Monday 22 November 2010

New Divas Champion, anyone?

Okay, I've watched the diva's title match from Survivor Series already, and as one of my close online friends can tell you, I'm not a happy bunny.

Do I like the fact we have a new champion? Yes I do. I think Nattie deserves such an honour

Do I like the fact Beth Pheonix is back? Yes I do. Beth's awesome and will kill you with a glance.

Did I like the match? No, I didn't.

Firstly, it was far too short. Including the entrances and the angle with Beth on the end, the entire thing was 9 and a half minutes.

Hello piss break.

Secondly, the 2 on 1 handicap element was hyped SO MUCH on the previous Smackdown that it smacked you in the face with a fresh haddock, but it wasn't played up to in the match. ONE INSTANCE of Lay-Cool playing the numbers game in the ENTIRE MATCH. The whole point of a handicap match is to play on that numbers advantage and have the singleton fight against the odds, and it was as if she was wrestling 1 person.

*facepalm*

Thirdly, WHERE THE HELL WAS THE PSYCHOLOGY?! This match seemed to have NO story to tell at all, which considering WWE have spent 3 FREAKING MONTHS building up this feud, its a major let down. Yes, they played on Natalyla hurting her back after Michelle pulled her off the apron in the ONE NUMBER'S GAME ATTEMPT, but outside of that, where was it? There was no story of the face fighting with everything she had against the heels with the advantage and power on their side. It was beatdown on Nattie, tag, beatdown on Nattie, go for double team move, Nattie counters and shows great strength, angry brawl on outside, Nattie dominates, McCool tries to get offense, Nattie shoves them together and they "smack heads", McCool taps out, the end.

Seriously, if that's storytelling in a match, then WWE has gone even further down the freaking toilet then I first thought.

I'm hoping that the return of Beth is a step in the right direction and leads to some good match ups, but then I don't hold my breath.

Oh well, I shouldn't get my hopes up really, should I?

Until next time, stay safe.

Explanations

So it feels a little weird coming back to this after about 6 months, but things have slowed down and I feel able to get back into the groove as it were. I do feel that I owe people an explanation as to why.

Back in October 2009, my mother was diagnosed with a grade 3 breast cancer. Of course, life became a circus from then due to her treatment. As if that wasn't hard enough to cope with, she was also diagnoised with Chronic Meyloid Leukaemia while they were giving her the body MOT before her chemotherapy started.

Since then she's had chemo, a masectomy, radiotherapy and is now on Herceptin for her breast cancer, and she's on a course of cytoxic tablets for her leukaemia (chemo drugs). May was around the time she had her masectomy, hence why I kind of dropped off the radar, as well as my life getting hectic with work and my scouting.

So there you have it. My mum is about getting back to strength and is looking to return to work just after christmas, which is good. I'm just thankful that cancer treatment has come so far in recent years that I still have her with me.

There's about to be a wrestling post, I just didn't want to ruin the sentiment of this one with a rant, haha.

Sunday 16 May 2010

Delays

My apologies to everyone. I realise I haven't updated this for 2 weeks but as I'm sure everyone can understand, I've had some family issues that have taken up my time in the last few months and they hit hyperdrive this last 2 weeks.

I WILL update in the next couple of days, promise.

Stay Safe x

Saturday 1 May 2010

The New Era?

Strange title I know, but you'll understand why if you've been following women's wrestling this week in the main arenas.

This week's action has been the best for some time. I'm not saying we're back in the dream era of 2002/2003 with Trish vs Mickie and Lita vs Mickie, but its been the best we've seen for a while.

Matches have been given DECENT LENGTHS OF TIME and there's been no cheesecake T&A type crap, EVERY women's match this week from WWE and TNA has been WRESTLING.

And I'm proud, damnit. Well done girls and well done creative teams for realising your women actually deserve decent air time.

Extreme Rules

Now, when this match was announced, I thought what many people thought "oh great, a watered down hardcore match" and while it didn't get as hardcore as it could of and I would have liked it to, it did go further than I expected.

Ironing boards, brooms, hairspray and mop buckets. Okay, it was stereotyped, heavily, but then we didn't expect WWE to go all out, did we?

That said, despite the stereotypical weapons, this wasn't a half bad effort. It had some good action, some good spots and the ending made sense. Plus, it was given enough time to showcase both girl's skills well. The commentating was awful, especially with the puns on the ironing board, which I felt could have been used better. The ending was slightly anti-climactic for me. Glam Slam is all good, but when you've got 2 ironing boards laid there and you wanna make sure the job gets done, why not Glam Slam ONTO the ironing boards?

