This action is the major component of sitting up. Because of this, when you are doing sit ups your psoas muscles are the primary muscles being engaged and not your abdominal exercises.

So, sit-ups are a pretty useless exercise if you want to get your abs in shape. Instead, use crunches, because they directly work your abs.

The Right Way

Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet together flat on the floor and about 10-15 inches from your buttocks. Your hands should either be crossed on your chest, by your side, or cupped behind your ears.

Without moving your lower body, curl your upper torso up and in toward your knees, until your shoulder blades are as high off the ground as you can get them. Only your shoulder blades should lift – not your back. As you come to the highest point tighten and flex your abdominals for a brief second. Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position. Repeat for reps.

Diet

Remember cruches only tone the ab muscles, you need a lowered calorie intake to burn off the fat, so the muscles then show through clearly.

About The Author: Paul Becker is a natural (steroid free for life) bodybuilder and fitness consultant. For more information on Bodybuilding and Bodybuilding Supplements visit his website at http://www.trulyhuge.com

• United States Championship match: Dolph Ziggler(c) vs. Zack Ryder

This was a really solid way to start the show. Ziggler has been very impressive lately and this was another good performance from him. Ziggler sweeps the leg twice at the start before they lock up. Ryder hits an arm drag before Ziggler hits a shoulder block and they run the ropes. Ryder catapults Ziggler into the corner, clotheslines him to the floor, and hits a big tope flip dive over the ropes. Ziggler catches Ryder with a DDT on the ring apron and hits a neckbreaker back inside the ring followed by several consecutive elbow drops. Ziggler hits a clothesline and applies a chin lock. He breaks to do some sit ups, but then goes right back to the hold. Ziggler puts Ryder on the top rope, but Ryder kicks him away and hits a big missile dropkick for 2. Ryder hits a forearm, clothesline, and a Facejam followed by a corner clothesline and a running face wash for 2. Vickie is then ejected from ringside after she puts Ziggler’s foot on the ropes. Ryder and Ziggler both score near falls with roll-ups. Ziggler snaps Ryder’s head over the ropes, Ryder does a roll-up for 2, and Ziggler hits a Famouser for 2. Ziggler hits a dropkick and heads up top, but Ryder meets him up there and hits a top rope hurricanrana for 2. Ziggler launches Ryder into the corner and rolls him up for 2, but Ryder boots a charging Ziggler in the corner and hits the Rough Ryder for the win. Really nice pop for Ryder’s win. Overall this was a good, competitive opening match with some nice near falls and a hot crowd. Match Time: 10:25     Star Rating: ***1/4

• WWE Tag Team Championship match: Air Boom(c) vs. Primo and Epico

In an unadvertised match, Evan Bourne made his return from his suspension. This was an average filler match. Bourne starts with Epico, and both guys go for roll-ups early on. Bourne does a sunset flip, misses a hurricanrana, and hits a head scissors before tagging in Kofi Kingston. Kofi hits a dropkick for 2 followed by a double dropkick on both heels. Primo tries a monkey flip, but Kofi lands on his feet and hits one of his own. Bourne hits a head scissors and tries a springboard, but the heels catch him and toss him to the floor. The heels then stomp Bourne repeatedly before Primo applies a front chancery. Primo drives Bourne into the corner before tagging in Epico, who hits a dropkick followed by a backbreaker, 2 back suplexes, and a German suplex. Epico applies a Gory special, but Bourne is able to escape with a sunset flip. Bourne hits the double knees before both guys get tags. Kofi hits some clotheslines and a dropkick followed by the Boom Drop, but Primo gets a boot up in the corner. Kofi springs out of the corner with a cross body, Bourne takes out Epico with a plancha to the floor, and Kofi hits the Trouble in Paradise to Primo for the win. Total TV quality match here, but it was fairly solid. Air Boom is a fun tag team but they have no competition. Match Time: 7:32     Star Rating: **1/2

• Tables match: Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett

This was another good match. Orton and Barrett haven’t had many good matches in the past, but they had a decent brawl here and told a story. They trade punches and kicks at the start before Orton hits his signature backbreaker and gets a table from the floor. Barrett kicks the table into Orton’s face and hits some shots on the floor, but Orton kicks a table into Barrett’s gut and then launches it into his face. Orton sets up the table on the floor and brawls up the ramp with Barrett. Barrett knocks over some tables and teases a pumphandle slam, but Orton escapes and they head back toward the ring. Barrett slams Orton’s head on the ring post and sets up another table on the floor. Barrett slams Orton’s head on the table and lays Orton across it, but Orton gets up. Barrett drives Orton into the apron and rolls him into the ring, where he hits a second rope elbow drop. Barrett chokes Orton against the ropes and hits some knees to the face followed by a running big boot, but Orton avoids the table by landing on the apron. Barrett sets a table up in the corner, but Orton escapes a slam and hits some clotheslines followed by a snap powerslam. They do a good counter sequence near the apron before Orton hits the spike DDT. Orton avoids being sent into the table again, but Barrett hits a black hole slam and drops the table on Orton. Barrett sets the table up again and lays Orton across it before heading up top. Barrett leaps, but Orton catches him with a sudden mid air RKO through the table for the win. Good stuff with some nice psychology built around the tables and a great finish. Barrett got a pinfall victory at Survivor Series, so him losing a match without standard rules here doesn’t hurt him. No complaints here. Match Time: 10:17     Star Rating: ***

• Divas Championship match: Beth Phoenix(c) vs. Kelly Kelly

This was another unadvertised filler match. Kelly slaps Beth at the start, sends her to the floor, and hits a bulldog off the apron. Back in the ring, Kelly hits a head scissors into the corner, but Beth drops her on the ropes and beats on Kelly with punches. Beth pulls Kelly’s hair and stands on her back before applying a camel clutch. Kelly escapes and hits a bulldog before slamming Beth’s face in the mat repeatedly. Kelly leaps off the top, but Beth catches her and slams her down for 2. Beth misses a top rope leg drop and both girls counter each other’s finishers. Both attempt roll-ups before Beth hits a reverse powerbomb for the win. Standard short, crappy Divas match, move along nothing to see here. Match Time: 5:14     Star Rating: *1/2

Booker T then comes out for his match against Cody Rhodes, but Cody jumps him during his entrance. Cody also attacked Booker earlier backstage. Referees and other officials break it up and send both guys to the back, so no match here. I didn’t really see the point in putting this match off.

• Sledgehammer Ladder match: Kevin Nash vs. Triple H

Yes, it is the year 2011. These guys couldn’t even have good matches eight years ago, and this was very sluggish. The rules were that you had to climb a ladder to get the sledgehammer hanging above the ring, and then you could use it as a weapon and the match ends via pinfall. Both guys go back and forth with punches early on, and Nash looks very rough. Nash hits some knee lifts, but Triple H sends him to the floor and slams his head on the announce table. Triple H unloads with punches and clotheslines Nash into the crowd. Nash hits a back elbow and drops Triple H face first on the barricade, but Triple H sends him into the ring post. They then get a couple ladders and go back into the ring. Triple H hits Nash’s knee repeatedly with a ladder, puts his knee inside the ladder, and applies a modified figure four with the ladder. Triple H leans one of the ladders against the corner and drops the second one on Nash. Nash whips Triple H into the ladder in the corner, and then lays the ladder across the second rope. Nash body slams Triple H onto the other ladder in the ring and catapults him face first into the ladder in the ropes.

Nash takes apart the announce table on the outside and teases a Jackknife powerbomb, but Triple H backdrops him over the table (he had trouble getting him up and it looked like the table was supposed to break, but it didn’t). Triple H climbs a ladder in the ring, but Nash pulls him off and clotheslines him. Nash whips Triple H into a ladder and hits a chokeslam before getting a table from under the ring. Triple H drives Nash into the ladder in the corner and hits Nash’s knee with another ladder. Both guys climb a ladder and fight at the top, with Triple H hitting Nash with the end of the sledgehammer twice, causing Nash to fall off the ladder through the table. Triple H unhooks the sledgehammer and climbs down, hitting Nash’s knee with it repeatedly. Triple H then goes for the Pedigree but Nash botches it by bumping too early. Triple H then hits a second one but it also comes off sloppy. Nash then begs off with the Wolfpac sign, but Triple H hits him in the face with the sledgehammer for the win. Match reads much better than it was executed. Both of these guys, especially Nash, are just too old and slow now. It just dragged on forever and ever and a lot of the stuff they did looked very clunky. This probably sounded really good on paper, but in reality it was just way too long and the fans weren’t into it. Absolutely nobody cares about Kevin Nash anymore. Match Time: 18:13     Star Rating: *3/4

• Jack Swagger vs. Sheamus

This match was also unadvertised, having been added on in a backstage segment earlier in the show. Sheamus hits some clotheslines and a shoulder block at the start before blocking an abdominal stretch and hitting the clubbing blows to the chest in the ropes. Swagger is sent to the floor, where he drives Sheamus back first into the ring post and barricade. Swagger hits a Vader Bomb back into the ring for 1 before hitting some forearms to the back. Sheamus comes back with a clothesline and some double sledges before they go to the outside. Sheamus drives Swagger into the ring post, tosses him into the barricade, and hits a shoulder block off the top in the ring for 2. Sheamus misses the Brogue Kick and Swagger dives at his leg. Swagger hits a Vader Bomb elbow drop to the leg and goes for the ankle lock, but Sheamus is able to escape. Swagger dives at the leg again, but Sheamus avoids him and hits the Brogue Kick for the win. This was a very average, Smackdown quality filler match that didn’t get much reaction from the crowd. Match Time: 5:57     Star Rating: **

• Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry(c) vs. The Big Show

This was a bit interesting. Show bails to the floor at the start and starts throwing chairs into the ring. Henry decides he’s seen enough and tries to leave with the title, but Show goes to the outside and hits him with a chair repeatedly before laying into Henry with punches. Henry hits a head butt and a chair shot before slamming Show’s hand on the steel steps. Both guys go for a chair shot at the same time back in the ring before Henry hits Show repeatedly with a chair. Henry puts a chair around Show’s hand and stomps on it before hitting him in the ribs with a chair. Show hits the WMD punch with the injured hand and covers for the win out of nowhere. After the match Henry attacks Show with a chair and hits him with a DDT on 2 chairs. This was too short to be much of anything, and a really lackluster end to Henry’s world title reign. Just 5 minutes of chair shots and nothing else, which is not good for a PPV world title match. Match Time: 5:30     Star Rating: *

BUT WAIT!!!! Daniel Bryan’s music hits and Bryan comes down to the ring with his Money in the Bank briefcase! Bryan says he is cashing in, leading to…

• World Heavyweight Championship match: The Big Show(c) vs. Daniel Bryan

Bryan rolls over Big Show and covers for the instant victory. Bryan then had a great, lengthy celebration afterwards, high fiving the fans and standing on top of the announce table. While this certainly isn’t the direction many people thought WWE would go with Bryan’s Money in the Bank briefcase, this was a really great feel good moment for a guy who deserves this championship more than anyone. Bryan has busted his ass wrestling all over the world for the last decade and finally won the big one in the WWE. Hopefully all goes well with his world title reign and I just couldn’t be happier for the guy. Match Time: 0:08     Star Rating: N/A

• Intercontinental Championship match: Cody Rhodes(c) vs. Booker T

So it turns out we are getting this match after all. Booker, totally not selling his injuries from before, immediately lays into Cody with punches, a back elbow, and back to back scoop slams followed by a sidekick. Booker tosses Cody to the floor where he hits some chops, but Cody comes back with some punches and tosses Booker into the barricade. Cody flips Booker by his arm in the ring and applies a submission, but Booker fights out. Booker hits a chop, but Cody kicks his leg and covers for 2. Cody applies a full nelson, but Booker gets out and they trade shots. Booker hits some clotheslines, a sidewalk slam, and a spinebuster but misses the scissors kick. Cody hits the beautiful disaster kick for 2, and then hits a second one for the victory. Short, but decent match here. Booker did fine and had a solid performance, plus Cody got a nice clean victory over an established legend. That’s pretty much all you can ask for with this type of match. Match Time: 7:15     Star Rating: **1/2

• Triple Threat Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the WWE Championship: CM Punk(c) vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. The Miz

Though far from the best TLC match, this was a really fun main event to close the show. The heels gang up on Punk at the start, and Punk hits a couple dropkicks, but Miz and Del Rio go back to stomping him and drop him face first on the top rope. Miz and Del Rio go to the outside and Del Rio gets a ladder, but Punk hits him with a suicide dive through the ropes. Punk gets a chair, but Miz stomps him and hits him with the chair before setting it up on its legs. Punk hits the high knee in the corner, but Miz blocks the bulldog and hits a back suplex to Punk on the chair. Del Rio blocks the Skull-Crushing Finale from Miz and backdrops Miz on a leaning ladder on the floor. Del Rio avoids a baseball slide from Punk, but Punk kicks a ladder into Del Rio’s face and tosses him into the barricade. Punk and Del Rio both try to suplex each other through a table before Punk hits a neckbreaker on the floor. Punk avoids a chair shot from Miz, hits him with the chair, and props him up on the barricade, where he hits a high knee strike off a chair to Miz into the crowd. Punk climbs a ladder in the ring, but Ricardo Rodriguez interferes and handcuffs Punk’s wrist to the ladder. Del Rio then attacks Punk before climbing the ladder, but Punk breaks free and tips it over before hitting a flapjack to Del Rio onto the ladder.

Miz hits Punk with another ladder and starts climbing it, but Punk pulls him down and goes for the Go to Sleep. Miz blocks it and they go up top, only for Del Rio to hit Punk with an enzuigiri, causing him to fall off the top through a table on the floor. Del Rio and Miz brawl up the entrance ramp, with Del Rio throwing a ladder at Miz and applying the cross armbreaker with the ladder around Miz’s arm. Del Rio then hits Punk with chair shots and applies the cross armbreaker with a chair around Punk’s arm. Del Rio climbs a ladder in the ring, but Punk and Miz tip it over, causing Del Rio to be crotched on the top rope. Punk and Miz then trade shots and knock each other down. Ricardo then climbs once again, but Punk and Miz tip the ladder over, causing Ricardo to fall off and through a table outside the ring. Punk and Miz both counter each other’s finishers before Miz handcuffs Punk to the corner. Miz taunts Punk, but Punk hits a sudden roundhouse kick. Del Rio and Miz then both climb ladders as Punk struggles to free himself. Punk is eventually able to take apart the second rope and free himself from the corner, and then ascends the two ladders. All 3 guys fight at the top, with Punk knocking Del Rio off of a ladder and then fighting with Miz on the mat. Punk hits Miz with the GTS, climbs the ladder, and grabs the title to win the match. This didn’t have nearly as many crazy spots as past TLC matches, but it was paced very well and had some innovative offense with the chairs. By the standards of this match, it wasn’t great, but it was very good and the best match on the show. Nice to see Punk get the win and hopefully his title reign lasts long enough to restore some credibility to the belt. Match Time: 18:26     Star Rating: ***1/2

Overall PPV Rating: 7/10

Here is a direct link to the full report, but make sure that you don’t read it with a full stomach: Sandusky Affidavit 

It is definitely not an easy read, with the detailed descriptions of what the vermin named Jerry Sandusky did to the most innocent of victims he was entrusted with. Minors as young as 10 years of age were put through ordeals that may never leave their psyche.

1998 – First Reported Incident

What makes this entire situation even more troubling is that as far back as 1998 Sandusky could have been thrown in jail for these animalistic acts. But one misstep after another of using bad judgement and blatant cover-ups left this out of the public eye until last weekend.

When one of the victim’s mothers was made aware of the inappropriate actions by Sandusky, she reported it to the University Police. Although they opened an investigation and were privy to two incriminating conversations between the mother and Sandusky, then-District Attorney Ray Gricar chose not to prosecute. There you have the first person to blame in this situation. (Unfortunately, we will never learn any more from Gricar, as he went missing under mysterious circumstances in 2005 and has since been declared legally dead.)

Detective Ronald Sheffler of the University Police was then told to close the investigation by his director Thomas Harmon, even though it included a second victim with near identical allegations. There you have the second person that failed to do his duty.

Shortly after that, Detective Sheffler and Jerry Lauro, an investigator from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare interviewed Sandusky, who admitted that he hugged the victim – a 10-year-old boy, mind you- naked in the shower and that it was wrong to do so. Sheffler, possibly believing that he was a priest and Sandusky in his confession booth, made him promise to never shower naked with young boys again and shitcanned the case. Chalk one up for yourself in the blame game, Sheffler.

Just what Lauro did – or didn’t do – remains to be seen. Until proven otherwise, he has to be on the blame chopping block, as well.

Besides being a Penn State football defensive coordinator, Sandusky also started “The Second Mile” in 1977, which was a group foster home to help troubled boys. That is like bringing the canary to the cat, if you will. Sandusky used this opportunity to have the victims sleep over his house and while his own wife was upstairs asleep, he would come down to the basement bedroom used by the youngsters and sexually abuse them.

2000 – Adult Eyewitness to the Crime

One evening while cleaning the locker rooms, a janitor named Jim Calhoun saw a naked Sandusky in the shower performing fellatio on a nude young boy who was pinned up against the wall. Calhoun reportedly became so emotional over this that his co-worker believed he was having a heart attack.

He did tell his co-worker Ronald Petrosky what he saw and Petrosky then observed Sandusky and a young boy walking away from the showers holding hands. The janitors spoke about how they can go about and report the incident but they failed to do so. Today, Calhoun suffers from dementia and resides in a nursing home.

Either way, both of these men failed to do what should have been done, leaving Sandusky free to commit further damage.

2002 – What Was Exactly Said?

The most widely spoken about incident occurred in 2002, when Sandusky was observed having what was described as anal intercourse with a boy appearing 10 years of age. Both were naked and in a shower area on campus. The witness, described in the affidavit as a 28-year-old graduate assistant (since identified as present PSU assistant coach Mike McQuery) testified that both the victim and Sandusky saw him there and that he immediately left. He then called his father and the following morning, they reported the incident to head football coach Joe Paterno. Just why they decided to skip calling the police is the $99,000 question. And there you have the next two to blame.

