Chris Jericho Walks Off Into the Sunset.....again

It's starting to look like the upcoming Night of Champions PPV will be the last time that we see Chris Jericho on WWE programming for at least a little while. As of today, the WWE and Jericho have not reached an agreement to extend his contract, and Jericho himself is looking to take time off to tour with his band Fozzy. Based on these known factors, and Jericho saying in a kayfabe interview last week on RAW that he'd quit the WWE if he didn't win the WWE Championship at Night of Champions, signs point to Jericho taking some extended time off from the company after the September 19th PPV.

My only hope is that this isn't an extended absence from the WWE like we saw from Jericho after he left the company in 2005, only to return more than two years later. While 2006 and 2007 were great years for WWE programming, Jericho has more than proved his worth and held his own during his three year run since he returned. He's held multiple World Title's, set a record for the most Intercontinental Championships held ever, had one of best runs as a tag team champion we've seen in recent memory with Big Show, and literally held RAW together when most of the roster was hurt or taking time off. All the while he finally evolved his character into what I thought it should have been back in 2003-2004 when he was first being pushed a main event talent - an ego driven man so blinded by his own beliefs and values that he truly believes everything he says and does is for good. It really has been a remarkable run for Jericho.

All that said, Jericho isn't a guy who can carry a wrestling promotion on the big stage. He isn't a guy that will reinvent the wheel with his ring work. But what is is a guy who fits in all over the card, can step into the main event when needed, and really anchor the upper mid-card/lower main event scene for a company. Yes, Chris is getting up there in age, but he's still performing at a level that most dream of. Truthfully, I think he's at a higher level, performance wise, than Shawn Michaels was when he was Jericho's age. Which leads me to believe that Chris Jericho has at least a few good years left in him.

That's what I am hoping for. A few more years from Chris Jericho. The fans love him. The WWE loves what he can do for them. The industry loves, and needs, guys like him. So Chris, here's my request to you. Enjoy touring with Fozzy. I get that you love your band. I also get that you have a lot going on in your professional life outside of wrestling that could keep you financially secure for years to come. But, I'm hoping you still have enough in the tank to give us one more run in the WWE. You've been too good for too long to walk away after your contract expires. I hope you have enough passion left for one more run. Best of luck to you, and I hope we get to see you in that ring again sometime soon.

Kane vs. Taker - Round 3

So here we are yet again. Kane vs. The Undertaker. Or at least we are building towards it. I have to admit, I'm slightly intrigued. I like the angle that the WWE has taken on building this feud. The angle that it's something Kane has been plotting for basically his entire tenure in the WWE. I like how they have spun this as Kane keeping The Undertaker close to him when the Brothers of Destruction reunited as a way to essentially build trust with The Undertaker, and buy time before enacting his plan to take his brother out. Then he strikes - after Taker takes out after his alleged ego gets the best of him after he ends the career of Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 26. It's solid, believable, and it builds off past history between the two. And quite frankly it's somewhat simple. Kane was jealous of his brother. Over the years he's plotted to get back at him. Things happened to work out now that he could strike back so he did. Simple.

Now that said, the question going forward is what happens when this feud ends? There has been a lot of speculation the last couple of years as to whether or not Taker and/or Kane are going to retire. I remember back in 2004 when the "Deadman" gimmick was brought back for The Undertaker that people were speculating that Taker would have a run with this gimmick and then we'd see him retire. That was almost 7 years ago. So, in a nutshell does this feud signal the end of either Kane or The Undertaker? If I were a betting man, I'd say no, unless the feud is dragged out of over several months only to reach Wrestlemania 27. If that's the case, then I could see one, or both retiring in a final face off against one another. So we'll see I suppose. It will be interesting. In a way I would almost hope that Kane and Taker feud through Wrestlemania only to have some sort of grand finale to both their careers. It would be fitting. But time will tell. If I had a vote, that's where I'd be casting it.

