News and notes from MMA, boxing, and pro wrestling …
I understand why everyone is bothered with the idea that Seth Petruzelli was told that he would be paid more money to stand with Kimbo. On the surface, I can see why people are up in arms. But I’m not so bothered. Actually, I think that Petruzelli’s lack of consistency in his story is the bigger issue. Originally, he mentioned that the promoter “hinted” to him that he should stand with Kimbo. And then in the same sentence, he said they paid him more money to stand with Kimbo. Petruzelli was, and still is, a lower level fighter. It’s not to say that he’s not good at what he does, but in no way is he in the upper level. So it makes sense that he wants to promote his win as much as possible. It also shows what happens when you put people in main event situations who aren’t ready to be in them. Do you think Ken Shamrock would’ve flip flopped his stories as much has the same thing happened to him?
ESPN.com reported that there is an investigation underway.
After repeated calls from ESPN.com, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation — which oversees the State Boxing Commission — said Thursday that it has opened a preliminary investigation into the matter.
We had coverage of last night’s WWE SummerSlam show. A few of our writers gave their thoughts about the show.
SummerSlam
GG
Show overall rating: Thumbs up
Best Match: John Cena vs. Batista
Worst Match: Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry
I know, I know. I’m supposed to say that the Hell In A Cell match between the Undertaker and Edge was the best match of the night. I thought it was well done and very good. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say I had more fun watching the slobber knocker that was Cena/Batista I. It was hard hitting and fast paced and I loved the huge power spots. If not for the terrible submissions, I would’ve loved it even more. I think what ruined Edge/Undertaker for me were the chair shots to the face and head. I know they are doing them a lot safer now, but I still get an odd feeling when I see someone getting a chair shot to anywhere above the back.
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1. Jeff Hardy vs. MVP
MVP used a few submissions and Hardy sold for a lot of the match. Hardy made his comeback and hit the “Whisper In The Wind”. He went up top for the swanton, but saw Shelton Benjamin come out and jumped on him. He went back to the top and then missed the swanton. MVP hit the “Shining MVP” for the win. Pretty good opener.
Winner: MVP by pin fall
Santino and Beth Phoenix did an interview with Maria where the gist was that Maria couldn’t have Santino anymore because he was all Beth’s. Maria looks awesome.
Tomorrow night, WWE celebrates 21 years of SummerSlam, the “biggest party of the summer” as they’ve been calling recently. There have been 20 SummerSlam Events since 1988. But were all of them really worthy of being called the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th best PPV of the year? Absolutely not. So today I’ve decided to take a look and list what I consider the Top 10 Greatest SummerSlam Pay-Per-Views of All Time! So sit back, relax, and enjoy.
10. SummerSlam 1988
So we begin with the very first SummerSlam in 1988, live on PPV from Madison Square Garden in New York. The whole purpose of the creation of this PPV was for the WWE to compete with NWA’s Great American Bash, hoping to convert wrestling fans to save their hard-earned cash and purchase their show at the end of the summer as opposed to the Bash. This soon became the last of the “Big Four” PPVs, alongside Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, and of course, Wrestlemania. The main event was a highly-anticipated tag team match between Hulk Hogan and WWF Champion Randy Savage, collectively known as “The Mega Powers” against Ted Dibiase and Andre the Giant, collectively known as “The Mega Bucks”. Savage won a 16-Man Tournament at Wrestlemania IV, last defeating Dibiase to become champion. Hogan had teased prior to the show that Miss Elizabeth would showcase her “eenie, weenie bikini”, which is creepy in retrospect considering she is no longer with us.
Besides that huge match, the most memorable part of this Pay-Per-View was the Ultimate Warrior defeating the longest reigning WWF Intercontinental Champion in history - The Honky Tonk Man. Honky was scheduled to face Brutus Beefcake, but prior to the match, Beefcake was hospitalized by “The Outlaw” Ron Bass. Honky came out on the show and challenged anybody in the building to take the title and the undefeated Warrior came out and pinned him in thirty seconds to take the title, beginning the monster four year run that he would have in the WWF. Tag Team wrestling was definitely one of WWF’s high-points during this era, as Hart Foundation vs. Demolition was easily the best match on the show, followed slightly by the Rougeaus vs. The Bulldogs.
Our own Big D wrote the latest FCW taping report for F4WOnline/Wrestling Observer, which featured Edge and a reunion of sorts for the Second City Saints.
Every week I will try look at Raw, ECW, TNA, and Smackdown and give my thoughts. These are just my thoughts ladies and gentlemen, just my thoughts.
Random wrestling thoughts for the week of July 21, 2008:
Raw
After all the great work that Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels did last night, the Raw show opens with Kane and his bag. Great, just great.
It appalls me how much JBL is pushed considering that with his back injury, he’s one of the worst wrestlers in the company. I know he can talk, but if when he gets in the ring, I want to fast forward, what good is that?
What a shitty opening segment.
Paul London is out to face Lance Cade. Where’s London’s big, huge bodyguard? Wait, that’s Brian Kendrick.
1. Miz and Morrison vs. Hawkins and Ryder vs. Jesse and Festus vs. Finlay and Hornswoggle
Fit Finlay rules. He carried most of the match until he made the hot tag to Hornswoggle and then Jesse tagged into the match after Hornswoggle went wild for about 5 seconds. Festus then went um, dumb? and Hawkins (or Ryder?) pinned Jesse after tripping him off the top rope. Hawkins and Ryder are the new Smackdown tag champs. Good opener, even if it was fairly quick.
After watching The Hardy Boys take on Miz and Morrison on Tuesday night, I just kind of threw up my hands and thought, “Why don’t we get more tag team matches like this anymore?” Today in WWE, the tag team is usually used as mid card fodder, and only on certain occasions is booked like it means something, like Tuesday night, albeit on the third rate show.
I started to think of the guys who are on top today like Edge, who made his name as a tag team wrestler, and even the Undertaker, who got his break as the replacement for Sid Vicious with the Skyscrapers in the NWA. A look further shows that while Dave Batista and HHH weren’t necessarily known as tag team wrestlers, they were part of a team with Evolution and DX. Being a part of a tag team is a great way to get over, and if the teams get over big, guys can become singles stars. So why don’t we have more today?