Paterno has become the focus of this scenario, which is not totally fair to him. But the legendary coach is by no means exonerated. He was fired because this blew up, but there are many others who did more by doing less than Paterno.

Waiting another day before dialing up his superiors, Paterno notified Athletic Director Tim Curley. This is where it gets complicated. Just what was described by McQueary to Paterno, and then Paterno to Curley, is up for debate. McQuery stated that he was descriptive to Paterno, who relayed it to his superior Curley, as “fondling or doing something of a sexual nature.” Paterno also stated that he cut off McQueary when the language was getting too graphic for him.

10 days later, McQueary was called in to meet with Curley and Vice President Gary Schultz. What happened behind those closed doors remains to be seen, but McQueary said he once again described what appeared to be anal sex and Curely remembered him saying only that he witnessed some “inappropriate conduct” that mad him feel “uncomfortable.”

The furthest this went was to University President Graham Spanier and Second Mile Director Jack Raykovitz. Sandusky’s punishment was to have his school keys taken from him, as well as his privileges of bringing kids onto the campus and property. The police were never notified, nor was there any attempt to identify the child.

If there was any doubt as to what McQueary actually saw, it was the responsibility of Paterno, Curley, Shultz, Spanier and Raykovitz to either ask more questions. The police should have been notified on the night in question, or by any of the PSU personnel informed of the allegation.

Instead, it appears that Sandusky was a charter member of the ‘Good Ol’ Boys Club’ and was being protected by everyone.

Dayana Cadeau may be making the switch at the right time and announced it last month on her Facebook page:

“I would like to thank all my fans for their support for all these years of my bodybuilding career. This weekend was my last Olympia show as a bodybuilder. I’m gonna do Women’s Physique as an IFBB pro. Much better for me.”

Throughout her 16-year bodybuilding career, Cadeau has competed in numerous shows each year and was a regular at the Arnold Classic and Ms. Olympia. As recently as the last Arnold, she finished in the top 10, and was in the top six at the 2010 Olympia.

But now she is delving into a new class that people are still curious about. Physique is said to be in between bodybuilding and figure, so someone with as much muscle mass as Cadeau will have to a lot of modifications to her routine and diet in order to bring it down.

It remains to be seen the effect that WPD will have on the industry and if other female bodybuilders will follow Cadeau. And then there is the question of how many amateur competitors will go into physique instead of bodybuilding. These are all things that will play themselves out.

But for now, it will be very interesting to see the transformation of Dayana Cadeau.

• WWE Tag Team Championship match: Air Boom(c) vs. Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler

This was a really nice way to start off the PPV and ended up being one of the better matches of the night. Kofi Kingston and Ziggler lock up and do some grappling early on, with both guys going for headlocks and hammerlocks. Kofi does a pair of leapfrogs and a clothesline followed by a big monkey flip that Ziggler does a full rotation bump for. Evan Bourne comes in with a dropkick and nearly catches Swagger with a sunset flip. Kofi leaps onto a rope hung Swagger before hitting a double dropkick in the corner with Bourne followed by a double bulldog. Kofi goes for a cross body off the top but Swagger catches him and slams him down. Ziggler hits a dropkick for 2 and puts Kofi in a submission. Kofi fights up, but Ziggler throws him down by his head and tags in Swagger. Swagger applies a chin lock but Kofi eventually arm drags out of it and tags Bourne. Bourne hits a hurricanrana, a series of kicks, and a knee to the head followed by a single leg dropkick. Bourne leaps off the top but lands on his feet and sends Swagger into Ziggler.

Bourne goes for the shooting star press but Swagger gets his knees up and goes for a pin, only for Kofi to break it up. Ziggler applies a submission and Bourne fights out before both guys go for roll-ups. Swagger stomps Bourne and hits a Vader Bomb for 2, and then controls Bourne with a reverse headlock. Bourne rolls up Swagger for 2 and sends him to the floor when he goes for the ankle lock. Swagger pulls Kofi off the apron and Ziggler stomps Bourne in the ring. Swagger steps on Bourne’s gut and scoop slams him, but Bourne gets his knees up to block a second Vader Bomb. Kofi gets a hot tag and hits some clotheslines. Ziggler blocks the SOS but eats a rope-assisted Pele and a top rope cross body for 2. Kofi hits the Boom Drop and sets up for the Trouble in Paradise, misses, and hits the SOS, only for Swagger to break up the pin and put Kofi in the ankle lock. Bourne breaks that up by hitting the flying double knees off the top to Swagger. Kofi hits Ziggler with the Trouble in Paradise and Bourne finishes him with the shooting star press for the win. Really solid match to open up the show with some nice storytelling built around the heels wearing down Bourne’s midsection. Fun action with some exciting spots. Match Time: 13:24     Star Rating: ***1/4

• United States Championship match: Dolph Ziggler(c) vs. Zack Ryder

Ryder comes out right after the tag match ends, so the US title match is on right now. Ryder lays into Ziggler with punches in the corner, hits a back elbow, and whips Ziggler hard into the corner for 2. Ziggler hits a neckbreaker and Ryder comes back with a clothesline. Ziggler rolls to the outside but Kofi and Bourne, who hadn’t left ringside, toss him back in, causing the referee to send them to the back. Ryder hits some clotheslines and a flapjack for 2, but crashes into the ropes on a cross body attempt. Ziggler hits a boot to the head and an elbow drop for 2 before applying an arm bar. Ziggler hits a corner splash but misses a second one, only for Ryder to miss a face wash. Ziggler hits a Famouser for 2 and some shots in the corner. Ryder kicks a charging Ziggler and hits the face wash in the corner. Swagger gets on the apron and Ryder tries to kick him away. Ziggler goes for the Zig Zag but Ryder holds onto the ropes and blocks it. Ryder then kicks Swagger to the floor but Ziggler surprises him with a superkick for the win. This made Ryder look like a total geek because he couldn’t beat a fatigued guy who just lost, but Ziggler would have looked pretty stupid if he lost as well. This should have been saved for later on in the show where Ziggler’s win would have seemed more believable. Match was average, pretty much Raw quality. Match Time: 6:01     Star Rating: **1/4

• Divas Championship match: Beth Phoenix(c) vs. Eve

This wasn’t terrible by Divas standards, but certainly nothing to write home about. They lock up and go into the corner before Eve hits a sunset flip for 2. Beth hits a shoulder block for a near fall but Eve does a cartwheel and hits some kicks. Beth hits some strikes but Eve flips over Beth and hits an enzuigiri. They did a weird spot where Eve tried to handcuff Beth to the ropes via her outfit and kicked her repeatedly. Beth eventually frees herself and sweeps Eve’s legs on the apron before dropping her face first on the barricade. Beth whips Eve into the apron and covers in the ring for 2. Beth applies a submission for a bit before hitting a gutbuster for 2. Beth applies a body scissors and taunts Eve, and Eve eventually fights out. Eve hits some punches, a kick, a clothesline, and a running senton for 2. Eve hits a back elbow and puts Beth in a bizarre submission hold that looked like a weird modified triangle choke. Beth gets the ropes and Eve slams her head in the corner. Beth snaps Eve’s head over the ropes and goes for the Glam Slam, but Eve counters and sends Beth into the ropes. Eve hits a kick but misses a moonsault and Beth hits the Glam Slam for the win. This would have been a bit better than most Divas matches but they were out there for a little too long and the crowd was dead. Just a tiny step above your typical WWE women’s match. Match Time: 7:19     Star Rating: *3/4

• Christian vs. Sheamus

The crowd really hurt this match, maybe more than any other match on the show. This was solid but their match last month was better and longer. Christian slaps Sheamus and hits some strikes in the corner, but Sheamus comes back with some shots of his own and a scoop slam. Sheamus hits a shoulder block and some more shots in the corner. Christian slides under Sheamus and slaps him, but Sheamus takes Christian to the apron and hits the clubbing blows to the chest followed by a stalling vertical suplex. Christian comes back with back-to-back neckbreakers followed by some strikes in the corner. Sheamus tries to fight back but Christian chokes him with his boot. Sheamus hits some shoulders in the corner but Christian rolls him up for 2, hits some elbows to the back of the head, and applies a chin lock. Sheamus gets up and falls backwards to break the hold. Christian stands on Sheamus against the ropes, then slides out and slaps him. Christian hits a twisting uppercut off the second rope followed by a missile dropkick, but misses a top rope diving head butt. Sheamus hits some clotheslines and a scoop slam, then catches a leaping Christian in mid air and hits a fall away slam for 2. Christian sends Sheamus to the outside, but Sheamus shoulders a charging Christian and hits a slingshot shoulder block over the ropes for 2. Christian hits a reverse DDT and escapes the High Cross, but Sheamus blocks the rope-assisted Pele and covers for 2. Both guys counter each other’s finishers before Christian hits 2 rope-assisted Peles and heads up to, but Sheamus catches Christian in mid air and hits the uranage backbreaker. Christian hits a spear for 2 but Sheamus comes back with punches. Both guys go up top and Christian hits a top rope Frankensteiner. He sets up for another spear but Sheamus hits the Brogue Kick for the win. Solid match between these guys with some nice counters and sequences, but when is Christian ever going to get a win again? I’ve lost count of how many times they’ve jobbed this guy. Match Time: 10:37     Star Rating: **3/4

