Friday, April 29, 2005
Backlash 2005
This Sunday from Manchester, NH, WWE Raw presents their annual Backlash Pay-Per-View. Here are my thoughts and predictions:
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: BATISTA vs. TRIPLE H
After the excellent job that was done building up this feud, I don't see them taking the belt off Batista so quickly. The big man will win again, but probably not by pinfall. Look for Ric Flair to get involved, leading to a DQ and a beat down of some kind, leaving Batista down and bloodied, and another re-match at the next Raw PPV.
INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP: SHELTON BENJAMIN vs. CHRIS JERICHO
This should be a good match and could go either way, but I think Benjamin will keep his belt. I think they want to turn Jericho heel, and a loss here could send him over the edge.
SHAWN MICHAELS & HULK HOGAN vs. MUHAMMAD HASSAN & DAIVARI
Yeah sure, Hulk is coming back to lose a match. Look for Michaels to do most of the heavy lifting in this one to cover for Hulk's age, but Hogan will get the pin for his team. Don't feel bad for Hassan & Daivari; sure, they'll have to job to a well-past-his-prime Hogan, but they'll probably be put right into a Tag Team Championship spot as a reward (in fact, that ball already started rolling last week on Raw, when they put a beat down on Tajiri).
LAST MAN STANDING: EDGE vs. CHRIS BENOIT
I don't think they gave Edge the win in the 6-man ladder match at WM 21 last month only to have him lose a big one now. Look for Edge to take this one (though not cleanly) to keep his momentum going.
KANE vs. VISCERA
Ummm.....what the hell is Viscera doing on a PPV? I never thought I'd say this, but where the hell is Gene Snitsky? Needless to say, Kane should make quick work out of this lump.
TAG TEAM TURMOIL
A match so exciting that it wasn't even advertised on TV! That's right, there will be a 5-team Tag Team Championship match this Sunday, and it was never even mentioned on Raw. I just found it on the WWE website. At any rate, William Regal and Tajiri put the belts on the line against The Hurricane & Rosey, La Resistance, Simon Dean & Maven, and The Heart Throbs. As mentioned above, Muhammad Hassan & Daivari laid a beating on Tajiri last week, so I think Regal and Tajiri will keep the belts and go into a feud with the Arabs starting on Monday.
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: BATISTA vs. TRIPLE H
After the excellent job that was done building up this feud, I don't see them taking the belt off Batista so quickly. The big man will win again, but probably not by pinfall. Look for Ric Flair to get involved, leading to a DQ and a beat down of some kind, leaving Batista down and bloodied, and another re-match at the next Raw PPV.
INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP: SHELTON BENJAMIN vs. CHRIS JERICHO
This should be a good match and could go either way, but I think Benjamin will keep his belt. I think they want to turn Jericho heel, and a loss here could send him over the edge.
SHAWN MICHAELS & HULK HOGAN vs. MUHAMMAD HASSAN & DAIVARI
Yeah sure, Hulk is coming back to lose a match. Look for Michaels to do most of the heavy lifting in this one to cover for Hulk's age, but Hogan will get the pin for his team. Don't feel bad for Hassan & Daivari; sure, they'll have to job to a well-past-his-prime Hogan, but they'll probably be put right into a Tag Team Championship spot as a reward (in fact, that ball already started rolling last week on Raw, when they put a beat down on Tajiri).
LAST MAN STANDING: EDGE vs. CHRIS BENOIT
I don't think they gave Edge the win in the 6-man ladder match at WM 21 last month only to have him lose a big one now. Look for Edge to take this one (though not cleanly) to keep his momentum going.
KANE vs. VISCERA
Ummm.....what the hell is Viscera doing on a PPV? I never thought I'd say this, but where the hell is Gene Snitsky? Needless to say, Kane should make quick work out of this lump.
TAG TEAM TURMOIL
A match so exciting that it wasn't even advertised on TV! That's right, there will be a 5-team Tag Team Championship match this Sunday, and it was never even mentioned on Raw. I just found it on the WWE website. At any rate, William Regal and Tajiri put the belts on the line against The Hurricane & Rosey, La Resistance, Simon Dean & Maven, and The Heart Throbs. As mentioned above, Muhammad Hassan & Daivari laid a beating on Tajiri last week, so I think Regal and Tajiri will keep the belts and go into a feud with the Arabs starting on Monday.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
I'm Begging You. Please.
