The Triple Threat 04.26.09: The 137th Edition – Backlash, Foley Wins, TNA Acquisitions, More!

Welcome back once again to the Triple Threat Column. This week we preview WWE’s Backlash, talk about the happenings during TNA’s Lockdown, and discuss who we think will win their first world title this year. Carlito is our superstar highlight. Please enjoy!

Topic # 1 WWE‘s Backlash is this Sunday. What are your thoughts on the card?

David Martell: Backlash on paper looks to be a decent PPV but I am quite surprised that there is only six matches on the card. That being said, let me break down the card. CM Punk vs. Kane could be decent but I absolutely hate Kane. I guess the meaning behind this match is that CM Punk kicked Kane off the ladder before he won the MITB briefcase. I think this match also shows that CM Punk is lingering at the PPV and could possibly be cashing in tonight. Punk should win easily and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the opening match on the card. Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy in an “I Quit” match should be exciting. There guys have had a string of good matches and this should be no different. This blood feud between these brothers has been very interesting and I love how over Matt Hardy is getting. There is speculation that Jeff Hardy might be leaving the WWE after his contract runs out so there is a good chance that Matt Hardy will put the final nail in Jeff Hardy’s WWE coffin. If Jeff is not leaving, Jeff will probably get the win here and move on into new feuds on Smackdown. This match could go either way but I see Matt Hardy continuing his winning streak against Jeff. Jack Swagger vs. Christian for the ECW Title should be a good one. There TV match a month or so ago was great and with the lack of matches on the card, this should get some time. I have noticed that maybe people believe that Christian will win tonight but I don’t think the WWE wants Swagger to drop the belt just yet. I honestly think that Swagger wont lose the belt till after Extreme Rules, or whatever the hell this PPV will be called. Swagger is a good champion and it is not quite his time to lose the ECW Title. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that Cena vs. Edge for the World Title will be the best match these guys have had together. WWE has been doing a great job with Last Man Standing matches for the past few years. It seems like this will be the last chapter in the Cena vs. Edge feud and I have a feeling its going to end in a draw. I think both will get the ten count and CM Punk could possibly cash in at the end. I could be wrong but it seems like some interesting TV. Moving on. The six man tag for the WWE Title looks terrible. After Wrestlemania, I wanted this feud to end. For some reason, Orton and Triple H can no longer have a good match with each other. Adding Batista and Shane to the match doesn’t help anything. Legacy has been jobbed out almost every episode of WWE TV for the past two weeks and because of this, I think Randy Orton will win the title. Someone will turn heel here and I am half excited to see who it will be. This looks to be a solid PPV with only two matches that won’t be too great. Backlash should be interesting none the less.

Alex Mattis: You know you’re in for one hell of a wrestling event when “Santina on Khali Kiss Cam” is listed as an attraction. I’m not really sure why people are acting like this PPV has the potential to be great, besides from the Christian-Swagger match there aren’t too many standouts on the card. A slew of rematches from ‘Mania, Cena-Edge for the 5768932144214th time, and a 6-man tag that promises to be interesting. I don’t expect any titles to change hands this Sunday, but I do expect some kind of a heel turn in the 6-man. The show should be decent but not word $40+.

Zach Brown: All in all, I think Backlash looks like a pretty solid card. Hardy vs. Hardy in an “I Quit” match should be great. Probably not as good as their ‘Mania match, but still great nonetheless. Jack Swagger vs. Christian is something we should have gotten at Wrestlemania, so I’m completely stoked to see this match. Swagger needs to be on a big stage because he really is a promising young talent for WWE. Jericho vs. Steamboat is also what should have been at ‘Mania because Steamboat still having it in the ring is what saved that match. I’m excited to see what Steamboat will be able to do with Jericho 1 on 1 at a PPV. The Last Man Standing match between Edge and Cena should be light years ahead of the Triple Threat Match at ‘Mania. Besides the double FU finish, am I the only one that thinks that the match stunk up the arena? If so, oh well. I’ll still be looking forward to this match much more. Unfortunately, the main event looks pretty terrible. Why the belt is at stake with this stipulation is beyond me. Is it so that someone like Shane or Batista can cost HHH the belt without being pinned? If so, that would be weak. But I think HHH will retain here. And the big question is, will CM Punk cash in? I think not. Judgement Day is in Chicago, so it makes sense for him to do it then. Overall, WWE did a good job at making the “rematch PPV” actually something that I would like to watch. The majority of the card is completely solid, and I expect it to be somewhere around an 8 out of 10.