• The Miz and R-Truth vs. CM Punk and Triple H

This was a huge disappointment considering all of the buildup. It felt like an extended Raw match at times. Punk and Miz circle each other at the start, and Punk hits a few kicks before tagging in Triple H. Truth gets a tag as well and locks up with Triple H. Triple H hits a shoulder block, a punch, and whips Truth into the corner. Truth does a split but Triple H kicks him and does a crotch chop before tagging in Punk. Punk plants Truth and Miz comes in, but Punk tosses Miz into Triple H’s boot. Punk and Triple H hit a double team suplex to Miz and Triple H puts him in a figure 4 leg lock, holding Punk’s hands for leverage when the referee isn’t looking. They stretch Miz’s legs and Punk applies an arm bar, again using Triple H for leverage. Truth hits a cheap shot from the apron, Miz stomps Punk and Truth comes in and applies a chin lock. Punk eventually fights out and tags in Triple H, who hits a high knee, a spinebuster, and a knee facebuster before clotheslining both heels to the floor. Miz and Truth take the advantage on the outside and Miz stomps Triple H back in the ring. Truth tags in and applies a reverse headlock, then hits a corkscrew forearm strike when Triple H fights out. Miz hits some knees to the gut and a running knee to the head for 2. Miz applies a chin lock and Triple H tries to battle out, but Miz hits the reverse DDT backbreaker/neckbreaker combo. The heels hit stereo boots to the head for 2. Truth applies a head scissors on the mat, but Triple H escapes and hits an electric chair drop. Triple H clotheslines Miz and hits a DDT to Truth before tagging in Punk. Punk hits a springboard clothesline, some kicks to Truth, and the high knee in the corner followed by a bulldog/clothesline combo on both heels. Punk kicks Truth on the apron and Triple H sends him into the timekeeper’s area. Punk hits the Savage elbow drop to Miz, but Kevin Nash appears in the crowd and attacks Triple H. Punk goes for the Go to Sleep on Miz, but Miz counters and hits a Skull-Crushing Finale/Shut Up combo with Truth and the heels get the win. Nash continues the attack on Triple H after the match and hits a nasty-looking jackknife powerbomb. The match was extremely boring and never got going. This was supposed to be one of the premiere matches of the PPV and it completely flopped. Average stuff at best, huge letdown. Match Time: 15:23     Star Rating: **

• Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes

This was a nice rebound match after the clunky tag team affair. Orton hits a punch and a clothesline early before shoving off a bulldog attempt and clotheslining Rhodes to the floor, where he sends him into the steel steps. Rhodes misses the Beautiful Disaster kick back in the ring and Orton hits a clothesline. Rhodes hits some stomps, a front suplex, and a diving knee drop off the top followed by a knee to the gut. Orton tries to fight back with punches, but Rhodes hits a clothesline and applies a chin lock. Orton breaks it with a back suplex, but Rhodes hits a dropkick for 2 and stomps Orton repeatedly. Rhodes puts Orton in a Boston Crab, and Orton is eventually able to counter out and kick Rhodes away. Orton avoids a charge in the corner and rolls up Rhodes for 2. They trade shots before Rhodes hits an Alabama slam for 2. Rhodes misses a top rope moonsault and Orton comes back with clotheslines and a powerslam. Rhodes hits Orton from the apron and leaps off the top, but Orton dropkicks him in mid air for 2. Rhodes counters a gutwrench and hits the Beautiful Disaster kick for 2. Rhodes escapes the spike DDT, but Orton hits his signature backbreaker for 2. Orton hits a gutwrench neckbreaker before taking Rhodes to the corner. Rhodes hits a head butt followed by a moonsault off the top to a standing Orton. Rhodes misses a second dive off the top and Orton hits an uppercut. One of the “baggers” distracts Orton and Rhodes hits the Cross-Rhodes for 2. Rhodes mocks Orton’s taunt, but Orton hits a dropkick and a spike DDT. The bagger gets on the apron but Orton tosses Rhodes into the bagger and hits the RKO for the win. Rhodes looked really competitive in there despite the fact that most fans don’t see him as being at Orton’s level. Still, this was a good PPV quality bout with some nice near falls. Match Time: 12:12     Star Rating: ***1/4

• World Heavyweight Championship match: Mark Henry(c) vs. The Big Show

The trend of over-achieving, better than expected Mark Henry world title matches continued with this match. While certainly nothing great, this was about as good as you could ask for with these guys. They lock up at the start before Henry breaks in the corner, and Show fires away with punches, causing Henry to bail from the ring. Henry gets on the apron but Show hip tosses him inside and hits a punch and a superkick. Henry tries to walk away, but Show rolls him into the ring. Henry dives at Show’s knee and hits a scoop slam followed by an elbow drop. Henry then hits an elbow drop to the knee and wrenches at Show’s leg, scissoring it with his own legs. Henry continues to use a leg bar until Show is able to fight out, but his leg gives out on a scoop slam attempt and Henry scores a near fall. Henry twists the ankle, but Show kicks him off and they do a double clothesline spot. They trade shots and Show hits some head butts, clotheslines, a corner back splash, a shoulder block, and a scoop slam before hitting a chokeslam for a near fall. He goes for the WMD but Henry hits the World’s Strongest Slam for 2. Henry heads up top but Show chokeslams him off the second rope for 2. Show then heads up top and Henry meets him up there, and Henry gives Show a superplex, causing the ring to break, repeating the spot that Brock Lesnar and Big Show did on Smackdown in 2003. The match was stopped shortly after, with referees and doctors coming down to the ring followed by John Laurinaitis and Teddy Long. Show was carted out but Henry crawled to the back under his own power. Laurinaitis said the main event would still take place as planned, even with the broken ring. The spot at the end got a huge reaction and the fans were really getting into some of the near falls. Overall this turned out much better than expected and actually turned out to be decent. For a world title match it wasn’t great, but for a big man match this was very good. Match Time: 11:00 (rough estimate)     Star Rating: **1/2

• Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship: Alberto Del Rio(c) vs. John Cena

This pretty much saved the show and was a very enjoyable main event. They did indeed work this match with the busted up ring, which ended up not harming it too much due to the stipulation. Ricardo Rodriguez tries to interfere at the start and Cena swings at him, but this allows Del Rio to take an early advantage with some punches, a suplex, and a big boot. Del Rio kicks Cena on the floor and sends him face first into the ring post. Back in the ring, Del Rio hits a superkick and a second kick, but Cena hits a back body drop followed by a scoop slam and some elbow drops. Del Rio hits a kick to the back, a dropkick, and 3 consecutive back suplexes. Cena makes it up at 7 and hits a clothesline. Del Rio escapes an Attitude Adjustment attempt and hits a back stabber. Cena is up at 5 and Del Rio hits 2 suplexes, but Cena counters a third with one of his own. Cena hits the shoulder blocks and the spinning side slam followed by the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Del Rio escapes the AA and hits a German suplex. Cena is up at 7 and hits a gutwrench suplex, and Del Rio is up at 4. Del Rio hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and some punches before laying the fallen ring post over Cena’s chest and hitting a running stomp on it. Cena is up at 8 and hits the AA, with Del Rio getting up at 8. Ricardo breaks up another AA attempt and Del Rio puts Cena in a rear naked choke. Del Rio eventually releases the hold, but Cena gets up and tosses Del Rio out of the ring into the barricade. Cena slams Del Rio’s head into the barricade and Del Rio whips Cena into the steel steps, but Cena crotches Ricardo on the fallen post. Del Rio stomps Cena in the ring, but Cena drop toeholds Del Rio into the fallen post, causing it to crotch Ricardo again.

Outside the ring, Cena throws the top half of the steel steps at Del Rio and misses, and Del Rio sends Cena face first into it. Del Rio then hits Cena in the head with the lower half of the steps and Cena gets up at 8. Cena then unloads on Del Rio with punches and they go up the ramp and into the backstage area. Cena throws Del Rio across a catering table and pushes over a large crate, but Del Rio gets out of the way and scoop slams Cena on the crate. Cena gets up at 7, but Del Rio pushes 4 large lighting stands down on top of Cena. Cena fights out and gets up at 8, and they brawl back into the arena. Del Rio sends Cena through a giant V (a piece of the set) and puts Cena on a table. Del Rio then climbs another piece of the set, but Cena yanks him off and Del Rio crashes through the table. Del Rio gets up at 8 and they fight through the crowd before Cena tosses him over the barricade into the ringside area. Del Rio misses with an enzuigiri and hits the ring post, and Cena sets up the steel steps next to the Spanish announce table. Cena then picks up Del Rio and gives him an AA off the steel steps through the table. Cena goes into the ring, but The Miz and R-Truth suddenly run down and attack him, distracting the referee from counting. They both hit their respective finishers on Cena, Del Rio gets up, and the ref counts, but Cena makes it up at 9. Del Rio then hits Cena with the WWE title and Cena can’t make it to his feet, so Del Rio wins. Good finish to build towards Survivor Series, where it appears Cena will align with The Rock and others against a team including Miz and R-Truth. Though there were a couple goofy moments, this was a really fun brawl with some awesome spots strewn throughout. Cena is always great in last man standing matches and this was no exception, despite a slow start. Overall, it was a satisfying way to close the show. Match Time: 26:58     Star Rating: ***3/4

Overall PPV Rating: 6.5/10

My name is Jared Silberkleit. I am from Orange, CT and am a huge fan of pro wrestling. I mostly follow WWE and TNA but I also watch the smaller promotions such as ROH and DGUSA. I have been a lifelong WWE fan and have become a TNA fan over the past few years. Aside from wrestling, I also really love baseball and football and follow many other sports such as hockey and MMA. I have written for www.sportsgrumblings.com for three years.