Last Sunday was the season finale of "Arrested Development" on FOX. Despite universal critical acclaim and numerous awards (including a Best Comedy Emmy and a Golden Globe for star Jason Bateman), the show is in real danger of not coming back for a third season. Earlier this year, FOX cut back its order on the show from 22 episodes to 18, ending the season before the May sweeps.
The show tells the saga of the dysfunctional Bluth family, whose patriarch (the always brilliant Jeffrey Tambor) is imprisoned for some shady real estate business. The only normal member of the family, Michael (Bateman) now has to run the family business and try and hold the family together at the same time. This may be the most gifted ensemble cast in the history of television, which also features Portia DeRossi, David Cross, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, and Jessica Walter (possibly the highlight of the show, as Lucille, the lunatic mother). The entire cast has amazing chemistry, and the show does not dumb down any jokes; in fact, there is no laugh track, which is truly refreshing. Tying the whole affair together very neatly is the wonderful narration by (the uncredited) Ron Howard.
The only thing possibly saving the show is the aforementioned critical acclaim. So if the show does get picked up for next year, I'm begging you (all 3 of you) to spread the word and tell your friends and family to watch the greatest show on television today. Then maybe we won't have to have this conversation again next year.
The show tells the saga of the dysfunctional Bluth family, whose patriarch (the always brilliant Jeffrey Tambor) is imprisoned for some shady real estate business. The only normal member of the family, Michael (Bateman) now has to run the family business and try and hold the family together at the same time. This may be the most gifted ensemble cast in the history of television, which also features Portia DeRossi, David Cross, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, and Jessica Walter (possibly the highlight of the show, as Lucille, the lunatic mother). The entire cast has amazing chemistry, and the show does not dumb down any jokes; in fact, there is no laugh track, which is truly refreshing. Tying the whole affair together very neatly is the wonderful narration by (the uncredited) Ron Howard.
The only thing possibly saving the show is the aforementioned critical acclaim. So if the show does get picked up for next year, I'm begging you (all 3 of you) to spread the word and tell your friends and family to watch the greatest show on television today. Then maybe we won't have to have this conversation again next year.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Heavy Metal Memories
I was looking though my CD collection the other day, and came across one that I decided had a pretty funny story behind it. Such a funny story, in fact, that I will share it with all 3 people that read this site regularly.
Back in 1992, me, my brother, a buddy of ours that we worked with at the bowling alley, his wife, and my girlfriend (now wife), went to see The Lynch Mob at a club in Sea Bright, NJ. We were all pretty jazzed to go see Lynch Mob, but they would not be what we remembered about that fateful night at the Jersey Shore. No, my life would be forever changed that evening by the opening act, Life Sex And Death.
In those days, the only radio station I listened to was 89.5 FM, WSOU, originating from Seton Hall University. Any self-respecting metal fan from Central New Jersey in the late 80s/early 90s listened to that station. At this particular time, there was a song playing in fairly heavy rotation called "Tank" by Life Sex And Death which I enjoyed a great deal. When we got tickets to the Lynch Mob show and I found out that LSD was also on the bill, I was pretty excited. I knew nothing about the band, so was looking forward to seeing what they were all about.
So we're at the show, and there was some unknown local act on first. The place was not very crowded yet, but as it started to fill up, it really started to smell. Bad. Before too long, we all discovered the source of the stench: there was a really nasty looking guy, possibly homeless, wandering through the crowd, occasionally pumping his fist in the air to the music being played on stage. At one point he was standing right next to us, and the odor was almost unbearable. Eventually he wandered off, leaving us bewildered as to what the hell this guy's story was. He didn't exactly fit the heavy metal fan profile.
LSD was up next, and the band hit the stage. They looked pretty much like any other hard rock band of the day. A couple of sweaty shirtless guys with long hair and leather pants started playing...and then the homeless guy lurched into view on the stage. We all looked at each other. What the hell was he doing up there? Where was security? And then the homeless guy had a microphone. A group of people somewhere behind us started chanting "Stanley! Stanley! Stanley!" And the homeless guy, Stanley, started to sing.
