Pro-Wrestling: WWE's Sin Cara Suspended For 30 Days

WWE issued the following statement:

- STAMFORD, Conn. In accordance with its Talent Wellness Program, WWE has suspended Luis Ignascio Urive Alvirde (Sin Cara) for 30 days for his first violation of the company's policy.

No word on what exactly Sin Cara violated but WWE.com updated Sin Cara's storyline future with a recent article on their website:

Sin Cara's injury occured during SmackDown's Money in the Bank match, when Sheamus viciously powerbombed the masked marvel from the ring apron through a steel ladder. The impact was so devastating that Sin Cara was quickly stretchered to the back by paramedics. Early medical reports have concluded that the high-flying Superstar has suffered a posterior fractured rib and will be out of action for at least four weeks.

Pro-Wrestling: WWE SummerSlam Poster Revealed

"With superior abilities and infinite power, the superpowers of the WWE Universe descend on Los Angeles for a collision so monumental, it threatens to lay waste to the City of Angels. Don't miss John Cena, Randy Orton, The Miz, Rey Mysterio, Alberto Del Rio, and all your favorite WWE Superstars at SummerSlam, live on pay-per-view."

WWE SummerSlam takes place from the Staples Center on August the 14th.

Pro-Wrestling: Full Transcript of CM Punk's Promo From RAW

"John Cena, while you lay there, hopefully as uncomfortable as you possibly can be, I want you to listen to me. 

I want you to digest this because before I leave in 3 weeks with your WWE Championship, I have a lot of things I want to get off my chest. 

I don't hate you, John. I don't even dislike you. I do like you. I like you a hell of a lot more than I like most people in the back. 

I hate this idea that you're the best. Because you're not. I'm the best. I'm the best in the world. There's one thing you're better at than I am and that's kissing Vince McMahon's ass. 

You're as good as kissing Vince McMahon's ass as Hulk Hogan was. I don't know if you're as good as Dwayne though. He's a pretty good ass kisser. Always was and still is. 

Whoops! I'm breaking the fourth wall! (Punk waves to the camera) 

I am the best wrestler in the world. 

I've been the best since day one when I walked into this company. And I've been vilified and hated since that day because Paul Heyman saw something in me that nobody else wanted to admit. That's right, I'm a Paul Heyman guy. You know who else was a Paul Heyman guy? Brock Lesnar. And he split just like I'm splitting. But the biggest difference between me and Brock is I'm going to leave with the WWE Championship. 

I've grabbed so many of Vincent K. McMahon's brass rings that it's finally dawned on me that there just that, they're completely imaginary. The only thing that's real is me and the fact that day in and day out, for almost six years, I have proved to everybody in the world that I am the best on this microphone, in that ring, even in commentary! Nobody can touch me! 

And yet no matter how many times I prove it, I'm not on your lovely little collector cups. I'm not on the cover of the program. I'm barely promoted. I don't get to be in movies. I'm certainly not on any crappy show on the USA Network. I'm not on the poster of WrestleMania. I'm not on the signature that's produced at the start of the show. I'm not on Conan O'Brien. I'm not on Jimmy Fallon. But the fact of the matter is, I should be. 

This isn't sour grapes. But the fact that Dwayne is in the main event at WrestleMania next year and I'm not makes me sick! 

Oh hey, let me get something straight. Those of you who are cheering me right now, you are just as big a part of me leaving as anything else. Because you're the ones who are sipping on those collector cups right now. You're the ones that buy those programs that my face isn't on the cover of. And then at five in the morning at the airport, you try to shove it in my face and get an autograph and try to sell it on Ebay because you're too lazy to go get a real job. 

I'm leaving with the WWE Championship on July 17th. And hell, who knows, maybe I'll go defend it in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Maybe, I'll go back to Ring of Honor. 

(Punk looks at the camera and waves) 

Hey, Colt Cabana, how you doing? 

The reason I'm leaving is you people. Because after I'm gone, you're still going to pour money into this company. I'm just a spoke on the wheel. The wheel is going to keep turning and I understand that. Vince McMahon is going to make money despite himself. He's a millionaire who should be a billionaire. You know why he's not a billionaire? Because he surrounds himself with glad-handed, non-sensical, douchebag (censored) yes men, like John Laurinaitis, who's going to tell him everything he wants to hear, and I'd like to think that maybe this company will better after Vince McMahon is dead. But the fact is, it's going to be taken over by his idiotic daughter and his doofus son-in-law and the rest of his stupid family. 

Let me tell you a personal story about Vince McMahon alright. We do this whole (anti) bully campaign
(Mic cut off.)"

- Credit to The Heyman Hustle website

Pro-Wrestling: Randy Orton, Kelly Kelly Brew Bad Blood

In a radio interview yesterday with Phoenix, AZ's rock station 98KUPD, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton shared some "not-so-friendly" insight towards WWE Divas Champion Kelly Kelly. When the topic of Kelly Kelly was brought up on the show, the host John Holmberg mentioned that he wanted to be a "method actor" and sleep with the WWE Diva.

Orton later followed up that comment by saying, "I could name a few method actors in the WWE. Like, ten guys." The hosts tried to get some names out of the World Champion but only succeeded in getting the WWE United States Champion Dolph Ziggler's name. Bad move on Orton's part, but it isn't like this is a revelation of sorts.

Kelly Kelly later tweeted what seemed like a direct response to Orton's comments on the radio program: "The best way to fight stupidity, is by ignoring it."

Simple, yet effective. Although, she wasn't the only one upset by the comments shared by a current, representative of the entire WWE, World Champion. Randy Orton issued an apology to Kelly Kelly last night through his own Twitter account but it seemed more "rushed" and "i-dont-care-about-what-i-said-but-my-bosses-are-making-me-do-this-anyways-y". See for yourself:

"Yesterday I put my foot in my mouth and I need to try my best to make it right. I owe Kelly K an apology. The fact that she has dated a few guys I work with doesn't make her a bad person, and is also none of my or anyone elses buisness. Yesterday I got caught up in a live radio interview and brought Kelly's personal life into it. It was completely uncalled for. Kelly I hope one day you can forgive me. I do however understand if that doesn't happen. Please everyone trash me all you want, but please drop this topic out of respect for Barb."

Barb, of course, being short for Barbara which is the real first name of WWE Diva Kelly Kelly. Either Orton wants to stay on Kelly's good side to "reap the benefits" or he either felt sincere about his comments and desparately wanted Kelly's apology understanding if she doesn't want to at all...or he was made to do it. All I know is, Twitter is effectively ruining the WWE's own Superstars' images with all of this drama and personal issues.

Chavo Guerrero Released by the WWE

 In a shocking turn of events, longtime WWE employee Chavo Guerrero was released by the company as reported on WWE.com:

"World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of WWE SmackDown Superstar Chavo Guerrero as of today, June 25, 2011. We wish Guerrero the best in all future endeavors."

