The Triple Threat 04.12.09: The 135th Edition - WrestleMania XXV, Mick Foley, More

Posted by David Martell on 04.12.2009

This week we give our thoughts on Wrestlemania 25, the WWE Draft, TNA signing a former world champion and much more. Mick Foley is our Superstar Highlight. Enjoy!

Welcome back once again to the Triple Threat Column. We are back from Wrestlemania weekend and what a blast we had. This week we give our thoughts on Wrestlemania 25, the WWE draft, the new RoH World Champion, Tazz leaving the WWE, and TNA signing a former world champion. Mick Foley is out superstar highlight so lets get this started!

Topic # 1 What are your thoughts on Wrestlemania 25?

David Martell: Actually being at Wrestlemania is something I will never forget. I had a great time and it was something I have always dreamed of doing. Wrestlemania itself, was middle of the road. It wasn't the worst Wrestlemania but it definitely wasn't the best. The MITB ladder match was good as always. The big men played their parts well and when Mark Henry was attempting to jump off the turnbuckle to the outside, my brain almost exploded! I think Kofi really shined in this match but he has a long way before he is as good as Shelton. CM Punk winning again was a bit of a shock. No one saw this coming and I was a bit disappointed. I like CM Punk but I was hoping Shelton or Christian would get the win. Overall, it was a lot of fun. Kid Rock wasn't that bad but It was useless and something very forgettable. The 25 diva battle royal was pretty god awful. It seemed like no one knew what was going on. Santino, I mean Santina, was funny but it was just plain useless. Jericho vs. the Legends was way better than I expected. Steamboat still looks great in the ring and I actually wouldn't mind if he has a match with Jericho at Backlash. I am glad Jericho won because it was realistic but it was sad that Jericho had to sell so many shots by Snuka. Snuka should be NO WHERE near a wrestling ring. He barely remembered how to tap. It turned into a decent match because of Steamboat but I still think Jericho deserved better. Rourke was executed terribly as well. Matt vs. Jeff delivered in my eyes. It had some good spots and if the match was a bit longer, it could have been four stars easily. I am digging the new Matt Hardy. His new look, his promos, even his wrestling seems to have gotten better. The twist of fate with the chair was amazing. That is one of the sickest movies I have seen in a long time. I hope Matt continues to step it up and I hope one day he will get a World Title. JBL vs. Rey was a fluke. Terrible match. HBK vs. Taker on the other hand, was one of the greatest matches I have ever seen. I am so happy I got to see this live. The crowd was absolutely amazing for this match. You couldn't even hear yourself scream. These guys busted their asses and but on one of the best Mania matches of all time. These guys are legends in their own right and I doubt we will see a match this good for a long, long time. This was a five star match. Unfortunately, the crowd was pretty much dead after this match. The triple threat match for the World title was decent but it seemed like no one cared. I can live with Cena winning and the promo Cena and Edge cut on Smackdown was awesome. I hope their singles match at Backlash will be better than their match at Mania. Stone Cold Steve Austin's last appearance will be memorable for me. The crowd was hot for this and he deserved a proper farewell. The most disappointing match at Wrestlemania was Randy Orton vs. Triple H. The WWE really dropped the ball her by not letting Orton win. Orton is becoming more popular every week and seems like they are not noticing. The match was unexciting and executed poorly. I hope this feud ends at Backlash. Overall, Wrestlemania 25 was fun but it could have been a lot better.

Alex Mattis: My oh' my what a good time this was. I had an absolute blast at the show and thought that most of it was pretty solid. The MITB was pretty decent for what it was. The tag title match was very solid. The IC title match was... all part of the plan. Shawn-Taker.... oh em gee, what else is left to be said about this match. Amazing. Close to the full monty, it was a match that completely blew any and all of my expectations. The live atmosphere incredible and it one that I won't ever forget. The triple threat was fun, many people didn't enjoy it but I thought it was really good and worked well. Plus I totally dug the "will the real John Cena please stand up" entrance. As for the main event... I thought it was awful and the only match on the card I didn't enjoy. All in all though I had an amazing time, one that I couldn't have dreamt of. As much as I may dislike Vince and his product, he supplied me with one of the best nights of my life.

