The Last From Where I Sit
That's right, this will officially be the final installment of "From Where I Sit". But, this is not the beginning of the end, it's simply the end of the beginning. You see, I will be starting a new column appropriately dubbed "The Armchair Chronicles" under my name: J. Daniels. New year, new look for the site (good job eagle), and new beginnings. To break in the new year, this piece will be focused on who I believed were the best and worst of 2008. Let's get started.
Champion of the year: Triple H. As you well know, this guy could've won this crown for many years past, but to the best of my knowledge he has never really had a successful run as a face champion. Yes, I remember when he beat Y2J at Wrestlemania X8 for the coveted "Undisputed Championship" while hot off a return from the first of his two quad tears but he dropped the belt a month later to Hulk Hogan. Yes, you read that right. Now, between the revival of DX in 2006, another hot return at Summerslam 2007 from his second quad injury, and the fact that he has continued to humiliate and dominate his opponents both on the mic and in the ring, his popularity has grown ten fold. He held the WWE title for the better part of 2008 from Backlash to Survivor Series and as a twelve time champion, it's a forgone conclusion that he is going to catch up to the legendary Ric Flair's record of 16 reigns with intentions of exceeding it. That said, I don't know if he'll ever have as successful a run as a face champion as he has had in 2008. Only time will tell.
Heel of the year: Randy Orton. You know you have THE MOST HEAT when fans both boo and cheer loudly at the mere sight of you. When your new, dark entrance theme "Voices" brings the arena to it's feet, when every single fan in attendance stands at the slightest sign that you might deliver a knock out RKO or punt someones skull taking them out of the game, you know you have THE MOST HEAT. This captures the reaction to a man born to play the bad guy, so to speak, in Randy Orton. He has gone through a metamorphosis from Legend Killer/pretty boy to a remorseless viper, as he has been referred to, with ice water running through his veins to a heart as black and cold as frost bite. I, for one, believe this is the part he was always meant to play because he's perfect at it. In my opinion the Age of Orton hasn't even begun. Not with a new faction to lead in The Legacy and a ten year contract fanning his face. To me 2008 was just a stepping stone but 2009 will be a golden year.
Face of the year: Jeff Hardy. One thing I was 100% sure I would NEVER see was Jeff Hardy with the WWE title around his waist....and I don't think I was alone in that line of thought. Granted, a main event at the Royal Rumble is a great way to start out the year, but with his personal demons seemingly sitting on both shoulders pulling him down in every aspect of his life, including with the powers that be in the WWE, he got drafted to the "B" show: Smackdown and began his penance in the quagmire known as mid-card. But before that quicksand could pull him under, he started fighting his way out, one rung at a time he continued to climb that proverbial ladder until he reached the top. The WWE championship. Even with the roller coaster year spinning his fans around in circles, he continued to receive pops bigger than just about anyone else on the brand's roster. Eventually, his popularity with the fans could no longer be ignored by the the monster suits McMahon. If he can continue to connect and tame those little devils within, than this is one man who believes he deserves the accolades he has obtained. This crazy painted, multicolor haired master of the unorthodox will hopefully keep swantoning his way to a lengthy reign as the brand's champion in 2009. Hats off to Hardy.
Who to watch in 2009:
--Morrison & The Miz: These two are the modern day DX with two words stamped on their foreheads...Future Stars. Be Jealous!
--C.M. Punk: With one World title run under his belt, a great entrance, an even better finisher in the GTS and his pops getting bigger every week, there is gold in his immediate future.
--Matt Hardy: The man is already a world champion, but most ECW champions are usually first in line for a bigger push. Like Punk, his pops are growing as well...and it's about time. Matt still reminds me of a more innovative Bret Hart, his better days are yet to come.
