wrestleman

Welcome to the 11th edition of the WRESTLEMAN weekly column.

WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
MNM vs LONDON AND KENDRICK
I thought this was the obvious choice as opener. It was a solid high tempo match that set the PPV to the great start. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of time they were given (they had around 20 mins including entrance + aftermath). The two teams have had numerous matches in the build-up, but this was sufficiently different than the rest. Also, it might not sound much, but both teams wearing new ring attires just made the bout feel special. There were a few decent false finishes which worked well because of the doubt surrounding the result. The finish was soft again. London and Kendrick need a finisher! Seriously how many different roll-ups are there? Using the MNM split as a developing storyline throughout the PPV was a good idea, and was well performed by all involved – although I only came to this conclusion after I got over my sulk at the split. But anyway, I’ll talk more about MNM later in the column.

Match Rating – 8

CHRIS BENOIT vs FINLAY
On first viewing this match suffered from my earlier sulk, so I did not get as ‘into it’ as I normally would have. But after re-watching, I think this match actually surpassed the very good match they had in the KOTR a few weeks ago. They seem to have good chemistry with each other, and the whole match was very well performed. I’ve got to be honest, when I saw those ‘Proud Irishman’ promos in December; I was not expecting Finlay to make the impact he has so far. He’s done a very good job, and really starting to get over with the majority of fans. I did have one problem with the almost flawless bout. I thought it was a bit out-of-character for a genuine ‘tough guy’ like Finlay to tap-out after as soon as the crossface was locked-in. Are we supposed to believe that Triple H can last minutes in the hold, when someone like Finlay taps-out in seconds? It just seems wrong.

Match Rating – 8

MELINA vs JILLIAN HALL
I’m not sure why, but Diva matches on SmackDown! always seem more special than Diva matches on RAW. I think it could be that every week on RAW there is always one obligatory Diva match and it is normally not to a good standard. I’m a big fan of Melina’s wrestling style. It’s like a female shoot style, meaning that it looks just like when women fight in the real world (vicious hair-pulling, kicking, and scratching). Jillian also looks competent in the ring, and both women look like being potential Women’s champions in the future. This was a brutal for a women’s match, and both divas took a lot of punishment. It was a logical decision to keep it short, particularly because a ‘fight’ does not last as long as a wrestling match. Most probably just saw this as a filler, but I think it exceeded most expectations.

Match Rating – 7

CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
GREGORY HELMS vs SUPERCRAZY
The general consensus from WWE fans is that the cruiserweights are under-used on SmackDown!, so I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of time given to this match also. Gregory Helms has been brilliant since switching to SmackDown! and I have no issue with keeping the title on him for a while. I admire SuperCrazy’s work, but he would add nothing to the championship, and the championship would add nothing to him. I think the cheap victory was the correct decision because it builds on the tension between Helms and the rest of the cruiserweights. I expect to see somebody new challenge Helms next, because most cruiserweights are now tied up elsewhere (London & Kendrick, Noble & Kash, Nunzio, etc). I’d say the most likely candidates are Chavo Guerrero, Shannon Moore, or even Joey Mercury (if he shaves one or two pounds).

Match Rating – 7

MARK HENRY vs KURT ANGLE
As we know, Kurt Angle could drag a decent match out of anybody – even Mark Henry. This match was probably as good as their main-event from the Royal Rumble. I’m never too complimentary about Mark Henry, but he put in a good performance in this match, without being great. The finish was a little disappointing, but if Mark Henry is ever going to go over Angle on PPV, then a count-out is probably the best way to do it. The aftermath was good, and it made Kurt look strong despite his defeat. As I predicted last week, they used a relatively ‘big bump’ to help the quality of the bout. Nothing too special, but again it was decent.

Match Rating - 7

KING OF THE RING FINAL
BOOKER T vs BOBBY LASHLEY
With so much riding of the match, and the total air of uncertainty surrounding the result, this match was very exciting. The near falls and false finishes just added to the excitement, but unfortunately the finish was disappointing. Finlay interfering in the match was totally out of the blue, and I’m not sure what the logic was behind the decision on Finlay’s part. I think the original plan was to elevate Lashley’s status by having him win the tournament, but obviously the WWE had a change of heart. Maybe booking Lashley stronger than Booker, and Finlay’s help being required, was a consolation for not being crowned as the King. I liked the spear after the match because giving Lashley an aggressive side will really add to his character.