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1.    United States Championship match: Kofi Kingston(c) vs. Dolph Ziggler

This was a pretty impressive showing from both men. These guys have had numerous good matches in the past but this was better than the usual from them. Kofi starts off with a headlock, but Ziggler is able to escape, scissor Kofi’s head, and apply a headlock himself. They run the ropes, with Kofi doing a leap frog before hitting a dropkick and a monkey flip. Ziggler blocks the Trouble in Paradise and sends Kofi into the ropes before hitting a leg drop. Ziggler chokes Kofi against the bottom rope, but Kofi counters a neckbreaker attempt with a backslide. Ziggler hits a dropkick for a near fall and applies a modified camel clutch. Kofi fights out but Ziggler sends him into the ropes and hits a German suplex for 2. Ziggler applies an arm bar and goes for the sleeper, but Kofi counters and avoids a charging Ziggler in the corner. Kofi hits a big chop and a dropkick before Ziggler counters the SOS. Kofi hits Ziggler in the face and hits a cross body off the top to Ziggler’s back followed by the Boom Drop. Ziggler counters the Trouble in Paradise, but Kofi counters a back suplex attempt. Kofi hits the SOS for a close near fall and both guys go for roll ups. Kofi counters the Famouser and heads up top, but Dolph crotches him. Kofi knocks Ziggler to the mat and hits a big diving cross body for 2. Ziggler counters the SOS and goes for the sleeper but Kofi makes it to the corner. Kofi again fails to hit the Trouble in Paradise and Ziggler sends him into the ropes, where Vickie claws at his eyes. Ziggler then applies the sleeper, which Kofi struggles with for a while before the ref stops the match and Ziggler wins the belt. The finish was handled poorly and it came off very confusing, since WWE does not have much experience with MMA style finishes and thus they weren’t very smooth in the execution of this one. The finish hurts it but this was a very good, competitive opener. Match Time: 11:06     Star Rating: ***1/4

2.    The Miz vs. Alex Riley

This brought things to a lull after the hot opener. Riley charges out of the gate with punches, chases Miz around ringside and back into the ring, and unloads with more punches. Eventually Miz takes him down and hits a bunch of kicks, stomps, a boot to the head, and some punches of his own. Miz hits a low DDT, a knee to the back, and some shots to the head. Riley goes shoulder first into the post and falls to the floor, where Miz boots him in the head. Riley scores a shot to the jaw in the ring, but Miz applies a chin lock and jumps on Riley’s back. Riley fights out with some shots to the gut, but Miz scores a near fall and hits his corner clothesline. Riley gets hung up in the tree of woe, but Miz misses with the baseball slide dropkick. Riley hits a back elbow and a spear before tossing Miz into the corners and hitting a spinebuster. Miz tosses Riley to the floor but Riley comes back in and gets a near fall. Riley tosses Miz into the barricade and the announce table on the outside. Michael Cole yells at Riley, and Riley tosses him to the ground. Miz tries to use the briefcase back in the ring, but Riley is able to hit an impaler DDT for the win. The crowd popped for the finish so the match accomplished what it set out to do, but you have to figure that Miz looks incredibly weak right now. Match was also very dull until the last 2 minutes. Match Time: 10:12     Star Rating: **

3.    Alberto Del Rio vs. The Big Show

Show attacks on the ramp during Del Rio’s entrance, beating him down the ramp and tossing him hard into the barricade. Show puts Del Rio in the ring, but Mark Henry comes out to attack Show. Henry tosses Show over the announce table and hits the World’s Strongest Slam through the Spanish announce table. He then slams Show’s leg down onto the broken table. Show sells the knee as the ref counts him out (even though the bell never rang…), but Show makes it in at 7. The ref then calls for the opening bell and Show tosses Del Rio into the corner to hit a big chop. Del Rio reverses an irish whip and kicks Show in the injured leg. Show drops Del Rio during a body slam attempt and Del Rio hits a dropkick to the knee followed by multiple running kicks to the leg. Show kicks out of a cover and hits a chokeslam but sells the knee. Del Rio snaps Show’s neck over the ropes from the outside and leaps off the top, but Show tries for a chokeslam. Del Rio gets out and kicks Show’s leg, but Show counters the cross-arm breaker with a sloppy one handed slam. Show gets to the ropes to break an ankle lock. Del Rio stalks Show, who is struggling to get up. The ref rules Show can’t continue and calls for the bell, awarding the match to Del Rio. The match did nothing for Del Rio, who should have wiped the floor in a minute or two given the circumstances. The match also just consisted of Del Rio kicking Show in the leg over and over again, so it was extremely boring. Awful match that, even at 5 minutes, dragged considerably. Match Time: 4:57 (bell to bell)     Star Rating: DUD

4.    Intercontinental Championship match: Wade Barrett(c) vs. Ezekiel Jackson

Well, this was at least better than the last couple matches, as well as their Over the Limit match. Barrett applies a headlock, but breaks and heads to the floor. Jackson fires with punches, misses Barrett in the corner, and hits a shot to the back followed by a near fall. Barrett sends Jackson into the ropes and hits a kick to the head, and then applies a chin lock. Jackson hits some elbows and counters a pumphandle slam, but Barrett hits a sunset flip followed by a sidekick and a pumphandle slam for a near fall. Barrett puts the boots to Jackson in the corner and hits a bunch of kicks and punches. Jackson hangs up Barrett in the ropes and hits a shoulder block, clothesline, and steamrolls Barrett in the corner. Barrett charges and misses in the corner but blocks a powerslam. Barrett hits the Wasteland for 2, but Jackson blocks a big boot, hits 4 consecutive scoop slams, and forces a submission via the Torture Rack for the win. Kind of a TV quality match but not a terrible one at that. Wasn’t that exciting but it was fine. Match Time: 6:41     Star Rating: **

5.    Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk

This was every bit as good as you’d expect from these two, and arguably the best match of the night. Punk teases some kicks early before they move into a brief mat wrestling sequence. Rey hits a modified snapmare and they stare each other down before they go into the corner. Rey hits some kicks to the leg but Punk hits a scoop slam and takes out Rey’s leg. Both guys go for roll ups before Rey dropkicks Punk into the ropes. Punk avoids the 619 only for Rey to hit a baseball slide. Rey tries for a seated senton to the floor, but Punk catches him and drops him face first on the barricade. Punk applies a surfboard in the ring and scores a near fall, then puts Rey in a body scissors. Rey fights out only to fall victim to a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Punk goes back to the body scissors, before Rey fights out and Punk puts on an abdominal stretch. Punk trips Rey up on the top rope and scores a near fall, but Rey comes back with a kick and a head scissors to the floor. Rey hits a huge asai moonsault to the floor and follows with a diving head butt to a standing Punk back in the ring. Punk rolls through a cross body attempt for a near fall and both guys miss with kicks. Rey hits a kick to the head for 2, but Punk comes back with a back superplex off the top for 2. Punk hits the high knee in the corner, but when he charges in another corner he goes shoulder first into the ring post. Rey hits a 619 around the post and Punk falls to the outside. Rey puts Punk back in the ring and heads up top, but Punk gets his knees up to block the splash and gets a near fall. Punk hits some knee strikes but Rey counters the Go to Sleep with a hurricanrana for 2. Punk hits a roundhouse kick for 2 and tries for the GTS, but Rey arm drags him into the ropes. Punk counters the 619 with a GTS for the win. The crowd was a little slow to warm up after being dead through the heat segment, but this was a very good match. The last few minutes were very exciting, the finish was excellent, and the right man got the win. Match Time: 14:58     Star Rating: ***1/2

