Notable Notes - JR puts over the No Mercy PPV. Classic JR Ross Report filler crap. However, there is not much very notable in the Ross Report this week even though it is 6 pages.
My Thoughts - Wrestling...well, wrestling is there. Sorry folks, I've had a lot on my mind lately. I hardly realized it was time for an update until it was too late. I appriciate the large ammounts of feedback I've gotten. I'm working on a lot of new CAWS, mostly requests. Plus, I'm working on a FULL CAW MOVELIST. It is taking forever. I also appriciate the offers to add other people's CAWs to my site. No offence, but I plan to only post my own CAWs on my site. Most of the CAWs other people have offered, I already have. Also, I've had someone requesting "lesbians." Ok, I draw the line at that. Ladies and Gentlemen, the "lesbians" where on one or two shows. If you want "lesbians" for "wrestling," that's too sad for me to even be apart of. I hope I didn't offend anyone, but anyone can make random people on WWF No Mercy.
Oh, yeah. Uh...big PPV this weekend. I'll be watching it...on tape. You know, wrestling isn't as fun when you can only watch it on tape or read spoilers. That's what I've been doing lately. It sucks. My work schedule has me working on every possible day wrestling is on. Yes, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Thursday. I'm using as much of my spare time, when I have it, to work on my website, but it is a huge undertaking. When I finally put it up, I hope you appriciate all the work I put into this. Until next time...
October 12, 2002
Injuries - Randy Orton's injury was more serious than the origional diagnosis. He had surgery and will be out 3-4 months. Hardcore Holly had fusion surgery on his neck, same type that Austin, Benoit, Lita, Rhyno, and Scotty 2 Hotty had, and will be out approx. 1 year. Bubba Ray Dudley was knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion during the TLC match. He has been unbooked for a couple of weeks. Chris Jericho had his "bell rung" during the TLC match, but he is fine. Tommy Dreamer did not compete last week due to lower back pain and will need a couple weeks off to rest. Besides, he is getting married Saturday (today). Best of luck to him. Rey Mysterio's knee issues may require his knees to be scoped. That scoping is being scheduled for December, when the talent is given 2 weeks off for Christmas. Rhyno is on target for a December return. Kanyon should be heading to OVW later this month and should be back on WWE TV in December. Maven will also be heading to OVW later this month. (Credit WWE.com Ross Report)
Notable Notes - Batista's new vignette will be airing on Raw very soon. So that means yes, Batista is heading to Raw. JR also mentions OVW talent Charlie Haas, Redd Dogg, and Mark Jindrak as appearing on Raw in the future. NEXT THURSDAY, TOUGH ENOUGH CASTING SPECIAL!!!! WWE has signed Little Guido and Spanky will be joining the Smackdown roster in the future. Both are cruiserweight wrestlers who should add much to the roster. Bill DeMott (Hugh Morrus) will be showing up on Smackdown soon.
My Thoughts - First off, I apologize for the lateness of my post. I have had too many things to do and not enough time to do it all in. Well, an interesting week of wrestling. Raw was spectacular, highlighted by a specatular TLC match. Smackdown only had 4 matches, but two of them where in the tag tournament. Hey, I said Rey and Kidman along with Edge and Cena as a team. Well, WWE switched them around. Smackdown, however, is starting something interesting with Jamie Noble. Remember the fight with Nidia? If you can't speak Spanish, neither do I, but I could understand a few things Nidia and Rey said in their exchange. First Nidia complimented Rey on his mask, which Rey thanked her for. Then Nidia propositioned Rey for a little 1 on 1, but Rey said he wouldn't be caught dead with a dog like her. WWE is putting Jericho and Booker in what should be a a great fued that helps them both out. I wish I could post more, but I need to head off to work. Until next time...
October 06, 2002
Injuries - After an MRI, Hardcore Holly was diagnosed with a ruptured disk in his neck. Aparently, he reaggrivated an older injury in that match with Brock Lesnar. Randy Orton seperated his shoulder on Raw. He is having an MRI to see why he is having shoulder issues this early in his career. Mark Henry's ankle has been evaluated, and surgery is not necessary. Kurt Angle has been diagnosed with hyperflex in his elbow, but he will not miss any time. RVD is working through a sprained hand. Rey Mysterio is having an MRI on his sore knees. If he's performing this well on sore knees, think about how good he'll be 100%. Undertaker will have surgery on his elbow after No Mercy and the international tour. Bubba's pinched nerve issue has improved. Kanyon hopes to get his release next week. Maven will be released around 10/22. Both will report to OVW to get back into ring shape. Sean O'Haire is still 3 weeks out. JR also reports on the activities of Bradshaw, Nash, Jazz, Lita, Rhyno, and Scotty 2 Hotty. Lots of updates this week. (Credit WWE.com Ross Report)
Notable Notes - David Flair is out of WWE's developmental program and is schedualed for a 2 week tour in England. JR comments that the Un-American gimmick is over, and that Storm and Regal will team up in the future. He also comments on a diva's shoot in progress in Arizona. They are shooting in shifts. The Raw girls are shooting first, then Smackdown. JR also hints at a possible Raw/Smackdown trade in the future. Also of note, WWE.com features a story on Batista out shooting some videos at Samford. This can only mean one thing, a big push.