It was later revealed on The Mexican Warrior's Twitter that he asked for his release stating that he was underutilized and unhappy. Rumors circulating before Chavo's release were saying that Chavo took a lot of the heat for his disappointing match against Sin Cara at WWE's Over The Limit Pay-Per-View which may have led into WWE's quick decision on letting Chavo Guerrero go.


MIZZY'S REAX: The only surprise coming out of this release is how Chavo managed to stay in the WWE for about a decade (he's been around since WCW's purchase in '01). What bums me out about this is that Chavo is completely right for saying that he was underutilized especially in recent years. No one can forget his "feud" with Hornswoggle as hard as they try but not all is lost with Chavo being out of the WWE. Chavo has mentioned on Twitter that he's going to start being a family man but if he's ever going to take back up wrestling, he wouldn't do any harm showing up on Ring of Honor for a few shows.

Pro-Wrestling Review: Monday Night RAW (June 6th, 2011)

The second 3-hour edition of RAW in two weeks kicks off with Cole, Lawler and Booker introducing the fans to this week's broadcast and explains the voting process for tonight's "Power To The People" theme. Last summer, the WWE held a similarly themed RAW called the "Viewer's Choice" and it ended up being one of the worst RAWs in recent memory. Save for the debut of The Nexus, nothing ended up being truly memorable for that entire show. The bar was raised for tonight.

- IN-RING: CM Punk comes out to a big reaction from the fans charged with the flurry of online rumors that Punk will be announcing his leave from the WWE tonight. Punk spends his entire time putting himself over due to the fact that he pinned Rey Mysterio at Sunday's Capitol Punishment Pay-Per-View and John Cena on last week's 3-Hour RAW. He then demands to be put in contention of the WWE Title. The Anonymous RAW GM chimes in by basically denying Punk his title shot. After several more attempts by Punk to force the mysterious authoritative figure to change his mind, the GM then decides to book a No. 1 Contender Match between himself and Alberto Del Rio. CM Punk tries to argue again and the GM then adds in that it will now be a Triple Threat Match adding in Rey Mysterio. Punk screams at Booker and the announce team to end the opening segment. No mention of Punk leaving the WWE yet but I can guarantee that everyone was listening real closely as they waited for the big news. WWE throws out a Triple Threat Match to add interest in tonight's show but it's clear who the winner will be anyways, CM Punk.

- Michael Cole then announces an upcoming Divas Title Match to kick off the show competitively. The choices for contenders are Eve, Kelly Kelly, or Beth Phoenix. Lawler then shows how the voting process is done with his iPhone as he chooses Kelly Kelly. Subliminal messaging in the work, folks.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- IN-RING: The Bella Twins come out to some boos as Brie gets ready to defend her title tonight. But against who? Lawler mentions that he felt bad for just voting Kelly and said that he wants to vote for all the choices despite only being able to vote once. So here are the results for the voting:

1st - Kelly Kelly - 53%
2nd - Beth Phoenix - 36%
3rd - Eve Torres - 11%

Kelly Kelly ends up winning the poll which seems obvious to begin with. Strong number for Beth as the fans show great dislike for Eve Torres. That's a confidence destroyer.

Match 1
WWE Divas Championship
Brie Bella (c) (w/ Nikki Bella) vs. Kelly Kelly

Luckily, the WWE put the Divas Match on the first hour of the show meaning that if people were to tune in at the regular time of 9:00 (EST), nothing would have been missed. This match itself was very forgettable. No one in the ring is capable of putting on a watchable match but thankfully, it's kept short. The big surprise here is that Kelly Kelly ends up winning the belt making it her first title win in her WWE career. You might not know that as Michael Cole continued to misinform the TV audience throughout the match calling Kelly a "former" WWE Divas Champion. After the match, Kelly gave a "heart-warming" speech saying that without the fans' votes, she wouldn't have had  the opportunity to win the belt. Good way to add importance to the votes themselves but it was still incredibly cheesy.

Winner: Kelly Kelly at 3:01 with a roll-up for the pinfall victory. (Kelly Kelly wins the WWE Divas Title)
Rating: *

- VIDEO: A video package for Evan Bourne. The "magical" Evan Bourne as Cole puts it.

- That video wasn't without purpose as Cole announces that the following match will feature Evan Bourne but it's up to the people to decide his opponent, will it be Jack Swagger, Mason Ryan, or Sin Cara. Hm, two heel heavyweights or a luchadore, high-flying, impressive, complimentary to Bourne's skills which were shown off in that video package earlier, babyface Sin Cara? Decisions, decisions.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- IN-RING: Looks like the WWE are timing their voting opportunities in between commercials to add time for people to actually vote. Good move. Evan Bourne walks out to the ring as he awaits his opponent. Lawler indicates that he'd like to see Bourne and Swagger continue their feud. Booker is partial to Sin Cara, as is everyone else. Here are the results:

1st - Mason Ryan - 51%
2nd - Sin Cara - 30%
3rd - Jack Swagger - 19%

I'm sorry, but what? That's right, the Batista knock-off ended up winning the hearts and money of the WWE Universe as they solidly placed Mason Ryan in first place in the voting. Ignore the live audience booing this decision. Last year, voting was rigged. This year doesn't look any different.

Match 2
Evan Bourne vs. Mason Ryan

The show must go on and we now have Evan Bourne taking on a green giant. Light, cruiserweight versus a heavyweight usually works as long as the right people are involved. There was Hurricane vs. Triple H, Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle, but Bourne vs. Ryan is one better left forgotten. Every time Mason Ryan steps into the ring it becomes aware that the WWE 100% rushed him onto live television from the development territory, FCW. Mason Ryan continues to look lost out in the ring and I can't really blame him for it. What's worse is that the WWE are trying to make the "lightweight vs. heavyweight" idea work in this match but it just ended up looking awkward. This match was two less moves by Bourne away from being a squash match. More harm than good done in the second match of the night.

Winner: Mason Ryan at 4:02 with a House of Pain for the pinfall victory.
Rating: *1/2

- Kane vs. Mark Henry is the next match of the night and the fans choose the stipulation. The options are a Body Slam Match, an Arm Wrestling Match, or an Over The Top Rope Match. These aren't really matches, more like challenges. Mark Henry is then shown walking in some dark corner of the 1st Mariner Arena as he heads towards the ring.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- VIDEO: WWE plugs next week's TWO-hour regular edition of RAW which hails from Las Vegas, Nevada. As with Vegas tradition, the RAW will be themed as a "RAW Roulette" edition. So gimmicks all night tonight and then more gimmicks next week. It's a wonder that the WWE fans don't care about stipulation matches anymore as the WWE churns them out quicker than Cena's next T-Shirts.

