WWE Hell in a Cell Results and Afterthoughts

w/ Alex Archer & Violet Buttle
CM Punk defeated Ryback in a Hell in a Cell Match to retain the WWE Championship

Alex: This match was a prime example of the Hell in a Cell gimmick being overused. It wasn't a blow-off match, and as a fan, I didn't get the sense that this was the big match that they wanted it to seem like. The cheap finish was expected (in some form or another), and besides from making the whole Ryback/Punk/Cena story feel like a waste, it also cheapens the Cell gimmick.

Violet: As someone who isn't too interested in Ryback, I was impressed by his performance in this match. It was good to see him keep up with Punk and take some offense. At times, it was almost believable that Punk had a chance at a clean win.

Big Show defeated Sheamus to become the new World Heavyweight Champion

Alex: I was surprised to find myself interested in this match down the stretch. Rather than the failed Brogue Kick and WMD attempts that I predicted, they actually nailed the finishers back and forth. It was exciting and really made each guy look good. I was also surprised that Big Show won and that we didn't see or hear from Dolph Ziggler. I'm not thrilled about a Big Show reign, but I'm glad to see the belt off Sheamus.

Violet: While I'm glad that Sheamus's title reign has finally come to an end, I am disappointed that Big Show's has begun. I would have much preferred Ziggler to walk away with the title, but as soon as it was clear Big Show would remain standing at the end of his title match, I knew that the announcers wouldn't even mention Ziggler.

Kofi Kingston defeated The Miz to retain the Intercontinental Championship

Alex: Another good match from Kofi and Miz. I'm happy to see Kofi retain and hopefully continue to get traction in singles competition, and I hope that the now angry version of The Miz can move back towards the main event picture.

Violet: I wish that Miz was given a more substantial title reign, but this feud with Kingtson has seemingly brought out a more aggressive and serious side of his character that is good to see. And hopefully, with a few big wins over Miz, Kingston is finally receiving the singles push that he's long deserved.

Eve Torres defeated Kaitlyn and Layla in a Triple Threat Match to retain the Diva's Championship

Alex: It was nice to see them get a decent amount of time and even nicer to see them put on a fairly decent match. Eve's character has been one of the most fun parts of Booker T's tenure as Smackdown GM, and using that to boost the Diva's division and the Diva's Championship is a great idea.

Violet: Out of the three women involved, Eve is the superior wrestler and actress. The right woman won.

Team Rhodes Scholars defeated Team Hell No by DQ

Alex: I don't agree with the idea of having the title match that follows a number one contenders tournament end in a DQ, but it does give me hope for Team Rhodes Scholars picking up the titles in the near future.

Violet: While it's disappointing to see a disqualification finish in a title match, I'm hoping that it means that these two teams continue feuding. They told an interesting story in the ring together, and their work on the mic was equally impressive.

Antonio Cesaro defeated Justin Gabriel to retain the US Championship

Alex: This was another match that I was happy to see get a good amount of time. The crowd was relatively dead for what was an enjoyable and well wrestled match, but that's to be expected when guys aren't just hitting signature spots in 4 minute matches. I hope they utilize Justin Gabriel for something serious at some point. He's got potential.

Violet: I like Gabriel and Cesaro, and I wish WWE would do more with them. Judging by the crowd's reaction to what I thought was an entertaining match, they aren't very interested in either guy.

Randy Orton defeated Alberto Del Rio

Alex: This was a decent match for what it was, but I'm absolutely sick of seeing Alberto Del Rio face either Randy Orton or Sheamus on every pay-per-view. No matter what the outcome, I'm not interested.

Violet: Did anyone expect Del Rio to win? I certainly didn't.

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WWE Hell in a Cell Predictions

w/ Alex Archer & Violet Buttle

CM Punk (c) vs. Ryback for the WWE Championship in a Hell in a Cell Match

Alex: They've done a really good job at making Ryback look like a legitimate threat to Punk's reign.  I have to think they keep the title on Punk to setup Rock vs. Punk at Royal Rumble.  Either way, I don't think this match is going to end clean, despite being in the Cell.

Violet: Ryback isn't ready to be WWE Champion, and I really don't see him as the man that ends Punk's lengthy title reign.

