The Triple Threat 7.12.09: The 148th Edition - Cyber Sunday, CM Punk, Seth Green, Edge, More

Posted by David Martell on 07.12.2009

This week we talk about Cyber Sunday, CM Punk's promo about Jeff Hardy from Smackdown, Seth Green hosting RAW, who will take Edge's place in the main event scene on Smackdown and who could possibly be Chris Jericho's next tag partner. Raven is our Superstar Highlight. Please enjoy!














Topic # 1 WWE‘s Annihilation was turned back into Cyber Sunday. What are your thoughts on this and the Cyber Sunday concept itself?

David Martell: Do I like the Cyber Sunday concept? Yes. Do I like it as a PPV? No. I am glad they changed the name back to Cyber Sunday but this is not a good PPV idea. I would much rather have it as a three hour RAW. It would be fun to watch, the fans would have some control and it could help boost ratings. The Cyber Sunday PPV doesn't do very many PPV buys as it is and I think a regular PPV in its place could make more money. People like knowing what they are getting in advanced and I think the concept as a PPV tends to turn some people off. I personally think they should just get rid of the PPV all together, as in just not have a PPV in that time slot. There should only be twelve PPVs a year. Building up a PPV ever three weeks gets ridiculous and you end up with a lot of the same matches over and over again.

Alex Mattis: I think the entire concept of "Cyber Sunday" is just flat out ridiculous. I don't know how young or naive of a fan you have to be to actually buy into the concept that "your vote could create a match!" I mean sure, maybe they take into account some of the fans votes when it pertains to the gimmick the match is going to have, or the special referee or what-not, but c'mon people this is pro wrestling things are pre-determined and things can't always be made up on the fly. In addition to all this I think over the past few years the initial buzz over the event has died down. With the E already having WAY too many PPV's a year, I'd think it'd be in their best interest to cut this one.

Zach Brown: Well I don't really care too much about this since I was never a fan of either idea. Cyber Sunday is a terribly executed concept, and WWE Annihilation didn't seem all that original or interesting either. So they thought they had a fix for Cyber Sunday, they realized it was dumb, and decided to stick with lame ‘ol Cyber Sunday. I don't know if WWE had anything planned for Annihilation other than a name change, but I don't care all too much to see it stay or leave. What I do know is that Cyber Sunday is just downright goofy. They let the audience vote, but reserve the right to do whatever they please. And like I've said in the past, they make the person they want the audience to pick be the obvious choice. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the polls for a special referee were A. Kung Fu Naki, B. Brian Kendrick, or C. STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN!!! Seriously, it's just tired. And I'm never voting on anything I care about. For example, last year they had us pick between HHH vs. Hardy, HHH vs. Koslov, or HHH vs. both of them in a triple threat. Call me crazy, but I don't want to see any of those matches. I could pick apart each year of Cyber Sunday's voting system because there have just been ridiculous options for several matches every year. All in all, I do believe that Cyber Sunday needs a replacement. Too bad Annihilation wasn't it.

Topic # 2 What are your thoughts on the CM Punk promo on Smackdown talking about Jeff Hardy‘s life style?

David Martell: I have been waiting for this promo since they started feuding. Everybody know how good of a heel CM Punk can be and it is about time he shows it. The sad thing is, everything he said was true. I love when the WWE, or any company for that matter, puts real life events into storylines. It is a great way to make money and people get invested easily. CM Punk is one of the greatest things going on in wrestling right now and I can only hope WWE lets him break out. We still got two more Smackdowns to go before Night of Champions and I can only hope that these promos continue.

Alex Mattis: I know everyone is all up in arms about this, and it was great stuff, but if you're a true CM Punk fan you knew this would eventually come out and were just waiting for it. CM Punk has always been fantastic on the mic and especially when it comes to subjects like this. The rather interesting thing about this was the fact that the E was totally cool with him flaunting the whole Jeff situation, but it worked out well. While this was fantastic it still does not top the promo that made me a CM Punk fan. Behold:


Zach Brown: This promo was absolutely phenomenal. For weeks, I've been waiting with baited breath to hear CM Punk bring up Jeff's checkered past. And it was even greater than I ever could have imagined. These guys were destined to feud together, and I couldn't believe WWE had the balls to bring up Jeff's past trouble with drugs. Not only did he mention Jeff's refusal to "live a straight edge lifestyle," but he also brought up the fact that Jeff has two strikes, he's been suspended, and he has gone to rehab. It was so perfect. Especially when all the Jeff Hardy fans fell silent. I'm willing to bet this was the first time that a lot of these fans, especially the younger fans, had heard this. For a lot of us IWCers, it's common knowledge, but to these kids, Jeff is a superhero. For WWE to bring this up against a babyface like Jeff...it was just shocking and an absolute highlight of the night. In my opinion, it was CM Punk's best promo in WWE so far. Jeff played it off well too, shaking his head and clearly thinking that it's all in the past and that it doesn't matter. What's perfect about this storyline is that CM Punk is making complete sense throughout the entire feud. He has a great reason for everything he says and does, and a lot of it just completely rational, which makes him hard to disagree with. Smackdown just continues to impress me, and this is simply the latest example of great storytelling over on the blue brand.

