I think the HIPE - year 2, week 26 (6/25 - 7/1)

21:22 Publicado por Mario Galarza

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1. Day 541 - What's Chavo Guerrero's next move?

2. Day 542 - A look at Ring Of Honor

2.5 Day 543 - Raw Running Diary

4. Day 544 - Everybody's Buzzing About Raw

5. Day 545 - Dear Dwayne

Day 541

World Wrestling Entertainment has released Chavo Guerrero from his contract.

Normally, that wouldn't be enough to have a column dedicated to it, no matter how unfortunate it is, and no matter how big a fan of Chavo I happen to be. However, when you really open your eyes and your mind, you can see there's a little more to it than the usual WWE release. First and foremost, let's take a look at Chavo's soliloquy on Twitter after news of the release first hit the internet (Chavo hinted at "big news" coming in a tweet he posted yesterday)..

"Yes, it's true. My release is the big news I was talking about. But let's get something straight. I asked for my release. I was just tired of not being used correctly. Just cuz u can make other ppl look good, doesn't mean they should just have u lose to them. The same thing happened to Eddie. After being champ, they still had him working mid card status. Being a Guerrero, we've been taught since diapers to get the most out of ppl & matches. It's our gift, but also our curse. WWE has always used us to make other ppl look good. It all comes down to being happy. I was not happy in WWE anymore. I had a smile on my face last night though when I got my release though! :) now it's time for me to start being a Guerrero again, and start kicking ass again, be able to tell stories in the ring like u know we can. :) win or lose I will never go back to the place WWE put me in. I will never go back to being under utilized and watching ppl who suck get bigger "pushes" than me! Thank u to all of u who stuck by me & kept reminding me, I was better than that! :) stay tuned.. Big things coming!! Now I will really be able to entertain u! :) like me or hate me, 1 thing I have always tried to do is entertain u and give u fans your $ worth. Even if my hands were tied most of the time. I love u all and can't wait for the future!! So happy. :)"

When I first read it, the first thing that jumped out to me were his comments about how you shouldn't have to lose to someone simply because you can make them look good, and then his comments about sitting back and being underutilized while people who "suck" get pushes. Almost immediately, it made me wonder if he was referring to Sin Cara. Think about it.. other than his matches against Sin Cara, doesn't it seem like Chavo hasn't wrestled since finally getting away from Hornswoggle (NXT doesn't count)? He was put on television with the sole purpose of making Sin Cara look like a million bucks, and when the matches didn't turn out the way people expected them to, who got the blame for it? Chavo did. I'd be pretty upset, too, if I was put on television for the first time in God knows when, simply to make some new guy look good, and then, when the match didn't turn out to be fantastic, I got blamed for it. If you ask the IWC "experts", it was 100% Sin Cara's fault that the matches didn't "click", but Chavo still got the blame. Again, it goes back to what I've said, pretty much from day one.. Sin Cara probably cost the company a lot of money to bring in. There was a lot of publicity surrounding his signing, and they've almost forced themselves to push him and push him well because of it. That means he's also going to get the benefit of the doubt more often than not, especially when he's up against someone who is a lower-level name.

Think back to the Cara/Chavo matches. Think back to how people had such high expectations for them. Think back to how they didn't even come close to reaching those expectations. Then think back to the fact that other workers have been able to get better matches out of Sin Cara. Hell, Ted DiBiase just got a good match out of him on Smackdown this week, and a lot of you think Ted sucks. I'm a Ted fan, but even I'd be the first to admit that Chavo is ten times the worker he is. Why couldn't Chavo get good matches out of Sin Cara then, if that's the case?

Could it be.. Chavo basically tried to sabotage Sin Cara?

It makes sense if you really stop and think about it. Chavo was already unhappy, supposedly. Then the company brings Sin Cara in, with all of this hype (totally different than HIPE, of course), and push him, even though he clearly isn't ready to handle the "WWE style" of working. Then, the company comes to him and tells him that they need him to job to Sin Cara a few times, making him look better and better with every passing match. That would probably upset him even more. He decides to sabotage Sin Cara a bit, figuring that Sin Cara's push would be scaled back if the matches weren't fantastic. When the match reviews came back, and when Chavo was the one who got blamed for things, it was time for him to ponder leaving the company that has been so good to him and his family through the years.

Sure, he could have been talking about anyone in the company, really, since most of the roster is receiving a bigger push than he is, but the Sin Cara thing just makes sense. Either way, though, what's done is done, and he's no longer with the company.

Where does he go from here?

Obviously, the first thing that comes to mind is TNA. Because Chavo has been released, there's the 90-day "No Compete" clause to deal with, but once that expires, it gives TNA time to bring Chavo in for Bound For Glory in October. It's TNA's version of WrestleMania, so they could use as much "star power" as possible. If "Wrestling Matters" like they say it does, and if they want to push the X-Division as a permanent thing, and not just take it seriously for Destination X, then bringing Chavo in would be a great idea. I'm not really sure if Chavo could be a main eventer in TNA or anything, but a possible X-Division Champion? That's certainly in his range.

