The Triple Threat 7.09.06: The 10th Edition
Posted by Sean, David, Alex on 07.09.2006
In this the 10th edition of the Triple Threat, we talk about RVD & Sabu's drug bust, Kurt Angle leaving, and Austin Aries returning. Also we give our thoughts on EDGE's title win, the July 4th ECW show, and Randy Orton vs. Hulk Hogan. Don't forget about the match of the week too.
Hello everyone, today is the moment that all of us sports fans wait four years to watch. Today is the final of the 2006 World Cup where Italy and France will battle out to claim the moniker of "best in the world." I really cannot wait, but first and more importantly is this week in wrestling which gave us a lot to talk about. RVD and Sabu were busted by police and caught with some pot. Randy Orton was found with some drugs too and well Hulk Hogan had to save his ass from being suspended. We got two new champions in a matter of two days and the return of Austin Aries was announced. How do we feel about all of this? Well you have to read this column to find out, in this the magical 10th edition of the "Triple Threat." Come on get ready to read the best column to ever hit Sunday morning.
Topic #1 Last weekend RVD & Sabu were busted for having 18 grams of marijuana and some prescription pain pills, after being pulled over in a speed trap in Ohio. What do you think about the whole situation? And how do you think this will affect the two wrestlers in the future?
Alex: This won't affect either man's future horribly, it will just always be on their record. I don't see this haunting them somewhere down the road, as they are not the first professional wrestlers to be arrested for drugs. None of this should come as a surprise in the first place because we talking about Rob Van Dam here.
David: I'm sure that the cops are only going to give them fines, so it is not a big deal as far as the law is concerned. Everyone knew that RVD was a big pot head and it was just a matter of time before he got caught. First of all, if he didn't want to be caught, why the hell was he speeding? Where's the smarts in that? This a bad time in their careers to get busted for this crap and hopefully they will understand the consequences of what they did. Children, don't do drugs.
Sean: Really this sucks for RVD who was the damn Champion when this happened. WWE knew when they signed him that RVD was a known pothead. So people that complained for years about why RVD didn't get the title, maybe this event will calm their banter for a bit. I wanted RVD to hold the title for longer than he did, but he messed himself up by taking the pot with him in the car. Yes, maybe if there wasn't a speed trap set up in that part of Ohio. We wouldn't be talking about this whole issue, but alas it happened and RVD had to pay for the consequences. The titles had to be taken off of him because WWE can't have news reports going up in the national media that its champion was busted for drugs. The future doesn't look bad for RVD or Sabu. RVD will probably follow so many others that have been punished by WWE and get a push. It is not like he doesn't deserve one as he and Sabu are the main focus of the new ECW. Sabu now has to talk on television and WWE might have to place him into a feud with the Big Show because there is no one else that could believably take the title off of him. Even though Big Show is now involved in a rehash feud with Tommy Dreamer, I don't know that WWE can get the fans behind Dreamer. We will have to see what comes out of this but for now I think that Sabu and RVD will be ok. ECW however, is now going to be hanging by a thread.
Topic #2 WWE has officially punished RVD & Sabu for the drug bust. WWE handed out a 30 day suspension to RVD and fined Sabu 1,000 dollars. Are these punishments justified?
Alex: It's hard for me to admit this because I am such a big mark for Van Dam and Sabu, but these punishments were fair. They just came at a horrible time for Van Dam, who was on top of the wrestling world at this point. He may not have lasted much longer, but he was on top. He was also a very vital part of WWE's ECW. Sabu is out $1,000 dollars I'm sure that stings. I bet he prefers this punishment better than the one Van Dam got.
David: RVD's was definitely justified. If anything that will teach him to be more careful because that was his time in wrestling. Sabu's punishment, on the other hand, should have been a little worse. I'm sure they decided not to suspend him because they really are going to need him when RVD is out for those 30 days. I hope RVD has another chance to be on the top again, we can only hope. Children, don't do drugs.
