The Triple Threat 11.21.09: The 166th Edition – Survivor Series, Briscoe Brothers And WWE, Shane McMahon And UFC, Turning Point, More
Posted by David Martell on 11.22.2009
This week we preview WWE's Survivor Series, talk about the Burchill's, The Briscoe Brothers getting a WWE tryout, Shane McMahon visiting the UFC, and TNA's Turning Point. The Survivor Series match is our Gimmick Match Highlight. Please Enjoy!
Topic # 1 What are your thoughts on card for WWE‘s Survivor Series?
Sean Garmer: Well nevermind what I said about Bragging Rights, as WWE went all out for Survivor Series. With three Survivor Series match-ups including a Divas one. I'm loving this Kofi vs. Orton feud and I hope they find some way to continue it after this. Before they announced it, I kinda wanted an Orton vs. Kofi singles match, but I think this way works better. They need something to get people to watch the next PPV and another month of build-up will lead to one firecracker match at the December show. I would assume Batista is going to beat Rey in a close one but beat him down when its over to cement his new status as SmackDown's leading villan. With the build this match has it probably deserves to be the only singles match on the card. I"m gonna say the two triple threats end up with the champions retaining with Cena sneaking by and Jericho and Big Show accidentally or intentionally canceling each other out. I think its gonna be a good PPV just I don't know if there are gonna be any surprises. But then again, if there is one, WWE set us all up nicely for one.
Zach Brown: Survivor Series just seems kind of "meh" to me. First of all, only one singles match on the entire card? Really, WWE? Five multi-man matches on a six match card just seems like overkill to me. And yes, it is Survivor Series, and multi-man matches are the name of the game, but 5 out of 6 is too much no matter which way you swing it. The actual Survivor Series matches seem alright, but the stakes don't seem all that high. They don't have a big match feel to them in my opinion. Kofi vs. Orton is a hot feud, and I think that will be the best Survivor Series match out of the three. The SS match with Miz vs. Morrison could be alright as well, but I think it will ultimately be pretty forgettable. Same with the Divas' SS match. Batista vs. Rey is a feud that I'm really enjoying right now, but I think it will be an absolute squash match to write Rey off of television for his knee surgery. And finally, the two Triple Threat matches for the main titles could be fantastic, but their outcomes seem predictable. John Cena should not lose the title at this point, and I think that DX will begin to feud with each other during this match. Also, I can't see Undertaker losing the title right now. Jericho would be a great champ right now if he pinned the Big Show, but ultimately, I don't see Undertaker dropping the strap yet. All in all, there's just not enough going on in the PPV to get me to buy it. The Survivor Series matches aren't as stacked as they should be, and the title matches seem like something I can definitely afford to miss. This could be a PPV that WWE decides to do something crazy with the titles, but buying a PPV should depend on the quality of the card and not surprising title changes. In the end, Survivor Series is a definite pass for me this year.
Topic # 2 What do you think will happen to the Burchill‘s after losing to the Hurricane this past week on ECW?
Sean Garmer: Now that we know he is going to RAW which surprises me a bit because Birchill is a very good wrestler that would probably fit better on SmackDown. If there is anything RAW needs is more mid-card talent. Howeverm I don't know if they need another heel in that mid-card. I liked his feud with Hurricane right before he left, I'm just worried he is going to be jobber fodder for Sheamus instead actually doing something on RAW. There is a spot for him in that mid-card if he can prove himself. If WWE can bring him in correctly and make it his debut important, who knows.
Zach Brown: I think WWE will put Paul Burchill on Raw, where he will then get lost in the mid card shuffle. What I would like for them to do is to repackage Paul and Katie Lea into some sort of supervillian gimmick to combat Hurricane on ECW. Do I think WWE will do that? Unfortunately, no. But Paul Burchill is in some serious need of repackaging. Pirate Paul Burchill was goofy, but it was fun and he was over, plain and simple. The "Ripper" Paul Burchill has had great matches in the past, but can't seem to get popular in my opinion. Katie Lea is fine in her "Scarlet Witch" gimmick, but Divas can only get so over in the first place. Putting Paul and Katie Lea on Raw wouldn't improve their spot in the company at all, but I think that's what WWE will be doing. And what is the problem with letting talent develop on ECW lately? Moving Sheamus to Raw was a little too soon in my opinion, just like this move is. I just don't see the problem with letting wrestlers staying in ECW if they aren't as over as they should be.
Topic # 3 The Briscoe Brothers had a WWE tryout match. Your thoughts?
Sean Garmer: This is cool, it's good for both parties involved. The Briscoe Brothers have been in ROH for a long while and no doubt they can cut it in the ring. Thus they deserve a tryout match, and WWE can always use fresh young talent. If WWE were to take them in I could see WWE using them in the style of Carlito & Primo or Miz and Morrison. Where they stay as a team for a long while, until hopefully they each would develop their own personality. Then again, this could just be a tryout and mean nothing.
