Tonight is the first WWE PPV of the year, The Royal Rumble! Winner gets a title shot of his choice at WrestleMania. I luvs me some battle royals, but I don't order PPVs anymore. That said, here is a Royal Rumble preview. Card subject to change, and card information courtesy of 411wrestling.
WWE Women's Title Match
Michelle McCool vs Mickie James
- McCool is the reigning Women's champion, who has just sat on the belt for months after getting hurt. She's mediocre in the ring and awful on the mic, but she's also dating The Undertaker. That said, this feud is the biggest women's feud in a long time...and it all started with McCool taunting Mickie with fat jokes and calling her "Piggy James". Especially the last few weeks, the heat has been off the charts. Here's the thing: McCool has humiliated James at every turn. James HAS to win here, or this is one of the highest profile burials in recent WWE memory. The winner, regardless, has Beth Phoenix to deal with, I figure. McCool pretty much only has Maria to face (and she's disappearing soon due to Celebrity Apprentice), while Mickie could face Layla, Natalya or CM Punk's new recruit, Serena.
Winner: Mickie James
ECW Title Match
Christian vs Ezekiel Jackson
- I don't have a problem with Jackson, but of all the guys Christian could have been facing, he's kind of a letdown. That said, Christian has battled Zack Ryder and William Regal a fair bit as it is, so Jackson's pretty much it. I think Jackson ends Christian's reign as ECW comes to a close, and Christian moves on to Raw or Smackdown.
Winner: Ezekiel Jackson
World Title Match
The Undertaker vs Rey Mysterio
- Rey has been offended that no one is taking him seriously, while Undertaker has been avoiding Shawn Michaels. This result is tied directly into the Royal Rumble, I figure. I see a few scenarios: 1) If this match goes on first, Undertaker wins. 2) If it goes on after the Rumble, and Shawn loses the Rumble...he costs Undertaker the belt. 3) If it goes on after the Rumble and Batista wins, he costs Undertaker the belt so he can face Rey. 4) HBK wins the Rumble and costs Rey the match to ensure that he gets Undertaker at WrestleMania.
Winner: Rey wins, but with help.
WWE Title Match
Sheamus vs Randy Orton
- The least compelling match I could imagine. Sheamus wins, I just don't know how.
Winner: Sheamus
Royal Rumble:
See the list of announced participants below. I'm seeing Batista or Cena as the likely winners, just looking at the likely title pictures.
Winner: Batista, so HBK can screw Undertaker, and set up Batista vs Rey and HBK vs UT for WrestleMania.
* The Royal Rumble Match:
From Raw:
John Cena
Triple H
Shawn Michaels
Ted DiBiase
Cody Rhodes
MVP
The Miz
Kofi Kingston
Mark Henry
Jack Swagger
Big Show
Evan Bourne
Carlito
Chris Masters
From ECW:
Shelton Benjamin
Yoshi Tatsu
William Regal
Zack Ryder
From Smackdown:
Batista
CM Punk
The Great Khali
Kane
Matt Hardy
R-Truth
Chris Jericho
The Proof Is In the Fun
Showing posts with label PPV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PPV. Show all posts
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Tommy's TNA Genesis 2010 Preview
TNA Genesis airs tonight, and it is the first PPV of the Hogan Era. It has been set up entirely by the last two weeks of television, so...not a lot of build. TNA has announced the final card which, of course, is subject to change. I'll break it down match by match, and give you my thoughts.
D'ANGELO DINERO vs DESMOND WOLFE
Backstory: Desmond Wolfe faced The Pope on the January 4th Impact and got pinned in a fluke roll-up. This week, he beat Samoa Joe, and taunted Dinero who was providing commentary. That's...pretty much it. Their match on Impact was pretty good. Wolfe is a great technical wrestler and Dinero is very athletic. Their match lost something when Dinero kept forgetting to sell his arm, which was the point of Wolfe's offense. One other x-factor to note is that Dinero had a run-in with Orlando Jordan on the January 4th Impact, and Jordan was mentioned again this week, so I would expect him to play a role in the finish of this bout.
Winner: Desmond Wolfe due to Orlando Jordan shenanigans.