In case you haven't been watching - ESPN has lost all of their integrity

Am I the only one who seems to have noticed what a joke ESPN has become over the past couple of years? I mean seriously. It just keeps getting worse and worse. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when ESPN stopped caring about credible journalism and cared only about being some sort of pseudo-sports entertainment company. I mean seriously, it's gotten to the point where they try to build storylines like you see in professional wrestling. I mean this whole Brett Favre thing - will he, won't he. I get that it's a big story, one that any credible sports media outlet should cover. But at the same time I can't buy the way they've covered it. Last year Ed Werder was hiding in the bushes down by Favre's mansion and had inaccurate report after inaccurate report. Is this journalism? Its sensationalism at best.

What really ended up being the nail in the coffin for me was their handling of LeBron James over the past few weeks. LeBron James called ESPN and told them not to report the story that Delonte West had had a relationship with LeBron's mom or else he wouldn't do any interviews ever again with ESPN or an ESPN affiliate. Couple that with the fact they hosted the spectacle only known now as "The Decision" and I have fully opened my eyes to what ESPN is.

They aren't about any sort of sports journalism. They are about sensationalistic stories and pandering to big name athletes so that they can use their programming as a forum for star athletes to promote themselves and stroke their ego's. I find it odd that across the country other sports writers, talk show hosts, and newspapers had the stones to put LeBron down for his handling of his free agency. Only ESPN put pundit after pundit on the air defending LeBron and seemingly refusing to call into question his decision making abilities. If the rest of the country is attacking LeBron why is everyone at ESPN not saying anything bad about him, unless of course LeBron has some kind of deal with ESPN to protect his image. Then there's the story that was pulled from ESPN that details LeBron's actions in Vegas, and paints a picture of him as a spoiled diva. Again, where's the integrity?

My issue with ESPN isn't so much with the material that they post on their website and air on their programming. It's how they try to present themselves. I've got news for you ESPN - you aren't a sports news network. You're an entertainment channel and a forum of diva athletes to promote themselves. Once you stop pretending that you're something else, maybe I'll come back to you for my sports news. Until then, I'll pass on Sportscenter, PTI, and Around the Horn and head over to cbssports.com. At least they aren't trying to be something the aren't, and can post news with a bit of integrity.

The Biggest Party Of The Summer

It's Summerslam 2010. It's been a long time since I've watched a WWE Pay Per View on my own dime. So I guess tonight marks a personal return to glory of sorts. Something like that. Either way, I'm stoked.


Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship is our opening bout for the show.

The match starts off with a bang. Kingston quickly dives through the middle rope to go after Ziggler, but Vickie Guerrero pulls Ziggler out of the way. How is it that Vickie Guerrero, for as much heat as she gets is nothing more than an older, fatter, uglier version of Lita? She hoes around with whoever the WWE wants to push for the time being. Every time they push her into more of a lead role (such as RAW GM) she flames out after a week. Now granted it may be her personal choice. I know her first resignation from the WWE was due to her desire to spend more time with her children. But still. Let's give the whole GM without hooking up with one of the wrestler's angle a shot. I think we'll all be pleasantly surprised. The match itself ends with Nexus interference. I don't quite get the point of Nexus interfering in the opening bout. I mean I understand having them interfere in something tonight. It sets the stage for the "epicness" of the main event tonight, but I don't know if I'm inserting them into the opening match.

Next we see Chris Jericho and Edge trying to convince Miz to be a part of team WWE. The only reason I bring this up is because Edge is eating a Slim Jim in the corner and I find that to be absolutely awesome seeing as he's been doing the commercials for it lately. It's just so goofy that it works somehow with Edge's crazy persona.


Melina vs. Alicia Fox is up next, and let me tell you - I'm a fan of Melina. A big fan. But what in the world is she wearing tonight? She reminded me of Big Bird walking out to the ring in that headdress. It was a little much, even for wrestling standards. The match ends with a Melina victory and that makes me happy. I found the segment after the match to be interesting too. Michelle McCool and Layla are okay on Smackdown (even though their gimmick is a complete and total rip off of TNA's "The Beautiful People"), but I've always felt the WWE has focused their women's division almost solely on RAW. I only bring this up because McCool and Layla have easily been the most pushed women on the roster over the last 6-12 months and now they are interacting with the diva that is essentially the face of the RAW women's division. It makes me think we are going to see the end of the Diva's title or the end of the Women's title. I hope so, because the talent pool is diluted and there's no need for both.