- VIDEO: The WWE then uses this time to add interest into this "match" by throwing it back to last Friday on SmackDown where Big Show beat down Mark Henry leaving Henry to be attended by the medics. Then on this past Sunday, Mark Henry returned to slam Big Show through the announce table.

- IN-RING: Mark Henry fills up time with a surprisingly well-done promo. Not to say that Henry isn't capable of good promos but this one really captured everyone's attention. Very well done as Henry puts himself over as a viable threat effectively erasing his happy-go-lucky days as a face in the minds of the WWE Universe. He also said "ass". The WWE then sends it to another commercial break. A lot of time for the fans to vote for these challenges.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- It was then time to find out the results of the most recent poll:

1st - Arm Wrestling Match - 52%
2nd - Over The Top Rope Match - 35%
3rd - Body Slam Match - 13%

So I guess an Arm Wrestling Ma...Challenge it is. I'm not going to list this as a match since it really isn't one.

- IN-RING: Kane makes his entrance to some cheers as he looks to get some revenge on Henry's attack on his former tag team partner. The arm wrestling apparatus is brought into the ring. "This is stupid" chants. Let 'em hear it, WWE Universe. Kane and Henry lock-up and they try to build up some drama but it's just arm wrestling. Unless there's a wager involved, there is no point. Winning this isn't going to elevate someone from a midcarder to a title contender unless it was booked to have that stipulation, then everyone would pay attention. As with every Arm Wrestling Challenge in the history of the WWE, no one takes their loss nicely as Henry attacks Kane before his own defeat causing a DQ. Mark Henry then proceeds to beat down Kane by using the apparatus and ramming Kane out of the ring. After being rammed back first into the steel ringpost, Mark Henry clears off the announce table as he looks to repeat his actions from Capitol Punishment. After a few moments, Kane is sent crashing through the announce table by The World's Strongest Man. A medic tries to check on Henry but Henry chases him off saying that he's going to suffer just like Henry did when the WWE didn't give him respect. Another "black" male being held down by the WWE similar to R-Truth. Perhaps a new tag-team will be formed between them? That could be interesting.

- Michael Cole then jumps to a discussion of R-Truth adding focus on Truth stealing the WWE Title last week on RAW and then bringing it to the PPV. They'll hear from Truth...next.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- Behind the remains of the announce table, Lawler tries a stab at a sob story as he says that his phone may been broken during the altercation between Henry and Kane.

- VIDEO: We enter RAW's regular hours with a video package of R-Truth. It then features the finish of Sunday's championship match as a "Little Jimmy" splashes a drink in Truth's face which cost him the match.

- IN-RING: R-Truth then makes his anticipated appearance as Michael Cole recaps the bonus hour of RAW with the Divas Title Change, Ryan beating Bourne, and Henry's actions. So, people who tuned in late didn't miss out on much. Truth then begins his promo as the fans chant "What?" since they don't have anything better to do."I got got by Little Jimmy!". Christian then interrupts Truth to a huge reaction. He's a heel but the fans still love him. Christian then shares his own problems as he complains that he never lost his PPV match due to the referee not noticing his foot under the bottom rope - they cut to a photo as evidence - and that he should be World Champion right now. The Miz then joins the two men in the ring as he complains about his loss to Alex Riley. Christian adds that Miz lost to Riley while Christian and Truth were featured in title matches. Hey look, the WWE putting importance on title matches, enjoy this rare moment. Cheesy catchphrase shouting moments later, SmackDown GM Theodore Long comes out on-stage to shut them up and announce a 6-Man Tag Match between those three and Cena, Orton and Alex Riley. In keeping with the theme, the fans pick the stipulation. Good segment here as all three men are given their spotlight without Cena, Orton or even Riley breaking their momentum. They all had great chemistry which was a bit funny at some points but overall cheesy. Gone are the days where heels are menacing. Also, having the SmackDown GM come out to announce the possible main event to RAW instead of the Anonymous GM who's sitting at ringside is a little head-scratching.

- Michael Cole then brought the attention back and announces that Dolph Ziggler, who won the US Title belt at Capitol Punishment, will make his first title defense against Kofi Kingston in their millionth match tonight. The fans pick the stipulation as the choices are: Best 2 out of 3 Falls Match, Vickie Is Banned From Ringside....Match, or a Submission Match. It's up next.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- IN-RING: Vickie Guerrero introduces Ziggler as the new United States Champion as they make their way to the ring. Kofi Kingston follows with his entrance as he looks very focused. The results are now in:

1st - Best 2 out of 3 Falls Match - 51%
2nd - Vickie Guerrero Banned From Ringside - 31%
3rd - Submission Match - 18%

This shows that the fans care more about WRESTLING than having Vickie Guerrero at ringside. Or maybe it's the WWE showing that they care more about stretching out a match as long as they can to fill up a 3-Hour RAW since they don't have many ideas to fill it up in the first place. I think that sounds about right.

Match 3
WWE United States Championship
Best 2 out of 3 Falls Match
Dolph Ziggler (c) (w/ Vickie Guerrero) vs. Kofi Kingston

So the billionth encounter between Ziggler and Kofi starts quickly with Kofi looking to tear Dolph limb from limb. Where did all this determination come from? What makes this match much more important than the other ones? I will say that while this match-up is one of the most played out match-ups in the history of the WWE, the two young men still manage to put on watchable after watchable matches. If you don't know what other matches to put on the card, might as well put out the trillionth Ziggler vs. Kofi match. A commercial break interrupted this match-up but when we return from the break, we are shown through a replay that during the break, Dolph Ziggler ended up picking up the first fall from a Zig Zag to the ringside mat. That's disappointing. Kofi then kicks out of a Fame-Asser and follows up with the SOS (which I normally hate but this one look really good) and picks up his first fall to tie up the game. Both men traded moves until the action spilled to the ringside once again. Ziggler out of frustration grabs his title belt and tries to cause a DQ but Kofi ducks and hits a huge Trouble in Paradise on Ziggler. Kofi rolls Ziggler into the ring and goes for a slow cover but Ziggler touches the bottom rope with two fingers to break up the pin. Ziggler then leaves the ring once again and stumbles towards the timekeeper's area and looks to climb over the crowd barricade but Kofi quickly stops him but is met with a microphone out of nowhere. This causes a DQ so Kofi gets the fall and wins the WWE United States Title! No wait, apparently this DQ is special and overwrites any progress made in the match so far and Kofi Kingston wins by the DQ but Dolph Ziggler retains the belt. So everything you just watched for about ten minutes was for absolutely nothing. Solid match with good drama but if the WWE are going to continue matching up Ziggler and Kofi, at least have a clean finish.