SEAN MORELY vs DANIELS
Backstory: Morely, of course, is the former Val Venis. He debuted in TNA on January 4th doing a straight riff on the Venis gimmick, but this week he had morphed into an "Artiste". He claimed to be the leading internet distributor of fine cinema, which is kind of insulting in this day and age, and he wanted to launch the TNA Film Division. Daniels came out, acting like a fan boy, before laying him out with his patented offense that looks ridiculous on a guy that much larger than him. The TNA crowd popped for that, but Daniels - like a good soldier - heeled out...we're supposed to take the wrestling purist as the heel and the film maker as a face. All that said, this could be a good bout if they are given any time to work with. Expect Daniels to eat the fall, though.
Winner: Sean Morely.
ABYSS vs BOBBY LASHLEY
- Lashley is trying to get out of his TNA contract so he can focus on MMA. Hogan, apparently, is refusing...despite telling EVERYBODY that they have to "earn" their spots. To further muddy the waters, Hogan is giving interviews talking about how he's going to force Lashley to put TNA first. On Impact this week, Lashley destroyed Lethal Consequences and threatened to keep destroying the TNA roster until he gets his release. In response, Hogan and Bischoff have pitted Lashley against Abyss. Personally, I think it's a bait and switch: Lashley attacks Abyss before the match, demolishing him, and his wife cuts another heat generating promo.
Winner: No match, but Lashley is the only one left standing.
BEER MONEY, INC. vs SCOTT HALL & KEVIN NASH
- Beer Money got laid out on the January 4th Impact, apparently by Hall, Nash and Waltman doing their best nWo impression. This week, they demanded a match with Hall and Nash, and Bischoff has granted it. There was a brawl on Impact this week that turned into a 3 on 2 thanks to Waltman before Bischoff ended the fight. Hall and Nash, of course, were The Outsiders - a major tag team with no real accomplishment other than killing the WCW tag team division. Beer Money, Inc. consists of, arguably, the two best tag team wrestlers in TNA's history. That said, there is no way The Band is losing this fast. Beer Money's putting them over, with the justification that they have to "build a story".
Winners: Hall and Nash.
TNA X Division Championship
Amazing Red (c) vs To Be Determined
- Red has been the invisible X Division champion for a few months. His one appearance the last two weeks was the cluster of a Steel Asylum match that garnered Bullsh*t chants. No speculation on who his opponent is, but look to Red dropping the belt. My money's on Sean Waltman, personally.
Winner: Not Amazing Red.
TNA Knockouts Championship - Best Two out of Three Falls
ODB(c) vs Tara
- These two have had an issue for several weeks, with ODB pinning Tara with a handful of tights on the January 4th Impact to end a second short Knockouts title reign. The bad news is, that match was pretty bad. The worse news is, this match is best two out of three falls. Let's hope they work out the kinks this go around.
Winner: Too close to call, as I'm not sure Hogan and Bischoff consider the Knockouts division to be a priority.
TNA Tag Team Championship
THE BRITISH INVASION(c) vs MATT MORGAN & HERNANDEZ
- The British Invasion have been invisible on TV the last two weeks. Morgan and Hernandez squashed Raven and Dr. Stevie in order to win the title opportunity. On Impact this week, they were attacked by Rob Terry, the manager/bodyguard of The British Invasion. I would say there's a terribly good chance that Morgan and Hernandez are winning some gold.
Winners: Morgan/Hernandez and its not even close.
TNA World Heavyweight Title Match/Angle's Last Shot At Styles In 2010
AJ STYLES(c) vs KURT ANGLE
- AJ pinned Angle in a fatal four way to win the title, and Angle had AJ locked in the Ankle Lock at the time limit on an Impact rematch. It took months for Angle to get his title match, but it happened on the January 4th Impact, when AJ pinned Angle clean, even after being attacked by Tomko during the match. Hogan declared Styles and Angle the two best wrestlers in the world, and they made a rematch for Genesis. On Impact this week, Tomko attacked AJ again, and got a title shot, but failed to win. Ric Flair has been watching Styles for the last two weeks as well, and Styles was acting a little, well, heelish last week. "Last Shot" stips usually mean a title change, but - especially if AJ does turn heel at Genesis - then AJ winning really makes sense, as it gives Kurt a reason for serious frustration. I think AJ does retain, as his push is what Hogan and Bischoff are using to justify bringing in the Hogan Australian tour.
Winner: AJ Styles with shenanigans.