6.    World Heavyweight Championship match: Randy Orton(c) vs. Christian

This wasn’t at the level of their match last month, but it was still a very good match to further along the feud. Orton takes Christian down early and hits several punches, a kick, a clothesline, and a stomp to the head. Christian hits some shots but Orton hits a Thesz press followed by more punches. They run the ropes, with Christian doing a leapfrog before Orton hits a shoulder block and applies a headlock. Christian fights out and goes to the second rope, but Orton avoids a diving Christian and stomps him. Christian tosses Orton to the floor and hits a baseball slide, but misses when he dives over the top rope. Orton scores a near fall in the ring and hits some punches before clotheslining Christian back to the outside. Orton tries for a spike DDT off the steps but Christian counters. Back in the ring, Christian stomps Orton and stands on his neck in the corner. Christian hits a neckbreaker, rakes the eyes, and wrenches Orton’s head. Orton gets up and gets 2 with a roll up, but Christian hits a spinebuster for 2 and punches Orton in the head. Orton whips Christian into the corner and hits a back body drop. Orton hits several punches to the chest, Christian counters a scoop slam attempt, and Orton counters a reverse DDT. Orton hits a clothesline, a snap powerslam, and a belly to belly slam. Christian teases a suplex to the floor before Orton hits him with a superplex off the top. They trade punches before they each counter the other’s finisher. Orton hits a gutwrench suplex and Christian scores a near fall with a reverse DDT. Christian misses a spear, counters the RKO, and hits a spear for 2. Orton gets the win with an RKO, but Christian’s foot is clearly under the bottom rope and the ref counted anyway. Christian protests after the match and Orton eventually hits him in the head with the title belt. This was a good way to continue this feud even if the match was a little too short and not as great as it could have been. Still, very good action all things considered. Match Time: 14:03     Star Rating: ***1/2

7.    Jack Swagger vs. Evan Bourne

This was a last-second add-on to kill time. They lock up, with Swagger applying a reverse headlock and hitting a powerslam. Swagger applies a hammerlock, but Bourne hits some kicks and they run the ropes. Bourne hits a headscissors but Swagger hits a pair of gutbusters and a front slam. Swagger hits some elbows to the gut and applies a modified crossface. Swagger hits a back body drop, some shots to the back, and a Vader Bomb for 2. Swagger puts his boot to Bourne’s gut, but Bourne comes back with a hurricanrana and some kicks before Swagger hits a scoop slam. Bourne hits the leaping knees the chest and a kick to the head, but Swagger hits a big boot for 2. Bourne hits a diving tornado DDT off the top and kicks Swagger in the head, but misses the shooting star press. Bourne counters the gutwrench powerbomb and Swagger tries for the Ankle Lock, but Bourne counters that with a roll up for the win. Decent little match, but they’ve done this on Raw so many times and Swagger has such little credibility that it was very difficult to care about it. For filler, it was pretty solid. Match Time: 7:17     Star Rating: **1/2

Then, the Barack Obama lookalike that had been making appearances throughout the show cut a promo on the stage to hype up the main event briefly. He goes to leave but Booker T gets in the ring and has him meet him there. Booker has the fake Obama do the spinarooni in a completely stupid, time-wasting segment. All this did was take time away from the main event.

8.    WWE Championship match: John Cena(c) vs. R-Truth

Given the extremely good buildup, this was very, very disappointing. Truth really got exposed and they didn’t get quite enough time for a main event, either. They lock up after some stalling, with Truth applying a brief headlock before they circle each other. Cena goes after Truth’s leg, but Truth bails to the floor. Truth hits a back elbow back in the ring, hits some shots in the corner, and chokes Cena with his boot. Cena whips Truth into the corner, hits a bulldog and a punch, and Truth goes to the floor. Truth counters the Attitude Adjustment in the ring and hits a reverse falcon arrow for 2. Truth chokes Cena with his boot and Cena hits some punches, but Truth hits a leg lariat for 2. Truth hits a slap and a leg drop, applies a hold, and hits the corkscrew clothesline for 2. Truth scores another near fall before Cena snaps his head over the ropes, but Truth clotheslines a charging Cena. Truth chokes Cena, stomps him, and scores a near fall before applying a chin lock. Truth then puts Cena in a body scissors before he hits a suplex for 2. Cena comes back with the shoulder blocks and the side slam followed by the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Truth counters the AA with a suplex drop into a stunner. Cena avoids a charging Truth in the corner and puts him in the STF only for Truth to get the ropes. Truth kicks Cena in the guy and hits a scissor kick for 2. Cena rolls through a diving cross body attempt and goes for the AA, but Truth counters and hits the Shut Up for 2. Truth goes to the floor and puts on a kid’s Cena hat, but the kid splashes his drink in Truth’s face. Cena then hits the AA in the ring for the win. Dull main event with a crappy, cheesy, “play it safe” WWE style finish with the heel looking completely stupid and eating the pin. Before that, much of the match just consisted of Truth hitting Cena with a seemingly endless amount of moves and Cena continuously kicking out at 2. It was a very monotonous, unsatisfying way to close the show that really damaged R-Truth, who had been built up very well leading into this PPV. Match Time: 14:45     Star Rating: **1/4

Overall PPV Rating: 6.75/10

My name is Jared Silberkleit. I am from Orange, CT and am a huge fan of pro wrestling. I mostly follow WWE and TNA but I also watch the smaller promotions such as ROH and DGUSA. I have been a lifelong WWE fan and have become a TNA fan over the past few years. Aside from wrestling, I also really love baseball and football and follow many other sports such as hockey and MMA. I have written for www.sportsgrumblings.com for three years.

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These teams will need the extra week off between the conference championship games and Super Sunday. The NFC will be decided by the rubber match of the season pitting the North Division champion Chicago Bears and their division and long time rival Green Bay Packers. These teams hate each other and will go at it in the early game at Soldier Field.

The AFC is up next and the Cinderella New York Jets hope to keep the glass slipper on when they visit Heinz Field for the second time since December to take on the Steelers. The Week 15, 22-17 victory by Gang Green may be in the past, but it came at a crucial time for Rex Ryan and his bunch after they dropped two straight.

Just for shits and giggles, let’s take a look towards February 6 in North Texas at what might be:

PACKERS VS. JETS – Back on Halloween, Green Bay came into the New Meadowlands Stadium and shut out the Jets, 9-0. The home team was soundly booed and rightfully so, playing an atrocious game versus a quality opponent. The Pack didn’t exactly light it up, but their defense was on point.

That shouldn’t be the case if they meet again next month. The Jets will score more points, as will the Packers. This would be a great match-up and could go either way. What would be the main thing to watch here is how the Jets can exploit the Packers’ lack of a running game. Ryan can blitz all night long and still have Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie blanketing the receivers.

PACKERS VS. STEELERS – With Pittsburgh going for their second ring in three years, it would be a shock if they were beat by Green Bay in this potential contest. The Steelers, like the Jets, would be able to put a lot of pressure on Aaron Rodgers and the one-dimensional offense.

BEARS VS. JETS - When the Jets visited Chicago late in the season, they allowed way too many yards and points. Jay Cutler had all day to find his receiving corps and didn’t disappoint. Mark Sanchez had a decent game but the defense didn’t get the job done. For anything to turn out differently at Cowboys Stadium, a pass rush must be more like it was in the Divisional round versus New England.

Cutler is the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of the NFL. If he is having a good game and gets protection, he can light up the scoreboard. But if is hurried and banged around, the sacks and interceptions will be a plenty. This game would be decided by that factor.

BEARS VS. STEELERS - Pittsburgh would have the best chance to stitch Mr. Hyde on the back of Cutler’s jersey and would in all likelihood be able to handle Chicago without much of a problem.

Photo: William J. Hauser

1.    Intercontinental Championship match: Dolph Ziggler(c) vs. Kofi Kingston

The stipulation was that Ziggler would lose the title if he got counted out or disqualified. This was a good way to start the PPV off and was much better than their match from SummerSlam. Match starts with some chain wrestling, with both guys doing headlock takeovers. Kofi goes for the Trouble in Paradise early but Ziggler kicks him a few times and tries to send him to the outside, only for Kofi to catch himself on the ropes and clothesline Ziggler to the floor. Kaitlyn (Vickie Guerrero’s rookie from NXT season 3) checks on Ziggler but Vickie sends her to the back. Ziggler comes back into the ring but Kingston hits him with some strikes and a dropkick. Ziggler hangs Kingston up on the top turnbuckle, hits a neckbreaker and a dropkick, and then puts on a long rear chin lock. Kofi eventually fights out but Ziggler hits a big boot for a near fall. Ziggler hits an elbow drop and then puts on a sleeper with a body scissors. Kofi fights out but Ziggler puts him down and hits a front flip neck snap to a seated Kofi. Kingston hits some strikes but Ziggler hits a rocker dropper. Ziggler puts on another rear chin lock and hits some elbows to the back of Kingston’s neck. Kingston fights out of the hold again and they two men trade punches. Kofi beats on Ziggler in the corner until the ref pulls him away, but Kofi hits a big kick and a diving cross body from the top rope for a near fall. Kofi hits some more strikes and a Thesz press before connecting with the Boom Drop. Kingston tries for the Trouble in Paradise but Ziggler avoids it and tries for a sleeper, only for Kingston to counter and get a near fall. Kofi sends Ziggler to the outside and slams him on the floor before rolling him back into the ring for another near fall. Ziggler counters a suplex attempt and puts on the sleeper, and Kofi dives into the ropes for a break after struggling for some time. Vickie is about to slap Kofi but Ziggler tells her not to interfere and they argue. Kingston tries for the Trouble in Paradise but misses and ends up in the ropes. Ziggler hits the Zig Zag for the win and retains his title. Good opener, nothing great but a fun match. Too bad no one really wanted to see this match on the PPV after they fought so many times on Smackdown. Match Time: 12:47     Star Rating: ***

