Sporting Lisbon have rejected an offer from Liverpool for their highly-rated defender Nuno Mendes, according to a Portuguese journalist.
The 18-year-old has performed really well for Sporting Lisbon of late, making him one of the highest-rated young players in Portugal.
He made nine senior appearances for them last season, and he has already broken into Portugal’s under-21 side.
EVERYBODY LOVES: Robbie Keane was an under-appreciated Emerald genius
Mendes has started in all but one of Sporting Lisbon’s Primeira Liga outings this term, with the Portuguese side currently sitting top of the league with ten wins and two draws.
Leicester City and Arsenal have been previously linked with Mendes, while reports back in September last year claimed the Sporting Lisbon full-back’s agent had been contacted by Liverpool.
And now Goal journalist Bruno Andrade (via Sport Witness) claims that Liverpool have had a €25m offer ‘rejected’ by the Portuguese giants.
Despite that knock-back, the Reds are still ‘strongly interested’ in the youngster but now face ‘competition’ from La Liga outfit Real Madrid.
The report adds that Sporting ‘does not intend to sell the 18-year-old left-back for less than’ €40m.
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he and owners Fenway Sports Group are on the same page when it comes to transfer business in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Klopp said: “In good times everyone thinks our owners are really generous – ‘My God, big signings, whatever’ – and in bad times everyone thinks they are really tight – maybe because they are from a different country – but they are not, they are absolutely concerned about the club and success of the club.
“And that is an understanding how we have it. They see exactly the same things I see about necessity of players and stuff – it’s not that I say ‘By the way a centre-half would be really nice’ and they say ‘Wow, a centre-half. Really? Why?’.
“It is all clear, all on the table, we work on that. It is the situation and on top of that we have January, not the easiest transfer window, having not the money exactly like we want.
“It is a window where other clubs say ‘No, we have enough (money) to survive’ so we don’t do anything on our targets.
“It is nothing to do with worrying (about whether it affects their chances of defending their title) or not. These are the facts.
“My job is to deal with the circumstances which I always do. If the world would be in a completely normal place, we would try everything to do the right stuff now but the world is not in a normal place so I don’t know why we constantly try to treat the football like it is independent of other issues around.”
Eric Bischoff has finally responded to Scott Steiner’s numerous messages on Twitter over the past month blasting him and TNA Wrestling.
After “Big Poppa Pump” wrote Thursday afternoon on the social networking website, “At Shoney’s to Go Grand Opening in Buford….awesome food,” the TNA Wrestling executive responded, “50+ year old man pitching greasy fried chicken in Buford and wrestling indys in front of 250 fans…bitter?”
Bischoff feels it’s ironic that Steiner complains about young talent not rising in TNA Wrestling while simultaneously ripping his 28-year-old wrestler son Garrett: “Its hard for some guys to move over and let the younger talent rise. Irony? One of Scotts bitches in his 20’s and 30’s.”
Bischoff then retweeted comments on his timeline with an anti-Steiner stance, many of which accuse him of drug abuse.
“@ScottSteiner @HulkHogan @EBischoff Steiner’s bitter. He’d be there tomorrow if he were called upon. His matches were slow and boring anyway.”
“@ScottSteiner U must have a sad fuckin life if all u do is waffle on about @HulkHogan and @EBischoff all day on this #steroidjunkie.”
“@ScottSteiner You’re tweets make as much sense as your promos did… In other words, you’re a babbling, old, drug abusing fool @EBischoff.”
“@ScottSteiner Get a life you complete tit, Spending all day going on about @EBischoff and @HulkHogan get some respect.”
“@EBischoff Scott Steiner sounds like a disgruntled ex girlfriend!”
“@EBischoff don’t listen to the dabbling jealous wreck that is @scottsteiner, WWE needs to offer him the ex-employees the wellness rehab.”
“@EBischoff it would appear that Scott steiner has his head in his ass, as well as a needle.”
A Twitter user also wrote, “@EBischoff I bet if Hulk sold used toilet paper, it would triple the sales of @ScottSteiner merchandise. Bischoff responded, “Thats being generous. Be kind to Scott. His AARP card is active and it’s an adjustment for him.”
Bischoff also took aim at Shane Douglas, who has accused the TNA Wrestling executive off of “killing pro wrestling” in multiple interviews: “It takes a while…but eventually they get it. Shane is a loud mouth never-been, never will be, bitter old man trying to relive.”
Photo – WWE Diva gets cozy with John Laurinaitis at WrestleMania party
Shortly before Extreme Reunion, Shane Douglas appeared on Inside The Ropes to discuss TNA Wrestling, Sabu’s personal problems, Ric Flair almost joining ECW in 1998 and more. Highlights are as follows:
Wiping the mat with the WWF in the 1990s: “If we’d had a backer like Panda Energy or Ted Turner, I think….no I know we’d have wiped the mat with the WWF. Paul Heyman was that talented a booker and our dressing room was that talented. Vince McMahon ripped everything off from us. He’ll tell you he didn’t but it’s as blatant as the nose on my face.”
Sabu: “I remember in 1993, sitting in the back watching him, I’d never met him. He hit a triple moonsault, I jumped out of my seat as a fan, I’ve always been a huge mark for Sabu. I spent this past weekend with Sabu and he’s been going through a tough time recently with his family and his wife and things. I’ve heard all sorts of horror stories about Sabu that he turns up at shows not able to perform.”
How TNA Wrestling creatively handles their talent: “I look at Dixie’s dressing room and you have Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, they had Petey Williams. I’m a mark for those guys. That said, I’m anything but a mark…. I’m a critic for the way that talent has been used. I hope that in a year from now, I’ll be able to say I’m booking for the Bobby Roodes, AJ Styles and Samoa Joes as opposed to having to sit back and watch them being mis-used by a company that just doesn’t get it.”
Difference between ECW and TNA Wrestling: “Without going into my whole TNA rant, she’s over $150 million in the red, has nothing to show for it. Hasn’t produced one bankable star in 7 years. The original ECW on the other hand launched in 1993, spent $8.27 million dollars, and in 7 years how many bankable stars did ECW, Paul Heyman create? Dixie was onto a decent idea and then instead of going with what could have given her Dad some return on his money, she went with the whole Hulk Hogan/Ric Flair routine. My personal differences aside with those guys, the fact that in 2012, we’re still talking about the guys that headlined wrestling in 1984, is laughable at best, sad at worst.”
