The Triple Threat 5.18.08: The 92nd Edition - Mr. Kennedy, Hardy is Back, Judgment Day and More!

Posted by David Martell on 05.18.2008

Is Mr. Kennedy over rated? Is Jeff Hardy's return a dud? Will Judgment Day be worth watching? The Triple Threat has the answers. Find out inside.

The Triple Threat is back once again. This week we give our Judgment Day preview; we talk about Jeff Hardy's return, and are superstar highlight is Mr. Kennedy…Kennedy. This column is jam packed with good topics so please enjoy.

Topic # 1 WWE's Judgment Day is this Sunday, what are your thoughts on the card?

David Martell: I will start off with saying that Judgment Day looks solid but, almost everything on this PPV has been done before. We have already seen JBL vs. Cena, HBK vs. Y2J, Randy Orton vs. Triple H, and Edge vs. Taker like fifty million times in the last few months. It seems to me that the WWE is out of ideas right now and to me it makes this PPV a little bland. I am absolutely sick of seeing Edge vs. Taker. Three PPV's in a row is way too much. They are not even mixing things up by adding stipulations. Yes, they had a great match at Mania and a sub par match at Backlash but I need to see something new. Hell, throw in the Big Show. The JBL vs. Cena match looks to be bland. There match at Wrestlemania a few years back wasn't anything to talk about and I don't expect this one to be either. JBL is great on the mic but his wrestling isn't very interesting. I am not going to lie, I rather see Cena going for the title. I am still waiting for that long Orton vs. Cena feud I have always been wanting. I am a bit intrigued by the Orton vs. Triple H cage match. They had a great match at No Mercy with seem to bring us back to the attitude era of wrestling and maybe we can get a glimpse at that with the cage. I enjoy these two feuding but I absolutely hate Triple H with the title. I also enjoy HBK and Jericho feuding as well but like I said, it has already been done. They had one of my all time favorite Wrestlemania matches and I expect this one to also be very good, maybe even the match of the night. I don't really understand the storyline to well after last weeks RAW. Who is the bad guy? HBK for lying about his injury or Chris Jericho because… he's Chris Jericho? I ready don't get it. The WWE Tag Title match looks lame to me. Morrison and Punk are good but the other two are not that impressive. Miz is getting better but Kane is god awful. I have no idea why people like him. Ever since he lost his mask it seems like he has lost everything. The women's match could be decent. I am a big fan of Beth Phoenix and to watch her murder people in the ring is quite enjoyable. Here are my complete projections for the night: Taker over Edge, Orton over Triple H, Cena over JBL, HBK over Jericho, Beth Phoenix over Melina and Mickie James, and Punk and Kane over Morrison and Miz.

Alex Mattis: I see a night of title changes on the horizon. Coming out of this PPV I expect to see the same situation we had post WrestleMania. In the Women's title match I see Beth Phoenix regaining the title I feel she should have never lost. Here's where it gets fun. I see Beth going over Melina, leading to the big showdown with Mickie James at "The Night Of Champions." In the WWE tag titles match I expect The Miz and Morrison to retain via miscommunications between Kane and Punk which may result in some drama. I think Punk and Kane may have a series of matches, maybe even a title match but I don't expect the MITB to be cashed in on ECW. Moving along to the most unpredictable match on the card, Shawn Michaels Vs. Chris Jericho. I have thrown my hands up and have stopped trying to understand what is going on in this feud. It is so strange, but very intriguing and I am very interested to see what happens in this one. John Cena Vs. JBL, anyone think Cena is going to lose 3 PPV's in a row? Yeah, me either. Moving on. There was absolutely no purpose in stripping Taker of the title. I understand that they want to get the gogoplata over as a vicious hold, but just ban the moved and fine him when he does it ala Kevin Nash with the jackknife powerbomb, don't strip him of the belt. It cheapens the title reign. But don't expect the champ coming out of this to be anyone else but the UnderTaker. And please WWE, start calling this hold by its damn name. Annnnnnd in the main event, we've got what should be a great steel cage match between Triple H and my man crush... Randall K. Orton. In my last edition of the "Best Of The Rest" I gave my reasons for why I think Orton is going to regain the title, and my thoughts were cemented on Monday when Trips got the upper hand going into the PPV. Classic rule of the E: whoever gets the upper hand on the Raw before a PPV usually doesn't win their match. Let's hope that that is the case here, because I absolutely hate seeing that belt on HHHitler. I think someone just hit the pause button on the Age of Orton, and Randy is going to press play come this Sunday.

