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Monday, December 10, 2012

TNA Final Resolution Results & Afterthoughts

w/Alex Archer & Violet Buttle

Jeff Hardy defeated Bobby Roode to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

Alex: Hardy and Roode wrestled a really good match with a logical finish (not something that happens often in TNA). I like that the Aces & Eights made it clear that they aren't aligned with anyone strictly for money, but I hate how there's no continuity in the locker room's reaction to their beat downs. Sometimes the locker room clears to make the save, and sometimes they just leave the World Champion out there to get stomped out. The assisted-powerbomb at the end was pretty lame and came off as a sad attempt at looking like The Shield. Stuff like that really cheapens the TNA product.

Violet: The spot where Hardy went over the barrier was insane. I don’t know how he can continue to treat his body with such disregard after all of these years. It’s truly impressive. Overall, the match was well wrestled and the right man came out on top. The Aces and Eights beat down at the end was what it was. I don’t get why the TNA locker room has stopped running in to defend each other.

Christopher Daniels defeated AJ Styles

Alex: These two put on the best performance of the night in a really great contest. The storyline leading up to Final Resolution was very well done (minus the Claire Lynch stuff), and the story told during the match was perfect. Daniels winning with the Styles Clash made me even more interested in AJ Styles' future. I'm really hoping this leads to a new, darker AJ.

Violet: Doing even more damage to the already bruised ego of Styles, Daniels won with AJ’s finishing move during what was advertised as their final match. Every once in a while TNA does a good job with their booking, and this was one of those rare occasions. For the first time, I’m actually interested in Styles.

Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Garett Bischoff, and Wes Brisco defeated Aces & Eights

Alex: Painfully slow with absolutely no payoff. Figures.

Violet: This match was uneventful, especially since I was waiting for a Brisco/Bischoff heel turn/Aces and Eights reveal. Judging from the way Brisco saved from being hit by the hammer, it appears as if he is in cahoots with the faction. However, I was hoping for more drama than this subtle maneuver provided.

Tara defeated Mickie James to retain the TNA Knockouts Championship

Alex: I don't mind Tara retaining with some outside help, but I'd like to see Jesse get his own storylines so that he doesn't have to interfere in Knockouts matches to be onscreen. Their feud with EY and ODB is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

Violet: Tara and Mickie James could have a strong, dynamic Knockouts match, but Tara is being held back by her gimmick with Jesse. Before he came around, she didn’t need any outside help to win.

Austin Aries defeated Bully Ray

Alex: This match turned out exactly as I predicted it. Well, aside from a shirtless Brooke Hogan being led away from ringside on her fathers arm... Brooke Hogan shirtless is the furthest thing from my mind at most times...

Violet: For me, the action in the match was overshadowed by the strange relationship that Hulk and Brooke Hogan share. Hogan is weirdly possessive and controlling of his adult daughter’s love life, and Brooke is way too comfortable being practically naked in front of her father. Oh, and they held hands as the exited the Impact Zone together. Brooke still didn’t pull her top back up.

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

Alex: Wow what a terrible end to this match! How are Chavo and Hernandez still the champions? They get no crowd reaction, the internet hates them, and they couldn't even get a pop when they won the straps in Texas at BFG. What does TNA see in them? Dixie must've really promised Chavo a lot to sign with TNA. Bad move, Dixie.

Violet: I’m very disappointed that the boring Guerrero and Hernandez are still the Tag Team Champions, but I’m even more disappointed with the way TNA has booked Joey Ryan thus far. He’s nothing more than a punching bag. I wonder if he regrets leaving the indies yet.

RVD defeated Kenny King to retain the X-Division Championship

Alex: RVD isn't too old to go, but he's too old to go with prime of their life X-Division talent. Give the actual X-Division guys some time on television to build up their characters and then just let them wrestle. They'll get over, just give them a chance. RVD as X-Division champion in 2012 is just stupid.

Violet: The Number One Contender’s match from Thursday and last night’s title match were both good, but the pacing was much different. When I watch an X Division match, I want and expect the action to be fun, creative, and fast paced. However, when you put the belt on an aging Heavyweight, those aren’t the kind of matches you get. Conversely, I think King looked great. I hope TNA actually uses him.

James Storm defeated Kazarian

Alex: Eh, this was harmless enough and it got Kazarian and James Storm on the pay-per-view. There isn't much else to be said about this one.

Violet: This match might have been exciting, but it was clear from the start that Kazarian didn’t have a chance.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

TNA Final Resolution Predictions

w/ Alex Archer & Violet Buttle

Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Bobby Roode for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

Alex: This is a really interesting match because, to me, it makes the most sense to put the title on Roode and have him renew his money-feud with James Storm. I don't know if TNA will go that route, but I don't know what would be on deck for Hardy if he retains.

Violet: I can't picture them taking the title off of Hardy already, and I also can't picture them making Roode champion again so soon.

Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles

Alex: Either AJ wins and counts down the days until he can get at title shot again by kicking ass for the next year, or Daniels defeats him and he continues on a crazy road of losing big matches. I think the second is most interesting, especially if it lead to a change in AJ's character, so I'll say Daniels gets the win.

Violet: Even though Daniels rarely comes out on top, I predict he wins this match with the help of some outside interference from Kazarian. After his big loss at Turning Point, it makes more sense to keep Styles down rather than to build him back up already.

Bully Ray vs. Austin Aries

Alex: This one definitely isn't going to end clean. I'm expecting to see Brooke and the Hulkster parade themselves out to ringside at some point during the match, probably costing Bully the match in the process. I don't think this is the last we're going to see of the Hogan/Bully/Aries story. A little disappointing that Bully isn't a focus in the Aces & Eights storyline, but I hope at some point it plays out that he's been working with them all along. I just don't expect that to happen tonight.

Violet: I think that one of the Hogans will intervene before this match gets the chance to end cleanly.

Aces & Eights vs. Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Garett Bischoff, and Wes Brisco

Alex: I think we get a pre-match beatdown backstage of Garett and Wes Brisco, but we'll only see the aftermath, not the actual beating. They'll try to tough it out and go to the ring with Kurt and Joe, and then eventually turn and reveal they're with Aces & Eights and were never jumped at all. As detailed as that is, I don't even think it's that bold of a prediction.

Violet: I sincerely hope that it is revealed tonight that Wes Brisco and Garrett Bischoff are members of Aces & Eights. I honestly can't even believe Brisco's made it is this far without even being accused of working with the faction. I mean, one of the guys who's always out attacking the TNA roster has the same exact hair color and body type as Brisco.

Rob Van Dam (c) vs. Kenny King for the X-Division Championship

Alex: I'd love to see RVD lose the belt and get the hell away from the X-Divison, and as much as I'd like to see Kenny King win the title, I don't think that's going to be the case tonight. It should be a pretty good match, but I think Kenny King is going to make it obvious that RVD might still be on pace with the regular roster, but he's at least a step behind the top X-Division guys.

Violet: If King got any TV time before his Number One Contenders match on Thursday, then it might be believable that he had a chance of winning tonight. I really wish a Heavyweight guy wasn't wearing the X-Division belt. The crowd in the Impact Zone was really into the Number One Contenders match with all X-Division guys. Why can't TNA see that?

Tara (c) vs. Mickie James for the Knockouts Championship

Alex: TNA seems to be having some success with Tara and Jesse, as they've been drawing some great heat in the Impact Zone. I like the return of Mickie James being played up last week, but I don't think she's going to take the belt off Tara tonight.

Violet: Tara seems to have lost her competitive edge since she paired up with Jesse, so I think the returning Mickie James will leave with the title tonight.

Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez (c) vs. Joey Ryan & Matt Morgan for the TNA Tag Team Championship

Alex: If I can see Chavo and Hernandez lose the titles to Joey Ryan and Matt Morgan, I'll forgive TNA for putting the belts on them in the first place. They're beyond boring.

Violet: There's no way Matt Morgan loses a match already. He's been brutal since his return, and his pairing with Ryan grows on me every week. I think they'd be fun as champions.

Friday, December 7, 2012

WrestleMania Time Machine: WrestleMania 26

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 28, 2010

Venue: University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)

Attendance: 72,219

On Commentary: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and Matt Striker

Main Event: The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels in a No Disqualification Streak vs. Career Match

Alex's Opinion

Best: Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels was not only the best match of WrestleMania 26, but it was also the only memorable match on the card. Shawn and Taker told a great story throughout the contest. Even though many predicted that Taker would prevail, they managed to put the crowd on the edge of their seats with some very well done near falls towards the end of the match. Interesting note: this was the first non-title main event at WrestleMania in 15 years, and rightly so.

Worst: Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon at WrestleMania would've sounded great anytime from 1998 up to around 2005. In 2010, however, it just wasn't there. The crowd wasn't all that into it, the Hart Family lumberjack angle came off looking really sloppy and hokey, and the "match" itself was 16 minutes of good memories turning sour. I didn't expect much out of this one, but what they went with was worse than what I had imagined.

Violet's Opinion

Best: Before watching this WrestleMania, I assumed that I’d rate the career vs. streak match as my favorite. I mean, it showcased two guys who notoriously perform well at WrestleMania (Micahels and Undertaker) and a weighty stipulation. However, I was surprised that this bout was overshined, only slightly , by the CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio match from earlier in the event. Punk and Mysterio delivered one of the few fast paced matches on the card while both men shared control of the action. Entertaining wrestling aside, this match also came with an intriguing stipulation: if Punk won, Mysterio would have to join the Straight Edge Society. Of course Mysterio won, but up until he hit the 619 at the end of the match, I was invested in the story the two participants were telling.

Worst: The Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon match was easily the worst. It was long, and it was a poor attempt to right McMahon’s wrongs against Hart.

