The Triple Threat 01.18.09: 124th Edition - Jack Swagger, Alex Shelley, Talent Cuts, More

Posted by David Martell on 01.18.2009

This week we give our thoughts on Jack Swagger winning the ECW Title, Alex Shelley winning the TNA X-Division Title, recent WWE talent cuts, and Chris Sabin is our Superstar Highlight. Plus much more!

Welcome back to the Triple Threat once again. This week we talk about recent title changes in the WWE and TNA, the recent talent cuts by the WWE, the Jeff Hardy hit and run storyline, and the return of Ted Dibiase Jr. Chris Sabin is our superstar highlight so please enjoy!


Topic # 1 What are your thoughts on Jack Swagger winning the ECW Title?

David Martell: The young guns rule ECW and it is great to see one finally win the ECW title. Jack Swagger vs. Matt Hardy for the ECW title was one of the best ECW TV matches I have seen in awhile. The whole exposed turnbuckle fiasco was genius and loved the way it all played out. Swagger looked like he belonged in that match and he proved himself worthy of such a title. Swagger has a big and bright future ahead of him. I am glad that the WWE is putting the rematch on the Royal Rumble card. More people will get to see how good this kid is and hopefully he retains clean. Matt Hardy did a great job of putting Swagger over. After Hardy, I really don't know who Swagger could feud with. I guess with a returning Even Borne that wouldn't be so bad. The best young face on the brand vs. the best young heel would match up pretty well in my eyes. I hope the Swagger train keeps on going.

Alex Mattis: Hey, a new guy with a title! I like it. I don't particularly care too much for Swagger, but they idea of a new dude coming in, running through everyone, and winning the title is so old school and that's why I love it. I thought Matthew had a good enough run as champ but I thought it was a good time to end it. From here what they did to do with Jack is have him just run through all challengers on "ECW" until someone new comes along and becomes his first big threat. OLD SCHOOL TACTICS!!!! Like I said I'm not the biggest fan of Swaggy but I like where this could be going.

Zach Brown: This was a nice surprise on ECW. I really didn't think Hardy was going to drop the strap till the Royal Rumble. That being said, Jack Swagger has definitely grown on me since we last talked about him. Swagger made Hardy look like old news in the ring, and I ended up being very impressed with his abilities. He did some great mat wrestling, and his Gutwrench Powerbomb looks pretty sick. It was one of the best matches I've seen on ECW in a while, and the way they did the exposed turnbuckle was a really smart way to end the match. But who is he going to feud with? Swagger vs. Hardy is solid, but it can only last for so long. After that's said and done, I'm not exactly excited to see Swagger vs. Mark Henry. And I hope WWE doesn't treat Jack like a placeholder until Evan Bourne is healthy again. Overall I'm glad that they chose Swagger to represent ECW because the brand has a lot of young talent, so it's only fitting that a fresh face holds onto the belt.

Topic # 2 Alex Shelley won the X-Division Title at Genesis, how do you feel about this?

David Martell: Here is another young guy in TNA who barely ever gets time to prove how good he is. Luckily at Genesis he got his time and nearly stole the show. Alex Shelley is one of the best talents in TNA in my eyes. He is a great wrestler with lots of charisma and good mic skills. I hope him winning will reestablish the X-Division. Shelley and Sabin put on one hell of a match and we can only hope this continues. It seems that Shelley might be facing Homicide in the near future because of the feast or fired title shot he has. I cant see this being bad at all so I for one am looking forward to it. Long live the X-Division.

Alex Mattis: 'Bout fuckin' time they gave Shelley this title. He's put in so much hard work in TNA and I'm glad to see that the company is finally giving recognition to all his hard work. The X-Division has been in quite the limbo over the past few years. We had the era of Joe, then things were ok, then things were kinda "eh," then we had the whole disaster with Team 3D and it really hasn't been the same since then. With all that being said, following the phenomenal match these two had at the PPV and the fact that this is Shelley's first run, I think TNA may be a the cusp of rejuvenating the X-Division and we could get back to what was so great about TNA 'o so long ago.