Sean: In my view they are very justified. The government is probably going to give them a slap on the wrist as 18 grams is not a lot to warrant anything other than a fine. So WWE must step in and take action. Sabu didn't really do anything so he just got another fine from WWE. RVD was the one to blame in this and that's why he got the bigger punishment. People should really not be complaining about this because according to the Wellness plan he should have been fired. RVD is too big of a superstar now to just be let go. TNA would sweep him up in a matter of seconds. WWE cannot let that happen and therefore just suspended him to show that they did something. I hope ECW can hang in there because they are in a tough situation. WWE really needs to take this time to establish Sabu as a contender or they are gonna have a tough few weeks with Big Show as champion. It is good to see that RVD took responsibility for his actions and hopefully when he returns he can be in the main event scene once again.
Topic #3 Austin Aries is coming back to TNA. How excited are you about this?
Alex: I'm very glad that Aries was able to work things out with TNA and that he is on his way back. It is a different scene now, the X Division isn't being destroyed by one man, and it seems to be a level playing field now. I know Aries impressed people during his first run in TNA. Now I think he has the chance to soar, and possibly take the crown of the X-Division.
David: This is great! He's a great talent who needs to be showcased on TNA. Let's hope they use him this time and actually give him some kind of gimmick.
Sean: I'm very happy that he's coming back. One of my favorite indy guys returns to TNA where hopefully he can make his mark. I just hope they don't give him some stupid gimmick. Austin Aries is a terrific wrestler that deserves his time to shine. The X-Division can always make room for another incredible athlete. The problem that always exists in TNA is that if they bring back Austin Aries and Jeff Hardy (I really hope they leave Jeff at home) who are they going to take off the show to make time for them? We will have to see how TNA deals with this because now they are beginning to use Homicide as well. The Naturals storyline seems to be in limbo too. Well I just hope I get to see Aries on television soon.
Topic #4 This week, EDGE became the new WWE Champion mainly due to RVD's drug bust. Are you happy with EDGE as Champion?
Alex: It is no secret that I think EDGE has no talent and doesn't deserve the title. Again that's just my opinion.
David: Of course he should be the champion. I mean we all know Cena is going to get it back sometime but for the WWE to really get things going, they need a big money draw. That can be done by having Cena chase the title for a little while. Maybe the Rated R Superstar will bring the ratings up just because he is champ again. We are going to have to wait and see what comes of this.
Sean: I hate that the only reason he became champion was because RVD had to drop the title. As always I'm happy that EDGE is champion but again it seems he's just holding it for Cena at Saturday Night's Main Event. I really hope we get a swerve and EDGE keeps it till at least Summerslam because EDGE deserves a long title run. Even though the ratings may not rise to super levels like the last time, EDGE still brings something new and fresh to the title scene. Very much like when RVD won the title I was in disbelief that he got the belt but also very happy because now I can enjoy RAW once again. Cena needs to chase the title for a while and WWE should let him do that. If they just give Cena the title back at Summerslam he might go back to being hated by the fans again. That would not help Cena very much. EDGE is the biggest heel on RAW right now and WWE should take the opportunity to capitalize on that. In a few years you never know what EDGE's status will be. If you are going to make EDGE this big star than let him have his time. The worst that could happen is that he gets hated even more. I'm telling you, WWE has a big money feud here if they don't kill it early.
Fun Topic of the Week: There are heavy rumors that this whole storyline with Randy Orton and Brooke Hogan is leading up to Orton having a match with Hulk Hogan at Summerslam. What do you think about this match-up? Also if not Hogan, which Legend should Randy kill next?
Explanation: The Fun Topic of the Week sometimes may not necessarily be something that is going on in the wrestling news, but it is what it describes. The fun topic is there to get everyone thinking about how they would answer the question. Basically your own personal brain teaser where you can answer it however you wish. This is what we had to say about this week's fun topic.