Topic # 2 Bobbey Lashley made his debut in TNA last Sunday at Lockdown. How do you feel about him being apart of the TNA roster?

David Martell: I have no idea where this is going and I am not really excited about this. Obviously Lashley wont be making to many appearances in TNA because he already set up two MMA fights in the near future. People will forget about him quick and I don’t expect him to get much of a reaction as time goes on. I honestly think Lashley should chose one career or the other. Wrestling or MMA. Lashley is just another guy who will help push down the younger talent. The possibility of Lashley putting over younger talent is slim and I just see no point for him to be in TNA anyways. Lashley might have even ruined his chances of getting into UFC. This is a bad move by TNA and a very bad move by Lashley.

Alex Mattis: Hey, here is yet another thing that happened at Lockdown that had me saying “What the hell?” Apparently there’s no done deal between Lashley and TNA, so I’m hoping TNA isn’t putting too many eggs into the Lashley basket. Bobby seems to be rather serious about his career in MMA. You can’t be a full-time pro wrestler and be as active of a fighter that Lashley wants to be. Josh Barnett and Dan Severn are about the only people that could balance the two out. The shitty thing for Lashley is that his involvement in TNA pretty much fucked up any chances of Dana & Co. being interested in him. I don’t expect him to be around TNA so long… we’ll just have to wait and see how things play out.

Zach Brown: Man, talk about TNA’s biggest acquisition ever! Not. Way to steal the thunder from a re-debuting Christopher Daniels! This is just a big ‘ol helping of doodoo sauce. Yes, that’s becoming my favorite term for a bad move in wrestling. So let’s list off the negatives of Bobby Lashley coming to TNA. Ready? Here we go. First of all, it pushes down the homegrown TNA talent even further. It’s already a crowded organization for only having one show, and TNA doesn’t need any help in not highlighting their best talent. Secondly, Bobby Lashley is as overrated as the day is long. WWE pushed him down our throats like a sonofabitch. He was still super green, and he had zero mic skills. Why would TNA think that Bobby Lashley is an exciting prospect? Third, on a very minor note, I was mildly intrigued in Bobby Lashley’s MMA career. Lashley says his focus is still on MMA, but this definitely won’t help him focus on MMA one bit. Dana White came out and said that Lashley’s involvement with TNA basically kills any chance of him being in the UFC. So that’s just disappointing all around. I don’t know how long Lashley will be staying in TNA, but I hope it’s just for a couple of months because I’m just not a fan of it at all.

Topic # 3 Stevie Richards also made his debut in TNA at Lockdown. What are your thoughts on this acquisition?

David Martell: Although I have never really cared for Stevie Richards, I have no problem with him being in TNA. He is a veteran in the ring and could help a lot of the younger guys hone their skills. Stevie has no problem taking the job and he could actually be in an interesting storyline with Abyss. I am glad that Stevie has a job for the most part because he has never done anything too spectacular. I know the hardcore ECW fans might be pissed by that statement but I have never seen anything special in Richards at all. He is an average wrestler who has had a hard time finding a gimmick that works for him. Maybe is an identity crisis, I have no clue. Being in TNA will give him a chance to restart himself and maybe he can capture some much wanted gold in the future.

Alex Mattis:Eh, whatever. He’s always been a solid enough wrestler and he was a member of the bWo (and yes I mean the real, original bWo. Not when Vince tried to rehash it and take credit for something he never was a part of) so he is automatically granted a life-time pass for whatever. I don’t really know what he is going to have to offer or add to TNA but I’m sure it’s not going to get in the way of anything. For some reason I’d be down to see a Stevie-Joe feud, monkeys that are writing for TNA… MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Zach Brown: I think the whole Dr. Stevie thing is mildly entertaining. That being said, I don’t think this is the right move for Richards. Let’s think about this realistically. Stevie Richards won’t draw any sort of crowd to TNA. He’s just not all that popular anymore. So instead of thinking, “What will Stevie Richards do for TNA,” we should be thinking, “What will TNA do for Stevie Richards?” The answer to both questions is absolutely nothing. Sure, it gives Stevie a day job, but I don’t think this will be a sudden resurgence to Stevie Richards’ popularity. In terms of the TNA roster, Richards won’t get a prominent enough place on the roster to make a difference one way or another. He’s not going to become the next big thing, and he’s probably not going to push down the talent either. If it makes Stevie Richards feel relevant or whatever else, then fine. I’m not too terribly offended by Richards’ role in TNA. But in all honesty, I think Richards’ time would be much better spent running his own promotion, training wrestlers, writing a book, learning how to weave baskets underwater, or whatever else. I just don’t think TNA is the right spot for him now, or ever for that matter.