The more I think about things, though, the more I'd like Chavo to go to Ring Of Honor. I did a quick math check for the "No Compete" clause, and I came up with something interesting. The day after the clause expires, RoH makes its television debut with the Sinclair Broadcasting Group. It goes without saying that the company could use as many "names" as they can to help carry them for their debut. Eddie Guerrero wrestled for RoH towards the beginning of their run, so it's almost fitting for Chavo to come in and do his thing for a brand new beginning in the company's history. The matches are going to be taped for broadcast, but that can easily be taken care of. Chavo can wrestle on the shows, but he can't be on television or DVD releases until the "No Compete" has expired, which it will, as I mentioned. While I don't really think Chavo can compete for the TNA World Title at this point, I do think he can compete for the RoH World Title. He could come in right away and get a huge ovation, out of sheer respect for him and the Guerrero family legacy, from the RoH crowd, and would be free to actually get in the ring and wrestle. If I were in charge of RoH, I would have already tried to contact Chavo about coming in, even for a short-term deal.

Really, it depends on Chavo's financial situation, and just how much money means to him. I'm sure TNA would be able to provide him with more money to come work for them, but he'd have more freedom with RoH, and more of a chance to showcase himself and his craft. RoH gives him the opportunity to achieve the things he was complaining about not getting in his Twitter rant. Sure, TNA is a bigger promotion, but with RoH set to be broadcast on television again, the gap isn't as big between the two companies as some might think.

Japan and Mexico are also options for Chavo, of course, but they aren't as fun to talk about in my columns, so I'll just keep them to this one sentence. I think both TNA and RoH are really good ideas, both for Chavo and for wrestling fans, to be perfectly honest with you. I also wouldn't mind him really doing a tour of the indy wrestling scene for a while. Maybe a couple shows on the west coast for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. Maybe a couple shows on the east coast for Dragon Gate USA or Jersey All-Pro Wrestling. Give some shine to the smaller promotions for a bit, and then move on to televised wrestling again. Something along those lines, you know?

I give him all the props in the world for standing up for himself, and knowing that he deserves much more than he's been getting for the last few years. I'm not going to sit here and troll you by saying he's a "moron" and saying that he's too small to be a main eventer, because he isn't calling to be a main eventer. At no point in his rant does he say "I should be a 36-time WWE Champion" or anything even remotely close to it. He never even mentions the words "main event" in the rant, for fuck's sake. Congratulations, Chavo. You do deserve better, and now, the ball is in your court.

I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but where do you want to see him go next, ReaderLand? Holla at ya boy and let me know what's on your mind.

Writer's Note: In case you missed it in yesterday's column, a Hustle Fan Page has been created on Facebook. It now sits at 364 "Likes" and climbing. Here's the "Like Box" for you to check the page out and/or to add to the "Likes"..

I've already announced it on the Fan Page, but I'll announce it here, as well.. July is my birthday month, but to show how much I love my readers, some of you will be the ones receiving presents. You see, July is Reader Appreciation Month here on The HIPE Train. During the month, I'll be selecting random readers to receive prizes, bought and paid for by me and sent to them. The exact prizes are yet to be determined, but they'll probably be along the lines of a DVD of their choice (WWE, UFC, RoH, TNA, or whatever company you want), some sort of wrestling merchandise (a shirt of your choice from WWEShop, etc) and things along those lines. The "grand prize", tentatively, will be a copy of WWE '12 for the system of your choosing that I'll order and have sent to your home or local GameStop on release date.

I'm also going to be taking more reader requests for columns in the month of July, as well as providing an opportunity for a random reader or two to appear in a column with me. Those details haven't really been worked out yet, however, but you have to "Like" the Fan Page to keep updated on what's going on.

Oh, and if July's Reader Appreciation Month works out well enough, and I get enough "Likes" between now and then, expect another Reader Appreciation Month for December, in time for the holidays, with even bigger prizes. I have some special things in mind for then. Again, you have to "Like" the page first, though.

The HiPE Playlist: Nothing tonight.

Look up, get up, and don't ever give up.

Hustle
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-Team Sleep--------------------------Day 542

In my years of watching MMA, I have never seen a finish like that at all. Quite possibly the most exciting ending that the fighting world has ever seen. Incredible.

It's a very exciting time in the world of Ring Of Honor.

Not only are they making preparations to debut on the Sinclair Broadcasting Group, putting them back on television across the country, but they held their highly-anticipated Best In The World iPPV today. It's a new era in the company's history, as they crowned a new World Champion and a new Television Champion at the event.