Winner: Kofi Kingston at 12:21 by disqualification. (Dolph Ziggler retains the WWE United States Title)
Rating: **1/2

- VIDEO: We are given a replay from last Monday where temporary GM "Stone Cold" Steve Austin announced tonight's theme and smashed the RAW GM laptop, doused it with beer and ran it over with his ATV. There have been so many times where people have broken the laptop only for it to reappear the next week with no repercussions. It's pointless.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- A graphic appears featuring WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels as he's being hyped as next week's special guest. This must have been made very recently in the night as it isn't a hometown appearance, rather the WWE officials must have gotten word that Michaels was in town for next Monday in Vegas and they asked him to make a possible appearance on RAW, HBK accepted the terms and he's now the guest host. Should be good but it doesn't look like he'll have much involvement besides the usual return promo, backstage segments and main event announcement. We then see Alberto Del Rio make his entrance as the announcers continue to fawn over his vehicles.

- IN-RING: Alberto Del Rio then gets into the ring and cuts a promo of his own as he puts himself over Rey and Punk adding interest into the Triple Threat Match giving depth to Del Rio since Punk already had his time to shine earlier in the night, good move but Rey Mysterio is now the only one left without a purpose. We are then abruptly thrown to a commercial break as the fans looked forward to the Triple Threat bout.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK, SmackDown advertisement hyping up the fall-out between Christian and Randy Orton and their title match from Capitol Punishment -

- IN-RING: Del Rio is still in the ring as CM Punk makes his entrance. A graphic appeared hyping Punk's theme being released on iTunes to be purchased through the WWE. Does the band "Killswitch Engage" get anything out of this? Lawler announces that they've received "hundreds of millions" of texts tonight. This is laughably stupid and I bet it was Vince McMahon himself who fed Lawler this line through the headsets. Rey Mysterio was the last to come out to a nice pop. Zack Ryder signs have been shown at ramp-side all night but one got a real good shot when Rey went to embrace a young fan. We are soon met with results of the stipulation for the Triple Threat Match which have been plugged throughout the night:

1st - Falls Count Anywhere Match - 66%
2nd - No Disqualification Match - 23%
3rd - Submission Match - 11%

I thought the No DQ stipulation would have won but I guess Falls Count Anywhere it is. No one appreciates the Submission Match anymore, it's a shame.

Match 4
#1 Contender Match for the WWE Title
Falls Count Anywhere Match
Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk

For a Falls Count Anywhere Match, this match stayed in the ring the majority of the time. This was your usual three way battle. Start in the ring, trade moves first one on one then two on one then back to one on one, go outside, go back inside for more one on one, then another person joins while another drops out, then a barrage of signature moves followed by the finish. Only difference for tonight is that all three men are competent wrestlers so the action never dipped below average. Everyone had their opportunity to shine which is important especially for Del Rio. It's big enough for him to be featured in a match alongside Punk and Rey, two top WWE stars, but also for him to get good offense. What's baffling about having to build Del Rio up this way is that he won the first ever 40-Man Royal Rumble, he should already be considered a top WWE star except he isn't. During the final moments, Rey lands his Torpedo "Extreme Weak and Unexciting" Splash off the top turnbuckle onto Del Rio but failed to get a cover as Punk grabbed the fan-favorite from behind and tossed Rey causing him to slide into the ringpost and out of the ring. Punk then covers Del Rio to get the win and the WWE Title shot. Looks like it will be Punk vs. Cena for the Money in the Bank Pay-Per-View which should be a very good match since they've had great encounters on RAW before.

Winner: CM Punk at 11:36 by tossing Rey out of the ring to steal a pin on Alberto Del Rio. (Punk is now the Number 1 Contender to the WWE Title)
Rating: ***

- IN-RING: After the match, CM Punk grabs a microphone and begins to speak as the fans are once again glued to their television screens and hanging onto his every breath. Punk says that July 17 (the day of the PPV) will be the most historic day of his career and one in the history of the WWE. He tells us that he's been brutally honest in his career which has gotten him into more trouble than what it's worth, but July 17th will be the day when his contract with "World Wrestling Entertainment" expires. Wow, I expected a Loser Leaves WWE Match stipulation to be tagged to the WWE Title Match but instead they went with the "Contract is running out" angle. What's more is that CM Punk addressed the WWE by its full name despite the letters no longer standing for anything anymore. Punk adds that when the clock strikes midnight and Sunday bleeds into Monday, he will be leaving with the WWE Title. Big news being announced here as the most important angle in recent months unfolded in a matter of minutes. Will Punk head to Ring of Honor and give them the needed Superstar boost for their new upcoming television tapings?

- The announcers then plug the upcoming match: Cody Rhodes vs. Daniel Bryan. Choices are a Paper Bag (On A Pole) Match, A No Count-Out Match, or a Collegiate Rules Match which is basically an Amateur Wrestling Match but they hate saying wrestling so it's called Collegiate Rules.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- IN-RING: Back from the break and Daniel Bryan is shown in the ring already waiting for his opponent. Cody Rhodes soon makes his entrance and his bag men hand out paper bags for the front row audience. Here are the results for the stipulation:

1st - No Count-Out Match - 51%
2nd - Paper Bag Match - 43%
3rd - Collegiate Rules - 6%

I was hoping for Collegiate Rules but No Count-Outs it is.

Match 5
No Count-Out Match
Daniel Bryan vs. Cody Rhodes

This match ended as quickly as it began as two underrated by today's WWE standards wrestlers are given a smidgen of the spotlight tonight. I've just also now realized the presence of SmackDown Superstars. Last week was understandable with the theme being "WWE All Stars" but this week shouldn't need SmackDown stars. I guess with the booking team and Vince's mistreatment of the team being incompetent towards filling up 3 hours using RAW's regular roster, they HAD to use SmackDown stars. This match, for what it was, was good. Both men shared their big spots and neither looked bad. Unfortunately, not much can be gained from such a short bout.

Winner: Daniel Bryan at 2:25 with a Small Package for the pinfall victory.
Rating: *1/2

- THERE WAS A TERRIBLE DANCE CONTEST THAT FILLED UP THE TIME BETWEEN THE LAST MATCH AND THE MAIN EVENT. I WILL NOT WASTE MY TIME WRITING ABOUT THIS DANCE CONTEST. I WILL SAY THAT MICHAEL COLE ATTEMPTING THE WORM WAS ONE OF THE FUNNIEST THINGS I'VE SEEN HIM DO IN HISTORY.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- One more plug for next week's RAW starting at its regular time, RAW Roulette theme, and Shawn Michaels as the special guest.