Sheamus (c) vs. Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship

Alex: This is the match I'm least excited for on the whole card.  Expect a slow, prodding match with a bunch of thwarted WMD and Brogue Kick attempts.  I'll put my money on Big Show defeating Sheamus and then losing the title to Ziggler when he cashes in after the match.

Violet: The only interesting thing about this match is the possibility of Ziggler cashing in. Otherwise, he can expect a standard slow and monotonous Big Show. If Ziggler successfully cashes in, I think Show will be the winner the original match. If Ziggler doesn't attempt to cash in or is unsuccessful in his attempt, I think Sheamus will remain champion.

Kofi Kingston (c) vs. The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship

Alex: It wouldn't make much sense to play hot potato with the IC title right now, so I think Kofi's going to hold onto it for at least a few more weeks.  The angry Miz character that we've seen on and off for a few months now would really have a chance to come out in full force if he suffered another loss at Kofi's hands.

Violet:I think that the intensity that the IC title and this feud have brought out of both men has been a lot of fun to watch. I wouldn't mind seeing wither guy win, but I do think that Kingston retains.

Team Hell No (c) vs. Team Rhodes Scholars for the Tag Team Championship

Alex: There's no doubting the success and popularity of Team Hell No.  They've been one of the most used acts over the last few weeks on both Raw and Smackdown.  If the WWE feels that Team Hell No can succeed and continue on without the titles, then Cody and Sandow will leave HIAC as the champions, otherwise, the titles stay with Kane and Daniel Bryan.  My money is on Team Hell No.  I think they need the titles to continue on as a team.

Violet: Based upon the popularity of Team Hell No, I assume they will walk out tonight with the titles.

Eve Torres (c) vs. Layla vs. Kaitlyn in a Triple Threat Match for the Diva's Championship

Alex: I'm glad the Diva's division has a real storyline for a change, but I wish Layla and Kaitlyn were replaced with Natty and Beth.  I'll take what I can get, though, and I think Eve remains champion after the night is through.

Violet: Eve's been very cunning and devious the past few weeks, so I assume (and hope) that she finds a way to retain the title. I also anticipate some atrocious acting from Kaitlyn and some corny dancing from Layla. 

Alberto Del Rio vs. Randy Orton

Alex: Another match that I'm really not all that excited about.  I'll give this one to Orton and say he gets his revenge on Del Rio for the attacks over the last few weeks.

Violet:Does Del Rio ever win a PPV match? Orton goes over here.

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Alternate Booking: What if King Mo was revealed instead of Devon?

By Alex Archer

As Hulk Hogan easily laid waste to each member of Aces & Eights as he made his way to the ring at TNA’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view on Sunday night, I was thrilled that we were finally going to get a reveal to further the invasion storyline.  The first glimpse we got of the unmasked man was a shot from behind, where only the back of his bald, black head was visible.  My first thought: King Mo!

Clearly it's Devon, but my first thought was "King Mo!"

Before I continue on, I want to make it clear that I’m not saying this storyline would play out better than what they plan on doing with Devon.  This whole storyline just popped into my head in the mere seconds that passed between seeing the back of the revealed man’s head, and then seeing that it was, in fact, Devon Dudley.

So King Mo is revealed.  He acts in much the same way that Devon did: he smiles, laughs, and glares at a stunned trio of Hogan, Sting, and Bully Ray.  Hogan and Sting can’t believe that they were double-crossed by a man they thought was coming into the company to be an asset, not a detriment.

"King Mo" Muhammed Lawal

By the time Impact rolls around on Thursday, TNA could’ve had their stars buzzing on Twitter, asking why this newcomer decided to join Aces & Eights when he had a free ticket to the top, as Dixie Carter and Hogan seemed to be poised to give him the world.  Rumors would also start to resurface in regards to James Storm being in cahoots with the gang, as he and King Mo stood together after he defeated Bobby Roode earlier in the night at Bound For Glory.

King Mo could have come out the same way that Devon did on Impact on Thursday night.  In his promo, he would put over the fact that he’s been viewed as nothing more than a sideshow since signing with TNA.  He could say his special enforcer role was a joke.  “I’m not here to help maintain the rules, I’m here to break them!”.  He could go on a tirade that Hogan and Dixie treated him well, but never like the killer that he is.  The only ones that saw him for what he really was, a straight up fighter, were the brothers in Aces & Eights.

