Sharp Shootin Weekly

It's time for an Easter edition of Sharp Shootin Weekly. I hope you're all having a great holiday weekend. Things are slowing down a little bit post 'mania, but there are a few things going on for me to comment on.

The Annual WWE Draft This Monday
-The WWE holds it's annual draft tomorrow night on Raw. I expect them to shake things up drastcily. With Edge's sudden retirement, and the Undertaker appearing so infrequently, Smackdown is left without many Main Event stars. The draft is always an interesting way to shake things up. My main hope is that it helps elevate some of the young star(ie. Morrison, Rhodes, Bryan, Ziggler, etc). Either way, I'm definitely going to be tuning in to see what happens!

TNA Releases Jay Lethal
-Another prime example that TNA is brutal! Lethal has been one of the company's main stays in the X-Division for the last few years, and one of their most entertaining young stars on the roster.I loved the Black Machismo gimmick, and just a few months ago he had a good feud with Ric Flair. To me, this is just another example that they have no idea what they're doing! I hope that he ends up with the WWE very soon. In fact, TNA should fire Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, MCMG, and all their young and talented workers!

New WWE Tag Team Champions
-Kane and the Big Show won the WWE Tag Team Titles on Smackdown this week. This further proves how lame the tag team division is in the WWE right now. The only good thing about it, is maybe now they will disolve the Corre. It just makes me think how so many guys broke in as tag wrestlers and worked for years before breaking off and having singles success(Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Edge, Christian, J.Hardy, etc). They had a fine tag team like the Hart Dyanasty, that they broke up just when they were gettung going, and now neither of them have been seen on tv in months! Before that, Miz & Morrison was the last good tag team they had. I am a big fan of tag team wrestling, and I wish they would put a little more focus on having the tag titles mean something.

Bret Hart Documentary To Air Sunday Night!
-This Sunday night(Apr 24), the Bret Hart Documentary titled, "Bret Hart: Survival Of The Hitman", will air on the Fight Network. As I'm sure you've figured out by now, I'm a huge Bret Hart fan. If you're a fan aswell, i definitely recomend checking this out!

If you have any questions or comments, please send them to sharpshootin@hotmail.com

The Great Sasuke Sings Bon Jovi

Sharp Shootin Weekly

It was another crazy week for us wrestling fans, with one of the biggest active stars was forced to retire. Edge's retirement dominated  the news all week, but there are a few more interesting tidbits that made for an interesting week.

Edge Retires - Christian Gets World Title Shot
-Well, the top story all week was Edge's sudden retirement. If you missed it, I posted a farewell to him earlier this week. You can check it out here. With Edge already booked to defend the World Title at Extreme Rulez against Alberto Del Rio in a ladder match, that left the WWE with a major hole in their main event for the PPV.  This Friday on Smackdown, Christian won a 20 man Battle Royal to become the #1 contender, and will take Edge's spot against Del Rio. My hope is that Edge's retirement is the shot in the arm that finally helps Christian reach main event status. Chistian is one of my favorites, and has paid his dues. It's no secret that I think he's the more talented of the two(Edge & Christian), and maybe this will be the angle that makes him a main event player. Similar to when Eddie Guerrero passed away, and Rey Mysterio became a World Champion, I think the sympathy angle may take Christian to that next level. I for one am hoping anyway.

Kurt Angle Signs New Contract With TNA
- It was reported this week, that Kurt Angle has signed a new deal with TNA Wrestling. This is bitter sweet news for me. I am happy Angle is still Wrestling, but I'm still hoping for one more WWE run from him. TNA frustrates me big time! I enjoy alot of the talent on the roster(Angle, Styles, Samoa Joe, MCMG, Kazarian, etc), but I cannot understand their creative direction. Instead of trying to stand out from the WWE, they choose to constantly look like a minor league promotion. Kurt Angle is definitely the franchise player in TNA, so they are fortunate to lock him up with a new deal. Even if he has gone crazy(see last week's post)!