Zach Brown: It's time for Jay and Mark to MAN UP! I'd like to see The Briscoes in WWE. I really enjoy their wrestling style, and I think they are the best tag team in ROH, hands down. Will they be the new Hardy boys? No. But I have seen much worse tag teams end up in WWE. For example, I think The Briscoes are light years ahead of The Basham Brothers. Or Basham and Damaja...whatever. So that alone should qualify Jay and Mark to get a shot in WWE. I always end up being entertained by The Briscoes because they are athletic and they actually deliver good promos as well. But are the Briscoes WWE PG friendly? If you said yes, it begs the question, "Have you seen Jay and Mark Briscoe?" All kidding aside, it's tough to tell what the WWE execs would think about them. Honestly, I don't know how anyone could repackage Jay and Mark Briscoe. For these guys, I can't imagine much else working for them other than their current personalities. But heck, maybe it could work in WWE. Who knows? Also, I like that WWE is seriously considering a lot of ROH talent lately. Hopefully, it nets them some solid roster additions. *Cough* Austin Aries *Cough*.
Topic # 4 Shane McMahon met up with UFC this past week. How do you feel about this and what do you think this means?
Sean Garmer: The man didn't have to leave WWE, but he's been in it so long he probably feels he's done all he can do and wants to move on to his other love in life. It's no secret that Shane has said he is a big fan of the MMA scene. Who better to go talk to than the leading MMA company? None, that's who. There are rumors that he may buy into the company and there are other rumors that he is just there to basically do the same thing he does in WWE. Then there are others that he wants to eventually buy the company outright. I wouldn't be surprised honestly, he would only be doing what his father did before him, create compeitition. Can you imagine how great it would be for Shane to be able to take the UFC to the heights WWE has attained? With WWE kinda being promised to Stephanie and HHH, he probably feels this is the only way he will get to run his own ship.
There is no doubt UFC needs some kind of fresh injection to give them new ideas on how to branch out to a more global audience. I don't think there is a better man to do that than Shane. He understands MMA and will not try to take away what makes it connect with fans, he will just try to make it better. I don't think this is some kind of mission to help out Vince against his fiercest rivals. For one they are two different things and will remain that way. If UFC can work out a way to get themselves more global recognition they can give UFC staying power. UFC may be rising in popularity, but I still think they can also wind up a niche thing that goes back down to obscurity if they don't do something different. I don't plan to watch UFC either way, but if this were to happen it may affect many circles in its wake.
Zach Brown: Guess he wasn't helping out Mama McMahon after all! Muahahahahahahaha!!! Yeah, this news doesn't surprise me one bit. Shane has been a fan of Mixed Martial Arts for some time, and I can totally imagine Shane wanting to get into a new fast-rising sport. It's no secret that UFC and Mixed Martial Arts has been converting wrestling fans because it offers a lot of the same rivalry aspect with actual competition and fights. Hell, where do you think Alex Mattis went? Haha...oh man...good times. But I digress. I'm willing to bet that Shane has looked at the UFC with admiration. I can imagine him making some sort of marketing pitch to Dana White and telling him how WWE became an instantly recognizable brand. If I were Dana, I would jump all over this opportunity. Yeah, some see pro wrestling as having a certain stigma to it, and Dana may want to distance himself and the UFC from the WWE feel of things. Shane is a smart guy, and I think he'd be a valuable guy for Dana to have on his side. But I would just hate to know what the McMahon Family Christmas dinner is going to be like. Awkward...
Topic # 5 At TNA‘s Turning Point, there were two MOTY candidates. Do you think this is a sign of TNA going into the right direction?
Sean Garmer: Not to sound like I don't care, but to be honest I didn't expect anything less. That same triple threat has happened before and it worked, why would this one be any different? Angle is still awesome and Desmond Wolfe is a great wrestler so there again, it's something where TNA just said, let these guys go out there and do their thing. Turning Point seems like it was another good PPV, but right now TNA just seems to be in a holding pattern until Hogan comes into the fold. They are taking a step in the right direction by using Wolfe well and make the title picture interesting. It's just with all the rumors and hype around Hogan coming in to TNA I more interested in seeing what happens after he is there, than what is occurring now.
Zach Brown: Was Turning Point a solid PPV? Yes, it absolutely was. Does one good PPV equal a trend? No, I don't think it does. TNA definitely deserves the props for putting together a solid card and actually delivering on it's promise. Anyone who has seen Joe vs. AJ Styles vs. Daniels at Against All Odds 2006 would know to expect nothing short of greatness at Turning Point. And giving Desmond Wolfe an immediate push into a program with Angle was the right call because it produced fantastic results. Really, the only bad match was Steiner vs. Lashley, and that match simply shouldn't have been on the card. Now, two MOTY candidates in a single PPV is a huge accomplishment. I can't remember the last time WWE did that. But to say that TNA is headed in the right direction simply from one good PPV should not be the case. Hulk Hogan and Eric Bishcoff have still yet to become fully involved with the company. Even if Hulk wasn't doing his Australian tour, a couple of weeks isn't enough time to cause immediate change in TNA even if he was working with them full time. So many people believe that Hogan will affect TNA negatively, and I am in that crowd. So any recent steps in the right direction could very well be nullified when Hogan steps into whatever role he is going to have with TNA. If TNA can keep the momentum they have from Turning Point, it really can be a sign of positive change in the company. But two great matches just isn't enough of a sign, and Hogan could end up derailing all of it anyway.
