RuthlessCEE Aggresive: Heat and Velocity reviews (October 11th and 12th, 2003)

 

We start off on our Slamming Saturday Night being greeted by Josh Mathews and Taz.  

Match #1 

Rey Mysterio vs Kanyon

Kanyon backs Rey into the corner, misses some blows but takes back control with some elbows to the back of the head.  Rey ducks a few clotheslines but gets cut down with a kick to the stomach.  Josh Mathews says that Rey is like Dante Hall, the human joystick.  Haven't heard about the Chiefs kick return specialist in a long time.  Mysterio reverses a powerbomb attempt into a hurricanrana.  Rey slams Kanyon's head into each turnbuckle a few times and then the mat once for good measure.  Rey sends Kanyon into the turnbuckle and then proceeds to bust his bronco. Kanyon lands on the middle rope after a drop toe hold, but wisely bails before the 619 can be hit.  Rey hits him with a drop kick through the ropes instead.  Rey goes for a dive outside but Kanyon catches him and tosses him into the barricade.  Kanyon puts him up against the ring post in the ring and crushes him with a baseball slide. Kanyon then grabs Rey's head and legs and folds him around the post some more.  Kanyon gets a 2 count.  Kayon buries his knee into Rey's spine for a submission attempt.  Rey almost escapes twice only to get taken back down into the hold.  Mysterio finally does break free and goes for a tilt-a-whirl only for Kanyon to catch him with a vertical suplex for another 2 count.  Mysterio slides down Kanyon's back and hits a reverse DDT for a near fall.  Rey crawls between Kayon's legs for a quick kick to the knee and then a baseball slide into the groin.  Rey goes to the top for a seated senton for a two count.  Kanyon catches Rey on a another dive attempt and takes two back breakers.  Kanyon tries to get the cover with his feet on the ropes, but the referee catches him.  They fight with Rey on the apron.  Rey climbs the ropes and bulldogs Kanyon on to the second rope on the other side of the ring in a really cool spot that I don't remember ever seeing before.  Mysterio hits the 619 and the west coast pop to gain the win in 7:22 (*** 1/2)

Match #2 

Matt Hardy vs Tyson Dux

Tyson Dux gets an entrance.  He does some weird convulsion dance that Tazz and Josh are fans of from a previous match.  Dux had several dark matches at TV tapings but he last was televised from the previous October in a loss to Chavo on Velocity.  Dux starts out in control with a snap mare and drop kick.  He mocks the V1 hand signal and yell and hits a head scissors for a 2 count.  Matt catches Dux for a side effect, snake eyes, and leaping clothesline. Hardy stands on Dux's head but surprises Hardy with a roll up for 2.  Hardy locks in an arm stretch, but Dux escapes and hits a DDT to put both men down.  Dux is up first and hits Hardy with a drop kick.  Dux heads to the top for a crossbody and Hardy kicks out at 2.  Dux starts move epilictic dancing and mocking of V1.  He heads back to the top where Hardy cuts him off with some punches and takes him out with a top rope Twist of Fate for the win in 4:32. (*3/4)

Match #3

Billy Kidman vs Bobby Rude in a purple cape

Kidman starts with a hurricanrana in the ring and follows it up with hurricarana to the floor.  Kidman attempts a dive to the outside but misses.  Rude lays in the boots and tosses him into the barricade. Rude tosses him back into the ring for some elbow drops.  Kidman fires back but gets cut down with an underhook suplex.  Kidman comes back again this time with a dropkick, flying forearm, clothesline, back body drop, but gets caught with a tilt-a-whirl back breaker.   Kidman escapes a suplex and gets a roll up for two.  A glorious spinebuster by Rude.  Kidman hits a enziguri that puts Rude's lights out and follows it up with a shooting star press for the win in 4:24. (**)

In the back, Matt Hardy says that he is so proud of Shannon because of his win over Zach Gowen on Thursday on Smackdown.  He is going to reward him with a special gift this week on Smackdown.  

