worthy winner. MVP is rumored to be ready for a main event push sometime in the not to distant future, and he can't do that with US Title. I don't know what's on the horizon of Matt Hardy and William Regal, I don't think that Regal is going to get too far above his station on Raw and Matt has a great future, but unluckily for him, that should be now, he's come out worse of the Hardy vs Hardy feud, including a broken hand. Next up was the "No Holds Barred Match" for the Intercontinental Championship, this was a great match, not all that Extreme, I was shouting at Chris Jericho to get a chair earlier, but I forgive them for that, after putting on a fantastic match, worthy to be a bit higher up the card then the Hog Pen Match. When Jericho's music hit and he didn't come out I thought that Rey had already got to him, but when he was at the stall with the WWE merchandise it was déjà vu to his feud with Cena and yet again he gave a spotless promo, yeah it might have included all the same stuff, but it when to a different level this time, and please don't tell me that people really hate this guy, telling the crowd to stop touching him including one woman that looked like she would have punched him 10 times in the face and kicked him once in the balls. Highlighting that he is one of the best heels of his generation, anyway back to the match. This match was a great match with all the back and forth you wanted and all the theatre that wrestling doesn't get anymore. And by the time Jericho hit the Codebreaker and Rey in mid-air I was calling for more, which I don't normally do. The one thing that I thought wasn't good (and it wasn't the wrestlers thought) was whilst Jericho tried to rip Rey's mask off first time, and the camera looked right in on it and gave you a clear shot of Rey's face, not good production. The ending was one of the best of the night, Rey Mysterio's dropkick onto the chair that Jericho was holding was great, it just looked massive. The counter into the Walls of Jericho, I thought was every clever and his struggle to get the chair and fold it up was strangely good theatre. I loved the very end when Jericho somehow whilst in mid-619 he removed Rey's mask (how did he do that clean and off in one) and then rolled him up whilst Rey tried to cover up his shame and face. I was surprised that Chris Jericho became the new Intercontinental Champion but after a match and a finish like that, I can see why. Still can't believe that Rey got unmasked! Up next was the Samoan Strap Match after Punk and Umaga's epic battle on Friday, I thought that this was going to be a good match, even if it did have a strange gimmick, and in it didn't totally disappoint, yes it might have been a slow match but it worked and the ending was good and the best you could expect with the strap on (I still wanted to see CM Punk lock in the Anaconda Vice with the strap rapped round Umaga's neck). I can't really put that much past this match, I think this feud is over now after this match and their match on Friday Night Smackdown. Next was the Hardcore Triple Threat Match for the ECW Championship. Before the match Gregory Helms had an interview with "Captain Charisma" which was interrupted by Tommy Dreamer, and when Jack Swagger came in they just walked away, which I thought was good. This match was much better than the Fatal-Four Way for earlier in the night, illustrating that you can have a good gimmick match with more than two people. This match was a good hardcore match and when it ended, even though I was over the moon for the result, it didn't feel like the end of the match. And please no more trash cans, use a chair or table. I'm pretty sure i heard "WE WANT TABLES" chants coming from the crowd, give them tables, its a night of extreme and a hardcore match for the most "extreme" championship in the WWE. I just think that WWE think that kendo sticks and trash cans are the only extreme thing under the ring, and don't get me wrong they are, but bring some other stuff in, obviously they wouldn't have used ladders and I've got nothing against that. I enjoyed when Christian impersonated Tommy Dreamer doing the E-C-W Chant, rather heel-ish. Yeah, I'm glad that Tommy won, but if your going to hit Jack Swagger, actually hit him first time and not have to make up for it by breaking the whole bloody thing. Anyway, this should mean that Tommy Dreamer stays on at WWE, good, I wonder when they decided that Tommy should win the title and not leave the WWE. Next was the "Miss WrestleMania" Hog Pen Match, I'm not even going to bother with this, Santina won, Chavo and Vickie fell out, End of. (And also Edge and Vickie are apparently getting divorced.) Okay, I've gone over the WWE Championship Steel Cage Match. So up next is Raw's Main Event, Big Show vs John Cena in a Submission Match. At this point in the UK it was later than 3 Monday morning, so this was the only match that I drifted in and out of. But even after that I could see that this match was much better than the WWE Championship Match. In short terms it was a squash match with John Cena using the ropes to win (you don't get many opportunities to say that). The one thing I did pick up on is that when John Cena put Big Show's leg in the ropes so he could do the STF(U), I swear his foot slipped out before the camera moved away from that view and they didn't show his foot at all, or was that just me? I had predicted that they would have Cena overcoming the odds and I'm not sure if I mind that or not, It was a good match anyway, so it doesn't bother me that much. What I did enjoy was that every time Cena did a big move he couldn't just go for the cover that he had to find some way to get this giant to tap, it added good theatre and even surprised the audience into remembering that he can just hit the Attitude Adjustor and then call it a day. The Main Event (and rightfully so) was the Ladder Match for the World Heavyweight Championship, between two of the best ladder match competitors in history. This match stole the show. It was one of the best one-on-one ladder matches of all time, the last one was at No Mercy between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho, also two greats to the ladder match, and I think that at Extreme Rules Edge and Hardy one up'd that match. All the spots where perfect and lived up to the hype, keeping you on the edge of your sheets at all times and got everyone in the arena on their feet. Their use of the Ladders as weapons was expert, even if some of the ladders weren't up to it. I really enjoyed the Sharpshooter around the ladder, something you wouldn't expect from any else but Edge. Jeff dropkicking Edge and the ladder down the the mat from the top rope was strangely one of the smaller spots. Ohh, and the faceplant-suplex onto the upside down ladder must of hurt. When Hardy was hanging onto the title reminded me of one of the TLC or Triangle Ladder Matches that they had at a Wrestlemania when Edge speared him from over 15 feet in the air! Whisper in the wind using the ladder, that's cool. What you don't see lots of in ladder matches is big spots on the outside using the ladders and jeff and edge didn't disappoint, by both crashing and burning into the ladder that was set up across from the ring to the security wall. By this time, I didn't want the match to end, because it was so extreme and highflying, nicely illustrated by Jim Ross saying "Jeff Hardy's a human thrill ride". After that I couldn't believe that Edge (or Jeff for that matter) would ever be able to get back up. The ending was fantastic and got the whole arena on their feet, I couldn't believe how far Jeff pulled Edge through the ladder, how did he ever get out of the ladder. And just as Jim Ross is going to interview the new World Heavyweight Champion, a certain Money in the Bank Briefcase holder had to come to the ring and hit the GTS twice and ruin Jeff Hardy's celebration and leave Jeff Hardy's first World Heavyweight Championship Reign at a couple of minutes. CM Punk cashing in the briefcase was a surprise once you had really come to grips with what had just happened. And didn't half dampen the mood in the Arena and around the world. This is shocking considering Jeff is apparently is on the way out and this is a massive U-Turn for Creative. So along with the WWE Championship situation, does anyone know what WWE is going to do next with their top championship, well shouldn't it be that way in the first place. In conclusion, an alright-to-good-to-great PPV, it definitely wasn't what anyone was expecting, good.