My Thoughts - This week we find out that WWE is eliminating an old, long standing title. Ladies and Gentlemen, a moment of silence for the soon to be missed Intercontinental Title.......Thank you. The good news, WWE is creating a Smackdown Tag Team title. Good because I thought that the tag team titles shouldn't be confined to one show. A friend of mine and I agreed that the Tag Champs should have been able to float between shows, but this is fine. But here's my question, why where Billy and Chuck eliminated from the tournament so early? By D-Von and Faarooq no less? Well, a Faarooq heel turn was unexpected, but we'll see how this new team works out. My call? At No Mercy it will be the Guererros vs Edge and his partner, possibly John Cena. This gives WWE a chance to turn Cena like they plan and give Eddie and Chavo titles that they deserve. Look for other good teams like Rey and Kidman, Noble and Tajiri, and Angle and Benoit to have an impact in the tournament. A thought, will Brock and Matt team up? Doubtfull.
Also of note, the upstart NWATNA organization will begin airing a show Xplosion this Tuesday. What station? They said "go to the website to find out" but they tell you nothing. Oh well, their loss. Gotta run. Take care all and enjoy the site. Hit number 2000 coming soon. Until next time...
September 28, 2002
Injuries - Mark Henry has some bone chips in his ankle and may be out a while. Good. The less I see of Mark Henry, the better. Bubba Ray Dudley had a pinched nerve in his neck that aparently has cause him arm issues (see dropping Lance Storm on his head at Unforgiven and botching the powerbomb on Triple H on Raw). RVD has an injured hand but is working through the pain. Chris Nowinski had jaw surgery and will be out 4-6 weeks. Kanyon should get his medical clearance in a couple of weeks. He will return to OVW to get him in ring shape. Of note, WWE was about to call Kanyon back up to TV before he was injured. Rhyno is back in the ring preparing for a now late November/early December return. Jazz is now expected to return in December. After beeing dropped on his head in the match with Brock Lesnar, Hardcore Holly has been unbooked for a while.(Credit WWE.com Ross Report)
Notable Notes - JR notes that they had a meeting with Ultimo Dragon (JR called him "Ultimate Dragon") and that he is coming to WWE. He is still recovering from a botched arm surgery, but they expect to see him in 2003. JR also mentions that many other cruiserweights are being evaluated for future WWE contracts. Personally, I'd like to see guys like AJ Styles and Low Ki in WWE. Also, look for Nova, current OVW champ, in the Smackdown cruiserweight division in the future. WWE recently released Mike Awesome, Shawn Stasiak, and Mike Bollea, better known as Horace Hogan, have all been released from contracts. JR puts over Matt Hardy's character development and hints at a future John Cena heel turn. I expect Cena to revert to his Prototype character in the future. JR also mentions an odd paring of D-Von and Faarooq in the future. He also sees Doug Basham, Nick Dinsmore, and Rob Conway being called up soon as well.
My Thoughts - Unforgiven was an interesting show, despite the bad ending of the double DQ. Yeah, Taker hasn't lost in a while, and Vengance doesn't count, Rock pinned Angle. I like the new Tag Champs of Kane and Hurricane. Let's see where they go. Honestly...wrestling news has been the farthest thing from my mind lately. I've been working hard, and my thoughts have been a little clouded. A buddy of mine went into surgery the day after Unforgiven, and I found out today that he had a few complications from the surgery. He doesn't know this, but another friend and I are planning to drop in on him next Friday to see how he's doing. Other than Tough Enough 3 wrapping up, there hasn't been a heck of a lot of interesting news. JR mentioning Ultimo Dragon came out of left field. WWE is still looking to beef up it's cruiserweight division, which is extremely entertaining in my opinion.
In other notes, I've gotten a few requests for CAW's and movelists. Just to let you know, I'm working on them. The movelists take FOREVER!!! If I get things to look the way I want, I may just post the movelists I have on another page. As you can also see, I'm making a few changes in the way my site is looking. A buddy of mine is into graphic design and he's helping me out. Also in the future, I may not be the only one reporting. If I can get a couple of my friends to commit to a weekly column, we may have more news and views on Top Rope Talk. Until next time...
September 21, 2002
Injuries - "Nothing too new on the injury front, which is about as good news as we can get these days. Normal bumps and bruises, as this ain't ballet, but many of the talents are working through their discomfort." Direct quote from the WWE.com Ross Report. Then he adds that Harvard Chris will be getting jaw surgery and will be out 4-6 weeks.
Notable Notes - JR did mention a "quick stop-over in Seattle" this coming week. It is also rumored that WWE is going to announce the Wrestlemania site this week. Connections? JR mentions a Rey/Chavo match on Heat. Odd, I thought Heat was a Raw show.
My Thoughts - Decent build up to the big show called Unforgiven...no not Paul Wright. There are some good matches, especially Angle/Benoit and the 8-man match. Triple H and RVD should be good, but not because of The Game. Triple H has skills, but RVD is selling the tickets. Fans want to see RVD with the title. Something tells me, he's not winning it...yet. Passing the IC to Jericho was a good move. Finally they gave Y2J some props. Jericho has quickly become one of the most hated heels in the business. Almost to Ric Flair's level back in the day. It only makes sence that Flair be the one to pass the torch.