Kong Promos Begin To Air
- This promo, teasing the debut of Awesome Kong aired on both Raw, and Smackdown this week. This former TNA Knockout Champion has wrestled all over the world, including alot in Japan. She is a big power house, and is not your typical WWE Diva to say the least! It will be interesting to see how WWE officials use her upon her debut.  I love when they use hype videos to bring in new talent. It really helps build anticipation for their debut.

Chris Jericho Returning To WWE Once DWTS Is Over
- Chris Jericho claimed this week on WWE.com that once this season of Dancing With The Stars is over, he will be returning to WWE. This is good news for the company, who is losing established stars at a rappid pace. With Edge now gone, Jericho will help fill that void. Since leaving the company a few monthes ago, Jericho has garnered lots of mainstream media attention appearing on show like DWTS, American Idol, and The Tonight Show. This should garner a welcome return to the company. Look for a grandious return, in true Y2J fashion coming soon.


If you have any questions or comments for me, please send them to sharpshootin@hotmail.com

Big C Back Podcasting

I was back this week on my good pal's Kyle & Gary's podcast this week. I was invited on to give a recap of Wrestlemania, but we never really got to it! It's a good listen anyway. Check it out!


http://kyleandgary.podbean.com/2011/04/14/episode-24-the-gangbang-potluck/

Farewell To Edge.

For those of you who missed it, Edge announced his retirement this Monday night on Raw. Allegedly he has some serious neck issues, that are causing numbness in his arms. Now, I'm sure you'll see a lot of reports saying they're sad to see Edge go. This is not one of those reports! The only time I liked Edge was when he was paired with Christian. I always felf(and still do!) that Christian was the more talented of the 2. It was clear once they split them up, WWE officials had much bigger plans for Edge, than they did Christian. On Edge's initial push, he was given feuds with top tier talent like Kurt Angle, Eddy Guerrero, Chris Benoit, etc. All of which I felt were in a league above him. I felt that they were really forcing him into a top face spot, when they had far more deserving talent being held down. Once they turned him heel, and paired him with Lita, I started being able to handle him a little better. Character wise, I thought was a much more natural fit. I think he's more of a natural dick head, and with the real life love triangle btween him, Matt Hardy, and Lita it really made him easy to dislike.  I would consider this run Edge's golden years. I think his hardcore match with Mick Foley at Wrestlemania 22 was the pinicle of his career. He also had a classic match against The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 24. In recent years though, Edge has worked primarely as a face. I find him boring, and unnatural as a face, and that's why I'm not sad to see him go. The fact that the guy is an 11 time World Champion is a joke! He had 11 title runs in less than 5 years! I think that is completely ridiculous! I think his legacy will be a string of meaningless, short title reigns. Edge had his moments, but I for one am ready to see him go. I would like to see a few other long tenured guys follow his lead, such as, Kane, Mark Henry, and even The Undertaker.

Sharp Shootin Weekly

Hello folks. Thanks for stopping by this week. I have a lot to talk about this week. The news was rolling in all week at the Sharp Shootin Headquarters. I already posted my thoughts on Wrestlemania 27. If you havn't checked it out yet, you can do so here. Even though this year's Wrestlemania was a big let down, there was plenty of interesting stories developing in the days that followed.

Rock vs Cena At Wrestlemania 28!
-So, it turns out that this year's Wrestlemania main event was used to set up a big announcement for Raw the next night! Does this not seem like a WCW like move? Maybe because they were in Atlanta, they thought they would try things the WCW way! In case you didn't catch it, they announced on Raw this week that The Rock will make his in-ring return to face John Cena at Wrestlemania 28! So they have booked the next Wrestlemania main event 1 year in advance. This is a really ballsy move considering alot can happen in a year, especially when it comes to pro wrestling! I have mixed feelings about this. How are they possibly going to keep this interesting for an entire year? How often is The Rock actually going to appear? One thing is for sure, this is the biggest match that they could possibly book! This is comsidered a dream match by many, and should draw huge numbers for the show. I think it'll be interesting how much social media(facebook, twitter, etc) will be used in furthering the angle. This would be a good way for WWE to make some head way in that area. One way or another, this kind of thing has never been done before, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Crazy Kurt Angle!
- A couple of weeks ago, Kurt Angle was found in a ditch on a North Dakota highway, passed out in his car. This coming about a year after he received a DUI. Like many wrestlers, Angle has taken to Twitter as a way to connect with his fans. During Wrestlemania, Angle sent out a few tweets about WWE competitors using moves that he considers his. For example:
* To WWE wrestlers, Don't use my Finish. Get more Creative. Hmmmm- Orton. Did I say that?