Topic # 3 Seth Green is going to be the special guest host of RAW tomorrow night. Your thoughts?

David Martell: Sounds good to me. I am up for anything that will make RAW more interesting. I doubt he will be as interesting as the Million Dollar Man, but he should bring some needed comedy to the table. Having a live RAW and a guest host makes things seem unpredictable, which is a good thing. Having a celeb on the show is a good thing for TV ratings as well. People who don't watch wrestling might want to tune in just because of Seth Green. You never know. The only problem I have about the guest hosts, is the fact that we haven't really had any heel hosts. Ted DiBiase seemed like he was a heel when he started but was an obvious face at the end of the night. Everyone seems to be after Randy Orton but I want to see things switched around. Either way, it makes RAW more interesting to watch.

Alex Mattis: Apparently the E is really thinking that the celebrity thing can boost there ratings to high, high ratings so their busting out this number. I love Seth Green though so I can't really bitch too much. Since "Can't Hardly Wait" I have loved the dude, Robot Chicken is tremendous also. I'm not really sure what can be done with this as something this off-the-wall hasn't really happened in recent memory. I mean Donald Trump makes a tad more sense than Seth Green. While I have no idea what to expect. Should at least be fun though.

Zach Brown: Eh take it or leave it. I like Seth Green, and quite frankly, I didn't even know he was a wrestling fan. And it is a step up from the caliber of celebrities I thought the WWE was going to seek out. The thing that I would be interested in is if Seth has the ability to cut a decent promo in WWE. I sure hope so. Maybe being a voice actor can help out. Who knows? But I really hope that WWE continues to gear it more towards WWE Hall of Famers or legends like The Million Dollar Man last week. I think that's a slightly more interesting route than celebrities who wouldn't really progress the storyline in a good way. For example, Ted DiBiase did a great job last week, and the storyline with his son was solidly entertaining. But Seth Green is decent enough, so I'm not really offended by his involvement.

Topic # 4 Now that Edge is sidelined for the rest of the year, who do you think will take his place in the main event on Smackdown?

David Martell: There are two guys on Smackdown that WWE is grooming for the main event and they are John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler. Morrison is obviously the more talented guy and he does have a pin over the current world champion CM Punk. Morrison is on the cusp of being a break out star. Watching him just makes you realize that he IS the new age Shawn Michaels. He is a great performer and a very talented wrestler. He has had a lot of time to hone his mic skills and he is impressive. Dolph Ziggler, on the other hand, is still very green. I think he has a great look and at times he has impressed me with his wrestling ability but he still needs that break out match to become a main eventer in my eyes. Yes, he does have a pin over John Morrison, but that doesn't cut it. If he can actually beat Rey for the IC title, then he might be a believable upper carder. Both guys are on the way to the top but I almost guarantee that Morrison will get their first.

Alex Mattis: While the E is already putting a lot behind him and showing that they are truly interested in him, I think this could be the opportunity to build John Morrison as one of the top players on SmackDown and a true star for the future. The guy has just a world of potential and looks like he has what is takes to possess true star power. I think in this absence of Edge a chance has risen to place a new wrestler at the top of the heap and establish a new star as a, or the, top dog of the blue brand and I do believe that person should be John Morrison.

Zach Brown: An obvious choice would be Chris Jericho. Jericho has been doing great work lately, and he's a phenomenal heel. But he's arguably already at the top of the heap. If he joined the main event scene on Smackdown, only great things could come out of it. But there are other people to keep in mind besides ‘ol Jeri. Two people on the blue brand tend to come to mind. John Morrison is definitely on his way up, but he's a face right now. He looks like he's taking a run at the Heavyweight Title pretty soon after Night of Champions, so I'm definitely excited about that. But I think Morrison has already made it in a sense. He's solidly over and he's entering the title picture, so it's just a matter of time for him. In terms of a good top heel, I would love to see Dolph Ziggler take Edge's place. But would he make it to the main event that quickly? Probably not. He's probably destined for mid-card city for another two years or so, if he even lasts that long. But I could be wrong. Smackdown is the perfect place to make names right now, and Ziggler entering a feud with Rey Mysterio could definitely help elevate him to the top. But besides Jericho, those are the two main guys on Smackdown that I want to achieve greatness.


Topic # 5 Who do you think should be Jericho‘s new tag team partner?

