Shane McMahon Quits

Shane McMahon has quit his position as Executive Vice President of Global Media in the WWE. The WWE has sent out the following press release:

STAMFORD, CT – Shane McMahon, Executive Vice President of Global Media, announced today he has tendered his resignation effective January 1, 2010.

Shane stated, “It has been an incredible experience to help build WWE® into a global phenomenon. However, having been associated with this organization for the majority of my life, I feel this is the opportune time in my career to pursue outside ventures.”

“Even though I am personally saddened by Shane’s decision to leave the company, I am proud of the enormous contributions he has made. He will unquestionably bring passion, commitment and extensive business experience to any endeavor he pursues,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman and CEO.

Shane McMahon also wrote a letter to the WWE Universe.

It is with great sadness that I announce my resignation from the WWE, effective January 1, 2010.

I have never even considered a future outside the walls of the WWE. However, sometimes life takes an unexpected turn and while it is the most difficult decision I have ever made, it is time for me to move on.

First and foremost, I would like to thank my father for the incredible education working with him has provided and for giving me the opportunity to play a role in building WWE into the global phenomenon that it is today. I am extremely proud to have been the 4th generation in this business, and I am grateful for everyday I was able to work along side not only my own, but the entire WWE family.

Thank you to all of the WWE Superstars both past and present for your passion, pride and dedication. You are truly the engine of the organization and it has been a pleasure to work with, learn from and get to know all of you. Thank you for the privilege of sharing the stage with you and for allowing me to become but a momentary member of your elite brotherhood. I have so much appreciation for the many sacrifices you endure, both physically and personally, to make this business the success that it is. The respect I have for each of you is immeasurable.

Finally, there are no words to express my gratitude to WWE fans the world over for supporting this company through good times and bad and for your unbridled passion that fuels the Superstars’ performances. I am profoundly grateful to have been able to entertain you both in front of the camera and from behind the scenes. You are the greatest fans in the world.

I will always love this business and will remain a fan forever.

Shane

Who knows what the future holds for Shane. It is known that Shane was not happy with the direction the WWE product has been going. Hopefully he will decide to return someday and will be given the opportunity to turn the WWE into what it once was.

R.I.P. Cpt. Lou Albano

WWE Hall of Famer Cpt. Lou Albano has died today according to WWE. It is not known what were the causes of his death.

Cpt. Lou is most famous for his association with Cyndi Lauper around the time of the first Wrestlemania. He began his wrestling career in the 1950s before joining Vince McMahon Sr. in the WWWF in the 1960s. He was also the manager of many tag teams throughout the 80s and 90s. After the end of his storied wrestling career, Albano began an acting career and also became the face and voice of Super Mario in the cartoon, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. His trademark unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt and rubber banded beard will be missed.

WWE Hell in a Cell - 10/4/2009

Last night's ppv was mediocre at best. Thee WWE booking team did a terrible job with the majority of the show. Matches seemed to be laid out in a weird way. With only one of the main events actually delivering, I would place this show on the crappy end of the spectrum. 5 of my 8 picks came out victorious, but the matches did not happen like I thought they would.

CM Punk vs. Undertaker (Hell in a Cell World Title Match)

It was quite surprising to see this match open the show. It was like telling the fans, hey don't expect much from this world title match. The use of the cell itself was very minimal. Undertaker did his traditional leg drop on the apron and winced in pain. You could tell his hip was really bothering him the whole match. Makes you wonder why the WWE would want to give him the title if he isn't healthy. Punk can be added to the short list of wrestlers who have kicked out of the Last Ride. Undertaker picked up the win after a tombstone in a relatively short match.

2 out of 5

John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler (Intercontinental Title Match)

This was a fantastic match. It started off with some chain wrestling, which I thought was pretty cool. A nice steady pace was kept throughout the match. Ziggler has a moveset which consists of mostly punches and stomps which I didn't like very much. Morrison pulled off a Tornado DDT which looked amazing. Ziggler reminds me of Billy Gunn. They even wear the same style shorts. Morrison picked up the win after hitting the Starship Pain in what was almost Match of the Night.

3 out of 5

I decide to use the restroom, and when I get back I see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It reminded me of the Gobbly Gooker.

Alicia Fox vs. Mickie James (Women's Title Match)

I realized I went to the restroom to early when I saw Alicia Fox coming to the ring. She actually did a much better job than I thought she would. She still lost though after taking a nasty DDT that I think may have really knocked her out. This match was very forgettable. Actually I think I will forget about it once I move on the next match.