On another subject, whatever happened to John Cena's push? A few weeks ago, Cena was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Edge, Rey, and Angle being called "the future of Smackdown." The last few weeks, he's jobbed to D-Von and Lesnar. Ok, Cena was OVW champ while Lesnar only got as far up as the OVW tag titles. Lesnar is the WWE Champ and Cena...well...he's jobbing.
One last note...I've gotten a few requests this week in my feedback, fear not, I'm working on them. I had someone request ALL my move lists! That's going to take some time. Also, look for Josh from TE1 and Pete from TE2 later in my CAW's. Until next time...
September 14, 2002
Injuries - Bradshaw tore his left bicep in his match on Monday. It required surgery and he will be out 4-6 months. As reported earlier, Sean O'Haire is out for 6 weeks with a torn muscle in his abdomen. Jazz should be cleared in a couple of weeks. Rhyno is on-target for his November return to wrestling. He will probably wrestle in OVW for a while to knock of some ring rust. Eric Angle has recently returned to OVW after a long absence due to injury.
Notable Notes - Tough Enough 3 will finish taping in early October. Ivory and Bill DeMott (Hugh Morrus) will return to action then. Al Snow is expected to take some time off before returning himself. JR comments on Raw's decline and Smackdown's improvement. JR also expects several more of the OVW talents to be called up soon. Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing Nova in WWE TV.
My Thoughts - Smackdown was better than I thought! Actually, it was very enjoyable. This proves a long standing theory of many wrestling fans: Bischoff = Ratings. I knew it had to me some kind of swerve. It made for some great TV. My thing was, since I regularly read the spoilers, I knew in advance what was going down. Honestly, the spoiler ruined it for me. I was excited after I read it, and since I knew what was going down, I just smiled when I saw it. I didn't jump around and "mark out" like I have in the past. Oh, well. Raw and Smackdown need to level out and produce a string of solid shows to build up Unforgiven. Lesnar and RVD may be able to get people to see the shows and the addition of Angle/Benoit was huge this week, but I'm worried about the drawing power of Taker and Triple H. The Internet crowd dislikes their push and longs for new talent, including main event pushes for Booker T, Kane, and RVD. Raw could be such a good show with it's talent AND Bischoff, but Raw has been slumping. I can't fix the ratings or the show, but feedback can. On the WWE website, viewers are encouraged to give their feedback on the shows. I've done it before. I didn't get any response, but there seemed to be some changes made. Much of my feedback pre-dates Booker T's push and how much I thought Booker in the nWo was bad. Well, Booker turned face, was "kicked" out of the nWo and has since become a huge face on Raw and a good draw. We'll see how things turn out.
September 11 has come and gone without an incident. Ladies and Gentlemen of the world...give peace a chance. Please. Is it really worth the fight? Why should we kill each other just because? It does not make sense. Oh, well. The only thing September 11 this year did for me was give my site it's 1000th hit. My CAW's are taking off. Enjoy them and keep coming back for the news. Until next time...
September 07, 2002
Injuries - Taker hyperextended his elbow and will wear a brace for a while. Sean O'Haire had a muscle tear in his groin (ouch) and will be out about six weeks. Surgery is not necessary. Mark Henry sprained his ankle. Chris Nowinski is having jaw issues after getting popped in the jaw a few weeks ago. Rosie of the Island Boys is working through his hip flexor issue. Rhyno has been cleared to do light ring workouts. He is on target for a November return. Kanyon has a doctor's appointment 9/10 to see when he can resume his wrestling career. Maven is six weeks out. Jazz could be released soon for ring work to come back from her knee surgery.
Notable Notes - JR dispells the Scott Steiner rumors, again. Several websites reported that WWE was becoming interested in Steiner, but JR says that is false. Don't expect to see The Rock until after the first of the year due to movie committments. JR talked about the opening of the new arena where OVW puts on their shows and put over some of their home grown talent, such as Lesnar, Orton, Rico, and John Cena. The 5 Tough Enough "kids" will be taping episodes of blind date in the next couple of weeks.
My Thoughts - Interesting week of shows. First, we have Bischoff bringing back the World (WCW) title and giving it to Triple H, and then we have Billy and Chuck's "wedding." Hmmmm...where do I begin.
Let's start with the easy one, Billy and Chuck. Now, WWE wanted to do this a long time ago with Scotty 2 Hotty and Grandmaster Sexay back when they where Too Much. They didn't, and that was a good thing in my opinion. Now, I thought B & C where supposed to be ambiguously gay, not really gay. The difference is one is "I want to suck your dick" and the other is "I don't want to suck your dick, but I make everyone think I want to by the way I act." Hopefully, this is just a swerve. They set up this whole thing because they want to be Tag Team Partners for life. They'll be like "We're not gay! How could you think that?" Otherwise, it will follow B & C all through their careers. Mr. Ass still follows Billy Gunn.