Zach Brown: This is a big step up for Shelley. I'd have to say that Alex Shelley is one of the most underrated guys in the wrestling business altogether. I have to admit that he is my hands down favorite member of Motor City Machine Guns. First of all, Shelley's match with Sabin is one of the only reasons that anyone should have bought Genesis. Who honestly doubted the greatness of this match? I hope Shelley holds on to the title for a while because he is long overdue for a title reign. Secondly, can you believe that Shelley has never held a title before this one in TNA history? That's right, not even the tag titles. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a sad fact. I thought Shelley was the shit even back when he was doing his whole spying on Sting shindig. So now that he has the X-Division title, I hope he becomes a strong champ, and one of the longest reigning as well.

Topic # 3 How do you feel about all the recent talent cuts by the WWE?

David Martell: Val Venis got choppy choppy! Had to say it. It seems like the entire midcard from the attitude era is getting the axe. Hardcore Holly, D'lo brown, and Ron Simmons. DAMN! I am mostly fine with all of this because they are cutting a lot of fat here. No more Bam Neely and Gavin Spears on my TV screen is a good thing. I liked Kevin Thorne but its not that big of a loss after all, we did get Low Ki. Matt Cappotelli getting the axe was the biggest surprise to me but I guess he was probably never returning to the ring anyways. I wish him the best of luck. Sgt. Slaughter was also a bit of a shock. He has been there forever but I guess his salary was just too high. Everyone else I don't care about or are referees/agents. The cuts are many but as long as the WWE bring in better talent than they are getting rid of, I will be happy.

Alex Mattis: I think once a year Vince just gets really bored and decides he's going to fire a huge mass of people. Among those given the pick slip no one particularly stuck out. I was still sad about Val Venis, I mean come one he has been like THE jobber in the E for years now. I don't wish unemployment to anyone but this shows that the E had way too many people on their payroll, it has been this way for years, and once a year Vince starts to realize that it is a problem. I'm sure this same thing will happen next year. Like I said there weren't too many big losses, just a "trimming the fat" type of thing.

Zach Brown: Man, WWE is really cleaning house. As with most of WWE's widespread talent cuts, some make a lot of sense and some are just not good decisions in my eyes. For example, Gavin Spears and Bam Neely? Perfect. They weren't that good and no one took these guys seriously, so I don't mind them being cut. But Hardcore Holly? He's a talented guy. He's even stiffer than JBL and I love seeing him toss guys around. Not to mention, he has a gigantic gash in his lower back to show for all the years he's given WWE. So I don't really agree with that release. Same for D-Lo Brown. The guy just re-debuted! And he wasn't showing any ring rust either. But I can admit, he wasn't all that over, so that just sucks. Also, I wonder what Ron Simmons said as they gave him his pink slip…hmm. But he never wrestles anymore, so it should be no surprise. As for Val Venis, he was just getting jobbed out anyways, so unfortunately for him, it makes sense. And Sgt. Slaughter? I didn't even know he still worked for WWE. Oh well. And how about Matt Cappotelli? Get ready for this…the guy is just now getting over an operation on a brain tumor, he's going through chemotherapy, and now WWE decides to fire him. Wow. Way to have a heart WWE. I don't want to rip WWE a new asshole or anything, but how can they NOT look bad when they fire a wrestler who is undergoing cancer treatment? I mean, yeah he couldn't wrestle because of his condition…but that should just be ignored because the guy has FUCKING CANCER. It absolutely boggles my mind. Moving on…Kevin Thorn was also a good wrestler in my opinion, but he just wasn't being used properly, so he's probably better off anyway. All these releases are a little odd though because I thought WWE had already trimmed enough of the fat on their roster. Hopefully WWE won't cut more talented wrestlers, because that would just be unfortunate.

Topic # 4 Ted Dibiase Jr. made his return this past week on RAW. Your thougthts?