Just some food for fantasy booking thought!

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Why Main Event has the Potential to be WWE's Best Show

by Violet Buttle

Matches- So far, the "main events" have been PPV length matches. Rarely, even with Raw being three hours long, do we get to see such long, well-wrestled matches. This past week's Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz bout is a perfect example of this. In a typical Kingston TV match, we get to see him use his flashy move set and that's it. But on the October 17th edition of Main Event, we actually got to see the man wrestle. Though I am bothered by the brevity of the show's second matches, I wouldn't want them to shorten the "main event". Hell, I was even interested in the Randy Orton vs. Big Show match from last week's Main Event, and I couldn't care less about either of those guys.

Format- Main Event has been providing its viewers with organized and effective vignettes at the beginning of the show for each of the men in the longer matches at. These vignettes give viewers relevant background information about the wrestlers and they really help to make the matches feel important. Plus, they're way better than goofy backstage comedy segments. And, at just an hour long, this show feels like the perfect length.

Storylines- Initially, a lot of people assumed that Main Event would be like Superstars: quick, pointless matches that are not related to story lines portrayed in the company's most popular shows (Raw and Smackdown). However, it has been just the opposite. Also, this past week we saw the Intercontinental Title change hands, and based upon Miz's reaction to the loss, we can assume that feud between him and Kingston will continue into the upcoming Hell in a Cell PPV. Featuring a title match and making it seem important really helped make Main Event look legitimate.

Miz on Commentary- The Miz is fantastic on the mic, and this is a great use of him as long as it doesn't take away from his time in the ring. Being that he was in the featured event on this week's episode of Main Event, we can safely assume that this will not be the case (although he did lose his title...).

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TNA Bound for Glory Results & Afterthoughts

w/ Alex Archer & Violet Buttle
Jeff Hardy defeated Austin Aries for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

Alex: I can understand some of the anger towards TNA for taking the belt off of Aries, but I just don’t understand the anger towards putting it on Jeff Hardy.  The guy got addicted to pain pills because of the way he wrestled for years, got about as low as you can get, accepted responsibility, got help, and has made amends.  It’s pretty disrespectful to continue to call the man a drug addict and say he doesn’t deserve the TNA title.  I’m a huge Aries fan.  In fact, he’s probably my favorite TNA performer.  His title reign was not great, especially from a ratings standpoint.  Hardy is the third biggest name in the company and the biggest name on the active roster.  When you need better ratings, you put the belt on a top name.  If you don’t expect an Aries/Hardy feud that will stay in the main event for at least a few weeks, you’re crazy.  They put on a great match and will put on several more before this feud is through.

Violet: Aries and Hardy work exceptionally well together, and I am already looking forward to their rematch. Both men were faster and more exciting than they otherwise are when they work with any of the other top guys in the company. This was a great match to end a great PPV with. I was, however, disappointed by the harsh reaction to Hardy's win on Twitter. Sure, he's made mistakes; but what wrestler (or even: what person) hasn't? He appears to be back on track, and he's been chasing the title for months and months. I say it's about time the strap is his.

Aces & Eights defeated Bully Ray & Sting

Alex: Just when we thought the Claire Lynch storyline was the worst they could do, they reveal Devon as a top Aces & Eights member.  It was shocking, I’ll give them that, but not in a good way.  I certainly didn’t see it coming, but only because it barely makes sense and because it’s the reveal that absolutely no one was hoping for.  The match itself was bad, and considering the fact that Hogan made it no disqualification, the whole TNA locker room not hitting the ring immediately was just stupid.  The feud went from feeling very main event to feeling mid-card at best.

Violet: Devon? Really? How long was that the plan for? Even though he wasn't outed last night, I'm still not convinced that Bully Ray isn't somehow involved in Aces & Eights. He could be back in cahoots with Devon, his long-time tag partner. And I have to hope that Bully Ray's Sting face paint was ironic. Bully Ray would never paint his face like Sting and mean it, right?

Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Hernandez defeated Christopher Daniels & Kazarian and AJ Styles & Kurt Angle for the TNA Tag Team Championship

Alex: The first half of this match seemed to move in slow motion for me.  Things did eventually pick up in what turned out to be one of the better matches of the night, but the finish was more crap.  Chavo and Hernandez?  Absolutely no one cares about either of these guys.  TNA dropped the ball on Chavo from the start (not that he’s a huge somebody anyway), and Hernandez just isn’t all that entertaining.  Daniels and Kazarian have been the best tag team in all of pro wrestling over the last few weeks, so hopefully they’ll immediately chase and regain the titles.

Violet: Kaz and Daniels have been so entertaining as the champions that it makes no sense to take the belts off of them right now. They're like the TNA equivalent of Team Hell No. They can do no wrong.

James Storm defeated Bobby Roode in a Street Fight

Alex: The blowoff match of this feud was amazing.  Storm and Roode both played their parts masterfully throughout the match.  Great action, great story, and great execution.  King Mo was pretty unnecessary here and I think he could’ve been better utilized elsewhere on the card, but at least he didn’t do any damage to the match itself.  Match of the night, possibly match of the year.

Violet: This  was everything I expected it to be and more. While I am typically bored by Storm, I couldn't take my eyes off of this match (well, except for when thumbtacks were involved...they make my stomach turn). I am baffled, however, as to why this match aired as early as it did. It was so good that if left me worrying that the remaining matches would end up falling short.

Samoa Joe defeated Magnus to retain the TNA Television Championship

Alex: Joe and Magnus really set the bar for the night.  Joe looked strong with his chokeout submission victory, and Magnus looked great in defeat.  This was probably the second best match of the night in my book.  I hope they find a creative way for this feud to continue and for Magnus to get the better of Joe at some point.

Violet: Of course Magnus lost, but at least he looked good while doing so. I can only hope that he gets the push he deserves someday. In the meantime, Joe and Magnus have great chemistry, so hopefully Joe's predictable victory doesn't end their feud.

Rob Van Dam defeated Zema Ion for the X Division Championship

Alex: Zema and RVD opened the night with a pretty good X Division Championship match, but this was the first in a night of strange finishes.  RVD is clearly a bigger name than Zema, but he’s also almost twice his age, too big for the X Division, and has no story in the X Division.  Yeah, having the X belt will get you a Heavyweight shot at Destination X, but there’s a long way to go until then. I was really expecting Zema to hold the title until Jesse Sorenson returned to avenge his injuries and win the strap.  Hopefully this leads to a RVD / Zema feud and Zema eventually goes over.  Otherwise they’re just wasting his talent and wasting the X Division Championship on a guy who doesn’t need it.

Violet: Sometimes I swear that the TNA creative team is made up of the dumbest people ever. Months ago, when they had the Destination X tournaments, the live crowds went crazy for the X Division matches. Why wouldn't they use those guys in their current X Division matches instead of predictable old RVD? Furthermore, Ion's title reign was nothing short of lackluster. He's a talented, charismatic guy who has everything he needs to front the X Division, but they simply never gave him the chance to do so.

Tara defeated Miss Tessmacher for the TNA Knockouts Championship

Alex: Tessmacher just doesn’t have it in the ring.  Tara did an ok job of making up for it, but this was a clunker of a match.  I’m glad Tara got the win, but the Hollywood boyfriend reveal fell flat on its face.  “Who are you?” chants were very well deserved.

Violet: While I was pleased by Tara's victory, I was letdown by the reveal of her "Hollywood" boyfriend. Who is he? How many people actually recognized him? I was still hoping that it would be Joey Ryan.

Joey Ryan defeated Al Snow

Alex: Al Snow looked to be in great shape and didn’t show any ring rust.  On top of that, the crowd was into Head big time.  Matt Morgan was a surprise, and it’ll be interesting to see if he just let Joey Ryan survive at the end, or if they are somehow in cahoots.  I hope they’re in cahoots.

Violet: As excited as I am to know that Ryan won a TNA contract, I'm disappointed by how pathetic he was made to look during the match. And, why on earth did Matt Morgan interfere? Does he have something against Al Snow? His interference was confusing and unnecessary. I would have liked to see Ryan win this on his own merit.

