[Mr. Dashbee]

[glow=red,2,300]Week 8 [/glow]
Week 8…a little bit late!

The object is simple. You rank your top 6 performers of the week. Inverted points are awarded for 1-6 (6 points for your #1, 5 points for your #2, etc.). The top 12 point getters will comprise the Pun's House 12-Pack! Some fun will also happen with historical rankings and brand rankings, so keep an eye out for Serge, Lucky & Demko's contributions as we start to develop some history.

A few ground rules:
-Posting is preferred (with some comments if you can, they are very important to the rankings!), but you can also PM me your votes if you like.
-Feel free disagree and discuss your opinions. Try not to trash others' opinions, this whole thing is subjective. If you do disagree, present some great counter arguments and get the discussion going.
-Ties are okay. But you must skip the next spot if there is a tie. You can't have more than 2 per ranking (no 6-way ties for first place), either. And know that your points will be divided up amongst those who are tied. For example: if you have two tied for 2nd place, they share the 2nd & 3rd points (5 pts + 4 pts = 9 pts, or 4.5 per ranked competitor in that tie). The most you can rank is 7, if you have a tie for 6th place. A three way tie for 5th place (with no 6th place) is acceptable as well. You can also have a 6-way tie for first, or even a 7-way tie for first. As long as the numbers work out to an even point or half point, I will use it. I'm like math...
-Only vote for a specific performer once. If they competed in different ways, or even for different promotions, consider their body of work as a whole. If this is done and not changed, only the higher vote will count for the current week.
-Feel free to link to or post video evidence or campaign for someone if you feel moved to do so. Lucky also has a great online wrestling content thread going here.
-It’s okay to change your rankings. But please PM me to let me know. I tabulate the points as we go along, so I might not realize you changed something if you don't let me know.
-If you're unsure about something, check-out prior voting & result threads found nearby. As always, feel free to ask in this thread or via PM.

Week 8 Specifics
-Eligibility period: Monday 5/19 - Sunday 5/25
-Voting closes at 11:59 PM Wednesday 5/28, Eastern time (9 PM, Arizona time for me). The results will be posted before you wake up Thursday (East Coast, at least).

Eligible shows from the "Big 3":
-WWE RAW
-ECW
-TNA Impact
-WWE Smackdown

Plus:
-Any online content involving recent events that started airing this week, including an ROH VideoWire, WWE Heat, and TNA Today videos. Many indies put out online content as well.
-Any indy or international shows that took place during the eligibility period.

Have fun, and vote away! As always, please pimp this throughout the board (and anywhere else that has people might be interested).

[bdbdbd]

5 (tie). Santino Marella - He didn't wrestle anyone, or he'd be higher. His skit or whateverthefuck with Piper on the Jimmy Kimmel show, funny (but overplayed. We get it WWE, you were on a real live TV show!) the resulting promo, funnier, the Santino's Casa, funnier still. I do so hope there isn't actually a Cousin Sal match on the horizon. Really hope.

5 (tie). Karen Angle - She also didn't wrestle, not being a wrestler and all, but watching her flip the fuck out over AJs death? Awesome acting. She contributed quite a bit to the promo with Angle as well, but it was the final segment that did it.

4. Umaga - He didn't do anything new, but he had a fun time tossing Hardy about. I look forward to part XXIIV

3. Montel Vontavious Porter - Fuck it, MVP is officially my favourite WWE wrestler right now. His segment in Vickie's office after Batista wrecked the lounge (please don't kill the lounge) was awesome. Getting snippy with Edge ("That's right, her office.") made me want to see them go at it. The Batista match turned into typical a Batista match towards the end, but, it happens.

2. Awesome Kong and Raisha Saeed (with help from Jeremy Borash)- Their entrance after JB talked to Karen was great, then holding him against the wall? Better. Forcing him to read the challenge? Priceless. Then Kong just out and out killing a greedy crowd member? Highlight of the wrestling month as far as I'm concerned.