Now Triple H. Let's see how this was. Remember way back when Triple H came to Raw. That was the same show Lesnar left for Smackdown. Triple H kicked out his competition for the headliner heel character when he came over. Now, his competition is the Champ. Triple H, with all his stroke, said "Let's make a title for me now" and there it is. Honestly, I'm pretty sure Triple H is only dating (insert "fucking") Stephanie just so he can stay at the top. Triple H is a master politician, but it was these same type of politics that killed WCW. Notice how WWE has fallen off since SummerSlam? Who's main evented both Raw's? Triple H, while his competition, Lesnar is having mid-card squash matches (Matt Hardy and Randy Orton). Brock, you may be the champ, but welcome to the glass celing. It's name, is Triple H. Until next time...
August 31, 2002
Injuries - "Nothing significantly new on the injury front." Direct quote from the Ross Report. Aparently not. Oh, well. He did mention that Jaquiline will return to action soon. Aparently she had some kind of surgery that he never mentioned before.
Notable Notes - Short, bland Ross Report this week. JR spent most of his time putting over other talent. For those who are asking, and I understand if you are, that WAS the real, original Kane on Raw. That sure didn't look like Glen Jacobs body-wise but it was. During his time off, he couldn't do much lifting because of the torn bicep. So aparently instead, he worked a lot of cardio and lost a lot of weight. That will be good for him in the long run.
My Thoughts - A very disappointing Raw after a great SummerSlam. I'll go out on a limb and say it was the greatest SummerSlam ever and the second best PPV ever, next to Wrestlemaina X7. Smackdown was an overall good show. The Undertaker jump was predictable, but let's sit back and see where this one goes.
Back to Raw, what a match between Tommy Dreamer and RVD! That was the highlight of the show for sure. The other day, when I was browsing my usuall wrestling sites (411 and Torch, links at the bottom) I came across an article by PWTorch writer Brian Mitchell. Now, Mitchell is one of the many writers who nowadays thinks it's cool to berade people and dis WWE just because it is the "in" thing to do. The only thing that caught my eye in this article was the way he cut down Tommy Dreamer after the display of emotion he had after the match with RVD. Think about it this way: Have you ever in your life poured so much emotion into something that when it was done you where spent? To say the least, Dreamer cried after that match. Let's put a few things in perspective, shall we? Dreamer is the "Innovator of Violence" and was king in ECW. Dreamer personifies Hardcore. Dreamer is also from Yonkers, NY, and it is reported that his dream was to one day have a match at MSG. Now, after SummerSlam, Dreamer is approached by the writers. Great news! He will have a match at MSG. A hardcore match no less! Suddenly, he gets to show of on the biggest stage of his life. Next they tell him he's going to have to job to RVD and the Hardcore title will be no more...FOREVER! WHAAAM! Just like a ton of bricks falling on your head, it's over. Dreamer was the Hardcore champ. He had a chance to make the title legit with the 24/7 rule gone. He had a chance to elevate himself to one day, one day, maybe work his way to the WWE title picture, or at least the IC. Instead, they destroy his reason for being on TV. They eliminate his push. Oh, well, there's always eating a dip from a spit cup. To say the least, I gave Mitchell a piece of my mind and challenged him to think of a time when he worked so hard for something, finally got it, and had it all taken away. Thoughs to chew on for a while. Until next time...
August 24, 2002
Injuries - Trish Stratus and Charles Robinson had their eyes washed out after the mud match. It was reported that they accidentaly wiped their eyes with a towel that had methanol on it. RVD is working through elbow issues that will be re-evaluated next week. Rosie of the Island Boys has an issue with his hip flexor. Weight may be an issue with this one. Maven will be out 8 more weeks with ankle problems as a result of his previous injury. Sean O'Haire is battling a pulled groin and a deep muscle strain in his abdomen. The Big Valbowski is still having neck issues, but JR expects him back in a few weeks. Jazz is healing well from her surgery. She could be back as early as September. Nash is healing well. Saturn could return in October. Expect Rhyno possibly in November. (Credit WWE.com Ross Report)
Notable Notes - X-PAC SUCKS! X-PAC SUCKS! X-PAC's...Gone? That's right. Due to previously reported issues backstage, X-Pac has been released from his contract. I expect X-Pac to show up on NWATNA programming soon and be running buddies again with Scott Hall. Not much else in the Ross Report other than hype for SummerSlam.
My Thoughts - Ladies and Gentlemen, SummerSlam is upon us. I will go on record as saying that SummerSlam has the potential of being the best WWE PPV since Wrestlemania X7. On paper, SummerSlam is huge. I really can't wait to see it. I would greatly suggest to anyone to see this show. This is a must see for sure. There has been a lot of hype, true, but this show is worth it. The story lines behind each match have been great. Especially the main event. It was a great idea to hype the main event as the first ever meeting between Lesnar and Rock. HHH/HBK is great. One can only hope HBK can put together something from back on his prime, but I doubt it. Here's my predictions:
Lesnar wins clean over The Rock. This was given away by yet another early release magazine. Also by the magazine, expect Lesnar to feud with Taker after winning the title. HHH beats HBK. I expect HHH to baby HBK and this won't be what we expect. Honestly, I think the ending might be a let down if there's no ref and no pinfall. Remember the Taker/DDP "fight" last year? Crap. Let's hope this isn't another one of those. Benoit defends over RVD with Steph and Bischoff getting involved. Taker over Test. Angle over Rey, with possibly a save by Kidman. There is also a possibility this could be the match Kane interferes in. Edge could get a win, but I see Eddie winning by cheating, like feet on the ropes. Storm and Christian should defend, but if Booker and Goldust win, they could feud with the Island Boys. Jericho over Flair. Remember, WATCH THIS SHOW!!! Until next time...
August 17, 2002
Injuries - Kevin Nash is working hard in rehab. He has pictures on his website BigSexyKevinNash.com. The Big Valbowski is having an MRI on his neck this weekend. Chris Kanyon is on the road to recovery. Look for his return in a few weeks. Maven's leg and ankle are being re-evaluated by the US Olympic Ski Team doctor due to poor healing. (Credit WWE.com Ross Report)
Notable Notes - JR updates us on Goldberg talks, or lack there of. No news on that front. Batista is being tapped for a face run against D-Von. JR puts over SummerSlam and hypes the HHH/HBK "fight."
My Thoughts - First, as I noted on the top of the page. My work schedule changed. I work nights now, so I can't get my update by Friday. It will now be early Saturday morning, early meaning 1-2 AM. Sorry for the inconvienience. I notice that there are a few people reading this weekly. Heck, even if you're just stopping in for a No Mercy CAW, drop me a line. Tell me what you think. Write Me!
Well, with this weeks jumps, Stacy Keibler and Matt Hardy, we've got a little story to them. Matt, well, he was feeling bummed at being overshadowed by his younger brother. So, he screws Jeff out of the IC title shot and runs to Smackdown. I still think Matt Hardy Version 1.0 will be a heel judging by Hardcore, Hurricane, and Shannon Moore's reactions. Now, Stacy's jump, in my opinion, had more to do with backstage antics than storyline. It is a little known fact that Stacy Keibler and Test are an item. Gawd, I've never wanted to be Test more in my life right now. Beware, however. It has also been reported that Stacy is getting a little bit of the "Diva" syndrome that was previously suffered by Sunny, Sable, and Chyna. Now, if you don't know, the "Diva" syndrome has everything to do with the sterotypical diva. The most recent sufferer, Chyna, didn't like what they where doing with her, wrestling only women. So, not long after Wrestlemania X7, she was taken off TV. Her contract was up November of last year. In negotiations, Chyna wanted a raise. They offered her one, but she wanted more money. Almost 3 times what they wanted to pay her. Talks reached an impass and Chyna was not resigned. Another one bites the dust. Next week, SummerSlam preview and my picks. Until next time...
August 9, 2002
Injuries - Hulk Hogan has had lower back pain which, quoting JR, has caused him problems "simply bending over to lace his boots." The Big Valbowski was injured in a weightlifting accident where a piece of equipment fell and hit him in the head. Val had several stitches and neck strain. Maven's leg isn't healing as well as it was expected and his ankle is also swollen. Triple H is wrestling his first matches since his elbow surgery on the Global Warning tour.(Credit WWE.com Ross Report)
Notable Notes - JR commented on Hogan's lower back as the reason why he didn't make the Global Warning Tour. Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman replaced Hogan on the tour. JR expects Kane to return soon, but hints at a possibility of coming to Smackdown instead of Raw. JR also praises several wrestlers, and hints that Rico could be seeing more singles action. JR also apologized to fans at MSG for Triple H's autograph signing. He said that even if Triple H was there all day, he still wouldn't be able to get through the whole line. Other notes on X-Pac: As reported on 411wrestling.com, X-Pac is in some heat backstage and has been un-booked from TV indefinitely. Also, aparently, Smackdown recieved it's lowest rating ever. I don't know why. F'n baseball. WWE needs to get Smackdown off of UPN.
My Thoughts - WWE has been working on some very story driven shows lately. There have been many complaints on the length of the HBK/HHH ending of Raw. I have also read several positive comments regarding that ending. Smackdown was also very solid. I think Kurt Angle is on the top of his game right now. Think about this: Angle has been in pro wrestling for less than 4 years. He's won about every title he could win. He has amazing wrestling ability. He's great on the mike, and his character is one you love to hate. Also of note, singing "You Suck" to Angle first began at a Smackdown taping before No Way Out 2001 at Kansas City, which I was at and helped begin. Yes, that's right. I helped start the "You Suck" chants to Angle over his song. People where already chanting "You Suck" to him during matches, but no one was singing it until KC. Think about that a bit. Enjoy Raw Monday. We'll find out what those papers Bischoff got on Smackdown. Until next time...
August 2, 2002
Injuries - Chris Kanyon is doing much better. JR says that he lost around 25 pounds due to illness caused by the infection. He will have an open wound on his shoulder for a while. Kane has been released from doctor's care. Expect to see him as early as Monday. No other news on injuries. (Credit WWE.com Ross Report)
Notable Notes - JR spent a good deal discussing ending WWE's affiliation with HWA and several of the talent cuts. JR addressed rumors regarding ill feelings he and Jerry Lawler supposedly had when Michael Cole and Tazz supplanted them at the PPV. He pushed those aside as simply rumors. JR put over Tough Enough 3 and the talent with guest appearances as well as the instructors Al Snow, Ivory, and Hugh Morrus, who is going by his real name Bill DeMott.
My Thoughts - Ladies and Gentlemen, I think wrestling is back. WWE has been putting out consistantly good shows for the last two weeks. If you haven't been watching, you've been missing a lot. Monday, I like the fact that my favorite wrestler, Lance Storm, is now live on my TV. Also, the whodunnit with HBK. My call? Big Show. Plus, Eric Bischoff is making this some of the most entertaining TV in a long time. Thursday, very solid. Rey Mysterio had another great outing. The Nidia/Cole thing was funny. Hogan is in a major storyline, but he's not the champ, which is a good thing. Plus, with the trading of titles, Tag for IC, Benoit moves to Smackdown. Great match with Edge and Rock BTW. Sit back and watch things developing. Until next time...
July 26, 2002
Injuries - Chris Kanyon, who is working in OVW, seperated his shoulder. The shoulder got infected and Kanyon was hospitalized. Later Kanyon was moved to the ICU for fluid in his lungs. Kanyon will spend the weekend getting treatment. Randy Orton is recovering from his concussion. Kane looks to be cleared by the end of the month. Triple H will return to the ring in early August. Maven is expecting to be cleared in a couple of weeks. Lita will be able to remove her hard collar next week. (Credit WWE.com Ross Report)
Notable Notes - JR has spent the week evaluating the Tough Enough 3 competitors and hyped the next season, which will air in October. Three of the top 25 dropped out after some of the physical conditioning and basic in-ring activities. We'll see during the casting special. WWE made more cuts recently, notably Sharmell Sullivan. Sharmell was better known as Paisley in WCW. She was first the escort to The Maestro (what a horrible gimmick) and then to Kwee Wee. We saw her in the last "Divas" shoot. Sharmell has been rehabbing her knee after an injury. JR also hyped the Global Warning Tour in Austrailia in early August.
My Thoughts - I agree with JR. This was a great week of TV. The problem is, I missed most of the Vengance main event because my parents called during it. My Dad has some kind of timing. He almost always seems to call when wrestling is on. Very solid shows for both Raw and Smackdown. Raw was highlighted by Triple H's heel turn and Brock Lesnar leaving for Smackdown. Not to mention great matches from RVD, Jeff Hardy, The Rock, and Eddie Guererro. Smackdown's highlights are not hard to see either. Rey Mysterio's amazing debut and the cliffhanger ending. I may be wrong, but I'm calling right now. The one who left was Randy Orton. Many on the net are thinking Hogan, but they don't need Hogan on Raw. They need to strengthen the undercard. We've got a lot of guys on top, now put someone under them. Not much else to say. Here's to another great week of WWE TV. Until next time...
July 19, 2002
Injuries - Randy Orton suffered a concussion, but has been cleared to return. Kane is 2 weeks away, as is Triple H. Chris Nowinski chipped a tooth at RAW. Steven Richards has several staples in his head from the Singapore Cane match on RAW. Kevin Nash will stay in Birmingham until further notice, much like Triple H did, as he works to come back from his injury. Maven will return in a couple weeks. Rhyno has targeted early November for his return. (Credit WWE.com Ross Report)
Notable Notes - JR announced in the Ross Report that WWE has ceased its association with HWA and will be consolidating its developmental talent in OVW. Among those cut where EZ Money, Kim Nielson, and Mike Sanders. I'm sorry to see "Above Average" Mike Sanders go, but his foot injury raised questions on his ability to return. WWE has called up lots of talent from their developmental territories recently, expect to see more in the future. At the time of the Ross Report, Tough Enough III's top 25 had been selected. The Billy and Chuck vs Hardcore Holly and Big Valbowski was initially taped for Velocity, but was aired on Smackdown. Now did they cut a match from Smackdown?
My Thoughts - Well, they've gone and done it. They had to bring Stephanie back on TV. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'm cool with Bischoff simply because he is different than anything they've ever had before. I don't want to see Steph any more. Keep the bitch off TV. Put Shane-O as the Smackdown GM, please! I'm begging you! There has already been a huge internet backlash to this from what I've read so far. Not many are ready to give her a chance. You know, if the ratings go down even more, WWE may finally see who is causing them. No more Steph! That's just my 2 cents.
Vengance is shaping up well. Jamie Noble gave away his match early on Byte This, so I knew he was facing Kidman last weekend. I like Booker T as well, but I don't like the feud with Big Show. They really need to end it and move Booker on to bigger and better things. I think they can finally put an end to this at Vengance. The abrupt end to the nWo was also a shock, but not so much when you consider the injury to Nash. My only question is, what are they going to do with Shawn Michaels? He could have been in consideration for the GM spots, but nepotisim got to Vince and he gave it to Steph! Steph?!? Anyway, we'll see how Vengance turns out. Here's my picks: Rock wins the title (given away by a early released magazine featuring Rock vs Lesnar at Summerslam), Noble defends, Edge turns on Hogan and joins Team Canada, Booker over Show, Lesnar wins by interference, but RVD gets revenge and somehow gets a part of the Summerslam main event. Eddie and Benoit put the Dudleys through tables. If RVD wins the IC, expect him to feud with Benoit. Until next time...
July 12, 2002
Injuries - Yes, Kevin Nash's injury on Raw was legit. Kevin Nash tore his quad and had surgery Tuesday. Nash will be out 6-8 months. JR says Nash is "hell-bent on returning, as he certainly does not want Monday's match to be his last." Triple H is expected to make an in-ring return in early August. Kane is doing promotional work in Australia. Expect him back in 3-4 weeks. Maven is also 3-4 weeks away from returning. Godfather is undergoing therapy for his neck issues. Rhyno will begin in-ring workouts in August. His return is targeted for November. Jazz is expected back in September or October from her knee injury. Lita will be in a hard collar for a month or two. (Credit WWE.com Ross Report)
Notable Notes - Expect to see more vignettes and videos featuring existing talent and coming-soon talent. Rey Mysterio, Jr.'s vignettes have gotten a huge response. 2 WEEKS AND COUNTING!! FIRST SMACKDOWN AFTER VENGANCE!!! JR addresses the "soft" touring business that they are experiencing. In layman's terms, they're not turning as high a profit as they would like. JR attributes this to the shows are not as high quality as there has been in the past. Right now, they are in a "rebuilding period," and that when they finally get out of this slump, it will be because they "established some NEW talents, enhanced some of our existing talents, gotten some people healthy, and changed the creative mix, especially on the top side of the cards." The WWE knows what they are doing, but it is going to take some time. Ladies and Gentlemen, don't turn your backs on the WWE just yet. JR also clears up some internet rumors about Jerry Lynn and why he was released from the WWE.
My Thoughts - Well, as I said, don't turn your backs yet. WWE has a few good shows left in them. Besides, things will turn around. All is not lost. There has been a lot of talk on the net about NWA:TNA recently. They have had a few shows, and some very good ones for that matter. Many people are impressed with the "X Title" that they have. It is basically a cruiserweight title currently held by AJ Styles. They say that the cruiserweights are a huge highlight to the show. Many include Jerry Lynn, AJ Styles, Low Ki, Tony Mamaluke, and many others I can't name. I saw many of these guys in action during the one WWA PPV I bought a few months back. Trust me, these guys are impressive. WWE right now is doing a lot to build a cruiserweight division. Tajiri, Kidman, Noble, and Hurricane have been very good. Chavo and Funaki are strong performers that also need to be added to this list. Keep in mind that in 2 WEEKS, REY MYSTERIO DEBUTS ON SMACKDOWN!!! You think I'm a little excited? Until next time...
July 5, 2002
Injuries - X-Pac had an inflamed sciatic nerve, which is why he didn't wrestle all this week. JR says he should wrestle Monday. Kevin Nash has been medically cleared to return to work. Expect to see him in tag matches to start. JR says they need him to step up into main events soon. Triple H should be 100% in 3-4 weeks. Kane is 4 weeks out. Maven is expected to be released in 2 weeks. Agent Dave Hebner had major knee surgery and will be off the road for a few months. Referee Tim White is out of action for 4 months after rotator cuff surgery. He will cover for Hebner in two weeks. Lita is going to be in a hard collar for about 2 more months. JR expects to see her back January 2003 and to be a big part of Wrestlemania next year. Perry Saturn was backstage at Smackdown and is expected to get his release soon. (Credit WWE.com Ross Report)
Notable Notes - Dispite what has been reported on many sites, WWE is not actively trying to get in touch with Goldberg or Scott Steiner. JR said there have been no calls regarding this talent in the last few weeks. JR says that Tazz's in ring days are numbered as he is ready to devote 100% of his time to broadcasting. For those who don't know, in the latest issue of Raw magazine, Tazz discusses a neck injury he got back in '94, taking a spike piledriver from Dean Malenko and 2 Cold Scorpio in ECW. Tazz details that he never had surgery because the current surgeries being performed on talent such as Steve Austin, Lita, Chris Benoit, and Scotty 2 Hotty wasn't available back then. In the ring, Tazz was in fear of getting injured again and becoming a paraplegic. JR also brought up the possibility of DDP coming back for broadcasting. DDP is just getting aclimated to being "retired" and is not ready to jump back in yet.
My Thoughts - Happy 4th to you and yours. Mine was not that eventful, even though I went up with a good friend's family and celebrated. I would have rather spent time with my fiancee. See My Info for details. Well, due to pre-empting with baseball and the 4th, I have not even seen Smackdown yet. My local listings show Smackdown scheduled for Saturday at 8. Aparently, my local UPN is enthralled with showing our last place Royals over a much higher rated TV show. I think WWE should take Smackdown off of UPN and go to somewhere like NBC or FOX. Heck, just move it all to TNN for all I care. TNN has improved. They just need to get that rodeo stuff off the channel and pick up some better programs. Well, I see that we have new tag champs in Hogan and Edge. This does elevate the tag titles off of Billy and Chuck. Where they are going with this, I'm not sure. But how are they going to work Jericho into this? Are we going Hogan/Edge vs Jericho/Angle for the titles at Vengance? I called this now. We'll see if I'm right. Until next time...
