The Triple Threat 5.31.09: The 142nd Edition - Kennedy's Release, Raven, Shane Douglas and Victoria in TNA, More

Posted by David Martell on 05.31.2009

This week we talk about Mr. Kennedy getting released, Raven and Shane Douglas re-debuting in TNA, Victoria debuting in TNA and what she could bring to the women's division, Elijah Burke getting his shot to join the TNA roster and our thoughts on the current WWE RAW product. Suicide is our Superstar Highlight. Please enjoy!












Topic # 1 Mr. Kennedy recently got released from the WWE. What are your thoughts on this situation?

David Martell: Although this was a shock to the wrestling world, it wasn't that surprising. WWE has put a lot of money in to Kennedy and when all he does is get injured, its just money going to a lost cause. Kennedy has won the MITB ladder match, he was suppose to be Vince's son and he even got to star in his own movie. If wasn't injuries he screwed up by taking steroids. I really thought that this guy might be a big deal in the near future. He had the look, he could talk on the mic, he was a half decent wrestler and he had a on of charisma. I am sure that Kennedy knew that he only had one more chance and when he injured his wrist on RAW this past week, he blew it. I am hoping that some where down the line he will some how become healthier and work his way back up. He has so much potential. I wouldn't be surprised if TNA picked him up and that isn't a bad idea. The guy has tons of fans but even TNA needs to watch out for the injury bug with Kennedy. Unfortunately, maybe Kennedy picked the wrong career to get into.

Alex Mattis: It was a matter of time before this happened, I've been calling it for about a year now. The E has put way too much time and money into this dude and has seen little results from it. In addition to his unbelievable ability to be the most injury prone wrestler around, I really just don't think that he is that great and would have been a big hit for the E in the long run. Not to fear though, as I'm sure Kennedy won't have to look very hard to find a job elsewhere. He has worked for the E, he has everything TNA is looking for in a wrestler.

Zach Brown: This was an absolute shocker to me. The guy just re-debuted! I was pretty stoked to see Kennedy back because I had honestly completely forgotten about him. So that being said, I would have much rather seen WWE release him two weeks ago as opposed to releasing him just after his return. I don't know if it is from Ken being so injury prone, or if he almost injured Orton with that back suplex. I honestly have no idea. But it sucks that Ken got released because I thought the guy had what it takes to be a huge star. I was sure that things would go right for Kennedy this time around. I guess it wasn't meant to be. But I can't say that WWE didn't give him the ball, because they definitely did. They swapped him around in the draft multiple times, they let him win Money in the Bank, and it looked like Kennedy was going to be a World Champ at that next Wrestlemania. Too bad he got sidelined so many times with the Signature Pharmacy stuff, and multiple injuries. I'm seriously hoping that WWE regrets their decision and gives him his job back quickly, or re-hires him again in the future. (But if they didn't, I would understand.) If not, I'm sure Kennedy is destined for TNA. But I honestly don't want to see him in that company at all. Unfortunately, I feel that Kennedy is going to go down in history as one of professional wrestling's biggest missed opportunities.

Topic # 2 Raven and Shane Douglas re-debuted this past week on Impact. Your thoughts?

David Martell: I honestly didn't care about either one of these guys coming back. I respect what they did for the business in the past but both men are way past their prime. I have a feeling that this is all going to be a part of this rumored Nation of Violence faction. The more old ECW guys the better, right? It is just bloating the roster. Factions are almost always fun but if these guys cant put on a good match, they are just a waste of roster space. Once again, TNA is going to push down the younger guys by having more older guys steal their spotlight. TNA seems to be the place where old wrestlers retire and it is just getting old. I hope one day soon TNA will actually realize that they have to build up younger talent.

Alex Mattis: Hey, it' always great to see Raven on my TV but that's about where the positives of this end. I really hope that this is just a short term thing for these guys and the company as I don't really know what either of these two has left to offer. Both of them were incredible in their prime, and to this day Raven has one of the best "wrestling minds" the business has ever known, but the state they are in right now is flat out sad. It's good to see them every now and then but let's just hope this is short term.

Zach Brown: Because TNA's roster isn't bloated enough as it already is, welcome back Raven and Shane Douglas! I honestly don't know what this will add to TNA right now. Raven looks like he can still cut it on the mic, but can he still cut it in the ring? I doubt it. Raven doesn't look like he's in the best shape, but he at least looks like he's overcome his thyroid gland problem. I don't expect great things from Raven in TNA, but I'll at least wait and see for him. As for Shane Douglas, as soon as he hit the ring, I was immediately expecting him to blow chunks like he did so many moons ago in one of his matches in TNA. That should be his new gimmick; throwing up on his opponent. But seriously, I am not excited whatsoever to see Shane Douglas back in TNA. The Franchise is long over the hill in terms of in-ring action. And I just don't care to see him wrestle. And with the way things have been going in TNA as of late, I fully expect Shane Douglas to win the TNA Heavyweight title within the next 3 months. But in all seriousness, if TNA can't correctly utilize guys like Sonjay Dutt or Petey Williams, it boggles my mind that they are apparently clamoring to get guys like Raven and Shane Douglas back on their roster. Overall, this latest move makes me feel that TNA is stuck in the past instead of trying to move forward to make their product better.