- IN-RING: The team of heels make their entrances first as the WWE showed a "YouTube" video of the finish to the WWE Title Match at Capitol Punishment which also interestingly gave away the finish, you would think that the WWE would take that down by now. A quick plug for Money in the Bank the PPV on July 17th which sits about three weeks away. Cole notes Miz's MITB win last year which contributed to his first ever WWE Championship win. Alex Riley then comes out as the first for the babyface team who got a nice reaction, Randy Orton then followed to a big pop and finally John Cena came out to a huge pop. While John Cena has been the "poster-boy" of the WWE for half a decade now, the WWE did a good job at preserving his appearance until needed on this edition of RAW which contributed to a huge reaction from the fans who were dying to see their hero. During Cena's entrance, Cole started a plug on Night of Champions which comes out of September. Soon, however, the results of the final voting are received:

- 1st: Elimination Match - 79%
- 2nd: One Fall To The Finish - 15% (why couldn't they just say regular 6-Man Tag Match? This just seems like a misleading way to word it)
- 3rd: 20-Minute Time Limit - 6% (no one in the right mind would vote for a stipulation that would end their main event of the night)

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

Match 6
6-Man Tag Team Elimination Match
John Cena/Randy Orton/Alex Riley vs. Christian/R-Truth/The Miz

This match was your average multi-man tag main event on RAW. Alex Riley was the first to go by The Miz until The Miz got his by John Cena. R-Truth was sent packing by Orton while Christian speared Orton for his elimination. Orton later slides into the ring to land an RKO on Christian which allows Cena to follow up with the STF for the overall victory. The action was good and the fans were responsive but this still came off as bland. No big advancements, no big moments, nothing but just a 6-Man Tag Match with no hook to keep you interested until next week. Alex Riley got eliminated pretty early in the match which is disappointing considering his recent push and PPV victory over The Miz at Capitol Punishment. I would have rather had Orton get screwed out the match to be the first gone on the babyface team, followed up Cena and then have Riley get the overall victory for his team. Of course, Cena and Orton would need to be involved in some way to assist Riley hitting home the reason that Riley is still "new" to the big leagues but he would have gotten the major win and fans would continue to see him as future big player on Monday nights. Instead, he takes the fall and the focus is placed on Cena who doesn't need all the attention at this point in his career.

Winners: John Cena, Randy Orton, and Alex Riley at 19:58 with Cena locking in the STF on Christian for the submission victory.
Rating: **1/2

OVERALL: While this edition of RAW wasn't as awful as last year's "Viewer's Choice" but nothing really stood out as memorable save for Kelly's title win, CM Punk and maybe Mark Henry's work on the mic. The only big hook to keep fans interested for RAW next week is CM Punk's announcement of his leave seeing as how he and Cena didn't have direct interaction on this episode. Luckily for the creative team, next week's RAW is gimmicked along with the appearance of Shawn Michaels but there really needs to be a complete overhaul of the way the WWE does things creatively.

WWE Capitol Punishment 2011 Results

WWE Capitol Punishment was broadcasted live from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. Here are the quick results from the Pay-Per-View:

1) Dolph Ziggler def. Kofi Kingston (c) to win the WWE United States Title

2) Alex Riley def. The Miz

3) Alberto Del Rio def. The Big Show

4) Ezekiel Jackson def. Wade Barrett (c) to win the WWE Intercontinental Title

5) CM Punk def. Rey Mysterio

6) Randy Orton (c) def. Christian to retain the World Heavyweight Title

7) Evan Bourne def. Jack Swagger

8) John Cena (c) def. R-Truth to retain the WWE Title


Expect a full review by yours truly by Tuesday but until then, feast your eyes on these results and ready up for tomorrow's Viewer's Choice edition of Monday Night RAW. It's also 3-Hours tomorrow so tune in at 8pm (EST).

What's Wrong With TNA?

Or TNA Wrestling or iMPACT Wrestling. Whatever you like to call. Remember back when TNA was a good wrestling alternative? Me too. We got to see stars like AJ Styles, Chris Sabin, Samoa Joe, and Christopher Daniels basically get molded into what they are today. They were the future of wrestling and very well could have helped carry TNA on its merry way. The six sided ring was a crazy concept to American wrestling fans. It was great for the lucha, young wrestlers who could jump around the ring and blow fresh air into our face while we watch John Cena win the WWE title once again. While the ring wasn't great for older guys or powerhouses, TNA wasn't really made for those types, but they managed to use the ring to their advantage. For example, Monty Brown made the Pounce seem like so more than just a shoulder block. Sure, Cena did a shoulder block, but did it look as powerful and as cool as Monty Brown's? No. Of course not. Even with the "loved" Vince Russo, TNA was hot and could have possibly been a threat to the WWE. What was the problem?

What, how could the Hulkster and Eric Bischoff change a company? Eric was a pretty cool heel GM on Raw and Hogan, need I say anything about Hulk Hogan? The Immortal One? Those guys are pretty awesome if you ask me. Well sure, I love Hogan to this day, despite his little backstage and personal problems, but I respect him for what he has done for the wrestling industry. Eric...Eric was a pretty cool heel GM and, I think, he knew karate. NINJA WARRIOR BABY! Um, no. Anyways, back on topic. Hogan and Eric came into TNA in October 2009 and TNA started to hit that decline. To be fair, even before these two, there were some pretty bad things prior to this. Example, that stupid cage match where Homicide couldn't climb out of the cage, and the Reverse Battle Royal. TNA was already wacky near the coming of the two, so, what went wrong? Hulk brought in his lovable friends, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman. Oh and Kevin Nash was already in TNA, so, what happened? The three of them got together to reform nW-I mean...to form "The Band." Well, that's pretty bad, but not that bad right? Of course not! 

Well, except for Scott Hall ended up getting released for legal reasons, so TNA tag titles are vacant again, that was fun. OH wait, it gets better. Who is TNA's hottest, new member? Jeffery Hardy. You know, the guy who got arrested for having a boatload (not actual number) of drugs. The six sided ring? Gone. Four sided ring, but with a ramp. I liked the ramp personally, I always thought it could be used for a lot of spots, but that didn't last long. TNA then decided, "Hey, let's take on Monday Night RAW!" That was a goo-oh wait no it wasn't. It was awful and didn't last long at all. What better way to start 2010, but with fail. First edition of Monday Night iMPACT featured so many cameos that would have put the latest Beastie Boys' music video to shame. Jeff Hardy shows his ugly mug and Shannon Moore. Oh and for record, the January 4th show (with Hardy) was, to my knowledge, the one that featured Homicide having no way out of the cage and just beat the fuck out of everyone. Fast foward, hey, Ric Flair. Oh...well, that can only mean one thing, old man blood fest. Fast forward more, oh hey, Scott Hall and X-Pac, awesome. Oh they beat up security, I don't think that was very nice or very legal. Oh well.

