The Triple Threat 5.11.08: The 91st Edition - Sacrifice Preview, Regal as King, Randy Orton and More

Posted by David Martell on 05.11.2008

We have our Sacrifice preview, thoughts on the William Regal storyline and our superstar highlight is none other than Randy Orton. Plus we respond to your comments! Read, its fun, I swear.

Welcome back to the Triple Threat. We are a bit late this week but we are here. This week we talk about Sacrifice, Willy Regs and our super star highlight is Randy Orton. Enjoy!


Topic # 1 TNA's Sacrifice PPV is this Sunday, what are your thoughts on the card?

David Martell: I am not going to lie, I wish I could watch this PPV. It actually looks pretty good. I am all for the Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament. I like seeing the teams that make no sense at all. Super Eric and AJ Styles…classic. It looks like its going to shape up to be a pretty decent tournament. The main event also looks decent although I completely hate Scott Steiner. I have no idea what this Terrordome thing is but it sounds interesting. I wish they would stop making nonsense matches though or at least give them better names. The woman's battle royal should be decent as well. Looks like a buy to me lets hope it ends up good.

Alex Mattis: More fun than a stick, it's TNA Sacrifice. Officially featuring some of the most confusing gimmick matches I have ever heard of. A TNA Knockout Makeover battle royal? I thought TNA was actually trying to make their women's division look serious. A match where the loser gets shaved bald isn't serious, that's a sideshow attraction. Then the "Terrordome?" To quote the always high flying RVD, "I don't even know what that is." Really what the hell are we to expect. Most importantly… who is going to welcome us to the Terrordome, well I have a pretty good idea…

Moving along to the "Dueces Wild" tag tourney. I stop caring about the tag divison when they took the belts off of Tomko and AJ, it was bullshit just like this tournament. The only outcome I will be happy with is if LAX murders everybody and takes the gold. On to the main event. While I'm not a fan of Angle being in the main event again so soon, I still feel this can be a solid main event. I don't expect an amazing, memorable encounter but surely a solid bout. Who takes home the belt? Survey says… Samoa Joe.

Zach Brown: This card seems really interesting because so much of it is unpredictable. The Terrordome looks absolutely aweful. I'd love for it to deliver, but the gimmickyness leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The TNA Knockout Battle Royal seems really interesting because the TNA women almost always deliver, and I've never heard of a women's wrestler getting their head shaved as a stipulation. The fact that the women are also having a ladder match is also surprising because you wouldn't see that in WWE in a thousand years. The Deuces Wild tournament is a great idea because it feels like old school King of the Ring to me. The thing I really like about this is that I really have no idea who is going to win the tag belts. I'm really pulling for LAX, but I could easily see it being Sting and James Storm, Christian Cage and Rhino, or anyone else. Just as long as it's not Team 3D. And lastly, the Triple Threat match for the TNA title looks interesting enough. I'm not really excited to see Big Poppa Pump in the mix, but I guess TNA has to keep it fresh. If it were just Samoa Joe and Angle again, it wouldn't be nearly as interesting. But Steiner's probably there just to take the pin. And honestly, there aren't too many reasons not to buy this PPV. It looks pretty solid all around, and I'm looking forward to some surprising outcomes.

Topic # 2 Wrestlemania 24 received over a million buys this year. What are your thoughts on this?

David Martell: This is great news for the WWE. It is good to see that even though the product is at a low point, everyone still tunes in to Wrestlemania. A million buys is a shit load. I did think that this years Wrestlemania was better than last years and I have to say it deserved that many buys. I know that Mayweather added to the buys but I really wish the WWE would stop this celebrity storyline shit. I just don't care about it. I don't see why we cant just have a Wrestlemania with only real wrestlers wrestling. To me it would be a much better show.

Alex Mattis: Always a good sign for the E and ‘Mania when they can crack a millions buys. I read that this year did not top last years buy rate however. Thus leading people to make the argument that Donald Trump is bigger than Floyd Mayweather, I don't think that's the case at all. It's been ‘Mania history for the numbers to bounce up and down, but 1million buys isn't bad or even a "disappointment" in my eyes.

Zach Brown: Well this is great news for WWE. But it just goes to show that a good card will deliver in terms of PPV buys. I really hope that the Floyd Mayweather stunt didn't draw any additional buys. I hated his involvement with Wrestlemania, but with such strong buy numbers, WWE will just keep cranking out the Wrestlemania celebrity stunts each year. I hate it, but WWE can't get enough celebrities I guess. I really hope that Ric Flair's last match was the real reason everyone bought the PPV. That match alone was worth the price of admission. But really, this is just an example of what happens when WWE puts on a really solid card. Wrestlemania 23 was terrible, so it's good to see Wrestlemania actually doing well again.

Topic # 3 Torrie Wilson got released from the WWE this past week. How do you feel about this?