Survivor Series Match
Our thoughts on the Survivor Series Match.
Sean Garmer: We all know about the screw job and the debut of The Undertaker happening at this event some point in time. Let's get past the screw job please? Ya know Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart had a WWE Championship at Survivor Series in 1992. Survivor Series to me is the site of the Deadly Game tournament where The Rock was named the Corporate champ when he beat Mankind. The WWE vs. Alliance storyline ended at Survivor Series 2001, and It's the place of the first ever Elimination Chamber. I was at Survivor Series 2003 where Stone Cold told us all he was probably done as a wrestler. I was 1 year-old when the first Survivor Series started back in 1987 the day after my birthday on November 26. Back then it was all about Hogan vs. Andre 2, today we have two championships and two triple threat matches. Regardless it has never changed the fact that the PPV was meant to highlight tag team wrestling, and they are still doing that today. In fact, two tag teams are in the main events against the champs.
Zach Brown: The Survivor Series match has always been just ok to me. I like that it is elimination style, instead of single decision to declare the winner. There's something about whittling down each team until only two wrestlers remain that is universally exciting. But I've never thought that it was a good enough concept to build a PPV around. Two teams of wrestlers slowly eliminating each other is a good concept, but not great to me. And I know how that sounds. Survivor Series is one of the longest running PPVs, and it's a classic in every sense. But especially within the last few years, I've found Survivor Series to be pretty forgettable every year. This year is no exception to that either. The Survivor Series match is not something I look forward to every year. Lately, the matches I look forward to in WWE are the Royal Rumble match, the Elimination Chambers, or special event matches like Ladder Matches or an Iron Man Match. And speaking of Elimination Chambers, that is the style of elimination match that I prefer over a SS match. It's just more exciting to me, however gimmicky it may be. Overall, the Survivor Series match is by no means a bad match. But it's never interested me enough to make me think that Survivor Series earns it's coveted spot as one of the big 4 WWE PPVs to buy every year.
That is it for this week. Please feel free to comment at the bottom of the page and have a great week in wrestling. CYA!
Posted By: Guest#3390 (Guest) on November 22, 2009 at 10:39 AM
Is TNA going in the right direction? At the moment yes, but what happens when Hulk Hogan arrives - that's the big test. Will Hogan create another MEM stable that could stagnate PPV results and the title scene or will he be used as a special event wrestler akin to Sting. Hogan may bring in a lot of casual fans from the Hulkamania era but will they stay after he's gone, and what about the TNA fans who watch because of the wrestling quality and young guys (if they haven't already left due to the last two years of chaotic booking).
Posted By: JAK (Guest) on November 22, 2009 at 01:19 PM
"There is no doubt UFC needs some kind of fresh injection to give them new ideas on how to branch out to a more global audience"
Really? Because they do better business internationally than they do in the States. They've set records then shattered them in the UK and Canada. They made big bank on their first show in Germany with a card that was headlined with a mid-level fight. Their shows in Ireland brought them big success. When they go to Mexico I guarantee you they will set records.
I think they're doing alright.
And yes. The Briscoes are the best tag team in the world. Been that way since 2004.
Jolly good work.
Posted By: Guest#3183 (Guest) on November 22, 2009 at 01:35 PM
Great job guys! Jesus would be proud!
Posted By: Kent Baker (Guest) on November 22, 2009 at 01:48 PM
The Briscoes are awesome but they'll be buried in WWE. When's the last time Vince committed to a tag team for any length of time? They'll look good in ECW then one will go to RAW and the other to Smackdown, then the "Good luck in future endeavors" announcement.
Posted By: cabronte (Guest) on November 23, 2009 at 02:27 AM
If the Briscoes were to leave ROH I would much rather see them go to a promotion with a actual tag division.
I also think that its not some of these guys talent being realized but the fact that the WWE are douchebags and want to hurt the indies.
And I hate to see how bad The Briscoes would be toned down.
Posted By: random (Guest) on November 23, 2009 at 02:50 AM
There's no way The Briscoes would make it in WWE. First of all, they'd get a goofy name change, which I know is mostly done for copywrite reasons, but also, you know Vince isn't going to let them even be slightly associated with the name "Brisco", no matter how you spell it. Second of all, when was the last time a tag team get signed and actually made it? And third of all, The Briscoes are obviously not promo and "catch phrase" kind of guys. I can only imagine how Vince would turn them into country hillbilly caracters or something like the new Henry Godwinns. I'm sure Vince would find some way to bury two of the most talented guys in the business.
Posted By: Guest#9247 (Guest) on November 23, 2009 at 06:14 AM
