Smark Out Moment

What's been going on this week in the world of professional wrestling? It's time to break it down in the latest edition of SMACK TALK, my wrestling podcast and the quick notes below. Make sure to subscribe, comment on the videos and this post, and let us know your thoughts.

Watch each part of EPISODE 5 below:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

• ItBegins2012 eh? Hm...check out speculation and updates here. 
• Matt Hardy failed a breathalyzer test and is now facing EVEN MORE trouble. He gets kicked out of the rehab that is supposed to be helping him out...good lord. Reby Sky tweeted that she needs to stop asking herself if it can get any worse because it does. Newsflash: Matt's got problems he needs to deal with. This WILL continue to get worse until he actually deals with them, and cheating at rehab isn't the way to go about it. At least she apparently has the sense, as she claims, to refuse to pay his bail and keep him in jail instead. That's one positive - that she isn't just making up an excuse for him. I don't know what it was that put Matt on this downward spiral, but man...
• After John Cena tweeted that he thought John Morrison didn't deserve the US title match over Zack Ryder, Morrison fired back saying "You should know better than anyone, sometimes deserve’s got nothing to do with it. No disrespect Cena, but if you really think Zack deserves a match at MSG all you need to do is text your buddy @WWERAWGM and he will get one". Ouch. John Morrison is thought to be going to TNA soon, after taking a small break to work on non-wrestling projects. I'm still hoping that there's a chance he stays, but naturally, I don't expect him to considering all we've seen and heard.
• R-Truth has been suspended and it seems as though he was the "other party" that was caught with the fake marijuana at the same time Evan Bourne did. The lack of a suspension on his part sparked some controversy since Bourne was suspended, but it appears as though they did the smart thing and had him work for their pay-per-view (so as to not hurt themselves) and THEN suspended him. I'm not sure why they didn't have Truth take the pin in the Survivor Series match, though. Maybe Miz requested that he be pinned by Rock?
• Sin Cara supposedly suffered a ruptured patellar tendon and is expected to be out for quite a long time. I guess there goes the Sin Cara vs Rey Mysterio feud at WrestleMania, unfortunately.
• CM Punk has been vocal about his dislike of Rock returning, saying he doesn't say hello to people and just goes from his dressing room to the stage. Without naming Punk, Rock has talked about how the people voicing their dislike of his return are insecure and jealous.
• JBL talked about Marc Mero, calling him a piece of shit and saying he sucks as a wrestler and a human being.

With Survivor Series in the bag, our attention now goes to Tables, Ladders, and Chairs 2011. This pay-per-view is quite an odd one, but usually kind of fun because of the stipulations (even if they're very stupid like a "chairs match").



WWE Championship [Tables Match]: CM Punk (c) vs. The Miz vs. Alberto Del Rio
I'm a little annoyed at Miz's inclusion in this match, as it means that I probably won't get to see Miz vs Punk for the title at WrestleMania like I was hoping for. Now, if that's not the case, I need to hope the plan in motion is for Jericho to return and face Punk as an alternative. Anywho, I expect Punk to leave with the title here, without a doubt. Ten points go to the people who can guess which one of these three takes the big fall. My guess is Del Rio.

PREDICTION: CM Punk retains.


World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry (c) vs. Big Show
I still don't see Big Show walking out as the champ unless it's some sort of quick deal where he drops it to someone else at Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber. For those wondering, I don't expect Daniel Bryan to cash in and win the title after this match either. Now that Kane has returned, I'm actually going to guess that he becomes the reason why Mark Henry retains the title, after he attacks Big Show and starts a feud with him.

PREDICTION: Mark Henry retains.


Ladder Match: Triple H vs. Kevin Nash
A ladder match wherein you don't win the match by climbing and retrieving something, that's just giving you the ability to use an illegal object...when the match is already no disqualification...and if you slip up and the person knocks the sledgehammer out of your hand, they can just go ahead and use it? I'm watching TNA, not WWE, right? Stupid concept. This feud really tanked and this match will probably suck as well. I hope it's good, but I have no hopes for it.

PREDICTION: HHH wins. Pretty sure that's in everyone's contract.


United States Championship: Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Zack Ryder
Woo woo woo! I hope this lives up to the expectations people have for it. I'm a big fan of both Ziggler and Ryder, so I'm down for either of them leaving with the belt, though at this point I'd rather Zack Ryder win it (so long as they don't drop the ball with him afterward) leaving Ziggler to either take the tag titles from Air Boom with Jack Swagger or just move on to the main event spot he deserves.

PREDICTION: Zack Ryder wins.


Intercontinental Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Booker T
This feud needs to be about propelling Cody into the spotlight, so I'm really hoping they don't try to throw the title on Booker just to make it seem like a much bigger feud than what it is. Cody needs to win here after a good match with some kind of shady method, though not necessarily cheating.What I mean is I don't want to see Cody win by distracting the ref and then blasting Booker with the belt or someone helping Cody out, but rather, Cody doing something like feigning an injury and then capitalizing on it.

PREDICTION: Cody Rhodes wins.


Tables Match: Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett
RKO through the table, or Wasteland through the table? One of those is ending the match. I'm kind of hoping it's Wasteland, but I'm thinking it'll probably be an RKO with Orton winning.