Alex: This just lowers my opinion of Hogan even more. He is so shallow and desires the spotlight to be on him to the extent that he'll bring his family into a storyline. Chances are he won't job to Orton, so this would do nothing for him. If Hogan were to job, that would be humongous for Orton. As far as another Legend, I would possibly say Terry Funk because the match would be a lot more entertaining and Funk would job.
David: Hogan is the ultimate Legend to kill so why not? It is a money draw and who wouldn't want to see the Hulkster take an RKO. We will have to see how things sting out, but let's hope that the match isn't too bad and that the storyline gets better.
Sean: My goodness I guess its time for Hogan to get his honorary pay check from WWE. What the hell man, why do we need Hogan at Summerslam again? It is very believable for Orton to do this storyline as he is known for being a prick and who better than to be a jackass to than the "Immortal One" himself. There exists a big problem with this storyline in that Brooke Hogan is involved. This could really hurt her career and she could turn out like Cyndi Lauper if she's not careful. I really hope the Hulkster thinks this through, because I don't know too many WWE fans that are going to be buying her albums. So the people that aren't WWE fans that see her involved in a wrestling storyline may get turned off. They may think that she's going to be involved in wrestling and not buy her album. We know this is all just publicity but to the casual fan it looks like more than that. In the end things don't bode well for Brooke if she goes through with this. Also how in the world is Randy Orton going to benefit from this? The only way he can get a victory off of Hogan is by cheating which really doesn't prove anything to the common fan. The whole storyline is going to revolve around Hogan trying to keep her daughter away from Orton. So the only way this will look right is if Hogan beats Orton which does nothing for the "Legend Killer." Seriously, WWE needs to put Orton in a storyline with a current RAW Superstar. The Legend Killer thing is what got him over but they don't need to keep having him live the gimmick every six months. I don't want to see Orton in matches with old legends anymore. It has been done and it worked for him. This better be the last one because this crap is really getting old. Also I wanted to add one last thing. Orton better go pray to Hogan because he saved him from being suspended. In case you don't know, Orton apparently failed a drug test, was found with eight bottles of non-prescription pain pills, and tested positive for steroids two months ago. That could have been the actual reason why he was suspended. Either way, a 2,000 dollar fine for all of that is really unfair to RVD. Also this is probably Orton's first offense and he's supposed to just get a warning for that. Keep this in mind, Orton didn't get caught by police like RVD did. What happened to RVD is a much higher offense that needed some serious punishment. Most people don't even know that all this drug stuff happened to Orton so really it is not hurting anyone but him at this point. RVD's deal was public and WWE had to act to save itself from major scrutiny. I still think that Orton should have been hit harder, but as always Hogan tries to think about himself and wants to make sure he gets his money. I just hope Orton learns a lesson in all this because the guy should be fired for all the shit he has done to the company.
Topic #6 ECW had a special TV show in Philadelphia with those rabid ECW fans. Did you enjoy the July 4th show?
Alex: I didn't see the show, but Big Show as champ is a crock of shit. Big Show sucks as a performer, he is a physical specimen no doubt about it but, he isn't a Professional Wrestler. He sure doesn't deserve to be on top of any brand.
David: Well, it was the 4th of July so I actually didn't get the chance to watch the show. What really shocked me was that they chose Big Show to be their Champion. I guess it's alright for him to be champ for now, and it certainly will be interesting how they use him. I wonder if they are going to actually continue his storyline with Tommy Dreamer, because that would be an interesting title match. Lets just hope it works out for the better.
Sean: I did see it and no not really, I mean it wasn't God awful like the 1st show, but it wasn't that great either. We had the Kelly Kelly strip and the Knox squash like always. Test squashed Al Snow for some silly reason. Sandman beat up another dumb gimmick. We did get to witness the debut of C.M. Punk though. The best thing is that he was doing his straight edge gimmick. We will have to see how far WWE lets him go with it. The main event wasn't that great and Big Show was crowned champion with a Paul Heyman swerve. The swerve made the end of the match interesting, but this leaves ECW in a huge hole. If they continue the Tommy Dreamer storyline WWE will have to work hard to get the fans behind him. They should probably put Sabu or Sandman into the main event for now because the fans know who they are. Those two also provide interest to the show and could believably take the title away from Big Show. I just hope the show doesn't stink it up for the next month.
