Monday, January 28, 2013

WWE Royal Rumble Results & Afterthoughts

w/ Alex Archer & Violet Buttle

The Rock defeated CM Punk for the WWE Championship

Alex: This match was just too predictable. It was a good match up until the lights went out. From that point on, it was the cookie-cutter finish that everyone expected. I understand that Rock = $$$, but the man that was just champion for the last 434 days lost to an elbow drop. I don't care if it was the People's Elbow, it's still a damn elbow drop.

Violet: Even though I saw it coming from a mile away, I’m disappointed that The Rock is the new WWE Champion. The WWE took Punk, the longest reigning champion of the modern era, and let him get beat by a guy who rarely wrestles and was in his prime a decade ago. I certainly hope that this move makes the company the money that they’re hoping it does, because it really diminishes the talent on the roster.

John Cena won the Royal Rumble Match

Alex: Here's another one that was pretty obvious. The Rumble match itself was a ton of fun. Jericho was a great surprise at number 2, and I popped big time for Goldust. In the end, Cena won, just like we all predicted. There's a lot that can happen between now and WrestleMania, but I fear we're in store for Rock / Cena 2: Once in a Lifetime... One Last Time.

Violet: Of course Cena won.  Hopefully we get Rock vs. Cena vs. Punk triple threat match at WrestleMania instead of Rock vs. Cena again.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Big Show in a Last Man Standing Match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship

Alex: That sure was an interesting way to win a Last Man Standing Match. Ziggler has to cash in his MITB briefcase soon, so I expect Del Rio will suffer an attack at the hands of an irate Big Show in the coming weeks, and Ziggler will jump on the opportunity.

Violet: Based upon the development of Del Rio’s new character, I think that he could have and should have won this match on his own merit. I’d really like to see him and Rodriguez avoid becoming a comedy act. Del Rio’s too good for that.

Team Hell No defeated Team Rhodes Scholars to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship

Alex: I really think the wrong team won this match. Unless they introduce a new fold or new twist to the Kane/Daniel Bryan team, their ship has sailed. What happened between Kane and Bryan in the Royal Rumble Match would've been a perfect blow off to end their partnership had they dropped the belts. They retained, though, so hopefully the incident during the Rumble Match leads to something new for their act.
Violet: After yet another win for Team Hell No, I’m left wondering what creative has in store for them. Their act is stale, and I’m not sure what more they can do with it. Yeah, Bryan and Kane were at odds during the Rumble, but that’s typical. I really would have liked to have seen Team Rhodes Scholars wear the belts for a bit.

Antonio Cesaro defeated The Miz to retain the United States Championship

Alex: This was a decent match and the right man won. This feud doesn't appear to be over, so look for Miz and Cesaro to get into it again.

Violet: Cesaro won, and he should have. But judging from their confrontation during the Rumble, it looks like things between Miz and Cesaro aren’t finished yet.

Contact us on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling :
@TheAlexArcher | @VioletButtle

Sunday, January 27, 2013

WWE Royal Rumble Predictions

w/ Alex Archer & Violet Buttle

CM Punk (c) vs. The Rock for the WWE Championship
Alex: The build for this match was great.  There were multiple Rock segments that were way too long and way too repetitive, but other than that, both men were great at hyping this one.  Both men made the match feel important, and both guys did an excellent job of putting the other over.  My prediction is that Rock wins the title tonight and it leads to a rematch at WrestleMania.

Violet:It's extremely unlikely that CM Punk remains WWE Champion after tonight.

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. The Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship
Alex: I think that Del Rio is going to beat Big Show, but there's a chance he won't leave with the title.  Ziggler only has about two months to cash in his MITB briefcase.  A cash in at the Royal Rumble would be huge.  It's a possibility, but with Ziggler tied up in an angle with Cena, I don't see it happening just yet.

Violet:Del Rio has been successful in his new role as a Mexican hero, so I don't see him dropping the title quite yet.