PREDICTION: Randy Orton wins.

The only things missing from the card that could be added are John Cena, Sheamus, and the divas. I don't know how they'll work in Cena or Sheamus, but I'm expecting a short divas match, possibly Beth against Eve again.

The final of the "big four" pay-per-views of the year comes our way with SURVIVOR SERIES. Can the Rock and John Cena team up long enough to bury the Miz and R-Truth?


The very fact that they've used Mozart to promote the Del Rio/Punk match makes me more excited for it. Awesome.

Out comes John Laurinaitis. He promotes his anniversary in WWE.

Next to the Tron they've got giant images of the wrestlers. I'm not really against or for it yet...not sure.

United States Championship: Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. John Morrison
There's immediately a "we want Ryder, woo woo woo" chant, as expected. Ziggler fist bumps the crowd to a chorus of boos (haha). Morrison's getting quite a bit of offense for someone that might be leaving the company. Hopefully that's another sign that he's staying. I think I've seen 4 Twitter notifications so far. Ziggler rolls Morrison up, but gets a two-count. Morrison follows it with a Flying Chuck, but only gets 2 as well. Ziggler goes for a sleeper but Morrison reverses into a sleeper of his own. Vickie prevents a pinfall and Charls Robinson ejects her. Ziggler goes for a small package, but is unsuccessful. A series of pinfall reversals between the two don't work. Ziggler then hits his leg drop and gets a long two-count. Morrison hits his knee to the head, but Ziggler puts his legs up when he goes for Starship Pain. Ziggler then hits the Zig Zag and wins.

WINNER: Dolph Ziggler via pinfall.
Good match, good start to the ppv.

Vickie gets the microphone and gives it to Ziggler. "Boy, I'd hate to have to follow that, right?" He says it's not showing off if he backs it up every night like I do. "We want Ryder" / "He's not here!"

Out comes Ryder, but Ziggler beats him down. Ryder fights back and hits the Rough Ryder.

Divas Championship [Lumberjill Match]: Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Eve Torres
Goddamn, look at Rosa. Niiiice. Sorry, I'll keep my male perspective at bay, or at least try, considering how good Kelly looks as well. Beth slams Eve down in such a poor way to start off this match. Ugh. There's a lot of generic, boring, simple stuff in this basically. This could have been much better but they seem like they're not quite into it. Ok, I will give them credit for one thing - the Glam Slam from the top rope was damn good.

WINNER: Beth Phoenix via pinfall.
Crap match with a great ending.

Backstage, Otunga talks to Punk about how he should have legal problems by putting his hands on Cole.

Backstage, the Rock mentions how he was 5 in Madison Square Garden watching Peter Maivia wrestle Superstar Billy Graham. A few years later, he was backstage with Andre the Giant watching the tag title match (and they block out the "WWF"...really?) He then mentions he made his debut with the worst haircut (haha). Now he's making his return. "Lady parts" starts being chanted again. This is eating up a ton of time and it's starting to get really annoying. We don't need to listen to Rock sing "New York".

Elimination Match: Team Orton (Randy Orton, Sheamus, Sin Cara, Kofi Kingston, & Mason Ryan) vs. Team Barrett (Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, & Hunico)
Cody's definitely looking taller or more muscular or something. I'm a big fan of Cody's change and his near ring gear. Sin Cara's got some new gear as well...also white. Kofi has some white ring gear as well. Odd. Wow, Kofi's has the Stay Puft marshmallow man on it. Kofi starts with Ziggler. Once Kofi tags in Orton, he hits an RKO and Ziggler gets eliminated via pinfall. Team Barrett steps away to strategize. Sin Cara and Kofi flip themselves to the outside and Sin Cara seems like he might have hurt his knee - but Swagger is down too, so this might just be a ploy. Nevermind, Swagger is up. There's another "we want Ryder" chant. Now they're saying Sin Cara was eliminated. They're stalling quite a bit, so maybe he's legitimately injured. I'm officially split on the issue, but they seem to be taking a long time to bring a stretcher out and it seems convenient that Sin Cara would be eliminated to even it up. Mason Ryan just manhandles Hunico like a toddler. Cody comes in and hits Cross Rhodes to eliminate Mason Ryan. Sounds like they're chanting for Cody now. Michael Cole just said that Sheamus was bullied as a kid for how he looked - pale skin and red hair...in Ireland....and he's made fun of? WTF? Kofi gets caught up in the ropes and blasted with a kick from Barrett. Wade hits Wasteland and eliminates Kofi Kingston. Sheamus then gets disqualified for refusing to stop kneeing Swagger in the head, so Sheamus is eliminated. Typical WWE...Orton's the star so let's have him beat everyone. Sheamus hits Swagger with the Brogue Kick before leaving. Orton comes in and just pins Swagger. Swagger is eliminated. When's the quick RKO to Hunico coming, 45 seconds or a minute? Orton hits his scoop slam and rope-DDT. Hunico gets tagged in and springboards into the ring but is caught with an RKO! Hunico is eliminated. Orton hits an RKO on Rhodes, but Barrett then catches him with Wasteland and pins him. Randy Orton is eliminated. Team Barrett wins.