And please watch this video of Tommy Dreamer reacting to winning the ECW Championship, here.

Recent Picture of Scaled Down Chris Masters

WWE Resign Chris Masters!

Source:Wrestlingepecenter
World Wrestling Entertainment has re-signed Chris Mordetzky, better known as “The Master Piece” Chris Masters

Masters has been cancelling his indy bookings and telling those promoters that he is going back to WWE and going right back on television as opposed to developmental. He was backstage at the RAW and SmackDown events at the Staples Center last week and looked to be in good shape. There's no word on which brand he will be returning on.

Masters, 27, has been gone from the company for a little under two years, and has been wrestling overseas a lot since then.

TNA take a punt at the "WWE Universe"?

This image should tell you all you need to know, it details the launch of TNA's rival social-networking website.

Yes TNA are using their name in the title for the logo, like WWE do a lot on their website, but doesn't sound a lot like the WWE Universe's previous name "WWE Fan Nation"?

Possible Night of Champions 2009 Poster

Updated Card for Sunday's WWE Extreme Rules

Extreme Rules 2009: United States Championship Fatal-Four Way

After Kofi's win over MVP on Monday Night Raw, he became the new United States Championship and we now know that he will put that title on the line at Extreme Rules on Sunday. MVP, Matt Hardy, William Regal and the Champion will enter the Fatal-Four Way this Sunday and one will leave with the gold. William Regal and Matt Hardy have earned this title shot by doing Vickie Guerrero's dirt work and this looks like it's going to be MVP's rematch. The match isn't Extreme per-say, but a Fatal-Four Way has No-DQ, so anything and everything should happen between this four men. The match being extreme would, you think, put Kofi Kingston at a disadvantage, but at WrestleMania 25 we saw what he could do with a ladder. You will see Matt atempting to use that cast and maybe even William Regal go "old-school" and bring out the brass-knucks for once. This match could be a great match, which that has been added to a strangely large card. This is only the second match on the card with more than two superstars in the match and they should and will use this to their advantage, at times I believe that it will look like a Tornado-Tag Match and why wouldn't it? But this match should and will deliver this Sunday at WWE Extreme Rules.