David Martell: Who didn't see this coming? I knew eventually Ted would join the Legacy because in all reality, he was the best fit for the group. For the most part I am digging this whole Legacy thing because I have no idea where it is going so it has the possibility to surprise me. I enjoyed their backstage segment about the Royal Rumble how all three of them are participants but only one can win. It will be interesting to see how they work as a team in the Rumble. I have a feeling that Randy Orton will win the whole thing with their help. The only thing Ted Dibiase Jr. is missing is a good tan so he can blend in better with the rest of the group. With all jokes aside, it is good to see him back and I am really looking forward to see how the Legacy angle plays out.

Alex Mattis: WOO! The Legacy the way it was meant to be! It was good to see Teddy back, and he looks to be in better shape then he was at the time of his departure. I could sense him joining back up with Orton from the start, and I think the whole segment was very well pulled off. I always thought Ted had alot to offer, though not quite as much as his brother, and am hoping this role is good for him and gets him alot of exposure. As with anything involving Randy Orton; I'm excited to see where Ted's return and The Legacy leads us.

Zach Brown: So yeah, Ted Dibiase Jr. is a badass. I love the fact that he is back. But you know what is not badass? Storylines that make no freaking sense. Ted comes back and all of a sudden, he's buddy-buddy with the guy that kicked his head off. Talk about completely retarded. It would have been more believable if Ted said, "Hey what's up Randy? Kick to the head? What are you talking about? My memory is pretty fuzzy man. I just woke up like five minutes ago." Now if WWE plans on Ted having a secret grudge against Randy so that he can take revenge somewhere down the road, then this would make much more sense. But I honestly don't think WWE is going to do that. They were probably thinking, "OK, Ted definitely belongs in The Legacy. So what is an easy way to get him back in? I guess we should just have Ted pretend like it never happened." How brilliant. Now to be honest, I do think Ted belongs in The Legacy. It's just a natural choice. Ted, Cody and Randy are basically clones of each other, so it only makes sense. The problem is, they never should have had Randy kick Ted's head off in the first place. Because if I knew that this was how they were going to write it, I think it was just a bad decision to begin with. But all that being said, yes, I am glad that Ted is back. He's a great wrestler, and hopefully Ted and Cody can win the Tag belts to bring some much needed gold to The Legacy.

Topic # 5 What do you think about the Jeff Hardy hit and run storyline?

David Martell: This is already a terrible storyline and I will hate if this is how they bring in Christian. Why would Christian try to murder Jeff Hardy? Isn't that just a bit ridiculous? Usually when a notable star returns you want them to be cheered. I really doubt Christian will get the boos that WWE is asking for. Not to mention the camera used in this angle looked like a movie camera instead of a normal camera which would make things look way more realistic. I like how they are making Edge seem as sympathetic towards Hardy, saying he will keep him in his prayers. That right there is downright unbelievable. It is very hard to put in words how bad this storyline is. In the end, I do hope Christian returns either way. It will be said if it has to be this way but I really want him to come back to the WWE. I want him to get the run he deserved a few years back when he got traded over to Smackdown and I want him to finally win the WWE Title. That's all I can really hope for .

Alex Mattis: WOOO Jeff Hardy topic!!! Hey I love angles like this so I can't really find a way to work some Jeff Hardy bashing in here, I know I'm shocked too. But man the hit and run angle, when done well, is one of the best sagas of professional wrestling. Just look at the "Who ran over Stone Cold?" saga. Gold. Many believe that the assailant is going to turn out to be Christian, I disagree. I still maintain that he will resurface in TNA but hey that's just my whacky brain. If Christian turns out to be the mystery man then I will jump for joy. I'm actually interested to see how something involving Jeff Hardy turns out... you win universe.