Match #4

Charlie Haas vs Funaki

Haas take Funaki down with a headlock and controls Funaki on the mat.  They trade leg sweeps and pin attempts.  Funaki gets mowed down by a clothesline.  Funaki chops back but gets caught and face planted on the top turnbuckle and then Haas crushes him with a back breaker.  Haas sends him into the corner with a hard irish whip.  Hass then locks in an arm bar.  Funaki fights free and hits a neck breaker.  Then Funaki has a flurry of a reverse DDT, dropkick, and a bulldog but only gets a near fall.  Funaki goes for a crossbody but Haas rolls through for a 2 count.  Haas pushes Funaki off of a Rising Sun DDT attempt and locks in the Haas of Pain for the submission for the victory in 5:15. (*3/4)

It's time for Heat as we are greeted by Al Snow and The Coach.  

Match #1

Test with sad Stacy Keibler vs Tommy Dreamer with an emotionless Singapore cane

Test starts out with a body slam but misses the big elbow drop.  Tommy Dreamer does a weird strut that Stacy and our commentary team make seem like is mocking Test, but I don't get it.  Dreamer tosses Test over the top after dodging a charge.  Dreamer hits him with a baseball slide.  On the outside, Test pulls Stacy in front of him as a human shield.  Test uses the distraction to impale Tommy on his testicles on the barricade.  Test tosses Dreamer back in the ring and hits some heavy corner running clotheslines.  He celebrates with some jumping jacks.  Test attacks with a body slam but his top rope double ax handle is met with a boot.  Tommy gets his first sequence of the match with a neck breaker and a Russian Leg Sweep.  Test gets back the advantage with a full nelson slam.  Test goes for the big boot but Stacy grabs his leg to prevent it.  Stacy surprisingly hangs Test's throat on the top rope. Test stumbles into a dreamer bomb for a near fall.  Keibler tells Dreamer that he should hit a flip off the top rope onto Test and he agrees with this plan, showing that neither one of them has ever watched a Tommy Dreamer match in their lives.  Test kicks the ref into the ropes and Tommy does damage to his testicles yet again.  Test goes for the cover and tries to put his feet on the ropes but Stacy knocks them off.  Test grabs Tommy's kendo stick and goes to blast Tommy with it but Stacy enters the ring and tries to disarm him.  Test goes to crack Stacy with the weapon but Tommy successfully disarms him.  Dreamer goes to hit Test but the big man moves and Tommy pulls up before he hits Stacy.  The momentary lapse in judgment allows Test to hit the big boot and get the win in 4:47. (*1/2)

Teri interviews Val Venis.  She asks about why Val had a camera last week.  He makes some comments about how they used to hook up back in the day and then explains that he has started his own adult movie company.  Venis Video Productions.  He is looking for hot chicks to be in his movies but since he will behind the camera he is also looking for the next Great American Super Stud.  He says Great American Super Stud several times. I did not know this was the specific name for this role.  He will be going all over America to find them so every one should be getting ready for the camera.  

Match #2

Val Venis vs Eric Young

Val and Eric trade arm bars to start.  Val bring him down and wrenches on the arm a bit more.  Val hits a shoulder block and a Russian leg sweep which is mixed in with a few knees to the midsection.  Eric Young gets in control with a DDT, back body drop, and back breaker.  The advantage is short lived as Val takes back over with a clothesline flurry, back body drop and finishes the Canadian with a Money Shot in 4:08. (*)

Match #3

The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and Devon) defend the World Tag Team Titles vs La Restiance (Rob Conway, Renee Dupree with Sylvain Grenier)

 

The Dudleys make quick tags to start and dominate Rene Dupree with strikes.  Loud "USA" chants from the crowd.  Eventually the heels corner Devon and get their own set of quick tags and strikes.  Devon breaks free with a spinning elbow and body slam.  All four men in the ring as Bubba squishes both heels in the corner and Las Resistance bails before we head to commercial break.

