Time for The Three Count to make its return to wrestling101 with two articles this week. This one previews the WWE PPV Bad Blood and the other previews the FWA event, Carpe Diem which takes place on June 18th. But before that I have some really important news to tell you.
At the start of August, I’ll be launching a new wrestling fanzine called ‘Piledriver’ (nothing to do with Wrestling 101). I’ve been lucky enough to recruit some of this countries top wrestling writers (though I’m still looking for more, so give me an email at Stephen@Wrestling101.com if you’re interested) namely Adam Sibley who writes the UK Scene report on this site, Julian Radbourne (2Sheds Review), Stephen Anderson (purewrestling.com) and WAW boss Ricky Knight is on board too to give the wrestler’s point of view. I’ve also got Linda Robin on board whose ‘Linda’s Thoughts’ column seems to be on every American wrestling website.
So what’s going to be in the first edition? It’s a mixture of British and American coverage. Here’s what I’ve got lined up:
- Interviews with Ted Dibiase and American Indie wrestler Johnny Ova
- The Rock talks about his 2004 film releases ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ and ‘Walking Tall.’
- Tributes to Andre the Giant, Flash Barker and Kendo Nagasaki
- The History of Summerslam
- FWA: Past, Present and Future
- The Southern Wrestlers Reunion Event
- Strictly Smackdown and Totally Raw – reviews of the past few weeks shows
- The PPV Report
- News from the UK and USA (Including ROH, CZW, NWA etc)
- DVD/Book Reviews
- TV news including previews of two wrestling documentaries on The Biography Channel
- Website reviews
- Show reviews from the UK
There’s bound to be more as there’s still over a month till copy deadline. The first edition is out in the first week of August just in time for Summerslam.
The fanzine is going to be available through subscription. It’s going to be A5 b&2 and at least 40 pages. Twelve editions cost just £15 (the vast majority of which is printing/distribution costs). BUT the bonus is that each week there’ll be an email update with some news, a Three Count column and news from advertisers etc. If you’re interested, contact me at: Stephen@Wrestling101.com Cheques should be sent to Steve Ashfield, 29 Graham Road, Southampton SO14 0AX and made payable to “Solent Rainbow” A receipt will be sent immediately. I really can’t wait to get the first edition out, plenty of ideas for the coming months. Oh and if you’ve got something to sell or there’s a video/book whatever that you’re after line ads cost just £1.50.
Anyway that’s for the future and I’m really after feedback about what you want in the fanzine in the coming months. Now it’s time to preview Bad Blood, the latest RAW PPV.
World Heavyweight Title
Chris Benoit v Kane
I can’t see this being a classic can you? In fact I even wonder if this will be the last match on the card, I think that’s booked to be Triple H v Shawn Michaels. No title change on the horizon either. There hasn’t been much of a storyline involved here has there? Kane becomes Number One challenger in a Battle Royal thanks basically to Shawn Michaels interfering. Strange because it was at Bad Blood that Kane made his debut and got Michaels his title shot after destroying the Undertaker. How things go round in circles eh?
As I mentioned in last weeks TWO Newsletter, Kane isn’t quite the monster he used to be last year. The whole Lita storyline is crazy, it has nothing to do with the Benoit title challenge. So it looks as if Kane has a title shot here and then it’s back to the mid-card to feud with Matt Hardy which ain’t that exciting is it?
Benoit has impressed as champion but recently he seems to obsessed with being entangled in the Eugene storyline and the tag title situation. Tonight he has to wrestle twice on the card which must irritate those wrestlers who can’t even get on the card. Wasn’t the Brand extension supposed to give lower-card wrestlers the chance to get a PPV bonus? More about the tag situation later on.
So who’s going to win? Benoit of course. No questions about that at all. You see Kane hasn’t got what it takes to be World Champ. Why on earth did they give him that match with Eugene? In my book (not that I’ve written one, I have enough on my plate at the moment), a world title challenger should behave like a world champ, coz if he wins, that’s what he becomes. So why on earth let Eugene make Kane look a prat last week? Benoit to win, simple as that.
HELL IN A CELL
Triple H v Shawn Michaels
Poor Stephanie, I think your husband is going to have a bit of a headache on Sunday evening, but don’t worry he’ll be ok because I think he’s going to beat Michaels at Bad Blood.