Yes, I watched the show. Before anyone asks.. no, I didn't pay for an iPPV. That would make me a hypocrite after last week's column. However, when someone else is willing to purchase an iPPV, I'd be more than happy to watch, and that's exactly what happened today. Anyway, this isn't necessarily a review of the event. It's more like an overall review of some of what's happening in RoH right now.

First up, we have the entire Kevin Steen saga. Here's the Cliff's Notes version..

- Steen and El Generico were one of the top tag teams in RoH
- Steen turned on El Generico
- Steen and El Generico had a very lengthy feud
- Steen lost a match to El Generico, and as a result of a pre-match stipulation, had to leave RoH
- Steve Corino, who had been involved in the Steen/Generico feud, turned face shortly after Steen's RoH departure
- Corino began feuding with The House Of Truth stable
- Corino brought Jimmy Jacobs back to RoH as his personal "sponsor"
- Corino tried to bring Steen back to RoH, as well, telling RoH officials that Steen is a changed man from the last time anyone saw him
- Steen returns at Best In The World, only to be removed by RoH officials before anything can be said or can take place
- After Corino's match with Michael Elgin, The House Of Truth attack
- Steen makes the save, clearing the ring and saving the day
- Because of fan reaction, Steen is allowed mic time after the save
- Steen then says "Fuck Ring Of Honor" and attacks Corino and Jacobs himself before being escorted out of the building

It was a very well done return, taking the fans on a bit of a roller coaster ride. They've been demanding Steen's return, and he got a huge face pop when he came back, and an even bigger pop when he came out to save Corino and Jacobs. Nobody saw the "turn" coming, and it was fantastic. Steen plays a very believable asshole, which makes you wonder a bit. However, it's inevitable that Steen returns to the company, full-time, at some point. Clearly, nothing short of a heel turn for Jim Cornette (RoH's Executive Producer) will bring Steen back without some sort of catch or hurdle for Steen to climb. The "easy" route would be for Corino to demand a match with Steen at some point in the future, perhaps even putting his own career on the line to do so. After much poking, prodding and needling, Cornette could agree to the match, but only if it's non-sanctioned, because he (and RoH) want nothing to do with Steen as a non-contracted worker. During the match, have Jacobs or someone turn on Corino, giving Steen the victory and a spot on the RoH roster, while Corino says "goodbye". Corino's 38 years old, after all, so it's time to start thinking about moving on without him.

Moving on, we go to the Television Title, which is now held by El Generico. Generico has been one of the most over faces in the entire company for the last few years, and the only reason he hasn't been pushed to the World Title picture is the fact that he doesn't cut promos at all. Not "he doesn't cut promos well". He doesn't cut them, period, outside of a random "Ole!" that he'll throw out every now and then. Giving him the company's secondary singles title is a very nice reward for him and the hard work he's been putting in. He'll become a very quick favorite of the new fans that tune in to RoH's television show in September, and having him on the show regularly to defend the title is a good move. I know a lot of people were happy with Christopher Daniels' reign as the TV Champ, but there are conflicting reports on his contract status with both RoH and TNA, so dropping the title could be a sign that he's heading back to TNA on a full-time basis in the very near future. Either way, I have no problems with Generico getting the belt. None whatsoever.

Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas) retained the RoH Tag Team Titles in a Four-Way Elimination Match, with the All Night Express (Kenny King & Rhett Titus), the Briscoes (Jay & Mark) and the Kings Of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) also being in the match. To be perfectly honest, there's no "wrong" choice here. All four teams would make for great champions, although some will say the Briscoes as champions is getting old (they're six-time champions). Some of those same people would say that the Kings Of Wrestling shouldn't get the titles back yet, as they just dropped them on April 1st, after a reign that nearly went a full calendar year (it was only two days shy). I think having Benjamin & Haas as the champs when the TV show debuts is a good idea, for name value. People remember their time with World Wrestling Entertainment still, as it wasn't that long ago when they were on the roster. Star power is definitely a good idea for the company when they return to television, as they'll be introducing the product to thousands of new homes across the country. We're talking people that have never seen RoH before. Giving them some workers they recognize right off the bat will be enough to keep their attention, which could/should allow for the new talent to handle their thug thizzle and make new RoH fans out of these folks.

Moving to the RoH World Title scene.. this is the one folks are talking about. Davey Richards defeated Eddie Edwards today to become the new champion, and as I've said in my columns before, I love real emotion that wrestlers share when they win titles. Davey was in tears after winning the match, and was very emotional in his post-match speech. It was a nice moment. However, what everyone's discussing is Davey Richards himself. There's a decent-sized population out there that feel Davey Richards is everything that's wrong with indy wrestling today. They feel he has no psychology in his matches. They feel he just does moves to do them, and has no real reasoning behind anything. They feel he pretty much no-sells most of his opponent's offense in an attempt to show off the "Fighting Spirit" that runs wild in Japanese Puro. They also feel he can't really cut promos. Throw all of that together, and you're looking at the dreaded "Create-A-Wrestler" tag.

