Can They Be Champ? 4.15.07: Lethal Lockdown Edition
Posted by Mike Minotti on 04.15.2007
Minotti 2 Hotti is back with another look at who will one day be world champion. This week, the men from Lethal Lockdown shall be judged!
Pretty busy week on the big wrestling shows, wouldn't you say? We had two world title matches announced for Backlash, while CM Punk turned heel on ECW and Jeff Jarrett made his return to TNA. Both world title matches have some potential. Last year's triple threat at Backlash for the WWE Title was great, so I'm hoping a fatal-four way can capture some similar magic. Cena has always put on great matches in triple threats, so here's hoping that adding one more person won't offset things.
The Last Man Standing match between Undertaker and Batista is equally exciting. Some people are claiming that their great match at WrestleMania was a fluke. Please. The fact is that Taker versus Batista is just smart booking. Their both big guys with high-power moves, which makes for a great "two big guys trying to out do each other" match. Making it a Last Man Standing Match at Backlash means that these two are really going to have to push the power game. My only concern is that a Last Man Standing match is usually an end of a feud kind of match, which seems a bit premature. Maybe, hopefully, we'll see a Hell in the Cell match at Judgment Day.
All of the ROH fans seem pretty excited about CM Punk turning heel. Apparently his heelwork is godly, so we can expect some good out of this. Still, I am slightly confused. I mean, he was getting over pretty well as a face. The only reason I can see for this turn is that they need a strong heel to eventually take the title off of Bobby Lashley. If that's the case, I'm all for it.
And Jarrett is back, presumably as a face. This will definitely add an interesting dynamic to the Lethal Lockdown match, as Jarrett is either going to return heel or have to prove himself as one of the "good guys".
Speaking of Lockdown, I'm not sure if I'm going to be ordering this one. The only match that is of much interest to me is the Lethal Lockdown match, but anytime you have that many people in the ring there's always a threat of the match turning into a suckfest. Besides, I'd have a hard time justifying paying for a PPV just for one match (even though some other matches have potential, but are painstakingly predictable like Daniels vs. Lynn).
Now, before I come off as anti-TNA, I am pleased to announce that this week's Can They Be Champ? will be my first TNA focused edition. I'm going to look at the participants of the Lethal Lockdown match (excluding Christian Cage, who already is champion), and once again answer that must be answered question…
Can. A.J. Styles be champ… again?
I Think AJ's heel turn has been a pretty good thing. Of course, he's really only been through one feud (versus Rhino) with the new heel persona, so it may be a bit hard to tell how ultimately successful it will be. That said, having Styles join Team Cage is a great fit, as he'll bring some high-flying to the team that otherwise would have been somewhat lacking.
Having Styles fight for Team Cage on iMPACT! was also a smart move. It showed that Christian had confidence in AJ, and really pushed him as one of the big players on Team Christian. It didn't hurt that he and Samoa Joe had a pretty fun little match too.
So, will be seeing Styles as the NWA (or TNA… I'm so confused) World Champion? Well, he has been champ three times before, but the world title scene is arguably more crowded now. I mean, I think it's safe to say that Samoa Joe and Angle are in for title reigns in the near future. And who knows how long Christian's current reign will last. Still, if they're willing to run a heel versus heel program following Lockdown, then Christian versus Styles would be the way the go. I'm sure those two could have a great match that'll make him Styles look strong even if he does suffer the loss (and he probably would).
It's sometime in the near future, when Angle or Joe are holding the belt, that we should see a pretty hot program with Style once again challenging for the world title. Having him win it so that he could drop it unto another face (or, as some would say, transition the belt) wouldn't be a dumb idea.
So, can he be champ again?
Probably not anytime too soon, but I think a fourth title run for a heel AJ Style would be a wise venture.
Can Scott Steiner be champ?
I don't really want to crap all over Steiner. He's definitely serving a purpose in TNA, and is a good fit in the Christian Coalition. He looks big and strong, which is great for the role of an enforcer/bodyguard for the champ.
So he does have a role in TNA, specifically with Christian. That said, I can hardly see him being world champion. The reason he's working in TNA right now is because he's been partnered with Christian. I really doubt that he would be able to stand that strong on his own. I mean, what would he do as champion? Taunt his opponents by constantly proclaiming how many woman he's slept with? It's not like we would get any great matches out of it (remember Steiner vs. Angle? Meh).
Besides, there are better heels to give the title to. Again, Steiner's job is to look all big and stuff. It's not to have a great single's career.
So, will he be champ.
Nah. Steiner is just fine as a stooge of Christian's. I would suggest that a major flaw of his character is that he has too much freewill. He should just be following Christian's orders without question.