WINNERS: Team Barrett (Wade Barrett and Cody Rhodes).
Good match, but it could have been better. I'm not the biggest fan of Orton pinning everyone as he didn't need it, but at least Barrett and Rhodes won instead of Orton just beating them in the end as well.

Del Rio is backstage talking to the Bella twins. Johnny Ace comes to check up on Del Rio. Alberto says there's no way he's losing his title to someone who should be sleeping on "the sideway" (I suppose he meant sidewalk).

They're reinforcing the ring for Henry vs Big Show.

World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry (c) vs. Big Show
I was unable to figure out what they were chanting, but it sounded like it was a "let's go ____" chant. It might be "we want Ryder", I'm not sure. This match is too slow, which is hurting it a lot. I wouldn't expect it to be crazy fast but it's still too slow. This slow pace is just killing it as they're only doing basically one move and then resting for 30 seconds. Big Show goes for the chokeslam but Henry ends up picking him up and giving him the World's Strongest Slam. Big Show kicks out. Show then kicks out of a splash and an elbow drop. Now there's an "Undertaker" chant. Henry runs into Big Show and they break the security barricade. Big Show just makes it to the ring without being counted out. Big Show hits a superkick on Henry. Now there's an HBK chant, haha. Big Show climbs the ropes but he looks SO uncomfortable doing this. Oh my God, this is going to be a disaster. Elbow drop from the top rope! Wow. Mark Henry kicks out. Now they're chanting "Randy Savage", hahaha. I love New York crowds. Henry kicks Show in the crotch and gets himself disqualified.

WINNER: Big Show via disqualification.
Outside of the two interesting spots, the match was otherwise slow, boring, and just not that entertaining in my mind.

Henry gets a chair and scares off referee Charles Robinson. Henry puts the chair on Big Show's ankle but Big Show moves out of the way before Henry can hit the Vader Bomb. Show hits the WMD and knocks out Mark Henry. "Daniel Bryan" chant breaks out. Show puts Henry's leg in the chair and leg drops it. The trainers come out to check up on him.

Backstage, Matt Striker interviews Wade Barrett. The Barrett Barrage is unstoppable and he's going to be the first ever English world champion. Miz shows up to interrupt with "Really?" R-Truth asks if tonight is all about the Barrett Barrage. Wade says "I believe your American Charlie Sheen calls it winning". Barrett leaves. Truth and Miz talk again about how the focus should be on them instead of everything else. Truth says he saw all those pigeons staring up at the Rock/Cena signs and he yelled at them that they're going to lose. "Do you know what those pigeons said to me? Nothing..cause they're pigeons...they don't talk, they just crap. Crap is crap, and tonight, crap is gonna get got." Oh man, I fucking love R-Truth. You mean to tell me he's not the one that failed for marijuana along with Evan Bourne? Hahaha.

WWE Championship: Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. CM Punk
The Fink comes out to be the personal ring announcer of CM Punk! Crowd is firmly behind Punk, of course. Now there's a "we want ice cream" chant. Some generic back and forth...nothing really too much to talk about. They've got their signatures, but nothing special is happening and there aren't really any close calls for the match. Punk eventually hits an elbow drop, making another Randy Savage chant break out. Punk then seems to set up Sweet Chin Music, but just goes to setting up GTS instead. After a series of reversals, Del Rio locks in the armbreaker, but Punk reaches the ropes with his feet. Del Rio rolls Punk up after Punk kicks Rodriguez off the apron. When Del Rio holds his tights, Punk ends up flashing the crowd his ass. Punk then locks in the Anaconda Vice and Del Rio taps.

WINNER (and new WWE champion): CM Punk via submission.
Disappointing. I said before that I didn't think they'd have great chemistry together, but I was still expecting it to be better than the majority of the match.

Punk jumps into the crowd to celebrate and security goes nuts. Punk then jumps back out again.

The Rock & John Cena vs. The Miz & R-Truth
Cena comes out to boos and says to the camera "they love me here". A 'boots to asses' chant starts off. Jesus, the Rock starts off with Miz and has COMPLETELY not lost a step after all these years. That's great. Rock puts Truth in a Perfect Plex, but Cena comes out to knock Miz off the apron and distracts the ref unintentionally. "Fruity Pebbles" chant. Miz starts pointing to Cena, saying for Rock to tag him in, but the crowd boos that idea. Cena does a monkey flip and a drop kick and that's supposed to show up Rock as him being as good, but Rock is unimpressed. Since they were chanting "you still got it" for Rock, they're chanting "you still suck" for Cena, lmao. Cena does the "you can't see me" chant to Rock. Rock comes into the ring to stare him down and Truth knocks Cena down from the distraction. The match then turns into Cena being dominated by Miz and Truth for a good ten minutes or so. Cena puts Miz in the STF but Truth breaks it up. Truth gets tagged in and immediately hit with an Attitude Adjustment. Rock eventually gets tagged in and starts cleaning house. Rock hits the People's Elbow on Miz and gets the win.

WINNERS: The Rock and John Cena via pinfall.
Good match when Rock was in it, not really that great when Cena was, but I'm glad that they didn't have them just completely dominate Miz and Truth entirely.