The Debut of TNA's Newest Talent Acquisition
- Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Sean Waltman, Ric Flair, Orlando Jordan, Jeff Hardy, Shannon Moore and The Nasty Boys all debuted on January 4th. Hogan is pushing a huge acquisition for Genesis. Speculation seems to be Ken "Kennedy" Anderson or Rob Van Dam, arguably the two largest free agents in wrestling right now. A looong shot would be the arrival of Shane McMahon, who left the WWE on January 1st...however, he seems far more interested in MMA than wrestling at this point.
Conspicuous by Their Absence
- Sting has been watching "The Band" from the rafters the last two weeks, and they ran an angle where he was ticked about Hogan coming in...which is weird, because the last time Hogan and Sting were in WCW together, they were on the same side.
- The Nasty Boys spent two weeks trashing Team 3D's locker room, and attacked them this week. No match has been announced, but I bet we at least get a backstage fight.
- TNA Global Champion Eric Young hasn't been seen for more than just seconds the last few weeks and isn't on the card.
- Samoa Joe choked out Abyss on January 4th and jobbed clean to Desmond Wolfe, but isn't on the PPV despite having a title shot, if The Hogan Regime doesn't ignore Feast or Fired.
- The Beautiful People exploded on Impact this week, with Angelina Love returning and attacking them...but they aren't scheduled for the PPV.
- The TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions Kong and HAmada are also not on the card.
- Rhino was supposed to wrestle Abyss January 4th and was laid out. However, he hasn't come back seeking revenge and isn't on the card.
- Jeff Jarrett cut a very face-ish promo on Impact January 4th and Hogan tried to out-face him and utterly failed...so Jarrett did a full heel turn this week. Despite being told he would have to "earn his spot", he's not scheduled for the show.
- Mick Foley is MIA, but that's his gimmick right now.
That pretty much covers all the bases for this PPV. To be honest, I haven't seen anything compelling enough to make me want to order it these last two weeks, but your mileage may vary.
D'ANGELO DINERO vs DESMOND WOLFE
Backstory: Desmond Wolfe faced The Pope on the January 4th Impact and got pinned in a fluke roll-up. This week, he beat Samoa Joe, and taunted Dinero who was providing commentary. That's...pretty much it. Their match on Impact was pretty good. Wolfe is a great technical wrestler and Dinero is very athletic. Their match lost something when Dinero kept forgetting to sell his arm, which was the point of Wolfe's offense. One other x-factor to note is that Dinero had a run-in with Orlando Jordan on the January 4th Impact, and Jordan was mentioned again this week, so I would expect him to play a role in the finish of this bout.
Winner: Desmond Wolfe due to Orlando Jordan shenanigans.
SEAN MORELY vs DANIELS
Backstory: Morely, of course, is the former Val Venis. He debuted in TNA on January 4th doing a straight riff on the Venis gimmick, but this week he had morphed into an "Artiste". He claimed to be the leading internet distributor of fine cinema, which is kind of insulting in this day and age, and he wanted to launch the TNA Film Division. Daniels came out, acting like a fan boy, before laying him out with his patented offense that looks ridiculous on a guy that much larger than him. The TNA crowd popped for that, but Daniels - like a good soldier - heeled out...we're supposed to take the wrestling purist as the heel and the film maker as a face. All that said, this could be a good bout if they are given any time to work with. Expect Daniels to eat the fall, though.
Winner: Sean Morely.
ABYSS vs BOBBY LASHLEY
- Lashley is trying to get out of his TNA contract so he can focus on MMA. Hogan, apparently, is refusing...despite telling EVERYBODY that they have to "earn" their spots. To further muddy the waters, Hogan is giving interviews talking about how he's going to force Lashley to put TNA first. On Impact this week, Lashley destroyed Lethal Consequences and threatened to keep destroying the TNA roster until he gets his release. In response, Hogan and Bischoff have pitted Lashley against Abyss. Personally, I think it's a bait and switch: Lashley attacks Abyss before the match, demolishing him, and his wife cuts another heat generating promo.
Winner: No match, but Lashley is the only one left standing.
BEER MONEY, INC. vs SCOTT HALL & KEVIN NASH
- Beer Money got laid out on the January 4th Impact, apparently by Hall, Nash and Waltman doing their best nWo impression. This week, they demanded a match with Hall and Nash, and Bischoff has granted it. There was a brawl on Impact this week that turned into a 3 on 2 thanks to Waltman before Bischoff ended the fight. Hall and Nash, of course, were The Outsiders - a major tag team with no real accomplishment other than killing the WCW tag team division. Beer Money, Inc. consists of, arguably, the two best tag team wrestlers in TNA's history. That said, there is no way The Band is losing this fast. Beer Money's putting them over, with the justification that they have to "build a story".