Topic #7 Speaking of ECW, Vince is looking to slowly take away all of ECW's authenticity. It starts this week with WWE deciding to make all the matches unless stated, WWE rules. Also they have decided to not use ECW referees or their security. How do you feel about this?
Alex: I don't have much of an opinion on this, seeing as how I knew Vince would do this. He is going to mold ECW into what he wants until the point where ECW is just another WWE show between RAW and Smackdown!.
David: It doesn't really bother me that much, wrestling is wrestling. I'm going to watch it either way because I love wrestling. I really don't think its going to hurt the ratings or attendance any, it's just going to become more WWE like. I really don't like Extreme Rules matches anyways. Let's hope they don't ruin everything about ECW though.
Sean: The security and refs are not a big deal. I do wish they would have kept the extreme rules in effect though. That's what made ECW unique was that at any moment because there were no disqualifications something crazy could happen. Now that element of surprise is taken away and it just goes back to becoming your regular old WWE match. That's a little boring if you ask me. It's ok to make it another WWE brand, but don't take away what makes it special. I really hope Vince leaves ECW a little bit of dignity.
Topic #8 Kurt Angle is set to leave on a hiatus to take some time off. There is also word that he could have gotten suspended 30 days for something not known at this point. Is this the right time for him to go?
Alex: This is another devastating blow to WWE's ECW. Angle was going to be a catalyst in developing this new "ECW" and now that he is out there aren't too many new faces there to carry the ball.
David: I understand why Kurt would take time off but I have no idea why he got suspended. It really isn't a good time for him to be out because at this point in time ECW really needs him (even though I wish he was on Smackdown.) Hopefully he's only going to be out just those 30 days so ECW can pick itself up again. At least we got C.M. Punk.
Sean: Kurt Angle really needs to take some time off to heal all those injuries. This guy lives to wrestle and his body is so battered right now that it is better for him to leave. If he was fine, then he would have been the perfect candidate to keep the ECW title while RVD served his suspension. I don't know why he would have gotten suspended but it could be a storyline too. I hope Angle comes back better than ever. Come back soon Kurt.
Match of the Week Nominees: WWE Championship Triple Threat: RVD vs. EDGE vs. John Cena (RAW), ECW Championship: RVD vs. Big Show (ECW), Christian & Sting vs. Scott Steiner & Jeff Jarrett (Impact!), #1 Contender Battle Royal (Smackdown!).
Explanation: Match of the Week is where we honor those companies that have enough money to get themselves a national television deal. We list the ones that we thought were the best from the three shows and then pick our favorite. We may include a Heat match if it was really good but most of the time it will just be from RAW, Smackdown! ECW and Impact! PPV's don't count because we always give out our match of the night when we give our thoughts on them. Also we only add an indy match if we went to the show. So here are our picks for Match of the Week.
Sean: WWE Championship Triple Threat: RVD vs. EDGE vs. John Cena
David: WWE Championship Triple Threat: RVD vs. EDGE vs. John Cena
Alex: Sting & Christian vs. Jeff Jarrett & Scott Steiner
Shout Out's to our 411 Crew
First as always because he comes out the latest of all the people we usually link. Ari with all the stuff about ROH.
Bayani Domingo In his Truth B Told talks about how the RVD & Sabu drug bust affects not only them but WWE's ECW. Also you have the left-overs and those random Asian girls looking good pictures.
Phil Feltham says that Vince should rename Smackdown! WCW and then maybe it would be on par with RAW. I don't know about that but you could still read his column the Quick Talkdown to tell him what you think.
O'Dog In his Forgotten Goodness he says the Wrestlemania IX should not be called the worst one ever. He was actually entertained by it.
Special shout out to Andy Clark who will be doing the Shimmy tomorrow morning.