* I heard Orton had an Awesome match though. Ur welcome. Lol.

* I guess Swagger will use my Ankle Lock as well.Very creative. I'm the Best in the World. You Guys will never be Kurt Angle.can I get an AMEN

* Kurt Angle will never die. TNA. WWE. I'm a leader. Not follower. :)

* Why would WWE use my finishes? Is it because I won't go back? R Orton- Angle Slam. M Cole- Ankle Lock? They have some nerve.

* Jerry Lawlor did it too. But He is a Legend. WWE really stuck it to Me.No Love lost. I'm glad that I helped Your biggest Event of the Year:)

Now, all that is crazy enough, but the craziest part came when all the backlash hit, and he stated that his Twitter was hacked! To that CM Punk tweeted "my twitter account was hacked", is the new: "I'm a sloppy drunk douche".  Later Kurt changed his story to his twitter account being used by a family member. I think there's a good chance he may have tipped a few back while watching the show, and start shooting his mouth off. It's been a pretty rough month for the olympic gold medalist, hopefully this turn around for him soon.

Scott Hall Does His Best Jake Roberts!

 

- This story begins last week, when asked if he was attending the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony, Scott Hall said no because it would be detrementle to his sobriety. Then on Tuesday it was reported that Hall had been hospitalized due to a drug overdose! Sadley, Hall is in bad financial shape, and didn`t want to miss a booking he had in the New England area, so he checked himself out of the hospital to make the event. Hall showed up in really rough shape. He was scheduled to sign autographs before the show, which he was too wasted to do, so they were letting fans take pictures with him, which for many he couidn`t even keep his eys open. He later appeared in the ring which was described as very sad. Here is some footage from the event.

Hall has since been hospitalized again. I really hope he can get sober, and stay that way. We don`t need another Jake Roberts! The saddest part is that the guy needs money, and has no other way to get it! The healthiest thing for him would be to just stay away from the business, but it`s all the guy has ever known. Sad stuff!

Morrison Snubs Stratus With The Whole World Watching!

- By now, if you`ve been following along you`d know I`m a big fan of Morrison`s. He`s an amazingly athletic guy, who`s been putting together some very impressive matches lately(Sheamus, Miz, Ziggler, etc), and seemed to be rising up the card. He may have just committed career suicide at Wrestlemania, by snubbing Trish Stratus. It all stems from Morrison`s real life girlfriend Melina being held off the card from this year`s `mania, while Trish, who hasn`t been an active competitor in several years, was given a match on the card where she teamed with Morrison, and Jersey Shore`s Snooki, against Dolph Ziggler, and Laycool.  Apparently before the show, Morrison shot down all of Trish`s suggestions for the match, and after the match during their celebration, Trish went to hug Morrison, but he snubbed her in the middle of the ring! Trish is very well liked by management, where as Melina constantly has heat backstage.  This seams like a very poor political move for Morrison, and I expect to see him punished by being burried on tv. I think it might be time for Morrison to dump the heat rod, and maybe then he assend to the top of the card where he belongs!

Sin Cara Debuts!

- On Raw this week(and again on Smackdown) we saw Sin Cara(formerly Mistico) debuted with a run in. I can`t wait to see him wrestle a whole match for the WWE. These run ins were like a teaser of some of the spots he can pull off. For those of you who missed it, here is his debut attack on Sheamus from Monday night:

Well that`s all for this week folks. It was heavy week, as it usually is after Wrestlemania. I`m going to do my best to have this as a weekly forum for me to talk about what`s going on in the wild world of wrestling!