David Martell:I honestly never gave two shits about Torrie Wilson. She was a horrible wrestler and was part of one of the worst storylines. Yes, I remember Al Wilson. She was just a pretty face, and body, to look at. WWE got what they wanted out of her, two playboy shoots, and that's all they really needed. I am glad to see her gone. Now a days its too easy to get girls who look as good as her if not better.

Alex Mattis:Well looks like the E is doing some more fat trimming, getting rid of people that don't offer much or really don't have a spot on the roster anymore. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, though, as just several weeks ago we discussed her desire to retire.

Zach Brown: I could really care less that Torrie Wilson is gone. Sure she's a pretty face, but that's about as far as it goes. She is an awful wrestler, and she hasn't been in a storyline in a really long time. That combined with her recent medical issues makes this news not very surprising. I remember that she was getting worried because doctors were telling her that she had to stop wrestling if she wanted to stay healthy. What a joke. When was the last time Torrie Wilson did anything remotely physical? It's not like she's known for being a high flyer or something. That's just ridiculous. If she really wanted to, she could have found a way to be in WWE and not wrestle. Hell, she was already 90% there. So yeah, this news is neither alarming, nor upsetting. I'm sure Torrie will have a great career as a model. And that's kind of where she belongs anyway.

Topic # 4 WWE's Ashley recently got mixed up in an escort service scandal. What do you think of this?

David Martell: This news was a shocker. It sucks for the WWE to once again get bad publicity. Supposedly there is a model who goes buy the same name as her that they are trying to put the blame on but it looks like no one can find this person. It seems like Ashley is in some deep shit. I really wouldn't doubt it if the WWE just fired her. It seems like they don't care to use her any ways and it wouldn't be much of a loss. She isn't even that hot anyways. Like I said about Torrie Wilson, it wouldn't be hard to find a girl who looks exactly the same if not better.

Alex Mattis: Where the dickens is this escort service? I would say this issue could be detrimental to her image and career. But she's a pro wrestler, and just look at the way she presents herself on nation television each week… I think she'll recover from this one.

Zach Brown: Wow Ashley really blew it. In more ways than one. Seriously though, if Rolling Stone magazine does a story on it, it's probably true. I wonder what WWE would do if the story is verified. Would they fire her for being an escort in her past life? I don't think they should fire her, but the least they can do is send her to wrestling school as punishment. And besides, I wonder how many "customers" she actually had as an escort. I mean her asking price was $25,000! I don't know about you, but the escort service would have to pay me to take Ashley. I don't know. I guess she has her fans, but I'm just not one of them. I hope Ashley was at least a talented escort because her days in WWE might be numbered.

Topic # 5 What are your thoughts on the William Regal Storyline?

David Martell: This storyline is definitely intriguing. It is good to see Regal actually getting a push. He is getting over as a heel tremendously. Not to mention he is a fantastic wrestler. Yes, I said fantastic. I am really digging this storyline but I have no idea where its going. Is he going to end up a main eventer? I have no idea. I would like to see it. It would be new and he very well deserves to have a big belt around his waist. Something good is going to happen out of this and that I believe.

b>Alex Mattis:Hey! An actual heel! Not just some guy insulting the local sports teams! I like it. I have always been a huge fan of Regal and felt he made a great heel. Most importantly I like this because it puts Regal up as a main player on Raw. It's nice to see this revival of his career, so to speak, and I look forward to seeing where (if anywhere) it goes.

Zach Brown: I really don't understand this storyline with William Regal. Doing something shocking doesn't necessarily mean that it's good TV. I mean, cutting off the end of HHH vs. Randy Orton? I almost expected Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" to start playing. It's just retarded TV. And if it wasn't bad enough, he continues to do it whenever he sees fit. And this is definitely not what I expected Regal to do with his King of the Ring status. Because he's GM, not only could he have decided to do this long before King of the Ring, but it makes KOR 2008 look even MORE useless to me. It's just a completely pointless storyline and all it does is frustrate the fans. Nuff said.

Superstar Highlight

Randy Orton


Our thoughts on Randy Orton.

David Martell: I feel in love with the wrestler known as Randy Orton right after his hardcore match with Cactus Jack at Backlash 2004. That's when I jumped onto his bandwagon. I was completely shocked when he became the youngest World Champion of all time. I was pretty set on Benoit winning that won but low and behold Randy Orton fulfilled his destiny. I completely hate that he lost his title to Triple H. If you think about it, he lost all his titles to Triple H. I am glad that his last title reign was a long one and the fact that he retained his title at Wrestlemania is still amazing to me. EVERYONE thought he was going to lose. Randy Orton is my current favorite wrestler. He is an excellent heel. To be honest, I think he perfected the cocky heel. I do not think he is playing a gimmick though, I think that is just him. Alex and I always talk about how if we ever met him that he would be a total dick to us. I would expect and RKO at least. He is the single most entertaining thing in wrestling right now and I don't care what anyone says. The RKO is the most versatile move out there right now. He pulls that shit out of no where. It is just exciting waiting for the move to happen because you never know. The Orton era is still running strong.