Can Abyss be champion… again?
I think Abyss is a little busy. His storyline heavy feud with Sting may have taken a small break for the Lethal Lockdown match, but I'm expecting it to continue soon. And then who knows how long that will go on for (maybe they'll bring Abyss' estranged uncle into the mix or something).
As far as Abyss' future, it really depends on how this story turns out. Abyss is a pretty strange tweener right now, since he's doing heelish things but supposedly so that he can protect his mother.
Still, face or heel, it would seem like kind of a waste to put the belt onto Abyss. He's already established as a strong monster who can win the title. What would be accomplished by putting the title on him again? It would just be a waste of time. Yeah, he did win it once, but he dropped it to Christian shortly afterwards.
So, can Abyss be champ?
I don't think so. He's already established, and there are better people to put the belt on. His only hope is if they need him to transition the belt again.
Can Tomko be champ?
A lot of what I said about Steiner could apply to Tomko, except things are even bleaker for Tomko. The man really doesn't have much charisma, and his wrestling skill doesn't exactly set the ring on fire. Most people would have a hard time accepting him as anything other than that guy who follows Christian around.
Then again, he did pin Samoa Joe. And Team Angle and Team Christian had a fight to see who got to have him on their team. It looks like TNA thinks he's more valuable than I do.
So, can he be champ?
I can't see how. Unless TNA continues their odd booking decisions with him. I mean, I guess it could sort of happen by accident.
Can Kurt Angle be champ?
Well, I can think of one person who would be a pretty unhappy camper if he didn't.
Come on, he's the biggest name in the company right now. Besides, his angle (ha, pun) with Joe proved that he's still Kurt freakin' Angle. He can still tear it up in the ring when given a good opponent to face. And notice how he got to be the captain of the face team for Lethal Lockdown?
It's bound to happen. I wish I had more to say on the subject, but it really is pretty much a no-brainer.
So, can he be champ?
It's not a matter of if, just when. Kurt Angle will be champion, and when he is, he probably will be for a long time. The only person that can slow him down is… wait for it…
Can Samoa Joe be champ?
He may not be a bigger name in terms of the general world of professional wrestling, but he is the clear fan favorite in TNA. The fans love him, he's great in the ring, and he's been booked as an unstoppable force (let's forget that Tomko thing ever happened).
Once again, Joe becoming world champion is bound to happen. The only reason it hasn't happened yet is probably because they're waiting to do it at a big show (Bound for Glory 2007 would be my guess) to make sure the crowd pops huge.
TNA has already invested a lot into Joe, and that investment has paid off big time. There's no way they wouldn't put the belt on him.
So, can he be champ.
Definitely. Probably by the end of this year.
Can Rhino be champ… again?
Rhino has a couple of problems when it comes to being champion again; Angle and Joe. Those two guys are arguably going to be the most dominant face champions in TNA for some time to come. The same can go for Jeff Jarrett if he sticks as a face.
Rhino's a solid entertainer. He's been in some long feuds lately (against Christian and Styles) that have helped to maintain his status as a big player in TNA. Still, I would have to suggest that his character has become a bit stale. I mean, his last two feuds had him playing the chump whose friend turned on him. Meh. I can't exactly get behind a guy like that.
Rhino is good right where he's at. He's still fighting in some high-profile matches and feuds, but he's staying clear away from the title. I think once was enough for him.
So, can he champ?
The title scene is too crowded for someone like Rhino to really be a serious champion. Contender maybe, but not champion.
Can Sting be champ… again?
Wasn't Sting's last title reign kind of… weird? I mean, he won the belt at a huge match on the companies biggest PPV. And what happened? He dropped the belt to Abyss, Abyss, about a month later. And then Abyss had a slightly longer reign until he dropped the belt to Christian. What was the point of that? Why not have Sting lose the belt to Christian in the first place? Couldn't they have figured out another way to have a Sting/Abyss program without having to whore out the NWA Championship?
Alright, so I guess they needed to give the belt to Sting so he could transition it to a new heel. And since Angle and Joe weren't ready for the title picture, Sting had to be the one to take it off of Jarrett. But now, Angle and Joe are ready for the world title, and I have a hard time seeing them giving Sting the belt again. I might as well say it again, any face who's not Angle, Joe, or Jarrett will probably have to wait awhile until they win the big one. Besides, Sting is probably going to be busy with his Abyss feud for another couple of years (I kid… I hope).
Oh, and there's also all those rumors about Sting retiring after this year. Actually, this could be his biggest strength in his championship odds. Maybe he'll get a courtesy title run shortly before retiring.