2.    CM Punk vs. Big Show

Punk cuts an amazing heel promo before this match, ripping into the inhabitants of his hometown of Chicago. By the way, why is a match not for a title taking place on a PPV where the gimmick is EVERY MATCH IS A CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH? Punk opens the match with some quick kicks but Show puts him down with a head butt and a clubbing blow across the back. Show chokes Punk with his boot before chopping him against the ropes, sending him out of the ring. Punk hits a big boot to Show on the apron and lands some more kicks, sending Show to the floor before Punk hits a crazy diving senton onto Show. Show barely beats the count coming back into the ring but eats more kicks from Punk. Punk survives another clubbing blow and hits a flying forearm off the second rope. Punk continues to kick and punch away at Show but can’t keep him down. Punk goes for a springboard flying forearm but Show hits a massive mid air spear. Show hits the Knockout Punch and gets the victory. This match infuriated me. Why does WWE INSIST on having Punk job all the time? It baffles me that this company thinks it is a better idea to put over an aging 7 foot tall lumbering oaf than a guy in the prime of his career who has everything you could want in a wrestler. This was a complete burial and a waste of time. Match Time: 4:46     Star Rating: *3/4

3.    United States Championship match: The Miz(c) vs. Daniel Bryan

The match that had been anticipated ever since Daniel Bryan (aka Bryan Danielson of ROH fame) made his debut on the premiere of season 1 of NXT finally arrived at Night of Champions. This was a great match that really put Bryan over strong. Miz kicks Bryan in the gut and puts on a side headlock before putting him down with a shoulder block. Bryan tries for a hip toss, has it countered, and then tries for the LeBell Lock, but Miz avoids it and bails to the outside. Miz comes back into the ring only to take an arm drag and a big kick. Bryan tries to work the arm but Miz puts on a hammerlock, rams Bryan into the corner, and then puts him down for a near fall. Miz works over Bryan’s shoulder with a bow and arrow, but Bryan fights out and gets a near fall with a backslide. Miz goes back to the shoulder and sends Bryan into the ropes, then distracts the ref so that Alex Riley can wrench Bryan’s arm from the outside. Miz continues to work the arm until Bryan back flips out of a hammerlock, but Miz hits a huge shoulderbreaker. Miz keeps working the shoulder, but Bryan fights out of an armbar and sends Miz to the outside. Bryan then hits a big suicide dive through the ropes, crashing back first into the side of the announce table. Back in the ring, Bryan hits a missile dropkick for a near fall and a stiff kick to the head.

Bryan goes for a leg hold but Miz fights out, only for Bryan to hit a high knee attack. Bryan is still selling the arm beautifully, by the way. They both trade blows before Bryan beats on him in the corner, culminating with an IED. Danielson hits a big kick to the head and takes him up to the top rope, but Miz crotches him on the top rope and then hits a NIGEL MCGUINNESS LARIAT to Bryan, taking him off the ropes to the mat. Miz works the arm again but Bryan gets to the ropes to break a hold. Miz tries for the Skull Crushing Finale but Bryan counters with a roll-up for a near fall. He goes for the LeBell Lock but Riley gets up on the apron to argue with Bryan. Miz accidentally runs into Riley and Bryan gets another near fall with a roll-up. Bryan goes after Riley on the outside, sending him into the ring post, but Miz catches him with a small package when he returns to the ring for another close near fall. Miz beats on Bryan until the ref pulls him back, only for Bryan to lock in the LeBell Lock. Miz struggles for quite some time before finally tapping out and Daniel Bryan is the NEW United States Champion! As a big ROH fan this was a proud moment for me and I couldn’t be happier for Bryan. This was an excellent match, the storytelling by Miz was great and Bryan made it that much better with his incredible selling. The near falls were done extremely well and this was by far the best match The Miz has ever had. A star-making victory for Bryan. Match Time: 12:33     Star Rating: ****

4.    Lumberjill match to Unify the Women’s and Divas Championship: Women’s Champion Michelle McCool vs. Divas Champion Melina

After that great US title match, we got the bathroom break of the evening. This was actually not that bad for a WWE women’s match but the Lumberjills were awful. These two start off brawling outside the ring before coming into the ring, only to wind up outside quickly. They both return to the ring, after Michelle slaps Eve in the face. Melina hits a headscissors into a kick to the face, before both girls hit kicks at the same time. Michelle sends Melina off the top to the outside but the Lumberjills don’t touch her. Michelle catches Melina with a flipping neckbreaker as Melina comes back into the ring. McCool kicks at Melina and grinds her forearm against the face, then scissors her head while grabbing the ropes for leverage. McCool goes for the Faith Breaker but Melina fights out and hits a facebuster. Melina hits some strikes but McCool hits a belly to belly suplex. Natalya distracts the ref while Melina tries for a roll-up, then Michelle rolls to the outside only to be attacked by the lumberjills. Melina hits a double knee strike and avoids a kick, but Michelle pulls her down to the mat. Both girls fall to the floor but the lumberjills just stand there until Melina goes back into the ring, then they beat up Michelle. The ref is distracted breaking up the brawl as Layla goes into the ring to attack Melina. Michelle comes back in and big boots Melina for the win and becomes Unified Women’s Champion. Psychology was completely ass backwards here with all the lumberjills beating up the heel Michelle, and then she WINS. Some people are going to hate this thing with a passion but the wrestling was alright for a Diva match. Match Time: 6:32     Star Rating: **

5.    No Holds Barred match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Kane(c) vs. Undertaker

It was strange seeing these two having a gimmick in the first match of their feud. I wasn’t too excited for this match because I haven’t enjoyed most of their past matches but this ended up okay. Undertaker sprints up the ramp to attack Kane during his entrance, which was alright since it’s No Holds Barred. They fight at the stage, with Taker throwing Kane off the stage into a pillar on the floor near the side of the stage. Kane hits a kick and pounds on Taker near the ramp but Taker comes back with a big punch. Taker punches Kane on the ramp but Kane rakes the eyes and hits a big boot. Taker sends Kane into the barricade and hits some head butts before burying his knee into Kane’s midsection. Taker tries to whip Kane into the steps but Kane reverses and Taker hits them shoulder first. Kane tosses Taker into the announce table, then takes off the cover and throws it at Taker. They then repeat the steps reversal spot, this time with Kane taking the bump. Taker rolls Kane into the ring and hangs his head over the apron, then kicks him in the head and hits the guillotine leg drop. Kane gets up and rolls to the outside, but Taker clotheslines him over the barricade into the timekeeper’s area. Taker then hits a dive over the barricade into the timekepper’s area. Kane gets a steel chair and hits Taker in the gut with it before the two fight into the crowd. They go back and forth with EVEN MORE PUNCHES before Kane clotheslines Taker over the barricade back to ringside. Kane then dives off the barricade with a diving clothesline. Kane continues this endless beatdown with more punches and kicks. Kane with a ton of strikes before Taker starts to come back and then trade blows, with Taker hitting a jumping clothesline. Taker hits snake eyes, a big boot, a leg drop, and a chokeslam. He tries for the Tombstone but Kane reverses into one of his own for the win. Wrestling wise, this was incredibly boring in parts. Storyline wise, this was very good.  Problem is, the crowd did not care at all about this match or the angle so this match didn’t get over well. Live this was probably really bad, but on PPV this was alright. Not sure how this will lead to a Hell in a Cell match in 2 weeks. Match Time: 18:32     Star Rating: **3/4

6.    Tag Team Turmoil match for the WWE Tag Team Championship: The Hart Dynasty(c) vs. The Usos vs. Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov vs. Mark Henry and Evan Bourne vs. Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre

So for a PPV hyped as featuring all championship matches, a non title match was pre-announced but not a tag team title match. This was announced literally 1 minute before it happened. It’s basically a 5 team gauntlet. Hart Dynasty start with the Usos. One of the Usos pounds away at Tyson Kidd but Kidd comes back with a roll-up and a kick to the gut. Smith gets a tag and comes in with a shoulder block and a clothesline. Uso lands a kick but Smith hits a big suplex. Kidd gets a tag and hits a crazy springboard dive before rolling the legal Uso (these guys are IMPOSSIBLE to tell apart) into the ring. He tries for the sharpshooter but eats a kick to the head and the Harts are eliminated. So the Harts job in 2 minutes and drop their titles in an unannounced match. Wonderful. Next team out is Santino and Kozlov. Santino gets a near fall and teases the Cobra but takes a flapjack and is quickly eliminated. Next out is Henry and Bourne. Bourne hits some kicks and a hurricanrana but is hit with a back elbow. Henry gets a tag and hits some clotheslines and a head butt. Henry tosses out one Uso and hits the other one with a World’s Strongest Slam. Bourne hits the Shooting Star Press to eliminate the Usos. Final team is Rhodes and McIntyre. McIntyre stomps on Bourne before tagging in Rhodes, who hits a suplex before tagging back out to McIntyre. Drew works Bourne’s shoulder and tags to Rhodes, who hits a knee drop. McIntyre brings Bourne down across his knee before applying a rear chin lock. McIntyre sends Bourne to the outside with a shoulder block. Drew puts on yet another rear chin lock but Bourne starts to fight out eventually. Drew tries for a suplex but Bourne counters and hits a knee to the face. Both guys make tags, with Henry steamrolling Rhodes and hit a gorilla press slam. Bourne tries to dive off Henry’s shoulders but McIntyre breaks it up. Bourne kicks Drew in the head but Rhodes hits Cross Rhodes for the win. A thrown together tag team wins the belts in a thrown together match that no one cared about. This match was boring and no better than Raw quality, plus it made the Harts look like complete jobbers. Match Time: 11:47     Star Rating: *1/2