--The Legacy: Particularly members Rhodes, Snuka and Dibiase(he'll be back in the fold soon enough). As for Manu......not so much. --Evan Borne: The shooting star press tops an impressive list of maneuvers. It's like lucha has been reintroduced to fans in a new form. --The Brian Kendrick: Take a dash of HBK, throw in some Pillman and you've got a winner...if he can cut the grass. --Vladimir Kozlov: This generation's angry Russian is as rough as new sandpaper and has a unique style all his own. Monumental feuds with the likes of The Game can't hurt either.
--Carlito and Primo: Like Miz & Morrison, these two are breathing life back into the tag team division...not to mention Carlito's career. --Mike Knox: If he can stay away from the big man black hole that has sucked so many into unemployment, most recently Snitsky, a wild eyed, burly mountain man could be a welcomed change to the already flooded market. I'm pulling for him to lead the class back to prominence.
--The Boogeyman: Time to be written into a storyline. He's been training for a year and has a great gimmick. Give the guy a chance to wrestle and not just pop up out of Christmas packages.
--Biggest disappointments:
Kane(should've put the mask back on), Shelton Benjamin("gold standard"? just plain "standard" to me),
Mr. Kennedy(go back to being a heel...PLEASE),
Kofi Kingston(loose the smile and the energy drinks),
R-Truth(go back to TNA),
Cryme Tyme(they can vanish and reappear at free will! it's magic!),
Big Show(will you ever really be a winner?),
MVP(SHOULD be a winner).
--Mr. Funnyman: Santino Marella('nuff said) --Stop pushin'!
John Cena,
Batista,
JBL,
Rey Mysterio,
Edge(BOOOOOORRRRRIINNGG)
--Turn of the year: Chris Jericho(went from returning saviour to superheel champion overnight)
That'll do it for yours truly. I hope you have enjoyed the FWIS columns and enjoy The Armchair Chronicles to come. Happy new year folks! J. Daniels
From Where I Sit .... #17
WARNING: THIS COLUMN MAY CONTAIN SOME SMACKDOWN *SPOILERS*. THIS SENTENCE WILL SELF DESTRUCT IN LESS THAN 12 SECONDS. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK! Thank you. mr.armchair@yahoo.com.
--So they FINALLY seem to be putting together "The Foundation" with D.H. Smith, T.J. Wilson and Natayla. Bout time. The adopted Hart family member, his girlfriend Nattie (daughter of original Hart Foundation member and married into the family, Jim Niedhart) and the son of the late Davy boy Smith look like they are finally breaking through to the big time. Cant"t wait for their T.V. debut. Should be more intriguing than Rhodes, Dibiase and Manu.
--Speaking of Manu, why don't they give him a rare speaking role, make him seem unstoppable, and be the modern day Tazz (from his glory days in ECW) combined with his inborn Samoan ability. No, not a crazy Umaga type, more like a body guard type. That would best suit his character in my opinion. This guy has major potential.
--So, Edge is back, he's WWE champion, and he's back with Vickie. Seems strangely familiar......and boring. Just replace the Undertaker with Jeff Hardy and we've got history repeating itself. On the flip side, Hardy/Edge does seem like a promising feud. These two made some memorable moments when they were feuding as tag teams with their respective partners, Christian and Matt, now with both being main eventers, they will likely steal shows with future matches. Keep this in mind, with Matt watching Jeff's back and the recent departure of a certain TNA superstar...we might see Edge get some back up too and the previously mentioned tag rivalry reborn. Welcome back Christian.
--Speaking of Jeff Hardy, how bout that work on his "hospitalization" to further his feud with Edge. Not cool. Had me fooled for a little while. Reminded me of the late Eddie Guerrero too. I thought WWE had gotten past their Katie Vick storyline days....guess I was wrong. Shame.
--I am SOOOOO FREAKIN' GLAD John Stupid.....Cena is back as the top dog on the flagship program for WWE. Why couldn't they just leave the strap on Jericho? Guess they want the big wrestlemania collision between he and Batista (and possibly Orton) to be for a title. Whatever. I sure hope something...ANYTHING happens tho get that strap back on Jericho or Orton for that matter. Heck, put it on Michael Cole for all I care, just not Cena. --That's it from the place where I get my name. I'm goin' to have some Gobbltey Gooker. I suggest you do the same.
