Match Of The Week: 09.09.06.

September 14th, 2006.
TNA Impact
Raven vs. Abyss
Hangman's Noose Match



As opposed to the week before, there was actually a bit of good wrestling on this past week. WWE RAW came from MSG and had one of their better cards of the year. Even Smack Down! didn't completely suck as Brian Kendrick defeated Aaron "Idol" Stevens and one of the New Pitbulls in a triple threat match, to further that feud. Lashley also became the number one contender for Booker T's World Title. Even ECW had some brighter spots, as C.M. Punk defeated Shannon Moore. But the stand out show of the week- no doubt- was TNA Impact. Not only did A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels fight the team of Kazarian and Bentley, but Chris Sabin went one-on-one with Alex Shelley in what was a very close runner up to Match Of The Week this time out.

But there can be only one Match Of The Week and this is it. Why, you ask? It's quite simple, really. TNA has gone above and beyond the call of duty to prove that they have better wrestling than WWE does. Yes, Randy Orton and Carlito work a nice match together... But I'll take Sabin vs. Shelley over that any day of the week! The majority of matches on TNA just make the wrestling on WWE look like amateur hour. The best part of it all now, though, is that WWE is trying to bring back ECW. That's something that I don't feel WWE can ever do while Raven, Shane Douglas and The Dudley Boys are under contract with TNA. And TNA just kind of proved that with this match. TNA said, though not directly, "You think Hardcore Holly is 'extreme'? We'll show you extreme!" and they let these two practically kill each other.

So while WWE is being out-wrestled every week by TNA (more or less... I mean, TNA does have the occasional boring match, just like WWE has the occasional awesome match. After all, WWE does employ Paul London and Brian Kendrick still), they are also being out hardcore-wrestled by them now. And TNA didn't even have to branch off into its own lousy brand to realize that. They didn't have to create a TNAECW show or something.

The greater part of this match as well was just that it was fun to watch and it helps TNA. Recently, the Brother Runt vs. Abyss match was Match Of The Week. This is just of furthering that storyline in ways. Eventually, we can only expect to see Brother Runt and Raven destroy each other. But until then, this is definitely something good for Raven to do. While he's being kept out of the main event picture, it's good for Raven to have some classic style hardcore matches. He needs to get more into the minds of people again and develop as a character. The fact that he's doing this rather than just sitting at home just goes to show that TNA really does have a smart game plan.

At the same time, we have the monster Abyss. Abyss hasn't really been doing so well lately, but his feuds have been great with Jeff Hardy, Rhino, Monty Brown and Brother Runt. Abyss needs that crazy, hardcore opponent, and Raven seems right up his alley. Even though this is probably not going to go as planned, it's still fun to be along for the ride. While the X Division is shining, as well as the tag division and even the main event spot with Samoa Joe getting a title shot against Jeff Jarrett, it's just good to see wrestlers not getting lost in the shuffle. The fact that TNA can write, execute and deliver this many solid storylines just shows how far ahead of WWE they currently are.

I hope they keep on this track, because TNA is constantly improving and this weeks show was a perfect example of what they're doing right.

(Photo courtesy of TNAWrestling.com)

Match Of The Week: 09.02.06.

September 8th, 2006.
WWE Smack Down!
The HooliganZ (WWE Tag Team Champions Paul London & Brian Kendrick) & Ashley vs. K.C. James, Aaron "Idol" Stevens & Michelle McCool

Not only did I never think I'd see the day that the Diva Wanna-Be Ashley was in a Match Of The Week, but to have Michelle McCool- an even bigger poser than Ashley- in a MOTW as well...! At least it's not a one-on-one match though.

This was actually a really slow week for wrestling. Nothing too great came out of RAW, ECW, Impact! and even Smack Down! for that matter. This was the best match because of the participants... Uh-hm, or should I say because of the male participants. This helped to further the tag team title feud going on and establish K.C. James and Aaron Stevens as legit contenders. Plus, any time Paul London and Spanky can score some t.v. time is fine by me.

There are two other interesting aspects to this match I'd like to point out. Michelle McCool is the "manager" of James & Stevens, so this match is kind of cool because it'd be like seeing MNM in their prime fighting The New LOD (Heidenreich & Animal) with Christy Hemme or something (Wait... Didn't that happen once?) At the same time, putting Ashley with London & Kendrick just says to me that one day- maybe if we're lucky- the Hardy Boyz can reunite and Ashley can be the new Lita. It's just a thought.