Zach Brown: Wow…way to start off 2009. Now I'm not big on hating on Jeff. His title reign is the freshest thing to happen on Smackdown in a long time. But this storyline is atrocious. And it's not really Jeff's fault. Not only have they been milking this secret attacker storyline for far too long, but this recent turn was just downright awful. First of all, they start off Smackdown at the announcers table, and I honestly thought they were going to tell me that a wrestler had died. If you've seen JR and King, or whoever else announce a wrestler's death or other bad news, you may know that they use that exact camera angle to announce the serious news. But no, they are announcing this completely awful work where Jeff Hardy is involved in a hit and run. Cut to "footage after the wreck." And not to be a nerd or anything, but the camera quality is not grainy at all, and it's supposed to be a police camera. So I tuned out right away. Just plain stupid. But what is it with this storyline and making the audience believe that Jeff is in danger? Last time, he was unconscious in a stairwell, and we didn't know if he had a heart attack, if he fainted, or if it was all just a work. In instances like that, thank God for Dave Meltzer. If WWE is going to try and psyche us out as much as possible, then how am I supposed to know if a wrestler really has died or gets injured? Remember that whole McMahon death storyline? McMahon faked his death and then, oh wait, Chris Benoit actually did die and he killed his family as well. Oops! You may think I need to lighten up and think that it's just wrestling and all, but I think that WWE needs to stop being so coy about wrestlers being in danger because every once in a while, bad things do happen. There are plenty of other things that they can do to fuel storylines, and acting like wrestlers are in serious danger is just downright tasteless in my honest opinion.


Superstar Highlight

Chris Sabin


Our thoughts on Chris Sabin.

David Martell: Here is another guy in TNA who is constantly hitting the glass ceiling. He is currently apart of one of the best tag teams in wrestling and is just off a great match at Genesis with his tag partner Alex Shelley. Sounds like a start of a great year to me. I always hope for bigger and better things from guys like Sabin but it never seems to happen. TNA is filled with too many "top guys" in the business that it seems like the smaller more talented guys never get the spotlight they deserve. I am hoping that in 2009 TNA gets their act together and people like Sabin are main eventing. Basically it is a wait and see type of thing. Although I think Alex Shelley is better overall, Sabin has a lot to offer and I look forward to seeing his career shine in the near future.

Alex Mattis: One of the best of best, the cream of the crop of today's young guns Chris Sabin has been the backbone of TNA pretty much since their inception, one of the most valuable players in the company for the duration of their short history. I truly think Chris is often overlooked as being one of the best in the game today. There are so many good guys out there in TNA, and of course ROH and such, and Sabin's name sometimes get mixed up in the shuffle but when you stop and think about it you realize how talented the guy is. The matches with Low Ki, with Shelley, with Joe, with AJ, with Lynn, with Daniels, the Ultimate X matches, I could go on and on. I love watching the Machine Guns work as tag team, and they too have given us classic matches, but if he wrestling as a single wrestling I will watch with excitement. I know that we can expect good things from Chris in the future and I look forward to seeing what he can bring.

Zach Brown: I'm a little hot and cold with Chris Sabin. Right now, I think Sabin is great. He's part of that "glass ceiling" group of young talent in TNA. You know, the guys that do amazing things in the ring, but they never see the main event? Sabin is definitely one of them. Just like Alex Shelley, I believe Sabin is underrated. Thankfully, they got to showcase their greatness at Genesis. But I really think Sabin has great in ring abilities. When he does that dropkick to an opponent on the turnbuckle, he gets so much air time that it's just ridiculous. He's athletic, he has a good look, and he's just a solid wrestler. That being said, there was a time when I wasn't digging Chris all that much. He is the longest reigning X Division champ, and I definitely remember those days. Back when Sabin was champ, I was praying for him to drop the strap. But time and time again, Sabin made it out alive. I have to admit, he played the heel part well, because I really did hate him when he wouldn't lose the title. In my eyes, he was almost like the John Cena of TNA (in the sense that he didn't drop the strap when he should have), but with a lesser belt. When he finally did lose the title for good, I eventually realized that Chris Sabin was indeed awesome. And I lived happily ever after. The End.


That is all for this week. Feel free to leave us comments and have a great week in wrestling. CYA!