To this day, it remains one of the greatest shows I have ever been to. Stanley kicked ass for the next 45 minutes, and the next day I ran out and bought the band's debut CD, "The Silent Majority," which I still listen to on a fairly regular basis all these years later.
Sadly, the band never really took off and only released the one CD. I have not been able to find much information about them online, although there is one website dedicated to the band that has photos, and a message board filled with stories like mine.
Back in 1992, me, my brother, a buddy of ours that we worked with at the bowling alley, his wife, and my girlfriend (now wife), went to see The Lynch Mob at a club in Sea Bright, NJ. We were all pretty jazzed to go see Lynch Mob, but they would not be what we remembered about that fateful night at the Jersey Shore. No, my life would be forever changed that evening by the opening act, Life Sex And Death.
In those days, the only radio station I listened to was 89.5 FM, WSOU, originating from Seton Hall University. Any self-respecting metal fan from Central New Jersey in the late 80s/early 90s listened to that station. At this particular time, there was a song playing in fairly heavy rotation called "Tank" by Life Sex And Death which I enjoyed a great deal. When we got tickets to the Lynch Mob show and I found out that LSD was also on the bill, I was pretty excited. I knew nothing about the band, so was looking forward to seeing what they were all about.
So we're at the show, and there was some unknown local act on first. The place was not very crowded yet, but as it started to fill up, it really started to smell. Bad. Before too long, we all discovered the source of the stench: there was a really nasty looking guy, possibly homeless, wandering through the crowd, occasionally pumping his fist in the air to the music being played on stage. At one point he was standing right next to us, and the odor was almost unbearable. Eventually he wandered off, leaving us bewildered as to what the hell this guy's story was. He didn't exactly fit the heavy metal fan profile.
LSD was up next, and the band hit the stage. They looked pretty much like any other hard rock band of the day. A couple of sweaty shirtless guys with long hair and leather pants started playing...and then the homeless guy lurched into view on the stage. We all looked at each other. What the hell was he doing up there? Where was security? And then the homeless guy had a microphone. A group of people somewhere behind us started chanting "Stanley! Stanley! Stanley!" And the homeless guy, Stanley, started to sing.
To this day, it remains one of the greatest shows I have ever been to. Stanley kicked ass for the next 45 minutes, and the next day I ran out and bought the band's debut CD, "The Silent Majority," which I still listen to on a fairly regular basis all these years later.
Sadly, the band never really took off and only released the one CD. I have not been able to find much information about them online, although there is one website dedicated to the band that has photos, and a message board filled with stories like mine.
Friday, April 01, 2005
WrestleMania Goes Hollywood
This Sunday on Pay-Per-View is WWE's biggest show of the year, WrestleMania 21. Live from Los Angeles, it looks to be a fairly solid show. Here's my predictions:
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP- TRIPLE H vs. BATISTA: WWE has done a hell of a job building up this match, taking their time and letting the fans slowly get behind Batista, instead of screwing things up by turning Batista against Triple H out of nowhere for no real reason (like they did last year, when they completely botched things with Randy Orton, who should have had this spot on the card). I think Batista will take the title.
WWE CHAMPIONSHIP- JBL vs. JOHN CENA: Cena wins the belt, no doubt. With Batista as champ on RAW and Cena on Smackdown!, it looks like WWE is giving some young guys a chance to run with the ball and see how they do. Smart move. Which leads us to...
UNDERTAKER vs. RANDY ORTON: Going with the youth movement, look for Orton to end Undertaker's 12-0 WrestleMania record. Orton is much more effective as a heel, so he'll probably cheat his way to victory, cementing his bad guy persona, and hopefully making people forget his atrocious "good guy" run of the past 8 months.
SHAWN MICHAELS vs. KURT ANGLE: Too tough to call. Should be a hell of a match. if I had to pick, I'd say Michaels, but it could go either way.
SUMO MATCH- BIG SHOW vs. AKEBONO: Wow. I so don't give a shit about this "match." I know Vince has a hard-on about getting celebrities at 'Mania every year, but does Akebono count? Mercifully, this should be short, with Show getting the win.