Just a thought WWE ;-)

I'm please Beth won, as she's a deserved champion. Not saying McCool isn't, but you all know who she's screwing, so the less said about it the better.

RAW

Interpromotional tag team match for a draft pick. Predictable set up, but then the in fighting angle between Eve and Maryese was interesting to see. Solid action from all 4 girls, especially from Layla, who has really come into her own since teaming with McCool and it's good to see she's made a real character niche for herself. LayCool picks up the win and the draft pick. Buh bye Kelly Kelly.

I can see the logic in moving Kelly Kelly over to the blue brand. After firing Mickie, it needed another babyface to even out the roster, but personally I think it could have been a good time to move Gail Kim over instead. She would have gotten more exposure and I think she's a more capable worker to take on McCool. Kelly is good, but she's still tweaking her style and this may go against her.

Smackdown!

Speaking of Kelly Kelly, a nice little debut tag match for her. Seeing Beth Pheonix as a smiley face is .... weird. It doesn't feel comfortable seeing her be this happy, smiley, hug my friends type face, but I'm sure the Glamazon will make it work for her. The match action was good, it told a story and was given enough time, but I had to laugh at the oversell of Vickie's shove. Vickie SHOVED Kelly Kelly down and Kelly sold it like a kick to the face.

lol, wat?

Seriously, that was oversell.

Anyway, nice victory for Kelly to help get her over on Smackdown. From what I've read online, she's in line for a push, hence the move, so she's going to have to be top of her game to take on the likes of McCool and Layla.

Superstars

Now it's not very often I review Superstars, mainly because the show kind of gets passed over when it comes to women's action, but this week had a gem in Jillian Hall vs. Gail Kim.

2 of WWE's most underrated workers.

This match was fab. There's nothing more I can really say. This match was the sort of thing we should be getting EVERY WEEK out of WWE and TNA.

Bravo girls, good effort. That's the sort of thing I want to see on RAW, not some shitty T&A swimsuit crap.

iMPACT!

I will say this now: Angelina Love vs. Tara has me salivating. The way the feud has been set up is just awesome. Sadly, the fact Angelina is injured and Tara's contract may not be renewed means I might not get to see it :-(.

Anyway, my one big question of the TPB/Angelina/Tara interaction is: When in the blue hell did VelVel become a Domme? Leather skirt, collar and a crop? Obviously she's not done her research cos only submissives wear collars!

Moving on, again, the match was a solid effort from all 3 girls and Angelina working through the injury to the end was commendable. It wasn't anything spectacular, the match, but it did the job and it did it without them all looking like pillocks.

Not a fan of how Madison won though. She's your new champion and you give her the win by luck as opposed to actual skill? Way to make your new champ look strong!

That's all for now folks, I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing them.

Stay safe x

Saturday 24 April 2010

A Series Of Unfortunate Events

Before I review this week's action, I thought we'd talk a little about the "backstage going's on" we've seen.

First things first, the sad news that SHIMMER's LuFisto has suffered a stroke. The world of women's wrestling was in shock when the news broke, as she's only 30, but the good news is she's on the road to recovery, so I send my best wishes to her.

Then news broke of both Daffney and Angelina Love suffering injuries at the recent iMPACT! tapings. Daffney suffered a nasty stinger and a bruised sternum, and Angelina a partial bicep tear and a complete ulnar collateral ligament tear, which is going to keep her out for a few weeks. Daffney's injury has to have been pretty scary, and from the reports online of her account of it, I can sympathise completely. Best wishes to both women on a speedy recovery.

And then just when you think this week can't get any worse, news broke of WWE releasing both Mickie James and Katie Lea Burchill. Now, many people went "WTF?!" on Mickie, and "not surprised" on Katie, and I agreed with them on Mickie until I read reports of her being constantly late to the bus for the European tour, and how it was a "straw that broke the camel's back". My take on it is that's the "public reason" why she got fired. Mickie has been working on her country music career and NONE of it has been done through WWE channels, and it would not surprise me in the slightest if Vince said "Y'know what, fuck you" and fired her for it. Katie getting the can has pleased me, not because I hate her, but because while she was in WWE she was the most WASTED female talent on their roster besides Jillian Hall. Nikita (her original ring name) is one of the best, if not the best, female wrestlers to come out of the UK and her being stuck in the odd match on Superstars was a damn crime.

Here's hoping Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff see fit to pick them up.

Now, on to the action.

TNA Lockdown

I was quite interested in this match, because I foretold what was coming. Everything was teasing to a Tara heel turn, and low and behold, we got one. Lisa Marie Varon plays a psycho character so so well and I'm actually hoping that TNA run a DECENT storyline with this one, because it could be gold.