His promo work being copied by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin Austin (obscenity laced spiels) and CM Punk (worked shoots): “Well to say it’s not true would be ignorant. The fact I’ve carved out a niche in the business and had an almost 30 year career and done well without competing at a WrestleMania is something I’m proud of. To be in a business that’s dominated by one guy and be able to do well without having to walk on that stage is great.”
Why he left his successful run in ECW in 1995 for WWF as Dean Douglas: “The way it was pitched to me isn’t the way it played out. It took 7 or 8 trips up there for me to sign. There was something in the back of my gut that told me it wasn’t the right fit. I no desire to leave ECW but in 95, I was reaching my mid 30’s I’d been the World Champ multiple times…I’d pretty much done everything in ECW, all I could do is repeat. That was one of the reasons I didn’t wanna miss an opportunity to make a living for my family. The last time I went there, I took my ex-wife with me, and I was working as a teacher 5 days making good money and making pretty good money the two nights a week working for ECW, she looked McMahon in the eye and said “What could you possibly offer my husband to make him leave all that and being home in bed with me every night?” and he leaned across the table and he stroked her hand and said “You have my word as a gentleman that I’ll make your husband a very wealthy man” He went on to tell me “its not uncommon for someone in the position we’re putting you in to earn $300,000 a year minimum base salary” I spoke to Piper, Hennig etc and they said Vince told them the same thing and they got rich. I called home one night and my wife said the cheques hadn’t been great and she said they all came to $1400 and I told her to add them up and she said that was them all added up.”
Whether he was comfortable with his feud with Ric Flair being put on television in 2000 in WCW?: “Hell Yeah. If a company is investing a seven figure income to me, which Bischoff did for me for three years, but I’ll go into any situation in the ring. I’m a professional.”
Ric Flair negotiating with ECW in 1998: “Flair had started discussions with ECW when he had his problems with Bischoff, about working with me. His concern to Paul Heyman was, that I would shoot on him. He wanted $150,000 for one match which we couldn’t possibly afford that. So I suggested to Paul, offer back to him, 3 shows, first one in Charlotte. I put him over, 55 minutes. Second, Pittsburgh he puts me over, same time frame. Third time in Philadelphia, I have no doubts that promoted well, we could’ve sold the Spectrum out.”
Quick Fire Thoughts
Triple H: An overachiever. He doesn’t seem to have the skillset to get to the position he’s at. But in saying that he’s a good ring general and I think he’s the one guy in the locker room that could’ve worked in the original ECW.
Bret Hart: He’s one of those guys, he’s the universe’s Ric Flair. When I met Flair, he fell far short of a hero or someone to look up to. When I met Bret, I was shocked at what a down to earth guy he was and just worked his tail to get to where he was.
Dixie Carter: Way out of her league.
Hulk Hogan: He’s the phenomenon that he’s believed to be. I do believe Hogan is as big an icon in our business. He always made sure he left time for the kids at Make a Wish Foundation.
* CHYNA Gets More PLASTIC SURGERY: Shocking Pictures Of Her New Face
– WWE United States Champion Santino Marella wrote on Twitter that he’s been working with a sore back.
– Alberto Del Rio, replacing the the suspended Rey Mysterio, is currently in Tokyo, Japan doing promotional work for WWE. Del Rio will be attending a baseball Hanshin Tigers baseball game on Saturday in Shibuya, Japan and will be shooting t-shirts into the crowd. Later in the day, he’ll have an autograph signing at the Tower Records in Shibuya.
– The WWE Youtube channel has posted the following video looking at the most devastating slaps in WWE history:
* VIDEO of The First “REVOLUTION IS COMING” Viral Campaign
Welcome to Canton’s Corner. I’ve got Smackdown likes/dislikes, the Twitter Ten with more than ten questions because I enjoy it so much, a preview of TNA’s Sacrifice PPV on Sunday, the Random Clip of the Week and Melo Man brings us home as always. This is what happens when I write most of it on a Friday instead of rushing myself on Saturday when I don’t always feel like writing.
Before we begin with the written part of the column, I did an interview on TalkSPORT radio in the UK with Joe Amphlett. It’s a 10 minute segment where I talked about WWE, Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, rising stars and more. The link to it is RIGHT HERE so click on that in another window, then come back and read the column as you listen. It’s some highly productive multi-tasking if I do say so myself. I’ll definitely be on the show again soon.
We’re skipping over Raw because I already wrote about it and there’s really not anything I need to add to it, so let’s jump right into Smackdown.
Smackdown Likes & Dislikes
Once again I have five likes and five dislikes from Smackdown this week. This isn’t a full recap of the show. It’s not even in order of the events on the show. It’s just a series of thoughts on the key moments from this week’s telecast.
Like – The brawl that ended the Jericho/Del Rio vs. Sheamus/Orton tag match
I loved this brawl to end the match. It was nice to see the tag match disintegrate because neither guy likes their partners and they all want what Sheamus has, the World Title. The brawl made sense. It would have been even better if that was the ending of the show. A wild brawl to end Smackdown would have made people more interested to see what will happen on Raw. Instead, we didn’t have to wait too long.
Dislike – Doing two singles matches after the tag match to open the show
After the tag match, we got an Orton/Del Rio singles match at the top of hour two (typically the second biggest match of the show) and also Sheamus/Jericho, which was the main event. It felt like they went through two weeks of angles in one show. As a result, everything else in the show felt very rushed. Having four guys work twice in the same show is very rare. They could have placed the singles matches on Monday’s Raw to space them out a bit. Rushing angles aren’t a positive thing. They’re a sign of short sighted booking.
It should be noted too that last week they had Sheamus and Daniel Bryan working twice as well. Is that going to be a regular thing? It’s okay once in a while. Not every week.
Like – Ryback squashed Heath Slater
It was nice to see Ryback destroy somebody that wasn’t an unknown jobber. Slater is a known jobber. Maybe I just put it as a “like” because I’m anti-Heath Slater? It could be that. You decide. It was also a match between two former original Nexus members although we’re probably not allowed to remember that Ryback was formerly named Skip Sheffield. Yep yep what it do! I feel weird just typing that. Google it if you don’t know what I mean.