1. A.J. Styles - He died real good. Real, real good. There was also a damn fine match with that Booker T guy, but boy did he die good.

[Tommy]

1) AJ Styles - He dies good.

2) Kong/Cheerleader Melissa Saeed - "Silence" for whatever reason, is one of the funniest fucking things ever. I'm sure I'll get tired of it eventually.

3) Kurt/Karen Angle - Even the stupid "Sports Entertainment" stuff is done like its supposed to be Kurt's apology THIS week may have been better than LAST week.

4) LAX - BLAT BLAT - in a really underrated tag match.

5) Eric Young - Screw you guys. Have you seen Elvis?

6) Montel Vontavius Porter - Maybe he was a little green when he hit SD!, but his post-title run is pretty damned impressive. He's really grown into the job and become a character with some layer and depth. Go figure, WWE! CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WORKS!

[jetskid48]

1. Miz and Morrison - Both continued winning streaks this week, Miz by luck of getting destroyed by Kane, and Morrison on the winning side of a tag match with Chavito. Another incredible Dirt Sheet this week too. Knock Knock. Who's There? FUJI!

2. Mr. Kennedy - Knocked off Regal after a little mini-feud that we'll sadly never get to see. Had a very good match with Regal that was somewhat brutal, along with that wicked spin kick that was just damn cool. Starting to enter the playing field with HHH/Hardy/Jericho in fan poppage. Can they actually find something significant to involve him in to maximize his potential? Maybe he can dispatch Orton after he's done with his final match with HHH?

3. Batista - Two matches this week that were better efforts out of him than we're used to seeing on free TV. Hopefully his match with HBK at the ppv will finally see the emotion from their promos translated into a brutal match.

4. MVP - His match psychology is getting better and better each week. Like Kennedy, they need to make sure to get him involved with a significant feud so they don't miss out on his improvement in the ring.

5. Booker T - Probably will be the only real challenge to Joe in the KotM match at slammiversary, and I'm glad he's being built like the big time weapon that TNA got by signing him.

6. Shelton Benjamin and Chris Jericho
Welcome to the winners circle Sheltey...for 3 days.
And Jericho...cause he's WWE's answer for MCMG's making jobbing look good award.

HMs:
AJ - I don't know if selling a beatdown is hard, but he made it look good.
HBK - Got the concussed look down perfectly...if only that meant something in wrestling.
Kofi - If only the jumpy talent came with fluidity and chemistry with your opponents...but he's still quite young.
Cena - Another week, more pops. What The Hell?
Finlay - Doing the best he can with crap.
Regal - Got the ultimate beshirchment this week.

[snelson66]

6.) Santino Marella (WWE Raw) - "Rodney the Piper", "Jiminy Carmel" and "Cousin Salvatore": His wrestling skills are nothing to write home about, but his mic work definitely is worth a vote in the Six-Pack.

5.) Roxxi Laveaux (TNA Impact!) - Voodoo Drop that asshat ref, Roxxi!

3.) (tie) Awesome Kong & Melissa the Victim (Mimi Wolfram) (TNA Impact!) - That was a brutal Awesome Bomb, both the giving and the taking. Hope Mimi gets some bonus money from the Team 3D wrestling school for that knee to the face.

2.) Booker T (TNA Impact!) - Not sure if I like his heel turn this early in his TNA career, but as long as we don't have Sharmell screeching in the background I'm willing to see where it leads.

1.) AJ Styles (TNA Impact!) - AJ, bloody AJ. I'm liking where his character is going. And, unlike Hilary, AJ finding his "voice" this late in his career isn't career threatening.

[Moreofabreadguyanyway]

1. Booker T- Some damn good promos, a good yet too short match with A.J., and then a big part of an epic beatdown.
2. A.J. Styles- I haven't felt that bad for a wrestling character in a long time.
3. Kurt Angle- Another hilarious promo with Karen, and I've already noted how much I loved the ending of the show that he was a part of.
4. Batista- good match with Jericho on RAW and then an entertaining promo and decent match with MVP on Smackdown.
5. (t) Shelton and Kofi- they had another solid match on ECW, and they were a part of a fun tag match on Smackdown.