Big C's Toast To The Heart Break Kid

With Shawn Michaels going in to the WWE Hall Of Fame this year, I thought it'd be fitting to give him my tip of the hat, so to speak. Now, I know you're probably thinking, 'Big C, you hate Shawn Michaels!' The truth is, I think he was a hell of a performer, and if Bret cany bury the hatchet, then so can I! I have never questioned his talent in the ring. The guy can flat out sell! When it came to big time matches, very few can match his track record(see Big C's top 10 Wrestlemania matches from a previous post), but I have always hated him! Even before the infamous 'screw job' incident with Bret Hart, I hated Shawn Michaels worse than any wrestler since The Ultimate Warrior! I think my reasoning is pretty sound, so hear me out.
First off, since when is it a good idea to have a flamboyant baby face? When Michaels started out on his own, he came out in leather chaps, sporting a mullet, dancing, and posing to his theme song tittled 'Sexy Boy'. Those all seem like good reasons to boo a guy. That sounds like a recipe for a good heal to me! A few years later when they turned him face, they kept the leather chaps, mullet, and theme song! So I'm suposed to cheer for the guy shaking his ass in leather chaps, singing 'I'm just a sexy boy......'? I don't think so!
Second, I think he was over-rated. Ya, I said it! Again, in ring he's always been incredible, but I feel he was forced down our throughts during his first run as WWE Champion. I got very sick of hearing about Shawn's 'boyhood dream'. He was deamed 'The Leader Of The New Generation', which I've always thought was false. He was still sharing the spotlight with Bret Hart, at best. Of course, being a huge Bret Hart fan only added to my destain, because I always wanted to see Bret on top. This is not meant to turn in to a debate on who was better, but my opinion on the subject is well known. I have to admit, the rivalry between the two contributed to my hatred, but as you can see it runs deeper than that.
But I did not write this article to trash Michaels. I actually wrote it to praise him! It was his last run with the WWE that made me open my eyes. No, it wasn't the crosses on his chaps, or praying on stage that did it for me. It was his ability to turn whatever angle he was involved in, into the top angle in the company.  Neerly every year he was back, he was a part of a classic Wrestlemania match, and honestly I don't know if anyone will be able to carve out a legacy like that ever again. His absence on this year's Wrestlemania card was felt big time! He was able to step out of the World Title picture, and still help further the company. His ability to maintain such a high leval of work is really what sets him apart from other legends.  Much to my chagrin, I have to admit that Shawn Michaels belongs amoung the greatest wrestlers of all time!