Back from commercial, Dupree and Bubba are the legal men as we return.  The non legal heels grab Bubba by the feet and crush his testicles on the ring post, not a great night to be an ex ECW wrestlers' testicles.  Dupree hits a back body drop on Bubba and this sets the heels up for several more quick tags and strikes followed by a Dupree neck vice.  Eventually Conway hooks in a sleeper but Bubba hits a belly to back suplex to spring free.  He makes the tag but the heels have distracted the referee so he doesn't let Devon in the ring.  Bubba immediately hits a desperation Bubba bomb and this time the ref sees the hot tag.  Devon comes in and hits a few slams and clotheslines on the heels.  Bubba blind tags back in and they go for the 3D but are unable to hit it, but settle for a reversed 3D but the count is broken up.  Sylvain gets on the apron and distracts the referee but the plan backfires as the Devon hits the Wazzzup head butt splash.  Bubba inquires to Devon if would locate the tables because they must have company coming over for dinner.  When Devon gets under the ring, Sylvain wipes him out.  In the ring Conway accidently hits Sylvain when he heads up on the apron.  Dupree take over Bubba in the ring but Devon has recovered and sneaks in for the 3D to pick up the victory in 6:47 (**1/4).

Will someone cash in on the bounty on Bill Goldberg?  Tune in tomorrow night. 

RuthlessCee Show Aggressive (WWE Velocity 8/2/03 Heat 8/3/03)

                                                         

Unfortunately I was unable to find this full show anywhere and if you have access please leave a comment as to where I find it.  I could only find the main event.  

The APA and Funaki vs The Basham Brothers with Shaniqua and Sean O'Haire.

Our announcers, Josh Matthews and Ernest "The Cat" Miller, are unsure who the Bashams partner will be and that their opponents called Shaniqua a man.  O'Haire is the mystery partner because he is freaky as well according to the Cat. 

Bradshaw and Danny Basham start out.  Bradshaw start off with a shoulder block, chops, and forearms.  Danny comes back with a swinging neck breaker but is quickly cut down with a big boot.  Funaki is tagged in for a camel clutch drop kick double team with Bradshaw.  Doug takes over with after Funaki gets distracted trying to get a high five. Eventually Funaki comes back with head scissors but Basham grabs the ropes to avoid a dropkick.  

Doug Basham and Faarooq enter the fray.  Shaniqua distracts Faarooq whom had Doug up for the dominator.  Doug capitalizes with a Russian leg sweep. O'Haire is tagged in and nails Faarooq with several quick knees to the face.  Faarooq gets triple teamed in the corner.  Bashams hit a double suplex, the ref misses the cover because he is being distracted by Bradshaw.  Tag team specialist at work.  Faarooq hits a huge spine buster.  Both men crawl to their corner and Funaki and O'Haire get the tags.  Funaki hits O'Haire with a dropkick and an enziguri.  O'Haire catches Funaki and military presses him until Funaki wiggles free and catches O'Haire with the scorpion death drop.  The benches clear and Bradshaw crushes a Basham with a Clothesline from Hell.  After O'Haire and Funaki are the only guys left in the ring, Funaki hits a bulldog and goes for the cover.  Shaniqua pulls him out off of O"Haire.  Using the distraction, O'Haire picks up Funaki and hits him with a Razor's Edge to pick up the win. 

 (** 3/4)    

Our announcers are once again Johnathan Coachman and Al Snow.

                                                                             Match #1

                                                            Rodney Mack vs Tommy Dreamer

      Rodney Mack heads to the ring without Theodore Long.  Mack grabs the mic and tells us that Long is missing because whitey got ahold of him and he needs medical attention because of it.  Mack will now beat up whities to honor Long.  