Other than that, the match gimmick was a little ... strange but I can see why it happened. The outcome was a shock. Madison Rayne is the new Knockout Champion and if The Beautiful People were coming out with the win, everyone was expecting it to be Velvet who won, but then I'm pleased Madison won. She's the most competent of the 3 girls and she's been jobbed out so many times since she joined TNA that to see her get the title is pleasing to say the least.

I don't feel there was anything particularly wrong with this match, per say, but I just feel it could have been better, but not from an action point of view. It didn't need the title gimmick, at all. The beef between TPB and Angelina, and TPB and Tara was enough to carry it through.

RAW

We didn't get ay diva action on RAW due to the silly Icelandic Volcano, but we did get treated to a one night only return for Lillian Garcia! How I mark for that woman's announcing.

Smackdown!

I will say this now: the prospect of McCool vs Pheonix has me chomping at the bit. I REALLY want to see this feud and have done for some time, so the fact we're now getting it has me giddy as a school girl.

Anyways, Beth/Mickie vs. Layla/Michelle. Mickie's last match *sad panda*. It was good, best action I've seen all week as far as I'm concerned. It had storytelling, it had solid action and everyone was involved. Layla has shown so much improvement in her skills recently that I'm quite impressed. The fact Mickie took the pinfall, foreshadowing much?

It's interesting to see that WWE are letting their women go hardcore with the extreme rules match. We've not really seen that since Trish/Victoria back in the day and I'm incredibly excited to see what they come out with.

iMPACT!

Ugh where do I start? The match had so much potential, so so much potential and TNA managed to shit all over it. The teaming of Daffney and ODB had potential and this COULD have been a solid match up action wise. First fuck up was putting Lacey in the ring. Yes, she's hot, but damn she cannot wrestle. Second was it wasn't long enough, it could have gone another couple of minutes and brought us some seriously solid wrestling, but alas, we're obviously not smart enough to want that, are we Mr Bischoff?

Not to mention, we see a heel turn from Tara over Angelina and the angle isn't even mentioned?

I'd like to know which one of TPB is lip servicing Hogan or Eric, I really would.

So as you can see, it's been a weird week in wrestling for the ladies. But all in all, not that bad.

Bring on Extreme Rules.

But for now, I'm off to straighten my hair and enjoy this weather.

Stay safe x

Saturday 17 April 2010

Baywatch Babes, Enemies Now Friends, And A Dominatrix

Good morning! So I'm now up to date on my wrestling fixes for this week.

RAW

So the guest host theme still sticks with RAW. Personally, I feel its getting a little old and some weeks we've scrapped the bottom of the barrel for personalities. Cheech and Chong, really? But anyway, this week was David Hasselhoff, so you knew there was going to be a Baywatch theme somewhere. So we were "treated" to a three team tag team match with all the girls wearing the red Baywatch swimsuits. Basically, we were given a piss break or masturbation material, depending which way you look at it.

And Michael Cole's pervy commentary during the entrances did nothing to try and stop it being masturbation material.

Of course, we have a gimmick match like this and who do we find involved in it...

SANTINO MARELLA~!

It's capitalised cos I like him as a character.

First things first, Jillian Hall and Gail Kim are WASTED in a match like this. This is a match which requires very little in the way of effort or skill and only needs you do stand there and look pretty while doing a couple of simple moves. Jillian and Gail are accomplished wrestlers and should be involved in your title contention, and it makes me quite sad to see that they're not.

Secondly, this went on for 6 and a half minutes, including the entrances. WAY too long.

Thirdly, the cheesy acting in the final 2 minutes of the "match" was just uncalled for. I actually sat and put my head in my hands at that point. Having your "Smart, Sexy and Powerful" just stand their like damsels in distress while Santino choked on a whistle did NOTHING for that so called "gimmick" their diva's division is supposed to have.

But before all this happened, we had Maryse defend the Diva's championship against Eve.

Before I get into this match, I just want to make it clear; The Diva's Championship has to be the ugliest title belt I have EVER seen. What the fuck were they smoking when they designed that?!

Anyway, 4 minutes and 50 seconds later and we have a new Diva's champion and one pissed off French Canadian.

Logic, where art thou?

Your piss break/tits and ass match is LONGER than your title match? Come on WWE, seriously? Not to mention, where was the build up to the match? Where was the feud? Eve won the #1 contendership one week then the championship the next? Wtf?

Not only that, put your title on someone who can actually bring some credit to it. No offense to Eve, but she's PROMISING. She's not there yet, but she's getting there.

Maryse is an accomplished contender, Gail Kim would have brought more to that title than Eve can right now.