Zach Brown: Well this PPV looks pretty solid in my opinion. But what is up with that terrible theme music for the PPV? I guess I'm just not a fan of country music. Anyway, the Triple Threat Women's match looks pretty good because it has 3 of the best women's wrestlers in WWE. But unfortunately, Melina is probably just there to take the pin. The Tag Team Match with Morrison and The Miz vs. Kane and CM Punk is just an odd match-up in my opinion. Kane and CM Punk? Whose idea was that? If there is a problem with this PPV, it's that we've seen most of these matches already. Shawn Michaels vs. Jericho? Great stuff, but we've seen it before. JBL vs. Cena? I don't mind it so much, but we've seen it before. And we've had Edge vs. Undertaker for several months now. They really delivered at Wrestlemania, but we've still seen a lot of matches with them. And HHH vs. Randy Orton is definitely nothing new. It should be a pretty decent PPV, but it's just not as fresh as it should be.

Topic # 2 Jeff Hardy made his return on RAW this past Monday, how do you feel about his return?

David Martell: Jeff Hardy seems to be a hot topic these days. I have never been too big of a fan of his. His return last Monday on RAW was like the return of most big stars. He comes in takes for a bit and wins a match to prove he still has it. I am not angry that he went over Umaga mainly because he is not getting used at this point and soon he will be moved to Smackdown. I know that a lot of people hate Jeff out there but he is mega over. People still love him and he sells a ton of merchandise. He is a great investment for the E mainly for the money they make off of him. I will say this; I was on his bandwagon before he got caught by wellness. He was having great PPV matches and was hinting at a title victory in the new future. His matches with Orton and Triple H were both very good and the show he put on in the Elimination Chamber at No Way Out was pretty damn good. He has screwed up several times before but so has many other superstars. I love Randy Orton but he has screwed up just as much as Hardy has. I can't condemn a wrestler when my favorite has done things just as worse. It comes down to this, Jeff is decent in the ring, he has the look, he cant talk worth shit but he sure knows how to bob his head, and the people simply love him. Do not get me wrong, what he has done is wrong. He does not deserve a title shot of any kind in the near future or any kind of big push but I am not against the fact that he is back.

Alex Mattis: Wow, I caused quite a commotion on my "Best Of The Rest" column with my comments on Jeff and his return. I don't want to start that all over again so I'll just say that I felt his return with a victory over a top name player like Umaga was not right. Further more I'll add that I feel Jeff with have another "violation" ultimately leading to his release.

Zach Brown: Well if you read this column, you should know that I'm not too high on Jeff Hardy. I'm not a huge fan of his wrestling style, his look, or his character for that matter. And while I didn't mind his recent push for the belt, I still didn't really care for him all that much. Now that Jeff is back, I can't help but think how much he doesn't deserve another chance to be in the spotlight. I mean isn't this something like his third wellness violation relating to recreational drugs? You would think the guy would have learned by now. And he already went over Umaga on his return. That's just wrong in my opinion. If anything, Jeff deserves to be buried a couple of times by Umaga as punishment. Also I think it's pretty ironic that WWE is touting a documentary about Jeff's battle with drugs on the Hardys' new DVD. Clearly, that battle isn't over. I know there are a lot of Jeff Hardy fans out there, but I just don't understand why he's so popular. Yes, he risks life and limb out there almost every night he wrestles (and that is something I genuinely appreciate). But his matches are all spotfests, and he's a terrible role model to be honest. A lot of fans were really pushing for Jeff to win the WWE title before his suspension. I firmly believe that if Jeff Hardy ever wins the title, no one will care about him anymore much like when Rey Mysterio won the Heavyweight Title. It just bugs me when a wrestler gets busted repeatedly for drugs and still gets pushed because he moves a lot of merchandise. There are several other young talents that deserve Jeff's spot in WWE, and Jeff isn't showing a lot of appreciation for where he's at in the company.

