After promoting the Triple Threat TLC Match between WWE Champion CM Punk, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio as a pinfall or submission match, WWE announced on RAW last night that the belt will be hanging above the ring. It’s worth point out that John Cena is still not booked for a TLC pay-per-view match. Cena has wrestled in 11 out of 12 WWE pay-per-view main events this year.
Jersey Shore star Snooki, who took home a Slammy last night for “A-Lister of the Year” last night, thanked WWE several times on her Twitter feed last night and promised to win the Divas Championship one day.
According to a report by the Wrestling Observer, Triple H vs the Undertaker currently is penciled in for WrestleMania 28 in Miami, Florida. This would make it the second year in a row that the two would be competing at the event, if the report is true.
WWE will be taping Friday’s SmackDown! tonight from the RBC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. The broadcast will be the final WWE TV push for the TLC pay-per-view on Sunday.While no matches are announced for the TV broadcast itself, the dark match main event for the local crowd features Mark Henry facing The Big Show and Randy Orton in a triple threat match for the World Championship. Booker T, like many past dark matches in recent weeks, will serve as the special guest referee.
Several hours after RAW went off the air, Cena took to his Twitter account to comment on Kane’s attack on him. “Somebody get a license plate on that big red truck that ran me over last night?” the former WWE Champion tweeted at 5AM this morning.
Here are my takes on the noteworthy developments in WWE over the past week:
Talking point: Zack Ryder has a big night on Raw
Eck’s Factor: Everyone’s favorite “broski” sure has come a long way. It wasn’t all that long ago that he couldn’t even get on TV. On this past Monday’s Raw, not only was Ryder all over the program, but he defeated World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry (with a big assist from John Cena), wrestled a competitive match against Cena before ultimately losing, and hit his finisher on arch rival Dolph Ziggler after Ziggler’s match against Sheamus.
The thread throughout the show of Ryder having to overcome major obstacles to get another U.S. Title shot against Ziggler – which put his friendship with Cena to the test – told a good story and made Ryder look like a star. I did have a couple issues with it, however. For one, I wasn’t thrilled about Ryder getting a pinfall victory over Henry, who has been effectively built up a monster heel. Despite the fact that Henry was selling an ankle injury and Ryder needed Cena’s help to win, I think the loss weakened Henry’s aura. I also think that WWE needs to be careful not to overexpose Ryder. The WWE Universe clearly likes Ryder and wants to see him, but they may not want to see him quite as much as they did Monday night.
Talking point: John Cena gives up his spot in the TLC Triple Threat Match for the WWE Title
Eck’s Factor: After John Laurinaitis went back on his original decision and gave Cena an opportunity to earn a spot in the TLC main event, I think everyone assumed it was a foregone conclusion that Cena would be in the match. When Raw ended Monday night, however, Cena was on the outside looking in. After defeating Zack Ryder to qualify for the WWE Title Match at TLC, Cena voluntarily gave up his place in the match so that Ryder could have another opportunity to earn a U.S. Title shot. So as it stands now, Cena is not booked on the Dec. 18 TLC pay-per-view. Unless there is a twist on this Monday’s Raw and Cena somehow ends up regaining a spot in the match – which currently is a Triple Threat between WWE Champion CM Punk, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio – I don’t see a logical opponent for him at TLC. Interesting. On a side note, I thought Cena did a great job of giving a rub to Ryder on Raw. From wearing Ryder’s merchandise to giving him so much offense in their match, Cena was very generous.
Talking point: CM Punk puts an exclamation point on contract signing
Eck’s Factor: As Punk rightfully pointed out on Raw Monday night, contract signings are one of the biggest clichés in WWE. Leave it to Punk to make the contract signing for his WWE Title defense against The Miz and Alberto Del Rio in a TLC Match the most entertaining segment on the show. I loved how Punk noted that all contract signings have to end in a pier six brawl (a term he got trending on Twitter), and then he not only initiated the attack against the two heels, but he took them both out. John Laurinaitis wishing John Morrison well in his future endeavors during the segment and then asking the three competitors to join him in a photo op after the contract was signed were nice touches, as well.
Talking point: John Cena vs. Mark Henry match announced for next week’s Raw
Eck’s Factor: Now this is a match I’m really looking forward to. Cena-Henry is a WrestleMania-worthy main event that pits WWE’s biggest star against the company’s top heel. It certainly makes Monday’s three-hour special Slammys episode of Raw feel extra special.