Let me be the first to say that I don't feel as strongly as those people do. At the same time, I'm not going to say that Richards is my favorite worker or anything, but he doesn't get anywhere near as much hate from me as he does from others. He does put a lot of moves in his matches, pretty much packing 30 minutes worth of action into a 15-20 minute match, so I can certainly see why people feel the way they do about his psychology. His pacing can be pretty weird at times. As for his no-selling, that's a problem with the indy scene, in general, not just with him. Because of that, I can't blame him for it. He got it from his work in Japan. Other indy guys use it because it "looks cool".

I definitely see the mic skills as a problem, however. Mic skills have never been Davey's strong point, but he's another in a line of RoH World Champions that weren't the best on the mic. Davey beat Edwards, who is bad on the mic. Edwards beat Roderick Strong, who is one of the worst promo guys in the business. Strong beat Tyler Black, who is the best of the bunch when it comes to promos, but his in-ring skills are still much stronger than his mic work. Of course, RoH has always been a company that puts a much bigger emphasis on in-ring work than anything else. With their move back to television, though, you'd think it would make more sense to have an ultra-charismatic worker that can talk his ass off as the World Champion, especially considering the other champions in the promotion can't really do that.

The thing with Davey is that the RoH fans that attend the shows love him. He's crazy over, and has been for a few years now. His ultra hard-hitting matches are very popular when you get to see them in person. It's that popularity that makes his shortcomings on the mic not really matter that much. However, could we see a short (by RoH standards) reign by Richards, with a new champion crowned for the TV debut? I doubt it, but it is a possibility that people have already talked about, with names like Chris Hero coming up as a possible new champion. If Hero wins the title, that would satisfy just about everyone that has been complaining about the likes of Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong. There's one potentially huge problem with Hero as RoH World Champion, however, and that's the news that Hero and Castagnoli received WWE tryout matches last week. If things work out for them, they might not even be on the RoH roster for that much longer, which could be a factor in them not winning back the Tag Team Titles today. We shall see, I guess.

Overall, I think RoH is in decent shape. Sure, there are people on the roster that aren't that great, and don't really deserve any sort of push, but there hasn't been a roster in the history of wrestling, in any era, that you couldn't say that for. They're still putting on a product that delivers far more actual wrestling than WWE or TNA could even dream of doing, and as long as they stick with that, they'll be able to do good numbers on television, especially with more and more fans becoming disenchanted with what they see every Monday, Thursday and Friday night.

Writer's Note: In case you missed it in yesterday's column, a Hustle Fan Page has been created on Facebook. It now sits at 372 "Likes" and climbing. Here's the "Like Box" for you to check the page out and/or to add to the "Likes"..

The HiPE Playlist: "Another Tattoo" by Weird Al Yankovic.. "Time After Time" by Javier Colon.. "Winds Of Change" by The Scorpions.. "You Tend To Make Me Smile" by Turning Point.. "If You Must" by Del Tha Funkee Homosapien.. "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden.. "So Far To Go" by J Dilla.. "We Are The Robots" by Playboy Tre & B.o.B. .. "Mass Appeal" by Gang Starr.. "Faithfully" by Journey

Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society..

-------------------------Day 543

8:55pm: Another week, another Raw Running Diary. Once again, I have a special guest joining me tonight. He was with me for last week's Raw Running Diary. Ladies and gentlemen.. Darth Vader joins the party again. In case you missed it last week.. whenever something really bad, really dumb or really pointless takes place, I'll tell you all to press the button, which will be followed by a link. Click the link, which will open up a new window with said button to press. Good times. Last week's three-hour episode featured a whopping total of 20 button presses. Let's see what this week will bring us, with one fewer hour to work with.

9:01pm: Raw kicks off with the "Heartbreak Kid" himself, Shawn Michaels. To no surprise, he receives a very nice ovation from the Las Vegas crowd. The WWE Universe really loves the guy.

9:05pm: Michaels was smack dab in the middle of some DX-style cheap plugs for his Twitter account and his new television show debuting tomorrow when CM Punk's music hit. Punk and the WWE Tag Team Champions, David Otunga & Michael McGillicutty, are out in the ring. Yet another clusterfuck opening segment, perhaps?

9:08pm: Michaels is never going to live down not being able to defeat The Undertaker at WrestleMania. Every time he appears on WWE programming now, someone has to mention it.

9:10pm: Hinting at a potential match between Michaels and Punk in the future? I could deal with that.

9:12pm: Sweet Chin Music out of nowhere, laying David Otunga the fuck out!!! Spec. Tac. U. Lar.

9:12pm: The anonymous Raw General Manager books Punk in tonight's opening match. Booker T is backstage to spin the Raw Roulette wheel for the match stipulation.