Wrestlemania 27 Review

I can't help but feel a little bit underwelmed with the entire show this year. It started when I found out that the U.S. Title match between Sheamus, and Daniel Bryan had been dropped to a dark match. I had high hopes for that match, and was exited to see Bryan's 'mania debut. I still found the card to be entertaining, but I felt pretty much every match left me wanting more. Maybe my hopes were too high, but this is not one that I would call a classic Wrestlemania!
Match #1: Edge vs Alberto Del Rio - World Heavyweight Title
- First off, isn't the deal when you win the Royal Rumble, you get to HEADLINE Wrestlemania? When did they change it to opening the show? I realize the Cena vs Miz match was more of a headlining match, but I think they could have done a better job showcasing this Title match aswell. I thought these 2 put on a very strong performance, but I was very let down after it was finished! The fact that Christian was at ring side led to nothing, and it seems as though company officials have lost faith in Del Rio as a main event player. I would have thought Del Rio going over was one of the safest bets of the night. Big C starts 0-1!
Match #2: Rey Mysterio vs Cody Rhodes
- This is one match where I wasn't disappointed. I thought this is probably the best match on the card. I'm not totally surprized, because I enjoy both of their in-ring work. I enjoy the build up in this angle, and was happy to see a rising star like Rhodes go over on the big stage. I was correct in my prediction that Rhodes would go over in this one. That brings me back even at 1-1. Boo-ya!
Match #3: Big Show/Kane/Santino/Kofi vs The Corre
- First off, if you're confused why Kofi is in this one, they ran an injury angle with Kozlov this weekend, allowing Kofi to take his place. This match lasted all of about 2 min, with Team Big Show picking up the win. I was glad to see this one didn't last long, but I was wrong on my prediction, which set me back to 1-2. Bummer!
Match # 4: Randy Orton vs CM Punk
- This really was a decent match. It was certainly was nothing spectacular, which is why I was still a little disappointed. I was just hoping for something better for CM Punk! This whole feud has been a snoozefest from the start, and had low expectations heading into the match. It wasn't any worse than I thought it would be, but was still disappointing that that's all I was going to get from Punk this year.  I was right on my prediction here, so that brings me back to the 500 mark at 2-2. Things are looking up for Big C!
Match # 5: Michael Cole w/Jack Swagger vs Jerry "The King" Lawler - "Stone Cold" Steve Austin Guest Ref
- What a train wreck! I enjoyed much of the build up for this match, but it was still horrible. Cole clearly has no business in the ring, and they let this go WAY too long! The only saving grace was Booker T doing a spinerooni, and then getting stunnered at the conclusion of the match. I was correct in my prediction though, so that brings me up to 3-2.
Match # 6: Undertaker vs HHH - No Holds Barred
- I feared this bout would have trouble living up to the last few Undertaker matches, and my fears were correct! I think this was a solid contest, and it showed the Undertaker's vulnerability moving forward, but I think it fell short of matching up with the 2 HBK matches, and the match he had with Edge at 'mania 24. Both men really put their bodies on the line, and should be commended for it, but I was still left a little disappointed. My prediction here was correct(total no-brainer here), so I'm up to 4-2. Shit ya!
Match #7 John Morrison/Trish Stratus/Snooki vs Dolph Ziggler/Laycool w/Vicki Guerrero
-This match actually had 2, or 3 good spots in it, so I guess it's better than I thought it would be! Snooki's involement was limited, and she actually pulled off an impresive athletic move, so that was a pleasent surprize. It was kept short, which is definitely for the best! I predicted this one correct aswell, so I'm rolling with a 5-2 record!
Match # 8: The Miz(c) vs John Cena - World Title Match
- I was very disappointed with this match. It seems this Wrestlemania main event was all just to set up a match down the road between John Cena, and The Rock. I'm all for a match between the 2, but why waste the main event at 'mania? I was glad The Rock was involved this year, but I think this whole storyline was booked poorly, and resulted in a rotten finish to a lack luster match. I was wrong in my prediction too, which gives me a final record of 5-3. Atleast I finsihed above 500!

WWE Wrestlemania 27 The Undertaker vs. Triple H Promo (HQ)

Big C's Wrestlemania 27 Preview

Well folks, it's that time of year again. Wrestlemania is upon us once again! As always, I'm very exited for the biggest wrestling show of the year. This year's show should be a good one. There are parts of the show that I'm less than enthused about, but for the most part I'm thrilled with the card! This year's card has been amplified big time by the return of...........THE ROCK!

Yes ladies and gentlemen, in case you havn't been watching, The Rock has returned as the Special Guest Host for Wrestlemania. His presence on the show has made the event seem that much bigger. People are already talking about what the level of his involvement will be. There is a fare bit of anticipation that he will get involved in the main event, which I will touch on later.
Match # 1: Sheamus(C) vs Daniel Bryan - U.S. Championship Match

This match is a potential show stealer in my opinion. If they are given the proper amount of time, I believe these 2 could tear the house down. This is Bryan's 1st 'mania appearance, and I expect him to want impress. I don't expect Steamboat vs Savage, but it should be a solid contest for the U.S. Title.
Prediction: I think Sheamus will win the match, but Bryan will be the winner in the long run. I predict a good push for him after a solid 'mania performance.

Match # 2: Jerry "The King" Lawler vs Michael Cole w/Jack Swagger - "Stone Cold" Steve Austin as Guest Ref.

Now on paper, a match between 2 announcers sounds awful, but the build up for this match has been done so well, I'm actually looking forward to this one! I'm certainly not expecting a 5-star classic, but it should be fairly entertaining anyway. The involvement of Stone Cold definitley helps. Expect more than a few stunners in this one!
Prediction: The King will definitely go over in this one. Likely with the help of Stone Cold, and J.R.

