The Steel Cage

Watch Out Wrestling World, Here Comes ROH

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:17:10 -0500

Ring of Honor fans have long been singing the praises of the boutique independent wrestling promotion based in Philadelphia that has revolutionized what the sport can look like. Still, a lot of fans of WWE and TNA's sleek product and starpower have dismissed ROH as nothing more than a novelty promotion that appeals to a tiny segment of Internet fans. But it seems that the rest of the wrestling world may finally be taking notice of ROH. Two of the biggest stars ever produced in ROH - Samoa Joe and C.M. Punk are wearing world titles in TNA and WWE, respectively. Several other ROH alums, including Jay Lethal, A.J. Styles, and Evan Bourne, are also making names for themselves on the national wrestling scene. It seems that not only are fans starting to warm up to ROH, but - perhaps more importantly - so are WWE and TNA promoters. With that in mind, I thought I'd share this press release I received from ROH booker Gabe Sapolsky:

My turn with some trivia ...

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:01:46 -0500

Before I get to the trivia, I must give major props to my fellow blogger Alfonso -- on Monday, the very day that Alfonso scored an exclusive interview with the infamous Martin Tankleff -- he posted not just one, but two blog posts about CM Punk winning the World Title. Now THAT'S a wresting fan. Anyway, on to my trivia question -- when was the last time Triple H won a world title (World or WWE) in a match that did not involve Randy Orton?

Trivia Answer... Sort Of

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:24:50 -0500

On the heels of C.M. Punk capturing his first world championship Monday night, I asked you yesterday, "Who are the last three people, before Punk, to become first-time world champions in WWE?" A lot of you chimed in with your responses. And here is the correct answer: Well, I'm not completely sure. As many of you astutely noted, the answer sort of depends on how you interpret the question. I'll tell you that when I posed the question, I had in mind The Great Khali, who won the Smackdown world heavyweight title last July, King Booker, who won the same title in July of 2006, and Rob Van Dam, who won the Raw WWE championship in July of 2006. The confusion mostly surrounded whether Booker should be included among those three, seeing as how he not only had won several world titles in WCW, but also defended the WCW championship in WWE when the two companies merged. That said, I did specify that I was referring specifically to the Smackdown and Raw versions of the world title. And while the current world heavyweight championship belt worn by Punk is the same one used for years as the WCW championship, the lineages are completely different. So, since I get to make the rules, I'll stick with my original answers - Khali, Booker, and RVD.

Trivia: The World Champions' Club

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:52:41 -0500

Being able to claim to have been a WWE world champion can make a career, whether your reign lasts a year or a day - as was the case with "former WWE champion Kane." With his first world title win yesterday, C.M. Punk becomes the latest person to join the elite club of WWE world champions. So my question is, who are the last three people, before Punk, to become first-time world champions in WWE? I am, of course, only counting the Raw and Smackdown versions of the title, and not the ECW championship. Now stop clicking over to Wikipedia, you cheaters.

The Upside & Downside of C.M. Punk

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:42:01 -0500

I’m as blown away as anybody by the drastic steps WWE has taken over the last week to freshen up its product with a host of new young superstars inserted into top storylines and feuds. Of course, no step was bigger than the decision to put the world heavyweight title around the waist of C.M. Punk last night. In many ways, Punk personifies the kind of changes many fans have been clamoring for a long time. He’s not a WWE product, having developed his name and gimmick in the independent scene and most notably in Ring of Honor. He’s undersized. And he has a completely unique look and wrestling style. But none of that is to say that C.M. Punk if the perfect choice to lead a new movement in WWE. He may, however, be the best of WWE’s options. But, as evidenced by some of the feedback that last night’s Raw has gotten, many fans may be slow to warm up to Punk as a legitimate main event level superstar. Here are my thoughts on the upside and downside of WWE’s newest headliner: The Upside: Punk has a rare thing that many wrestlers with a lot more natural gifts work their entire careers to achieve, and often never do – star power. His connection with fans was evidenced from his first appearance on WWE television two years ago. He had already risen to become a top star in ROH, and even its heavyweight champion, but the reality is that the vast majority of WWE fans had never seen Punk in action when he made his ECW debut. That starpower was apparent last night from the crowd response when Punk stepped through the curtains with his briefcase in tow. Punk can be exciting in the ring, but I think it’s his charisma that will win fans over. The Downside: The label of “Internet darling” has hurt Punk on occasion over the last two years, as both WWE power brokers and many fans associate Punk with a breed of know-it-all wrestling fan that doesn’t understand the realities of the business. Punk’s relatively small size may also be an issue as he is expected to credibly defend his title against heavyweight contender. Luckily for him, the likes of the Big Show, Triple H, and other behemoths are on other brands, and Punk could credibly match up with the likes of Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton and other Raw challengers. Still, Punk is so unique, I don’t doubt it will take some time, and development of his character, to bring some fans around. I think it’s possible though. In the end, despite the tattoos and piercings, Punk is an old fashioned babyface at heart.