Rock invites Cena back into the ring. They start doing a cheer-off that Rock wins with ease. He then gives him a Rock Bottom and Cena leaves.

What's been going on this week in the world of professional wrestling? It's time to break it down in the latest edition of SMACK TALK, my wrestling podcast and the quick notes below. Make sure to subscribe, comment on the videos and this post, and let us know your thoughts.

Watch each part of EPISODE 4 below:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

• Booker T is training for his "final run" in WWE?
• Jesse Neal is leaving TNA because he doesn't want to relocate to Kentucky for the Ohio Valley Wrestling program. 
• Matt Hardy and Reby Sky, via Twitter...

Stay tuned to watch Bobby Roode get his well-deserved rematch against TNA champion Kurt Angle. Oh wait a minute, that's not on the card and James Storm is the champ? Ok, then I guess tune in to see Kurt Angle get his well-deserved re-...wait, Roode's the champion? Ok well I guess a triple threat for...ok Angle's not here...ok Storm is injured, well fuck, here's AJ Styles...ok AJ is injured. It appears as though TNA has made a Turning Point in the wrong direction. Tune in to see if they can dig themselves out of this hole.

PREDICTIONS: Roode retains the title (unless TNA is really going to push their luck), Aries retains the X-Division title, Robbie E wins the TV title, Anderson and Abyss beat Ray and Steiner, RVD beats Daniels, Crimson beats Matt Morgan (unless Morgan is in heel mode and in line for a push and they want to start a feud between the two that means something), Mexican America retain their titles, Gail probably beats Velvet since she's relatively new, and Jeff Hardy beats Jeff Jarrett. Again, don't you dare bet money on my TNA predictions as I'm not responsible for your loss if I'm dead wrong...but if I'm right and you win, check out the donate button to the right :)

The pay-per-view starts off comparing Roode to the lies of politicians in the past (primarily ex-Presidents). I wouldn't go that far.

Television Championship: Robbie E vs. Eric Young
Eric starts off immediately locking up with the referee, then runs around the outside of the ring. The crowd's mostly behind Eric Young (but there's a few women or kids, can't tell which, that are rooting for Robbie afterward instead). I'm personally hoping Robbie wins the match myself. Eric pulls his pants down revealing some GTW shorts. Why can't that happen in a Knockouts match instead? Young hits an elbow drop but Robbie T pulls Robbie E out of the ring to break up the pinfall. Young then pulls off the GTW ring gear to reveal some standard trunks underneath that. Again, I'd rather see Velvet Sky do this. Robbie T interferes again and Robbie ends up winning the title.

WINNER (and new TV champion): Robbie E via pinfall.
Ok opening match. Nothing special or memorable.

Tag Team Championship: Mexican America (c) vs. Ink Inc
Good idea to have Jesse Neal come out with the American flag, I like that. He has the background for it, it's around Veteran's Day, and it works with their current feud. Here's another positive - I like Mexican America better than the Hunico/Epico/Primo team WWE currently has. See, I give TNA fair credit for things they do well. There's a sign in the crowd that just says "pork". Either there's a joke there that's gone over my head or this person picked an odd sign to hold up in this match specifically. Looks like Jesse and Hernandez are being booked as the power with Anarquia and Shannon as the fragile agile ones. There's a botch where Hernandez tosses Anarquia into the ropes and he misses hitting his head on the turnbuckles. Toxxin goes to pin Sarita, but Hernandez pulls her off. For some reason afterward, Toxxin just goes and sits in the corner while Neal and Moore take care of Hernandez. Then she and Neal go after Anarquia...and strip his pants off. Two times in two matches someone has their pants taken off? Really, TNA? Then they follow this up with the obligatory "Rosita interferes, Sarita hits Toxxin with the title belt and wins the match" outcome.

WINNERS: Mexican America via pinfall.
Not as interesting as I was hoping, and the repetitive pants-off and interference for the heel to win is stupid.

Backstage, Borash asks Kid Kash and Austin Aries if it'll be a handicapped match or a true 3-way match. Aries says yes, it will be, but not because Jesse is retarded (if he said that in WWE he'd be fired off the bat probably) but because he doesn't stand a chance.

X-Division Championship [Triple Threat]: Austin Aries (c) vs. Kid Kash vs. Jesse Sorensen
So Jesse really brings a football to the ring? Ridiculous. This is wrestling. Nobody (of sound mind) would come to a football game tossing a baseball back and forth in the parking lot. The match starts off with both Aries and Kash going after Jesse, who keeps running away and simultaneously beckoning them on to come get him. That must have been the same person who thought the football idea was good (and if those are both Jesse's ideas...c'mon man). They feel the need to distract the ref for a low blow, even though this has no disqualifications. Simple double-team action that is boring the crowd as well as myself. And talk about cliches, here's the "Jesse makes Aries hit Kash" setup to make the triple-threat turn into a true triple-threat match later on. How much do you want to bet that despite the whole match being a double team, they'll have Jesse win the title? I can't wait for this match to be over with as nothing of interest is going on and it's just dragging and making me feel restless. Kash hits his finisher on Sorensen but Aries puts Jesse's foot on the ropes. Aries then rolls up Kash and wins.