Match # 3: Rey Mysterio vs "Dashing" Cody Rhodes

Again, I thought the build up for this match was incredible! The involvement from the "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes definitely added to build, and the face injury angle has been well sold by Cody. Mysterio apparently hand picked Rhodes to work with this year, so they should be able to pull off a great match!
Prediction: I'm going to pick Cody Rhodes to go over. He was hand picked by Mysterio, and I think Rey's career might be winding down. Either way, I'm really looking forward to this contest.

Match #4: Big Show/Kane/Santino/Kozlov vs The Corre

So this will be when I take my first bathroom break! I have 0 intrest in this match. This is just a way to get Big Show and Kane on the card. It is disapointing that they took the Money In The Bank Match off the card this year, and have a brutal match like this on the card.
Prediction: I bet the Corre will steal a victory somehow, but really, we're all gonna be losers for having to sit through it!

Match # 5: John Morrison/Trish Stratus/Snooki vs Dolph Ziggler/Laycool w/Vicki Guerrero

I'm pretty disappointed to see Morrison and Ziggler involved in this nonsense! I realize celebrity involvement is a big part of Wrestlemania's history, but c'mon! Snooki?  This is a train wreck waiting to happen! Again, it's a real shame that there is no MITB match this year where guys like Morrison, and Ziggler could shine.
Prediction: Team Snooki wins, and Vicki gets embarrassed! Next!

Match #6: Randy Orton vs CM Punk

As a CM Punk fan, I'm happy he has a farely high profile match at 'mania, but I think this was just a thrown together feud to get both of these guys on the card. The whole feud has been a total snoozefest! betwean Randy Orton's boaring promos, and poor acting, and the whole "New Nexus" stable being a total bust, they have killed any anticipation I might have had for this match. All that said, the match itself could still be alright. Punk is one of the finest workers they have, and Orton is still capable of a decent match.
Prediction: Unfortunately I have to go with Orton here. I don't see him wanting to put Punk over at 'mania, so it's going to be him getting his arm raised in the middle of the ring.

Match # 7: Edge(C) w/Christian vs Alberto Del Rio w/Brodus Clay - World Heavyweight Title Match

I'm very much looking forward to this one! It's nice to see a new star in a major 'mania match. I enjoy Del Rio, and think he's a great heel! I'm happy they decided not to make this a triple threat match with Christian involved(Sorry Sal). I'm a big Christian fan, but as the Royal Rumble winner, Del Rio deserves a one on one contest for the Title. This should be a good bout for the World Title.
Prediction: I predict Del Rio wins his forst World Title. I have a fealing that Christian is going to cost Edge the title, leading to one last feud betwean the 2.

Match # 8: Undertaker vs HHH - No Holds Barred

On an average show, I wouldn't be exited for this match at all, but on the grand stage of Wrestlemania I'm very exited! I think both of these guys are gonna bring everything they got for this one, knowing they can have as much time off after as they want. HHH is likely the only one brave enough to try and follow 2 classic bouts against Shawn Michaels. I doubt this will compare to those matches, but I expect this to be a great match anyway.
Prediction: No way the Undertaker's streak ends! Undertaker will go over, but i wouldn't be surprized if both men needed  to be helped out of the arena.

Match #9: The Miz(C) vs John Cena - WWE Title Match

I have really enjoyed The Miz's run as WWE Champion so far. I think he has truely established himself as the top heal in the business. I think he has truely proved he belong in this angle involving himself, John Cena, and The Rock. I would've been easy for him to be over shadowed by the 2 iconic figures, but he hasn't been. I really think this is a Wrestlemania worthy main event!
Prediction: I predict Cena goes over with the help of The Rock. I think this years 'mania moment will be Rock, and Cena closing the show with a toast. It'll be a passing of the torch moment. It might even involve Steve Austin aswell. Even with a loss, I think the Miz will stay the top heel in the company.