Talking point: Dolph Ziggler takes another step toward main event status
Eck’s Factor: Sure, Ziggler was the only one of the three Superstars who needed to win a qualifying match on Monday’s Raw in order to land a spot in the TLC Match for the WWE Title to be unsuccessful, but just being in the mix elevated him. During the opening promo segment, Ziggler was standing alongside John Cena, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio, and he definitely looked like he belonged. It’s apparent that Ziggler’s mic skills and overall presence are finally catching up to his outstanding in-ring ability.
Talking point: Video package for WWE Network airs
Eck’s Factor: Growing up in the ’70s, I looked forward all week to Saturdays because that was when WWE’s two syndicated shows aired. “All-Star Wrestling” came on at 11 a.m. and “Championship Wrestling” was on at 4 p.m. Now there is going to be an entire network devoted to this genre. It really is amazing when you think about it, and I can’t wait for the network to launch. My wife, on the other hand, doesn’t seem quite as thrilled.
Talking point: Superstar of the Year nominees are announced
Eck’s Factor: You could make a case for any of the six nominees (John Cena, Alberto Del Rio, Mark Henry, The Miz, Randy Orton and CM Punk), who all had terrific years. However, the prestigious award – which will be given out during next week’s Slammys episode of Raw – will be determined by online voting, which means that it’s basically a popularity contest. That pretty much eliminates Del Rio, Henry and Miz.
Cena has to be the favorite, but my vote would go to Punk. He turned WWE on its ear this summer and consistently delivered in the ring and on the mic. He participated in a number of entertaining pay-per-view matches, including an epic battle against Cena at Money in the Bank that was perhaps the Match of the Year. And even though he was out of the main event scene during the first six months of the year, Punk did have a memorable rivalry with Orton that culminated in an outstanding match at WrestleMania XXVII. (CAST YOUR VOTE HERE FOR SUPERSTAR OF THE YEAR)
Eck’s Factor: After a two-year hiatus, Lilian returned as the full-time ring announcer on SmackDown this week. No offense to her, but if there was one ring announcer that I would bring back on a regular basis, it would be WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in “Eck’s Factor” are those of Kevin Eck alone and do not necessarily reflect those of WWE.
WHO IS KEVIN ECK?
For those who are unfamiliar with me, I come to WWE from The Baltimore Sun, where I was an assistant sports editor and the author of a pro wrestling blog titled Ring Posts. In between two stints with The Sun, I worked as the editor of WCW Magazine from 2000 to 2001.
Follow Kevin Eck on Twitter at Twitter.com/KevinEck_WWE. Eck will be live tweeting during Raw on most Mondays.
Each and every year, the Slammys honor WWE's best of the year, singling out the most noteworthy Superstars, Divas, matches, and moments of the previous 12 months. Superstar of the Year honors are all well and good, but what about the Slammys you didn't see presented on Raw SuperShow? Check out the 10 WWE.com exclusive Slammy Awards for 2011.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MUPPET RESEMBLANCE:
Winner: Sheamus and his
long lost, red-headed cousin Beaker. (WATCH)
THE PEE-WEE HERMAN BOWTIE AWARD:
Winner: David Otunga, for
his Harvard-law-by-way-of-the-Playhouse business attire.
MOST PREDICTABLE OUTCOME OF THE YEAR:
Winner: Kevin
Nash's powerbomb to Santino after the trombone dance. For future
reference, Big Kev's more of a smooth jazz man. (WATCH)
GUESS WHO'S BACK? OR: RETURN OF THE YEAR:
Winner: Some guy, we're not sure exactly...The Rock? That is
his name, right?
DOUBLE VISION MOMENT OF THE YEAR:
Winner: Sin
Cara and, er, Sin Cara, for their epic face-off on SmackDown. (WATCH)
T-SHIRT OF THE YEAR:
Winner: CM Punk, for his
instantly iconic "Best in the World" threads. Bonus Slammy points if
you got the Chicago one from Money in the Bank.
WWE.COM EXCLUSIVE OF THE YEAR:
Winner: John Laurinaitis "congratulates" CM Punk. It'll give you that warm, fuzzy feeling. (WATCH)
MOST REGRETTABLE RING ATTIRE OF THE YEAR:
Winner: Michael Cole in Triple H's trunks. There are some things that cannot be unseen.
CRITTER MOMENT OF THE YEAR:
Winner: The mouse that ran past Alberto Del Rio in the locker room on Raw. No, seriously. Can you see it? (WATCH)
SUPERSTAR TRANSFORMATION OF THE YEAR:
Winner: Zack Ryder. Remember when he used to look like Edge?