Dislike – Three disqualification finishes on the same show
We get it, WWE. You want to protect Sheamus, Orton, Jericho and Del Rio to the point that you didn’t want any of them to lose cleanly on Smackdown this week. Jericho pinned Sheamus on Raw, but on this show none of them took a loss. Instead, there were three disqualifications during their matches.
The positive thing out of all this? At least they didn’t book that “heel walks out of the match” finish they did on Raw and last week’s Smackdown. That’s refreshing.
Like – Life in the tag team division again
Slowly but surely, the tag team division is gaining steam. They announced that Kofi Kingston & R-Truth (I’m calling them The Boom Jimmy’s) would be defending the tag titles against Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger (Zigswag) and they had Truth beat Swagger to get payback for Ziggler over Kingston on Raw. I was fine with all of this. At least they’re doing something productive with Ziggler and Swagger, so that’s good.
In addition to that match, the “new” Smackdown team of Darren Young & Titus O’Neil soundly defeated Santino (the forgotten US Champion) & Zack Ryder in tag team competition. Then they got a chance to show some personality after it was over. Wow. Wrestlers with gimmicks? That’s a nice change. They bragged about their win and said the difference between them and the others is millions of dollars. It’s nice to have goals. It’s also nice that there are actual tag teams. With Kingston/Truth, Primo/Epico, Usos, Zigswag, Young/O’Neil and the Kidd/Gabriel team back in action when Justin heals from injury it looks like we’re actually getting a division again. I’m all for it.
Dislike – Big Show is the world’s biggest apologist
Why is Big Show such a wimp when it comes to John Laurinaitis? We’ve seen CM Punk and John Cena stand up to the guy repeatedly, but the 400 pound guy that’s the biggest man on the roster is a weak man when it comes to authority figures. He apologized to Eve on Raw. Then on Smackdown, after John Laurinaitis screwed him out of a loss to Daniel Bryan (the infamous “ring the bell” angle), Big Show again looked like a wimp.
There has to be a payoff here. My guess is Big Show turns heel at Over The Limit, becomes the muscle behind Laurinaitis and helps him beat John Cena. I realize that they have Tensai in the role in some ways, but I think Big Show being the permanent bodyguard of Laurinaitis, so to speak, would be a good spot for him. Plus, I’ve always liked Show more as a heel.
Like – Daniel Bryan
What can I say? He’s a like every week. After AJ beat Kaitlyn in less than one minute, Bryan went to the ring, talked to his ex-girlfriend AJ and then told her that he was so impressed that he was going to go after her former best friend Kaitlyn now! I love how much of a jerk Bryan is. I’m still waiting for AJ to cost him a big match, but I think that could happen at Over The Limit although I’d prefer it if Punk vs. Bryan was clean. He also “beat” Big Show thanks to Laurinaitis ringing the bell as soon as the Yes Lock was applied. Then he celebrated as if it was a legit victory. He might be the best performer in the company right now.
Dislike – Michael Cole dancing
Never show that again. Please. Thank you. If you missed it be thankful for that. I wish I did.
Like – No backstage acting segments
I don’t remember the last time there was a Raw or Smackdown where there were no acting segments backstage. There were clips of guys walking to the ring and Damien Sandow did one of his typical promos in the backstage area, but no segments where performers are talking to eachother backstage or anything like that. Is this going to be a new thing? I doubt it. I’m guessing it happened simply because they threw ten matches on the card and there was no time for anything backstage. I’m fine with no “sketches” on the show.
Dislike – Ten matches in two hours
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big fan of in-ring action. That’s my thing. It’s what I love the most about professional wrestling (or sports entertainment). However, when you have ten matches in a two hour period and none of those matches get more than nine minutes (Jericho/Sheamus went nearly that long) you’re doing a disservice to the performers. What I usually love about Smackdown is that they tend to have a couple of matches every week that get over ten minutes. They’ll tell a story, the characters will get a good reaction and we’ll usually get a finish. On this show, though, everything felt rushed. It felt like 1999 or 2000 WCW when Vince Russo was booking the shows with too many things going on at once.
Quick Thoughts
– I love that Sheamus continues to sell the arm injury by taping it up. It’s also great that his opponents are targeting it. It’s important that injuries are focused on for weeks at a time. It shouldn’t be a one show thing. Keep them going. It’s also a way for Sheamus to get sympathy heat, so that makes it very worthwhile.
– The ongoing Teddy Long/Aksana saga seems to have ended this week as she proclaimed her love for Antonio Cesaro. Good. Now can we retire Long as a regular on television? I sure hope so.
Overall Thoughts
I’m not sure what was up with some of the things they did this week. Having four guys work twice, booking ten matches in two hours and no backstage segments were all uncharacteristic of what I expect out of Smackdown. I think it’s a case of booking on the fly (obviously since they changed the original World Title match) and trying to get “new” faces on the show. May is usually one of the most poorly booked months in WWE. They’re showing it again. It’s just a matter of getting through it and looking forward to bigger stories down the road.
At least we’re getting Punk vs. Bryan for the WWE Title at Over The Limit next Sunday. See that? I’m always about the positivity.
I’d rate this week’s Smackdown a 5 out of 10.
Twitter Ten
Normally I only post ten questions here. This week you get twelve. You’re welcome.
@Dan_iswinning When do you see Wade Barrett returning and who do you think he’ll work an angle with?
I think he should be ready by June’s No Way Out PPV and if not then July’s MITB PPV. Feud with Sheamus seems likely.
@marcyoung54 When are Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler going to get used better?
I wish I knew the exact date. I think Rhodes is a MITB favorite and Ziggler could thrive if he was on SD more.
@MegaMike89 How would you book CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar?
I would have Lesnar destroy him in their first match, possibly end it by DQ. Then build to a rematch where Punk shows heart, but Lesnar wins. I think Lesnar is going to win a lot of matches when he gets back. It’s smart booking.
@ajrb92 Should the wwe give nxt a title to add something to the show?
I think so, but they’re apparently mixing it with FCW. I’m not sure what’s going to happen. Wait and see on that.