   

        They trade Irish whips into the corner. Dreamer hits a hip toss but when he goes to follow up, Mack dumps him out of the ring.  Mack pursues and sends Tommy into the stairs.  Once back into the ring, Mack hits a shoulder breaker and transitions into a arm bar.  Mack locks in a standing cobra clutch.  Tommy runs him into the turnbuckle to break it and uses the opportunity to hit Mack with a DDT.  Mack gets his foot on the rope to avoid a three count.  Tommy heads out and grabs a Kendo stick.  He heads to the top rope but eats a clothesline.  Mack relocks in the cobra clutch but this time in a prone position.  Tommy works towards the ropes but the ref doesn't see despite Tommy working towards the ropes and someone already using the ropes earlier in the match.  Mack wins by submission in 3:36 (*1/4)

                

    

          We are shown footage from the locker room from Monday on Raw, with Stevie Richards icing his midsection after being speared and beaten by Goldberg.  There is a young worker loading strips of shredded paper that is all over the floor.  Victoria runs in with a microphone and gives it to the worker and tells him to interview Stevie.  Stevie says that if fought Goldberg on Stevie Night Heat, that he would have won.  The young employee says that Stevie still would have beaten his ass.  Stevie does a Vince McMahon impersonation and fires the young guy.  Al Snow walks up and finishes the interview.  

Stevie says that on Stevie Night Heat he will battle his most insubordinate opponent, while Victoria throws all the paper in the air while trying to get Stevie's attention because it looks like snow. Stevie puts on a Goldust mask and pretends to be both competitors while Victoria pours the shredded paper on his head.  The shredded paper is not explained.  

                                                                                Match #2

                                                                Maven vs Aaron Stevens

The matchup begins with Maven tripping Stevens a few times and then locks in a headlock.  Stevens leaps over Maven in the corner into a backstabber.  Hard Irish Whip into the corner takes Maven down again.  Stevens holds onto the rope to avoid a Maven dropkick.  Stevens with a suplex and transitions into the Mike Rotunda Hall of Famer abdominal stretch. Maven hip tosses Stevens to get out and then a jawbreaker.  Flying elbow for 2, Maven goes to the top rope, Steven hits the ropes to crotch him.  Stevens goes for a superplex.  Maven throws off Stevens and then hits a crossover DDT for the victory in 3:52. (**)

Match #3

Lance Storm vs Spike Dudley

Lance tells the crowd that he is not boring.  Guess what, Lance is not boring.  Lance complains about the lack of response from Hollywood a few weeks ago.  Spike Dudley's music hits and out comes the runt of the Dudley litter yawning.  The bout starts out with some forearms being exchanged.  Lance gets the edge with a backbreaker and then stomps a Canadian mudhole in Spike or would it be Dudleyville mudhole.  Lance holds Spike vertical for about 30 seconds until dropping him with a suplex.  Spike gets his first sustained offense of the match from a hurricanrana, reverse atomic drop, and the corner stomps that appear as if Spike is running on Lance's chest.  Spike goes for the hurricanrana again but this time, Lance catches and tosses him like a 150 pound sack of laundry.  Spike goes for what appears to be a Russian leg sweep setup, but rolls forward with Lance's legs wrapped and rolls him up for the surprise win in just 2:33. (*1/2)

                                                                            Match #4

                                                    Stevie Richards with Victoria vs Goldust

The bout begin with some closed fists being exchanged until Stevie rakes the eyes.  Stevie starts kicking Goldust but he fires back with a butt bump, bulldog, and clothesline to the outside. He follows the owner of Stevie Night Heat to the outside, where Stevie runs the golden one into the ring apron twice to regain control.  Goldust gets thrown upside down into the turnbuckles.  Stevie copies Goldust's chest rub taunt.  He locks in a headlock and nails a neck breaker for a 2 count.  Goldust comes back with his own neck breaker to put both men down.  Stevie chases Goldust around the ring landing punches while Goldust appears to be "Turreting Up", it's like Hulking up if it made fun of a disability.  Goldust drops down and hits the slap and a reverse atomic drop, ura nage, for a two count.  Goldust starts hitting the 10 count mounted punches in the corner.  Stevie slips free before the 10 and Goldust lands an awkward diving punch which sends Stevie reeling into the opposite corner. Goldust sets up Shattered Dreams, but Victoria enters the ring and charges.  Goldust catches her with a drop toe hold which causes her to fall head first into Stevie's groin.  A staggered Richards wanders into Goldust's grasp and he hits the Curtain Call for the win in 4:46. (*3/4)