Oh hey Val Venis and the Nasty Boys. So at this time, AJ Styles is the champion, which I can get behind. I like Styles, but in April, Rob Van Dam takes the title. I like RVD, he is a good guy, I have nothing against this. Oh wait, he gets attacked by Abyss and suffers "SERIOUS INJURES" that forces TNA to vacant the title. Well, we've got some young talent who could easily contend for that belt, Sir Robert Terry Esquire, Shannon Moore, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, and some middle aged guys like Robert Roode and James Storm. TNA decides to host some kind of tournament to decide the champion, neat. Rob Terry loses in the first round to Jeff Hardy. That's kind of a bummer, but Hardy needs to be built up until the belt is even in his hands. Wait, what? Oh, he...he won and turned heel in the process by having Eric and Hogan help him win the title. So, Hardy, the champion, is friends with Eric and Hogan, the most powerful men in the company at the time. Well shit. However, there is a savior, one of my favorite wrestlers, Mr. Anderson!  Oh God, he won the title! This should be a good lengthy run, he is a good character to fight off Immortal, and his gimmick makes him really charismatic, so he can have others join him. Sadly, Mr. Anderson held the title for 35 days before losing to Hardy in a ladder match. Also, in this time frame, Sting is back and a heel, so that's pretty cool, I like Sting too. He turned face sometime and appeared as a surprise challenger in February for Hardy's belt and he won! Sweet!

A feud is brewing between these two and at Victory Road, Sting will defend his title against Immortal's Jeff Hardy in a No DQ match. Hardy being insanely crazy in the high flyer/hardcore section and Sting being old and bleedy, perfect. The rest of the PPV was pretty lackluster, Anderson/RVD #1 Contender match ended in a draw, so now this match better be 10 out of 5. Sting in the ring, here comes Hardy...here comes Hardy...here comes Hardy, oh, there he is. Is...is he moving in slow motion? Oh, maybe it is TNA. Now in the ring, here we go, aw, Hardy is trying to be a face and going to throw his shirt into the crowd :3. Okay Jeff, throw it anytime...no, really, anytime. No? Oh well, here comes Sting! YOU CAN'T HOLD ONTO THAT SHIRT FOREVER!

Oh, Sting, you look...sad? Disappointed? Sad? Oh well it is nothing. Here we go! Action! OH STING YOU SILLY FOOL! A pin THIS EARLY ON? Oh yo-3 count? What. Oh, now for Eric to run down and restart the match. Is...is that the TNA end show logo in the lower part of the screen? Oh. That's it. Well. Everyone suspected that Hardy was injured, stoned, drunk, tired, or a combination of all. TNA offered fans who ordered the PPV free access to the TNA Vault, I know what I would have spent mine on. VICTORY ROAD 2011 MAIN EVENT! Best ninety seconds of my life. Goodbye Hardy, oh what? Matt is here? Oh...well goodbye Jeff. Wait, what? Jeff is staying? Oh. Okay, well, he won't be on TV much anyways so that's fine. 

So now present day TNA. Chris Sabin is out, that sucks. Mr. Anderson is the champion, I can dig it, but he loses to some guy named Gunner on the iMPACT Wrestling following his championship win...okay. TNA: We can build up champions. Chris Harris (Brendan Walker FTW) and Matt Hardy are teaming against Beer Money, well, sorta. Robert Roode is "injured" as well, oh no, who will be the TNA Tag Team Champions now? The team of James Storm and Alex Shelley. I'll take it, I like both guys. TNA's  Knockout Division, need I really say anything? Have you really watched a TNA show and been like "Man...this needs more Knockout matches," or "Hey, this Knockouts match is MOTY!" If you have, you're a female or there is that one rare time. X-Division Champion, Hell, there are a lot of contenders for this. Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, Kaz, Brian Kendrick, The Amazing Red, and the list goes on. Who is it? Abyss. Yeah, you know. The guy who use to not talk and was really badass then talked and just went downhill. Yeah, he is champion now. That's...yeah. However, TNA featured Austin Aries, Kid Kash, and Jimmy Rave in a triple threat match. I don't know whose idea that was, but they should be in charge of the creative team. So, they are trying to bring back the X-Division and they picked some good people to do so. Eric Young holds the TNA Television title, I'm indifferent on that, and do not care. Kudos to Young though. The Knockout champions, God help them.

Scott Steiner is back in TNA and his classic promos are back too! There is quite a lot about TNA that I left out, like Jeff Jarrett's MMA thing. The Hardcore Justice PPV and the ECW alumni showing around TNA for awhile, we almost got to see Jerry Lynn vs. Rob Van Dam too! Now, this post has been nothing, but negativity, with a few spots of me marking out for someone. So, in this next paragraph, I'll suggest somethings TNA needs to do.

First off, promote and build younger wrestlers. AJ Styles, Sting, RVD, Kurt Angle, and Jeff Jarrett (to name a few) won't always be around. Remember when D'Angelo Dinero was considered for a championship run? So do I, but where is he now? Helping Brother Devon with LAX knockoff Mexican America (real original name). Second, I'd restart the Knockouts division, the best thing to do is to actually sign women who have talent like Sara Del Rey and MsChif. Third, make interesting storylines, at the moment, I can't think of any interesting storyline in TNA at the moment. And last, but not least, don't get pushed around by Hulk Hogan, Russo, or Eric. Easy as that. Also, bonus image for all the lady Hardy fans.

Tasty.

Pro-Wrestling Review: TNA Slammiversary IX (2011)

Another year, another anniversary, another TNA Slammiversary Pay-Per-View. I never really enjoyed many of TNA's Slammiversary events in the past especially not the King of the Mountain matches. But despite TNA's best efforts to turn away any possible new fans to their product, Slammiversary IX managed to put on a solid outing.

Match 1
TNA Tag Team Championships
James Storm (c) & Alex Shelley (w/ Robert Roode (c)) vs. The British Invasion (Doug Wiliiams & Brutus Magnus)

The opening moments of the Pay-Per-View saw a championship match as The British Invasion challenged Beer Money Inc. for the TNA Tag Titles with Alex Shelley filling in for an injured Bobby Roode. Leading up this match, TNA has seemingly tossed around the idea of splitting up the longtime partnership between James Storm and Robert Roode several times and their latest effort is no different, but to me this current storyline is only strengthening their bond. Roode has been counting on Shelley to represent his team well and to walk away as champs so if Shelley performs poorly, it's on Shelley. Nevertheless, this match ended up being a solid opener for the entire event. The fans were very much behind both Beer Money and Alex Shelley. Sounds weird? It should but that's how it played out. The fans already love Alex Shelley and his high-flying ways but they also love Storm and Roode and both elements somehow blended together to get the fans on their feet. Credit goes towards Doug Williams and Brutus Magnus as well as they both helped to create a good heel image with a great workrate. The match at some points seemed a little rushed but overall it served its purpose well. Now, what I don't want for TNA to do is to continue Shelley and Storm paired up as a team. It would be best for Roode to heal up and remain with Storm but that's just my preference. Logically, TNA is going to have Storm like teaming up with Shelley so they create their own tag team while Roode becomes jealous on the sidelines and begins a feud with Storm.