Topic # 4 Mick Foley won the TNA World Title at Lockdown. How do you feel about this?

David Martell: I was recently watching the lated Rock dvd and I was reliving the feud between The Rock and Mankind. Everything about this feud was great. The matches were good, the title switches made sense and everyone who was watching was having fun. This was ten years ago. Ten years ago Mick Foley was in his prime, Mick Foley deserved being a world champion. Right now this is just stupid. Is TNA trying to add prestige to this belt by adding his name? Who knows. I thought the reason for Foley to join TNA was to help younger guys get over. The fact that he defeated Sting after everyone else has fallen is just a complete joke to me. Mick Foley needs to stay away from any world title in any organization. I don’t mind him wrestling but being the TNA World Champion is just a joke. Stuff like this pisses me off about wrestling. Even in the WWE where Triple H is the champion. Is it that hard to bring younger guys to the top of the card? It just doesn’t make sense to me. I really hope that Foley is a transition champion and maybe, just maybe, someone deserving of the title will beat him.

Alex Mattis:Wow. Just wow is instantly what I said when this happened. Just none of it makes sense, the match shouldn’t have even happened in the first place but to have Foley win just makes no sense and sets the company back even further. Sting beat Joe to get that strap, then AJ, and Angle, etc he went through the cream of the crop in TNA so for him to lose to Foley just leaves you scratching your head until it’s raw and bloody. I’m sure Foley isn’t going to have the belt for too long, most likely dropping it at the King of the Mountain, but for the time being I’m left pretty befuddled.

Zach Brown: Wow. Just wow. I am amazed that TNA thought this was a good idea. When Foley joined TNA, I maintained that the only way I would respect him is if he stayed as an authority figure. When it looked like he would actually be wrestling, I thought, well ok as long as he puts over the young talent. Nope. Not at all. Clearly, someone thought it was a good idea for Mick Foley to win TNA’s World Title. Sure, many people say Sting is over the hill and whatnot. But he’s put on some great matches, and looked unstoppable. He’s defended that title against the best of the best, and he’s done the job throughout his TNA career on several occasions, even to guys like Abyss and Samoa Joe. So after all that, MICK FOLEY is the one to beat Sting for the title? What kind of crap is that? Everyone and their dog has been saying this, but Sting should have given the rub to a younger guy that can benefit from the push of going over a legend like Sting. But no, that was transferred to Mick Foley; a guy that has been in the spotlight, and has no reason to go back to it. It’s sickening, and it made me lose a great amount of respect for the guy. Mick Foley has seen it all and done it all in the wrestling business. There’s really nothing else for him to accomplish, but for some reason, TNA management and Foley thought that this was a great idea. Well, it wasn’t.

Topic # 5 Who do you think will win their first world title this year?

David Martell: If anyone wins there first World Title it will probably be on the Smackdown roster. The two people I have in mind are Shelton and Morrison. I know Morrison has won the ECW title in the past but I haven’t considered the ECW title a world title since it became apart of the WWE. Both of these men are extremely good wrestlers and both have the potential to be world champions. The Smackdown roster has drastically changed the amount of main eventers on Smackdown is very slim. It is time for both of these guys to step up and they got till next draft to do it. Over on RAW, both Matt Hardy and MVP could get the chance to win a world title but those chances are very slim and most likely impossible. Most guys in TNA that are in the upper card have already tasted gold sometime in their careers so I doubt anything new will happen there. It is really all up to Smackdown to give us something new and I am looking forward to it.