Another thing I've noticed tonight (and in the past two to three months). Michael Cole seems to have found a niche as a douchebag commentator. He's always been somewhat of a stooge, but the past few months he's been more obnoxious, openly supporting heels, and it's come off great. I hope they continue this with him and find a true babyface announcer to compliment him. It works. The only other time Cole was this tolerable was when he was paired with JBL (who I'd give me left kidney to see back in the WWE).

Straight Edge Society vs. Big Show is up next and can I just say this is how you do a mid-card feud. One of the things I don't like about the WWE is that they just do a terrible job of making mid-card feuds relevant. I actually find TNA does a much better job of this. TNA takes time and energy (admittedly at times to a fault) to develop a feud between Brother Ray Dudley and Jesse Neal. WWE gives us no build up and a couple of mid-card guys thrown together. Now maybe this feud works because realistically both CM Punk and Big Show are main event caliber wrestler's, but right now they're both filling a hole on Smackdown. That hole happens to be the mid-card. Either way, this feud has worked because we've had a few weeks of build up between the Straight Edge Society and Show. They're playing off that the SES injured Show's biggest weapon (his hand), and Punk has been his usual self on the microphone. It's just well rounded, it works, and I hope we see more of this.

The match itself I found entertaining (I missed parts of it because I was trying to keep my dog under control). I particularly found the use of Tornado rules early on to be fun when Punk ran out to the ring apron and grabbed the tag rope after Joey Mercury and Luke Gallows were tossed from the ring. That's a classic heel move and actually made me laugh. I'm hoping this leads to better things for both Punk and Big Show. Punk is particularly interesting seeing as he left the SES for Bit Show. I'm starting to wonder, with Punk's attitude lately, and how he treats Gallows, if we're seeing the end of the SES in coming weeks. I hope not, unless of course we see the birth of the Second City Saints.

Randy Orton vs. Sheamus is scheduled next but before we got to that, we were given a promo by the Miz. There's a couple of things from this segment I loved. First of all, Miz refers to John Morrison as Marty Jannetty. We all were thinking it. I give the WWE credit for having the stones to say it. Then Miz stops mid-catchphrase to tell the fans in the audience that the WWE Universe isn't allowed to use his catchphrase, and instead needs to raise their hand and ask for permission before they can speak. That is classic heel stuff, and why Miz is going to be a World Champion some day. All the while Michael Cole is praising Miz as the second coming of Jesus to the point where it would not be a surprise if he got into the ring and serviced Miz in front of the live crowd.

Finally we moved on to Randy Orton vs. Sheamus. Admittely I missed parts of this match as I was trying to cancel my subscription to the Wall Street Journal. But overall I liked how this match was booked. Sheamus looked strong, but not quite as strong as Randy Orton. It's an odd way of booking. Sheamus takes the cheap out with a DQ, but during the match still does some things that make him look credible - he counters the RKO and Orton's middle rope DDT which are two of the biggest moves in his arsenal (with the RKO being his finisher). I like the way this match turned out overall and it sets up a rematch at the next PPV.

Kane and Rey Mysterio finished up the undercard. I went into this match thinking that we'd see Kane retain and The Undertaker return, and that's what we got. The match itself was nothing special in my opinion. But it was enjoyable. Afterwards when Kane tried to stuff Rey into a casket the Undertaker magically appeared, just like I assumed he would, and let me tell you. Taker's put on a few LB's, and looks old. Older than normal. I wonder how much time he's got left. But this ultimately sets up Taker vs. Kane as The Undertaker indirectly let's us know Kane was the one who took him out of action by trying to chokeslam him instead of Rey Mysterio. That's a typical response and really how I expected the segment to play out.

