The Triple Threat 5.25.08: The 93rd Edition - Regal's Suspension, TNA Going to England, Lance Storm Returning to ROH and More

Posted by David Martell on 05.25.2008

This week we talk about all three major wrestling companies with our thoughts on the current WWE storylines, TNA going to England and Lance Storm returning to ROH. Also find out are thoughts on if RVD is overrated or not. Enjoy your stay!

Welcome back to the Triple Threat. This week we had the lack of good topics so I gather the best topics I could and hopefully this is stuff you guys want to talk about. Thanks for all the comments from last week. Good or bad we still appreciate it, it makes us know that there's people actually reading. This week we talk about Regal getting suspended, TNA doing a tour of England and Lance Storm returning to ROH. Don't forget our superstar highlight which happens to be RVD this week. Hope you enjoy.


Topic # 1 William Regal got suspended for 60 days, what are your thoughts on this situation?

David Martell: This is terrible news for the WWE and William Regal. Regal was finally getting over as a monster heel and he screwed up. You would think a veteran like him would know better. Sixty days is a long time and this is screwing up the best storyline that was going on. Regal was in the best storyline he's had since he was the commissioner of the WWE years and years ago. This puts Kennedy in a bad place because now they have nothing to do with him. It seems like everything Kennedy is about to get into something good he screws up, gets injured, or someone else screws up. I hope this time around Regal will learn from his mistakes and come back as the dominant heel he was turning into.

Alex Mattis: This was extremely disappointing, and a very stupid move by Regal. Much like we talk about Jeff Hardy, Regal was at a high point of his career and then goes and gets himself in trouble. It's really a shame because he was getting monster over as a heel, and the E had to pull the trigger on the firing angle too early. I hope that Regal learns a lesson from this because at this stage of his career he can't afford to fuck up like this. It'll be interesting to see where he goes upon his return, or if he'll just walk right back into his spot ala Jeff Hardy.

Zach Brown: Wow this suspension really came out of nowhere. It really disappoints me that Regal violated the Wellness policy. I mean the guy was getting such a huge heel push before he got suspended. He won King of the Ring, and he was really over as a heel for cutting matches off the air. Granted, I wasn't a huge fan of that storyline, but it was successful in drawing attention to Regal. As for the suspension, I really can't imagine Regal getting busted for anything other than performance enhancing drugs. Maybe he felt that he needed to be in shape for his recent return to the ring. Which, by no coincidence , was during WWE's most recent tour of England. It's just really unfortunate because he was pretty much the top heel on RAW, and he was showing that his wrestling skills have only gotten better with age. I hope Regal uses this time to think about his career, and I hope he's come to realize that drugs just aren't acceptable in wrestling anymore.


Topic # 2 TNA is having a tour in England. What are your thoughts on this and what does this mean for the company?

David Martell: It is great to see TNA getting their product out to the rest of the world. England is big on wrestling and that's a great way to start over seas. It is good to see that they are possible making profit to do such a tour. I actually watched TNA for the first time in awhile on Thursday and I have to say, it wasn't that bad. There are a couple of things that I was picky about but overall I enjoyed the show. TNA isn't a terrible product but they have a lot of stuff to work on, much like the WWE. I hope their company continues to expand throughout the world so we can have a bit of competition on our hands.

Alex Mattis: Love or hate TNA, this is a good sign for the company. I'm kinda in-between with their product right now, but happy for the company that they are able to do this. International touring is always something that is good for a wrestling company and usually makes quite a profit for the company. So in that sense it is good. Not to mention how stacked the cards for the Europe shows are, I wish TNA the best of luck while over there.

Zach Brown: I'm really surprised that TNA is traveling to England. I'm glad that TNA is spreading brand awareness and growing as a company, but I really think they need to spend a little more time becoming successful in the United States before they worry about their European market. WWE travels the globe because they're a huge organization and they're one of the most recognizable companies around. TNA is just not at that level yet. I mean TNA barely does shows outside of the Impact Zone. With WWE, I can safely assume that they'll have PPVs and RAW tapings in my state at least once every year or two. There's something about RAW coming to a town near you that makes wrestling fans excited. TNA needs to concentrate on doing that. The reason they can't really do that is because I really doubt that TNA could sell out arenas the way WWE does. If TNA has the ability to tour England and really spread a good amount of brand awareness, then more power to them. But if they're really going to grow as a company, I think they need to start touring the United States a lot more than what they've been doing.


Topic # 3 Lance Storm is making his return to the ROH ring on July 25th and 26th. What are your thoughts on this?

David Martell: It is going to be great to see Lance Storm going back into an ROH ring. His first appearance was great and I am sure he wont let us done this time either. He might have a bit of ring rust on him but I don't doubt his ability to put on another great match. Who knows, maybe we can see him face off with Bryan Danielson again.

Alex Mattis: Awesome to hear. Not really sure what his role is going to be at the events as ROH currently has him billed as a "special guest." I'd love to see him wrestle at the shows, possibly a rematch with Bryan Danielson. Storm hasn't wrestle in quite some time though and I'm not sure if he would have any ring rust. Whatever the case it's always good to see legends like Storm making appearances in ROH, helping the company out.

Zach Brown: I've always believed that Lance Storm was a really underrated wrestler. His career in WWE never really showcased his true skills in my opinion. He pretty much turned into a joke character that everyone thought was lame. When you're constantly telling the Rock that you like strudel every week, the audience isn't going to dig your character too much. But man, the guy can really wrestle. I saw some of his old matches with Rob Van Dam in the old ECW, and I was completely blown away. After knowing how good he was, it sickened me that he was used so poorly in WWE. And knowing that he runs a very respectable wrestling school only raises my opinion of him. I know Lance already had a match with Bryan Danielson for the ROH Title in 2006. That's definitely a match I'd love to see. I know Bryan will do great things by wrestling for ROH. I just wish he'd come out of retirement full time. If there is one promotion that I'd want Lance to wrestle full time for, It's Ring of Honor. That's the one promotion I can think of that isn't heavily tainted by bad storylines or politics. So yeah, I really hope that Lance decides to make an extended stay in Ring of Honor. Maybe it's a pipe dream, but I'd really like to see it happen.


Topic # 4 Ted Dibiase had an interesting vignette on RAW this past Monday. This COULD possibly mean that he might be the next GM of RAW while Regal is away. What are your thoughts on this if this does happen?

David Martell: Although it sucks to see Regal out of the picture right now, the Million Dollar Man could be a could replacement for the time being. Hell, maybe if we are lucky he will bring back the million dollar belt. If that happens we could have a good, classic storyline on our hands. Lets say they have a tournament for the Million Dollar Belt, Mr. Kennedy wins and in two months Regal comes back to claim it. This will put over Kennedy and restart the feud between him and Regal. I like the idea. Will it happen? Probably not. I have no idea if Dibiase would be a heel or face GM. I kind of hope that he is a face GM so that there is a place for Regal when he comes back. This will for sure mix up things and I cant wait to hear the Million Dollar Man's laugh again.

Alex Mattis: It was a very open-ended backstage vignette we got on Raw that has led to many questions being asked. I would love to see DiBiase return to TV in a speaking role, and as a GM? That would be great. DiBiase has never been short on the charisma, and I think his presence and availability could help some of the up and coming guys develop some more mic skills. I'm interested to see where this goes and hope is turns out good.

Zach Brown: No wonder he was on RAW the other night! I really don't know what it would be like if Ted Dibiase were RAW's GM. The guy hasn't been on regular WWE in years. Could he possibly get over as a heel GM? I mean it's pretty much standard that every General Manager has been heel lately. If they wanted to make him heel, I don't know if the audience would boo him as much because he's a WWE legend. But I think it's no question that Ted Dibiase could fill the role of GM. But to be honest, I'd be little more interested in Vince McMahon as RAW General Manager. He's obviously a natural heel, and since Vince hasn't been on TV in so long, I was actually more interested in his presence on RAW more than anyone else's. So while I'd be interested to see where Ted Dibiase goes with the GM role, I think Vince is also a shoe-in for the job. All in all, I'd be happy with either one.


Topic # 5 How do you feel about the current WWE feuds and storylines?