Full Results

ShoMiz (Big Show & The Miz) defeated John Morrison & R-Truth to retain the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship (3:24)

Randy Orton defeated Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase in a Triple Threat Match (9:01)

Jack Swagger defeated Christina, Matt Hardy, Drew McIntyre, Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, Shelton Benjamin, MVP, Evan Bourne, and Kane in a MITB Ladder Match (13:44)

Triple H defeated Sheamus (12:09)

Rey Mysterio defeated CM Punk (w/ Luke Gallows & Serena) (6:30)

Bret Hart defeated Mr. McMahon in a No Holds Barred Lumberjack Match (16:09)

Chris Jericho defeated Edge to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (15:48)

Michelle McCool, Vickie Guerrero, Alicia Fox, & Maryse defeated Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Gail Kim, Eve Torres, & Kelly Kelly in a 10-Diva Tag Match (3:26)

John Cena defeated Batista for the WWE Championship (13:31)

The Undertaker defeated Shawn Michaels in a No Disqualification Streak vs. Career Match (23:59)

Thursday, December 6, 2012

WrestleMania Time Machine: WrestleMania 27

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 3, 2011

Venue: Georgia Dome (Atlanta, GA)

Attendance: 71,617

On Commentary: Michael Cole (first 4 matches), Jerry Lawler (matches 1-4, 6-8), Josh Mathews (first 5 matches), Jim Ross (main events), Booker T (Cole vs. Lawler)

Main Event: The Miz (w/ Alex Riley) vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship

Alex's Opinion

Best: Cena and Miz put on a great main event that would have ended in a double count-out had The Rock not restarted the match under No Disqualification rules. I can't say that I'm thrilled with how Rock's involvement has turned out over the last 2 years, but it was pretty awesome in this situation. I think the star of this match was really The Miz. Everyone focused their attention on the Rock/Cena drama, but Miz held his own and remained visible in the presence of two future Hall of Famers.

Worst: The addition of Stone Cold Steve Austin as the guest referee in the Michael Cole vs. Jerry Lawler match didn't add enough to make it even remotely bearable to watch. He didn't have much to work with as the heel Michael Cole character was just never interesting.

Violet's Opinion

Best: Months before WrestleMania 27, Cody Rhodes suffered a broken nose after he was hit in the face with the exposed knee brace of Rey Mysterio during a 619. After missing the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber as a result of the injury, Rhodes returned wearing a mask and blaming Mysterio for the deformity that caused him to wear it. At WrestleMania 27, Rhodes was able to get his revenge on Mysterio with a big win over the veteran wrestler. The match featured some creative and fast-paced wrestling, as well as a definitive, clean win for Rhodes.

Worst: Commentators should commentate. Wrestlers should wrestle. While this may not always be true (I almost prefer Kevin Steen on commentary), the "rule" should have been applied to Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole. Their far-too-long 13:37 match was the culmination of their far-too-long four month feud.

Full Results

Edge (w/Christian) defeated Alberto Del Rio (w/ Ricardo Rodriguez & Brodus Clay) to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (19:30)

Cody Rhodes defeated Rey Mysterio (11:51)

Kane, Big Show, Santino Marella, & Kofi Kingston defeated The Corre (Wade Barrett, Ezekiel Jackson, Justin Gabriel, & Heath Slater) in an Eight-Man Tag Team Match (1:35)

Randy Orton defeated CM Punk (14:48)

Michael Cole (w/Jack Swagger) defeated Jerry Lawler w/ Stone Cold Steve Austin as Special Guest Referee (13:37)

The Undertaker defeated Triple H in a No Holds Barred Match (29:55)

John Morrison, Trish Stratus, & Snooki defeated Dolph Ziggler & Laycool (Layla & Michelle McCool) (w/Vickie Guerrero) in a Six-Person Mixed Tag Team Match (3:58)

The Miz (w/ Alex Riley) defeated John Cena to retain the WWE Championship (21:49)

Monday, December 3, 2012

Versus: Wrestling Lawyers

by Violet Buttle

WWE's David Otunga vs. TNA's Joseph Park

David Otunga: Being a real-life Harvard Law School graduate, Otunga is well-suited to play a lawyer on TV. With the help of bowties, sweater vests, and coffee thermoses, Otunga even manages to look the part, though his physique suggests that he spends more time in the gym than he does in the courtroom. He’s even acted as a legal adviser and representative for John Laurinaitis and Alberto Del Rio in a few high profile cases/story lines/ feuds.

Joseph Park: Park showed up on the Impact scene to investigate the disappearance of his brother Abyss. Ever since then, Park has come across as a detective rather than a lawyer. Though he claims to be a partner at the Park, Park, and Park firm, he never seems to be working on an actual case. Instead, he snoops around the Impact Zone looking for clues much like Scooby and his gang would.

The Better Wrestling Lawyer: David Otunga

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@VioletButtle | #FTLOW