I hadn't mentioned anything about OVW as a thread in a while, and thought I would pass along my thoughts as to what is happening there. Of course, anyone else who can catch OVW and wants to comment, feel free.
With the number of guys that keep coming up from OVW to WWE in the past couple of years, the television show has had a real struggle to keep storylines going for any length of time. It was nice to see Matt Morgan get a good run - first in his summer-fall heel turn as part of the Team Players for John Laurinatis, and then as the masked wrestler, The Blueprint. I think he has improved a great deal from the days I saw him doing dark matches at the old Davis Arena in Indiana, and I would like to see the guy go far in WWE. He's certainly improved on the stick in the past year, if nothing else. This Wednesday's taping saw Morgan put Cornette into a chokeslam that was diverted by WWE's Champion, Elijah Burke, which led to Cornette suspending The Blueprint from OVW. Time to move on up to WWE again perhaps? Don't know for sure.
The best tag-team action has been Johnny Jeter and Matt Cappotelli vs. Johnny Nitro and Joey Matthews (with Melina). Just some great work from everyone involved there. There's been a lot of talk about each one of these guys going up to WWE over the past year and I really think they are grooming them for tag-team efforts on one of the shows. They seem ready. And even though Cappotelli and Nitro were Tough Enough winners, you've got to give these guys credit for training in OVW for two years now, unlike some of the other TE winners that went up much too quickly.
Aaron "The Idol" Stevens is looking pretty good as well. I wouldn't be surprised if he heads up something within the year as well.
Very surprised to see Desmond Howard (aka Lamont, aka Morris the Butler) back, since he had been dropped recently from WWE's developmental program. He's back on a weekly basis as Mo Green - a manager "pimping" (as he says) the Heart Breakers, which is a tag-team of Romeo Roselli and Antonio "The Promise" Thomas done in an even gayer fashion than Chuck and Billy's antics from a couple of years back. Well, it's a living.
Sorry to see Nurse Lulu go. I'm assuming she's gone now, as she hasn't appeared for a few weeks on the program, and with her sister out of WWE, she may have figured that the time was right to move on as well. For those who never saw what she looked like, there's a picture of her in the new issue of Inside Wrestling on page 51 (the Kenny Bolin article there). Funny she makes the magazines right when she leaves.
That's about it for what I've seen lately. They never did have Muhammad back on after the attack from the audience (not even a mention in the shows after that, if I remember correctly).
Is Alexis Laree even still down there? What has she been doing?
Just curious, because I haven't heard anything about her since the WWE signed her away from TNA, but I know she can wrestle pretty well, and she'd probably do well as a step-in on the face side of RAW while Lita is off with injury. I haven't heard anything about her getting realeased, but I also haven't heard anything about her working in OVW.
Tonight I wanna ruin my life, I wanna throw it all away, In a spectacular way
She had nearly a weekly run on the OVW television show there for quite a while, mainly in a long feud with a wrestler by the name of Jillian Hall. Laree has been a face the entire time down here, going for a look - what with the Rainbow Brite "too tight" t-shirt, the miss-matched tennis shoes, and the children's underoos -- that screams a pedophile's wet-dream more than anything else. Finishing most of her moves spreadeagled on the mat probably helps perpetuate that thinking, however.
But beyond the look, she has had some very good matches. In fact, OVW has a handful of good women prospects there. Don't know if they have a chance at all in WWE now, thanks to the attitude being displayed there, however.
I've heard the story about the implants as well. Don't know why she feels she has to bother there (or, rather, why someone would tell her she needed to get them), but I'll never understand the attitude there.
Originally posted by SnookumThe best tag-team action has been Johnny Jeter and Matt Cappotelli vs. Johnny Nitro and Joey Matthews (with Melina). Just some great work from everyone involved there. There's been a lot of talk about each one of these guys going up to WWE over the past year and I really think they are grooming them for tag-team efforts on one of the shows.
This is something I hope WWE focuses on post-WM ... With the addition of the Shane Twins and the recent push of the Bashams, I'm starting to gain a little faith that there may be some life left in the tag division(s).
Originally posted by SnookumLaree has been a face the entire time down here, going for a look - what with the Rainbow Brite "too tight" t-shirt, the miss-matched tennis shoes, and the children's underoos -- that screams a pedophile's wet-dream more than anything else. Finishing most of her moves spreadeagled on the mat probably helps perpetuate that thinking, however.
She looks like she raided the Punky Brewster wardrobe department. And Alexis needs implants like I need a shotgun blast to the face. I always thought she looked great like she was.