WINNER: Austin Aries via pinfall.
Boooooring. Zzzzzzzz....

Backstage, Borash talks to AJ Styles. Same old "respect" babyface promo.

No DQ: Rob Van Dam vs. Christopher Daniels
Daniels gets a mic and asks how they got to the point to having a no disqualification point (here's a hint: it's TNA, they need a no-dq match on every ppv). He suggests instead that they have a normal wrestling match instead. This results in an ECW chant. I'm so sick of that section of fans that feels the need to hold onto that. After that last match bored me half to death, this one isn't helping. The lack of updates is because you're not missing anything. The highlight so far has been that Mike Tenay referred to a Death Valley Driver that Daniels did on Rob Van Dam as "a DVD on RVD". Daniels tries to leave. He and RVD then fight outside of the ring long past a 10-count while Hebner sticks around, so I guess it's back to being a no disqualification match. Daniels throws Hebner into RVD. Then uses a chair. Out comes the screwdriver, but RVD blocks it with the chair, then uses it on him via a dropkick. RVD hits a frog splash and wins the match.

WINNER: RVD via pinfall.
Didn't enjoy this match either, overall.

Backstage, Robbie and Robbie are talking to Borash about having won the title. Robbie E boasts that they're the biggest stars on the show and he'll be the TV champ for a long time because he's jacked. Bling equals bitches, it's time to hit the club.

Crimson vs. Matt Morgan
Crimson's basically being dominated in this match. When Morgan hits his Carboon Footprint, he knocks Crimson out of the ring (which is a long enough stall so he doesn't get the pinfall victory). Punch for punch between the two breaks down with them knocking the ref down. Double disqualification.

WINNER: Draw.
Interesting, but meh. There really wasn't much to talk about (obviously) until the ending.

After the match, they decide to keep fighting anyway, seemingly out of sportsmanship.

Backstage, Bully Ray and Steiner are with Borash. Steiner says this match will be an easy walk in the park. Steiner then claims 3x over that he knows all of Abyss's weaknesses and says his girlfriend is ugly and looks like a billy goat mixed with the toothless fans. Then adds that she's fat. Ray says they'll be in a match with one half of the greatest tag team of all time...and Scott Steiner. Steiner says "I am the greatest tag team of all time". Ray tells him to just flex. God I love Steiner promos.

Bully Ray & Scott Steiner vs. Mr. Anderson & Abyss
Anderson looks odd tonight...sick or something. Abyss looks....normal. Standard tag team match with again, nothing special to report on. If you've seen it once, you've seen it a thousand times. You know how there's the part where the heels block a successful tag from the ref's eyes, so on and so forth. Ah, here we go, Ray was just launched into the corner and shouted "holy shiiiiit", haha. The crowd's been chanting for Steiner. They cheer for the Frankensteiner. Abyss hits the Black Hole Slam on Steiner and wins the match for that team.

WINNERS: Abyss and Mr. Anderson via pinfall.
Point of no return for this pay-per-view, as once again, it was pretty much generic and not particularly interesting.

Post-match, Ray attacks them and brings out a table. They put Abyss through it, but he immediately gets back up.

Backstage, Karen Jarrett talks about how she doesn't want her Knockouts champion to be like Velvet Sky and talks trash about her. Gail on the other hand is a role model. Gail says it'll be a cake-walk. 

Knockouts Championship: Velvet Sky (c) vs. Gail Kim
Gail must be happy with her move from WWE to TNA. She comes over and gets a tag title, then a title shot, and they're calling her the best ever. Way to suck up, TNA. Granted, WWE didn't use her as well as she should have been used, but still, it's typical TNA mentality where someone new comes in, so immediately they're at the top. Gail's understandably controlling the match (as she's the more seasoned performer) and doing a good job at it. Velvet hits a facebuster, but Karen distracts the ref. Madison runs in to interfere and hits Velvet with...something (the fans chant "you fucked up", and I have no clue what she was going for). Velvet kicks out nonetheless. Gail misses a senton. Madison interferes again, holding Velvet's leg. Gail hits her finisher and wins the title.

WINNER (and new Knockouts champion): Gail Kim via pinfall.
Gail must be even happier to move over now. Decent match from the things that came before it and what I was expecting.

Backstage, Bischoff is yelling into his cell phone about birth control. Ray comes up to say he needs to do something about Abyss. He says they need to change direction. Everything's going wrong.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy comes out looking like Meta Knight from the Kirby games. Within a minute of the bell going off, Hardy hits the Twist of Fate and pins Jarrett.

WINNER: Jeff Hardy via pinfall.
Well, this was only one move, and I can only assume they did it to reference the match with Sting. If it makes this pay-per-view end any faster, I'm all for it.

They decide to have another match.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Jeff Hardy
Now Jarrett is the one in charge. Hardy fights back. Random roll-up and Hardy wins again.

WINNER: Jeff Hardy via pinfall.
Still pretty quick, so they couldn't really get into a big match for it. It was ok for what it was worth, as long as they don't cheat the fans and they have a rematch at the next ppv.

Jarrett hits Hardy with a chair after the match. He brings him into the ring and gives him a Stroke. He asks Hebner to count anyway. Hardy flips him over and Hebner counts a THIRD pinfall victory for Jeff Hardy. LMAO. I'll admit, that was funny.