- Big Show def. Wade Barrett by Disqualification (PHOTOS)
- United States Champion Dolph Ziggler def. Daniel Bryan,
Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes and Zack Ryder in a Fatal 4-Way
Match (PHOTOS)- The Miz & Alberto Del Rio def. WWE Champion CM Punk & Randy Orton (PHOTOS)
- John Cena def. World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry by Disqualification
NORFOLK, Va. — The 2011 Slammy Awards were as wild and unpredictable as always, but everyone in the WWE Universe will be talking about the monster who crashed the party — Kane!
John Cena vs. World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry ended in a No Contest; masked Kane returned
The Cenation leader had a week to prepare for this showdown with The World’s Strongest Man, but there was one Superstar John Cena was not ready to deal with on Raw — Kane. Entering through hellfire and brimstone, The Big Red Monster made a shocking return under a mask and attacked Cena, driving him into the mat with a devastating chokeslam. The demon’s motives were unclear, but one thing was sure — hell has come home.
WWE Champion CM Punk won the Slammy Award for WWE Superstar of the Year
Incapacitated after the brutal beating he received in his tag bout, the WWE Champion was unable to accept the biggest award of the night from presenter Rey Mysterio. Instead, a sneering John Laurinaitis “humbly” did it for him. The executive revealed that Punk couldn't take the stage, but he will be in the ring on Sunday.
Maybe Jinder Mahal should win a Slammy for “Most Embarrassing Moment of the Night.” Seconds after pontificating in Punjabi towards The Great White, Mahal was kicked into the rafters by Sheamus and left laying in a heap in the middle of the ring.
Snooki won a Slammy Award for WWE A-Lister of the Year (WATCH)
In a category that included nominees like The Muppets and Hugh Jackman, it was “Jersey Shore” star Snooki who grabbed the Slammy for her surprisingly agile performance in a Six-Person Mixed Tag Team Match at WrestleMania XXVII. The tanned troublemaker accepted her award from Goldust and Vickie Guerrero via satellite and promised the WWE Universe they’ll see more of her mischief when “Jersey Shore” returns to MTV for another wild season on January 5.
Less than a week before he defends his WWE Title against The Miz and Alberto Del Rio in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match at WWE TLC, CM Punk teamed with former rival Randy Orton to face his opponents and suffered a vicious beating. Attacked by Wade Barrett during the bout, The Viper chased the thug through the crowd, leaving The Straight Edge Superstar outnumbered by the vicious villains. After Miz pinned Punk, The Mexican Aristocrat and The Awesome One worked together to ruthlessly bash the WWE Champion with a ladder and promised to destroy him completely on Sunday.
The Rock won the Slammy Award for Game Changer of the Year (WATCH)
Hobbling to the podium on crutches, an ailing Christian ranted about deserving an award for courageousness before presenting the Game Changer of the Year Slammy to The Rock. The Great One was not on hand to accept the trophy, but his WrestleMania opponent did the honors for him. After criticizing The People’s Champion for not showing up, John Cena said The Rock may have changed the game tonight, but this April in Miami the Cenation leader will change the game forever.
The WWE Universe has spoken — or should we say tweeted. In a category that could only be won by becoming the first name to trend on Twitter, Zack Ryder proved that he was the king of social media. But in the ring, it was United States Champion Dolph Ziggler who came out on top, pinning Daniel Bryan to win a wild Fatal 4-Way bout. Long Island Iced-Z's post-match Slammy celebration was brief, though, as his WWE TLC opponent immediately crushed him with a Zig Zag.
The Undertaker won the Slammy Award for OMG Moment of the Year (WATCH)
The Deadman may have won a Slammy Award for kicking out of Triple H’s Tombstone at WrestleMania, but it was The Game who showed up in the ring. Returning to Raw after being put in the hospital by his former friend Kevin Nash, The King of Kings vowed to bring an end to the dangerous Superstar this Sunday at WWE TLC when the two icons meet in a Ladder Match with a sledgehammer hanging above the ring.
The beautiful Kelly Kelly was grateful to receive the Slammy Award for Divalicious Moment of the Year from legendary Diva Lita, but she was less thrilled when Divas Champion Beth Phoenix and Natalya crashed the party and snatched her statue. Not one to back down, Kelly immediately slapped her tormentor across the face and took her Slammy right back. Now that's Divalicious.