Topic # 3 LAX won the Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament at TNA's Sacrifice this past Sunday, how do you feel about this?

David Martell: I am actually a bit surprised by this because I was dead set on some odd couple tag team winning the gold. I am great happy that LAX won this tournament. Like I have said many times before, they are the best tag team in the big leagues at the moment. I guess TNA used this tournament as a ploy to put them over in the tag division. They didn't really go against any great opponents I must say. Going over teams such as Kip James and Matt Morgan, AJ Styles and Super Eric (interesting yes, great tag team, no.) and the Dudley Boys isn't that impressive. I would like to see some more matches with them and the Motor City Machine Guns. I hope the title reign for these to under rated wrestlers is long and prosper.

Alex Mattis: Awesome. I'm a huge LAX mark and glad to see them finally getting some respect. And where it is interesting is the fact that, now, all of TNA's champions are their own, home grown talent. Just something interesting to think about. But I have felt for the past few years that LAX could be the best tag team around. They are just a perfect combination and have what it takes to make it anywhere. Both are fantastic athletes and have perfected their individual styles of wrestling. I hope they have a long reign ahead of them and look forward to what LAX has to offer in the future.

Zach Brown: Well the only outcome I wanted in the Deuces Wild Tournament came true. I couldn't be happier now that LAX are Tag Champs again. Their title reign was my last memory of when the tag division was great in TNA. And after LAX, we got the terrible reign of Team 3D. I honestly hope they never come near the belts again. Hernandez and Homicide are a great tag team, and I thought they had been really underappreciated in TNA lately. Thankfully, they now have a whole laundry list of opponents that they can face. During their last run with the titles, I have to admit that it was kind of slim pickens for LAX when it came to worthy adversaries. Hopefully, they'll have great programs with the Motor City Machine Guns, and a lot of other talented tag teams.

Topic # 4 Kurt Angle recently suffered a neck injury and is reported to be out for a month. What are your thoughts on this and how do you think this will affect TNA?

David Martell: This was bound to happen. Kurt Angle is addicted to wrestling and if he continues to push himself at such a ridiculous level, his injuries are going to end up worse. We have all known that Angle has suffered from neck problems. Hell, he likes to remind us that he won the gold medal with a broken freakin' neck. These types of injuries make me wonder why Kurt Angle is even considering MMA. The wear and tear of his body is way too much for him to even think about any kind of MMA career that will last. If he continues his rigorous activities TNA might be out of one of their biggest stars. Lets hope he takes his time off the right way, with rehabilitating his neck and relaxing for once.

Alex Mattis: I'm glad he is finally taking some time to heal up, as it seems he really needed it. I think Kurt just doesn't know how to rest. He has been training, competing, etc. his entire life and I think he only knows how to keep going and going and going. I really hope he takes this time to rehab seriously, as I don't want him to burn his flame out this early in his pro wrestling career, because while he has reached great success I still think he has a future in the business in one way or another.