@harry_ramirez Name 5 tag teams you’ll create in WWE to push the division…
They don’t need five new ones. With Primo/Epico, Truth/Kingston, Swagger/Ziggler, Usos, Gabriel/Kidd and Young/O’Neil that’s 6 solid teams. That’s 6 teams. You don’t need that many more after that. Just care about the division, book it smart & it’s okay.
@SophieRichard25 WWE showing pictures of HHH in the boardroom with an armbrace on. Lame attempt to justify his appearance at Mayweather Fight?
It was pretty lame yeah. Better than ignoring it though.
@Harvest_S Will Brock Lesnar wrestle at least one non PPV match this year?
Wrestle at a Raw? Doubt it although I really don’t know. I think it would be smart if they hyped it up for a week or two. Pop a good rating for sure.
@thejvidakovich Who’s getting called up from FCW next, Rollins (Tyler Black) or Ohno (Chris Hero)? Or someone else?
Lots of them are ready, but I think Dean Ambrose or one of the Rotunda boys will be next. All could be on NXT soon too.
@cam_guin With regards to Punk’s beard, do you think wrestlers should change up appearances more regularly, with big feuds etc..?
I think changing the look is smart. Whether it’s growing a beard or changing your hairstyle, it’s cool to change things up.
@MatthewToy What’s next for Punk?
I think the feud with Bryan will result in Punk winning at OTL. Then Lord Tensai vs. Punk is likely.
@Holl1s_9 Will rock return at the rumble to set up his title match? If he does win wwe title how will they make his run work?
I think it’s very possible that Rock wins the Royal Rumble. Not sure how they would make the title run work. Lots of time for that.
@jeffreykeys What’s the point of lesnar and cena having seemingly scripted blood, but keeping rating at PG? Making Raw more edgy?
There are a lot of television shows that have blood with PG ratings. It’s not as big of a deal as most seem to think.
TNA Impact Wrestling Sacrifice PPV Preview
That company known as TNA has a PPV on Sunday night called Sacrifice. Last month’s Lockdown event was considered their second biggest PPV of the year while next month’s Slammiversary event is a celebration of ten years of TNA Wrestling. Perhaps I’ll write a column about their ten years of existence? It might happen. For now, here’s a quick preview of Sunday’s Sacrifice PPV.
TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP: Devon vs. Robbie E & Robbie T
Apparently Devon is such a badass champion that he’s wrestling two guys for the “coveted” title. I’m pretty sure Robbie E has the worst entrance in the history of wrestling and I don’t think Rob Terry has improved at all since he started a few years ago. I’d assume Devon will retain since he hasn’t held the title for that long. I’m surprised they remembered they had this title. What’s next? Are they going to remember that a man is one half of the female tag champs? Nah. That would make sense. Winner: Devon
KNOCKOUTS TITLE: Gail Kim vs. Brooke Tessmacher
Brooke may be one of the best looking women in the history of wrestling. She’s not just wrestling chick hot, but she’s generally hot. One of the best asses I’ve seen too. In the ring, she’s okay. Her match with Velvet Sky on Impact was awful although their dueling ass shake was a great moment. That is not sarcasm. Trust me. It was. Gail’s had a long run as Knockouts champ. I think a loss is possible, but my guess is they save it for Slammiversary next month possibly against Velvet Sky or perhaps in a rematch against Tessmacher. That’s the bigger show, so I’d expect the change there. Winner: Gail Kim
TAG TEAM TITLES: Samoa Joe & Magnus vs. Daniels & Kazarian While TNA’s tag division isn’t as good as it used to be simply because they’ve killed off a lot of the teams, it’s still solid. Joe & Magnus are a good championship team that have quality matches and have good chemistry. It’s just that I still want Joe to be in the main event spot he was in when TNA was at its best. The Daniels & Kazarian team is cool because they’re a couple of guys that always have above average matches. That doesn’t mean they are going to win, though. The champs hold on again. Winners: Samoa Joe & Magnus
Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson
This is a typical TNA “we have nothing for them so let’s put them in a match” story. They’re both babyfaces although Anderson has turned so many times during his TNA run that I never really know anymore. Each guy wants to be a World Title contender, so the win is important. Hardy’s the guy that would probably mean the best business for TNA since he’s the biggest draw in the company, but it’s not like TNA knows how to make money right? So he’s stuck here feuding with Anderson, who wasn’t even booked for several months just because well…we don’t know. Anyway, I’d go with Hardy for the win here in what should be a pretty good match. Winner: Jeff Hardy
Bully Ray vs. X Division Champion Austin Aries
I enjoyed Aries more as a heel, but he’s done fine as a babyface. Along with Kurt Angle and Bobby Roode, he’s one of my favorite male wrestlers in the company. Ray has been fantastic as a heel. He’s even shown that he could do a damn good job of being the World Champ if they wanted to push him that far. When could we ever say that about the guy? He’s earned it with his performance. With that said, I can see this being a two month feud that ends with Aries getting the big win at Slammiversary. In order to get there, I’d expect Ray to win this match by cheating because that’s what bullies do. Winner: Bully Ray
Kurt Angle vs. “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles
You can argue that they’re the two best in-ring performers in the company. Truth be told, Angle is my favorite wrestler in WWE or TNA. I’ve always been a huge fan of the guy. It’s amazing that he’s still putting on these incredible matches on a regular basis. He’s been a heel of late, but it seems like he’s turning face again. Meanwhile, AJ is a face that has been feuding with Daniels for the 437th time in ten years. If it was me booking, I’d have AJ win here and then win the World Title at Slammiversary because a babyface Styles winning the World Title at the 10th anniversary would be fitting. That won’t happen, though. Angle likely gets the win here although I have no idea what the direction is for him going forward. Winner: Kurt Angle
TNA WORLD TITLE LADDER MATCH: Bobby Roode vs. Rob Van Dam
Roode’s done an awesome job as TNA champion. It’s a shame that so many are down on the product (admittedly I am too) because they are missing out on some great heel work by him. His promos are excellent, he carries himself very well and his work in the ring is top notch. Van Dam did this interview two weeks ago where he messed up his line and looked very stoned. I don’t even know if he remembered to say “dude” or not. When you watch Van Dam today don’t compare him to when he was at his peak in the late 90s or early 00s because those days are long gone. He does appear to be motivated again, so that’s a good thing. I’d expect Roode to retain. He likely won’t be dropping the gold here. I could see it at Slammiversary to Hardy or James Storm, who is out resting various injuries these days, but it’s unlikely that RVD will be the guy to beat him. Winner: Bobby Roode
I think it’s a PPV where a lot of things will hold steady. At Slammiversary next month, look for some possible title changes.