What The...? C.M. Punk Wins The World Heavyweight Championship

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:58:37 -0500

Can I curse on a Newsday.com blog? Because there's a word that would follow "Holy" that is the only fair assessment of what I just witnessed. C.M. Punk is the new world heavyweight champion! I am loving the mood Vince McMahon has been in over the last week. Those of us who have been crying for some fresh faces in WWE's cards can feel vindicated, because our message is getting through. Kofi Kingston is the Intercontinental champion. Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes are world tag team champions. Lance Cade is involved in a program with Shawn Michaels. And C.M. Punk - a man who made a name for himself in little old Ring of Honor - is the world champion. What's this strange feeling I'm experiencing? Why, it's a bona fide "mark out" moment.

Night of Champions Thoughts

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:41:40 -0500

I really enjoyed last night's pay per view - especially the final hour, which delivered two of the more fun and exciting WWE world title matches in a while. I was consistently entertained throughout the night, and I'm intrigued about where WWE is going forward, especially without a world champion on the supposed A-brand. Here are some quick thoughts, match by match: WWE Tag Team Champions The Miz & Morrison defeated Finlay and Hornswoggle: It was somewhat eye-opening to watch this match with my father, who is 76, and was beyond amused by the sight of a little person holding his own in the ring. Hornswoggle definitely has his audience. This match was fine comedy, but in the end I'm glad they're sticking with the Miz and Morrison as tag team champions. They've developed into one of the Smackdown/ECW's hottest acts. U.S. Champion Matt Hardy defeated Chavo Guerrero: This was a battle between two of WWE's most talented and bland wrestlers. It's got to be frustrating for Matt Hardy. He's a good worker, a company guy, and has mostly kept his nose clean. And for that, he is exiled to ECW. His brother Jeff is perpetually screwing up, and he gets one big push after another. That said, I totally understand why that's the case. This match was another good example of how, despite Matt being perfectly capable, he just doesn't connect with fans. Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes defeated Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes (?!) for the world tag team championship: A lot of us saw this turn coming a mile away, but it was still well executed and fun to see play out. The team of Dibiase and Rhodes could be a hot young act if they're given a real tag team division in which to compete. I'm still curious as to what Ted Jr. can do in the ring. All we know right now is that he has a decent amount of charisma, passable mic skills, and an awful theme song. Mark Henry defeated Kane and Big Show to win the ECW championship: With these three involved, there was no way this match could be any good, and it wasn't. But nonetheless, you had to smile about Mark Henry winning his first "major" singles title. He may not be very good in the ring, but after being signed 12 years ago to an inflated contract without having wrestled a single match, Henry has worked hard to earn his keep and has survived a lot of hurdles along the way. I was glad to see him have his moment in the sun. Women's Champion Mickie James defeated Katie Leah Burchill: James was good as always, but Katie looked pretty green in there. Still, there was some good intensity here and I wouldn't mind seeing more of these two together. Kofi Kingston defeated Chris Jericho for the Intercontinental Title: I really enjoyed this, and was thrilled to see WWE take yet another step in freshening up its product. Kingston is exactly the kind of guy they should be getting behind - young, exciting, and very unique. I'm not saying he should be wrestling in main events any time soon, but he could be a big benefit to Raw's mid card. It's also good for the IC title to be around the waist of someone who will actually defend it. World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeated Batista: One of the big surprises of 2008 may be Vickie Guerrero, who went from almost being a cruel joke to the Guerrero family to being one of the most entertaining characters on WWE TV. She was at her irritating best getting involved in this match, and who didn't get a kick out of seeing Batista send her flying? This was a fun finish that helped further Edge's role as the ultimate opportunist, and make Batista the sympathetic babyface as he comes to Raw. Batista also deserves a lot of credit for having come a long way in the ring over the last year. WWE Champion Triple H defeated John Cena: I don't dispute that Cena and Triple H are two of WWE's biggest stars, but after having seen them interact so much in recent months, I wasn't too excited about this match. But they definitely won me over with what felt like a truly epic showdown between two modern wrestling greats. The final minutes of this match were as good as anything I've seen in a WWE main event since Kurt Angle left the company - innovative reversals, dramatic nearfalls, amazing feats of strength, and a decisive, satisfying finish. This was one of the best matches I've seen all year. It's amazing how much difference a week can make. Coming off last week's historic draft and last night's pay per view, the same WWE that just days ago seemed as stale and flat as I could remember now seems re-energized and filled with possibilities. This should be a fun summer for wrestling fans.