June 28, 2002
Injuries - Triple H is recovering from surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. JR says he will be out a month. Chris Benoit gets his medical release today. Expect to see him in action soon. Kevin Nash will resume in ring activities in about 1-2 weeks. Edge returned on Smackdown from what was initially thought to be a long recovery from a shoulder injury, but surgery was deemed unnecessary. Of note, if Edge did have surgery, he would have been out 3-4 months. Kane looks to be 6 weeks out from a bicep injury. Expect Kane to feud with the nWo upon his return. (Credit WWE.com Ross Report)
Notable Notes - As many of you have seen, WWE has been airing "He's Coming" vignettes, first during Heat before King of the Ring and during Smackdown this week. Yes, that is Rey Mysterio, Jr. Who, on my list, is the top currently active cruiserweight wrestler in the business. Oddly enough, the WWE has all of the top three on my list under contract. 1. Rey Mysterio, Jr. (He's Coming) 2. Billy Kidman (He's on Smackdown) 3. Nova (He's OVW champ) Rey is going to boost what is already starting out to be a very good cruiserweight division. OVW is turning out a lot of good prospects, with six of their home grown talents getting air time. Rico Constantino, Randy Orton, Leviathan (Deacon Batista), Prototype (John Cena), Rob Conway, and 2002 King of The Ring Brock Lesnar show that WWE's farm system, especially OVW has a lot of talent. Also of note, former WCW and WWE star Bret Hart had a stroke this week. Hart is listed in stable condition, and over time, is expected to regain full use of the left side of his body. Hart retired from WCW after suffering a serious concussion in a match with Goldberg at a PPV. The stroke was not related to the concussion. Speaking of Goldberg, there is no news to report on WWE's attempts on signing Goldberg to a contract.
My Thoughts - King of The Ring, in my opinion, was a decent PPV. It wasn't the best, but it was good from where I'm sitting. KOTR got a lot of negative feed back, but I think that that negativity is coming from a lot of jaded fans who, for some reason or another, just cannot be satisfied. Every body says "Blah, Blah, Blah. WWE sucks. I'm never going to watch it again. Who booked this crap? I could write better than that. Blah, Blah, Blah." They're only saying that because they want to seem "smart" on the internet. Hey, I'm a smart fan. I think WWE is not putting out the best possible material right now, but it is not the worst they could do. Heck, I knew that if Taker defended at KOTR, Triple H was going to have surgery. Rock was there only to set up Rock/Taker at Vengence. Triple H returns, screwing Taker out of the title. Setting up Rock/Lesnar at Summerslam. Now, it would be the ultimate slap-in-the-face to Austin if the Rock does something at that PPV that Austin wouldn't do, loose to Lesnar. Honestly, I don't think Brock Lesnar is ready for the title quite yet. I am wanting to hear him talk more. Maybe turn against Heyman. That would be cool. Also, impressive wrestling debuts by John Cena aka Prototype and Batista on Smackdown this week. Batista is a beast and he needs to be unleashed. I see something like D-Von trying to exercise the demon from Batista in the future, but it goes horribly wrong and Batista becomes Leviathan, Demon of the Deep. He goes back to shaving his head and wearing the red contacts. That would be worth seeing. WWE honestly has a bright future ahead, but there are too many fans putting the WWE down just because it is the cool thing to do. Things will never get better by bitching and moaning. Grow up. You need to support the show and maybe, just maybe, it will return to the greatness we once knew. Until next time...
June 21, 2002
Injuries - Triple H's elbow has become a bit of an issue. As you can see on TV, he is wearing a brace and is working through the pain. Edge will work a little during house shows to test his shoulder. Goldust is working through some back pain. Raven has a sore foot. X-rays where negative as to a stress fracture. Billy pulled his groin (or did Chuck? j/k) and had it wrapped in his match with HHH. Tazz is having surgery to get a lump in his side removed. So don't expect Tazz in the ring for at least 6-7 weeks. (Credit WWE.com Ross Report)
Notable notes - JR announced that Vince Russo has joined the WWE writing team once again. Everyone knows of Russo's past with WWE and with JR personally. For those who don't, Vince Russo came up with the idea for the character "Oklahoma" played by Ed Ferrara in WCW. Plus, if WWE wants to sign Goldberg, which JR addressed in the Ross Report, there have been issues between Goldberg and Russo and that could cause some problems. JR says Rey Mysterio, Jr. could debut at any time. He recently had a dark match on Smackdown with Funaki and he got a great ovation. Hey, here's a spoiler for you, he is coming back masked.
My Thoughts - WWE has been on a roller coaster lately with Austin and HBK and The Rock and all kinds of crazy things going on. I have to say, I have a new found respect for The Rock after Monday. The Rock postponed a movie he was getting ready to make to come back early due to the Austin situation. Austin has lost quite a bit of respect from me. Austin had a legit gripe, but he addressed it the wrong way. He may have destroyed his career with the WWE and he has gotten the label of a trouble maker. What happens with Austin is no longer my concern. I was thinking earlier this week, with DDP retiring from the ring, WWE can put Tazz back in the ring and put DDP on the announce team with Michael Cole on Smackdown. That way, the internet fans of Tazz will stop griping and we have someone with some legit skills announcing for Smackdown. KOTR has shaped up well and it looks to be a good show. Somehow, I see Rey Mysterio, Jr. getting involved with the Crusierweight match, maybe helping out Hurricane in his battle with evil. Who knows? We'll see Sunday. Until next time...