David Martell: Like I have said before, everything that is going on right now in the WWE is rehash. We have already seen feuds with Orton vs. Triple H, Edge vs. Taker and Cena vs. JBL. This shit is getting old. In fact, I probably wont buy another PPV until we get some changes. These three storylines alone have been going since right after Wrestlemania. Yeah, this time we get gimmick matches for all three feuds but these feuds been going on so long I just don't care to watch them. With the end of the Kennedy vs. Regal storyline, there's just nothing to watch for. Where's the Big Show? Why is he not in the title picture? Why is CM Punk jobbing? Why the hell is Kane the ECW champion? Where are all the new talent at? These are questions I just don't know and its starting to bother me. Usually every year after Mania we get some new talent mixed in but they failed to do that this year. I rather see new faces, new storylines and different people in the title picture. I guess I am like most wrestling fans, I can never be fully pleased.

Alex Mattis: Stale and repetitive. One Night Stand is basically the same PPV we've seen for the past 2 or 3 months. I think either the E is just lazy and knows that people are going to watch no matter what so they just spew out whatever stuff they can, or they have literally run out of ideas. I don't understand what is so hard though. Professional wrestling has a simple formula: Good guy Vs. Bad guy. It seems as though the script is already written for you guys. I'm just tired of the E making angles over the top, or just not putting any depth to them at all. There needs to be some middle ground, where the angles are just right.

Zach Brown: What storylines? The only one worth talking about on RAW is Regal cutting the ends off of matches, and that one's dead as Dillinger. What's going on with RAW right now? Does anyone actually know? Jericho, Batista, and Shawn Michaels are all doing something together, but who knows what? All I know is that Jericho is jobbing like none other. Santino Marella is doing something with Rowdy Roddy Piper. What? Why? All I remember is that he calls him "Rodney the Piper" and that's freaking hilarious. CM Punk has the MITB suitcase, but he's just wandering around aimlessly with it. I love the guy, but pick a title already! As for ECW, no one cares. On Smackdown, that whole vacated title storyline is just retarded. Does anyone else want to curb stomp Vickie Guerrero? There was absolutely, positively no good reason to take the title off of 'Taker other than to draw attention to it. And I just hate the way they called the Gogoplata "that vicious chokehold." It's a freaking Gogoplata. The Undertaker is an avid MMA fan, and that's why he used it. So it's pretty ridiculous to not hear it called by it's name. And let's just say that I don't want to see Edge and Undertaker wrestle another match for a good 6 to 8 months. They have chemistry, but enough is enough. These storylines are just an example of how WWE runs around like a chicken with it's head cut off in the months after Wrestlemania. When the Wrestlemania rematches start to end, that's when things start sucking. And I know HHH just won the title and all, but I'm already bored with him as champ. Things are just completely lackluster in WWE right now, and unfortunately, Regal was the best thing they had going. Granted, Regal getting fired was a big deal, but it's not an ongoing storyline. It's over now, and what are they going to do now? There aren't any heated feuds, I don't care what's happening with the titles, and things are just stale all around.




Superstar Highlight

RVD



Our thoughts on RVD.

David Martell: I am one of those people who think RVD is a bit overrated. He has never really impressed me with his run in the E. I will agree that he is an excellent athlete and he can sell like no tomorrow but he seems to have a basic wrestling style that many of the WWE wrestler end up with. He did the same spots every match and rarely mixed it up. I know that his run in ECW was a lot different but it seems to me that when he went to the E he just decided to sit back and relax because he hit the pinnacle of the wrestling world. I am not saying that he didn't have any good matches because I would be lying. I am saying that most of the stuff that he did in the E was less then impressive. I am sure I am going to get a lot of flack for this but I will explain what I do think is good about RVD. RVD was extremely over with the fans, and I agree that he did deserve the WWE title when he got it, it was long over due. He did have some great matches but I always felt that he didn't go all the way. We always got the same moves every match: frog splash, back flip shoulder block into the turnbuckle, standing moonsault, the kicks and the sweeps. He fell into that basic WWE wrestling category much like Triple H, John Cena, Rey Mysterio, and Jeff Hardy. Once again, I am not saying any of these guys are bad, I like a lot of these guys but they all seem to just want to get the same old spots in. Maybe he did just need a break. I think he made the right decision about that but I do expect him to come back to the WWE in the near future. This thing that he's doing with the Ultimate Warrior is ridiculous but at least he seems to be having fun. I do look forward to him returning one day, I just hope he can pull some of those old moves out that we haven't seen in years.