Topic # 3 Victoria debuted on Impact this past week. What do you think she can bring to TNA's women's division?

David Martell: This is a great addition to the TNA women's division. Victoria should be able to help a lot of the women hone there skills and overall, become better wrestlers. I am almost positive that she quit WWE because she wanted to be a part of a better women's division. It is always good to mix things up and I wouldn't be surprised if she got the TNA's women's title in a short amount of time. Victoria might even pose a threat to Awesome Kong. TNA's women's division just got better, lets hope everything works out for Victoria.

Alex Mattis: To be honest this is one of the few talents TNA has got in the past few months that I'm completely for. I've always been a fan of Victoria and the work she has put in in and out of the ring. With the state of TNA's women's division, being one of the company's strong points and one of the best in this country, I think that Victoria could be a great addition to the mix. Her debut was done very well and came across great and I think this could be the start of a good thing.

Zach Brown: Geez this episode of Impact was freakin Debutville, USA. While I think that the male roster in TNA is completely overstaffed, the women's roster is just right. Victoria seemed a little rusty on the mic when she debuted, but I'm willing to forgive that. I've always thought that Victoria is a pretty solid wrestler, so I'm not too bothered by this move. TNA's Women's division is already strong as it is, so Victoria will only add to the strength of that division. She definitely poses a threat to Angelina Love and The Beautiful People, and I'd even be interested to see how Victoria stacks up against Awesome Kong. I love seeing the Widow's Peak, but I doubt she could hit the move on Awesome Kong. I guess TNA does at least two things right; Tag Teams and their Women's Division. All in all, this is one of the few ex-WWE hires that doesn't really bother me, and I'm interested to see what Victoria can do in TNA.

Topic # 4 How do you feel about Elijah Burke getting his shot to be a part of the TNA roster?

David Martell: I have always been a fan of Burke and I was pretty pissed off when he got released from the WWE. He is a very talented wrestler and great on the mic. I enjoyed the New Breed when that was going on and his matches with CM Punk were always fun. I thought the Elijah Express was an awesome finisher and pretty innovative even though I was just a guy jumping his knees into someone. I always think its funny to remember when he debuted with Sylvester Turkay. I still can't believe the WWE let him go. I don't blame him for trying to get in TNA and if TNA actually picks him up and uses him right, he could be a big star. He would be a great addition to the X Division and I would love to see him feud with the likes of Daniels, AJ Styles and any part of the Motor City Machine Guns. I hope he makes it on the roster and if he does I hope TNA actually uses him to his full potential.

Alex Mattis: Here's another case of someone who didn't really get his shot in the E and could really benefit from some time in TNA. I always thought Elijah was a solid worker and had a lot to offer but was never really given the chance to shine in the E. Time in TNA, while the company be in a rather shitty state right now, could really give Elijah another national platform to show what he has to offer. I really don't see a downside to this situation.

Zach Brown: Man, talk about a release from WWE that never should have happened. I never understood why WWE got rid of Elijah Burke. I was always entertained by him, and he was just on the cusp of becoming a star in my honest opinion. But I can safely say that WWE never really gave him the ball. Sure, he was the leader of the New Breed, but I never thought they gave that stable much faith in the first place. And he was a threat to the ECW title for a while, but unfortunately, he never won that title. Now he might get his shot in TNA. Could this even be a good thing? I think that Elijah could find a great home in the X-Division, but not much else besides that. TNA's roster is like a nest of around fifty baby birds all trying to be fed. There are just too many birds in that nest for everyone to get what they want. What I'm trying to say here is, there are already dozens of wrestlers in TNA that are competing for the spotlight, with many more attempting to get signed by TNA all the time. If Burke joined TNA, I could expect to see him get a push for maybe a month or two, and then fall into the shuffle of the rest of the TNA talent. Unfortunately, Burke was a mid-carder at best in WWE, so he doesn't have loads of star power for when he joins TNA. All in all, I want Burke to have a successful career, but I'm not sure if TNA can utilize him correctly, or give him the push he deserves.

Topic # 5 What are your thoughts on the current state of RAW?