So, can he be champ?
Unless they give him the title as a fair well gift, I wouldn't count on it.
Can Jeff Jarrett be champ… again… and again… and again.
Well, there's kind of a precedent for this. Seriously, Jarrett has been the NWA Champion a lot. Add the fact that he appears to have a fresh new face persona, and his odds improve even more. The biggest things standing in his way are Angle and Joe. Let's face it, Jarrett isn't the face of the company anymore. Still, even with Angle, Joe, and Christian most likely dominating the title scene for the immediate future, I'm sure Jarrett will grab a title reign here and there. If nothing else, he's always a good person to have transition the belt.
At the same time, it's hard to say how well this face turn is going to go. There's still a lot of bad blood between Jarrett and the fans. Of course, some smart booking could get him over as a face. Lockdown will be crucial to see how Jarrett is going to be received these days.
So, will he be champ… again?
Two things will be left on this plant after the nuclear holocaust; cockroaches and Jeff Jarrett. And he'll probably be holding the NWA World Championship too.
Jeez, that was a lot of wrestlers. Maybe I should be more conservative with this. I don't want to run out of people to talk about. Of course, the wrestling world is so crazy and ever-changing, I would be plenty justified talking about a person's odds more than once. Or maybe I could write about something else… like this Diet 7up I'm drinking right now. Seriously guys, it's delicious. I can't even tell its diet. Is it some new formula or something? Let me check the label… oh, oh, here it is: "Now more Lemon Lime taste!". That would do it.
See, wasn't that awesome?
Or maybe I should keep writing about wrestling.
Raw – 4/9/07
Ahhh, they made that kid GM. How sweet. Ahhhhhh, he's meeting all of the wrestlers and getting their autographs. Ahhhhhh, he's making world title matches! How adorable. Seriously, it was very nice for the WWE to do this for the kid. I'm 20, and I think that being honorary GM would be freaking awesome. Getting him involved in the storyline was kind of clever too. Good stuff.
Why did the one ref think Orton won the match? I mean, Michaels' shoulders were down, but doesn't he have to be pinned by someone in order to lose? If not, why isn't a person counted every time he's laying on the mat? Kind of a weak way to end that match with no victor.
Lashley, the ECW World Champion, was in the Raw main event… again. Sigh. Why don't they just have him drop the belt and move him to Raw once and for all? At least we're getting Shane goodness from this feud now.
ECW – 4/10/07
Of course, everyone is talking about Punk turning heel. Many people seem pretty excited, and like I said earlier, this really increases his odds of winning the world title from Bobby Lashley. The actual turn was a little anti-climatic, but the effect may have been lost on me since I watched it after I knew he was going to turn.
What else happened… uh… Vince talked for awhile in the beginning… Lashley wasn't there (must be too busy getting ready for next week's Raw already)… New Breed fought the Originals… I think that's it.
iMPACT! – 4/12/07
I liked Jarrett's return. I probably would have liked it more if I hadn't known it was coming (this is the kind of thing you sacrifice when you read wrestling news on a daily basis). Having the other members of Team Angle seem upset was a nice touch. Good to see they're not just going to trust Jarrett because of one guitar shot to Styles.
Speaking of Styles, I thought his match against Joe was fun. I mean, it wasn't amazing, but for free TV, it was pretty good. Considering the quality and length of most of the matches we get on iMPACT!, I was quite pleased.
Smackdown – 4/13/07
Now this was a great show. We had three great matches in the form of Kendrick vs. Deuce and Domino, Benoit vs. MVP, and Taker/Batista vs. Finlay/Kennedy. Benoit vs. MVP was especially awesome. This feud is really helping MVP become a big star. It's not making Benoit look all that bad either. Here's hoping they get to have a great match at Backlash. Oh, and am I the only person who finds it funny that one match from Smackdown was longer than all of the wrestling on iMPACT! combined?
The whole Theodore Long/Krystal thing is kind of weird though. I wonder where exactly their going with this. Right now, it's kind of… creepy.
Why don't I close out this week's column with some photoshop fun? Now, those of you who have played Gears of War have probably noticed this too, but doesn't the game's main character, Marcus, look a lot like Batista?
I mean, look what happens when you put the two together. It's perfect! I think I know who they should cast for that Gears of War movie.
Anyways, that's it for this week. Please keep e-mailing all of your questions, comments, insults, and even any of your own fun wrestling photoshopped pictures to tolkoto@gmail.com. I would love to display more stuff like that, especially if you guys let me know you like it (that means I want you to tell me if you like it or not).
