Comedy actors from "When in Rome" were our guest hosts this week on Raw.
I can't say I'm a big fan of Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite, Blades of Glory). However, I grew up marking out for numerous episodes of Miami Vice, so it was cool to see Don Johnson (Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice) on TV again.
1. 30 minutes in? REACT: 1/4 of the way through the show before we see one of our guest hosts? That was not a good start.
2. Heder-Triple H incident. REACT: Did I miss something? Even the Internet seems pretty clueless on this.
3. Carlito dressed as Napoleon Dynamite. REACT: Odd.
4. I.D.J.F.C. REACT: Well, there's one member of the Italian Don Johnson Fan Club in Santino Marella.
5. Limo for Heder, with the Bella Twins? REACT: Man, the Bella Twins will likely be looking for jobs when the guest host concept ends. Heder was getting no reaction for his movie talk. He did get some heat for his Lane Kiffin comment, which I found funny.
6. The Miz bashes Ricardo Tubbs (of Miami Vice) and compares Tubbs to MVP. REACT: While this entire segment dragged on way too long, it did push Miz-MVP. Tubbs wasn't bad, by the way, but he was no Sonny Crockett.
7. Johnson-Kelly Kelly segment. REACT: What were they doing? And he said, "We will finish this later." Huh?
8. Ric Flair-like robe for Heder with "The Flame" on it. REACT: Solid segment for Heder and everyone involved.
9. Unified Tag Team Champions DX and Hornswoggle beat United States Champion The Miz, Big Show and Heder. REACT: I didn't like how the match was joined in progress. The match was average. I like how Johnson tossed Heder back into the ring to set up the awesome finish.
Guest hosts grade: B-. Johnson was pretty consisent throughout -- not horrible, but not awesome. Heder started very slow, but his match was one of the better parts of the show. Otherwise, Johnson and Heder would have bombed.
Other matches:
1. WWE Champion Sheamus beats Evan Bourne. REACT: While Bourne had a close pinfall on Sheamus, can we bury Bourne any more? Damn shame. Orton is getting pops, which is OK here but a concern down the road.
2. Mark Henry beats Jack Swagger in an "All-American American" Challenge. REACT: I guess a squash by Henry was better than a squash from Santino Marella. Either way, Swagger was, sadly, buried.
3. John Cena and Kofi Kingston beat The Legacy. REACT: I was watching Cena closely, as there are reports he has a serious injury. He looked like he was holding back. The match had a nice pace. I found it interesting Kofi got the pin (over Rhodes), but Kofi needs the pin more than Cena. I enjoyed the finish, and Rhodes looked upset.
I can't say I'm a big fan of Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite, Blades of Glory). However, I grew up marking out for numerous episodes of Miami Vice, so it was cool to see Don Johnson (Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice) on TV again.
1. 30 minutes in? REACT: 1/4 of the way through the show before we see one of our guest hosts? That was not a good start.
2. Heder-Triple H incident. REACT: Did I miss something? Even the Internet seems pretty clueless on this.
3. Carlito dressed as Napoleon Dynamite. REACT: Odd.
4. I.D.J.F.C. REACT: Well, there's one member of the Italian Don Johnson Fan Club in Santino Marella.
5. Limo for Heder, with the Bella Twins? REACT: Man, the Bella Twins will likely be looking for jobs when the guest host concept ends. Heder was getting no reaction for his movie talk. He did get some heat for his Lane Kiffin comment, which I found funny.
6. The Miz bashes Ricardo Tubbs (of Miami Vice) and compares Tubbs to MVP. REACT: While this entire segment dragged on way too long, it did push Miz-MVP. Tubbs wasn't bad, by the way, but he was no Sonny Crockett.
7. Johnson-Kelly Kelly segment. REACT: What were they doing? And he said, "We will finish this later." Huh?
8. Ric Flair-like robe for Heder with "The Flame" on it. REACT: Solid segment for Heder and everyone involved.
9. Unified Tag Team Champions DX and Hornswoggle beat United States Champion The Miz, Big Show and Heder. REACT: I didn't like how the match was joined in progress. The match was average. I like how Johnson tossed Heder back into the ring to set up the awesome finish.