To wrap this up have you seen the Hogan video that TNAWrestling’s youtube account posted that has way more dislikes than likes and a lot of negative comments? Pretty funny to read through the comments. Link for that is RIGHT HERE if you’re interested. I’m with those people. I’ve never really been anti-TNA. I’ve watched it for ten years. I’m anti Hogan and Bischoff running a wrestling company. It should not be happening.
Random Clip of the Week
May 19. That’s next Saturday. There won’t be a Canton’s Corner column because I’ll be doing the PPV preview, so I had to mention it this Saturday. In 2006, there was a big angle surrounding the date of May 19th, which just so happened to be the premiere of Kane’s WWE produced movie entitled See No Evil. The May 19th angle led to Kane going crazy whenever anybody mentioned that date. Frankly, it was one of the most clever ways I’ve ever seen any company promote a movie. It wasn’t a great angle, but it wasn’t that bad either. It was smart marketing more than anything. There are a lot of clips that we can share to remember the angle, so I went with the one that is a video package that summarized the angle that also involved Big Show. May 19th. Be afraid. Be very afraid. The video is below.
There are plenty of other May 19 related videos on youtube if you want to seek them out. They’re fun in the “I can’t believe how silly this is” sense.
Melo Out
Greetings and salutations. Man that was such a classy of me to start off that way don’t you think? Well it was yet another average week in the world of wrestling in my opinion. I thought both RAW and Smackdown were just ok with the obvious potential of being great, but then again that is how I usually feel going into a show. One can’t help but try and stay somewhat optimistic right? Right? In last week’s edition of Canton’s Corner, I went on a bit of a rant about how John Cena needs to take some much needed time off because, long story short, his character has gotten really stale as of late. Well as many of you have probably heard by now, John Cena has in fact filed for divorce from his wife Liz. As Goyte would say, now she’s just somebody that he used to know. Such a shame.
I felt bad after reading about it because of how I insisted that he needed to go away and then boom, this happens and it’s like all of a sudden I am buying a crap load of lottery tickets just to see if my luck will last. But just like Super Cena said he was going away at Extreme Rules only to show up the following night on RAW, something tells me even with a possible nasty divorce on the horizon that he still won’t be taking much time off, if any at all. I could go on about this some more and how I feel it is really hurting the product right now but really what’s the point? It’s not like WWE is going to listen. Sure they are giving us Daniel Bryan vs. CM Punk at the next Over The Limit pay per view, but it will still be Monday Night RAW starting John Cena.
While I am still on the topic of Cena, it’s no secret that Darren Young looks identical to him face wise, but is obviously a much darker version for reasons I don’t have to get into. I mentioned on my Twitter (and I quote) “I think every time Darren Young wrestles, fans should chant “Let’s go Cena. HE’S A CLONE!” RT if you agree with Melo Man on this one lol.” I personally think it would be hilarious. Take Cena off television for awhile, have the fans chant Cena during Young’s matches and then have him turn into the new Doctor of Thuganomics. I’m talking about coming out with the throwback jerseys, the steel chain lock, the pumps, even the old school theme music. Have him out of anger completely copy Cena’s old gimmick. Have his finisher be an FU2 but instead of a death valley driver, have it invert into a front power slam or something. Have this go on for months. Heck, give him the U.S title if you want. It doesn’t mean anything anymore anyways. Then have Cena take him out. That’s what I would do. A bit of fantasy booking for you on that one but why not? It’s healthy once in a while.
Agree? Disagree? Leave your comments and feedback. Until next time, sit back, relax and melo out, because that is what wrestling is all about. Steve “The Melo Man” Melo
Facebook: MeloOutTJR
Twitter: @MeloOutTJR
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That’s all for this week. Keep checking out the brand new TJRWrestling.com for daily content from our amazing crew of writers. I’ll be back for what will likely be a live Raw Deal on Monday night once again this week. Check the site to see for sure.
The following is a spoiler-free preview for tonight’s WWE SmackDown broadcast, taped Tuesday night from Hershey, PA. This is the go-home show before Sunday’s WWE Over The Limit pay-per-view:
– World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus vs. Randy Orton
– WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Kane
– United States Champion Santino Marella vs. Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes
– Daniel Bryan vs. Zack Ryder
– Tag Team Champions R Truth & Kofi Kingston vs. Titus O’Neil and Darren Young
The Over The Limit YouTube pre-show is first, featuring Kane vs. Zack Ryder.
Zack Ryder vs. Kane
The pre-show kicks off with Ryder vs. Kane. Solid back and forth match action from both men, with Zack Ryder getting a surprising amount of offense. In the end, Ryder went for the Ruff Ryder, but walked into a chokeslam for the pinfall.
Winner: Kane
Josh Matthews and Matt Striker are ringside and run down the card for tonight. Video package looking at John Laurinaitis’ rise to power and feud with John Cena.
Eve is backstage when Cody Rhodes and Santino walk in with their title belts. The champions argue over which title has a more prestigious legacy. The winner of the People Power Battle Royal tonight will get to challenge for either the Intercontinental or the United States championships tonight. Reks and Hawkins eliminate Zeke together. Jey Uso is eliminated. Drew McIntyre eliminated. Hawkins and Reks eliminated at the same time. Great Khali eliminates Jinder Mahal. Young and Titus throw out Great Khali.
The Over The Limit commentary team of Michael Cole, Booker T and Jerry “The King” Lawler are introduced and come to the ring.
The Battle Royal will be the first match when the pay-per-view goes live at the top of the hour. Cody Rhodes’ music hits and he comes down to the ring to watch the battle royal. Santino is out next to watch as well.
