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WEEKLY THUMBS

Introduction

I felt this week had a lot of solid wrestling.  Armageddon was a better PPV than people expected it to be but still not the best WWE can do.  Smackdown to me was really strong and so was ECW. Raw had some high points and low points as did TNA Impact.  On to the matches…

Edge vs. Batista vs. Undertaker (Armageddon PPV)

The in-ring action itself was either fair or fantastic depending on what minute of the match you were watching.  The biggest thing here was that I think it was good to put the gold on Edge and I absolutely loved how they did it.  I know a lot of people may have felt “cheated” by the ending to the event but Edge and the Major’s were awesome in their timing to pull it all together.  It reminded me a lot of what the 3-man team of Demolition used to do when they would have the less fatigued member under the ring waiting to pounce so another man could rest up.  This was solid and smart booking by WWE creative.

Yang/Moore vs. Miz/Morrison (ECW)

These two teams are lighting it up every week on ECW now.  The feud is great, they are using their characters well and the in-ring action might just be the best of any brand, or company in the last two weeks.  The spot where Yang did a double Tilt-a-Whirl was absolutely sick, in a good way.  His low drop kicks are awesome as well.  As for the tag champs, Joey Styles said it best during the ECW broadcast, “They are playing to their strengths”.  Obviously Joey was saying this in character, but truth be told, this is a big reason why they are doing so well, from an insider point of view. Shannon Moore’s corkscrew off the top was simply fantastic. The best drop kick in this business today has to go to Morrison and no one plays a cowardly heel lately as good as The Miz, with the exception of MVP and Edge.

Umaga vs. Ric Flair (Raw)

This was a great match.  Sure, the ending really sank it in the bucket, but the entire match was off the hook.  Umaga’s timing in the ring is just second to none.  He knows how to work with anybody now and that shows.  Flair was honestly better in this match than I’ve seen him in three years. 

Steiner, Booker T, LAX vs. Rock N Rave, Storm, Roode (TNA)

To me, this was the worst match of the entire week.  I really liked all the Christmas/hardcore action TNA was giving us Thursday but this match was just a dud to me and it showcased no one.  No one played to their strengths with maybe the exception of LAX.  They are dangerous, as I used to say in my old column, but they always seem to get the job done of entertainment. 

Festus vs. Deuce (Smackdown)

This was a much better than usual mid-card match.  These two, as well as their tag team counterparts and Cherry showed me real passion this week.  I think Festus might be one of the best “big men” to come around in a very long time.  His move set is off the charts and dominating, it was showcased really well on Smackdown this week.  Deuce is really improving both as a character and in-ring performer.  I am now interested in this feud.

Awesome Kong and the rest of the divas in a street fight (TNA)

To me, this was one of the best matches of the week.  Kong can really take a chair shot.  This woman is one of the best female wrestlers I’ve seen in decades and her feud opponent isn’t half bad either in one Gail Kim.  I love the female division in TNA right now.  To me they should be headlining PPV’s because they are by far the best performers in that company right now and are showing it on a consistent basis.

The Angles

I’ve decided each week to add this to the column because I try and focus on personalities and in-ring happenings in the above matches section.  Right now there are a tremendous amount of good angles and feuds and some bad one’s…Morrison and Miz along with Yang and Moore are must see TV and are at a good pace to make for a great feud.  What creative is doing with Ric Flair and his passion is just phenomenal.  I loved his promo as it was heartfelt and dead on.  MVP is carrying on a feud and a character still without his counterpart Matt Hardy and that is to be commended.  I like Gail Kim and Kong mixing it up, it is by far the best female angle going right now and maybe in the last decade excluding Lita and Trish.  JBL and Jericho better step it up because both on Smackdown and Raw the crowd was not eating it up.  Hardy and Orton right now don’t seem to have much juice in their angle but it may change for the better, only time will tell. An honorable mention needs to go to Coach and William Regal for absolutely saving that hideous opening angle on Raw and bigger props to Regal for having a great impromptu match with the game. HHH was really used well on Raw in both the McMahon and Flair angles, they played to his strengths. As for which angle was the best, it goes to Jamie Noble.  He is just too funny.  I was crying/laughing at his stuff with McCool at the restaurant.  The dude should be on a comedy reality show. Lastly, Chavo Guerrero coming into a feud with Punk was great to see.

***

Match of the week – Yang/Moore vs. Miz/Morrison from ECW

Superstar of the week – Awesome Kong (TNA)

Promo/Interview of the week – Ric Flair on Raw

Best Angle in wrestling right now – Jamie Noble/Michelle McCool

The Thumbs Up List

#1 – Awesome Kong – She is a wrecking crew and was great on TNA this week

#2 –Yang/Moore – They are young, smart, and colorful.  If they are booked right they are going to steal every show they are on

#3 – Ric Flair – Man, his promos keep getting better and better

 #4 –Edge – He had a great PPV bout and was great on Smackdown too.

#5 – Deuce and Domino – Great stuff this week, fantastic tag bout

#6 – Jesse and Festus – See above and do it again Sam

#7 –Jamie Noble – He has been great every week he’s been on

#8 –Umaga – Really strong match this week

#9 – HHH – He has been doing a lot lately but not overdone, very well cooked!

#10 – William Regal – He is a great GM but he was just fantastic in the ring this week.  I wish we could see more of that

The Thumbs Down List

#1 –JBL – Such a disappointing start to the “Wrestling God’s” “Huge Comeback”

#2 – Jericho – Can’t have one without the other

#3 –Kurt Angle – I am so done with him.

#4- Shelton Benjamin – He isn’t getting over as a major player on ECW even though he is getting the push to do so, that is scary.

#5 – Rock N Rave – This team needs some serious juice

#6 – Vincent K. McMahon – This was one of the worst angle’s he’s done in a while, and he has done some seriously bad “Katie Vick” sick angles.

#7 –James Storm – He just wasn’t impressive this week at all to me

#8 –CM Punk – he needs to get better and quick.  If he is going to have to hang with Chavo, something needs to click.

#9 – Rey Mysterio – I just wasn’t interested in him at all this week

#10 – London and Kendrick – They had some great spots but you can see the wheels are coming off.  There is talent here that is being unused at this time

To talk to Joel about his columns or to listen to his music go to www.myspace.com/joelcroyle