30-Man Royal Rumble Match
Alex: There are a bunch of top guys that have been announced that could get the win (Cena, Ziggler, Orton, Sheamus, Ryback... Jinder Mahal), but I think this would be a perfect time to bring back Brock Lesnar. Rock vs. Lesnar for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania would be a pretty big draw.  That contradicts my Rock/Punk prediction, so I'll say Cena wins and faces Dolph Ziggler at WrestleMania for the World Heavyweight Championship (after his cash in victory, of course).

Violet:It's difficult to predict the winner of a 30 man match, but if I had to chose a winner I think it will be John Cena. If I'm correct and The Rock wins the WWE title, I could see the WWE booking another Cena vs. Rock WrestleMania match.

Team Hell No (c) vs. Team Rhodes Scholars for the WWE Tag Team Championship
Alex: I haven't been enjoying the antics of Team Hell No as much lately, mostly because they haven't done anything new in awhile.  If WWE sees it the same way I do, then Team Rhodes Scholars will come away with the titles and Team Hell No will disband.  If they want to continue with Team Hell No, I think they'll get the victory and hopefully come up with something new to add to their act.

Violet:I think that the Team Hell No act has run its course, and its time that we see a new team with the belts. Unlike Team Hell No, Team Rhodes Scholars haven't lost their luster yet.

Antonio Cesaro (c) vs. The Miz for the United States Championship (pre-show)
Alex: There's no reason to take the belt of Cesaro yet.  The only reason I could see them putting it on Miz would be to help boost his new face persona (that has been god awful thus far).  I think Cesaro has more to gain by retaining than Miz does by capturing, so I'll take Cesaro.


Violet: Is Miz going to be the American who takes the US title from Cesaro? I don't think so.

Contact us on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling :
@TheAlexArcher | @VioletButtle

Monday, January 21, 2013

Versus: Tag Team Champions

by Violet Buttle
Team Hell No (WWE) vs. Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez (TNA) vs. The Young Bucks (PWG / Chikara) vs. The Briscoes (ROH)

Team Hell No: Team Hell No became the WWE Tag Team Champions on September 16th at the Night of Champions PPV. Prior to teaming up together in September as part of their recovery from storyline anger management problems, Kane and Daniel Bryan have both tagged with other wrestlers. Though Bryan had never won the WWE Tag Titles before, Kane has held tag team gold twice, both times with The Big Show. Team Hell No was named For the Love of Wrestling's 2012 Tag Team of the Year.

Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez: Chavo Guererro and Hernandez became the TNA Tag Team Champions on October 14th at the Bound for Glory PPV. Since then, the team has gone on to defend their titles on three occasions. Prior to their current title reign, Guererro and Hernandez began teaming together in August of 2012. Even though this is the first time they have held the TNA Tag Titles as a team, Hernandez has won the belts three prior times with three different partners.

The Young Bucks: The Young Bucks became the PWG Tag Team Champions on January 12th at the DDT4 event.  This win marks the third time that the brothers have held the PWG Tag Titles, and it is also the third time that they have won the DDT4 Tag Team Tournament. On  June 2nd, the Young Bucks won the  Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas (Chikara Tag Titles) at the Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur event. In addition to these current reigns, the Young Bucks have held the tag titles in several other independent organizations during the course of their career.

The Briscoes: The Briscoe Brothers became the ROH Tag Team Champions on December 16th at the Final Battle 2012: Doomsday PPV for a record breaking 8th time. The real life brothers have had an illustrious career on the independent scene by winning the tag titles in several different organizations, but they have been especially successful in ROH. In fact, they are the only current members of the roster who participated in the company’s inaugural event in 2002. Besides holding the record for the most tag title reigns in the company, The Briscoe’s held the record for the longest title reign (275 days) for three years until their record was broken in 2007.