The participants of the Battle Royal come down to the ring: The Great Khali, The Miz, JTG, Ezekiel Jackson, Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks, Michael McGillicutty, Yoshi Tatsu, Tyson Kidd, Jimmy & Jey Uso, Jinder Mahal, Drew McIntyre, Heath Slater, Titus O’Neal & Darren Young, Alex Riley, David Otunga, William Regal and Christian! The pre-show is over and we’re live on pay-per-view.
People Power Battle Royal: Winner Choses To Challenge Either Santino Or Cody Rhodes For Their Title Tonight:
Heath Slater is eliminated first, followed by Michael McGuillicutty. The Usos give JTG a double superkick and he’s eliminated. Drew McIntyre tosses Yoshi Tatsu out. Jimmy Uso throws out Titus O’Neal. Darren Young eliminates Jimmy Uso. Christian throws out William Regal to a huge round of boo’s. The Miz eliminates Darren Young. We’ve got Miz, A-Ry, Otunga, Kidd and Christian left. The Miz eliminates his former protege, Alex Riley. Tyson Kidd tries to skin the cat but The Miz eliminates him. Otunga and Miz agree to work together and eliminate Christian. The heels work him over but Christian gets the upper hand. Christian throws out Otunga and Miz tries to eliminate Christian. Each man tries to hit their finisher but neither can pull it off. Miz on the apron and Miz is trying for the win. Christian gets the upper hand, throws Miz onto the apron as well and eliminates him.
Winner: Christian
Christian looks at Santino and decides he will challenge him for the United States championship later tonight.
The commentators run down what’s at stake between John Cena and John Laurinaitis later tonight. A promo airs for People Power and John Laurinaitis.
The opening video then aired welcoming us to Over The Limit.
Vickie Guerrero comes out and introduces her boys, Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger.
WWE Tag Title Match: Kofi Kingston & R-Truth vs. Dolph Ziggler & Swagger
The champions come out and we’re ready to kick this one off. Kofi a nd Swagger start off, with Swagger getting the upper hand using mat wrestling. Kofi tags in R-Truth, who unloads on Swagger and hits some high impact offense on Swgger. Ziggler and Kofi Kingston now in. Ziggler gets the upper hand and Swagger tags in. They challengers have Kingston isolated and are doing a number on him. Swagger wearing Kofi’s arm down with mat holds. Kofi tries to get the upper hand but Swagger takes him out with a belly to belly suplex and showboats for the crowd. Swagger misses a legdrop and Kofi tags in R-Truth. R-Truth unloads again on Swagger with his signature flashy offense. Ziggler interferes and allows Swagger to get control. 2nd rope springboard splash on Truth and Ziggler is tagged in. Big elbow drop on R-Truth and a 2-count. Vickie is screaming at ringside. The heels continue to make quick tags. The crowd is chanting “Truth” while Ziggler gets several 2-counts on Truth. Swagger tagged in and the champions look to be in trouble. Kofi goes for Trouble in Paridise but no go. He goes for SOS and nails it, gets a 2-count until Swagger breaks it up. Ziggler nails Kofi with a Zig Zag and gets a 2-count before R-Truth breaks up the pin. R-Truth dives to the outside onto Swagger and Kingston nails Ziggler in the face with Thunder in Paradise for the win.
Winners and Still Champions: Kofi Kingston & R-Truth
Backstage, Eve is with Reks and Hawkins, who are wearing People Power t-shirts. Eve tells them their job is to go into the audience and confiscate any signs that are perceived as offensive to John Laurinaitis. Eve checks with Otunga to make sure that’s legal – and he assures her it is.
Divas Championship Match: Layla vs. Beth Phoenix
Phoenix is out first, followed by Layla. Back and forth action for the first few minutes with Phoenix in control most of the time. Phoenix works on the injured knee that kept Layla out for a year. Beth wraps Layla’s knee around the ring post and slams the knee into the post. Layla on the outside grabbing her knee in pain. Layla back int he ring and Beth continues to work on the knee. Cole and Booker T talk about the seriousness of knee injuries, with Jerry Lawler talking about how Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin battled knee injuries for years. Half crab on Layla and Beth Phoenix is firmly in control so far. Beth presses Layla over her head, but Layla reverses it and nails her with a DDT. Layla gets a 2-count. Several quick back and forth 2-counts. Vicious neck breaker out of nowhere by Layla and she gets the pin.
Winner & Still Champion: Layla
Randy Orton is backstage with Matt Striker. They show footage from SmackDown with Sheamus defeating Orton, them shaking hands and Orton giving Sheamus an RKO. Orton hypes their match and in walks Chris Jericho. Jericho’s hair is brown and the darkest we’ve ever seen it in WWE. Jericho says he’s beaten Sheamus and Orton in the past month and he’s going to become the World Heavyweight champion once again. Orton says if he gets in his way tonight – he’s going to be the Best in the World – at getting RKO’d.
World Heavyweight Championship Match: Sheamus (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Chris Jericho vs. Alberto Del Rio
Del Rio is out first followed by Chris Jericho, Randy Orton and finally the World Heavyweight champion, Sheamus. Lilian Garcia does the introductions for the participants of this fatal fourway match. The bell rings and the faces attack the heels and send them outside. Randy Orton and Sheamus are in the ring. All four men battle on the outside and once again, it’s Orton and Sheamus in the ring. Sheamus in control of Orton when he runs against the ropes but Chris Jericho pulls the rope down and sends him to the outside. Del Rio stomps down Orton as the crowd chants “Si!”. Jericho joins in and the heels take turns attacking Orton. The heels work together to suplex Orton.