Zach Brown: Well, Wrestlemania 25 is in the books, and I must say that I had a great time. But that was mostly due to the fact that we were there live in Houston. If this was a PPV that I had ordered at home, I probably would have completely shat all over this card besides some obvious exceptions. First, lets talk about what was good. HBK vs. Taker probably ranks somewhere on my top 3 matches of all time, and it's definitely the best live match I've ever seen. Everyone and their dog has been talking about this match, but it lives up to the hype in every sense. And it was beyond great seeing Stone Cold Steve Austin's last appearance in wrestling. I went absolutely ape shit. Hardy vs Hardy was also great. A great grudge match, and one of the sickest finishes I've ever seen. I am now a self-proclaimed Matt Hardy fan. And how can you go wrong with Money in the Bank? Such a great match, and everyone got their moment to shine. I admit, I wasn't too thrilled with Punk winning 2 years in a row, but I definitely didn't see it coming. The unified Tag Title match was also great, but I'm one of the select few that got to see it because WWE made some lamebrain decision to make it a dark match, and have Kid Rock take up a good 15 minutes of time for no reason whatsoever. Someone should be fired for that decision. And Jericho vs. the Legends was actually not that bad thanks to Steamboat still being able to go in the ring. Snuka and Piper made it nearly unwatchable, but Steamboat impressed everyone, and that's what saved the match. Moving on, the Triple Threat match and HHH vs. Orton were both just ok. But it's upsetting that they were just average because they are the main events of Wrestlemania. And HHH winning was just not the right decision in my opinion. There were a ton of RKO chants in Houston, and I didn't hear a single HHH chant. But oh well. I was extremely disappointed in the 25-diva battle royal. I was actually looking forward to this match, but everyone was confused because no one knew exactly who was competing. It was always, "Oh there's Molly Holly! And she's gone. Damn." But it's not like it mattered because all of it turned out to be a giant Santino joke. I like Santino a lot, but it shows that WWE doesn't take their women's division as seriously as they should. But the thing that boiled my blood was the JBL vs. Rey match. I don't like either of these guys, but I trusted WWE to make me realize why this match was on the card. I thought that if even these guys could deliver at Wrestlemania, then the whole night is a success. But just like Kane vs. Chavo before it, it turns out to be an absolute waste. I never want to see a match like this ever again at Wrestlemania. It's not funny, and it's just a missed opportunity. All in all, Wrestlemania feels like an odd mix of amazing moments and terrible ones that don't belong at Mania. I loved being there in Houston, but I'm confident that if I had ordered the PPV, I would have spent about 60% of it screaming at my television.

Topic # 2 WWE‘s Draft takes place this Monday on RAW. Who do you think will switch brands?

David Martell: The draft is always a fun time for WWE fans. This draft seems to be a bit hard to predict but I will try my best. I think Batista will be drafted to Smackdown. I think he's going to get the pin to help Triple H keep his title at Backlash but then demand a title shot. I think Jeff Hardy will be drafted back to RAW. Matt Hardy has proven himself and no longer needs Jeff to beat up on. I think Edge will be drafted to RAW since Vicky is the RAW general manager. I also think CM Punk will get drafted to Smackdown. With Punk winning his second MITB ladder match, I have a feeling that he could have a longer title reign on the Smackdown roster. I think John Morrison will be drafted to Smackdown. I think its his time to move onto singles competition and I think the Miz will stay on ECW also as a singles competitor. I think Christian will get moved to RAW because he could feud with Edge eventually. I think Kane will be the sole person to get moved to ECW. ECW is there to make new talent, there's no need in giving the brand anyone else except a veteran. I think JR and Michael Cole will trade places once again. That's how I see the draft going. I would like for Jack Swagger and Evan Borne to changes brands as well but I just don't see it happening quite yet. Who knows, I could be completely wrong. I am just excited for Monday night.

Alex Mattis: IT'S TIME TO SHAKE THINGS UP MUH FUGGAS!!! It's always a fun time for the E when the draft comes around. Every year we always get at least one good surprise and expect this year to be no different. I would like to think that Christian is going to get traded away to a bigger show but with the way Vince & Co. have been completely dickin' him around I highly doubt that. The E seems to be really high on Jack Swagger, just no one knows about him right now so I could see him going to a bigger show. Same goes for Matt Sydal. As for the surprise draft this year for some reason I feel that Edge may get drafted to Raw as a big twist... but we'll see.