The Better Tag Team Champions: The Young Bucks (PWG / Chikara)

Contact me on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling :
@VioletButtle | #FTLOW

Friday, January 18, 2013

WrestleMania Time Machine: WrestleMania 20


In the months leading up to WrestleMania 29 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, we'll be taking a look back at the best and worst of WrestleMania's past.


w/ Alex Archer & Violet Buttle
Date: March 14, 2004

Venue: Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)

Attendance: 20,000

On Commentary: Michael Cole & Tazz (Smackdown), Jerry Lawler & Jim Ross (Raw)

Main Event:  Chris Beniot, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H in a Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship


Alex's Opinion

Best: Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H put on an absolute beauty of a Triple Threat Title match in the main event.  The timing was on, the story was great, the action was fast paced, and the near falls were very believable.  The post-match celebration from Benoit and Guerrero was touching.  This match would go down as one of the better triple threat matches, and as one of the greatest WrestleMania matches/moments ever if it didn’t basically not exist.

Worst: It seems to be a theme with the last few WrestleMania’s that the women’s matches have been among the worst.  So, it’s no surprise that Torrie Wilson & Sable vs. Stacy Keibler & Miss Jackie was the worst match this time around as well.  It started as an evening gown match, turned into a bra and panties match, and when all was said and done, it had wasted about 10 minutes of airtime.  It seemed especially bad because Victoria and Molly Holly went on to wrestle what would have been the match of the night if it weren’t for the performance Benoit, Michaels, and Triple H put on in the main event.

Violet's Opinion

Best: The match of the night was between Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship. The action was fast paced and made all three men look like strong contenders. In the end, Benoit won after evading both of his opponents' finishing moves .

Worst: I could easily copy-and-paste my review of the worst match at WrestleMania 22 (Torrie Wilson and Candace Michelle in a Playboy Pillow Fight) and change the names of the women involved. Victoria and Molly Holly put forth a memorable and well wrestled Hair vs. Title match at the end of the show. While these talented women  had a legitimate match, fellow Divas Stacy Keibler, Miss Jackie, Torrie Wilson, and Sable participated in Playboy Evening Gown match. Needless to say, all four women were in their lingerie before the "match" even began.

Full Results

John Cena defeated The Big Show for the United States Championship (9:14)

Rob Van Dam and Booker T defeated Garrison Cade and Mark Jindrak, The Dudley Boyz, and La Resistance to retain the World Tag Team Championship (7:51)

Christian defeated Chris Jericho (15:03)

Evolution (Batista, Ric Flair, and Randy Orton) defeated The Rock 'n' Sock Connection (The Rock and Mick Foley) in a Handicap match (17:00)

Torrie Wilson and Sable defeated Stacy Keibler and Miss Jackie in a Playboy Evening Gown Match  (2:41)

Chavo Guerrero defeated Ultimo Dragon, Shannon Moore, Jamie Noble, Funaki, Nunzio, Billy Kidman, Rey Mysterio, Tajiri, and Akio to retain the Cruiserweight Championship (11:31)

Goldberg defeated Brock Lesnar (13:43)

Too Cool (Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty) defeated The World's Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas), The Basham Brothers (Danny and Doug), and The APA (Bradshaw and Faarooq) to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship (6:38)

Victoria defeated Molly Holly to retain the Women's Championship in a Hair vs. Title match (5:04)

Eddie Guerrero defeated Kurt Angle to retain the WWE Championship (21:36)

The Undertaker defeated Kane (6:36)

Chris Benoit defeated Triple H and Shawn Michaels for the World Heavyweight Championship (24:51)

Contact us on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling :
@TheAlexArcher | @VioletButtle

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Wrestling You Should See: Volume 4

w/ Alex Archer

WrestleMania 21 - Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle

Violet and I both chose this as the best match of WrestleMania 21 in our WrestleMania Time Machine series.  I was also able to find it on YouTube, so here it is (until it gets yanked down, at least).  This match is fast paced with tons of action and some good drama towards the end.  Kurt used to be an absolute MACHINE.