Guest hosts grade: B-. Johnson was pretty consisent throughout -- not horrible, but not awesome. Heder started very slow, but his match was one of the better parts of the show. Otherwise, Johnson and Heder would have bombed.
Other matches:
1. WWE Champion Sheamus beats Evan Bourne. REACT: While Bourne had a close pinfall on Sheamus, can we bury Bourne any more? Damn shame. Orton is getting pops, which is OK here but a concern down the road.
2. Mark Henry beats Jack Swagger in an "All-American American" Challenge. REACT: I guess a squash by Henry was better than a squash from Santino Marella. Either way, Swagger was, sadly, buried.
3. John Cena and Kofi Kingston beat The Legacy. REACT: I was watching Cena closely, as there are reports he has a serious injury. He looked like he was holding back. The match had a nice pace. I found it interesting Kofi got the pin (over Rhodes), but Kofi needs the pin more than Cena. I enjoyed the finish, and Rhodes looked upset.
4. Eve and Gail Kim beat Maryse and Alicia Fox. REACT: Smart to match up the final four in the women's tournament. It was also smart to have the faces beat the heels, as Maryse will likely win the strap. The match was pretty solid, and I thought it was wise Eve got the pin (on Alicia).
5. Randy Orton beats Chris Masters. REACT: I was going to say this match was another squash like Sheamus-Bourne, but Masters almost pulled a shocker with the Masterlock. As short as this was, it was impressive. And it pushed Orton-Sheamus as Sheamus gave Orton a face boot.
Raw grade: C+. Too many backstage segments that didn't do anything for me. The matches, while short, were not bad. And the Royal Rumble was pushed nicely.
The angles:
1. Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon. REACT: I absolutely loved McMahon comparing Hart to gum, saying Hart lost his flavor, and saying Hart was only the "best there was." It was intriguing to see the Undertaker say, "There's not many of us left, but I was there 12 years ago in Montreal," and say he sees the fear now in McMahon's eyes.
2. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels. REACT: It'd be silly for WWE to not have this match at WrestleMania as much as its being pushed. Undertaker using the words "stubborn," "anger" and "denial" as it relates to Michaels are pretty direct. I do think it's risky to say Michaels must win the Rumble to face Undertaker. It seems like certain disappointment now if he doesn't win the Rumble.
3. A few hints: Triple H vs. Undertaker? Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels? REACT: Maybe Triple H is the wild card for WrestleMania. Maybe he will end Undertaker's streak.
4. Triple H said the McMahons always get the last shot and said Vince McMahon has to call out Bret Hart or he's a coward. REACT: While I think it's cool to hear Triple H push the Hart-McMahon angle, I wonder if his "last shot" comment was a slight dig at his wife, Stephanie.
5. WWE Hall of Fame sells out in 35 minutes. REACT: Awesome.
Future guest hosts:
Jan. 25: James Rodey and Dule Hill of Psych. REACT: I'm not expecting big things here.
Feb. 15: Jerry Springer. REACT: I am a huge Springer mark. It's too bad WWE is PG these days.
Royal Rumble match update (officially in match in bold):
14: From last two Raws and WWE.com: Evan Bourne, Carlito, Jack Swagger, Mark Henry, Santino Marella, The Miz, MVP, John Cena, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Shawn Michaels, Big Show, Triple H.
3: From Michael Cole on this week's Raw: Chris Jericho, Dolph Ziggler, CM Punk.
4: Based on the ad on TV and wwe.com of the guys standing in a V shape, these guys are in: Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Undertaker, Batista.
5: Also based on the ad, these guys are also in: John Morrison, Kane, Vladimir Kozlov, Shelton Benjamin and one of the Cryme Tyme guys (JTG, I think). That's 8.
That's 26 total.