Sunday Night Heat April 7th, 2002 (First heat post brand split)

 

    After the brand split, we've got a whole new Heat.  It's taped before RAW instead of Smackdown and our announcers are Johnathan "Coach" Coachman and Ra "Raven" ven.

    Really surprised to see Scott Hall walk out here for a Heat match.  The nWo has fallen real fast in 6 weeks from their debut.  Even more surprised that Hall is battling Crash Holly of all people.  Raven says the show is going to be mundane but he will make it better with his commentary.  Way to get me invested, Johnny Polo.  Scott Hall played the hits, fall away slam, abdominal stretch, second rope fall away slam, Razor's Edge.  1-2-3.  Crowd popped for Hall calling for the Razor's Edge because they are smart.  

    Jerry Lawler is backstage interviewing Jazz, about her title defense tonight against Jackie.  Jazz says Jackie has no chance because she is a skank.  Jackie steps into screen to ask, "Who are you calling a skank, skank?" Jazz seems surprised by her appearance even though she was clearly only a few feet away when the interview began.  Jazz informs Jackie that is was indeed, Jackie herself that Jazz was calling a skank and that she should know that because she does not stutter.  Jazz thumps the belt of off Jackie's head and the brawl is on.

    Here comes Tommy Dreamer, who has won all of two televised matches in his WWF career to this point.  He has defeated Tajiri and Kai En Tai during September on this here very Sunday Night Heat.  Someone needs to sit Tommy Dreamer down and ask him why Japanese people really fire him up.  Tommy has some soul searching to do.  His opponent, Sean Stasiak, not Japanese so my money is on Staskiak.  This is both of their first matches on TV since the Invasion.  It's the movable object vs resistible force.    Coach and Raven are giving this match all of the respect it deserves, by talking about Eddie Guerrero attacking RVD and Undertaker being named the #1 contender by Flair until it was changed to Hogan by Vince on Smackdown.  All things I would rather be thinking about too.  Raven finally talks about the match in that Tommy Dreamer is tough from all of their battles in ECW.  Coach adds that Stasiak isn't the most intelligent but this abdominal stretch is effective.  Dreamer sells a right side injury, but continues to bring the attack to Stasiak to the silence of the crowd.  Dreamer's ribs give out on a maneuver and Stasiak capitalizing for the victory. 

    We get a recap of Flair and Vince trying to talk Austin into signing with their shows, which led to Austin signing with Raw and stunning both Vince and Flair.  

    We've got our Women's Title match on deck, sponsored Castrol GTX and Nissan.  Coach and Raven mention that the Forcible Entry compact disc has debuted at #3.  #1 you ask?

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYDE0MeAOAk&list=PLqf3vdDTch5eM9SWPvNXKag22XOW6x8En

This banger of a 2002 time capsule.  Jaxz attempts to take a powder but Jackie brings her back to the ring where a distracted ref misses a pin by Jackie, which Jazz turns into a tights aided rollup to retain the title.  

    Now it's time for our Tough Enough season 2 recap.  Matt Morgan has to bow out of the compeition beause of knee injury.  The rest of the cast head to see a live WWF event and then cut their own promos which are all generic and bad.  

Be sure to order WWF Backlash to see Triple H defend against Hulk Hogan.

It's main event time.  Big Show vs Goldust.  Raven mentions that last year at Backlash he had this banger.