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@TheAlexArcher | #FTLOW

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

A Look at The Rock's New Look: Just Bring It

by Violet Buttle

On January 7th, The Rock returned to RAW wearing a new t-shirt with a simplistic design. The front of the black shirt reads “JUST BRING IT” in plain white lettering. Though Rock’s name is nowhere to be found in the design, the Brahma bull on the back of the shirt does enough to indicate which Superstar the shirt is promoting. While it would have been fun for Rock to wear a “Boots to Asses” design while CM Punk sports his “Knees to Faces” shirt, the basic “Just Bring It” shirt isn’t bad at all.

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@VioletButtle | #FTLOW

Monday, January 14, 2013

TNA Genesis Results & Afterthoughts

w/ Alex Archer & Violet Buttle
Jeff Hardy defeated Austin Aires & Bobby Roode in a Three Way Elimination Match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

Alex: Instead of coming up with an interesting story and finish for their main event triple threat elimination match, TNA decided to use the exact same formula that every other triple threat match that involves two heels and one face has always used. Roode and Aries picked apart Hardy, and then, inexplicably, Roode turned on Aries. I get it, he’s a heel that’s out for himself. That doesn’t mean he’s stupid. I’m not upset that Hardy won, but I am upset with the way the match played out. Your top heels shouldn’t act like bumbling idiots, especially if it doesn’t fit their character at all.

Violet: Hardy, Aries, and Roode all did a lot of good work during their title match. I was pleased to see the elimination of Roode happen so close to the actual finish or else Roode might have ended up looking like the weakest link. I did, however, feel like the match was a little too formulaic. It was obvious from the start that Roode and Aries would team up until one of them would get the edge over the other. It happens in every single triple threat match that has two heels in it.

Sting defeated DOC

Alex: Another Aces & Eights member is soundly defeated by a member of the TNA roster. What's the point? I honestly feel a little bad for Aces & Eights. They just keep getting beat up, unmasked, and embarrassed. They haven’t had a win in or out of the ring in weeks.

Violet: Sting just isn’t believable as a wrestler anymore.

Christopher Daniels defeated James Storm to become the Number One Contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

Alex: Christopher Daniels and Kazarian are easily the best thing going in TNA today. Their pre-match interview was top notch, and Daniels and Storm worked very well together. I’m happy to see Daniels getting a title shot in a few weeks, and I’m excited to hear what he has to say about Jeff Hardy. I imagine it’ll be hilarious.

Violet: I’m glad that Daniels won here. It’s about time he got a title shot. Also, his act with Kazarian is too good to waste. They could be a lot of fun in the title picture.

Velvet Sky defeated Gail Kim, Miss Tessmacher, ODB, and Mickie James to become the Number One Contender for the Knockouts Championship

Alex: The Knockouts gauntlet match wasn’t awful, aside from the officiating. I get the story they’re trying to tell (Gail cheated to the finals, then got cheated), but did they really need to make the only person currently officiating Knockouts matches look like a buffoon?

Violet: Who is the woman that is masquerading as Velvet Sky? Sky must have gotten some plastic surgery done during her time away from TNA. She’s hardly recognizable now. Looks aside, Sky has a terrible finisher with a terrible name. I would have much rather seen Mickie James get a long deserved title shot.

Devon defeated Joseph Park

Alex: It took Devon, TNA’s Television Champion, 11 minutes to defeat a guy who’s been training for 3 weeks. At least Aces & Eights got a victory, though, right?...

Violet: Joseph Park matches are way too formulaic for me to find them entertaining. He gets beat up. Out of nowhere, he executes an actual wrestling move. He gets beat up some more. He sees blood and wrestles like Abyss. Every time. And no one ever makes a big deal out of the fact that Park essentially turns into his missing brother every time he sees his own blood. Park should be disturbed by these flashes of Abyss, and he should be wondering where they are coming from. The announcers and wrestlers should be treating him like they’re afraid he might snap. A mentally unsound Joseph Park would be a lot more entertaining than the goofy cartoon lawyer we get every week.

Christian York defeated Kenny King

Alex: Kenny King and Christian York put on an exciting match. I was really happy that they showcased both mens athleticism and wrestling ability with a lot of fast paced offense and a ton of counters. I was surprised to see York come out on top, but I suppose this will lead to King continuing to act more heelish each time we see him.