Zach Brown: Well I'm pretty bummed that Kurt Angle is injured. I really hope that Kurt has a speedy recovery because everyone knows that Kurt's neck is known to give him problems. Even though it sucks that Kurt is out of action, it could mean interesting things for TNA. We could see a few interesting challengers for Samoa Joe. I have to admit, I was getting a little tired of seeing every possible form of Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle. Sure they put on amazing matches, but I just want to see something different every once in a while. Christian, Sting, Abyss, or Booker T would be great opponents for Joe. It's just like back when Cena has his most recent injury. It sucks to have the top dog out of the picture, but sometimes it can open up interesting possibilities. Also, I wonder how this injury impacts Kurt's desire to go into MMA. Is his match with Randy Couture off? I have no idea. But either way, I wish Angle a speedy recovery.

Topic # 5 Supposedly, The Ultimate Warrior is being trained by RVD to get ready for his in ring re-debut. What are your thoughts on this wacky occurrence?

David Martell: This is a wacky occurrence and is totally out of left field. If Warrior is planning to come back to the ring I do think he has a good teacher. Although I was never impressed with RVD's run in the WWE I know he can give the Warrior a few pointers. If Warrior can learn how to sell like RVD then I might actually be interested in watching his matches. I still have no remorse for Warrior but if he is stepping back in the ring, at least he is trying to have a decent match. I respect the fact that he is training instead of going in there and giving out six hundred closelines.

Alex Mattis: What the hell? I think it's safe to say that this came out of no where, and that's speaking for an industry where anything can be expected. I'm not really sure what the purpose of this is, nor do I have any clue where this is heading. The Warrior is always up to crazy shit, and RVD must be flyin' higher than ever to be doing something like this.

Zach Brown: I don't know if I should be ashamed of Warrior, or if I should be more ashamed of RVD for supporting him. What could RVD possibly teach Warrior? How to do a frog splash or a rolling thunder? RVD's wrestling style is something you really can't teach. Warrior wasn't even acrobatic in the first place! So I don't know why he is training with RVD. I'm sure that Warrior is going to be terrible in the ring, with or without RVD's help. Besides, if Warrior really wants to train, he should just go the "Warrior University" that he's so famous for. I just can't even believe that Warrior is serious about making a return to wrestling. He's way too old, and I've never liked him to begin with. His wrestling career has been in Parts Unknown for quite some time, and that's where it'll stay. I guarantee it.

Superstar Highlight

Mr. Kennedy


Our thoughts on Mr. Kennedy.

David Martell: I am definitely on the Mr. Kennedy bandwagon. I think his is a great talent but he does have a lot of room for improvement. Kennedy is quite impressive on the mic. He is years ahead of many of the younger talent in WWE and anywhere else pertaining to mic skills. People love his Mr. Kennedy, Kennedy spiel, as do I, and he always seems to crack everyone up. With that said his in ring skills need to improve if he is going to be set for super stardom. I am not saying he is a bad wrestler by any means but he has a lot of work to do. The one match to me that showed he can go the distance is the match he had with Batista at Royal Rumble awhile back. He held Batista through the whole match with out a problem and it ended up being one of the better matches on the card. That match showed signs that he could be a good ring general. What they need to do with him is to give him a long feud with a veteran, such as Finlay or Regal, so he can gain wrestling knowledge in ring and become a better wrestler over all. He needs to add a few new moves to his arsenal to really put him over the rest of the guys. I really don't want Kennedy to fall under the basic WWE wrestling style that so many guys have done in the past. (such as Triple H and John Cena) I am glad they are giving him a face turn because he is one of those guys that can be a bad guy and people still love him. Might as well make him a face so it will make sense. I long for the day when he gets a real title shot.

Alex Mattis: Ah, Mr. Kennedy (Kennedy). I'm really torn on this guy. While I enjoy his work and think that he is fantastic on the mic, I can't help but feel that he is somewhat overrated. Like I said, I think his mic work is head an arms above the rest in the E, especially right now, but he in-ring work is still very green and overall is just average. I think that Kennedy is the future without a doubt and has the potential to grown into a superstar, but at this point I don't understand all the hype. He's good, but has a lot of in-ring improvement to do.