Alex Mattis: Yay! We get to talk about my favorite my man crush!!! Well one of them, Patrick Dempsey is up there too. But Orton is definitely at the top, not only of my lists but of his game in general. He's coming off an excellent title run, and could win the belt back here pretty soon. He has nearly perfected his character and has some of the best in ring skills in the E. All in all, Randy Orton is one of the best talents in the world of professional wrestling and is amazing to watch. Do y'all really watch his matches? Watch the way he works? The way walks? The way he looks at his opponent? The way he executes his moves? He is an excellent practitioner of psychology in a company where that art is nearly dead. Where the problem can lay with Orton, is his attitude in real life. You know that Randy Orton we see on TV every week? That's not a character… that is him. And Randy has got into a whole mess of trouble being him. He really needs to focus on his career and try to play it straight from here on out. Not get himself into a lot of trouble, and truly cement his place in the record books. And a final side note, how can you not love the RKO? It's soooo goddamn versatile and every time I see it I lose my shit. Besides like the Canadian Destroyer or the DND, I think is one of the most exciting finishers in the biz.

Zach Brown: In my opinion, Randy Orton is the best young talent in the WWE right now. If you read this column, you should know that the Triple Threat is largely pro-Orton. He's just an excellent wrestler all around. The RKO is as over as a finisher can be, and he's just a very likeable heel. That's where his (in my opinion) only fault comes into play. He's really only interesting as a heel. When Orton's a face, it's just not believable. Randy Orton's an asshole in real life, and that's why he's such an effective heel. His character is an exaggerated version of himself, but it's still him. And to play Devil's Advocate here, the same argument that I make about Edge can be made with Orton. Sometimes he'll be losing a match, and he'll win it simply by hitting an RKO. I've complained before about Edge ending a match with his wimply little spear, but I don't mind Randy doing it as much because the RKO just looks devastating to me.Also, some people find Randy to be a little boring on the mic. I completely disagree. In my opinion, Orton's promos are arrogant, spiteful, and they sound genuine, And that's just the way I like 'em. Besides, I'd take Randy on the mic any day over Cena because Cena tries so hard to be funny, and I only actually laugh about 10% of the time. The reasons to like Randy Orton are very simple. He's a great athlete, a pretty proficient technical wrestler, he's still starting his career, he has a great persona, and he's a fantastic heel. And I couldn't be happier with Orton's current place in WWE. Even when he was in Rated RKO, I was just counting down the days until he won the WWE title. Overall, I'm a big Randy Orton fan, and you should be too.

Something to remember Randy Orton by.


Feedback Frenzy

This is our response to your comments and feedback of last week's column.

David Martell: Stone Cold is still one of the best of all time whether you like him or not. He was the attitude era for the most part. With out him wrestling wouldn't be as popular as it was back them. Now I don't give him all the credit. The Rock and DX played a big part as well but he was definitely the corner stone. I still dislike Triple H but he does put on a good match from time to time. I hate that he will beat the record for most World Title reigns. I am really doubting that Jeff Hardy will ever have the belt but stranger things have happened. I am ready to hear what you guys have to say about Orton.

Alex Mattis: Some of this Austin bashing continues and I don't understand. I don't have much to say about it, I don't see any real point in arguing about something like that. I think that the chances of Jeff Hardy winning the WWE title are as likely as the Ultimate Warrior winning it again. Hardy has screwed himself for the future by losing the E's trust several times. Thank you all for the feedback, be it positive or negative, keep it coming.

Zach Brown: Well again, last weeks comments were interesting. First of all, I didn't know that Austin had Foley added to the Summerslam '99 main event so that Foley could do the job. So yeah, point taken. But to be honest, it doesn't really change my opinion of Stone Cold. In my opinion, he's still one of the greatest of all time, and I think there are few people that would really disagree with that. Also, I really don't know why people were bringing up HHH and comparing him to Austin. Yeah, we like to talk crap about Mr. Levesque on a routine basis, but we actually didn't talk that bad about him last time. So I don't know why he was such a hot topic in the comments. Referring to Tomko, I'm kind of shocked that he actually has fans. I mean yeah, he's improving, but he didn't have much to start with in my opinion. All around, Tomko just fails to interest me. I understand the comparisons to Goldberg, but Tomko just doesn't have a personality to match. Goldberg was much more electric in the ring, and Tomko is nowhere near as exciting. That being said, I'm not even a big fan of Goldberg either. Maybe it's just that style of wrestling that turns me off. And as for the comparison to Batista, yeah I don't care too much for Batista either. So yeah I guess I'm just not on the Tomko train. But I seriously appreciate all the feedback. Keep writing in, and we'll keep responding.


That is it for this weeks column. Hope you enjoyed it and we look forward to your comments. Have a great week in wrestling. Cya.