Violet: I assumed King would win here, but I’m glad that he didn’t. I think that this loss will allow him to develop more depth of character than a championship win would have. King and York both looked pretty good, despite a couple of sloppy spots here and there.

RVD defeated Christian York to retain the X-Division Championship

Alex: They did a good job of making York look like a trooper for hanging with RVD after his long match with Kenny King that ended with him eating a finisher. I still think it’s a mistake to have the X-Division Title around RVD’s waist, though. I’m still hoping this leads to King getting the title and feuding with guys like Zema, Dutt, and Sorenson once he returns.

Violet: This match didn’t have the X-Division feel that the one before it did. Now, I’ve been saying this since he won the title, but it is definitely time for RVD to drop the belt. I can assume that they put the belt on him to bolster the X-Division while they build up some new talent, but that isn’t what’s happening. Instead, guys like York and King end up looking like they can’t compete with the veteran.

Mr. Anderson defeated Samoa Joe

Alex: This is honestly the part of the Aces & Eights I was most interested in. Anderson has a legitimate gripe with the TNA Roster. They left him high and dry and showed no concern after he got jumped. This would be the perfect time for Anderson to drop that ridiculous cadence from his voice and be a badass. He started to show that on the last episode of Impact, but hopped right back into it for his intro. The match was decent and the finish made sense, even if it was predictable and a bit of a letdown.

Violet: Honestly, I didn’t even watch this match. I took a shower instead.

Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez defeated Joey Ryan & Matt Morgan to retain the TNA Tag Team Championship

Alex: Unless Morgan is ditching Joey Ryan and going solo already, keeping the titles on Chavo and Hernandez is a mistake. The TNA tag titles are like a non-title around their waists. And how about that powerbomb that Hernandez tried to kill Joey Ryan with? Brutal.

Violet: Chavo and Hernandez are the most boring tag team around, yet they still hold the titles. And, not only is this team boring, but they’re also pretty dangerous. Hernandez almost killed joey Ryan with the world’s sloppiest powerbomb at the end of the match. As if it isn’t bad enough that Ryan is booked like a jobber, now he has to face near death experiences too.

Contact us on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling :
@TheAlexArcher | @VioletButtle | #FTLOW

Saturday, January 12, 2013

TNA Genesis Predictions

w/ Alex Archer & Violet Buttle

Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Austin Aries vs. Bobby Roode in a Three Way Elimination Match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Alex: If professional wrestling allowed for the heels to have any brains at all, Roode and Aries would eliminate Hardy and then duke it out. But, this is professional wrestling, and TNA at that. I think Hardy will come out on top after a rapid fire elimination and then final pin, probably after some kind outside interference. Possibly even some more Aces & Eights involvement in this storyline.

Violet: I don't see them putting the title back on Aries or Roode yet, so I think we'll see Hardy retain.

Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez (c) vs. Joey Ryan & Matt Morgan for the TNA Tag Team Championship
Alex: I really hope that this is the end of the failed attempt at pushing Chavo and Hernandez. They're just so boring. Put the belts on Morgan and Ryan and get on with it.

Violet: Chavo and Hernandez have been a bore as Tag Team Champions. It's time they droip the belts, and I think TNA might know it.

Sting vs. Doc
Alex: When was the last time anyone in the Aces & Eights came out on top in a match? I can't remember, so I've got my money on the Stinger. I'm sure there will be some kind of interference from Angle, Joe, and the Aces & Eights guys.

Violet: Aces and Eights never win. Never. And they certainly aren't going to score a win against Sting.

Christopher Daniels vs. James Storm
Alex: If they plan on giving Daniels and Kaz singles pushes, then I think he'll get the win. If they plan on just popping them back into tag action after this match, then I think Storm goes over.

Violet: If you think about how often Storm wins and how often Daniels loses, than I think the outcome to this match is fairly obvious. Storm goes over.

Kenny King vs. Christian York in an X-Division Championship Number One Contender Match
Alex: Though York came in with two big matches against Hardy and Roode, most of the attention throughout this little tournament has been on Kenny King. He's been leaning a little heelish, so I expect he'll really embellish that in this match.