2 out of 5

Batista and Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho and Big Show (Unified Tag Title Match)

First I would like to say Rey looked a bit smaller than he was before his suspension. Maybe he was taking something he wasn't supposed to. He looked great in that match though. Jericho and Rey may not be what they were 10 years ago, but they sure put on a show. I haven't seen Rey move this fast in years. This was exciting match that put me back into this ppv. Rey was on his way to winning the belts pretty much on his own, until Big Show caught him with the Knockout Punch in mid-air. I see Jericho and Show holding on to these belts for a long, long time.

3 out of 5

Randy Orton vs. John Cena (Hell in a Cell WWE Title Match)

Why did this match happen so early. I thought this would be the one ending the show. Maybe it was put on early because they knew it would be one giant borefest. I think Orton forgot how to pace a match because this one moved slower than a snail. It turned out to be your typical Cena match. Cena gets beat up for the entire match, then hulks up and does his finisher moveset, then it gets interrupted and he gets beat up some more. Only this time he never really was able to finish his moveset. Cena lost the title just 3 weeks after winning it. That is twice in a row this has happened. That makes me the happiest person on Earth. To bad Orton's over dramatic butt is the one with the belt. He did punt Cena in the head. It was nothing like when he punted Vince a few months ago, but a punt nonetheless.

2.5 out of 5

R-Truth vs. Drew McIntyre

I was looking forward to this match. Boy did it disappoint. This match and the Morrison/Ziggler match should have switched places. R-Truth did a great job as his moves are exciting to watch. McIntyre sucks. I see his career moving in the direction of someone like Funaki. Except Funaki can actually put on a good show when he is in the ring. Drew did get the victory though after a Double-Underhook DDT.

1 out of 5

Miz vs. Jack Swagger vs. Kofi Kingston (United States Title Triple Threat Match)

This match did its best to try to get the crowd back into it. All three stars contributed to the match in their own way. Kofi brought the speed, Swagger brought the wrestling, and Miz brought the cockiness. A good match to put on right before the main event. Though it looked like Swagger was to win after hitting a Gutwrench Powerbomb on Miz, it was Kofi getting the victory after kicking Swagger in the head.

2.5 out of 5

DX vs. Ted and Cody (Hell in a Cell Match)

This was the only Hell in a Cell match that was pleasing to watch. Though I questioned it at first, it turned out to be a great way to end the show. Ted and Cody attacked DX from behind while on their way to the ring. This started a brawl outside of the Cell that lasted the first chunk of the match. Ted and Cody's strategy of locking Triple H out of the Cell was perfect, though similar to their last match at Breaking Point. I don't understand why it took Triple H so long to find a bolt cutter, but when he did Ted and Cody knew they had it coming. DiBiase getting locked out next was good payback. This match was exciting all the way to the very end, where Rhodes received both Sweet Chin Music and a sledgehammer shot giving DX the victory. This seemed like the perfect way to end this feud. Though it was great while it lasted, I would like to see all 4 stars move on to something different.

4 out of 5

This ppv did not deliver as a whole, but had its good moments. With the next ppv, Bragging Rights, only 3 weeks away, the booking team has a lot of work ahead of them. Hopefully they can put a card together that can give the viewers what they pay for. I will return tomorrow to talk about tonight's Raw, with guest hosts Ben Roethlisberger and the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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WWE Hell in a Cell Predictions

Tonight the WWE will be presenting Hell in a Cell live on Pay-Per-View. WWE has a tough challenge ahead of them, as their new PG image may hinder the quality of this ppv. The Hell in a Cell is a match that is very brutal and destructive by nature. The history of this match contains a massive amount of blood, which is something the WWE has removed from their current programming. The WWE has succeeded before presenting some very dramatic matches, including the brawl between Orton and Cena at Breaking Point. Hopefully they will be able to pull off the same tonight.

Before I get into the matches that are known to be on the show, a rumor has just popped up that a R-Truth vs. Drew McIntyre match has been added to the card. If this is true, I feel it can be a great addition to the show. This is a feud that has been heating up in the last couple weeks and I am looking forward to seeing it culminate in a match. Since this is Drew's first ppv appearance I have a hard time seeing him lose. I will give this match to Drew McIntyre.