Big Show tosses Goldust into the ring post but Show gets caught coming in the ring.  Coach speculates what kind of mood, Steve Austin will be in tomorrow night on Raw.  I'm going to take a guess and say fun and fancy free.  Goldust has taken show down to his knee with sleeper hold.  Raven mentions that he is member of MENSA for the fourth time tonight.  Big Show powers out, chucks around Goldust and then holds Goldust in the air during the finishing chokeslam for an impressive amount of time.  

Sunday Night Heat Review 9.3.2000

 

                                                WWF Sunday Night Heat 9/3/2000 review

 

We are six days past SummerSlam and the march to Unforgiven is on although no matches have been announced during the first week of shows. Our announcers are Michael Cole and Kevin Kelly.  They are excited that the New York Mets are first in the National League East today.

Too Cool’s music hits and out comes the aforementioned tag team although we are informed that it will be Grand Master Sexay in a singles match.  Cole calls him Grand Master Sexy, and the extra “A” really helps to keep a chill from running down your spine, which happens when Cole pronounces it correctly yet somehow very incorrectly for consumption.  The Grand Master will battle The Goodfather from the Right to Censor accompanied by Steven Richards and Bull Buchanan. 

Grand Master Sexay vs The Goodfather

Grand Master gets the early advantage moving quickly around The Goodfather while the announcers convince us that SummerSlam was the greatest SummerSlam of all time.  At this point it is legitimately in the conversation.  The crowd is chanting “Save the Hoes”, much to the Goodfather’s dismay because he believes gardening should be done with your bare hands to become one with Mother Earth, apparently.  The crowd legitimately gets behind a Sexay hope spot that Goodfather cuts off.  Steven Richards’ facial expressions both positive and negative really enhance the match.  Scotty 2 Hotty pulls the top rope down to cause Goodfather to plunge out of the ring and the crowd pops for the babyfaces unprovoked cheating.  Too Cool was so over in 2000.  It’s amazing how fast and how big they got over. 

               Sexay tosses Goodfather back into the ring, applies the goggles and hits a dropkick.  This reminds Michael Cole that the struggling Yankees should fire Joe Torre.  Who within two months would be unceremoniously…… crowned the World Series Champions for the third straight year and three out of four.  I would hate to be Cole’s personal assistant.  Dude has really high standards.

               Steven Richards jumps back up on the apron and distracts the referee, in order for….Scotty 2 Hotty to interfere.  Richards distracts the ref so long that Scotty can get in a bulldog, his goofy worm running man, and the 4 hops while the crowd chants letters.  Right before he hits the chop, referee Jack Doane grabs him and tosses him aside.  This distraction allows Bull Buchanan, who I forgotten was at ringside, to come in and hit a scissor kick on the Grand Master, which Goodfather follows up with a leg drop for the pin. 

The Goodfather defeats Grand Master Sexay with a leg drop after Bull Buchanan interference at 4:10

 

Coming up next: It’s Kane.  We are told, “Who knows what he is going to do?”  Will he do cartwheels? Bake a cake? Run for mayor?  The possibilities are endless.

 

We get a video package of some of the shenanigans WWF superstars have been up to this week outside of Raw and Smackdown.  WWF Superstars took on Michael Bolton’s Bombers in a charity softball game in the Durham Bulls stadium, in one my favorite sentences I have ever written. 

Players that I caught in the clip or were interviewed: Team WWF: The Dudleys, Victoria, D-Lo, Chaz, Coach, Dean Malenko, Pete Gas, Jerry Lawler, The Kat, Howard Finkel.  Michael Bolton’s Bombers included Michael Bolton of course, Duke basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski, and ESPN SportsCenter anchor and former Melrose Pool Boy, Charlie Steiner.  From the clips, Chaz legged a single into a double and D-Von throws in a strange sidearm fashion into the infield.  Both teams seem to say that they lost but many heels accuse Bolton’s team of cheating.  Classic Bombers. 