WWE Night of Champions preview and predictions

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:21:20 -0500

Six days removed from the 2008 WWE Draft Lottery (which is neither a draft, nor a lottery -- discuss) is the second-annual Night of Champions Pay-Per-View, the first of which was more memorable for what happened in a house down in Atlanta while the show was going on than it was for anything that happened at the actual show. This year's show actually has some potential to build on the draft and set up some interesting stories for the coming year. Here's my thoughts and predictions.

Feel the power of destrucity!

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 01:51:53 -0500

Did I say Destrucity? I meant Metamucil ... thanks to a friend from pulsewrestling.com for sending this along ...

It's hard to believe ...

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:57:46 -0500

... that Saturday was TEN YEARS since THIS happened:

At Least Somebody Thought the McMahon Angle Looked Real

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:15:58 -0500

From KHOU-TV in Houston. Wow. It sounds serious: WWE chairman hurt in freak accident 11:21 AM CDT on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 KHOU.com staff report HOUSTON -- WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was injured in a freak accident in San Antonio Monday night. Just moments after giving away $500,000 in “McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania,” McMahon was crushed by a large electric sign that fell from the AT&T Center. The extent of his injuries was unclear, but he was rushed to the hospital. WrestleMania officials planned to update fans on McMahon’s condition at a press conference in Houston Tuesday. WWE stars were scheduled to be on hand at the Toyota Center before filming SmackDown and ECW at the arena.

WWE supplemental draft results and thoughts

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:30:17 -0500

So D.H. Smith moves to SmackDown, the same place where his cousin Natalya is, potentially setting up a longterm storyline with next-generationers. Though Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. remain on Raw (for now), this makes me four-for-four with my draft predictions from earlier in the week. But don't give me any of the credit. Actually, give the credit to WWE. Because my predictions were just based on common sense, on what would be the most logical thing to do booking-wise. And they actually did it. So kudos to them for the longterm foresight. (And here's hoping that they do some kind of storyline with Triple H and Edge where Triple H is outraged that the only reason Edge is the champion is because his romantic interest is the boss. Remember, Vince -- reality sells!) That being said, let's look at the rest of the moves in this afternoon's under-the-radar supplemental draft.

WWE Hits a Home Run With Draft

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:13:50 -0500

First, let me do some self-back patting. In case you missed it, I went five for six with my draft predictions yesterday. Not bad, if I do say so myself. WWE praise may be scarce these days, but I have to give it to the powers that be over in Titanland for what may have been the biggest and best WWE drafts to date last night. Not only was every move newsworthy, but every one made a lot of sense and worked toward what should be WWE's single most important goal these days - freshening up an incredibly stale product. I didn't even have a problem with the most controversial move of the night - Jim Ross leaving Raw. Let's go over all the changes, in what I consider to be their order of importance.

Deja vu for Vince McMahon at the WWE Draft

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:45:21 -0500

Steel Cage fans will enjoy this blog about last night's WWE Draft from the Baltimore Sun's Kevin Eck: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/wrestling/blog/2008/06/its_deja_vu_for_vince_mcmahon_at_wwe_draft.html

Some thoughts on tonight's WWE Raw draft lottery

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:41 -0500

So a really bad stomach bug kept me out of work today, which served the purpose of actually allowing me to see Raw for the first time in a while. After three hours of the 2008 Draft Lottery, my stomach's not feeling any better. Some thoughts: