The Champ is Awesome!

Welcome to another edition of the Daily Slam! Survivor Series is over and the landscape has changed dramatically in the WWE. The Miz cashes in, King of the Ring tournament is set for next week, LayCool is missing something, and John Cena says goodbye. Plenty of things to get to so let's get started...

Just when you thought the WWE was going to put the strap around Wage Barrett's waist they throw a curve ball into the mix. The awesome one cashed in his MITB briefcase and took the gold from Orton to become the new WWE Champion. The former reality star has been getting a lot of media coverage with his win and I think it's well deserving. Him winning the title has had mixed reactions from the fans. I am on the positive side of this decision from the creative team. It's good to see someone how has had to work his way up the ladder and prove himself not only to the fan base but the veterans in the locker room. He doesn't fit that usual champion mold which is why him winning is great for the business. It appears that Morrison is turning more and more into the Jannetty of the former tag team of Miz n' Morrison. The Awesome one is the new top dog on Raw and I can't wait for his first promo.

On Raw, there were qualifying matches for next week's 3 hour KOTR Raw special. The participant are Morrison, Daniel Bryan, Big Zeke, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, Kofi Kingston, Drew McIntyre, and Cody Rhodes. I could see any one of these superstars winning the crown to be honest. Del Rio sticks out the most in being able to use the win to propel his character to the next heel level. To be honest, I'm disappointed that Swagger is not able to win cause he would be my first choice out of the entire roster. Should be a good tournament non the less and I'm just glad they brought it back.


Diva Break...

The beautiful duo of Layla and Michelle McCool were denied access to Raw because they no longer hold the unified Divas title. Nattie Neidhart won the title at Survivor Series with some help from good friend Beth Phoenix. I'm glad to see Beth's return and I hope that her and Natalya get to tag together on SD to spruce up that division. I'm sure Layla and McCool will be looking to regain their gold so I'm sure we will get to see some good rematches.

The big buzz on Raw was about John Cena's departure from WWE. Since he rewarded Orton the title and not Barrett, Cena has been fired from the company. At first I believed that he would be taking some time off. Maybe even until after Royal Rumble but just in time for WrestleMania. But apparently Cena announced on his twitter account that he bought tickets for the Raw show next week in Philly. If his interference during the title match on Raw was any indication, his feud with Barrett is far from over, an employee of the 'E or not. I'm guessing he will be sitting ring side and taunt the Nexus members all night. Also the WWE has been advertising a "Juan Cena" on upcoming house shows. Would Cena put on a lucha libre type of mask so he can stay on Raw? I honestly don't hate that idea. To be honest, it sounds hilarious.

Until Next Time...

... I'm Just Sayin!

Survivor Series Prediction

Welcome to my pay per view prediction for the annual fall classic, Survivor Series. This ppv was on the chopping block but is now the host of the biggest storyline of 2010. Here are my predictions on the current card for this Sunday.

John Morrison vs. Sheamus
These two should be in a traditional survivor series match but atleast it's some way to get them on the card. Morrison needs a good push to the main event level and maybe a feud with Sheamus is a way to do it. No matter what the outcome is, these two need to be injected back into the title picture in some capacity. A win here helps Morrison more than it would help Sheamus.
Winner- John Morrison

WWE United States Championship Match
Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Ted DiBiase (w/Maryse)
A throw together match last minute for the 2nd most prestigious title on Raw. Stupid booking on the part of creative team. Bryan was supposed to feud with CM Punk before he was injured but having DiBiase inserted is ridiculous. At least have a #1 contender match to somewhat make it more deserving. No way does Bryan lose this match.
Winner- Daniel Bryan

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler (c)r vs. Kaval
The season two winner of NXT will take his title shot against the man who has perfect the sleeper hold. After watching a couple of Ziggler/Bryan matches recently, Kaval & Dolph should not disappoint. I'm a little torn of who should win here. On one hand, Ziggler has brought some good attention to the IC Championship but now it's time he moves on to the main picture. Kaval needs to hold a title to get some credibility in the WWE. If they don't have anything for Dolph in the near future than I would prefer he hold onto his gold.
Winner- Dolph Ziggler

2 on 1 Handicap Match for WWE Unified Diva's Championship
Michelle McCool & Layla (c) vs. Natalya
I've been picking her to win the Divas title for the past few pay per views and she always disappoints. Is this third times a charm? I hope so. With the Hart Dynasty splitting up, there is no need for Nattie to pick sides if she is the Divas champ and defending her title all the time. Double sharpshooter for the win.
Winner- Natalya

WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Nexus (Justin Gabriel & Heath Slater) vs. Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov
One of the most bizarre tag title matches in a long time. the Nexus duo should win here but if not I wouldn't be all that suprised. Just the thought of Koslov and Santino holding the titles makes me laugh which might be what creative is after.
Winner- Gabriel & Slater

Team Del Rio vs. Team Mysterio
Alberto Del Rio, Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre, "Dashing" Cody Rhodes & Tyler Reks vs. Rey Mysterio, The Big Show, Kofi Kingston, M.V.P & Chris Masters
The one and only traditional tag team elimination match on the card. Looks like a good match-up of good guys vs bad guys. I see this coming down to Mysterio & Del Rio with Mysterio picking up the victory.
Winner- Rey Mysterio 

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Kane (c) vs. Edge
It's good to see the Ultimate Opportunist back to his old tricks. Even though Kane has been on such a hot streak as of late, Edge has the upper hand going into this match. With the distraction of Edge kidnapping Paul Bearer I think this is where Kane loses the gold. He was supposed to drop the belt to Taker but due to an injury that wasn't possible. I see Edge winning here and there being a 4 way ladder match at TLC next month.
Winner- Edge

WWE Championship Match (Free or Fired, Win by Pin-Fall or Submission Only)
Randy Orton (c) vs. Wade Barrett (w/ John Cena as Special Guest Referee)
A match full of stipulations. No Disqualification! No count out! Nexus banned from ringside! How is it possible for Barrett to win? Oh yea, he has an ace up his sleeve. If John Cena wants to keep his job then he must award Wade Barrett the WWE Championship. If Cena screws Orton from his gold then he will be relinquished from being Barrett's lackey for good. Thus will be a match full of close calls and most likely some outside interference. Even though Nexus is banned, I see the Miz getting involved in some capacity. I don't know if allowing Cena to be fired (kayfabe) is a good choice due to how the general audience would react. My prediction is that somehow Orton gets knocked out by outside interference which allows Barrett to pick up the win.
Winner- Wade Barrett

Raw Goes Old School

Welcome to another end of the work week edition of the Daily Slam! The WWE is at the beginning of the WrestleMania long hall. After this Sunday there is only 3 pay per views until the grand daddy of them all. Things will sure to be heating up in the next couple of months before the 'E heads to Atlanta. While we still have some time til then, this week the WWE held the first ever Old School Raw. The Nexus tag team got #1 contenders, Daniel Bryan faced Jack Swagger with some good ol' commentary, and Piper's Pit had some main event guests. All this and much more so let's get started...

The inevitable happened on Raw. The Hart Dynasty finally came to a crashing halt. Tyson Kidd turned on his best friends and looks to be going after that heel image. This is a bad bad move to split one of the few legit tag teams but I like Kidd being the heel coming out of this for now. Remember that when they started together, they were a heel team. I'm curious to see how these two do in single form.

Speaking of tag teams, Vladimir Koslov and Santino beat the Usos to become the new #1 contenders for the tag titles this Sunday at Survivor Series against Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater. With such a small list of possible opponents for the current champs, I don't mind the goofy team of Vlad/Santino getting a shot. I don't see the Nexus duo losing but winning might be because of some outside interference.

The match of the night on Raw was Swagger vs Bryan. Then you throw Jim Ross on the commentary and it's the greatest thing possible on free tv. It was a good back and forth match with Daniel Bryan winning with a brutal kick to Jack's head. I hope these two are on the same show in the very near future because more matches between them will show how good technical wrestling can be.

Divas Break...

Piper's Pit was featured at the end of Raw and had some great dynamics. Rowdy Roddy Piper made the main event for Survivor Series look more important than the creative team has for the past three weeks. Piper told Cena that by him handing Barrett the belt, it's like a slap in the face to all the older wrestlers who never held the prestigious WWE Championship. All the dynamics between Piper, Orton, Cena, and Barrett made the Survivor Series ppv sound worth the money alone. At the end of the segment, Orton gave Cena an RKO but was hit but John's Attitude Adjustment following. Cena then gave Barrett one as well to end the show. What will Cena end up doing as the guest referee this Sunday?