9:13pm: It landed on a question mark, which means Punk faces a mystery opponent. That opponent.. is KAAAAANNNNNEEEEE.

9:14pm: Sweet Chin Music out of nowhere, laying Michael McGillicutty the fuck out!!! Awe. Some.

9:14pm: We actually had ourselves a decent opening segment. It never quite escalated into "clusterfuck" levels, which is a nice change of pace.

9:19pm: A "CM Punk" chant that was loud and clear.

9:21pm: Another chant for Punk. I realize that KAAAAANNNNNEEEEE isn't exactly Randy Orton when it comes to being over with the crowd, but it's still a big surprise to hear the crowd support for Punk like that, without any sort of real response for KAAAAANNNNNEEEEE at all.

9:22pm: Punk just got himself counted out on purpose. I guess that does make sense for him. There's no sense in risking any type of injury before his WWE Title shot at Money In The Bank.

9:27pm: Sin Cara and the FINGERPOINT OF DOOM~! are out for the next Raw Roulette match. His opponent? Evan Bourne. If this gets any more than six or seven minutes, consider my mind to be absolutely, positively blown.

9:29pm: Cara VS Bourne in a No Countout Match. Alright then.

9:32pm: A "Power Ranger" chant from what sounded like ten drunk guys. Nice.

9:34pm: This crowd is really quiet. That's unfortunate. The match has been exciting so far.

9:35pm: Sin Cara gets the win. No surprise. Also no surprise is the fact that the match didn't even hit the five minute mark, but it was still Sin Cara's best match since joining the company. Props to both men. It should be fun to see if they get another match, with extra time to work with.

9:37pm: Kofi Kingston VS Dolph Ziggler is up next, with Kofi getting a chance to spin the Raw Roulette wheel. Vickie Guerrero, however, joins the festivities and spins the wheel for him.. landing on "Player's Choice". Kofi chooses a match with Vickie being banned from ringside. Vickie has been foiled again.

9:38pm: Almost 40 minutes into the show, and we haven't had a single press of the button yet?!? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!?

9:42pm: The eight names in Raw's Money In The Bank match at.. Money In The Bank.. are Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, Evan Bourne, Alberto Del Rrrrrio, R-Truth, Jack Swagger, Alex Riley and The Miz. I like that. I like that a lot.

9:44pm: Kofi VS Dolph is a non-title match.

9:46pm: A commercial break in the middle of a referee counting a wrestler out of the ring? That just adds to the stupidity. You know what that means. After 46 minutes.. press the button..

Nooooooooooooooo

9:49pm: ZOMG~! KOWFEY BEET DA KOUNT~!

9:52pm: Another match that features a quiet crowd.

9:52pm: ..as I type that, Kofi hits Trouble In Paradise and the crowd really gets into it as he picks up the victory. I guess that means Kofi gets another shot at the United States Title sometime in the near future.

9:54pm: Maryse spins the wheel for Alberto Del Rrrrrio in his match with Big Show tonight, and it lands on.. Steel Cage Match. Uh-oh.

9:58pm: A Cage Match might be one of the only ways to get the crowd to really care about a match between Show and ADR. Time and time again, the crowd goes silent for matches and promos with these two, but this stipulation just adds excitement, with Show getting a chance to get his hands on ADR.

10:03pm: Rest holds. That's what this match needed.

10:04pm: Mark Henry is out at ringside now, telling people not to look at him. Two things.. one, that's Cody Rhodes' gimmick. Two, you're a 450-pound black guy with a Predator face and hairstyle combination, Mizark.. you're a little difficult to miss, no matter where we decide to look.

10:07pm: Henry just ripped the cage door off of its hinges and brought it into the ring with him. Gimmicked door or not, that was still an impressive feat to watch.

10:08pm: ADR escapes the cage and wins the match.

10:09pm: Well, damn. Henry, with the cage door in hand, runs and smashes it against Big Show, who was in between the ring ropes and the cage wall. The impact took that portion of the cage down, and send Show tumbling through, to the floor. Again.. gimmicked or not, that looked pretty impressive. Mark Henry is in full-fledged Beast Mode in recent weeks.

10:14pm: Kelly Kelly is out to defend her newly-won Divas Title against Nikki Bella. Michael Cole says it's a non-title match, however, so there's even more miscommunication in the company. Press the button..

Nooooooooooooooo

10:17pm: Submission Match? Are you kidding me? lol @ there being boos in the crowd at that stipulation.

10:17pm: Do either of these heifers even have submission holds in their bag of tricks?

10:18pm: I say this again.. nobody is going to take women's wrestling when they scream like they're giving birth with no drugs for the simplest of moves.

10:18pm: The match is over already. It wasn't even a match. It as each woman attempting a submission, and Kelly winning. Another waste of time with the Divas. Press the button. In fact, press it twice, for being the worst Submission Match in the history of wrestling..