The heels then go to the outside and double team Sheamus, who tries fighting back but is overwhelmed by their attack. Sheamus thrown head first into the announcer’s table as the heels dominate. Back in the ring, Randy Orton gets the upper hand on Jericho and Del Rio. Orton mounts an attack against Jericho, but Del Rio gets involved. Del Rio now attacks Orton, gets a 2-count but is interrupted by Chris Jericho. Del Rio and Chris Jericho are now going at it, with Del Rio winning the exchange with a suplex. Orton and Jericho now going at it, with Sheamus still on the outside for most of the match so far. Sheamus finally gets back into the match and delivers some brutal offense to Del Rio. Ricardo Rodriguez distracts Sheamus and Del Rio hits a brutal inseguri on Sheamus. Del Rio in control of Sheamus with Jericho and Orton outside of the ring. Sheamus goes for the Celtic Cross but Del Rio gets free and chops him down with kicks. Randy Orton and Christian now in the ring with Orton hitting his signature moves. Powerslam on Sheamus and the Viper is in that “special place.” Orton goes for the 2nd rope DDT on Sheamus and Orton is gearing up for an RKO. Del Rio comes from out of nowhere and gives Orton his cross arm breaking. Orton tries to make it to the ropes until Chris Jericho breaks it up with an elbow smash on Del Rio. Jericho now working on Del Rio. Lots of fast paced action with all 4 men hitting big moves. When the dust settles, Orton is the only man standing. Orton gives a double 2nd rope DDT to Del Rio and Ricardo 2-count on Del Rio. Orton tries going for an RKO on Jericho but gets hit with a Codebreaker. Del Rio does the cross armbreaker to Jericho and we could have a new champion. Jericho breaks free and goes for the Walls of Jericho! Del Rio is about to tape when Sheamus goes for the Brogue kick. Jericho moves out of the way and nails Sheamus with a codebreaker! 1-2-no! Jericho screaming at Sheamus and kicking him while he’s down. Jericho goes for the Walls on Sheamus and locks it in. Sheamus refuses to tap, but Jericho moves in to the center of the ring and it’s not looking good. Rnady Orton nails Jericho with an RKO but only gets a 2-count. Sheamus nails Orton with a nasty Brogue kick, but only gets a 2-count. Sheamus hits Jericho with White Noise and gets the pinfall to win the match.
Winner & Still World Heavyweight Champion: Sheamus
Backstage, Cody Rhodes is shown with Eve and they talk about Christian and says he made the right decision by picking Santino as his opponent tonight. He turns around and Christian is right behind him. Christian says Cody Rhodes is completely full of crap – and he changed his mind – he wants to challenge Cody tonight for the Intercontinental title. Cody looks pissed as Christian walks off.
Back at ringside, the announcers talk about Christian’s decision to switch his opponent for tonight. The Miz’s music hits and out he comes.
The Miz vs. Bodus Clay
The Miz says he’s pinpointed what’s wrong with WWE – it’s Brodus Clay. He says he’s a better dancer than Brodus Clay and busts out his best Michael Jackson Thriller dance moves. Out comes Brodus Clay and his dancers. Brodus Clay is in control of this one, using his size advantage to throw Miz around the ring. Miz gets in some offense but it doesn’t last long. Clay hits a knee lift, then holds The Miz’s arms behind his back and delivers a series of headbutts to his back. Another minute or two of offense from Brodus Clay before he hits The Miz with a big splash and gets the pinfall.
The Winner: Brodus Clay
After that match, they take several kids into the ring to dance with Brodus Clay. At ringside, Hawkins and Reks are confiscating and tearing up signs from fans that are anti-People Power.
Intercontinental Title Match: Cody Rhodes vs. Christian:
Cody cuts a heel promo as he walks to the ring, running down North Carolina. Out next is Christian to a big pop. Decent 10 minute match with an even split of back and forth action. With Christian down, Cody Rhodes began screaming at him and the crowd. While Cody is freaking out, Christian nails him with the kill switch for the 3-count.
Winner and NEW Intercontinental Champion: Christian
Promo airs for WWE No Way Out on June 17th.
Josh Matthews interviews WWE Champion CM Punk backstage. Footage is shown from SmackDown when Punk wrestled Kane. Daniel Bryan was on commentary and tried hitting Punk with a chair. Bryan hit Kane with the chair, got Punk disqualified and caused Kane to destroy Punk, thinking it was him who hit him with the chair. Punk says he’s feeling like crap – but he has reason to smile – because John Laurinaitis is getting fired tonight. But first – he has to deal with Daniel Bryan. Punk says it’s a triumph that he and Daniel Bryan have known each other for 10 years and have a ton of history. AJ walks in and says she can’t wait to watch the match tonight and gives Punk sexy/creepy eyes.
WWE Championship Match: CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan
Bryan is out first followed by CM Punk. Justin Roberts handles the formal ring introductions. The bell rings and the crowd is firmly behind CM Punk. Yes! chants have broken out. Great technical wrestling and the crowd is split between both men. Bryan nails Punk with some brutal elbows to the head Brock Lesnar style. Several European uppercuts and CM Punk gets the upperhand. Punk goes for a surfboard submission. Missile dropkick from the top rope by Daniel Bryan and the challenger is in control so far. Daniel Bryan locks in a surfboard submission again and turns it into a modified dragon sleeper hold. CM Punk hits a fisherman’s suplex for a 2 count.
Back and forth “Daniel Bryan – CM Punk” crowd with the crowd very split. Daniel Bryan off the top rope with a diving head butt. Daniel Bryan nails his Yes! kicks on Punk, before Punk catches a kick and goes for a figure 4 leglock. The crowd chants Wooooo as Punk and Bryan go back and forth slapping each other in the face while the leglock is still on. Bryan makes it to the ropes. Fast paced action – with Daniel Bryan delivering a swift kick to the back of Punk’s head. 2-count on Punk. The crowd is chanting “This is awesome.” Daniel Bryan pulls down his knee brace to expose his knee. He delivers a few knees to Punk’s gut in the corner as the crowd chants “Yes!”. Punk sets up Daniel Bryan on the rope and delivers a clothes line from the top rope.
Punk goes for the Go To Sleep but gets a 2-count. The action is very fast paced. Bryan thrown over the top rope but holds on and skins the cat. He gets back into the ring and gets kicked in the face by Punk. 2-count and both men are down and hurting. Punk goes to the top rope and nails the Savage elbow drop. Punk is hurting and selling injured ribs from Daniel Bryan’s offense earlier in the match. Daniel Bryan is delivering knees to Punk’s ribs as the crowd chants Yes! CM Punk goes for a bulldog but Bryan avoids it and locks in the Yes! Lock. Bryan is screaming YES! as they roll back together and the referee counts the 3. Punk taps as soon as the ref counts 3. Bryan’s shoulders were down and the referee counted the 3 before Punk tapped – so Punk is our winner. Very good match.
