Special edition of Impact really is special [Ring Posts]

I was talking with my wife yesterday about TNA Impact being a “Best of 2008” episode last night. “Yeah, it’s going to be a 15-minute show,” I said. OK, it was a lame joke, but she laughed. All kidding aside, the special New Year’s edition of Impact was highly entertaining. If you missed it – and esp...

2008 awards

First, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and say thank you for making Ring Posts one of the most popular blogs on baltimoresun.com. Here are my selections for the best of 2008 in eight categories. I welcome your comments and encourage you to send along your picks. WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: SHAW...

Michaels turns in an Oscar-worthy performance on Raw

As soon as the participants were set for the four-way elimination match to determine John Cena’s opponent at The Royal Rumble, the finish was obvious: It would come down to Shawn Michaels and JBL, with JBL ordering Michaels to lay down. And that’s exactly what happened last night on Raw. Pre...

A Stratus-fying episode of Raw

Before I take a look at last night’s Raw, I want to acknowledge the big news about Batista that was reported last night by pwinsider.com. For those who missed it, Batista has suffered tears in his hamstring muscle and will undergo major surgery that is expected to keep him out of action until n...

Opinion: Great, a new WWE TV show

No matter how much wrestling was on television when I was younger – and at times it was quite a lot – there still was no such thing as too much wrestling. I would often tape the shows and forego hours of sleep to watch them all. Now that I’m older and have more responsibilities, another wrestling s...

Smackdown/ECW taping from a live perspective

Here are some notes and observations from last night’s Smackdown/ECW taping, which I attended at Baltimore’s 1st Mariner Arena. In regard to Smackdown, I won’t reveal too much in the way of specifics out of respect for those who don’t want to know what happens before the show airs Friday. SM...

Looking at a potential Hardys feud

Matt and Jeff Hardy may or may not be on the verge of a feud, but I think it would make for a compelling story line if WWE goes in that direction. I’ve always found brother vs. brother programs intriguing, especially when the fans know the participants really are brothers. I think that’s one of th...

Opinion: The Slammys on Raw: That’s entertainment

I absolutely abhor awards shows. The Oscars, the Grammys, the Emmys – you name it, I hate it. They’re all too long and pretentious, and the scripted jokes are so lame that even Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler would have a hard time managing a fake laugh. If only all awards shows could be more like Th...

Opinion: Q&A with Jeff Hardy

I sat down for an interview yesterday afternoon with WWE star Jeff Hardy at the Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, where he was making a personal appearance to promote Smackdown’s move to MyNetworkTV (WUTB-24 in Baltimore) beginning tonight. Hardy is... I sat down for an interview yest...

A star is Bourne on Raw?

Last night’s episode of Raw was, for the most part, uneventful. There were no cliffhanger endings, classic main events or big angles. But there was one potentially significant development – and it occurred in a mid-card tag team match. Evan... Last night’s episode of Raw was, for the most part,...

Unforgiven thoughts

Sometimes, being wrong is better than being right. And I was wrong a lot yesterday. Before heading out to M&T Bank Stadium to watch my beloved Ravens play the Cincinnati Bengals, I predicted a lopsided loss for the home team.... Sometimes, being wrong is better than being right. And I was wron...

Opinion: Q&A with Tammy “Sunny” Sytch

Jericho, Michaels to take feud to higher level

When the main event steel cage match for the world heavyweight title between Chris Jericho and CM Punk opened the show, you knew the final segment was going to be a big announcement of some sort. Sure enough, Shawn Michaels... When the main event steel cage match for the world heavyweight title...

Opinion: Raw gets blitzed by NFL

You know those “Did you know” graphics that WWE was running coming out of commercial breaks about Raw having higher ratings than Monday Night Football during the preseason? Well, don’t expect to see how the show fared against the NFL... You know those “Did you know” graphics that WWE was runn...

Opinion: Q&A with Ted DiBiase

By the time Ted DiBiase came to WWE in 1987, he already had been a top guy in several territories and was regarded as one of the best workers in the business. It was his “Million Dollar Man” character in WWE, however, that made DiBiase a superstar. DiBiase brilliantly portrayed one of wrestlin...

Opinion: WWE supplemental draft picks

WWE has announced the results of the supplemental draft on its Web site. A couple of the moves were predictable, some were head-scratchers and others were inconsequential. The biggest names involved were Carlito (Raw to Smackdown), Mark Henry (Smackdown to ECW), Shelton Benjamin (ECW t...

Opinion: It’s deja vu for Vince McMahon at WWE draft

Perhaps Vince McMahon should consider staying home the next time there is a draft on Raw. On last year’s draft episode, McMahon’s limo exploded into flames seconds after he got into it, kicking off the “Who Blew Up Vince McMahon” story line that was scrapped after a couple weeks in the wake o...

Opinion: Booker T. discusses Michael Hayes’ use of the N-word

During a conference call with Booker T. (who was subbing for Kevin Nash) yesterday, I asked him what his experience was like in WWE working with Smackdown head writer Michael Hayes, who was suspended 60 days in April for using a racial slur. Booker laughed, and then said: “I don’t know what’s...

Opinion: One Night Stand thoughts

WWE promised extreme action last night, and it delivered a very strong pay-per-view show in which a wrestling legend lost what was advertised as a career-threatening match, while another major star suffered a significant injury. Edge defeated The Undertaker in a fantastic TLC match to...