Now to the matches actually announced to be on the card. John Morrison will be defending his Intercontinental title against Dolph Ziggler. These two rising stars are extremely talented in the ring. I see some very innovative wrestling happening in this bout. The storyline behind this match hasn't been very great, but the match will be on fire. Hopefully Dolph can knock the Mr. Ziggles insult out of Morrison's head so that we don't have to hear that again. Dolph needs a title reign, but I don't see it beginning tonight. I think the WWE would like to continue this feud for possibly another month. Morrison will be getting the victory in this one.

Batista and the returning Rey Mysterio have a chance at winning the Unified Tag titles tonight as they face Chris Jericho and Big Show. This match will be a good one. There will be a ton of experience in this match, so I feel that it will be hard to disappoint. I'm sure Rey will want to put on one hell of a match in his return to the ring. Seeing Jericho and Rey go at it will be a great treat. Seeing as the WWE would love to keep their top heels on both shows, I have a hard time seeing Jericho and Show losing. They will get their victory tonight. Most likely by cheating, but a victory nonetheless.

Kofi Kingston has a tough match ahead of him as he defends his US title in a Triple Threat match versus Jack Swagger and the Miz. Considering Kofi has been champion for months now and has done nothing with it, I see him losing tonight. Swagger physically has the best chance of winning, but I feel the Miz can do a bit more with that belt. Miz has the talent on the mic to be able to make this belt important again. Due to this I see Miz coming out of this one with the strap.

DX and Legacy will be having a rubber match, but this time in the Hell in a Cell. They put on a wild and confusing match at Bragging Rights, but within the confines of the Cell I see this one being a lot better. I feel like this may mark the end of this feud, as DX may need to move on and Triple H possibly getting back into the title picture. There have been lots of rumors of DiBiase turning face very soon, and this may be the perfect opportunity to make that happen. It is obvious Ted is the more talented star of the team. I see Cody losing the match and Ted getting angry. Then possibly getting involved in Orton's match later in the night.

John Cena and Randy Orton will be battling in the Hell in a Cell as well tonight. The terrible preview to this match we had on Raw did show some promise of making this a dramatic affair. Cena just won the title a few weeks ago, and I don't see this title reign ending as quick as his last one. I see DiBiase causing a stir in this match, possibly costing Orton the title. This will turn DiBiase into a face in time for the promotion vehicle to start for his upcoming movie, The Marine 2. And what better way to have that happen than to help the star of the first Marine movie win the match.

Mickie James defends the Divas title against Alicia Fox. The less said about this match the better. I expect to see Alicia with the belt when I get back from the bathroom.

Straight Edge World Champion CM Punk will have his first Hell in a Cell match versus the man that invented the thing, the Undertaker. Now according to reports online, Undertaker is not in the best of shape. His hip seems to be a big factor in the future of his career. I almost don't want to see this match happen because I know Undertaker would not want to give us anything less than 100% in such a high profile match. I really don't want Taker to get hurt and possibly shortening his career even further. With that said, I do see CM Punk losing the title tonight. This match will be the classic we all deserved to see as Breaking Point. Punk has had the title for a bit now, and I see the WWE maybe wanting to give Taker one last title reign before his eventual retirement.

I am looking forward to seeing what WWE gives us tonight. I am a big fan of the Hell in a Cell match type, but giving us three in one show has the danger of it getting old. WWE is a company that can pull it off, so I don't expect this one to get boring. I will be back tomorrow to talk about how my predictions did.

Remember to subscribe to the blog. It's really easy, just put your email right there on the left. Or sign up for the RSS feed, it's just as good. If you would like to send me an email with your thoughts on what is going on in wrestling feel free. JFiveJ5@gmail.com

WWE Smackdown 10/2/2009

Last night was the 10th anniversary celebration of Smackdown. The show was packed with stars from the past, present, and future world of wrestling. The show was really well done and I enjoyed it very much. Throughout the night the backstage party was shown, and matches involving wrestlers from all three brands took place in the ring. A special appearance from The Rock graced the titantron and was a real treat for the WWE Universe.

The show started with an opening match between Batista and Kane. With these two big men going at it you can only expect so much. During the match both men kicked each other in the face simultaneously, which really showed how similar these two are in the ring. Batista got the victory after a Batista Bomb. It was a good match that got the night started on a good foot.