Nooooooooooooooo

10:25pm: Rey Mysterio & Alex Riley VS Jack Swagger & The Miz in a Tornado Tag Match, with all four men being in the ring at the same time.

10:26pm: Diamond Dallas Page sighting!

10:27pm: Drew McIntyre sighting!

10:27pm: Sweet Chin Music out of nowhere, laying Drew McIntyre the fuck out!!! In. Cred. I. Ble. Here's the thing, however.. I'm still a fan of McIntyre, and his constant misuse means.. press the button..

Nooooooooooooooo

10:34pm: Did Rey just give his shirt to a runt-sized adult? That didn't really look like a kid. I'm just saying.

10:37pm: Another commercial break during a match. Press the button..

Nooooooooooooooo

10:40pm: Is there any actor in Hollywood right now that picks worse scripts than Kevin James? Anyone at all? Even porn stars pick better scripts than that guy.

10:43pm: The crowd has actually been into this match so far. Easily the loudest they've been so far tonight.

10:45pm: I don't want to know how Jerry Lawler knows about Alex Riley's "staying power". That's a No Glacier moment, for sure.

10:47pm: Mysterio & Riley pick up the win. Very nice little match. The Tornado stipulation meant pretty much non-stop action from beginning to end, and the crowd being into it really helped things out.

10:49pm: "Is fatback greasy?" - Truth, you realize that 90% of the WWE Universe has no idea what that means, right?

10:50pm: John Cena VS R-Truth will be a Tables Match tonight.

10:55pm: It's main event time.

10:57pm: The Cena Haters speak negatively about how Cena does and says the same things all the time, and yet, every single week, there's a "We've Cena Nuff" sign in the crowd, and at every pay-per-view, there's a "If Cena Wins, We Riot" sign in the crowd. The ironing. It is delicious. Tards. You are waste. (Like five people on the planet will understand that one.)

11:00pm: The crowd's into this one, too.

11:03pm: CM Punk is out.. wearing an old-school "Stone Cold" Steve Austin shirt, for some reason.

11:03pm: Punk's interference is enough for Truth to pick up the victory. Cena just doesn't do well with Table Matches, clearly.

11:04pm: Punk sits on the stage, and it looks to be story time. He says he has some things to get off of his chest.

11:05pm: Whoa.. Punk just said Cena is as good at kissing Vince McMahon's ass as Hulk Hogan was, but maybe not as good as "Dwayne" at it. Oh, tag.

11:06pm: We're going with the worked shoot here, to get folks talking. Very nice.

11:08pm: He.. he just name-dropped Ring Of Honor. He.. he just name-dropped Colt Cabana. Holy shit. This is awesome.

11:09pm: He just called Triple H a "doofus"!

11:10pm: Promo. Of. The. Year. Nice tough with the mic being cut off, and the screen just cutting out to end the show. WWE.com is reporting that Punk has been "suspended" by Vince McMahon himself. Riiiiight. Awesome ending to the show this week.

Only six button presses this week. A huge improvement over last week. We got a really nice tag match with Rey Mysterio & Alex Riley VS Jack Swagger & The Miz. We got a nice (albeit short) match with Sin Cara VS Evan Bourne. We got the Promo Of The Year (period, not just in the WWE world). Before the final promo, I was thinking of giving Raw a "C" or a "C+", which still would have been an improvement over recent episodes, but with that promo, I have to improve the grade. Let's go with a B and call it a day. Good stuff. Please believe that there will be more discussions about this in a future column.

Writer's Note: In case you missed it in yesterday's column, a Hustle Fan Page has been created on Facebook. It now sits at 376 "Likes" and climbing. Here's the "Like Box" for you to check the page out and/or to add to the "Likes"..

The HiPE Playlist: Raw.

Just because you sold seven million albums doesn't mean you're talented. It just means that there are seven million people that are stupid as hell.

-------------------------Day 544

We're 24 hours removed from Raw, which means we've all had time to think and let our heads wrap around what it was that we saw. Discussions are still going on about it, and it's one of the more hotly-debated subjects we've seen in a long time. Everyone wants to know..

Why the hell did they decide to put Kelly Kelly and Nikki Bella in a Submissions Match?

Seriously, whose idea was that? Someone, somewhere in the company thought it would be a good idea to put those two women in the ring for a match that only has one stipulation, and it's a stipulation that doesn't work for either woman because they don't know any submission moves. Personally, I think..

Wait.. what? That's not what everyone's talking about today? Well.. this is awkward. What I meant to say is that everyone wants to know..

Was it a work or was it a shoot?

We've seen people on both sides of that fence shout their opinions from atop mountains today. The people that believe it was a work are willing to bet their children on it. The people that believe it was a shoot are willing to do the same. Really, nobody's opinion has budged since it happen. You either "believe", or you don't. It's that simple.