WWE Champion CM Punk won the Slammy Award for Pipe Bomb of the Year (WATCH)
Former DX member The Road Dogg made a surprise return to WWE to present the always vocal WWE Champion CM Punk with the Slammy Award for Pipe Bomb of the Year. Accepting the statue alongside a mannequin that looked not unlike a young John Laurinaitis, The Straight Edge Superstar used this opportunity to further embarrass the Interim Raw General Manager by presenting a video package that highlighted the executive’s more embarrassing moments. (WATCH) Punk will definitely hear about this in his performance review.
Moments after Big Show accepted the Holy %&@*#! Moment of the Year Slammy on behalf of himself and The World’s Strongest Man for their ring busting brawl at Vengeance, the behemoth faced off with the determined Wade Barrett. Looking to send a message to Randy Orton going into their Tables Match on Sunday, the British thug got himself disqualified by bringing a chair into this bout. In the end, though, he ended up running for his life when The World’s Largest Athlete punched his way through Barrett’s weapon.
Jim Ross won a Slammy Award for the “Tell Me I Did NOT Just See That” Moment of the Year
SmackDown’s Booker T and Hornswoggle kicked off the 2011 Slammys by presenting the award for the “Tell Me I Did NOT Just See That" Moment of the Year to WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross for his memorable dance moves during the unbearable Michael Cole Challenge.
Of course, as soon as Good Ol’ J.R. took the stage to accept his trophy, he was interrupted by Michael Cole. The sniveling announcer attempted to embarrass Ross, as usual, but ended up humiliating himself when Booker T called for the rivals to faceoff in a freestyle rap contest. Not only did J.R rhyme circles around the so-called “Voice of WWE,” but he finished off his big night by nailing the first-ever Ross-a-Roonie in the ring.
- Big Show def. Wade Barrett by Disqualification (PHOTOS)
- United States Champion Dolph Ziggler def. Daniel Bryan,
Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes and Zack Ryder in a Fatal 4-Way
Match (PHOTOS)- The Miz & Alberto Del Rio def. WWE Champion CM Punk & Randy Orton (PHOTOS)
- John Cena def. World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry by Disqualification
The match card for TLC features a very exciting Intercontinental Championship match between Booker T and Cody Rhodes. This will be the match that helps catapult the IC title back to relevancy in the WWE.
I may bash WWE Creative every week, but I commend them for trying to make the mid-card titles more exciting recently. I have been begging them to start pushing their championships so the WWE can have younger stars battling for the IC and United States titles as they gain more popularity before entering the main event stage.
Cody Rhodes is a superstar in the making. A lot of fans, including myself, believe he is one of the future stars in this business. A feud with a veteran such as Booker T can only help make Rhodes into a more legitimate rising star.
The match between Booker and Rhodes has all the potential to steal the show. I admit that the feud has not been as creative as it could have been, but I give props to the writers for trying to make the Intercontinental Championship interesting again.
There will be a lot of fans interested in seeing the return of Booker T just for nostalgic reasons alone. By putting him in a match for the IC title, it helps to get fans interested again in that specific championship. Booker T was an entertaining superstar in the ring, and his skills should make for a fascinating matchup with someone like Cody Rhodes.
This match also helps Rhodes because he has not had many exciting contenders for his Intercontinental belt since he won the title. If Rhodes is ever going to move into the main event scene, he really needs to have a few memorable matches while he is the Intercontinental Champion.
I fully expect Rhodes to win this match considering Booker T is a commentator now and I do not believe he will go back to being a full-time wrestler. I can appreciate Booker for trying to help put over a young star in the making.
This match will only be the beginning of the WWE making their mid-card titles relevant again. I truly believe that when Rhodes loses the title to whomever that the belt will continue to stay popular with the audience. It will be the writers’ job to continue to push young stars into the IC picture. It is certainly working for the United States Championship currently.
I know many of Booker T’s fans will be disappointed with the outcome of this feud, but it would be unrealistic for Booker to come out on top. I was ecstatic when I saw him return in the Royal Rumble, but in my heart, I knew he was not coming back permanently. The same can be said for this feud. I am content with just being able to see Booker come out to his music one more time in his ring gear and give us the spin-a-rooni.
It may feel like I never give the WWE credit when I do my weekly articles after Monday Night Raw, but today, I am. Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Wade Barrett, Dolph Ziggler and others are the future of the WWE, and they seem to be getting pushed in the right direction. It is hard to believe that we may see a PPV without John Cena, and I say that not as a “Cena Hater,” but as an advocate of younger stars being pushed.
Let me know down below if you think the IC title is becoming relevant again or if this is just a onetime deal at TLC. Also, remember to follow me on Twitter @WWeConTroL. I always enjoy the feedback, article ideas and questions that you all have for me.
Keep it classic, everyone!