I know people are always talking about how Undertaker is supposed to retire (and understandably so), but what if this Taker/Kane feud is really a way to retire Kane? Kane came into the WWE as a monster who was going to take out The Undertaker, and he never did. What if we get the feud one more time, and Kane can't finish off Taker, so he disappears from the WWE and this is creative's way of retiring the Kane character? I'm not saying it will happen, but I think it is a possibility and would be interesting.

So we've finally come to the main event and John Cena reveals that The Miz will not be the 7th member of team WWE, but another mystery superstar will - and that mystery superstar is the previously fired Daniel Bryan. I found this to be somewhat surprising, probably due to the fact I haven't been paying attention to the wrestling media lately. If you think about how his firing unfolded and how he was written out of the storyline it makes perfect sense. I like it. The main event match between Nexus and the WWE guys was good. Jericho played the role of traffic director by making sure everyone was where they needed to be. I thought the way this match was structured really worked. You had team WWE come out and eliminate a couple of Nexus guys right off the bat. It was kind of like a football game where the underdog comes out and punches the favored team right in the face with one or two touchdowns right away. That was team WWE. Nexus recovered and we went back and forth the rest of the match until Jericho and Edge imploded, and Cena was by himself and eeked out a victory. I liked the booking. I didn't think it made Cena look too strong. I thought he looked cunning by avoiding Justin Gabriel's 450 splash and then pinning him, and then finally using Wade Barrett's arrogance against him to counter into an STF for the submission victory. Nexus's own strengths worked against them at the end of this match.

Where the WWE goes from here is up in the air. I think there's a lot of flexibility post-Summerslam though on RAW in terms of where to go with the Nexus storyline. They didn't dominate the main event, but Nexus wasn't dominated either. So I expect creative to continue booking Nexus as a dominate force with a few kinks in the armor. I imagine we'll see more of a breakdown of the group as well. For example we might see Skip Sheffield and Darren Young work as a tag team against Jericho and Edge. Barrett will focus on Cena, and then we will see a guy like David Otunga feud with Morrison. At least that's how I'd book it.

WWE programming is usually slow in the fall. I'm hoping the Nexus angle keeps things going through the fall and into winter. It would be a nice change of pace. One I am keeping my fingers crossed on.

Revamp

I'm back and ready to go. I'm here to talk about the lighter side of life. The things that we fill our free time with and use to escape from the doldrums of every day life. Those who know me know that I am a huge professional wrestling fan. Over the past few years my interest in wrestling hasn't diminished as much as it's been put on the backburner. The past two weeks I watched RAW on Monday Night and really actually had an opportunity to sit down and enjoy it. The current storyline with the Nexus has been one that I have to tip my hat to the WWE on. They've managed to strike a degree of balance and freshen things up when it was going stale. However, I will be interested to see where it goes after SummerSlam on Sunday. It's been going on for a few months now, and I am not sure it has much steam if Nexus loses on Sunday, unless of course the creative team plays up a revenge angle.

That said, I can't believe Summerslam is this Sunday. I thought we had another week to go. Then it hit me that the show is this weekend. I had a momentary debate as to whether or not I should get the Pay Per View. Then it just kind of hit me that this is one of the biggest shows of the year for the WWE. I have to get Summerslam. Besides, the next several Pay Per Views they've got going on are all gimmick Pay Per Views, and lord knows I'm not a fan of that.

I am finally starting to wrap up Suikoden V. I started playing the game back in January and took a break to basically devote three months of my life to Mass Effect, then another 6 weeks to Final Fantasy 13. I have to say that I was glad I put down Suikoden V to play Mass Effect and Final Fantasy 13. I started playing video games last summer and enjoyed it as a hobby but never really got drawn into a game the way I remembered from my childhood. Mass Effect changed that. I cannot remember playing a game that drew me into the universe, the gameplay, the characters, and the story the way this game did. Final Fantasy 13 was similar in that respect, but different. It was the first time I can ever remember being drawn into a game to where I was in love with the universe, storyline, characters, and gameplay, but still able to step back and say "man, this game has some problems".

And that will be my next post. My thoughts on Final Fantasy 13, and the Final Fantasy series in general.