Alex Mattis: One of my favorite wrestlers of all time... kinda. Being a true ECW fan and watching it back in the day, I knew how talented RVD was and how much he could offer the main stream wrestling world. His matches with Taz, Sabu, Lance Storm, and especially Jerry Lynn were all classics. Then he came into the E. He did some good work at first, and then he just seemed to get lazy. He stopped putting on the awesome matches he was known for which led to many people saying he was overrated. He was still way over, but just didn't seem to care about his matches. It was a very disappointing episode to see unfold. Then the E actually puts some stock in him, makes him a double champion, then he fucks it all up. Now he's gone training with the Warrior. Very disappointing indeed. So ECW RVD, one of my favorite wrestlers of all time. WWE RVD, eh.

Zach Brown: RVD is a phenomenal athlete in my opinion. It's rare that I don't like an RVD match, and he's pretty much one of the top high fliers around. I love seeing the Five Star Frog Splash and the Terminator. Sure, Eddie did the Frog Splash and Shane could do the Coast-to-Coast, but Rob just made both of those moves look a little more graceful to me. That said, I have to admit that I've never been a fan of the Rolling Thunder. To me, it looks like it has little impact on the opponent, and it reminds me of The Worm in terms of how much unnecessary stuff happens during the move. All that rolling around just to land on him? I've always thought it was kind of lame for some reason. Something I also love about RVD is his constant stoner attitude. I love watching the little hilarious moments throughout his career. Like commentating on one of his old matches and saying "That was when they called me the whole fuckin' show." Or when they asked RVD about the Extreme Elimination chamber and RVD said "And now they want me to be in an Extreme Elimination Chamber? I don't even know what that is." That line is a classic between Alex and I. Or just when his shirt read "Flying Higher Than Ever." It's those kind of tongue-in-cheek remarks that make him that much more likable. It really sucks that RVD is out of wrestling right now. He's off of WWE programming, and he doesn't even want to make the move to TNA or ROH or any other promotion. I mean if the guy is healthy, why wouldn't he want to be working? It just sucks for the fans, that's all. I hope RVD makes a return to the ring soon, because he's too good to just lay dormant like he's been doing lately.

Here's something to remember RVD for.



Feedback Frenzy

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

David Martell: It is good to see people that feel the same way about Kennedy as we do. It crazy to see how many Jeff Hardy supporters there are. I am not going to argue about though because everyone shares there own opinion. Like I said before, I don't hate Hardy, I just wish he would clean up. Is it possible? Maybe…maybe not. I am also surprised how much people hate Orton. It seems like we are some of the few people who really support him. There are two sides to every story though and I am just glad people are reading are stuff.

Alex Mattis: Glad to see more and more feedback. Glad to see many of y'all are with us on the Kennedy bandwagon. The Jeff Hardy madness continues and at this point I don't really see a point in arguing it anymore as people are going to believe what they want and I'm going to believe what I want. I will say that "Earl Hebner" put it best in regards to the Orton-Hardy bashing:

"Jeff Hardy is like the NFL's Ricky Williams, great talent, but because of his drug problem we have the right to hate him for wasting that talent. Randy Orton is like Terrell Owens. A blessed with talent jerk who we should all despise, but for some reason we love."

War Orton!

Zach Brown: Relating to all the hate we received for our comments about Jeff Hardy, I explained in great detail why I don't particularly care for Jeff Hardy, and why I didn't think his return was done right. If I said something like "Screw Jeff Hardy, he's terrible." Then yeah, hate what I say. But I back it up with words, and no one disagreed with me on any of my reasons for not liking him. I, like everyone else, am entitled to my opinion. That said, I would never wish harm on Jeff Hardy. I personally do not want to see Jeff Hardy violate wellness policy ever again. I honestly hope that he never relapses again, and that his career is successful from this point forward. But when you see how many times Jeff has had problems with this, sometimes you can't help being skeptical. Really, what it all comes down to is this. What we say isn't the Gospel, and we don't claim it to be. Love it or hate it, it's an opinion piece. That's what columns are: opinions. If you don't like it, just don't read it. But don't blast people about their opinions, because opinions are never wrong.


That it for this week. Don't forget that starting next week we are starting are four part series explain are thoughts on each brand of the WWE and TNA. First up will be ECW. We welcome your thoughts on this weeks column so feel free to give us some feedback. Once again, have a great week in wrestling. Cya!