A more serious look at the top women wrestlers

I think I confused some people a couple days ago when I posted my top 10 list of female wrestling personalities “who most enhance my enjoyment of sports entertainment programs.” Several readers pointed out that some talented in-ring performers were... I think I confused some people a couple...

Recap of WWE's Tribute to the Troops media day

Going to the Verizon Center in Washington at 2 p.m. yesterday for the WWE Tribute to the Troops media event made for a long day, but I'm certainly not complaining. I've done countless phone interviews with wrestling personalities, but opportunities... Going to the Verizon Center in Washingto...

The Raw live experience

Usually on Tuesdays I post my thoughts on Monday’s Raw broadcast, but I’m going to do things a little differently today. I’m going to write about last night’s Raw from a spectator’s perspective, since I attended the show at Verizon... Usually on Tuesdays I post my thoughts on Monday’s Raw broa...

Perfect timing on Smackdown

After Edge’s surprise return Sunday at the Survivor Series pay-per-view threw the WWE title picture into chaos, WWE cleared things up last night on Smackdown with an entertaining show-long angle. The result is that fans are going to get the... After Edge’s surprise return Sunday at the Surv...

TNA’s main angle is getting off track

After watching Impact last night, I’m starting to wonder if TNA’s creative team is just making things up as it goes along. At first, TNA’s big feud between the Main Event Mafia and the TNA Originals seemed to be your... After watching Impact last night, I’m starting to wonder if TNA’s creative t...

Remembering when wrestling supercards were a Thanksgiving tradition

Thanksgiving for me during my teens and early 20s was more about dropkicks than drumsticks. Back then, there was always a major wrestling event on Thanksgiving night. Unfortunately, that tradition ended nearly 20 years ago. Thanksgiving episodes of Smackdown (before... Thanksgiving for m...

John Cena gets serious on Raw

One night after a rather ordinary pay-per-view, WWE put together a very entertaining episode of Raw. The best thing about the show was the verbal-turned-physical confrontation between new world heavyweight champion John Cena and former champ Chris Jericho that closed... One night after...

The 'Ask Stephanie' edition of Raw

I have to give WWE credit for trying something different to open Raw last night, as Stephanie McMahon provided a public forum for members of the WWE roster to ask her questions. Stephanie – who pulls off the businesswoman look... I have to give WWE credit for trying something different to open R...

Cyber Sunday preview

Since some of the match-ups and all of the stipulations are not known until the last minute, Cyber Sunday is the toughest WWE pay-per-view to predict. But I’ll give it a shot. World heavyweight champion Chris Jericho vs. Batista: Fans will choose whether the guest referee is Steve Austin, Sh...

WWE’s message: Smackdown your vote for Kozlov

It seems pretty clear that WWE wants fans to vote for a Triple H versus Vladimir Kozlov WWE title match at the Cyber Sunday pay-per-view next Sunday. Not only did “The Moscow Mauler” score a convincing win over Jeff Hardy... It seems pretty clear that WWE wants fans to vote for a Triple H versus Vl...

A star-studded Smackdown

The first episode of Smackdown on MyNetworkTV Friday night reminded me of baseball’s All-Star Game. The show featured top talent from all three WWE brands, but, like the All-Star Game, it came across as a glorified exhibition that had no... The first episode of Smackdown on MyNetworkTV Frid...

Meet TNA’s biggest star: Vince McMahon

I didn’t keep count, but it seemed to me that Vince McMahon’s name was mentioned more times on TNA Impact last night than Samoa Joe’s, Sting’s and Kurt Angle’s – combined. Angle and Jeff Jarrett made the WWE chairman the... I didn’t keep count, but it seemed to me that Vince McMahon’s name was men...

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...

Kozlov is one mad Russian

One week after attacking Jeff Hardy, Vladimir Kozlov laid out both Triple H and Hardy – the WWE champion and the No. 1 contender, respectively – last night on Smackdown. After bringing Kozlov along slowly, WWE has pulled the trigger... One week after attacking Jeff Hardy, Vladimir Kozlov laid...

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 Tammy “Sunny” Sytch

Cena injury opens Scramble spot for Mysterio

Hours before Raw went on the air last night, reports that John Cena had suffered a neck injury were all over the Internet. WWE later stated that Cena needs surgery to repair a herniated disk and “will be out of... Hours before Raw went on the air last night, reports that John Cena had suffered a nec...

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...

Kane loses match, then his mind on Raw

In the past couple weeks, WWE has tried to create some new stars while also freshening up some established ones. Last night on Raw, the spotlight was put on Kane, a former main-eventer who had become somewhat stale as a mid-carder. As has been the case lately on Raw, something occurred that no...

Punk cashes in on Raw

CM Punk’s win over Edge for the world heavyweight title last night on Raw proved that WWE is serious about shaking things up and making it seem as if anything can happen on the show. The way Punk has been booked since winning the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV is one of wrest...

Night of Champions thoughts

Well, WWE is certainly keeping things interesting. After last Monday’s draft resulted in Smackdown having two world champions and Raw having none, I thought it was a foregone conclusion that either Edge or Triple H would be dethroned at last night’s Night of Champions pay-per-view. Howe...

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...

Former MCW star signs WWE developmental deal

Fans of Maryland Championship Wrestling have seen Patrick Brink wrestle at North Point Plaza in Dundalk on a number of occasions. In the near future, however, they very well could be watching him wrestle in their living rooms. Brink announced... Fans of Maryland Championship Wrestling have...

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... WWE promised extreme ac...

Opinion: Q&A with Rob Van Dam

Opinion: Q&A with Shawn Michaels

After spending more than four months at home recovering from knee surgery, Shawn Michaels stepped right back into the WWE title picture last month and filled the void left by John Cena, who had gone down with a torn pectoral muscle. Michaels, 42, faces WWE champion Randy Orton this Sunday a...