Zach Brown: I'm a big fan of Mr. Kennedy. Now before everyone gets pissy and calls me a hypocrite over the Jeff Hardy stuff, let me explain myself. Yes, Kennedy had a wellness violation when he was busted through the Signature Pharmacy scandal. But performance enhancing drugs are a little different to me because damn near everyone in the wrestling world has taken them. Nearly all of our favorite wrestlers have taken them, so if you're going to hate everyone that uses performance enhancing drugs, you might as well shun around 75% of WWE, because I can guarantee you that they've all been guilty of it at some point in their career. It was just a way of life up until recently, so yeah, I'm still a fan of Kennedy even though he did that. I don't like Jeff Hardy for several reasons, and the use of recreational drugs is only a small part of it. Ok, so that being said, Mr. Kennedy is one of my favorite wrestlers in WWE. In my opinion, he's one of the most dynamic personalities in wrestling since The Rock. The guy really knows how to cut a promo, and he's genuinely funny when he's on the mic.And I really like his wrestling style as well. I'm not always crazy about the Mic Check since it's such a simple move, but I go ape shit for the Lambeau Leap. It's just an awesome finisher. I wish he would break it out more often, because the Mic Check just isn't a big deal to me. The only things that are a little disappointing to me are Kennedy's loss of the Money in the Bank title shot, and the way that Kennedy's been used lately. He didn't do much in the most recent Money in the Bank, and he hasn't been in any good storylines or worthwhile matches lately. Yeah, he's been shooting that movie, but I really wish he hadn't been. I mean I'm not exactly rushing out to see Behind Enemy Lines III. But he hasn't been used well for a while now. I guess Kennedy is just an example of being buried for a while after a wellness violation. But I'm really counting down the days until Kennedy wins a major title. I think he has a great future in WWE, and I can't wait for him to start main eventing. The countdown for his Money in the Bank cash-in at Wrestlemania was a great idea, and I thought it was going to be a sure thing for him to win the title. Too bad. But Kennedy is a rising star in WWE, and I think he's definitely someone to watch.

Something to remember Mr. Kennedy by.


Feedback Frenzy

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

David Martell: It is good to see a lot of Orton love. The guy is gold in my opinion. He is a decent wrestler, has an explosive finisher, plays the cocky heel to a T, and is pretty damn good on the mic. If I met him in real life I would expect nothing less then RKO right then and there. Randy Orton is not playing a character, that is him. He is the business right now and I can agree that he will be the next Triple H just for the fact that he is going to end up one of the best heel characters of all time.

Alex Mattis: Always great to see some love and support for the greatness that is Randy Orton. I do feel that Orton is one of the all around best in the biz right now, and it's good to see that some agree about how talented he really is. In response to "Loz"'s comments about Tomko, I agree and disagree. I think that Tomko is a better wrestler than you may give him credit for, especially considering how much he has grown as a performer. Watch some of his initial WWE shit, and put that up against what he is doing now. It doesn't seem like the same wrestler. But I do agree with you on the point that he looks much better when he is booked in the right situation, like the body guard character fits him perfect. Thanks again y'all for the feedback, it's great to hear from out readers and keep the comments coming.

Zach Brown: We had some interesting feedback last week. First of all, some guest telling me that I wouldn't know where to start with a chick of Ashley Massaro's caliber is completely asinine. In my opinion, she is the least attractive diva in WWE. On another note, I apologize for forgetting that Molly Holly got her head shaved as a stipulation at Wrestlemania XX. My bad. Also, we had some interesting comments about Orton. I was expecting opposing views about Randall, but most people seemed to agree with us. I wonder where the Orton haters were? We appreciate the feedback guys! Keep it coming!

That is it for this week. Starting in June we are going to do a State of RAW, Smackdown, ECW and TNA address. It is something we haven't done before and we thought it would be good topics to debate. Hope you enjoyed the column and we will see you next week. Have a good week in wrestling.