If you're asking me.. and, holy shit, a lot of you have been.. I say, confidently, that it was a work.

Now, people see that and automatically assume it means that CM Punk sat down with various WWE officials, and they all went over what he was going to say, with the lines about Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon, Ring Of Honor, Colt Cabana, Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman, John Laurinaitis, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon all being heard and then approved before Punk ever went out at the end of the show. That isn't the case. It's yet another example of the IWC seeing things purely in black and white, with no middle ground. If Wrestler A is facing Wrestler B, and I say I'm a big fan of Wrestler A, the IWC would take that as me thinking Wrestler B sucks and has no business in the ring, when, in fact, all I said was that I'm a fan of Wrestler A. It's yet another reason why the IWC is looked at in such a negative way, but that's a different discussion altogether.

When I say the promo was a work, I mean that it was planned for him to go out there and speak his mind. He was told that he'd have some mic time to end the show, and he was probably told to go to town with his opinions on the current WWE product, the possibility of him leaving, John Cena, etc. He was probably told that the company wanted to make it as close to appearing like a shoot as possible, but at the same time, going overboard with the cursing would only end up getting everyone in trouble. Punk's been known to have a really foul mouth (and fingers, apparently, as he tweets with foul language a lot), so for him to get through that entire promo relatively close to TV-PG was a sign to me. Punk isn't stupid, however. He knew exactly what needed to be said for the promo to come across as a shoot. Mentioning Hulk Hogan's name on WWE programming? Name-dropping Ring Of Honor? Talking about the infamous Johnny Ace, and using his real name while doing it? These types of things are "taboo". You're not supposed to say things like that on WWE programming. It's so far from the "normal" WWE promo, that it has done a fantastic job in fooling people.

I've used this example before, but I might as well do it here in my column, even if it isn't an exact match or anything. You know how there's occasionally a fan who will hop the guardrail and try to get into the ring during a WWE show? That is a shoot. Nobody knew it was coming. What happens when the fan tries it? The producers switch camera shots, even cutting to the crowd for an extended period of time, to make absolutely sure that the guardrail-hopper doesn't get any face-time on television. The commentary team completely ignores it, and they continue talking about whatever they were talking about, acting like nothing is going on. WWE.com doesn't run stories afterwards about the fan trying to get into the ring. It's ignored completely. Was Punk ignored completely last night? Not even close. He sat there, with the camera fully on him, for several minutes, talking up a storm. WWE.com is still talking about it. That isn't a shoot, folks.

All the props in the world to CM Punk for being such a gifted mic worker that he's been able to fool a large portion of the wrestling world. However, props also need to go to the company itself, for allowing something like this to take place, because it's giving people something to look forward to and to be excited about, at a time when they're otherwise down on the product overall. When Money In The Bank rolls around, the eyes of the wrestling world will be on Chicago for what is set to be a game-changing night, no matter what happens.

Writer's Note: In case you missed it in yesterday's column, a Hustle Fan Page has been created on Facebook. It now sits at 380 "Likes" and climbing. Here's the "Like Box" for you to check the page out and/or to add to the "Likes"..

The HiPE Playlist: "Say It To My Face" by Downstrait.. "Gucci Gucci" by Kreayshawn (don't judge me).. "Live Up" by Jean Grae & Talib Kweli.. "Assassins" by Jean Grae, Royce Da 5'9 & Pharoahe Monch.. "Killing Em" by Jean Grae & Pharoahe Monch.. "Prevail" by Pete Rock, Smif-N-Wessun & Raekwon.. "Feel Me" by Pete Rock, Smif-N-Wessun, Bun B & Rock.. "Roses" by Pete Rock, Smif-N-Wessun & Freeway.. "Stand Up Guy" by Pete Rock, Smif-N-Wessun & Black Rob.. "Time To Say" by Pete Rock & Smif-N-Wessun

Real niggas. All day. Just me. By myself. On the block. Holdin it down. Gun in my waist. Straight face. All day. Not a game. In jail. By myself. One bed. No pillow case. One pillow. Didn't nobody write me. It was early. Woke up. Went back to sleep. Took a nap. You ever go "night night", nigga?!?

-------------------------Day 545

Dear Dwayne,

I hope you don't mind that I called you Dwayne.

I've always had all the respect in the world for you. When you were in your early days as Rocky Maivia, I didn't necessarily see your future consisting of seven WWF/WWE Title reigns, two WCW/World Title reigns, two Intercontinental Title reigns, five Tag Team Title reigns and a Royal Rumble victory, but I did see that there was plenty of potential in you as an in-ring worker. When Rocky Maivia became The Rock, though.. look the fuck out, world.. you owned shit from the very beginning. I've said this in my columns before, but back then, while damn near all of my friends were huge "Stone Cold" Steve Austin marks, I marked for you. That's how far you and I go back.