Violet: Based upon the recent interaction between RVD and King on Impact, I assume we'll see King win the Number One Contender's spot.

RVD vs. Christian York or Kenny King for the X-Division Championship
Alex: It might just be wishful thinking, but I don't see RVD leaving Genesis with the title. I think Kenny King will based on my earlier pick, but if it's York vs. RVD, then I think York takes the belt.

Violet: I don't want the X-Division title on RVD so badly that I find this match difficult to predict without my bias creeping through. His time must be up, right?

Devon vs. Joseph Park
Alex: Again, it's hard for me to see an Aces & Eights member coming out on top because they've just been getting embarrassed lately. It's also hard to see this ending without some kind of interference. I guess I'll put my money on Devon anyway.

Violet: Much like Sting, Park will be looking for revenge in this match. And, like Sting, I think he'll get it.

Gail Kim vs. ODB vs. Miss Tessmacher vs. Mickie James vs. Velvet Sky in a Knockouts Championship Number One Contender Gauntlet Match
Alex: I guess that Tessmacher makes the most sense, but I wouldn't be surprised if Velvet Sky won either. My money is on Tessmacher, though.

Violet: Velvet Sky came back saying that 2013 would be her year. I don't like it, but I think she might be right. I see her going over here, unless they don't want to put the title on her just yet. Then it'll be Mickie who wins.

Contact us on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling :
@TheAlexArcher | @VioletButtle | #FTLOW

Friday, January 11, 2013

WrestleMania Time Machine: WrestleMania 21


In the months leading up to WrestleMania 29 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, we'll be taking a look back at the best and worst of WrestleMania's past.


w/ Alex Archer & Violet Buttle
Date: April 1, 2007

Venue: Staples Center (Los Angeles, CA)

Attendance: 20,193

Main Event:  Batista vs. Triple H for the WWE Championship


Alex's Opinion

Best: Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels wrestled one of the better matches of either mans career.  This was also before the Kurt Angle matches were the stolen finisher show, so it was much more unpredictable than a modern Kurt Angle match.  HBK of course provided a ton of excitement with his always reckless WrestleMania offense.

Worst: Even though the "match" itself was only a minute long, the Akebono and Big Show sumo wrestling contest wasted way too much time.  It made sense when they brought in Mayweather to KO Big Show; he had drawing power.  But Ake-fuckin-bono?  Come on.

Violet's Opinion

Best: At 27 minutes, Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels had the longest and most entertaining match of WrestleMania 21. From the start, the match was fast paced and intense. And, as you’d expect from Michaels, it had some pretty cool spots.

Worst: Christy Hemme won WWE’s Diva Search on September 20, 2004. Seven months later she had a WrestleMania match title match against Women’s Champion Trish Stratus. Needless to say, Hemme’s wrestling was not up to par.

Full Results

Rey Mysterio defeated Eddie Guerrero (12:39)

Edge defeated Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin, Chris Benoit, Kane, and Christian in a MITB Ladder Match (15:17)

The Undertaker defeated Randy Orton (12:12)

Trish Stratus defeated Christy Hemme to retain the Women's Championship (4:11)

Kurt Angle defeated Shawn Michaels  (25:27)

Akebono defeated Big Show in a Sumo Match (1:03)

John Cena defeated JBL for the WWE Championship (11:26)

Batista defeated Triple H to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (21:34)

Contact us on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling :
@TheAlexArcher | @VioletButtle

Thursday, January 10, 2013

WrestleMania Time Machine: WrestleMania 22


In the months leading up to WrestleMania 29 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, we'll be taking a look back at the best and worst of WrestleMania's past.


w/ Alex Archer & Violet Buttle
Date: April 2, 2006

Venue: Allstate Arena (Rosemont, IL)

Attendance: 17,159

On Commentary: Tazz & Michael Cole (SmackDown), Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler (Raw), Joey Styles (Kane/Edge match)

Main Event:  John Cena vs. Triple H for the WWE Championship
Alex's Opinion

Best: Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton put on a great triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship.  There were some great spots, some good drama, and the post-match celebration featuring Vickie, Chavo, and the new World Heavyweight Champion, Rey Mysterio.