4: That leaves four unknowns out of this group: RVD, Booker T, Drew McIntyre, Finlay, Matt Hardy, R-Truth, Yoshi Tatsu, Zack Ryder. REACT: McIntyre, Finlay, Zack Ryder and RVD would be my choices.
LATEST HEADLINES AND MY REACTS
WWE
WWE releases Eric Escobar. REACT: This surprises me, even though Escobar split with Vickie Guerrero in the story lines. I thought WWE was high on him. I guess I thought wrong.
WWE had a "We want Bret" chant pre-recorded for the Jan. 4 Raw in case Hart got a bad crowd reaction. REACT: Good idea, just in case, as you never know about crowd reaction -- it varies by city.
The Rock thinking of a summer appearance. REACT: Better to not distract the story lines before WrestleMania.
Jim Ross on returning to television: "I'm happy to say that I'm feeling better than I have in a long time and I'm in a really positive frame of mind." REACT: Great to hear. Hurry back, J.R.
Tyler Reks has a promo cut on him by Skip Sheffield in FCW, saying Reks was afraid to fly. REACT: Nice. Maybe he will get a push because of this and not get fired. I thought for sure he would be canned for his outburst.
Maria said she is dating a former NFL player. REACT: Who scored a touchdown?
http://www.socceram.com/soccerettes/0,21655,13874,00.html REACT: Awesome interview with Kelly Kelly, although just watch the first half up until the band comes out.
More TNA Wrestling
No signs of Tommy Dreamer coming in anytime soon. REACT: Not surprising.
Bubba the Love Sponge makes negative comments about Haiti and is sent home from a production meeting. His future looks bleak. REACT: Could be a story line, although with Bubba apologizing it doesn't look like that's the case. If Jeremy Borash is gone, which also could be a story line, it's likely Bubba won't be replacing him now either. While Bubba is in live radio, once you say something like that you can't take it back.
TNA staff tells crowds they are cast members of the show and shouldn't curse or make obscene gestures. REACT: When I first read this, I said, "What?" But after thinking about it, the fans do get in for free and they should be more appreciative of the product, and that includes going with or against the story lines the company wants you to go with or against. I'm not saying 100 percent, but cut out the mass going against things. You should remember, this is a small arena, and when even as few as 10 people are chanting a negative chant, it makes it sound like the entire arena is doing so. On the flip side, here's a video of the TNA staff instructing the crowd. After watching it, I can only call this entire thing bizarre. http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/tna/5984.html
5. Randy Orton beats Chris Masters. REACT: I was going to say this match was another squash like Sheamus-Bourne, but Masters almost pulled a shocker with the Masterlock. As short as this was, it was impressive. And it pushed Orton-Sheamus as Sheamus gave Orton a face boot.
Raw grade: C+. Too many backstage segments that didn't do anything for me. The matches, while short, were not bad. And the Royal Rumble was pushed nicely.
The angles:
1. Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon. REACT: I absolutely loved McMahon comparing Hart to gum, saying Hart lost his flavor, and saying Hart was only the "best there was." It was intriguing to see the Undertaker say, "There's not many of us left, but I was there 12 years ago in Montreal," and say he sees the fear now in McMahon's eyes.
2. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels. REACT: It'd be silly for WWE to not have this match at WrestleMania as much as its being pushed. Undertaker using the words "stubborn," "anger" and "denial" as it relates to Michaels are pretty direct. I do think it's risky to say Michaels must win the Rumble to face Undertaker. It seems like certain disappointment now if he doesn't win the Rumble.
3. A few hints: Triple H vs. Undertaker? Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels? REACT: Maybe Triple H is the wild card for WrestleMania. Maybe he will end Undertaker's streak.
4. Triple H said the McMahons always get the last shot and said Vince McMahon has to call out Bret Hart or he's a coward. REACT: While I think it's cool to hear Triple H push the Hart-McMahon angle, I wonder if his "last shot" comment was a slight dig at his wife, Stephanie.