Winners: James Storm & Alex Shelley at 10:57 with a Sliced Bread No. 2 for the pinfall victory. (Beer Money Inc. remain TNA Tag Team Champions)
Rating: **1/2

- BACKSTAGE: TNA showed two video clips of both Jeff Jarrett and Kurt Angle arriving to the arena earlier in the day as they prep themselves for their big match tonight. Nice way to add focus on their bout which means that they'll get a main event slot instead of the TNA World Title Match but I couldn't help but notice that Angle parked in a No Parking Zone.

- BACKSTAGE: Scott Steiner flexed his stuff in a promo as he continues to bash Matt Morgan and promised to take Morgan's girlfriend away and show her what a real man is. I feel like this exact promo may have been used on WWE RAW in 2003 but in any case Steiner does a good job in the mic selling importance to his upcoming match. I'm impressed TNA is putting effort in giving attention to their matches.

Match 2
Matt Morgan vs. Scott Steiner

Two big, meaty, chiseled men brawling in the ring. What else is there to say about this match? There wasn't anything too offensive in terms of workrate and chemistry, however I noticed the fans losing energy as the match slowly continued. Both men put in their share of offense as they continued of storyline of "Who's The Strongest Man?" While, I could have used a few weapons here and there, this match was alright for not having a stipulation attached although if TNA are looking to continue this feud, a Street Fight of some sort is in line for their next battle. Also, don't be surprised to see a bit of quick chains of moves in this match as well as both men somehow traded lighter moves almost seamlessly. Big moment that comes to mind is Steiner pulling off a Victory Roll forwards off the shoulders of Morgan. Matt Morgan picks up a victory which is the right decision in my mind seeing as how Morgan should be built up as a viable main-eventer, something TNA wanted to have happen about a year or so ago along with Hernandez. It might be a bigger climb to the top now with RVD, Sting, Anderson and others in the way but if he's getting solid PPV victories against top names like Steiner along the way, then he should have no problem making his way to a future Title Shot.

Winner: Matt Morgan at 09:20 with a Carbon Footprint for the pinfall victory.
Rating: **

- BACKSTAGE: Jeff Jarrett cuts a promo hyping up his match against Angle. Yeah, definitely looks like they'll get the main event treatment. Jarrett talks about how his focus is on two things, becoming the No. 1 Contender to the TNA World Title and taking the only thing Angle has left (after Jarrett took Karen and kids), his 1996 Olympic Gold Medal.

Match 3
TNA X-Division Championship
Abyss (c) vs. Kazarian vs. Brian Kendrick

On paper, you would think two things: 1, it's an X-Division Match so it should be exciting and the fans should wake up from the last big men match and 2, why is Abyss X-Division Champion? Well to answer number two, Abyss won the belt as a result of Immortal wanting to eliminate the X-Division from TNA for good. Well, they almost succeeded. Abyss in the Impact leading up the PPV mentioned that he's rebranding the belt as the "X-Treme Championship". Fair enough but on this night, Christy Hemme and other supporting graphics still refer to the belt as the "X-Division Title". Confusion aside, the match started off shaky and ended slow. It was basically a 2-on-1 confrontation (with Kaz and Kendrick fighting amongst themselves later on which contributed to the finish) for the majority of the match. The fans seemed torn on who to cheer for, Kaz and Kendrick are both the babyfaces of the feud while Abyss is the heel yet it's the heel who is outnumbered and has to overcome the odds. Think of John Cena as a heel and him doing his usual Superman antics against two faces. Seems out of place. Workrate wasn't much better as while Kaz and Kendrick are both great workers in their own right, they were very sloppy in the bigger parts of the match and Abyss being a big hoss doesn't really help their cause. Abyss picks up the win which will only see the title further change as the X-Treme Title. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that but I'm also not very comfortable with Abyss quoting The Art of War. How about we find Abyss a suitable gimmick instead of giving him tons of awful ones like over the past few years. I miss James Mitchell.

Winner: Abyss at 12:05 by yanking Kendrick out of the ring to steal a pin on Kazarian. (Abyss remains TNA X-Division Champion)
Rating: *1/2

- VIDEO: TNA played a hype video to hype up Joe and Crimson's recent feud as well as the coverage on their "bar fight". Again, TNA putting in effort to make their matches matter.

Match 4
Samoa Joe vs. Crimson

Crimson, in my opinion, is a name to look out for as TNA progresses through the year. He has the look and the build to be molded as a future top star in TNA but it's the experience and exposure that TNA has to give him that will help him out on that journey. That said, he's getting nice exposure through his recent undefeated streak as well as his feud with Samoa Joe (who also had an undefeated streak, a year and a half long streak, when he first debuted). This match was very physical throughout the near ten minutes that it lasted. Fans weren't too hot especially after Steiner/Morgan but with Samoa Joe, a clear favorite amongst pro-wrestling fans, in the ring, people pay attention. Crimson, while impressive for what he's able to do, is still green as it looks like he has a lot on his mind in terms of remembering spots and reading Joe's signals but that's why he's in the ring with Samoa Joe, someone who is capable of helping a rookie like Crimson grow. Crimson picks up the win which helps to build him up (imagine that, TNA gives two future stars in Morgan and Crimson wins over veterans!) but TNA better not let Crimson's rise to the top get out of hand. They need to continue this feud which will not only let Crimson get more comfortable in the ring and with Joe, but also have the fans see him as a legitimate contender and not someone who is slingshotted to the top. WWE has issues with this with Sheamus, Wade Barrett, Jack Swagger and others. TNA needs to avoid their mistakes and carefully pick their future stars when they're ripe.

Winner: Crimson at 10:33 with a Sit-Down Slam for the pinfall victory.
Rating: **

- BACKSTAGE: Winter and Angelina Love share a promo hyping themselves up rather than their title match. The storyline of Love being controlled by Winter continues. I am not a fan.

Match 5
TNA Knockouts Championship
Mickie James (c) vs. Angelina Love (w/ Winter)

With Winter being at ringside, you know she's going to be involved in some way which will somehow contribute to a sketchy finish. But it didn't, surprisingly. That's not to say that he didn't interfere in the match, but the match was seemingly built around her presence and Mickie James being hindered by it up until the point where Winter was neutralized and Mickie and her faithful fans could breathe and focus and eventually pick up the win. What I like about this match is that it wasn't godawful as many past Knockout matches have been and I could actually sit through it. What I didn't like was how weak everything still seemed. The Knockouts Division used to be something TNA could be proud of and further distinguish it from WWE's "Divas Division" with solid wrestling and storylines. Nowadays, everything seems like a last minute decision without much focus. Mickie James is fine as a champion but I'm assuming that this feud is going to be a throwaway feud while TNA finds a better opponent perhaps in the build up towards Bound For Glory if James remains champion for that long which seems likely. Perhaps Sarita and Rosita will feud with Mickie James at Bound For Glory while using a "Mexicans vs. White American Country" storyline or perhaps Kharma (Awesome Kong) will return to TNA as she reveals that her pregnancy was a fluke. Maybe we'll get that Bubba the Love Sponge vs. Kong match TNA fans have been dying for. I should stop now.