This feud seems to have gone on forever. Elimination Chambers, Last Man Standing matches and now a Hell in a Cell. Will it ever end? I doubt it, though it’d need something new like a reversal of roles perhaps, it’s about time Michaels turned heel.
I can’t quite work out Triple H’s actions of a few weeks ago during that showdown in the desert. He knows he can beat Michaels so why not let him win the World Title, that makes getting his precious belt back all that much easier. But no he just ruins everything for his rival.
I don’t expect to see many big bumps and doubt it’ll end up on the top of the cell, though hopefully it might. I suppose we’ll just end up with the usual bloodfest which is getting a bit boring to be honest. I go for Triple H to win as momentum continues towards a planned one on one with Benoit. He’ll get some injury though as he has Hollywood to invade. Michaels also has time off due and must be wondering if he’ll ever win on a PPV this year. I’d love him to come back on Smackdown to be honest, how about these matches Vince? Michaels v Angle, Michaels v Cena Michaels v Eddie Guerrero?
Inter-Continental Title
Randy Orton v Shelton Benjamin
Have they given the game away already? If you start talking about someone holding a title for a great length of time, then surely they must be losing that title soon. I go for Shelton Benjamin to become IC Champ on Sunday. This could be the match of the night unless Evolution ruin it with outside interference. No sign of matches for Batista or Flair so there must be work for them to do here and in the Triple H match.
I think Orton is on his way to a world title shot, hopefully against Benoit or possibly against Triple H when he inevitably gets his belt back. It’s not uncommon to drop the IC Belt then get the world title soon after. Look at Bret Hart in 1992
Benjamin continues to impress and an IC title run could see him in matches against Batista and Christian and that’s not too bad a prospect.
Women’s Title
Victoria v Lita v Gail Kim v Trish
It says something for the strength in the division that Jazz, Nidia (where is she?) and Molly can be left out of this line-up and it still looks pretty good. I feel sorry for Gail Kim, this was due to be a one-on-one with Victoria but now it’s a Fatal Fourway. If they don’t trust her to have a singles match why try to build it up?
Who’s going to win? Victoria has been ok as champ and thankfully the dancing is getting the chop but a title change would be interesting. So if that happens and I think it will, who gets the belt? I go for Lita, I don’t want to as she’s not that great in the ring and the Matt Hardy hugs etc may well make me sick sometime soon. But she has a ready made feud with Trish lined up so that could keep her busy for awhile. I go for Lita to win the belt.
Tag Titles
La Resistance v Benoit/Edge
This is baffling, why does Benoit have to wrestle twice on this card? There has to be a reason behind it and that reason is a rather long haired wrestler who needs a new image quickly. Yes this is the night Edge turns heel. It’s the usual ploy, put two wrestlers together, let them win the belt, then one causes them to lose the title. That’s what Edge did and he needs to turn on Benoit. I reckon Benoit will somehow cause them to lose this title match and that will be it, Edge goes crazy and turns on him setting up a match at Vengeance perhaps? I bet by the end of the year we see him back with Christian as a tag team. Could be a reasonable match but who are the next challengers for La Resisistance, surely not Hurricane and Rosey! The tag division is still on its last legs!
Chris Jericho v Tyson Tomko
As I wrote in last weeks TWO Newsletter, Jericho is struggling a bit at the moment if he wants to get some gold round his waist. This has been set up quite well and Tyson is a bit of an unknown quantity when it comes to in-ring action. Could be decent but I see Jericho winning a short match.
Eugene v Coach
Why oh why does Coach get so many PPV matches? He’s not a wrestler and if Vince wants to make fun out of him let it happen backstage or in a promo. I’m still undecided about the Eugene character, in fact let me think about it and check out the next TWO newsletter to discover what I come up with. He’ll win this for sure but what happens after that I don’t know. Perhaps the likely Regal face-turn will happen and they’ll end up as Tag Title challengers.
I imagine some more matches might be added to the card during Heat but this isn’t that bad a card. The Hell in a Cell/IC/Tag matches should be interesting and the World Title match should be ok. Definitely worth staying up for.
More from The Three Count at the weekend in my FWA Carpe Diem preview and more about the new fanzine in the coming weeks. Go on subscribe, it’s well worth it, believe me!
Stephen Ashfield