Over the course of 2011, I've made it known that I've been on a roller coaster ride when it comes to you. When you returned to World Wrestling Entertainment, I marked out like no other. I was really excited to have you back, and that episode of Raw remains on my DVR to this day. You talk about "electricity" all the time, but that night, we could really feel that electricity in the air. It was great to see you on WWE programming again, but that roller coaster I was referring to is crazy real. It isn't really anything you did, necessarily, but I began to grow tired of the internet fans and their blatant hypocrisy and douchebaggery. I've said it time and time again.. I have no problem when people speak/type negatively about wrestlers that I like. That's fine. I often speak/type negatively about wrestlers they like, so it's only fair. However, when certain wrestlers are held to standards that others aren't being held to, I have problems. All of that combined made me a stronger member of Team Cena than I ever was. I'm still looking forward to your match with Cena at WrestleMania 28, as it will probably be as big a match as we've seen in this generation, but it's just not the same feeling as I had back in March.

My reason for writing you this letter is simple.. the slippery slope that you recently placed yourself on with comments you made on Twitter. When you diss John Cena, you do one thing for your standing in the eyes of the Internet Wrestling Community.. you improve it. Cena isn't exactly the most beloved wrestler in the IWC, so whenever you speak down on Cena, that gets you automatic praise from the IWC members. What you say doesn't have to make sense, or be true in the slightest. As long as it's an anti-Cena statement, you "win". You know that, and you take advantage of it on a regular basis. I can't knock you for that at all, regardless of my fandom for Cena.

Something you recently said, however, could be a problem for you in the future. Hell, it could be a really big problem. You said something directed to CM Punk, in response to Punk's comments about you during his promo on Raw this week, and it's flying a bit under the radar, which is a bit of a surprise. In case you forgot what you said, here's your exact response..

"CM Punk: it's simple business - The Rock is the main event at Wrestlemania cause it draws more money in one night, then u will in lifetime."

Is that a true statement? With a little hyperbole, yes, it's basically true. However, remember earlier when I said that the comments you make about John Cena don't really have to make sense or be true to get a response? Well, truth doesn't really matter here, either. CM Punk has been an "internet darling" for close to a decade now, and his promo on Raw only strengthened that love from the IWC. When you speak negatively about John Cena, the IWC loves you for it, but when you speak about CM Punk, you're opening yourself up to lose many of those same fans.

You know those "Cena Reactions" that are so talked-about these days? The ones where most of the women and children cheer for Cena, while most of the men boo him? You're setting yourself up for that exact type of reaction. You'll still be good looking to the women, so they'll cheer you. You still have plenty of catchphrases, so the kids will still cheer you. The men, however, are going to firmly place themselves in Punk's corner. Sure, you might get some of the older male fans who don't really watch wrestling much these days, and who remember you from the Attitude Era, but those folks are a dying breed. Just imagine if you make another return to WWE programming, and you come out to a bit of a mixed reaction. Sure, you've had experience with crowds turning on you in the past, but the company needs you to be the overwhelming face between now and WrestleMania. They can't have you getting any sort of mixed reactions right now, next month, or six months from now. Be a good boy, will you? Don't do this to yourself, and don't do this to Vince McMahon. Keep Punk's name out of your mouth, and out of your tweets. Do the right thing.

Of course, if CM Punk really does leave the company after the Money In The Bank pay-per-view, you can go ahead and forget anything I've said to you up until this point.

Have a great summer, Dwayne. Don't worry about the money I loaned you. I don't need it back for a while. You handle your business, and I'll let you know when it's time to pay up. When I come to collect, don't be pulling that falling down the stairs shit on me again, you hear? You were conscious! Every month, the same damn thing.

Talk to you when I talk to you.

Your friend,
Sir Ichabod Farnsworth Hustlington IV, Esq.

Writer's Note: In case you missed it in yesterday's column, a Hustle Fan Page has been created on Facebook. It now sits at 391 "Likes" and climbing. Here's the "Like Box" for you to check the page out and/or to add to the "Likes"..

The HiPE Playlist: "Landslide" by Stevie Nicks & Javier Colon.. "We Don't Get Down Like Y'all" by T.I. & B.o.B. .. "Dead Man's Shoes" by dead prez.. "Marijuana Man" by Joell Ortiz.. "Outta My Mind" by Cory Gunz.. "Laced Cheeba" by Ghostface Killah, Sean Price & Trife Diesel.. "Dedication To My Ex" by Lloyd, Andre 3000 & Lil Wayne.. "So Cold" by Jim Jones.. "Check Me Out" by Lloyd Banks.. "HiiiPoWeR" by Kendrick Lamar

They're predicting a massive earthquake on November 6.

November 6? That's only five days away!

Don't worry about a thing, Pop. It's not possible.

Oh, I beg to differ with you, Lamont. Today is November 1, and it's extremely possible that November 6 is only five days away.

Source: lordsofpain.net