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TNA Bound For Glory Predictions

w/ Alex Archer & Violet Buttle
Austin Aries (c) vs. Jeff Hardy for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

Alex: I'm happy that Aries got that full heel turn in before the pay-per-view, but I wish it had come sooner. In my opinion, a heel vs. baby face feud for the title is much more of a draw than a slow turn, especially when Hardy is involved. This is definitely going to be a fun match with plenty of energy. My money is on Hardy winning the title tonight.

Violet: I'm not really sure which way this match will go, but I don't think it'll be the last in this feud. I expect this match will have some good storytelling and a lot of energy.

Bully Ray & Sting vs. Aces & Eights

Alex: Bully Ray is the obvious answer to the "who's behind the Aces & Eights" question, but is TNA going to go that route tonight? I think they will. I think Bully Ray double crosses Sting and Hogan and it's revealed that he and Eric Bischoff are the two men behind the Aces & Eights faction.

Violet:I'll be very disappointed if we find out tonight that Bully Ray is in some way associated with Aces and Eights. When TNA initially hinted at his alliance with group, I thought it could be an interesting twist. But, they've made it so glaringly obvious that this is what will happen that I'm now expecting it. I hope that I'm wrong.

Christopher Daniels & Kazarian (c) vs. AJ Styles & Kurt Angle vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Hernandez for the TNA Tag Team Championship

Alex: I don't think either of the challenging teams are even half as entertaining as the current champions, so I think Daniels and Kazarian retain with some kind of cheap victory. As a bonus, I think Chavo and Hernandez turn heel on Kurt and AJ after the match.

Violet: With the way Daniels and Kazarian have pinned the other four men against each other, I think that the champions have a good chance at retaining tonight.

James Storm vs. Bobby Roode in a Street Fight

Alex: James Storm finally gets his hands on Bobby Roode after a year long build. Even without the world title, I think this program has made both guys a bigger deal. I have my money on Storm finally getting revenge. If I was booking it, though, I'd have Roode get a somewhat flukey victory and then move Storm immediately into another feud, immediately following the match, as I think Storm and Roode could be revisited again in a few more years with great success.

Violet:I predict that Storm finally gets the best of Roode. It'll be interesting to see how big of a role King Mo has in the action. He seemed fairly buddy-buddy with Storm during a recent episode of Impact, so I think it'd be fun to see if this relationship plays any role in the action.

Samoa Joe (c) vs. Magnus for the TNA Television Championship

Alex: I really think Magnus could be a top guy if he was given a serious push. I think putting the Television Title on him here is definitely a step in the right direction. Magnus wins the gold.

Violet: Being that TNA seemingly never wants to give Magnus the singles push that he deserves, I can rather safely predict that Joe retains.

Zema Ion (c) vs. Rob Van Dam for the X Division Championship

Alex: I'm a bit surprised this is advertised as a title match, but it looks like that's what they're going with. Either way, I think Ion gets the win and continues to be the man to beat in the X Division. A win over RVD will go a long way in making Ion and the X Division look strong.

Violet: Is the X Division lacking in talent so badly that RVD gets an X Division title match? Unreal. I really don't think that there's any chance that RVD becomes X Division champion, so I predict that not only does Ion win but he wins clean. RVD's been foolishly losing just about every match he's in, and Ion needs to look like a deserving and threatening champion. This match is a good opportunity for him to do so.

Miss Tessmacher (c) vs. Tara for the TNA Knockouts Championship

Alex: Tessmacher just doesn't do it for me, and that seizure dance she does before her matches is the absolute worst. I hope Tara takes the belt tonight, but I think the reveal of her Hollywood boyfriend is going to backfire and cost her the match.

Violet: Tessmacher has been a lackluster champion; so, hopefully she drops the belt here. Besides, Tara looks great in the ring and she's doing well with her new heel persona.

Al Snow vs. Joey Ryan

Alex: Unless the last few months have been a complete waste of time, Joey Ryan is going to edge out some kind of cheap victory over Al Snow and get himself a TNA contract.

Violet: I wonder at what point this became TNA's plan for Joey Ryan. Was it before his first Gut Check appearance? Was it after the crowd starting showing up with 87% signs? Either way, there is no chance Ryan's run with TNA ends with Al Snow beating him tonight. I bet that Ryan wins the match and a contract with the company.

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