Backstage, Eric Young and Crimson congratulate Hardy. Young tells him he'll give him some free t-shirts. AJ Styles shakes his hand.

Borash talks to Roode. "I was Beer Money, I was Fortune". They kept him from his full potential. He calls himself the leader of "the selfish generation" and "the it factor".

TNA Championship: Bobby Roode (c) vs. AJ Styles
I'm not expecting this to be good, considering Styles supposedly is wrestling injured, so I'll give it some leeway. I don't really see much of a hindrance on AJ's part, however. Either AJ's injury is less severe than I was led on to believe, or AJ's just that good at hiding it. If it's the latter, bravo man, cause I know I wouldn't be able to do that in the slightest. AJ is even able to jump up to the top rope and hit a nice superplex amongst doing his usual amount of flips and high-flying moves. Very solid spinebuster from Roode. AJ springboards into a 450 but Roode gets out of the way. AJ then goes for the Styles Clash, but Roode reverses into a crossface. AJ breaks out and weakly power bombs Roode. AJ then hits a springboard forearm, but only gets a 2-count. Roode gets a low blow on AJ but also inadvertently hits the ref in the nether regions as well. Styles kicks out. AJ attempts an inside cradle but is unsuccessful. Styles picks Roode up and crotches him on the ropes. Roode dodges a suicide dive, so Styles crashes outside the ring. Roode goes for a Perfect Plex, but Styles kicks out. Random Pele kick. Styles gets ready for the Styles Clash, but Roode rolls him up, grabs the tights, and retains the title.

WINNER: Bobby Roode via pinfall.
Best match of the night.

Guessing every match right (if you count the draw as both guys winning) is pretty good I'd think. Give me some of that money you got by betting on me.

What's been going on this week in the world of professional wrestling? It's time to break it down in the latest edition of SMACK TALK, my wrestling podcast and the quick notes below. Make sure to subscribe, comment on the videos and this post, and let us know your thoughts.

Watch each part of EPISODE 3 below:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

• Is the below image the new WWE logo or just for the network? Either way, I like it. I think it could be better...cleaned up some more, a little wider or something...and I think they missed the boat when they decided to go with "WWE Universe" instead of do some form of "we" with "WWE", but hey, they could have done worse, so if this is it, then I'm all for it.

• There's supposedly talk about how Evan Bourne, a midcarder, is so quick to get suspended whereas other stars that are higher up on the ladder than him seem to not get suspended for the same things. There's also rumblings in disagreement of Mason Ryan's push.
• Christian seems to have gotten injured, but the severity of his leg injury isn't known yet. They've got a decent "out" where they can say that Teddy Long made him wrestle injured (the neck brace) so he can't perform, but I don't know who they'd replace him with. Maybe Brodus Clay?
• Harry Smith aka "David Hart Smith" is saying that WWE didn't use him correctly and if he were given the rocket push that some others like Drew McIntyre and Sheamus were given, his career there would be a different story. I agree and disagree. To find out why, tune in to the latest audio show!
• Triple H admits that sometimes he says things just to amuse himself. Wait a minute, HHH doing something to benefit himself even if it means it's at the expense of other people and not necessarily good for business? What a shocker!!!
• Melina posted some tweets hinting at John Morrison not being "Mr. Right". She's said previous things in the past about their relationship not being all smiles. Honestly, it's looking like Melina's a bit stuck up with all the things we keep hearing about her.
• Luke Gallows is now a tattoo artist. I still think he got shafted in WWE.
• The origin of Kelly Kelly's name? She was going to be Kelly, then they said "we haven't had anyone named twice, let's go with Kelly Kelly". Wow, enthralling story... 
• Roddy Piper wants Rock and Cena in Piper's Pit. I could not agree more.
• TNA will be using OVW for developmental, so to speak. I can only assume this is Bruce Prichard's doing. It's a step in the right direction, but if TNA continues to use talent for a few months, then get tired of them, release them, and hire a new person with the same basic position, then it seems pointless, doesn't it?
• Chyna has apparently won the "Mainstream to Porn Crossover Award" at the...ugh...Fleshbot Awards...for her porn video Backdoor to Chyna. Good lord. Don't give me "Backdoor to Chyna", give me "It's Always Sunny in Tammy Lynn Sytch" if you know what I mean ;)

The following are some questions I've been asked via the Ask Him! contact on the site. Feel free to send some more!

Future installments of this may be included in the Smack Talk audio show on YouTube. Stay tuned!


Q: Who is your favorite wrestler of all time?

A: Though I was big on Austin back in the day, and I've always been a big fan of Bret Hart (who I rank as my #3 favorite), my #2 favorite has always been the Undertaker, and #1 has always been Shawn Michaels. I still think he's the best ever, and I'm SO glad that a large percentage of the fans agree with that idea.

Q: What is your favorite match of all time?

A: That's a tough one. Overall, I'd probably say Undertaker vs. HBK at WrestleMania 25. That match is just epic. Their next match at WrestleMania XXVI may have had more at stake but I think their first was much better. Some other favorite matches of mine are the Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII, the Undertaker/Foley Hell in a Cell match, and I've always loved the Royal Rumble matches.