Zach Brown: I feel kind of unprepared for the draft because I'm still cooling off after Wrestlemania. But at least it makes Backlash exciting. This year's draft is extremely hard to predict to me for some reason. But here's the best I can do. The Miz to Raw. Morrison to Smackdown. MVP to Raw. CM Punk to Smackdown. John Cena to Smackdown. Edge to Raw. Matt Hardy to Raw. Evan Bourne to Smackdown. Mark Henry to Raw. And I have no clue who could go to ECW. Maybe Jeff Hardy? Maybe Big Show or Batista? Rey Mysterio? I can't tell whatsoever. It's almost pointless to make predictions this year because it's so up in the air as of right now. But I can't wait to see how WWE will shake things up.

Topic # 3 Tazz parted ways with the WWE a few weeks ago. How do you feel about this?

David Martell: Tazz leaving was a bit of a shock. He was a great color commentator but it seems that he was just burnt out. This shakes up the announcing on ECW and Smackdown. I am happy that Josh Matthews is getting his shot, once again, to do announcing. I think over time, Matt Striker and Josh Matthews could be awesome together. JR said that he is taking a hybrid announcing job as he will be the color commentator/ play by play guy. This is ok I guess but it just doesn't seem right. I hope whatever Tazz is doing, he is enjoying it. He has done a lot for this business and hopefully he can find his love for wrestling again. I wish him the best of luck in his future.

Alex Mattis: Eh, it was a matter of time. He had really nothing left to do within the company. His run didn't go as many had expected but it did go well. His work as a commentator was excellent and really added to his legacy, but I think it had worn its course and he had had about as much of it as he wanted. I'm sure he'll find a good life post-E life. Best wishes to Tazz and thanks for your work in the E.

Zach Brown: This sucks because I love Tazz on commentary. If I couldn't listen to JR and King, Tazz is who I'd probably seek out next. There has to be some reason why Tazz didn't extend his contract. Maybe he could be who we're talking about a couple topics down the page. But who knows. In whatever he does, I wish him luck. Although, if he does end up going to TNA, I can't really look forward to that stage in his career. Tazz hasn't wrestled in years, and I wouldn't look forward to that happening. And if he did commentary, would he be replacing Don West? That would suck for Don West. He's not the best on commentary, but heck, he's better than Michael Cole. That being said, I'd rather Tazz just retire altogether instead of jumping to TNA.

Topic # 4 Jerry Lynn won the RoH title last weekend. Your thoughts?

David Martell: This guy is getting up their in age and its surprising to me that he is the RoH World Champion. He is a phenomenal wrestler but I don't see this lasting long. I could be completely wrong about this. I wish I was able to actually watch RoH but unfortunately, I don't get Hdnet. Jerry Lynn has a storied career and I am happy for him to be on top once again.

Alex Mattis: Mixed feeling about this one. Jerry Lynn was one of the very best professional wrestlers on the 1990's and surely deserves recognition for all of his work, but to be the one to dethrone Nigel... eh I don't know about that. I think it definitely speaks to the man, character, and wrestler that Jerry Lynn is that he becomes part of the upper-elite that has held the Ring Of Honor title, but with Nigel run to end so abruptly left me with an "eh" kind of feeling. I know that Nigel needed time off for the injuries but it was still kind of surprising. Whatever the case congrats to Jerry and I'm very interested to see where his run goes.

Zach Brown: This was an interesting development for ROH. Nigel lost? Really? Once I got over the initial shock, I figured it was about time to for Nigel to drop the strap because he's had it for forever and a day. But I honestly couldn't think of a better replacement for Nigel than Jerry Lynn. This guy is one of the most unsung heroes of the wrestling business. It's good to see him get his due. When he was in TNA, I always liked his matches, and he's just a solid wrestler all around. This opens up a lot of possibilities that I'd love to see. Lynn vs. Bryan Danielson, Lynn vs. Chris Hero, Lynn vs. Jimmy Jacobs, and Lynn vs. Austin Aries are all complete money. Hopefully, Jerry gets a long run with the title because he deserves it, and there are a lot of fresh match-ups that I'd love to see.

Topic # 5 TNA has released a statement stating that they are in talks with a former world champion and that person may be signed in time for Lockdown. Who do you think this could be?