Not to mention, the finish didn't even make Eve look like she actually has the merits to win the title. Had it been a 6-7 minute hard fought match with Eve hitting a finisher then gaining a pinfall or making Maryse submit, then I would hold my hands up and say "okay, fair point" but it didn't. Eve basically took an ass kicking from Maryse then hit her with a roll up pin out of no where.

Way to make your new champion look credible! All I can say is the division is SERIOUSLY missing Melina.

I do, however, realise this is not the girls' faults, but the WWE creative team for booking them this way. It seems as though the WWE's creative team is made up of jocks and male chauvenists because all they can do is make the women go out there to be perved over, when many of the women in their company want to be seen as credible athletes.

It's sad really. The head of creative is a strong woman, but yet their female athletes are objectifed at every given chance.

Smackdown!

Now, had you asked me 2 years ago which show was the "wrestling" show for the divas, I would have told you it was RAW with Smackdown being for the Tits n Ass factor.

Oh how the roles have reversed.

We were treated to Mickie James vs. Michelle McCool. I say treated because both women are very capable wrestlers and can do more than the same couple of moves in a match.

Not to mention, the match has HISTORY.

You know WWE, a history, a storyline. These 2 characters have BEEF with each other and have some form of story to tell with the match.

Something your RAW Diva matches seem to lack. Any form of build up.

It was great to see Mickie back in the ring after her hiatus for her Staph infection and she hasn't missed a beat.

And I will say this now: MICKIE JAMES IS NOT FAT.

I'm currently torn on the Michelle McCool character. In a way, I like the heel McCool, playing the cocky bitch works for her, but on the other hand, I hate this whole "mean girls" thing with Layla. It seems so high school and I think there are better ways to run their gimmick.

That said, I do like the idea of McCool being head bitch with Layla as her hyperactive cheerleader.

Mickie sold that kick to the face beautifully.

Post match beat down and HERE COMES THE GLAMAZON~!

Yes, I'm a Beth mark. I love her character, she's so different.

I did actually lol at the over acting from Layla and Michelle running like little pussies from Beth, clambering over the announcer's table and running like shit. Kudos to you girls, that was funny.

Beth and Mickie on the same page? Just shows how times have changed. Not so long ago those 2 would have ripped each other apart in their rivalry (and it was an enjoyable rivalry too) so to see them on the same page is going to be mighty interesting.

The match was solid. Nothing overly spectacular, but it was solid enough.

I'd love to see Natalya thrown in there more, as she's such a capable wrestler and I think Beth/Nattie or Mickie/Nattie would make for an awesome match up.

Girl can dream, right?

iMPACT!

I despair with TNA, really I do.

Before Bischoff and Hogan took control of the company, TNA were doing right by the women. They had a solid roster made up of GOOD WRESTLERS and they were doing their best to feature most of them EVERY WEEK. The gimmicks were good, the matches were good, everyone was happy.

Now? Well, words escape me. Kong has gone, Traci Brooks has gone, Taylor Wilde, Sarita and ODB barely see the light of day and THEY'RE GIVING AWAY THEIR WOMEN'S TITLE IN A FUCKING BOX.

I had to get that out of the way, it pissed me off.

Anyway, on to this week's "action". Now many of my IWC friends laugh at me for still watching TNA, but hey, The Beautiful People are hot and the women's wrestling is USUALLY decent enough.

This week, however, was rediculous.

A leather and lace match? WTF is one of those? Not to mention, VelVel was NOT wearing leather, it was PVC. She looked like she'd stepped straight out of a fetish club and into the ring.

I just sat and watched the car crash happen. There was no wrestling; it was a beat down. And it's purpose?

Well fucked if I know. If you know, let me know.

Angelina got her ass beat, The Beautiful People got some air time and Tara made a save only to shun Angelina's sportmanship.

I think we're building a Tara heel turn and a Tara/Angelina feud, which is fine by me because I know those 2 can tear it up.

Hint though, Tara needs to lay off the fake tan.

All in all, it truly has been somewhat of a disappointing week for women's wrestling.

But then, SHIMMER have done a taping this week and I've yet to see any of the action, so my opinion may change after that ;-)

But for now, I'm off to buy food.

Stay Safe x


Friday 16 April 2010

New Beginnings

Okay, so many of you will be wondering just what in the hell this is going to be all about.

Devine rantings - because I ramble, ALOT, but in the end, I do get to the point

Vixen - I keep getting called a minx, but I prefer the term "vixen". It has class.

And basically it's going to be about whatever crazy is rambling around my head at the time of writing.

Most of it will be my opinion on the current state of women's wrestling, which is something I have quite a passion for, but there may be the odd rant about general life crap and the such thrown in too.

But this will do for now. Once I've caught up on my wrestling viewing, I shall up date you all!

Stay safe x