David Martell: The draft really screwed up RAW. The show has been god awful for about a month now and it is almost unbearable to watch. There are a few things I watch RAW for now a days. I like seeing who THE Brian Kendrick is going to pick for a tag partner. I like watching the US Title division. I like watching Randy Orton cut promos. That is all I like about RAW. I absolutely hate Batista. He is so terrible and it just sickens me when he get gassed so quickly. I am tired of this storyline with The Legacy and Batista and friends. There are very few upper card wrestlers on RAW that we are going to end up seeing the same matches over and over and over again. When Triple H returns its going to be the same old shit. Smackdown is now the show to watch. RAW is going to have to have a complete overhaul to be entertaining. The guys who are fighting for the US Title need to be brought to the upper card. RAW needs to mix up matches and give us things we haven't seen before. I think it will be a long time before RAW is actually a decent show to watch.

Alex Mattis: Eh. At one point the Raw brand was arguably the best in wrestling now it is arguably the worst. It just seems to be the same show every week and has gotten away from what had made it great. Randy Orton on his own was it and what I watched Raw for, but now with the next direction of his character and "The Legacy" taking him in an opposite direction he has lost his edge and in the process Raw has lost some of its edge. I think it still has potential to go in a good direction but for now it's just stuck in this not so great transition.

Zach Brown: Well I did think Raw was looking up when a certain someone re-debuted this past week. But alas, that was not meant to be. It seems like Raw is doomed to see Batista, HHH, Orton, Cena, and Big Show fart around for another ten months until the next draft. Mainly, the person that is weighing down Raw the most is Batista. Oh man is this guy stale as ever. And I have not enjoyed a Batista match in years. Why is he so popular? He is bad on the mic, he's boring, and he gasses after five minutes in the ring. He is the epitome of a wrestler who is all entrance and nothing in the ring. I don't mean to go off on a rant about Batista, but I just can't wait for him to retire in all honesty. But Raw has just been undergoing some seriously bad booking these past few weeks. Watch Smackdown and compare the two shows. It's like night and day. Now I have to admit, I think this past Raw was the best it's been in several weeks. But it's still not a good show by any stretch of the imagination. The only thing worth watching for me on Raw is Randy Orton. They are wasting their time with stupid Santina stuff, and they are about to let Ric Flair wrestle again as well. Thankfully they are giving The Miz and MVP some opportunities. I just hope WWE keeps that up, because this should be the time where the younger guys are getting made. But again, if you look over on Smackdown, and even ECW, they are doing a much better job of it than Raw is. This past Raw was a step in the right direction, but it still has a long way to go before Raw becomes the A show in my eyes again.



Superstar Highlight

Suicide



Our thoughts on Suicide.

David Martell: I have never liked the Suicide gimmick and the fact that it came from a video game is ridiculous. With that said, Daniels was a lot better Suicide than Kaz is. I could easily tell the difference on this week's Impact. I use to hate it when they wouldn't use Daniels on TV and kept him as the Suicide gimmick. It seems like TNA is going to be getting rid of the gimmick soon since Lethal Consequences and the Motor City Machine Guns are trying to figure out who it is. Either way I doubt this gimmick will last much longer and it will probably be forgotten in a few short years.

Alex Mattis: What can be said? Really? He was a video game character that was turned into a real life persona. What is this Japan? Now I'll give props to Kaz and Daniels because they took a horrible situation and made the absolute most of it. I don't really know what or where the Suicide character could do from here on out but I'm sure TNA will find something ridiculous to do with it. But rest assured that whoever is behind the mask will work his ass off to provide a solid performance and leave you with a "well at least he tried" attitude.

Zach Brown: I hate to say it, but this character never should have been invented. Bringing a videogame character to life in the ring is one thing, but making good wrestlers adopt a gimmick for no real reason is worse in my eyes. Christopher Daniels was good enough as himself, and so is Kaz for that matter. They are both better characters than Suicide in my opinion. And I think it's laughable for any wrestling fan to even believe that Suicide has been one person this whole time because the difference in physical build and wrestling style between Chris Daniels and Frankie Kazarian is hilariously noticeable. The fact that TNA even called attention to the likeness between Daniels and Suicide was just a feeble attempt to turn an embarrassment on TNA's part into something they can work into a storyline. As for the wrestling style, I can't say I dislike Suicide's wrestling because hey, I enjoy both Christopher Daniels and Kaz. I just dislike the character. For example, Suicide will cock an imaginary gun and point it up to his chin every once in a while during his matches. It's like TNA is saying, "Hey kids! Kill yourselves!" I know how that sounds, but the fact of the matter is, kids do watch this stuff. I just hope they do away with Suicide soon because he's been a joke in my eyes since day one.


That is it for this week. Once again, thanks for reading and have a good week in wrestling. CYA!