David Martell: This is an interesting development. A world champion could be a number of people. A lot of people are stating that Tazz could be making his way to TNA but I don't see any point in that. I don't believe he can still wrestle and I doubt he would replace their commentators even though they are god awful. RVD is someone who a lot of people are bring up as well. I think RVD would be up for a simple schedule but he is also on good terms with the WWE. I would like to see RVD in the ring again but I am not quite sold on him coming to TNA. JBL is completely out of the question. I think it could possibly be Victoria. She is a former women's champion and she loves competition. An easier schedule and a better women's division could bring her to TNA without a problem. Who ever it is this should be interesting. I just hope its someone worth while.

Alex Mattis: I really have no idea who will fill in this spot but at this point no low will surprise me. So that being said I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it will be David Arquette. Seriously though, don't get your expectations up.

Zach Brown: Oooh...a "former World Champion from another organization"... that could literally mean hundreds of possibilities. Who could possibly be joining TNA? Tazz? He did hold the ECW World Title, so he counts. RVD? Would it be a one shot deal? Could it be Goldberg? Is he tired of Bullrun? What about DDP? Does he want to relive a triple cage match? Macho Man? Does he need something with a little spice and excitement? Is he ready to snap back into TNA? What about the world of Mixed Martial Arts? It didn't say another WRESTLING organization, now did it? Could we finally get Randy Couture vs. Kurt Angle? But the big question is: are all these possibilities universally moronic and pointless? SURVEY SAYS...YES. I don't really care who TNA has up their sleeve. I think they are being deliberately vague as to who they are signing, because odds are, the result is probably pretty disappointing. Tazz or RVD are the most likely candidates, and only RVD would deliver in my opinion. Either way, I'm not getting my hopes up.



Superstar Highlight

Mick Foley


Our thoughts on Mick Foley.

David Martell: Talk about a guy who can't stay away from the business. I loved Foley back in the day when he feuded with The Rock and Triple H but I just don't understand why he is still wrestling. I guess a match with Sting is some what of a dream match but Foley is just way past his prime. I think they guy would be a great mentor for younger guys and he has a lot of knowledge about the business but I don't think he should still be wrestling. Hell, I even liked him as a color commentator. I don't mind him in TNA, I just don't want to watch him wrestle.

Alex Mattis: Ever since the jump to TNA bittersweet feeling come to mind when I hear about Mick Foley. I always viewed Foley as a "wrestling hero" of mine. With all the hard work he put in on his way to the top, but ever since the jump to TNA I just have a hard time understanding the dude's frame of mind. It seems that the jump was a "just for the money" case and that really hurts to me, being such a Foley fan and follower. Whatever the case today, absolutely no one can deny Foley's contributions to pro wrestling, the punishment he put himself through for us, and the inspiration he carried.

Zach Brown: Speaking of disappointing acquisitions by TNA...oooh maybe that's a little harsh. I'm only kidding. I do respect Mick Foley. The man is one of the all time greats in wrestling. Cactus Jack, Dude Love, and Mankind were all awesome. I didn't particularly care for the Mandible Claw or Mr. Socko, but I'm probably in the minority there, and I'm fine with that. A couple of wrestlers are considered "hardcore legends" but Mick Foley is probably the most renown and most respected. He had part of his ear torn off, he's lost teeth, and he's just done some terribly insane and sick spots. And how about that second Hell in a Cell match? Absolutely epic. Epic but scary. And how about the Rock n' Sock Connection? Absolutely classic. One of the best tag teams in WWE history by far. And Mick Foley has had just the right combination of talent and luck to have a great career after his in-ring action was mostly over. He wrote a great tell-all book, he put out some great DVDs, and most importantly, he made a great commentator. I respect his opinion on nearly everything related to the wrestling business. But I just wish he would have either stayed in WWE or retired altogether to be honest. His place in TNA is just unnecessary when you look at Foley's career as a whole. I mean what is he doing there? WWE has done so much for Foley, and now he's just going to work for the competition? What's the reasoning? Does he just need a paycheck? Is Vince going to accept him into the Hall of Fame knowing that he jumped ship so late in his career? I honestly don't know what the deal is. I respect Mick Foley immensely, but I just don't understand why he is in TNA.


That is it for this week. Feel free to make 411mania.com your home page and check out 411wrestling on twitter. Have a great week in wrestling. CYA!