11/30 Wednesday One Shots: The Dot Net staff give their quick thoughts from the previous week in WWE, TNA, MMA and indy wrestling
Nov 30, 2011 - 07:30 PM |
Welcome to the Wednesday One Shot. Each week, we will present a quick "one shot" thought from each staff member about the previous week in each of the following areas: WWE, TNA and Other (MMA, Indies, etc).
WWE
Will Pruett (Twitter - @itswilltime): We received to very different products, both in terms of quality and target age in two days. Raw gave us one of the best beginning to end WWE shows in a long time, while Smackdown (despite having a good main event) was pretty much trash. What is there to say about a creative team that can produce such diametrically opposed shows? WWE loses its way just when we think it is finding it.
Jake Barnett (Twitter - @barnettjake): This week was a mirror image of last week. Instead of a good Smackdown following a mediocre edition of Raw, we got a god awful Smackdown (save the Main Event) and a pretty good Raw. Daniel Bryan and Mark Henry saved the show, but everything else was an unmitigated crapfest. Also, kudos to John Cena and Roddy Piper for breathing some life into Cena's tired character. Especially Piper, who brought his A game and delivered in a way Mick Foley has been incapable of since his return. And that's coming from a guy who is a huge Foley fan.
Ryan Kester (Twitter - @TheRyanKester): Super Smackdown turned out to be a disappointment. Most of the show was comedy filler crap that was a month early. Still, the main event is one of the best TV matches of the year and worth fast-forwarding through all of the crap to watch.
Chris Shore (Twitter - @TheShoreSlant): It boggles the mind that WWE would air a rare live Smackdown and produce something so dreadful. Even with the Mark Henry vs. Daniel Bryan match saving the show, there is no excuse to give us 100 minutes of bad camp comedy and meaningless matches. The ratings aren't in for Smackdown, but if the viewers didn't drop off in the second hour I will be stunned. Assuming they all didn't tune out in the first hour.
TNA
Will Pruett: Impact felt like a flashback to 2007, and not in a positive way. The Knockout's were treated like trash. The main event talent felt minor league. They even ripped off the Survivor Series concept on Thanksgiving day! What exactly was TNA thinking? If this week's show is as bad as last weeks, I'm dreading watching anything from TNA.
Jake Barnett: I'm not sure what TNA is trying to do with the Knockouts division, but I am almost certain that I wouldn't want to be in the room with any females that I know when it happens. Why is it that no national wrestling promotion uses their female talent to attempt to attract female fans? On a positive note, what they are doing with Storm, Roode and Styles has been pretty entertaining.
Ryan Kester: Thanksgiving Thong Thunder. That's what they went with on one of the biggest family holidays. Stay classy, TNA.
Chris Shore: TNA is quietly going along with their product. There isn't as much to complain about these days, but there just doesn't seem to be any buzz for what they are doing. There's a lot of that going around in wrestling as a whole right now, but as the number two company, TNA should have more people talking about them than there are.
Other (MMA, Indies, Etc)
Will Pruett (ROH): Ring of Honor is trying really hard to acquaint new viewers with the Kevin Steen storyline, but is it working? He is supposed to come back as the biggest heel the company has (although ROH crowds will relentlessly cheer him to seem cool), but if you didn't see his year of work with El Generico, then you think he is just some guy in a black shirt. Steen is a tremendous talent, but ROH may be doing him a disservice at this moment.
Jake Barnett (ROH): The TV Product has been competent from a booking standpoint. The booking for Davey vs. Edwards II has been fun to watch. But, there is still something missing in terms of production from making it feel like a special show, and that's too bad because the wrestling itself has been very good. Hopefully ROH will continue to iron out their production woes, because it is a boat anchor that is keeping them from picking up any momentum.
Ryan Kester (Ultimate Fighter): This weekend marks the final Ultimate Fighter Finale on SpikeTV. While the contestant fights are still to be announced, the fight between Michael Bisping and Jason "Mayhem" Miller will be one to watch. This is the end of a chapter in UFC history, and I am sure that fight alone will make it memorable.
Chris Shore (ROH): ROH comes to Greensboro for the first time (ever as far as I know) this Sunday. I hope to attend the show and will have a report if I can. Greensboro, NC was the wrestling capital of the South for the 80s, and gave birth to WCW in the 90s.There was a time when the city shut down when wrestling came because it was that big of a deal. I have a feeling ROH won't draw like that, but I am very interested to see what a former great wrestling city will do for an old school style promotion.
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