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Intro:
For me, this has been a very successful column and I’d like to thank everyone who reads it. I have gotten a lot of feedback from readers on both this column as well as my work on PPV by the Numbers and Spotlight. I hope to hear from even more of you at my myspace e-mail which is located at the end of this article. I have decided to go a new route with the format of Weekly Thumbs and I hope you enjoy it…
Smackdown:
Smackdown was a very good show this week that also had some weak moments. I thought the MVP/Flair match was a definite highlight but a little short or my tastes. However, MVP and Flair did a tremendous job after the bout selling the injury angle. One of the best matches of the entire week was Edge/Chavo vs. Mysterio/Punk. The ending was off the charts and everyone worked their butts off. Chuck Palumbo is frightening….and not in the way WWE wants us to have him. His mike skills were atrocious this week and when Michelle McCool (not exactly known for her mike skills either) outshines you, you have to know you are in trouble. Batista did a good promo setting up the chamber match. There was a lot of good stuff on the show and it should be applauded. Can Yang and Moore get any better? Ryder and Hawkins had their best match in their career and it was because of who they were in the ring with. It was nice to see the Brothers of Destruction go another round. Does DX and Kane/UT have simultaneous staff meetings???
Raw:
DX beat the heck out of…Snitsky and Umaga? I guess it was par for the course during a mediocre Raw. Remember when the green and black attack used to fight people like RatedRKO or Big Show and Vinnie Mac? I miss those times. The brushing teeth stuff was really funny though. Did anyone know that Cena was back? Yeah, me too...glad he is though because I think things are going to be interesting. All the women’s matches were fair to good as were any segments with them in it. A very good match was had between Orton/JBL and Hardy/Y2J. In fact I would go on record that it was the best match the two returning superstars have had.
ECW:
This entire section of my article would really be a repeat of what other’s already said in the their reviews of the show on PWInsider. It is like the Oakland Raiders…bad, but rebuilding. I thought the ending to the Kane vs. Benjamin match was really weak. Punk and Burke had a solid albeit forgettable bout, nothing new there. Ecw can only climb upwards from here. It still was better than Tna though this week!
TNA:
I think that when they named TNA it really stood secretly for totally needless angles. This show just seems to be in this weird black hole. It’s really as if you don’t know whether you are leaving or staying. It was my least favorite show of the week which is becoming a reoccurring theme. I did however like a couple of things. I absolutely loved Styles’ original promo with Karen and Kurt Angle. I also liked the entire section with 3D and the X division boys. And surprisingly I enjoyed Kip James’s work with his former valet. I am not looking forward to Against All Odds.
The Royal Rumble:
For those of you who read my other column PPV by the Numbers, than you already know my thoughts on this event. For some of you though, you only read this article (shame on you by the way) and here is the short of it. The rumble PPV could have been better but it could have been a lot worse. Flair and MVP absolutely stole the show with the exception Cena’s return. I don’t like that Cena is using his rumble win at No Way Out as it somehow lessens the win.
Looking Forward:
I am not looking forward to Against All Odds at all. On paper it just looks a mess. Is it me or is everyone else clambering to see a TNA original go against a TNA original for the main title. I will say this; I wish that TNA had the Elimination Chamber because I would love to see a match between Samoa Joe, Angle, Cage, Tomko, Styles and Nash. I think that the WWE is heading into what might be the best PPV they have had in years with No Way Out. Two great title matches have been announced. Two huge Chamber number one contender matches on the line. All the matches have Wrestlemania storylines. Please give me a tag match with Yang and Moore involved. The Flair storyline continues and Kennedy is a good pick but will there be more than meets the eye here? Can’t wait for next week really on the WWE front.
Weekly Thumbs Awards:
Thumbs up male performer of the week – John Cena
Thumbs up tag team of the week – Motor City Machine guns/Jay Lethal
Thumbs up match of the week – Flair and MVP at the Royal Rumble
Thumbs up Promo/Angle of the week – AJ Styles with Kurt and Karen Angle
Thumbs up female performer of the week – Vood0o Queen
Weekly Thumbs Overall Performance List
#1 – John Cena
#2 – AJ Styles
#3 – Ric Flair
#4 – MVP
#5 – Motor City Machine Guns
#7 – Undertaker
#8 – Batista
#9 – Moore and Yang
#10 - Tomko
Email Joel at www.myspace.com/joelcroyle