In some TNA Wrestling news, Eric Young has signed a new contract with the company which is a wise choice on TNA's part. He may not be main event level yet but when you have a roster full of old timers, his time to shine is inevitable. Lacey Von Erich has asked for her release from the company which makes me sad. One of the hottest knockouts apparently wasn't too happy with her progress and wants to try other venues. Also, last night on Impact current TNA Champ Jeff Hardy defeated Raven which means he is now fired from the company. I am really starting to enjoy Jeff's new heel gimmick and I'm a little disappointed that the 'E didn't try this out.

Until Next Time...

I'm Just Sayin!

A-List in Hot Water

Welcome to this weeks edition of The Daily Slam! We are coming to the end of the 2nd week in November which means Survivor Series is only 9 days away. This weeks topics include "A-List" Otunga facing John Cena, The Nexus took on Team Orton, MVP has a shot at gold, and departures from the business. Roll the banner...

Apparently David Otunga aka A-List aka Mr. Jennifer Hudson is testing the water of becoming a leader in the Nexus clan. He lead the group to SmackDown last week and was successful at beating down individuals but fell short to win a team vs team match. On Raw, Barrett was none to happy with Otunga's efforts so he threw him into a match against other Nexus member John Cena. John won the match easily leaving Barrett to the decision of giving Otunga one last shot. A-List faces Edge on SD tonight and if he loses, he will be kicked out of the Nexus faction. Even if Otunga beats Edge, there is a lot of tension building up with Barrett and Otunga and it will be interesting to see if David lashes out. He could even cost the bare knuckle brawler his shot at the WWE title.

Speaking of those who wear a big N on their chest, they took on Randy Orton and a team hand picked by the anonymous general manager. The Nexus won but only because of betrayal involving The Miz. The current MITB holder gave the current champ a skull crushing finale allowing Barrett to pick up the victory. The Miz shows once again that he is the top heel and that his mind is on the gold at all times. Even if Barrett wins the title at Survivor Series, he lose it seconds later to a weasel lurking around the corner in Mike Mizanin. Also, the new stipulations for the WWE Championship match at Survivor Series are win by pin-fall or submission only. Has Barrett ever showed any form of submission maneuvers in the past? Hell his finishing move is weak so his submission moves should be something interesting to see.

Diva Break...

Just when you thought things were looking down for the "ballin" one on the blue brand, he gets some new theme music and now a shot at Intercontinental gold. MVP hasn't been on the receiving end of wins as of late so it's good to see him get a new shot at something and even a single ppv match. I can see him and Ziggler having some good back and forth matches so Dolph possibly losing the title to MVP at Survivor Series wouldn't be a bad thing since a rematch is a given.

Some off screen news this week; William Regal made an announcement overseas that his time in the ring is coming to a close soon. He through out that word "maybe" but I feel its inevitable. With all this young talent being brought in, someone like Regal is being lost in the mix. I don't remember the last time he had an actual one on one match on Raw. If Superstars had its own roster he would be the face of it that's for sure. With CM Punk being sidelined due to injury it appears that Sir William is being placed into a feud with his protege Daniel Bryan. I can't express how excited I am to see these two square off for hopefully a good 15 min match. If Regal is looking at hanging up his boots, I imagine he will stick around the WWE and help develop young stars. If tough enough does return, he should be the first person considered to be a coach.

Another person that has been let go by TNA due to contract talks. Eric Young has left the company and maybe heading to the indy circuit or RoH I would imagine. The WWE might be a good fit for Mr. Young even though they'd repackage him with some crazy name. I always thought Eric has good ring presence but was always misused with some stupid TNA creative direction. He should tell Desmond Wolfe to leave TNA and those two join CM Punk & Daniel Bryan in the 'E as a new 4 person stable. Oh how I could only see greatness coming from that idea.

Last thing on my mind is next week's "Old School" Raw. The WWE is bring back the old theme and some old faces to the Monday night show. There are many confirmed guests but I have my own list of hopefuls such as Jake "the Snake" Roberts, The Brooklyn Brawler, and last but not least....Sid Vicious. I will mark out if any of those 3 appear on my tv screen.

Well that's it for this week. Until Next Time...

... I'm Just Sayin!

Special Guest Referee

Welcome to another edition of the self proclaimed greatest column written on this blog, The Daily Slam! After a one week hiatis, I am back with another week ending post with my thoughts on the current state of the wresting entertainment industry (mostly WWE). The main focus this week is John Cena's big dilemma going into Survivor Series, the Hart Dynasty's fall from grace, Lita makes a teeny-tiny-pee-wee return, and Vince wakes up from his coma. All this and maybe a little a bit more..... roll the banner!