Winner: Mickie James at 8:00 with a Mickie DDT for the pinfall victory. (Mickie James remains TNA Knockouts Champion)
Rating: *3/4

- BACKSTAGE: Bully Ray cuts a great promo hyping up his match against AJ Styles. No harm done in building interest to matches but at this point, it looks like TNA is struggling to add emphasis on their matches. What looked like a great idea at first now looks like as if TNA never added hype to their feuds on their regular Impact shows to begin with. In any case, Bully Ray is always great on the mic and this promo is no different.

Match 6
Last Man Standing Match
AJ Styles vs. Bully Ray

What. An. Awesome. Match. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a five star classic but this match ended up being Match of the Night and perhaps a contender for TNA Match of the Year. The match began with Bully Ray in control but after getting busted open, AJ Styles soon took over and the fans were solidly behind Styles (he's getting huge reactions) as he took Ray to town over and over again. Big spot after big spot helped keep the fans on their feet as they are jolted back to life after a slow half in the PPV. AJ Styles continues to throw out jaw-dropping moves further telling TNA's audience that Styles should be in the main event and not Sting or Anderson or Jarrett or even Angle. One memorable spot saw AJ leap off the stage and forwards about 5 feet before landing an elbow on Ray. AJ may have just found the secret to human flight without the use of machine. During the closing moments, AJ climbed up a steel truss about 15 feet high and jumped off landing on Ray who was sent through a table. While that should have been the end of the match, Bully Ray somehow kicked Styles sending the babyface crashing into the side of the stage. In my opinion, that entire move looked very weak and caused Styles to lose the match. It kinda lost any momentum built up by Styles with his big moves which hinders the entire scope of the match. It's like why bother with the big spots if Ray can just lightly shove you into the side of cardboard? This way of thinking keeps me from truly lauding this match as a perfect piece of work but regardless, it is still a great match and this feud is not yet over.

Winner: Bully Ray at 20:18 as AJ Styles could not respond to a ten-count.
Rating: ****

- BACKSTAGE: Mr. Anderson is interviewed by Jeremy Borash as he hypes up the upcoming title match. Again, good move but still looks bad on TNA's part. TNA should have instead used these interview segments for their bigger matches like Styles/Ray, Sting/Anderson and Angle/Jarrett and left the undercard interviews for episodes of Impact where build-up should matter (I guess wrestling should as well).

- VIDEO: TNA fed to a video package hyping up Sting vs. Anderson and what led up to it. They should have just skipped Anderson's interview segment and went to a video package hyping up TNA's rebranded Impact or the next PPV and then followed up with this video package. What they're doing isn't bad by any means, it just seems like it was piled on as a last minute effort to get people to care which looks bad on their part.

Match 7
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Sting (c) vs. Mr. Anderson

Mr. Anderson finally gets his one-on-one title match against Sting after months of waiting. So how did it fare? Not great, but not bad. It was very average which speaks volumes seeing as how this was for the TNA World Title and the months of build-up behind this one match. While Anderson oozes charisma and Sting has the name to draw people in, the workrate in a match is an important part of the equation and this match kept coming up short in many cases. Much of the fault lies with Mr. Anderson. While it doesn't seem like he's being incredibly lazy in the ring, he does show signs of it as it looks like he's just going through the motions. HOWEVER, Mr. Anderson ends up winning the World Championship anyways. Just when you think TNA has their act together, they do not. In the finish of the match, Eric Bischoff who ran out in support of Anderson, distracted the referee in mid-count of Sting's pin on Anderson. Why wouldn't he just count the three and then deal with Bischoff later? Equally as odd was Anderson hitting a low-blow on Sting right in front of the referee but nothing was called. Anderson then followed up with a Mic Check to end the match. Wonky finish but it's painfully obvious that this feud is far from over.

Winner: Mr. Anderson at 15:52 with the Mic Check for the pinfall victory. (Mr. Anderson wins the TNA World Heavyweight Title)
Rating: *3/4

- ARENA: Mike Tenay and Taz then introduced Karen Angle who was live via satellite. She sold the feud between Angle and Jarrett sharing her view of what's happening which is welcomed but may actually be overkill in terms of hype. To the faithful TNA followers, her being "live from satellite" may actually mean she's backstage waiting to interfere in the match. She's not.

Match 8
#1 Contender Match for the TNA World Heavyweight Title
Angle's Olympic Gold Medal On The Line
Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett

From a great match in Styles vs. Ray to an average yet eye-rolling encounter in Sting vs. Anderson to a solid finish with Angle vs. Jarrett. This isn't the best match these two men have had but it is the least gimmicked match. Nobody expected this feud to last as long as it has but that's because TNA has hyped the last couple of encounters as the final battle or it at least felt that way. But the fans were once again awake for the main event of the Pay-Per-View and are looking for a clean contest following the TNA World Title Match. They got one. Both men put on a good showing as they continue to sell the feud gripping and clawing at each other. TNA also did a good job at putting importance on the match itself as not only was it to be the Final Battle between these two men in their heated rivalry, but the winner also earns himself a one way ticket to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. A lot was riding on the match and the fans became equally invested. I never saw Jeff Jarrett as a fantastic worker by any means but he did his part to keep up with Angle and do his best to make the main event of Slammiversary a good one but I cannot for the life of me fully invest in The Stroke as a finisher. It is incredibly weak looking, very sloppily applied and detracts from the moment in the match. Jeff even tried one from the turnbuckle and it still looked weak. Another thing I noticed about the match is that the main event didn't last over 20 minutes, clocking in at around 18. I'm not saying main-events should be hour-long spectacles but for a match of this magnitude, a nice breathing room for two aging vets would have been nice to further create depth in the match. I know some people would have rather had Samoa Joe or AJ Styles close out the PPV considering the year we are in and how old some of these performers may be, but this feud was well-done and deserves its top billing even just for tonight. Overall, a fine match though it seems like it could have used a little something extra to really make it memorable. Having countless other encounters in the past didn't help make this match stand out from the rest.

Winner: Kurt Angle  with an Ankle Lock for the submission victory. (Angle is now the Number 1 Contender to the TNA World title)
Rating: ***

OVERALL: The best TNA PPV of 2011, so far. I can make that claim without hesitation. With every good step forward TNA takes, they take about five steps back but throughout this PPV it seems like they only took two steps back. It's still an improvement but perhaps not enough to drag them out of the bad habits they've placed on themselves over the past two years.