This was the first time in a long while that I actually watched most of the wrestling available on free TV. In honor of such a feat, I bring to you the SGM Wrestler Of The Week.
First, we start off with the Wrestler To Watch Out For:
BROCK LESNAR
All this legal bullshit with the WWF is about to come to a head. Latest news reports have the WWF filing yet another injuction against him, attempting to keep him from working matches in Japan, to defend his IWGP title. Apparently, Brock gives a shit, 'cause the WWF filed a restraining order against him working his last match against Yugi Nagata, and he wrestled the match anyway. What the fuck were they going to do, arrest him?!
Now, news has it that the judge over this case (World Wrestling Federation v. Brock Lesnar?) has made it clear that, if the WWF legal team cannot provide an argument for Brock Lesnar to be held to honor his no-compete clause (signed per his release to pursue a football career), that the judge will rule in favor of Brock. That would mean ... Brock Lesnar would be free and clear to wrestle in any American Venue (TNA) that he felt would showcase (TNA) his talents best (TNA).
The argument from WWF must be made by Jan 25. The BROCK CLOCK~! iz ticking!!!!111onehundredeleven
The Wrestler Of The Week honorable mention goes to:
MARK HENRY
When I was younger, I used to love battle royals. I liked any match where you put all the wrestlers together and just had 'em go at it, usually fighting over some trophy or money or - on rare, spectacular occasions - a title belt. I think it was the thrill of wrestlers meeting unknown opponents. I mean, really, how often was Bad News Brown going to meet Bret Hart, anyway?
However, it wasn't long that I started noticing that all battle royals consisted of, were worked punches and kicks, while pretending to push some guy over the top rope while really holding him in the ring so that he could be eliminated in the proper order as it was written. So, I turned to tournaments soon after for my wrestlers-fighting-unfamiliar-opponents fix.
The Royal Rumble changed all that. Something about the Rumble almost felt like special moments were destined to happen. The story told by Piper & Flair in RR '92 ... the elimination of Hogan by Sid Vicious, setting up Wrestlemania VIII ... Big Van Vader debuting in RR '96, and his first elimination (Flash Funk), where he caught Funk in a crossbody attempt and just threw Funk from center ring over the top rope to the floor behind ... Austin sitting on the turnbuckles at RR '97, checking his non-watch to see when the next victim would come to the ring ... the finisher melee against the big show by his opponents in RR '04 ... Lesnar eliminating Goldberg ... the Raw vs. Smackdown staredown from last year. Great moments, all.
Mizark~! was the one doing the dirty deeds dirt cheap at that Smackdown battle royal on Friday. He really looked like world champ material; his eliminations were brutal. He took Bobby Lashley to school. He almost killed Brian Kendrick. He almost eliminated Angle by injury. He and Rey Misterio worked extremely well together (considering the "David vs. Goliath" bullshit). He even looked good against Angle.
Mark Henry isn't exactly a guy you think of when you think "great match," but big man worked his ass of in that one, he did.
Our second runner-up is:
(tie) ABYSS/SAMOA JOE
Both guys went out, looked strong against their opponents on Impact last night, and they go into Final Resolution against Rhino & Christopher Daniels (respectively) thirsty for blood.
Yeah, yeah, "but Nate, you're a Samoa Joe mark." But hey, the guy's gold in the ring, man. ROH Champion for what, almost two years? I've got a lot of the shows from 2004, and he's incredible, doing shit that someone his size has no business doing. Plus, he proved last week that he gives great mic. Watch him work ... you tell me. TNA World champ before 2007 ... mark my words.
Our first runner-up:
EDGE
Alright, his fucking Lita in her man-gina aside, I bet Matt Hardy was almost wrist-slasherville after New Year's Revolution Sunday. Honestly, I don't know who to applaud more, Edge or the folks who write this shit.
Edge's victory started off the series of events that made this a pretty good week of wrestling. When I heard about the victory, I thought there was no way that Edge would win; Cena'd pull the superman victory & we'd forget about Edge being MITB holder for 2005. But then, son-of-a-bitch, he comes out, capitalizes on Cena's vulnerability after one of the more brutal gimmick matches in WWF now (but hey, the HITC makes people kill themselves!), and damned if Adam Copeland doesn't walk out the WWF champion.
Hey, Beau, Edge called, said he was still waiting for your legal team to call.
And, your SGM Wrestler Of The Week, for the week of Jan 8 - 15 2006, is:
KURT ANGLE
Hey, logic be damned! I have no idea why Angle all of a sudden jumped to Smackdown, and I have no idea what's going to happen in the advertised match between Michaels & Angle on the next episode of Raw. But I know this: Angle/Benoit for the World title at WM 22 would be probably the best match ever, between the two. And the crowd loved seeing Angle back in his old stomping grounds. When he rolled back in the ring after his win, the crowd wasn't chanting "You suck! ... You suck!" They were chanting "Angle! ... Angle!"
And how fitting, that the championship reigns of the two wrestlers who won their belts at the same PPV should end on the same week. Odd that WWF would go for such a relatively drastic change to their product like that. Actually makes me intrigued to see Royal Rumble 2006.
So, who's buying?
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