[Byrntrigan]

May 26, 2008 19:45:59 GMT -5 snelson66 said:

3.) (tie) Awesome Kong & Melissa the Victim (Mimi Wolfram) (TNA Impact!) - That was a brutal Awesome Bomb, both the giving and the taking. Hope Mimi gets some bonus money from the Team 3D wrestling school for that knee to the face.

Snelson -

since you seem to know more then the rest of us on this mystery broad from 3D's school, is she the one on the left or right of the pic greg posted up? Serg and I want to know.... ;D

[Ultimatejobber]

6. Team 3D: They have been everywhere on TNA TV lately, and I loved seeing them wreck havoc this week. This sells me on them a lot.

5. Santino Marella: His schtick is still not stale to me. I laughed my ass off this week. He should never wrestle, let him manage Carlito.

4. Booker T: I wanted his match with AJ to go longer before Tomko interfered. Booker has been great with this new attitude.

3. Batista: He had to\wo good matches and two solid wins. Its amazing how well he works when he is in the ring with the right people.

2. MVP: This guy is a legit star and quality worker now. In the past month there has only been one match of his that was disappointing, and that was an out of nowhere match with Jeff Hardy on a PPV. He seems ready to carry the ball.

1. AJ Styles: It's been said already, but his character continues to grow exponentially every week. That old school beatdown on Impact was terrific.

HM

Awesome Kong: I liked her destruction of a "fan" this week, but it was less amazing to me than Beth Phoenix's destruction of Melina from the week before

Jimmy Rave: I am amazed that this is the same guy who bored the hell out of me when he was with Ring of Honor. "Paula we love you!" Hysterical.

Miz and Morrison: I wish I could like them enough to put them on my list.

Dishonorable Mention: William Regal- I am still devastated that I will see no Regal for 60 days. I just hope he is not back on the painkillers, as he was in some real danger then. Come back soon Regal, I miss you already.

[Attitude Adjuster]

For me, so much centered around one angle: the face turn of AJ Styles. That was the best beatdown of its type since Jerry Blackwell wouldn't let Sheik Adnann Al-Kaissey win a battle royal, so Bruiser Brody and Ken Patera turned on him. Blackwell was beaten senseless, and Brody kept coming back time and time again to attack. For some reason, Dusty Rhodes was there, and after they cleared the ring, he kept hollaring "Up! Up!" to Blackwell. I swear it was two or three minutes of Blackwell trying to lift himself up on the ropes, with the crowd slowly and then loudly getting behind him. This was almost as good, and much better than the Horsemen beatdown of Lex Luger about a dozen years later.

1. AJ Styles: He died good.

2. Tomko: AJ's Brody to his Blackwell. Man, Tomko was evil. Pure evil.

3. Awesome Kong: And continuing my Wayback Machine Week, Awesome Kong, meet Andy Kaufmann. Even if that was an Indy plant in the audience, she sold like she had no idea what she was doing. I hope they continue Kong's path of destruction through the crowd. Except the need to explain what the $25,000 Challenge is. Pin Kong? Survive Kong? Get in an offensive move?

4. Kurt Angle: Kurt's "heart-felt" apology to Karen and then savage chairshot to AJ was just another part of the best angle of the week. I wish there was a way I could fit Karen Angle and the Dudleys into my Top 6 as well. If it was just coincidence that Karen wore white this week, I'm gonna shoot me a wrestling writer. AJ's blood all over her top was a great visual. Finally, you know how everyone says Triple H is carrying the Harley Race vibe? Well, for a long time now I've seen Kurt carrying the Ric Flair vibe. Cunning, evil, a tough wrestler and willing to embarass himself. Angle is the best all-around professional wrestler in the business today.

5. Beautiful People: They are gathering a lot of heel heat, Velvet is getting better on the promos (it was her voice that led the video this week), and Love's match against ODB was pretty good. I actually believed that Love could beat ODB this week.