Winner & STILL WWE Champion: CM Punk
Backstage, Eve and David Otunga are walking around and bump into Teddy Long. They ask Teddy why he looks so happy – and they know what he’s thinking. If John Laurinaitis loses tonight and gets fired – he thinks he’ll be re-hired as General Manager. Teddy says if Laurinaitis gets fired, the Board of Directors might actually put Eve and Otunga in charge. However, the Board of Directors might also fire them too.
Camacho vs. Ryback
The crowd chants Goldberg as Camacho gets ready to be destroyed. Camacho goes for a suplex but it’s blocked. Ryback suplexes him and demands he get up for more. Ryback takes him down with a sloppy kick. More Goldberg chants. Ryback dominates him with power moves and even lands a few shots on Hunico whenever he gets on the apron. Spinebuster on Camacho and Ryback lifts him up for a powerbomb. Ryback hits his finisher for the win.
Winner: Ryback
WCW Clash of the Champions DVD promo. At ringside, the announcers hype the main event up next.
John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis (No DQ, No Countouts)
John Laurinaitis is out first in a red People Power track suit followed by John Cena. Laurinaitis takes off his track jacket to reveal his ring gear – black People Power body armor. As soon as the bell rings, Laurinaitis runs away. Cena chases him down outside the ring and brings him back into the ring. Cena throws him into the corner, pulls his shirt over his head and delivers several slaps to Laurinaitis’ bare chest and back. Cena gets Laurinaitis on his back and does an airplan spin. Total joke match so far with Michael Cole and the announcers laughing hysterically. It’s really not that funny. John Cena grabs the ring bell and rings it right next to Laurinaitis’ ear several times. Laurinaitis is selling that it really hurt his ears. Cena slams Laurinaitis into the announcers table several times. Cole asks if he’s ok as Cena does it again. Cena is destroying Laurinaitis. Cena puts a headset on Laurinaitis and puts one on himself and starts doing commentary. Cena pretends to be Booker T and then Michael Cole.
Laurinaitis is hurt bad an extends a handshake to Cena, hoping to declare a truce. Cena asks the crowd if he should do it and slaps Laurinaitis in he face instead. Body slam. Elbow off the ropes. Cena grabs a microphone and says he’s about to lock in the STF. He reminds him that if he taps out, he’s fired. Cena says he’ll let go if he can last 10 seconds. Cena asks the crowd to count along. He lasts 10 seconds and lets go of the hold. Cena says the good news is that he made it. The bad news is that he’s going to do it again. Laurinaitis holds on for 10 seconds once again – and Cena says this is pretty exhausting. Cena says he needs a drink – and Michael Cole says he could use one too after watching this match. Amen. Cena says Lauriniatis looks parched and brings several bottles of water into the ring. He dumps them over Laurinaitis’ head and then dumps one down the front of his pants.
Cena grabs a fire extinguisher and teases that he’s going to spray it into Laurinaitis’ face. Cena then sprays him down. Cena grabs a garbage pail from ringside and dumps it over Laurinaitis’ head. Laurinaitis escapes through the crowd but Cena catches him. Laurinaitis hurts Cena by attacking the arm that Brock Lesnar injured at Extreme Rules last month. Laurinaitis getting in some offense as they return to the ring. Laurinaitis gets a steel chair and nails Cena with it in the gut and then over the back several times. Laurinaitis gets a 2-count and grabs the chair again. Cena blocks a chairshot and hits Laurinaitis with it. Cena does You Can’t See me then hits Laurianitis with the chair again. Laurinaitis hits Cena with a low blow and rolls outside of the ring. Laurinaitis leaves through the crowd and exits the arena. Cena looks confused – when the Big Show comes out with Laurinaitis by the throat.
Big Show brings John Laurinaitis to the ring and throws him into the ring by his neck. John Laurinaitis is on the mat in between John Cena and the Big Show. Laurinaitis tried crawling away but Big Show steps on his hand to stop him. Big Show grabs Laurinaitis by the throat and Laurinaitis pleads with him. Big Show throws Laurinaitis into Cena, who hoists him up for the Attitude Adjustment. Big Show then lands a knockout punch on John Cena and knocks him out cold. Laurinaitis wakes up and pins John Cena 1-2-3.
Winner: John Laurinaitis
After the match, Big Show holds up John Laurinaitis’ hand as the announcers speculate why the Big Show had a change of heart and sided with John Laurinaitis.
Laurinaitis walks to the back as the PPV goes off the air.
— The Honky Tonk Man appears at Phoenix Comicon this weekend at the Phoenix Convention Center Hyatt Regency in Phoenix, Arizona. (Details)
— Emmett/Furla Films’ feature film Empire State starring Dwayne Johnson and Liam Hemsworth will begin shooting next Tuesday for twenty days in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Details)
— In this week’s edition of WWE’s Outside the Ring, Derrick Bateman takes part in a party for the mind, soul, and body in a ZUMBA class. Bateman takes his newly found ZUMBA talents backstage at WWE where he teaches Kaitlyn and other WWE Superstars some new moves.
Next Thursday, TNA Impact Wrestling goes live every week in a new time slot – 8pm EST.
The main event for the historic broadcast will see TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode vs. Sting in a lumberjack match.
Devon will defend the Television Championship against the choice of the fans. Starting this Monday, the TNA website will reveal one challenger each day. Voting will open at noon eastern time on Thursday, May 31st and fans will decide who Devon defends the title against that night.
TNA will announce matches for Slammiversary and Brooke Hogan will debut as the new head of the Knockouts Division. Check out this promo hyping her arrival:
– Chris Jericho has responded to Paul Heyman’s Thursday night Twitter rant about what today’s young superstars need to do in order to become main eventers:
“I agree with @HeymanHustle diatribe and I would like to add one more piece of advice. To really make it in this business…. you have to be willing to take a chance. And if that pisses some people off than so be it! Stop being so nice. Nice doesn’t cut it.”
– There is once again talk of WWE merging the Intercontinental and United States title. With WWE recently bringing back the classic IC title and the US title held by comedy act Santino Marella, WWE will likely drop the US title after a unification match.
There are no plans to unify the WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight title because WWE likes having both belts defended on the separate RAW and SmackDown live events.
* SIN CARA Debuts A New Look On Tonight’s Smackdown (VIEW HERE)