Mr. Arm Chair.
From Where I Sit... #16
RANDOMANIA!!!!!!!!!!
--Welp, I absolutely cannot wait for tonight's slaughter tonight dished out by "The next big champion", Brock Lesnar. Too bad for the seasoned vet., Randy Couture, but that's what my FORMER hero gets for abandoning his loyal fans.
--**SPOILER ALERT**So, Jeff Hardy is officially gone crazy....on T.V. anyway. He always has been off T.V. OHHHHHHHH What a push....(obviously a modified LOD line) he's getting. Big W. over The dead man this past Friday. Now he gets a (*SPOILER*) school boy victory over the Game next Friday. He got the Joker gimmick.....but not a funny one....just a weird one. Suits a weird guy.
--I read ON OUR SITE that one of my favorite performers...even though he does dress like a power ranger...MVP's push got stopped. You can't make snide remarks to drug testers anymore. That sucks. You'd think they'd be able to handle it....all the other druggies they must see and all.
--So who is the mystery wrestler who's push got stopped dead in it's tracks 'cause of his taste for grass. Wish I could tell ya. All I know is it ain't RVD...ha!
--How 'bout that Randy Orton. My person favorite wrestler in the biz today. He's getting bigger pops than William Regal in the UK. Whatever WWE does, they can't make him a face. But I do see an alliance of some sort soon. Might be with Team Priceless so they don't bore us to tears anymore, or maybe even with Batista in a great swerve angle. "Out of left field" you say.....that's my job. To try to predict the future.
--Anywho, I've gotta go get ready for tonight's PPV. mr.armchair@yahoo.com is where you can plead your case. That's all here from the place I get my name.... Mr. Arm Chair.
# 15 ... UFC
Welp, it's already well established that I am big time pro-wrestling fan. But, what you don't know is that I am also an avid MMA fan......at least UFC. I'm not so much concerned with Affliction etc. So, with that said let's dive in to this Saturday night's massive PPV. Headlining an already stacked card we'll see former NCAA champion and WWE champion: Brock Lesnar take on UFC hall of famer: "The Natural" Randy Couture for the promotions heavyweight title. Let's see the tale of the tape.....from my comfy, blue armchair. First and foremost, Brock Lesnar is a literally a rookie to the UFC. Make no mistake, he is no newcomer to MMA fighting, but with only two UFC matches, one of which he lost against former champion, Frank Mir,one begs the question: "Why is he getting a heavyweight title shot?" Simple. Buy rates. Brock Lesnar has developed a fan base that blows the roof off the building at his mere appearance. Former wresting running mates like Kurt Angle (who promises to break into the MMA biz in 2009) and Stone Cold are seen in the crowd to see Lesnar fight. This guy has blown up so big, so fast that it puts him right in the center of the title picture. But that's not the real question. The real question is: "Why is Randy Couture the champion?" Hey, calm down, I know everybody loves Randy. Heck, he used to be my friggin' hero too. USED TO BE. Now, after vacating the heavyweight championship a little over a year ago to pursue an acting career (in which he made ONE movie as a sequel to the Scorpion King, that's right, somehow another bad movie starring the Rock got a sequel for some unknown reason) he walks right back in the door and is handed the championship he relinquished. What? UFC president Dana White just gives it back to him. Well, I think that is stupid. I believe he's going to have his face eaten off this Saturday by big Brock. He has taken down big men before like Tim "The Sloth" Silvia , but guys like him don't hold a candle to the wrestling and striking skills of Lesnar. On top of that, Randy is a ripe 44 years old. This is not boxing, he's not George Foreman, and he's not fighting Michael Moore. I now wait with anticipation to see the massacre this weekend dished out by the guy who might just live up to his old wrestling moniker "The next big thing" this time in the UFC. You can either tell me off or praise me at mr.armchair@yahoo.com. Do you see what I see?