Worst: I wasn't a fan of the smut matches during the Attitude Era, and my opinion on matches like Torrie Wilson and Candice Michelle's "Playboy Pillow Fight".  Coming just 45 minutes after Trish Stratus and Mickie James wrestled a real match, Candice and Torrie just made a mockery of women's wrestling.

Violet's Opinion

Best: Even though it lasted for only ten minutes, the World Heavyweight Championship match stole the show at WrestleMania 22. The action was peppered with standout moments from all its participants: Randy Orton,  Kurt Angle, and Rey Mysterio.  After successfully executing a 619 and
a West Coast Pop, Mysterio pinned Orton for the win. Mysterio poignantly celebrated his victory and first World Heavyweight title with Vickie and Chavo Guerrero after the match.

Worst: About halfway through the event, Mickie James beat Trish Stratus to become the Women’s Champion for the first time. Their match was filled with entertaining wrestling, strong characterization, and compelling storyline development. Later in the evening, Candice Michelle and Torrie Wilson had a Playboy Pillow Fight. By the end of the match, both women were rolling around on a bed while stripped down to their underwear. Essentially, the latter women’s match (if you can call it a match) undermined the commendable work from James, Stratus, and the WWE Creative Team earlier in the show.

Full Results

Big Show and Kane defeated Carlito and Chris Masters to retain the World Tag Team Championship (6:42)

Rob Van Dam defeated Shelton Benjamin, Ric Flair, Finlay, Matt Hardy, and Bobby Lashley in a MITB Ladder Match  (12:14)

JBL defeated Chris Benoit for the United States Championship (9:48)

Edge defeated Mick Foley in a Hardcore match (14:36)

The Boogeyman defeated Booker T and Sharmell (3:43)

Mickie James defeated Trish Stratus for the Women's Championship  (8:48)

The Undertaker defeated Mark Henry in a Casket Match (9:28)

Shawn Micheals defeated Vince McMahon in a No Holds Barred Match (18:22)

Rey Mysterio defeated Kurt Angle and Randy Orton in a Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championsip (9:19)

Torrie Wilson defeated Candice Michelle in a Playboy Pillow Fight (3:54)

John Cena defeated Triple H to retain the WWE Championship (22:02)

Contact us on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling :
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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Versus: Invading Factions

by Violet Buttle

Aces and Eights vs. The Shield

Aces and Eights: Aces and Eights debuted on Impact Wrestling on June 14, 2012 when three members of the biker gang attacked Sting. The masked faction would spend the next couple of months attacking various members on the Impact roster before having their first official match at the Bound for Glory PPV in October of the same year. Since then, Aces and Eights have experienced moderate success. Though they won their initial match and “Sargent of Arms” Devon has captured the TV Title, the group has lost more matches than they’ve won. Additionally, more and more of the bikers’ identities are being exposed as they lose the masks they hide behind. As they stand right now, Aces and Eights lacks purpose. In fact, they’ve recently been pictured on Impact throwing a dart at a poster of the wrestlers to determine who their next target will be. Perhaps they should be using their time to plan and organize rather than drink beer and objectify women.

The Shield: The Shield debuted at the Survivor Series PPV on November 18, 2012 when they interfered in the WWE Championship match between John Cena, Ryback, and CM Punk. Though their initial attack was unannounced and unexplained, the group revealed the following night on Raw that their motive is to fight injustice in the WWE. Their attacks on the faces of the WWE roster would eventually lead to their first official match at the TLC PPV on December 16 against Ryback and Team Hell No, which they won. Since their debut, The Shield is rarely seen retreating from their targets and opponents, which makes the faction look physically and philosophically strong in their attacks.

The Better Invading Faction: The Shield

Contact me on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling :
@VioletButtle | #FTLOW