David Martell: Christian would be the perfect tag partner for Jericho. First off, they have already been tag champs together in the past. Christian is also in need of a heel turn because Tommy is obviously the top face on ECW. This is how I would see it happening. Jericho will probably be teasing a new partner for the next few weeks but wont reveal who it is until Night of Champions. The ECW title match will be one of the first matches on the card and Christian will lose because of a heel turn, maybe hit Tommy with a chair or something of that nature. Later that night Christian will be announced as Jericho's tag partner and they will retain the belts. When ever Edge comes back from injury, he could instantly feud with Christian. Edge would be a face upon his return and the feud is set. Edge could cut promos on how Christian has always wanted to be him and how Christian has always been in his shadow. Jealousy ensues and we got a Wrestlemania program. This will probably never happen but it is fun to think about it. Book it!

Alex Mattis: While I know this would never happen I would want to see Charlie Haas to fill in and be Jeri's new partner. Charlie Haas has always been one of the all around best wrestlers that the E has had and I think he could be great in the "silent heel" role. When he was a part of Team Angle and had Heyman as the mouth piece he worked out great. The E has continuously showed that they don't really care about him and aren't too interesting in using him in a big program but the question was "Who do I think" so I what I would most like to see would be Charlie Haas given a chance in this role.

Zach Brown: "Christian! Christian! At last!" Need I say more? It would be perfect booking. I have to give David credit where credit is due because he brought this idea up to me, and I thought it was great. Christian is just twiddling his thumbs over on ECW, and a feud with Edge is simply inevitable for him. If Jericho found Christian to be a good replacement, they could hold the tag titles for a solid couple of months, and Edge and Christian could feud immediately when Edge comes back in January. If I couldn't have Christian, I would maybe want Jericho to team with someone like Curt Hawkins. The guy kind of resembles a young Jericho, so it could be interesting if WWE repackaged Hawkins into a protégé of Jericho. I mean hell, this kid hasn't been on tv in a long while and he is probably a heartbeat away from getting released. Put him under Jericho's tutelage, and he'll be just fine. Other than that, there really aren't too many other wrestlers that make a ton of sense because not many others are as heeltastic or awesome as Jericho right now. In the long run, it was so unfortunate that Edge got injured and that his title run with Jericho ended up being a missed opportunity.



Superstar Highlight

Raven


Our thoughts on Raven.

David Martell: I can honestly say that I have never been a fan of Raven. That being said, it is probably because I never watched WCW or ECW back in the day. As a kid I was always just a WWF fan and WCW was always the bad guys. I do admit that I missed out on some great stuff but hey, I was kid. I respect what Raven has done for the business in the past but right now he just seems like another old wrestler who doesn't know how to hang up the boots. I don't mind if he plays a backstage role or even a TV role for that matter as long as he doesn't wrestle. He just doesn't have what it takes anymore and he needs to move over for the young guys.

Alex Mattis: Ah Raven. One of my favorite underrated performers in the history of the business. One of the best minds the industry has ever seen. Raven's work in ECW was some best work ever put in by an individual ever in professional wrestling. Maybe he wasn't the best technical wrestler, but the guy knew how to use his strong points to shadow all of his weak points. The worst thing about Raven was that he never got his just-due until he was past his prime in TNA when they gave him the strap in 2005. As a mark, that win just satisfied me so much. Raven never got, and most likely never will, get the props he deserves for his contributions to professional wrestling. His run with Tommy Dreamer, his run with the Raven's Flock, his run as WWF Hardcore Champion, his reinvigorated run in TNA that culminated in his incredible match with Jeff Jarrett... all amazing. All in all Raven is one of my favorites of all time and I hope that as history unfolds he will be given the respect he deserves.

Zach Brown: I have a lot of respect for Raven. I haven't kept up with part of Raven's career, particularly when he went to WWF. But I am a big fan of his time in ECW and WCW. This guy was the face of ECW for a pretty good amount of time. Looking back on his old stuff in ECW is always rewarding. He did some great promo work, great wrestling, and he just spoke to a lot of people, myself included. People just wanted to be Raven. But talking about Raven goes beyond simply talking about his time in certain companies. Raven is an incredibly smart guy. You can tell this by watching his old promos and watching his shoot interviews. Watching him talk about the wrestling business is just fascinating, plain and simple. That being said, I really haven't liked anything he's done in TNA lately. He's just kind of ducked in and out of the company from time to time, doing some weird stuff like forming Serotonin or interfering with a match and looking just downright bizarre. When he re-debuted recently, he did remind me more of the old Raven I used to enjoy. Maybe he decided to clean up or something. I honestly have no idea. But the glory days for Raven are simply over. I don't think he can ever get back to where he once was. His ECW days are untouchable, and his WCW days were damn good too. At this point in his career, I'd like it more if he retired from in-ring work and decided to return to commentating, or if he decided to run his own indy promotion.

That is it for this week. Please feel free to comment at the bottom of the page and once again, have a great week in wrestling. CYA!