Mr. Arm Chair.
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Where I Sit # 14
Welp, Let's start with Chris Jericho winning the world title back from Batista. GOOD. Hey, I like Batista and all but he doesn't need to be a world champion right now. Nope. WWE needs an established veteran heel carrying the belt and Jericho fits the bill. He deserves the strap. The only concern I have is the returning least talented main eventer that should never EEEEEVVVVEEERRRR be in the spotlight, John Cena, will take the title at Survivor Series. What a joke. We'll see.
For the record, Vladimir Kozlov is not undefeated. He got knocked out in Rocky IV. I gotta say, he looks good for his age. That fight was a long time ago. So what happened to the whole lights out no music intro he had? "I vant betta compitito" he says. So he's the next pick to fall to the modern day Hulk Hogan, The Game. Good for him. Who's the next GM on Raw? I'd be willing to bet you a caffeine free diet coke they'll have some kind of election gimmick. Shane vs. Steph for the spot. Mean old campaign ads and all. It wouldn't matter if they appointed Goldust the new GM (who, by the way, has been re-hired for the 427'th time) anybody would be better than the line-botching, mush mouth, shoulda stayed under whatever rock he crawled after American gladiators got the 86, Mike Adamle. What do you mean you don't remember him. Boy, that was fast. Why is MVP not main eventing? What would you rather see: Triple H vs Kozlov or MVP?
No, instead he's getting squashed by an 8 ft. monster who has been re-invented to make out with fat chicks once a week. Whatever. Who would've ever thought that a former Real World star and a guy who won one of the dreadful Tough Enough shows would actually be entertaining....and talented? Miz and Morrison are the future of the industry. They get DX on Raw and Hunter & Hardy on Smackdown. Main eventers...yes. Speaking of Hardy, lets bring back his "extreme" side by making him act crazier than a run over chicken. Hey, maybe this'll bring out more "extreme" aspects of his personal life. Smart move if WWE is trying to banish Jeff. Besides, I never knew he lost his so called extreme side to begin with. Don't try to fix what ain't broke....unless you wanna break it. Michael Cole and the King suck....because of Cole. No chemistry whatsoever. Where as Ross and Tazz mesh pretty well. The surprise is Matt Striker on ECW. He apparently knows the name to every single maneuver in the history of wrestling....except for the moss covered 3 handled family gerdunzal. If push comes to shove, he could always ask Jericho about one.
He knows 1004 holds. Just watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_62-8LsVFE. Armbar.
Gotta go. Until the next go round, bring the pain at mr.armchair@yahoo.com and I'll tell you how wrong you are.
Holla, Mr. Arm Chair.
No Mercy Results vs. Mr. ArmChair's Picks
Well, Well, Well.... It's not often I get a chance to boast about anything, so I'll take it while I have the opportunity. Here we go.
Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Mechelle Candice actually surprised me with some pretty good maneuvers, but in the end, Phoenix had her number. Phoenix comes up with the victory. 1 for 1. Next.
Batista vs. JBL Complete squash. The bloated red neck millionaire got schooled, further pushing The Animal's dominance. He is one of the hottest face's going right now. Good win for Batista. 2 for 2. Next.
Kane vs. Rey Mysterio Well, I think it was a forgone conclusion that little Rey-Rey was not gonna lose his precious mask. I still wouldn't see the point if he did. None the less, it was a good match with a good finish. Rey getting pancaked with a steel chair from the top rope to the floor. Side note: this match WAS NOT deemed a no contest. Kane got disqualified giving Mysterio the W. That makes me 3 for 3. Next.