Teddy Long shows up at the party backstage in a segment that got a lot done. Finlay showed his love of Irish whiskey. CM Punk used his power as World Champion to prohibit alcohol from Smackdown. That failed miserably as the alcohol continued to flow freely through the night. We were introduced to the newest addition to Smackdown by former GM Vickie Guerrero, Eric Escobar. I haven't seen him in the ring before, but I have read good things. Hopefully he can add to the show. Santino also made an appearance to scare the crap out of Teddy by being dressed as The Undertaker. The VIP Lounge wasn't so VIP at the party as the only person not allowed in was Zach Ryder. I don't blame MVP for doing this though. I wouldn't want a person yelling woo woo woo at my party either.

The next match on the card was John Morrison teaming up with Kofi Kingston taking on Dolph Ziggler and The Miz. The Miz isn't the greatest performer in the ring, but he sure knows how to work a tag match. Dolph and The Miz showed teamwork and did a great job of cutting off the ring. Ziggler showed how innovative his moves are and helped picked up the victory for his team. This was a great mid-card match and I wouldn't mind seeing Miz and Ziggler work together more often.

It was good to see old rivals Sgt. Slaughter and Iron Sheik yelling at each other again. Seeing Michael Cole eat a shrimp spit up by the Sheik was gross, but Cole throwing up all over Chris Jericho was hilarious. Joey Styles just happened to be in perfect position to give his trademark "Oh my God!!!"

We then got a special message from one of the greatest stars this industry has ever seen, The Rock. Things started off a little slow, but quickly went into classic Rock mode. He gave all of his famous lines from the past and even teased a Raw guest host appearance. Seeing The Rock really emphasized how the WWE roster is lacking at the moment. It will be a very long time before we see anyone of his caliber in the WWE. The man just has so much charisma that it is very hard to replicate. It is something you have to be born with.

Michelle McCool defended her Women's title against Melina in a very forgettable match. McCool got the victory after using the Faithbreaker, aka the Styles Clash. The WWE needs to take a page out of TNA's book to reinvent their women's division. It has been severely lacking for years now, and doesn't show any promise of improving.

R Truth attacked Drew McIntyre during a toast at the party backstage. They destroyed the cake, which always seems to happen during any celebration in the WWE Universe. This feud is really starting to heat up and I am looking forward to finally seeing these two getting in the ring. We have yet to see Drew perform a full match in the ring, but he seems to be very comfortable out there so I don't think he will disappoint.

The main event was a huge 8 Man Tag match that was packed with the biggest stars in the WWE today. DX, John Cena, and The Undertaker took on Legacy and CM Punk. The face team dominated the early part of the match. When the heels finally started getting some offense, Orton was tagged in and brought the pace of the match down to a crawl. I remember when Orton was awesome to watch in the ring. This new Orton moves slower than a snail. I understand he does it for dramatic effect, but how dramatic can you be before you bore everyone to death. Luckily he wasn't in the match for very long. The match turned into a big brawl. Eventually Orton was left in the ring with the entire face team. He received everyone's finisher and was pinned by Undertaker after getting a Tombstone.

This was a great show to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Smackdown. I hope the WWE can keep the ball rolling for their ppv this Sunday, Hell in a Cell. The WWE has quite the task ahead of them with this ppv considering it is based around such a brutal match type. This PG era WWE with no blood is going to have a hard time making this one interesting. Good thing there are talented stars in the matches that just might be able to pull it off.

I will be back tomorrow with my predictions on who will win at Hell in a Cell. Remember to subscribe to the blog. It's really easy, just put your email right there on the left. Or sign up for the RSS feed, it's just as good. If you would like to send me an email with your thoughts on what is going on in wrestling feel free. JFiveJ5@gmail.com

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WWE Superstars and TNA Impact 10/1/2009

Before I start talking about last night's wrestling shows, I would like to address a rumor that has been going around. Apparently Bret Hart has been saying that he wants back into the WWE in some type of weekly role. Bret was one of my favorite wrestlers to watch growing up. He was a technician in the ring and knew how to tell a story during a match like no one else could. But if Bret returns it will not be in a wrestling role. Bret wasn't exactly the most charismatic person while speaking on the mic. Not that his mic work was bad, but it wasn't exactly at the level of others in that era. I hope Bret settles on a guest host role. He would be perfect for running Raw for a week. Just not for the long term. It would be great if he could have one more match with possibly Vince McMahon. That is a Wrestlemania match in the making.