Originally posted by SnookumI hadn't mentioned anything about OVW as a thread in a while, and thought I would pass along my thoughts as to what is happening there. Of course, anyone else who can catch OVW and wants to comment, feel free.
The best tag-team action has been Johnny Jeter and Matt Cappotelli vs. Johnny Nitro and Joey Matthews (with Melina). Just some great work from everyone involved there. There's been a lot of talk about each one of these guys going up to WWE over the past year and I really think they are grooming them for tag-team efforts on one of the shows. They seem ready. And even though Cappotelli and Nitro were Tough Enough winners, you've got to give these guys credit for training in OVW for two years now, unlike some of the other TE winners that went up much too quickly.
Agreed. The over-the-top entrance and ring garb of MNM (Matthews-Nitro-Melina) has to be seen to be appreciated. Before they come thru the curtain, some backstage employees come out with cameras to act as paparazzi. Then they come out, resplendent in their fur coats (summer and winter) and streaked hair with the championship belts hanging from their tights like some swingin' meat. Matthews in the ring first, Melina does the splits under the bottom rope so we get a good view of her undies, then she spreads her legs so Nitro can baseball slide into the ring thru them. Their mic work is usually gold and they've really learned how to work the crowd during their matches too.
Capotelli and Jeter have been ready to jump up for some time. I just think they're too small to have much of an impact in anything other than the cruiser ranks (unless they keep 'em as a tag team).
Has anybody seen Blaster Lashley? Not much in the way of wrestling moves yet, but damn he's a big huge cut monster, which means the rest of you will be seeing him soon ;-)
"The 6-5 Seahawks are leading the West by one game. They have lost five of their last eight. They lost to a 4-6 Bills team at home last week by 29 points. They have Jerry Rice starting at WR, wearing Steve Largent's number and running fly patterns with a pitchfork sticking out his back. They are being routinely outscored on Sundays by Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen and even Vlad Radmanovic. On the bright side, it's only Year 6 of Mike Holmgren's five-year plan." - The "Sports Guy" Bill Simmons hits the nail on the freaking head
Originally posted by DrewDewceHas anybody seen Blaster Lashley? Not much in the way of wrestling moves yet, but damn he's a big huge cut monster, which means the rest of you will be seeing him soon ;-)
I still can't get over that name. It makes him sound like a futuristic cowboy.
"Flash Gordon, in an effort to save Dale from the Merciless Ming, seeks help from the elusive Blaster Lashley, King Cowboy from the planet Hoss."
The thing to me is that the program they have Blaster in seems very similar to the same one they used for Da Beast when he first came in. They've reduced Da Beast to dark matches now, which makes me wonder what's up.
I love Mike Mondo in his military outfit, pushing Blaster around. Mondo has a lot of comedic appeal to me, but as a friend mentioned once, if WWE moved him up they would probably reduce him quickly to a latter-day Crash Holly-type role, and that would be a shame to see.
Originally posted by Snookum It was nice to see Matt Morgan get a good run - first in his summer-fall heel turn as part of the Team Players for John Laurinatis, and then as the masked wrestler, The Blueprint. I think he has improved a great deal from the days I saw him doing dark matches at the old Davis Arena in Indiana, and I would like to see the guy go far in WWE. He's certainly improved on the stick in the past year, if nothing else. This Wednesday's taping saw Morgan put Cornette into a chokeslam that was diverted by WWE's Champion, Elijah Burke, which led to Cornette suspending The Blueprint from OVW. Time to move on up to WWE again perhaps? Don't know for sure.
I loved the creative way they got around the loser leaves town match with Morgan from back in the Summer. Yes, he returned wearing a mask, but the stipulation was that if he lost, he'd never show his face in OVW again. He hasn't shown his face, but he didn't hide his identity either as "The Blueprint." I've never seen that one done.
His latest mask, which looks like the skull on The Punisher's shirt (the comic book character), is especially nifty.
"The 6-5 Seahawks are leading the West by one game. They have lost five of their last eight. They lost to a 4-6 Bills team at home last week by 29 points. They have Jerry Rice starting at WR, wearing Steve Largent's number and running fly patterns with a pitchfork sticking out his back. They are being routinely outscored on Sundays by Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen and even Vlad Radmanovic. On the bright side, it's only Year 6 of Mike Holmgren's five-year plan." - The "Sports Guy" Bill Simmons hits the nail on the freaking head
If only wrestling fans had gone to see the Scorpion King, it wouldn't have been as successful as it was. The broads get all swampy over Rocky, and the guys mark out for his wrestling background (among other things...*cough*).