It has been another fascinating week in the world of professional wrestling with World Wrestling Entertainment systematically working its way toward next week's SummerSlam, while TNA figurehead Dixie Carter was being put through a table courtesy of Bully Ray on this past Thursday's episode of Impact.
WWE also fired a former world champion, released a long-time timekeeper and announced a birthday party return for an ageing former kingpin (complete with several of his contemporaries as special guests) for tomorrow night's Raw, while TNA crowned a new X-Division champion in Samoa Joe.
For the second consecutive Monday on Raw, Stephanie McMahon's feud with Brie Bella was slotted in the main event segment approaching the 11:00 p.m. hour. This week it was cloaked in the infamous pro wrestling contract signing setting and ended with Brie first having to watch helplessly from the corner (where she was pinned behind the traditional signing table by HHH) as Steph gave her sister Nicki a pedigree in the center of the ring. She eventually freed herself and rushed into her own pedigree from Mrs. Helmsley to end the live show with the stars of Total Divas both face down on the canvas and looking a little worse for the wear.
Naturally, Steph and Triple H, as the Authority, had mega-heat, but look to be getting their comeuppance at Summer Slam. Although absent from the show live, Brock Lesnar and John Cena each had video promos to promote their upcoming "Fight of the Summer" at SummerSlam.
Lesnar offered some sick thoughts on his diatribe that would not necessarily encourage the average person to buy the show. Cena was filming a movie and Lesnar only has limited dates on his contract, which is why neither were there live. Both are scheduled to be at Raw tomorrow for the go-home episode before next Sunday's mega-event for the WWE championship.
Hulk's birthday
A big announcement on Raw was that of a birthday party for Hulk Hogan scheduled for Monday night's show in Portland, Ore. Hogan, who turns 61, has said recently on an interview that he was training for one last match in WWE. He also claimed he was in the best shape of his life, which sounds a little far-fetched even by Hogan standards given his age and that he has undergone several back surgeries, but what he says doesn't mean much in today's WWE, which has a wellness policy that requires the passing of a physical that he isn't any more likely to pass than he would a lie detector test.
Hogan did say one believable thing in the recent interview- that he would be in better shape if he had used the sleeper hold as his finisher instead of the leg drop. Gotta give him that one. Among those expected to gather in Portland for the party include Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Jimmy Hart and Ric Flair. Should be an interesting segment, especially if they use Hogan to help push Cena as the greatest company champion or tease something between the two down the road, even if it isn't likely to come to fruition as an actual match.
Roman Reigns defeated Kane in a Last Man Standing bout on Raw, resulting in Kane handing in his mask to Stephanie and Triple H in what would apparently be the honorable thing to do for a disgraced villain who fails miserably on his mission as a mercenary. Dolph Ziggler defeated Cesaro, who has inexplicably been on a bit of a losing streak of late without Paul Heyman's advocacy. Dean Ambrose beat Del Rio in a beat-the-clock match and managed to distract Seth Rollins in his BTC venture against Heath Slater to determine who gets to pick the stipulation for their match at SS.
Del Rio released
Alberto Rodriguez, better known as Alberto Del Rio, was released from WWE this past week for unprofessional conduct according to the WWE website. The former world champion and son of Mexican legend Dos Caras, and nephew of even bigger Mexican legend Mil Mascaras, was a top star since arriving on the scene after years of success in Mexico, but was reportedly considering leaving the company when his current contract expired.
Also quietly released during the recent cutbacks was Mark Yeaton, the largely anonymous timekeeper at the bell who also had the dubious responsibility of tossing Stone Cold Steve Austin his cans of beer for post-match celebrations. Yeaton had been with the company since the 1990s and received appreciative tweets from Austin and Jim Ross when word spread about his release.
TNA authority figure Dixie Carter took a hellacious bump, hitting her head and neck on the canvas when she was put through a table by Bully Ray at the Impact taping in New York City. She said the ordeal was painful and that she was hurt, but that it was a show of respect she has for all of the wrestlers in her company whom she described as warriors. There were loud TNA chants, comparable to the old ECW ones, when she was put through the table and there were reports that the president of Spike TV, with whom they are still thought to be negotiating for a new television deal, was in the building, so perhaps it was her way of making a personal sacrifice to demonstrate her and the company's commitment to the business.
Samoa Joe captured the coveted X-Division title in a three-way over Sanada and Low Ki when Joe forced Sanada to tap to the Kokino Clutch or rear naked choke hold. Since Ki was not the one beaten, this sets up a natural program for Joe and Ki that should provide some great wrestling in the near future.