6. William Regal: Why, you ask? Because he screwed up another major WWE storyline, and now maybe more people will turn on TNA. That's good for wrestling.

[Batman]

1T) Kurt Angle & AJ Styles - With a chair-shot heard 'round the world, one of the most anticipated feuds in wrestling is finally on!
3) Batista - Two really good, fun matches in one week.
4) Roxxi - Now, that's how an out-of-control, loose-cannon babyface should act. The most justified violence toward an official EVAR. Mind your own bees-wax, Rudy Charles.
5) Booker T - Great promo and a lead part in a great beat-down.
6) MVP - His match with Batista was really random, but really fun.

HM) Samoa Joe - Bad-ass on the mic as always.
HM) Jericho - I loved him and Batista going back and forth with fake knee injuries.
HM) Homicide - I never really got the hype with this guy, he struck me as a pretty average cruiser who was lucky enough to have the vertebreaker as a finisher and the AWESOME Hernandez as a partner. But after seeing his match with Bubbah, I'm starting to get it. The relentless, fast-paced attack making up for the size differential really works for him. Loved the wild haymakers.

[creepy]

1. Mizz/Morrison - Just greatness
2. AJ - Got beat down Phenomenal-like
3. LAX - In a show that felt like mostly A-Teamers, They fit in better than most.
4. Awesome Kong - Demolished that chick.
5. Elijah Burke - Got to see him wrestle. Only match I cared about on SmackDown!, only because he was in it (Poor Shelton).
6. Kurt Angle - For helping his wife which was only to help himself and then realizing what was really going on. Fucking Nice.

[iamdoug]

6.LAX - A solid match from Homicide, and AJ wasn't the only superstar left bloody that day.

5.The Beautiful People - Quickly becoming the best heels in TNA

4.Shelton Benjamin - Always a fun guy to watch wrestle, his counters of Kofi where smooth and fun.

3.Jeff Hardy - A surprisingly enjoyable match against Umaga

2.Booker T - Heel Booker>Face Booker

1.A.J. Styles - As said before he took that beatdown like a pro, the best done face turn I've seen in years.

HM- Karen Angle - The image of her drenched in AJ's blood was classic

DM - William Regal - I have never enjoyed his wrestling or promo's, but this is not how I wanted to see him taken off my TV.

[National Champion Chris Cole]

1. Batista - This is just going to add to Big Dave's lead in my personal bracket. He won two very good matches this week against Jericho & MVP. I realized why I like Big Dave and why I hate Cena. Batista sells. He sold for both Jericho and MVP even though both are much smaller. He looks like he won a war afetr his matches. Cena just rolls through the last 3 minutes of all his matches.

2. Booker T - From the promo to his match he showed a lot of fire. Heel Booker is always more interesting then the face Booker.

3. AJ Styles - Karen Angle, Tomko, Kurt Angle, 3D, Booker. He just interacts so well with everybody around him. If there was ever a feud that would cement him to a Main Event Legacy this one about to occur with Kurt Angle should.

4. Santino - I loved the Piper's Pit parody. This guy cracks me up. Why are Carlito & Santino not the tag champs right now?

5. The Beautiful People - I am really digging their gimmick. Every week they come out and put on a great show. Those two have the best female characters I might have ever seen.

6. William Regal - Personally he fucked up. Just like Jeff he might have blown his biggest shot at single's stardom. But during the match he was fantastic. I hope he gets one last shot at his push when he returns but I'm not holding my breath.

Honorable Mentions

Jeff Hardy & Umaga - for putting on a good match. Too bad the no finish kept them from reaching my list.

Chris Jericho & MVP - They were the foils this week for Batista and here is where I give these men their due for their sides of the two good matches.

Kennedy - He won the match with Regal but Regal got the nod for his interactions during the match which made it.

Shelton - Finally picked up the win over Kofi.

[Demko]

I need to watch my DVR'd Impact from last week in order to make my picks this week. I'll probably do that sometime tonight.