7.    Six Pack Elimination Challenge for the WWE Championship: Sheamus(c) vs. John Cena vs. Chris Jericho vs. Edge vs. Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton

This was a pretty good main event, and it saved the show from being a pretty weak overall PPV. Match breaks down into a wild brawl right at the bell. Jericho and Orton trade punches before Cena gets involved, hitting a bulldog to Jericho. Orton then suddenly strikes with an RKO to quickly eliminate Jericho. Not surprising considering Jericho is reportedly on his way out of WWE, but they sold it pretty well with the other 5 guys in shock and staring down Jericho as he walked up the ramp. Everyone then swarms Barrett, beating on him until Sheamus and Edge clothesline him to the outside. Cena and Orton are left alone for a second before Barrett comes back in, only to eat a double shoulder block from Sheamus and Edge. Another Cena/Orton standoff, with Orton trying for the RKO and Cena trying for the STF, but to no avail. Orton tries for the spike DDT and Cena tries for the Attitude Adjustment but both guys counter. Orton and Edge try to double suplex Cena but are pulled to the outside by Barrett. Sheamus tosses Orton into the barricade before beating on Cena in the ring. Sheamus tries to pull Cena off the top rope for the High Cross but Cena fights out. Sheamus goes for a super belly to back suplex but Cena fights him off. Cena tries for the diving Famouser but Edge pulls him down. Edge and Sheamus then hit a double superplex to Cena. Edge tries for a cover but Sheamus accidentally breaks it up. Sheamus and Edge send Barrett into a barricade on the outside before going to work on Orton. They pound away on Orton for a bit, with Sheamus getting a couple near falls.

Orton eventually makes a comeback but Sheamus hits him with a big clothesline. Barrett gets knocked off the apron with a shoulder block and is sent into the announce table. Edge and Sheamus stare each other down, with Edge trying for a spear but Sheamus hitting the uranage backbreaker. Sheamus tries for the bicycle kick but Edge ducks and hits a spear. Cena tries to hit the AA to Orton but Orton fights out and gets speared by Edge. Cena hits the AA to Edge to eliminate him. Cena and Barrett go at it, with both men countering each other’s finishers. Cena hits his series of moves with the crowd booing every second of it. He hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle and tries for the AA but Sheamus breaks it up. Cena puts the STF on Sheamus but Sheamus makes it to the ropes after a struggle. Nexus swarm the ringside area, distracting Cena and allowing Barrett to eliminate him after the Wasteland. Barrett stares down Orton as Nexus come up the apron. Cena whacks 2 of them with a chair and Orton hits the other 2 with RKOs. Orton hits Barrett with his signature backbreaker and eliminates him with an RKO. Sheamus hits the bicycle kick on Orton but Orton kicks out of the cover. Sheamus tries for the High Cross but Orton fights out and hits the RKO for the sudden victory. The crowd went nuts and the announcers played it up like this HUGE MOMENT but it really didn’t feel all that special. It would have been better booking wise to have Orton go over at the Hell in a Cell PPV because him winning here really messes up the build for that show on the Raw side. This main event lagged in the middle and wasn’t the greatest but it had enough fun elements to it to be at least a satisfying match. It was a good title match to end an okay to decent show. Match Time: 20:50     Star Rating: ***1/4

Overall PPV Rating: 6.75/10

My name is Jared Silberkleit. I am from Orange, CT and am a huge fan of pro wrestling. I mostly follow WWE and TNA but I also watch the smaller promotions such as ROH and DGUSA. I have been a lifelong WWE fan and have become a TNA fan over the past few years. Aside from wrestling, I also really love baseball and football and follow many other sports such as hockey and MMA. I have written for www.sportsgrumblings for two years.

According to Brent Medley, President of Shark Fight Promotions, “Shark Fight executives agreed to create the interim welterweight title, after learning that there were several scheduling conflicts over the coming months that would keep TJ from defending his title.”

Medley went on to say, “We were very strategic when selecting an opponent for Anselmo, as we wanted it be an extremely compelling match up. I believe that we achieved our goal by signing Ryan Ford. Both fighters are incredibly skilled and both are hungry for the title. The entire Shark Fight 8 card is stacked with exciting match ups, including a co-main event featuring Kyle Bracey and Erick Davilla. I couldn’t think of a better way for Shark Fights to kick off 2010!”

Anselmo Martinez (5-1), a Shark Fight veteran with a history of winning by knock out, typically finishes his opponent in the first round.  Martinez recently defeated Lorenzo Borgomeo at Shark Fight 7, clinching his fourth straight win in the Shark Fight arena.  Martinez, who was contemplating retirement late last year, decided to stay in the game and challenge himself by going for the gold.

His opponent, Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford (11-2), will be Martinez’s toughest opponent to date. Ford, often compared to Georges St. Pierre due to his remarkable athleticism, has an explosive fighting style and impressive mixed martial arts record. Ford was also the top ranked running back to come out of the University of Canada. On January 5^th, Ford will fight in the United States for the first time in his career. His goal – to become the Shark Fight welterweight champion.

This is an MMA event that you won’t want to miss! Doors to the Fair Park Coliseum open at 6:00 PM. Fights will begin at 7:30 PM. Tickets can be purchased at the Shark Fight retail store located in Westgate Mall or online at www.sharkfights.com.

About Shark Fight Promotions:

Shark Fight Promotions, based out of Amarillo Texas, is an up and coming Fight Promotion Company dedicated to driving the growth of mixed martial arts through the production of high quality MMA events and by effectively showcasing MMA fighters. The organization takes pride in putting the fans and fighters first; therefore they strive to make each Shark Fight event more exciting than the last.  Executives within the organization are committed to producing impressive fight cards with extremely competitive matchups. They are also very passionate about their philanthropic endeavors. Shark Fight Promotions stays very involved in charity causes by partnering with, and contributing to, non-profit organizations in each city that hosts a Shark Fight Promotions event.

Source: Melissa Ingram/Director of Media Relations, Novuss Media

Sorry, pal. I’ve got some harsh news for you. This is football and you get paid to play the games on your schedule, regardless of what the other head coach decides to do with his personnel. Sure, if Peyton Manning didn’t get pulled in Week 16, we may not be having this conversation right now. But it wasn’t as if the Jets were getting their asses handed to them when the just-named 2009 NFL MVP went to the bench in favor of an overwhelmed Lance Painter.

Rex Ryan’s crew was only trailing by five points when Manning took off his helmet and replaced with a baseball cap and ultimately a frown that was caught by all the cameras. He was seeing the Colts’ undefeated season go up in smoke, but could have he been thinking ahead and that he wanted no part of seeing a hot team with a swarming defense coming back at them in the playoffs?

If The Colts would have put the Jets away, their home loss the week before to Atlanta would have been their legacy. But instead, their pulse was getting better and they had their sights set on a Cincinnati Bengals team who had the opportunity to not only end the Jets’ season, but clinch the third seed in the AFC because of the Patriots’ loss earlier in the day on the final Sunday.

Outside of running back Cedric Benson, the Bengals played their starters into the third quarter and were getting their clocks cleaned. Quarterback Carson Palmer went 1-for-11 for zero yards and the team had 72 yards total offense. Say whatever you want to try to justify that and it is impossible to do. The Jets made the playoffs as the AFC’s fifth seed courtesy of their 37-0 whitewashing on Sunday Night Football.

Momentum at this time of the year can go a long way and by basically shutting it down, both the Bengals and Colts made critical mistakes. We all know that it carried over to Saturday’s AFC Wild Card game, when the Jets ousted Cincinnati by a score of 24-14. Even when the Bengals were up 7-0, the game was being controlled by the Jets. Palmer’s accuracy was horrendous and he overthrew his receivers regularly. If it weren’t for Benson’s performance and a drop in the end zone by Braylon Edwards, the difference would have been even wider.

Now the Jets must travel to San Diego to face the red-hot Chargers, winners of 11 straight. This match-up was the result of the Baltimore Ravens knocking off the higher-seeded Patriots in New England.

It’s been a wild ride for the Jets, but all they need to do is keep playing a tight defense and effectively grind it out on the ground. Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has been efficient and has stayed away from throwing the interceptions that were killing him just a few short weeks ago.

Can the Jets beat a team like the Chargers? Well, we didn’t think they would even still be around so let’s not sell them short just yet. Yes, the Bolts do have a very potent offense but their defense leaves a lot to be desired and could be exposed by some shrewd play calling. We already know that the Jets can run the ball, so if they are able to opne things up a bit with not only Sanchez but also Brad Smith (in the Jets formation of the Wildcat, called the “Tiger”), this game may be a close one

If the underdogs prevail again in the AFC this upcoming weekend, the Jets will actually host the conference championship versus Baltimore - perhaps the most unlikely scenario of all.

Photo by William J. Hauser