Q: What do you think WWE needs to improve on?

A: I think they need to calm themselves down in a lot of ways. I've always been a fan of a slower build, similar to what HBK, HHH, Bret Hart, and Steve Austin had. These guys are among the top names of the company and they started out in tag teams and stables, went on to lower card wrestling, then the midcard, won their IC/US title, became upper midcarders, then eventually won their world titles and became the main eventers and legends they are now. I don't like it when WWE takes someone and within a year, pushes them to be "the next big thing", then they grow tired of them, demote them to a midcarder, and they have to walk up a steep hill to get back to being worth something. Sheamus was given two world titles before he had proven himself worthy of a midcard title in my opinion. Alberto Del Rio should have had the Intercontinental championship around WrestleMania as opposed to a world title match. With Jack Swagger's ECW title reign, I thought that he showed that he was capable of being considered an upper midcarder, but then they soon started booking him as a loser. Out of the blue, he wins Money in the Bank, becomes a world champion, then goes back to losing to people like Santino Marella. That type of booking is so harmful in the long run and WWE tends to do it quite often. Sure, there are exceptions to this rule, like Big Show and Undertaker, but they're rare. When they do it right, like they did with The Miz, it has a much longer lasting effect generally, so I think they need to relax and not burn through storylines too quickly. Mason Ryan is new, so they shouldn't hot-shot him a world title in 6 months, but Dolph Ziggler has proven himself, so if they wanted to main event him, I'd be supportive of it. WWE also needs to stop being so one-minded when it comes to what they like. If the fans are booing Cena, then you can't put your fingers in your ears and say you're not listening. If a particular joke isn't getting over with the crowd but Vince finds it funny, he should sacrifice his own personal tastes for the betterment of the product. If Triple H is so fond of himself as we're frequently told, he should get over it and start using his pull to put over the people that he'll be depending on in the future as opposed to himself. Basically, WWE needs to listen more to their audience (like they've done recently with Zack Ryder's push), calm down, stop looking for cheap quick fixes for ratings (like too many title changes or stupid guest stars that serve no purpose, as opposed to the ones that do, like the Rock), and they need to stop putting all their eggs in one basket (like how they frequently focus on only one match of a pay-per-view card and everything else falls by the wayside because they didn't want to spend the time to work on the build for those matches as well).

Q: Do you hate the PG era as much as I do?


A: Well, I wouldn't say I hate the era itself, as much as I hate how much they limit themselves. I don't subscribe to the idea that each match needs to resemble CZW to be entertaining, but I hate how they seem to overcompensate on the opposite scale at times. For instance, the chair shots to the head being banned is ridiculous. Now that we just have the shots to the back, it's repetitive, unrealistic, and boring. If you're worried about the guys not knowing how to put their hands up to protect themselves, maybe instead of outlawing it, you should just teach them how to do it. Also, I'd be happy if I never had to hear them use the word "poop" instead of "crap" or "shit" ever again. Fucking Disney movies are edgier than some of the WWE promos that we see frequently. They seem to be stepping away from this a bit, which is good.

Q: Why do you hate TNA so much?

A: Because they rarely give me something to like. I get flack for my TNA ppv reviews because they usually turn into mostly me mocking how bad it is, but the truth of the matter is if you look through them, I point out if I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed something. It's just not that often that they do something I'm supportive of, so why would I say I liked it if I didn't? I don't believe that you can only be a WWE or TNA fan, or that it makes any sense to like or dislike something for the pure reason of liking or disliking it. If TNA does something good (for instance, most MCMG matches), then I enjoy it. If they do something stupid (for instance, the name "Bully Ray"), then no, of course I'm not going to have fun watching it - just the same as how I wouldn't enjoy the same thing if it were in WWE. I make fun of Taz's commentary but I also make fun of Booker T's. I would like nothing more than for TNA to be something that I enjoy, but they just haven't given me that entertainment value yet.

Q: Which Diva do you think is the hottest?

A: This would definitely depend on what time frame you're talking about. Currently (as of the end of 2011, since Maryse is now gone), I'd probably say Kelly Kelly or Layla is the most attractive, though I do find AJ to be absolutely adorable and with the exception of only a few, pretty much all the divas are hot. If you're talking about the best looking of all time, I'd have to go with 1997's Sunny, with Trish Stratus being a very, very close second.

Q: I am a big fan of the WWE Divas and womens wrestling.So I would like to ask from a man's point of view without talking about hotness.What are your thought about the divas division then and now? I think that current status of the women's division in the WWE isn't like the WWE when you have your title the shape of a butterfly. The TNA Knockouts have it better then them.