6-MAN "MONEY IN THE BANK" LADDER MATCH- CHRIS JERICHO/CHRIS BENOIT/SHELTON BENJAMIN/KANE/EDGE/CHRISTIAN: The winner of this one gets a one-year open contract for a World Title match anytime they want. This should be the match of the night. Ideally, I'd like to see Jericho win, do a heel turn, and have a long feud with Batista for his new title.
EDDIE GUERRERO vs. REY MYSTERIO: This was kind of rushed onto the card, making me think they have future plans for these two. I'm guessing Rey wins, pushing Eddie over the edge and turning on Rey after the match, setting up a nice feud.
WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP: TRISH STRATUS vs. CHRISTY HEMME: Ugh. No disrespect, because I know these women work hard, but does Hemme really belong on the biggest show of the year? Trish wins.
A side note: WrestleMania has always been the biggest show of the year, with all the biggest superstars getting a chance to shine. Shame on WWE for doing a poor job this year, with several big names and titles not represented. Not on the show: Booker T, William Regal, Tajiri (and no Tag Team Championship for the first time at a WM), La Resistance, Rene Dupree, Orlando Jordan (no U.S. Championship match), Paul London (who had to settle for winning the Cruiserweight title in a battle royal this past week, instead of a well-deserved one-on-one with Chavo Guerrero- also left off the card- at WM), Luther Reigns, Mark Jindrak, and Heidenreich. I'm sure I'm missing some, but you get the point.
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP- TRIPLE H vs. BATISTA: WWE has done a hell of a job building up this match, taking their time and letting the fans slowly get behind Batista, instead of screwing things up by turning Batista against Triple H out of nowhere for no real reason (like they did last year, when they completely botched things with Randy Orton, who should have had this spot on the card). I think Batista will take the title.
WWE CHAMPIONSHIP- JBL vs. JOHN CENA: Cena wins the belt, no doubt. With Batista as champ on RAW and Cena on Smackdown!, it looks like WWE is giving some young guys a chance to run with the ball and see how they do. Smart move. Which leads us to...
UNDERTAKER vs. RANDY ORTON: Going with the youth movement, look for Orton to end Undertaker's 12-0 WrestleMania record. Orton is much more effective as a heel, so he'll probably cheat his way to victory, cementing his bad guy persona, and hopefully making people forget his atrocious "good guy" run of the past 8 months.
SHAWN MICHAELS vs. KURT ANGLE: Too tough to call. Should be a hell of a match. if I had to pick, I'd say Michaels, but it could go either way.
SUMO MATCH- BIG SHOW vs. AKEBONO: Wow. I so don't give a shit about this "match." I know Vince has a hard-on about getting celebrities at 'Mania every year, but does Akebono count? Mercifully, this should be short, with Show getting the win.
6-MAN "MONEY IN THE BANK" LADDER MATCH- CHRIS JERICHO/CHRIS BENOIT/SHELTON BENJAMIN/KANE/EDGE/CHRISTIAN: The winner of this one gets a one-year open contract for a World Title match anytime they want. This should be the match of the night. Ideally, I'd like to see Jericho win, do a heel turn, and have a long feud with Batista for his new title.
EDDIE GUERRERO vs. REY MYSTERIO: This was kind of rushed onto the card, making me think they have future plans for these two. I'm guessing Rey wins, pushing Eddie over the edge and turning on Rey after the match, setting up a nice feud.
WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP: TRISH STRATUS vs. CHRISTY HEMME: Ugh. No disrespect, because I know these women work hard, but does Hemme really belong on the biggest show of the year? Trish wins.
A side note: WrestleMania has always been the biggest show of the year, with all the biggest superstars getting a chance to shine. Shame on WWE for doing a poor job this year, with several big names and titles not represented. Not on the show: Booker T, William Regal, Tajiri (and no Tag Team Championship for the first time at a WM), La Resistance, Rene Dupree, Orlando Jordan (no U.S. Championship match), Paul London (who had to settle for winning the Cruiserweight title in a battle royal this past week, instead of a well-deserved one-on-one with Chavo Guerrero- also left off the card- at WM), Luther Reigns, Mark Jindrak, and Heidenreich. I'm sure I'm missing some, but you get the point.