Big Show vs. The Undertaker. Everybody, from this site's newest columnist, who apparently is Festus's partner, up to the boss lady herself, The Eagle, picked the Dead Man. Why? Is he supposed to win EVERY SINGLE match? Forget furthering a feud between two established superstars, just give 'Taker the duke. Well, it didn't go down that way. A 3 punch K.O. later and....your winner, The Big Show. This is a good way to push him towards HHH and the WWE title. Guess I'm 4 for 4. Next.
Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry. This was one of the easiest picks anyone could make. Hardy retains that ECW title with the fans behind him the entire way. 5 for 5. I'm beginning to see a pattern here. Next.
Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy. This one was another shoe in. It wouldn't have been if Hardy could've tamed some demons. This one, I believed, stole the show. I thought for sure it'd be HBK vs. Jericho...but we'll talk more about that in a minute. None the less, the heel turn I expected didn't happen. I was kinda surprised. Looks like Kozlov is next on The Game's list. Let me see...... 6 for 6. Next.
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho. No brainer here. What would HBK do with the belt if he got it? A Batista-Jericho feud has been in the making, anyway. Great match. There were a couple of spots were I actually thought Jericho had broken his leg. No Nash, though......wonder what's gonna happen on Raw....We'll see. Wait a minute......I'm 7 for 7.
I accurately called the winners of every single match? How do I top this? I don't think I can. Guess I'll just live in this rare moment of being flawless. Ha! O.K., hit me up at mr.armchair@yahoo.com and tell me how self centered and egotistical I have become. 'Til then.... Mr. Armchair.
From Where I Sit #13
and I'm badder than ever......wait....did I just steal the first line to Eric Bichoff's theme..... at any rate, I haven't written a column since just after Unforgiven. Geeeeez. Well, here on lucky #13, I'm going to get back to the nitty gritty, get my hands dirty and dig into some of the topics of pro-wrestling. 1st, how bout that Micky James. I was very amused by the crowd reaction at last week's Raw....or lack there of. Her fan base, mostly comprised of young girls aspiring to be like her some day, were nowhere to be found. Think about it, she was the modern day Trish Stratus in a way. Now she's just another jobber with a porn scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, topped, diced, peppered, and caped past. Best part...she knows it. She came out looking like she'd just finished one of her on-line escapades, hair all frizzy, no make-up, frowning and got quickly dispatched by her opponent. Shame. I sincerely hope she was still dating John Cena when all this came out. Thinking about it makes a tear come to my eye......from laughing so hard. Next. HBK vs The man formerly known as Y2J in a Ladder match. Lets wind the clocks back to Wrestlemania X. Michaels vs. Razor in THE ladder match. You have to remember, at the time, no one had ever seen the type of moves in that contest. So, when Michaels says "revolutionized" he's right. Now, onto the question, "Why a ladder match?" Yes, I'll admit, after an unsanctioned match, it's like going in reverse. Except for the fact that THE biggest HBK mark in wrestling today is Chris Jericho. Right now, he is living out a dream in this feud. We all remember the Wrestlemania encounter a few years back between the two with the rivalry revolving around the fact that Jericho's boyhood idle was The Showstopper. To this day, he says that was his FAVORITE match and THE biggest accomplishment in his career. A dream come true. Now, lets take the fact that he is about to face the man he always wanted to be just like...in one of the matches Michaels is most known for. Must be surreal. This, to me, is undoubtedly going to be the greatest match of Jericho's career, and the best match on the PPV. One question. How will the two bring the magic back to this style match. It's kinda hard to top Money in the Banks and Hardy's jumping off the top of 87 ft. ladders. I personally believe that when you take two of the greatest performers in the biz, put one of, if not THE hottest feud running today, throw in the fact that Chris will do WHATEVER it takes considering he's going one on one with his idle, and cap it off the stipulation of it being a ladder match....you can't lose. I'm gonna quit while I'm ahead and pick it up where I left it next go round. Hit me up at mr.armchair@yahoo.com and I'll hit ya back. Until then....... Mr. Arm Chair.