ARCHIVED WRITING: WWE vs. TNA fantasy booking - AJ Styles vs. CM Punk

I was thinking the other day about how, given that TNA really don't seem to know what they're doing, it's probably only a matter of time until they call it a day.

[In a somewhat ironic note, TNA wrestling actually outlived the website where this archived post was first published back in 2009]

Then I wondered if Vinny Mac would buy them out, and what might happen if he did.

Imagining a WCW-buyout scenario (only without all that silly Invasion nonsense), in which the Big ‘E picked up several workers contracts; allow me to wax hypothetical on some great matches which could occur as a result.

Over the next few posts, I’ll be pondering what those matches may be, how they may come about, and what the results may be.

Check this one out for starters…

AJ Styles vs. CM Punk

I know it’s been done in other companies, but to do it again, and to do it on a PPV such as Summerslam would be superb.

Just imagine it…

After several weeks of beating a bunch of lower-midders, Intercontinental champion, JBL issues an open challenge to anyone to come and face him. The title won’t be on the line but, according to Bradshaw, the honour and prestige of beating him would be enough to catapult any wannabe to Superstar status.

From out of the crowd, dressed in street clothes, comes AJ. Casual fans may have no idea who he is, but the die-hards go nuts.

The match begins, JBL charges, Styles hits the deck, grabs a quick roll-up and steals a three-count.

The following week, they agree to a rematch at the next throw-away pay per view, and after several weeks of getting AJ over with the WWE crowd, it’s on.

Sure, fans have to suffer through a JBL match, but they soon perk up when Styles once again gets the win, and the belt!

Back to Raw, and we establish the fact that CM Punk and AJ Styles are actually friends, as we get a backstage segment in which the former congratulates the latter on his title win.

The relationship is further cemented in a tag match in which Punk and Styles team up to take on JBL and, well, it doesn’t really matter who his partner is.

The good guys win the match, though the heels do a post-match attack. Punk is thrown to the outside and AJ takes the brunt of the assault until the Straight-Edged Superstar comes back and makes the save.

Fast forward a week and AJ thanks Punk for saving his bacon last week.

“No problem,” quips Punk. “Though how about you repay me with a shot at the gold?”

The match is on, and after a couple of weeks consisting of ‘mutual respect’ promos, the two go out and have an absolute corker, resulting in Punk picking up the win, and the IC title.

OK, so there’s one major flaw in this plan; it involves JBL, but that’s just a necessary evil in the build up to what could be a darn good match.

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ARCHIVED WRITING: Kofi Kingston may be great, but does anybody care?

On Tuesday, everyone’s favourite announcer/restaurateur/blogger Jim Ross, heaped praise on Kofi Kingston.

[This is an archived piece I originally published online elsewhere back in 2009. Five years later, Kofi is still stuck in the WWE mid-card]

Ross urged fans to check out his match against Edge on this Friday’s edition of Smackdown, and suggested that Kingston may develop into a bigger star than you’d imagine.


Will he really?

I do like Kofi. OK, so I’m not a huge mark for the guy, nor would I ever claim he’s a firm favourite of mine, but I do usually find his matches to be pretty fun, and his bubbly-babyface shtick seems to suit the Big E’s family-friendly environment.

The problem, for me at least, is that whilst I like watching Kofi, I don’t actually care about him.

Having missed his initial ECW debut early last year, I have no idea what Kofi Kingston is really all about. Sure he’s pretty fun to watch in the ring, but why does he even get in that ring at all? What motivates him? What are his ambitions? Who is Kofi Kingston?

Heck, during the course of his almost year-long tenure on the Raw brand, I think I’ve only heard Kofi cut a promo once, and even then it was simply to say “I think I am going to win this match,” or something to that effect.

He may say more on tonight’s edition of Smackdown, though without having read one of the numerous spoilers online, I just don’t know.

What I do know, however, is that if JR’s premonition is to be realised, WWE should really consider making fans do more than just liking the Jamaican Sensation and actually make us care.

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ARCHIVED WRITING: No Way Out 2009 thoughts

For a throw-away show, 2009's No Way Out was one heck of a pay per view. And to think, us lucky buggars in the UK got it for free on Sky Sports.

[This is an archived piece which I originally published during my time working as a journalist in 2009. It's reposted here for prosperity's sake, and because I hate throwing my writing away]

Scores were settled, blood was shed and the two Elimination Chamber Matches delivered as much action and unpredictability as you could hope for.

Edge playing a surprise role in the Raw-brand main event and walking away with the Big Gold Belt had this writer marking out on the edge of his seat at three o clock this morning.

For the most part, WWE have really been on form lately, and as momentum gathers towards Wrestlemania 25, it will be interesting to see were we go from here.

With both titles resting in the Smackdown camp for the time being, I sense a brand-switch for Triple H on tonight's Raw.

After all, if I remember rightly, wasn't the whole point of Trips jumping to the blue brand to spend more time with his missus?

Now that she's on the Monday show, me thinks backstage nepotism and storyline logic would see The Game returning to Raw to face Orton at 'Mania.

Not that I personally want to see that again for the nine hundreth time, you understand...I'm just thinking logically here.

Whatever the outcome, all I know is that tonight's episode of Raw should make for interesting viewing!

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