5. WWE Hall of Fame sells out in 35 minutes. REACT: Awesome.
Future guest hosts:
Jan. 25: James Rodey and Dule Hill of Psych. REACT: I'm not expecting big things here.
Feb. 15: Jerry Springer. REACT: I am a huge Springer mark. It's too bad WWE is PG these days.
Royal Rumble match update (officially in match in bold):
14: From last two Raws and WWE.com: Evan Bourne, Carlito, Jack Swagger, Mark Henry, Santino Marella, The Miz, MVP, John Cena, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Shawn Michaels, Big Show, Triple H.
3: From Michael Cole on this week's Raw: Chris Jericho, Dolph Ziggler, CM Punk.
4: Based on the ad on TV and wwe.com of the guys standing in a V shape, these guys are in: Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Undertaker, Batista.
5: Also based on the ad, these guys are also in: John Morrison, Kane, Vladimir Kozlov, Shelton Benjamin and one of the Cryme Tyme guys (JTG, I think). That's 8.
That's 26 total.
4: That leaves four unknowns out of this group: RVD, Booker T, Drew McIntyre, Finlay, Matt Hardy, R-Truth, Yoshi Tatsu, Zack Ryder. REACT: McIntyre, Finlay, Zack Ryder and RVD would be my choices.
LATEST HEADLINES AND MY REACTS
WWE
WWE releases Eric Escobar. REACT: This surprises me, even though Escobar split with Vickie Guerrero in the story lines. I thought WWE was high on him. I guess I thought wrong.
WWE had a "We want Bret" chant pre-recorded for the Jan. 4 Raw in case Hart got a bad crowd reaction. REACT: Good idea, just in case, as you never know about crowd reaction -- it varies by city.
The Rock thinking of a summer appearance. REACT: Better to not distract the story lines before WrestleMania.
Jim Ross on returning to television: "I'm happy to say that I'm feeling better than I have in a long time and I'm in a really positive frame of mind." REACT: Great to hear. Hurry back, J.R.
Tyler Reks has a promo cut on him by Skip Sheffield in FCW, saying Reks was afraid to fly. REACT: Nice. Maybe he will get a push because of this and not get fired. I thought for sure he would be canned for his outburst.
Maria said she is dating a former NFL player. REACT: Who scored a touchdown?
http://www.socceram.com/soccerettes/0,21655,13874,00.html REACT: Awesome interview with Kelly Kelly, although just watch the first half up until the band comes out.
More TNA Wrestling
No signs of Tommy Dreamer coming in anytime soon. REACT: Not surprising.
Bubba the Love Sponge makes negative comments about Haiti and is sent home from a production meeting. His future looks bleak. REACT: Could be a story line, although with Bubba apologizing it doesn't look like that's the case. If Jeremy Borash is gone, which also could be a story line, it's likely Bubba won't be replacing him now either. While Bubba is in live radio, once you say something like that you can't take it back.
TNA staff tells crowds they are cast members of the show and shouldn't curse or make obscene gestures. REACT: When I first read this, I said, "What?" But after thinking about it, the fans do get in for free and they should be more appreciative of the product, and that includes going with or against the story lines the company wants you to go with or against. I'm not saying 100 percent, but cut out the mass going against things. You should remember, this is a small arena, and when even as few as 10 people are chanting a negative chant, it makes it sound like the entire arena is doing so. On the flip side, here's a video of the TNA staff instructing the crowd. After watching it, I can only call this entire thing bizarre. http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/tna/5984.html
Early promotions suggest the March 21 Destination X pay-per-view will be an all X-Division PPV. REACT: Is that even possible?
Also
Florida wrestling personality Shannon Rose named Everybody's Hero by Bay News 9 in Tampa. REACT: Congratulations to Rose, a class act who suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (connective tissue disorder).
Also
Florida wrestling personality Shannon Rose named Everybody's Hero by Bay News 9 in Tampa. REACT: Congratulations to Rose, a class act who suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (connective tissue disorder).