 

Highlights of Radio WWF from the week at WWF New York in the heart of Times Square.  The show is hosted by Michael Cole and Mick Foley.  The guests include a phone in from The Rock, Trish, Chyna, and Too Cool live in studio.  Foley dances with Too Cool which I’m sure was some riveting radio.

 

Off to the racetrack as NASCAR driver Hermie Satler, raced the SummerSlam car with the APA working as his pit crew.  They assumed beer would be the high performance liquid to add to the engine.  Hermie politely declines.

 

Out comes Kane, and we aren’t getting a cake.  He tells us that he has always been a monster.  That he wears his mask because he doesn’t want to have people stare at him.  Everyone wears a mask and he hates everyone.  Someone wears a handsome, eyebrow raising, catch phrase saying mask and that is the Rock.  Kane should be WWF champion but his brother interfered and Kane is coming for both of them. 

              

               WWF promo of a brawl breaking out at beauty pageant, where Miss Connecticut beats up Miss. Georgia.  Ah… the pettiness. 

 

               Crash Holly vs The Big Bossman

               The announcers tell us that this match was setup by Commisioner Foley because Bossman attacked Crash while he was trying to talk to some ladies.  This was never shown but the announcers are acting like we did.  Don’t know if this was cut from the version that I saw or that it was never shown.  If anyone knows please let me know. Bossman comes out second with a microphone and proceeds to tell Crash that woman don’t want him because he is small and that they only want big men like him.  The match is short and only really features punches and kicks with Bossman dominating until Dean Malenko of all people comes out and tosses the nightstick to Crash who wallops Bossman with it.  Crash makes the cover for the win.

               Crash Holly defeats Bossman via nightstick shot at 2:58.

 

               We are now shown a week in review package focusing on how the Love Triangle of Triple H-Stephanie-Angle has become a Love Pentagon to include Eddie Guerrero and Chyna. 

T ‘n A with Trish Stratus vs APA

It’s main event time.  Some back and forth action until T ‘n A takes control. After Faarooq gets beat down for a minute or so, Bradshaw gets the hot tag and clears house for awhile until Albert nails him with a big boot.  Trish hops up the apron and the Dudley Boys come running in and hit a 3D on Bradshaw, in retaliation for APA costing the Dudleys, their match vs Kai En Tai on Smackdown.  It wasn’t personal it was business as Kai En Tai paid for protection. The Dudleys have officially taken in personally and T ‘n A gets the win.

 

T ‘n A defeat the APA after a 3D from the Dudleys at 4:14

 

Overall:  We had three matches, none longer than 5 and a half minutes, a promo that wasn’t anything we hadn’t heard before, a video package of what happened this week already, and a video package of stuff that has no effect on anything with the storylines.  But guess what.  It was fun I enjoyed it.  Especially the softball stuff for some dumb reason.  The opening match was built strictly on characters and not in ring action, and it worked because all of the characters were over.  The second match seems to be leading to something, so it gives me a reason to watch further, and the seeds of an APA vs Dudleys rivalry are planted. This show was entertaining and for a C level show, it accomplished its goal.  On the Sunday Night Heat scale, I give it 6.5 fireballs out of ten. 

 

The King and I

Four years.  A man changes a lot over four years.  Lebron James said in his letter to the nation that he has grown and changed from “The Decision”, where Lebron himself has admitted that he made a poor decision to have a nationally televised special to tell me, all other Cavs fans, and for that matter the Cavalier organization itself, that he was, “Taking his talents to South Beach.”.

                I was twenty-eight years old and sitting on a futon in a basement, and watched the decision from a dark and angry place.  I had spent the entire week prior glued to Twitter looking for any information as to whether the best player that had ever played for my team was going to stay in town.  When news started to break that Lebron was leaving to join the Miami Heat, I couldn’t believe it, or more accurately didn’t want to believe it.  I was holding on to any shred of hope that the reports weren’t true.  I watched “The Decision” thinking that there was no way Lebron was going to go in front of the nation and stab us in the back.  So I was sad and angry when he left.  I did not sleep that night four years ago.  I was up all night reading anything I could. Wanting to find out why he left.  Cheering Dan Gilbert for writing the letter and telling the traitor where to stick it.  I seethed when I saw the firework show the Heat threw, where Lebron counted down the championships that he was going to win in Miami. 