Match Rating – 7.5

THE GREAT KHALI vs UNDERTAKER
I think everybody knew this match was not going to be a classic, in truth it had the potential to be the worst PPV match in recent memory. I started out fearing the worst, but the match was actually a bit better than I’d hoped. Khali has little/no talent in the ring, but the Undertaker put a lot of effort into the match. The finish was terribly performed. The whole match and feud belongs in the 80’s, and has no place in 2006. From the sheer shock of the match being not too terrible, I’m tempted to pass it.

Match Rating – 4

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
REY MYSTERIO vs JBL
Rey Mysterio’s first one-on-one PPV main event was nothing overly special, but was a credible as a main event. Rey juicing in the match was quite clever, because it’s not something people expect to see from him. Before the match, I was never convinced by the numerous rumours suggesting Rey would lose the match. However, mid-way through the bout I was considerably less sure about that. I was pretty nervous during the 10 count, the sleeper hold, and particularly the pin attempt after the JBL bomb. But Rey survived all three. I don’t like JBL using Eddie Guerrero for cheap heat, but I did find his three amigos parody quite effective. I think Mysterio proved that he is a credible world champion, purely and simply because his offence can hurt a 300-pounder like JBL. Chavo Guerrero’s appearance was a nice touch, and it was a nice way to end the PPV.

Match Rating - 8

OVERALL RATING – 56.5/80 = 70% - B +

From the Key, I have awarded Judgment Day a B+ as it has just scraped into that category. That translates to a “very good event”. The PPV was solid throughout, and apart from the one poor bout, the matches at least met their expectations, and some surpassed them.

THE FUTURE OF MNM

Since their debut in April 2005, the SmackDown! tag team division has been carried by MNM. In that time, Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro with manager Melina, have won the championships on a record of three separate occasions. Their third and final reign has also gone down in the record books for being the longest tag title reign in SmackDown! history. MNM’s success saw them main-event SmackDown! on a number of occasions against numerous combinations of established superstars.

Mercury and Nitro could seriously have a good match with anybody; they are one of greatest tag teams in WWE history. [Cue the moans about splitting them up].

This just can’t be a good decision. Mercury and Nitro are not valuable to WWE individually, however, MNM the team, were one of the stars of the show. Its generally agreed that MNM were above the rest of the tag team division, and were struggling to find credible feuds. But that’s not reason to split them up! WWE should be creating new teams for them to feud with. In my opinion, MNM are the biggest victims of the WWE’s anti-tag tam policy.

I’m not sure what is planned for Mercury, they could turn him face on the back of this break-up, or they could just keep him heel. Neither of them options would require the too much creativity. To turn him face is simple, just have Simon Dean insult him and do the job this week on SmackDown!. To keep him heel, I would have London & Kendrick show some sympathy for him, but Mercury react angrily and attack them from behind. Either way, I can’t see things looking good for Mercury’s solo career, which is a shame.

However, I do think the WWE plans to push Johnny Nitro presumably on RAW. He’s has got a lot of potential, and I personally rate him very highly – although I don’t think he’s ready yet. There have been many people labelled as “The next Shawn Michaels”, but in Johnny Nitro I think we have just that. He has constantly improved since his debut, he has a good look, he’s a great athlete, and is still very young (in wrestling terms). I was quite clear that he would eventually out-grow Mercury, and would be seeking solo success. But I feel his chances of big success have been damaged by the premature finish of MNM. Think about it this way, imagine if MNM stuck around for another 1-2 successful years. Nitro would be formerly one half of one wrestling’s greatest ever tag teams, that would improve his credibility immensely. As with Mercury, I’m fearful that he could be jobbing to the likes of Eugene in about 6 months time.

I’ve always thought it was a shame Melina couldn’t really become Women’s Champion, as she was on SmackDown! – but maybe now she can. She is the most promising Diva the WWE has had in a long time. She is a well-rounded character, a great manager, comfortable on the mic, and always looks impressive in the ring. Her female shoot-style in the ring may well change the face of WWE women’s wrestling completely. No matter what happens with Mercury and Nitro, I’m almost certain Melina’s future is very bright.

Despite me sulking about the break-up, I am pretty interested to see what is in store for the future of Mercury, Nitro, and Melina. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Piczo