Heading into one of the original "four big ones" pay per views, Survivor Series, we have a match of epic proportions. If you thought John Cena being in Wade Barrett's corner at Bragging Rights was bad enough for current WWE Champion Randy Orton then shit just hit the fan. Cena has been assigned to be Special Guest Referee for the Barrett/Orton rematch which entails some extra motivation for Cena to help the leader of Nexus. If Wade wins the gold then Cena is vanquished of his current duties to the Nexus faction and can be on his merry little way. On the flip side, if Orton retains the title then Cena will be fired on the spot via Wade Barrett. Not sure why Wade has that kind of control but apparently he is the all mighty ruler when it comes to John's contract. I thought he was just his slave but apparently he has Cena's job in his hands as well. Definitely makes for an interesting concept.

With this Nexus is in charge of Cena storyline and being somewhat in control of what happens a lot on Raw, it makes me curious as to who the mystery GM is and why he/she allows it to continue. I am beginning to think that the anonymous person will be revealed soon and I have a hunch as to who the person will be. She goes by the name of Stephanie McMahon. Her and her hubby, Triple H, have been off of tv for quite some time now and their return should be approaching shortly. I don't see the Game sitting out of the major pay per views coming up such as Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. I think Steph will reveal herself as the GM and HHH will be standing next to her proclaiming that he was also pulling the strings. This could lead to the story of they were responsible for Nexus attacking Vince resulting in his coma and also taking out the Undertaker. Could we get Taker vs Triple H at Mania? Maybe Jericho returns and reveals them to be the GM's since he said he knew who it was before his departure setting up a HHH vs Jericho match. Ponder this for a second.... on Raw, after Vince's sudden awake from his coma they show Steph waking up from a terrible dream that was what we just witnessed with Vince. Triple H assured her that her father was still brain dead and she seemed happy about that. Looks like the start of a Steph/HHH heel story to me.

Speaking of bizarre things to happen on Raw, Pee Wee Herman was the guest host, him and the divas played twister, and Big Show is apparently his cousin who dresses like him. Okay none of those are actually bizarre enough to top the return of Lita. Yes one of the greatest divas/woman wrestlers in the industry made a quick cameo along side Pee Wee. It was the "WTF" moment of the week and it has people speculating on a possible return. Could Lita bring some much needed spark to the Divas division? Is this Vince's way of saying TNA can have Mickie James cause Lita is back? Or was this a one shot deal for some quick cash? I'm banking on option three (no pun intended) since the divas division is nothing like it was when Lita was there and Mickie serves no threat to the WWE by joining TNA. I'd love to see a return by the high flying diva but I'm not about to get my hopes up.

Diva Break...

The rise and fall of the Hart Dynasty is a short lived tale. Uncle Bret helped them reach the top of the mountain and win the unified tag team titles but now Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith are on different wave lengths. Honestly I don't know which one is leaning more towards the heel side since they both could play that role well. I'd prefer Kidd since he'd probably end up being a jobber as a face. This is the worst possible timing to split up the only real tag team on the roster but it appears that Vince is on a one way course to end the tag team division all together. Make me miss the good old days of the Headbangers, Legion of Doom, New Age Outlaws, the Acolytes, the Hardyz.... I could go on for awhile but you get my point. We live in a time where teams are just thrown together at random and hope it makes for a good showing. At least the Harts were the last to hold the true WWE tag titles. 

Some sad news recently reported is that CM Punk is going to be out of action for about 3 months while recovering from a hip injury. Terrible timing for the Straight Edge superstar seeing that he was looking for a fresh start on Raw after being traded from SD. Looks like the Punk/Bryan possible feud will be put on hold. I'd rather see it at Mania anyways.

In some TNA Wrestling news, it seems that they are finally seeing the potential that Matt Morgan has by placing him in the championship bout this Sunday against the newly crowned Jeff Hardy. On no level do I believe Morgan has a shot at winning the gold but it's still nice to see them making some positive moves. Most likely we will see some sort of interference to help Jeff win the match to help push the Hardy heel persona. Also Kevin Nash looks to be out of TNA and looking right back at his old stomping grounds. He tweeted some interesting comments as of late to insinuate his desire to return. He posted "Vince let me in the Rumble if I win i get taker at mania. If I lose I’ll join the kiss your ass club the next raw…………….DEAL?" I'm all for a Nash return but only for the reason that WrestleMania is in Atlanta this year. I do not wish to see him getting title shots mid summer. Too many young stars need the spotlight right now.

That is all for this week. Until next time....

.... I'm Just Sayin!