Winners: Hall and Nash.
TNA X Division Championship
Amazing Red (c) vs To Be Determined
- Red has been the invisible X Division champion for a few months. His one appearance the last two weeks was the cluster of a Steel Asylum match that garnered Bullsh*t chants. No speculation on who his opponent is, but look to Red dropping the belt. My money's on Sean Waltman, personally.
Winner: Not Amazing Red.
TNA Knockouts Championship - Best Two out of Three Falls
ODB(c) vs Tara
- These two have had an issue for several weeks, with ODB pinning Tara with a handful of tights on the January 4th Impact to end a second short Knockouts title reign. The bad news is, that match was pretty bad. The worse news is, this match is best two out of three falls. Let's hope they work out the kinks this go around.
Winner: Too close to call, as I'm not sure Hogan and Bischoff consider the Knockouts division to be a priority.
TNA Tag Team Championship
THE BRITISH INVASION(c) vs MATT MORGAN & HERNANDEZ
- The British Invasion have been invisible on TV the last two weeks. Morgan and Hernandez squashed Raven and Dr. Stevie in order to win the title opportunity. On Impact this week, they were attacked by Rob Terry, the manager/bodyguard of The British Invasion. I would say there's a terribly good chance that Morgan and Hernandez are winning some gold.
Winners: Morgan/Hernandez and its not even close.
TNA World Heavyweight Title Match/Angle's Last Shot At Styles In 2010
AJ STYLES(c) vs KURT ANGLE
- AJ pinned Angle in a fatal four way to win the title, and Angle had AJ locked in the Ankle Lock at the time limit on an Impact rematch. It took months for Angle to get his title match, but it happened on the January 4th Impact, when AJ pinned Angle clean, even after being attacked by Tomko during the match. Hogan declared Styles and Angle the two best wrestlers in the world, and they made a rematch for Genesis. On Impact this week, Tomko attacked AJ again, and got a title shot, but failed to win. Ric Flair has been watching Styles for the last two weeks as well, and Styles was acting a little, well, heelish last week. "Last Shot" stips usually mean a title change, but - especially if AJ does turn heel at Genesis - then AJ winning really makes sense, as it gives Kurt a reason for serious frustration. I think AJ does retain, as his push is what Hogan and Bischoff are using to justify bringing in the Hogan Australian tour.
Winner: AJ Styles with shenanigans.
The Debut of TNA's Newest Talent Acquisition
- Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Sean Waltman, Ric Flair, Orlando Jordan, Jeff Hardy, Shannon Moore and The Nasty Boys all debuted on January 4th. Hogan is pushing a huge acquisition for Genesis. Speculation seems to be Ken "Kennedy" Anderson or Rob Van Dam, arguably the two largest free agents in wrestling right now. A looong shot would be the arrival of Shane McMahon, who left the WWE on January 1st...however, he seems far more interested in MMA than wrestling at this point.
Conspicuous by Their Absence
- Sting has been watching "The Band" from the rafters the last two weeks, and they ran an angle where he was ticked about Hogan coming in...which is weird, because the last time Hogan and Sting were in WCW together, they were on the same side.
- The Nasty Boys spent two weeks trashing Team 3D's locker room, and attacked them this week. No match has been announced, but I bet we at least get a backstage fight.
- TNA Global Champion Eric Young hasn't been seen for more than just seconds the last few weeks and isn't on the card.
- Samoa Joe choked out Abyss on January 4th and jobbed clean to Desmond Wolfe, but isn't on the PPV despite having a title shot, if The Hogan Regime doesn't ignore Feast or Fired.
- The Beautiful People exploded on Impact this week, with Angelina Love returning and attacking them...but they aren't scheduled for the PPV.
- The TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions Kong and HAmada are also not on the card.
- Rhino was supposed to wrestle Abyss January 4th and was laid out. However, he hasn't come back seeking revenge and isn't on the card.
- Jeff Jarrett cut a very face-ish promo on Impact January 4th and Hogan tried to out-face him and utterly failed...so Jarrett did a full heel turn this week. Despite being told he would have to "earn his spot", he's not scheduled for the show.
- Mick Foley is MIA, but that's his gimmick right now.
That pretty much covers all the bases for this PPV. To be honest, I haven't seen anything compelling enough to make me want to order it these last two weeks, but your mileage may vary.
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