Alex Mattis: Tyler Black. It has to happen for this kid. He made an incredible splash last year and really put himself on the map and literally became a star of Ring of Honor and one of the staples of that company. He had some of the best matches that the past year had to offer and come very close to the ROH WORLD Title on several occasions. He did this all within one year. He has worked incredibly hard for ROH and I do believe that this year it will all pay off.

Zach Brown: This is a difficult question because this whole year is going to be an open book. This might very well be the year that NO ONE new wins a World Title. It could just be the same old crap this year. With 6 main eventers on Raw, and with CM Punk looking to be the next young talent to get another crack at the title on Smackdown, its very possible that no one new steps up to the plate for a World Title. For example, I expect Jericho, Edge and Jeff Hardy to toss around Smackdown’s World Title. And heck, I could totally see HHH holding his title all year long. And if not that, the title could go to Orton or Batista, both people who are definitely not new to being World Champions. On the ECW side of things, yeah I could definitely see fresh faces holding that title. Evan Bourne, Tyson Kidd, and even Koslov are all destined to hold that title at some point. I could see guys like Shelton Benjamin or John Morrison taking a crack at the main event. But would they win the title? Absolutely not. All in all, I don’t really predict anyone new to win a title except of course for the ECW guys. But since they are almost all fresh talent, do they even count?

Superstar Highlight

Carlito

Our thoughts on Carlito.

David Martell: A few years back I use to be a huge Carlito fan. I even own three of his t-shirts. I thought he had a lot of potential and he was very good on the mic. There has been so many times Carlito was rumored to quit but he always stayed in the WWE. All the drama around Carlito certainly showed in his matches. Carlito has had a lot of ups and downs but for the most part I still think he’s a decent wrestler. Bringing in his brother Primo was a good idea by the WWE. It has some what rejuvenated Carlito and he performs a lot better in the ring. I am glad that both of the Colons were moved to the RAW roster because maybe, just maybe, WWE can showcase the tag belts. I am positive that after Backlash we will see some kind of feud with them and the Legacy. We should get some good matches out of this but I am sure that the move to RAW was only to give the tag belts to the Legacy in the first place. I have always been a fan of the Backstabber and I like how both brothers use it as their finisher. Overall, I think Carlito still has a lot of promise but eventually needs to break off from his brother to become a true star.

Alex Mattis: When this guy is on, and he cares, he is one of the best the E has to offer today. The thing is that several times in the past he hasn’t seemed to care and seemed to have a lack of interest in the company. Granted I’m sure he just gets pissed off with the political game and what not and frustrated at times with the business but he shouldn’t have let that let his performance slide. Since teaming with his brother however he has seemed to have a renewed interest and devotion to the business and seemed to be finding his stride. He and his brother have been putting on solid matches and seem like they could some much needed new blood in the scarce tag division that the E has.

Zach Brown: I’ve been hot and cold with Carlito. For a while, I thought Carlito was right there with Shelton Benjamin in terms of a wrestler being totally underrated and always bumping into a glass ceiling. Back in the day, he was a great heel that was always thinking and always outsmarting his opponents. For example, I thought he actually had a pretty decent program with Chris Masters, as crazy as that may sound. Right around the time that Carlito ended his feud with Ric Flair was when it seemed like WWE stopped caring about him. I heard rumors that Carlito was getting tired of just treading water in WWE, and I think his complaints were legitimate. And then people started telling me that Carlito was overrated. For a while, I disputed that, but I eventually started noticing a couple complaints about him. My main issue with him is that he’s probably one of the lowest impact wrestlers in WWE. That’s a good thing for never wanting to injure your opponent, but sometimes watching Carlito have a match is a little too much like watching a dance. It all seems a little too choreographed and not enough like Carlito is trying to win. And the Backstabber is awesome, but it’s one of his only moves that looks like it does any real damage. Nowadays, I’m happy with how WWE has treated the Colons as a tag team. That’s kind of what saved Carlito’s career in WWE. It’s a little ironic to me that Primo coming up to the main roster is what Carlito needed. Hopefully, WWE doesn’t break them up too soon because they’re a great tag team. When they do eventually break up though, I doubt WWE will know how to utilize Carlito correctly considering they don’t know how to use around a dozen young wrestlers properly. But either way, I’m excited to see where Carlito’s career goes.

That is all for this weeks column. Feel free to leave comments at the bottom of the page and have a great week in wrestling. CYA!