                I was mad and I stayed mad for quite some time.  My stomach churned every time the Heat or Lebron were mentioned by anyone.  I did not watch a Heat game that entire first season unless they were playing the Cavs, I couldn’t bear to see it. I didn’t watch the Finals that year against the Mavericks.  Not one second.  The idea of watching Lebron win a ring somewhere else when he didn’t want to do it for my team sickened me.  I would check in on the score online and rooted for the number next to the Mavericks logo click up.  I celebrated that Mavericks title as much as the fans in Dallas.  

                I didn’t watch a single Heat game until the NBA Finals the following year.  I watched the closing moments of game 5, as the Heat closed out the Thunder.  The only reason I did so was because my girlfriend had her sisters over before we left for a Florida vacation and banished me to the basement.  So I found myself two years later with nothing to do but watch Lebron win a championship.  Two years later and life hadn’t changed that much for me.  I was still pissed off at Lebron James in a basement. Although I didn't sleep that night either it was because I drove my girlfriend and her kids to Florida through the night. I was starting to forget how I felt in July 2010.

                The next year went on and I wasn’t as mad as I used to be.  I was getting over “The Decision”.  I wasn’t rooting for Lebron to win more titles and MVP awards but I wasn’t angry with him.  I said out loud in conversations with others that I hated him but it wasn’t filled with actual hate as it had been before.

                In June 2013, I had surgery on my shoulder and was laid up during the NBA finals.  I watched ever second of every game of that 7 game epic series with the Spurs.  I loved it.  Yes, I was rooting against Lebron and the Heat, but I was also rooting for the Spurs because of their classy organization that built through the draft to create a winning team.  I was disappointed when Ray Allen hit that corner three to pull off a miracle escape in game 6.  I didn’t like watching Lebron play great in game 7 and the player that is in my opinion the definition of how the game should be played, Tim Duncan, come up short.  But I went to sleep that night easily even though the man I thought I would never stop hating was a back to back champion.   Maybe it was because I was on prescription pain medicine or maybe it was because my wife, who during the last Lebron title the previous year was my girlfriend, slept next to me and took care of me while I healed. 

                This summer, I watched Lebron lose in a rematch to the Spurs.  This time I watched the games as a basketball fan.  I loved watching the great team in the Spurs, beat the great individual in Lebron James, with my wife and stepson.  I loved explaining to my step-son the importance of help defense and the extra pass, that I had taught him as his basketball coach in the winter.  The Spurs did their part to make me look a genius.  This finals I was happy that Spurs won more than the Heat lost, because my priorities had changed.  I watched these games not in a basement but in the comfort of the new recliner that my wife got for me.  I watched with my son and used sports to teach life lessons.

I spent the past week on the South Carolina beach, checking twitter constantly, being on roller coaster of emotions with each rumor. The emotions of July 2010 started to come back. I thought Lebron James was just toying with me. As if the most identifiable athlete in America was personally messing with me just for kicks. I stressed. I ignored others. I searched for a basement to be pissed off in. 

After two days, I realized, with the help of my wife, that I was being ridiculous.  I was reliving the hate, the disbelief, the stress.  I was regressing.

  Today, I went to the beach with my wife and kids without my phone.  We played in the water and sand together for hours.  During that time I was relaxed and loved life.  I didn’t think about the “Decision 2” and enjoyed my family.  In Lebron’s letter to the fans of Cleveland, he talked about being with his family and how much he had changed over the past four years.  How his priorities have changed.  I get it Lebron.  I have changed too.  Welcome home, it is a happier place here for me than when you left and now my team might actually win.

Follow me on twitter @Ferrellcomedy

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