In other news, check out my thoughts along with other 411 Sports staffers on the two final games of the World Cup here: Final World Cup Roundtable
Hey! There are other new guys out there besides us
Because they come out the latest of all these columns they get first dibs from us. High/Low Road Sat and Rajah go high and low on RVD's suspension.
Shining the Spotlight Michael Weyer in a very good column compares the two guys the IWC hates the most. Jeff Jarrett and Triple H have become the whipping boys of IWC. Is one actually better than the other? Well read this to find out.
I don't know what happened to Grayson Hamill and his "Butterfly Effect" but I hope we see him back soon. He really has a good column going here.
The Top Ten Julian Williams gives his list of the top matches of 2006 so far.
If you want to know where we came from and some of our old columns that aren't on 411 go here: Old Triple Threat's
Now Time for Feedback
The first one as always comes from John Bateman who still has nothing better to do than give us a dream match.
Hmm I wonder. ahh I know I who it is I want to have a dream match. It's an Ultimate X match. Shelton Benjamin vs. RVD vs. Christie "The Fallen Barbie" Daniels vs. Petey Williams vs. Carlito vs. Alex Shelley. um.........Wow this is an awesome match. I can't really break it down due to the caliber atheletes their are in this match.
David: This match would definitely be insane and if given enough time could be awesome. Picking a winner for this match would be too easy. Everyone knows Carlito would win, because he's cool. After spitting in the faces of the people who don't want to be cool, he would easily climb up on the ropes and take the X. It's that simple.
Sean: You want crazy? This match is it folks. You have six incredible athletes that could all step up and win this match. It's also weird because this would mark the first time we would see a 6 man Ultimate X match. I have to disagree with David that the victor would be Carlito. I think Shelton Benjamin will do one of his crazy jumps out of nowhere and pick up that X.
Finally, the last one comes from Tiff who talks about various things.
hey guys, great job on this edition...
If Goldberg comes to TNA, it would be one of the worse decisions TNA will
ever make, so I agree with all of you guys on that. Him and TNA do not mix
whatsoever. And putting him over Samoa Joe?!?!?!? Hell no, I wouldn't allow it. Samoa Joe is WAY too good for that. There will be a whole boat load of angry fans if Goldberg put over Joe ...well, at least I think so. The stuff DX pulled on RAW was hilarious (the reunion). I was laughing the whole time. I also laughed my ass off last Monday when HHH was being Vince and Shawn was being Shane and that whole segment in RAW. So what do you think about what DX did last Monday and that whole segment?
Sean: Goldberg has been saying so much shit lately that TNA would be really stupid to pick him up at this point. Goldberg's mission may be to get back at the WWE but, don't think he won't hesitate to kill TNA in his wake. Actually the point was for Samoa Joe to go over Goldberg and I don't think that's going to happen in a million years. What DX did last Monday made me almost pee my pants. When they did the stuff on the microphone with Vince that was hilarious. The "I love cock" thing was one of those classic funny moments that will be remembered forever. DX is ok in my book right now. I just wish they wouldn't make the whole show about DX. I will say that I was also very happy we didn't have any man ass on the show, instead we had DX groupies. I vote for more DX funny moments.
David: First off, I'm pretty sure TNA isn't even looking at Goldberg anymore from all the crap he's talking. So I don't think we really have to worry about that. Second, I love DX right now. It is really made the show a lot better and a hell of a lot funnier. Let's cherish it while we can because we all know this version of DX is only temporary. Thanks for writing and anyone out there who is reading this right now. PLEASE RESPOND, GIVE US FEEDBACK, PLEASE!!! Thank you very much.
Well that's all for this week folks. We hope you enjoyed the column this week. We would sure like to know what your opinions are on these topics. If you have any questions or comments you can always send us an email and we will answer them right here on the column. Go watch the World Cup final and I'll see ya's next week my People's, Crazy Sean is out. Send us feedback damnit, or David will be angry. Peace out, from Alex. Later Triple Threaters.
If you want to send us your thoughts or comments send them to triplethreatsda@hotmail.com