WWE Superstars was a mediocre show at best. It is easy to see where the WWE is going with this program. Maybe it will last longer than Velocity did, but it is hard to see this show last as long as Heat did previously. Shad beat Tyson Kidd in a passable match. Sheamus defeated Tyler Reks in a match where it seemed the audience fell asleep during. Reks is going to have a lot of trouble in this business if he cannot get some crowd response. The main event was the Miz taking on Kofi Kingston. Kofi gets the win to finally kick off the only highlight of the hour. That highlight being Jack Swagger's attack on both wrestlers after the match.

TNA Impact is beginning to look a lot more like a talk show that a wrestling show. There were 10 interviews and backstage segments that happened during those 2 hours. There were also 7 matches that happened. TNA tries to cram so much into Impact that it really detracts from the show as a whole. Every single match was extremely short. If you actually want to see a match go more than 7 minutes, you have to order a ppv.

This show started with Abyss and Mick Foley in the ring talking about a broken drawing. Does TNA really want everyone to believe that this cartoon is Mick's most prized possession? This is a man who is a bestselling author, multi-time world champion, and a man who has given more blood to this industry than anyone. To see Mick get so worked up about a cartoon drawing is rather disappointing. Anyway, they start a brawl to set up a match between the two for the Bound for Glory ppv.

Next up we had a ladder match between Kiyoshi, Sheik Abdul Bashir, Black Machismo, Consequences Creed, and Amazing Red for a chance to wrestle Samoa Joe for the X-Division title. Many talented wrestlers in this match, but the match didn't have enough time in it for anyone to really shine. Honestly I don't even remember Kiyoshi being in the match. Bashir did an incredible reverse piledriver type move on Creed that looked like it could have been rather painful if it wasn't for Creed's afro. Amazing Red was able to pick up the victory, but due to something that happened later in the show I doubt his title match will be happening at Bound for Glory.

Dr. Stevie took on Kevin Nash in an attempt to retrieve his $50,000. I really don't see Stevie getting his money back. it was a little strange to see Big Stevie Cool from the bWo take on the man he mimicked oh so long ago. Nash was able to pick up the victory after a jacknife powerbomb. It was great seeing Daffney being the crazy knockout she is on the outside. I feel Daffney is a huge asset to TNA that is being very underutilized. She is an incredible talent that is being forced into the background. I feel she deserves a Knockouts title reign at some point.

The Battle of the Playboy Models happened next when Christy Hemme battled Traci Brooks in a very forgettable match. Christy picked up the victory, but Traci had the last laugh after an attack during Christy's celebration. Hemme's pictorial in Playboy a few year's back was quite memorable. It is leagues above what Traci has done for Playboy. Traci's pictorial is something I feel deserves to be kept on the Internet. Playboy made the right decision on not putting it in a magazine. Traci is not attractive and has the facial features of a man. Even Chyna had a better pictorial. Traci please keep your clothes on. I would not want to sure those puppies with the rest of the world. You should sue your surgeon.

ODB defended her Knockouts title against Awesome Kong. Kong lost the match due to Raisha Saeed confronting Tara, who was doing some guest commentating. Kong needs to get rid of Saeed as she has just become a liability for her. Tara and ODB go at it after the match. Kong decided to go in and clean house taking them both out.

Kurt Angle and Hernandez wrestle to a double countout, then are attacked by the World Elite. The Main Event Mafia comes to Kurt's rescue. You can feel the tension between these two groups heating up into something major as the night goes on.

Lacey von Erich makes her debut as she takes over Angelina Love's position in The Beautiful People. I have not heard good things about Lacey's in-ring work, as she was let go from her WWE Developmental contract after only a number of months. We shall see how she does in the near future.

Eric Young wrestled Matt Morgan until Angle, disguised as a fan, hit Morgan with a chair. This started a MEM/World Elite gang fight that lasted 2 segments. No team looked to actually win this brawl. It seemed to take to long and the time could have been given to add length to another match on the card.

The British Invasion and Rhino took on Team 3D and Bobby Lashley in a 6 Man Tag that was also very short. Lashley made Doug Williams submit for the victory. As Lashley was making his way up the ramp, he was attacked by Samoa Joe. This is the match that will be taking place at Bound for Glory. I am looking forward to this feud. These two guys are talented in the ring and I feel they will be able to put on a great match at the ppv.

Remember to subscribe to the blog. It's really easy, just put your email right there on the left. Or sign up for the RSS feed, it's just as good. If you would like to send me an email with your thoughts on what is going on in wrestling feel free. JFiveJ5@gmail.com

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