But to both WWE and TNA: Please try and have some better matches this week.... PLEASE!!!

(Photo courtesy of WWE.com)

Match Of The Week: 08.26.06.

August 31st, 2006.

TNA Impact!

Abyss vs. Brother Runt

10,000 Thumbtacks Match

In what was another lackluster week in wrestling matches on television, Abyss and Brother Runt (the former Spike Dudley) clearly stole the show on TNA Impact!.

The stage was set for 10,000 thumbstacks. After a brutal beating, with Raven watching on the whole time, Abyss hit the Blackhole Slam and sent Brother Runt into the thumbtacks. Abyss would pick up the win, but then try for the icing on the cake. There were two tables set up on top of each other near the entrance tube and there had been thumbtacks sprinkled all over the top one. Abyss tried to send Brother Runt through that mess to close out the show, but Raven stopped him. Raven fought off Abyss and eventually send the big monster through the tables and into the thumbtacks as well. It was truly a "Whoa!!" moment.

Because of the placement of Raven in this match, it took a violent and bloody feud and made it that much more interesting. Good job, TNA. This is the match of the week by far.

(Photo courtesy of TNAWrestling.com)

Match Of The Week: 08.19.06.

August 25th, 2006.
WWE Friday Night Smack Down! on UPN
Paul London vs. K.C. James

While some could easily argue that there wasn't too much special about this match, I have to differ. Especially given the sea of crap floating around known as professional wrestling these days (on television that is), this was definitely the high spot of the week.

Not only is one of my favorite wrestlers of all-time, Paul London, going one on one with K.C. James (who is talented in his own right), but these two have also begun a feud for the WWE Tag Team Titles. The HooliganZ (Paul London and Brian Kendrick) currently hold the titles while the new team of K.C. James and Aaron "Idol" Stevens are gunning for them.

All too often with WWE these days it seems they follow a fairly steady pattern when it comes to the tag team division. They give the team the belts, they drop them to another team and then they break up.

On Smack Down! alone (We'll ignore RAW for today), the only team that are still together besides The HooliganZ are The Dudley Boyz who are in TNA!

Going back to October 20th, 2002- nearly four years ago- the title holder list looks like this:

Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit - Neither man is on WWE television right now.
Rey Mysterio & Edge - At one point they were both Main Title Holders of their brands, but they're still not on the same show.
Los Guerreros - Chavo is fighting in singles against Rey Rey while Eddie is fighting up in Heaven.
Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas - They're both on RAW, but Haas was last seen teaming with Big Vis.
Eddie Guerrero & Tajiri - Tajiri is in Japan not wrestling.
The Worlds Greatest Tag Team again.
Los Guerreros again.
The Bashams - They're kind of like a tag team in WWECW, but they don't fight and wear masks.
Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi - Rikishi was fired a while back, Scotty is doing who knows what still under WWE employ.
Charlie Haas & Rico - Rico was fired a while ago.
The Dudleys - In TNA, the only team still together.
Billy Kidman & Paul London - Billy Kidman was released and Paul London went on to a Cruiserweight Title reign.
Kenzo Suzuki & Rene Dupree - Suzuki went bye-bye, Dupree is on the WWECW brand.
RVD & Rey Mysterio - RVD is flyin' solo in the WWECW.
The Bashams again.
Rey Mysterio & Eddie Guerrero - Already explained.
MNM - Johnny Nitro and Melina are on RAW where Nitro holds the IC gold. Joey Mercury is M.I.A.
Heidenreich & Animal - Neither is currently under WWE contract.
MNM again.
Batista & Rey Mysterio - They held them for, like, a week as a joke.
MNM yet again.
The HooliganZ.

Now the point of all this is that rather than give the Tag Team Titles to James & Stevens, thus breaking up The HooliganZ, it seems like WWE is almost investing into some tag team action again. At the end of this match- which resulted in a no contest- The New Pitbulls (Jamie Noble and Kid Kash) made their return, attacking pretty much everyone until a massive brawl ensued.

Hopefully WWE can break their pattern now and actually have more than one team gunning for the gold. These three teams are all stellar and I hope that from here they only build upon them.

(Photo and title history information courtesy of WWE.com)