A: The divas in the WWE timeline have gone through an odd fluctuation, in my opinion. Back when I first started watching, there was really only the sporadic Alundra Blayze match here and there, so there wasn't much of a division to criticize or praise. They basically had the same presence as the short-lived midget wrestlers and such. I was a big fan of the era where women like Ms. Elizabeth, Sunny, Sable, Luna Vachon, and Chyna were used as valets and managers. When they started showcasing more wrestling, I was up for it, but it never resonated me the same way as the rest of the product did. It seems as though during my hiatus from watching wrestling, the divas division really came into its own, and through watching old footage retrospectively, I can see why people are always saying that it's no longer as good as it used to be. That being said, I think the current divas division is a double-edged sword. In some ways, it doesn't get as much credit as it deserves, and in other ways, it proves itself to be useless. Very rarely is there a divas match that I'm genuinely interested in and excited for, but if you gave me free reign of the company, I certainly wouldn't demolish the division like so many other fans say should happen. The TNA Knockouts are definitely overall in a better position than the WWE divas as they put more thought into their feuds whereas WWE treats them as an afterthought. In a way, you can't blame them, though, as many of the divas just aren't talented enough to last more than 2 minutes in a match without botching the whole scene up. The ones that are good (your Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Eve Torres, etc type of women) remind me more of something I'd see in TNA's Knockouts than the ones like the Bella twins. As far as the butterfly title goes, I'm a little more supportive of it than others seem to be. Though I would never have designed it that way on my own, I can understand why they'd do it. My main gripe with it is that I think it's a bit overdone and that having it as silver and purple rather than gold seems a bit patronizing. You can't say they've "won the gold" if there's no gold in the belt, haha.

Q: Would you ever become a wrestler yourself or have you ever wrestled in the past?

A: Not a chance. The furthest extent I have at wrestling is performing a few moves on my friends as kids and diving into pools giving elbow drops and lo-downs to the floats. I unfortunately suffer from asthma, so I wouldn't ever come close to having the proper health and conditioning required to wrestle. On top of that, I'm sure I would lack the skill itself and just be a terrible wrestler even if I could bypass the health problems. That being said, if I were ever given the opportunity to be an on-screen character, whether it be a manager or something, and an organization like WWE wanted me to do an angle where I took a bump, I'd do it for them - so long as I was safe. I'm just sure the end result would be worse than Sharmell versus Jenna Morasca.

Q: How did you get into wrestling? When did you become a fan?

A: I honestly don't remember, sorry. I know I've been a fan since the early 90s, as I dressed up as Hulk Hogan for Halloween when I was a kid. I also have an old journal entry I once wrote in that states how excited I was that Shawn Michaels had become the WWF champion at the previous night's WrestleMania XII, so at the very least, I've been a fan since then. I don't have any recollection of what actually got me interested in the first place.

Q: Is there anything that could get you to stop watching wrestling?

A: I once took a 6 year hiatus from watching wrestling as it stopped interesting me when they would do nothing but talk about Stone Cold and the Rock during the entire broadcasts. I was then told that the Undertaker had returned as a biker, and I decided not to concern myself with it anymore. For years after that, I would only hear rumblings about things that would happen, but I wouldn't watch the product. Then, in 2006, I was convinced by a friend of mine, Chris, to watch Raw because of the reunion of DX, and ever since then I've been hooked again. Though I'm sure it would take a lot to make me stop watching entirely, this hiatus proves that it is possible. More than likely, though, something else would just end up making me tune in again and I'll probably be a fan for life.

What's been going on this week in the world of professional wrestling? It's time to break it down in the latest edition of SMACK TALK, my wrestling podcast and the quick notes below. Make sure to subscribe, comment on the videos and this post, and let us know your thoughts.

Watch each part of EPISODE 2 below:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

• Allegations from Chris Masters that one of the divas on the Smackdown roster is keeping her job because she's giving out blowjobs? I'd certainly like to find out who that is....and hire her. I have one person in mind that I'm suspicious of. Find out who I think it might be in the latest audio show!
• WWE Network is going to have a Sports Center type show. Their potential names for it, in my opinion, are awful. "Power Center" sounds like a recharging station at an Apple store. "Action Center", but there's no action? "Event Center" is dumb. "Live Event Center" is even more dumb. "InterAction Center" is their best but I still think they could have done so much better. 
• Evan Bourne was suspended for a Wellness Policy violation (most likely the synthetic marijuana that was tied to Heath Slater's suspension and potentially Darren Young's recent one as well) and will be out for 30 days. I guess we're looking at Mason Ryan filling in for him at Survivor Series, right? I wouldn't be surprised if Air Boom dropped the titles, too - but if they would have done that, they should have done that on Raw this past episode. 
• James Storm suffered a concussion and will be out 6-8 weeks. Sorry about your damn luck. (Had to). 
• Vince McMahon spoke about the Oprah Winfrey network, saying that it failed because she didn't give her fans what they wanted, but WWE won't make that mistake. I hope for his sake he's right because of this is another XFL...
• WWE apparently lost 9 million dollars by not having NXT and Superstars on TV. Maybe if you put 10 minutes worth of thought into those shows you would have kept them on the air?
• Goldust was asked on Twitter if he'll miss Maryse and simply responded "No", then told people he would block them if they didn't stop asking about Maryse. What's the story behind that?
• Mick Foley returned to WWE during a live show in Dublin, Ireland, refereeing a match between John Cena + John Morrison versus Miz and R-Truth. Big fan of Foley, big fan of him coming back, but I'm curious as well about why Morrison was in the tag team match. Hm...
• WWE will no longer say "broken neck". Ridiculous.
• Randy Orton got some staples in his head after a match with Cody Rhodes. Payback's a bitch I guess?