[snelson66]

May 26, 2008 20:14:40 GMT -5 Byrntrigan said:

Snelson -

since you seem to know more then the rest of us on this mystery broad from 3D's school, is she the one on the left or right of the pic greg posted up? Serg and I want to know.... ;D

I only know what I read here. I don't know if she was on the left or right (I still think right due to the chest measurement).

[Deadly]

No clever comments this week.

1. AJ Styles
2. Booker T
3. Roxxi
4. Beautiful People
5. Awesome Kong
6. Kurt Angle

Just missed the cut:
Tomko & Team 3D (for the sick beatdown)

[Mr. Dashbee]

1. AJ Styles - Face turn heard around the world. AJ sold the beatdown like death, and the Impact zone bought into every second of it. Hopefully Kurt puts AJ over and this sends AJ back to the top of the card, where he belongs.

2. MVP - Is a face turn on the horizon for MVP? He continues to up his game, proving that the US title was merely an anchor holding him down.

3. The Beautiful People - The best tag team in women's wrestling since the Jumping Bomb Angels. Makes me want to bring in Lacey & Rain just for a women's tag team feud. They get better every week. They are so great at being heels that the fans will eventually turn them face.

4. Santino Marella - Deserves to be ranked solely for coining the phrase Rodney the Piper. One of the best reasons to watch WWE right now.

5. Roxxi Laveaux - I love where her character is headed, and the former Nikki Roxx deserves every bit of acclaim she's getting.

6. Melissa the TNA Crowd Victim - Awesome Kong can get honorable mention, because she hits powerbombs all the time. But "Melissa" was the best crowd participant I've seen in years. The Dudley's school just might be a great place for people to train...

[Byrntrigan]

6. Homicide of LAX: Cide had a really good throw-away match that really served for the post-match beatdown.

5. Awesome Kong: She has shown herself to be able to handle different types of wrestlers. This week she shows us how to do a SQUASH match to end all squash matches. The plant either doesn't kow how to take a powerbomb or really really knows how to take one. Her knee to the face was visually impactful.

4. Booker T: Booker shows he must like working heel now as he seems more natural and seems like he is enjoying himself now. Now he needs a King's Court. In delicious irony I suggest his first protege is Robert Roode, in charge of Finance

He then needs to bring in RVD, he can be in charge of Cannabis

3. Tomko: Loved how he took what he did many months ago and turned it on it's head by acknologing AJ wanting to be his own man, and then not caring.

2. Karen Angle: Sold AJ's beatdown the way a valet / wife should. Didn't try to get involved but protected her charge as she while: Crying, having half of her shirt drenched in AJ's blood, even getting her estraged husband to help her protect what many suspect is her boyfriend, she definetly added the emotional aspect to the face turn and beat down.

and This Weeks Number 1:

[glow=red,5,300]AJ Styles[/glow]

He got his ass beat bad, must have cut a damn veign he bleed so much and it totally solidfied his face turn. Props to TNA for doing the beatdown properly and having no one help him. AJ was Kenny this week.

I am excited for his ressurection.

[wld]

1.) AJ Styles – His character is awesome and just keeps getting better but, like everyone says, it really comes down to he died good.
2.) Booker T – The heel character really suits him.
3.) Kennedy – I don’t really like the guy, but he plays his role well. Great facial expressions
4.) Awesome Kong – That was, well, awesome
5.) Santino – The Piper’s Pit parody was hilarious
6.) Roxxi – An impressive, and justified, ref beat-down.

[Batman]

May 26, 2008 19:04:16 GMT -5 Tommy said:

3) Kurt/Karen Angle - Even the stupid "Sports Entertainment" stuff is done like its supposed to be Kurt's apology THIS week may have been better than LAST week.

Since Kurt and Karen are on opposite sides in this feud, I don't think it's copacetic for them to share a ranking like this....

[Tommy]

They're married and it involves the two of them directly.
It makes perfect sense.

[Lucky]

I've been debating that one on my ballot. I think it kind of makes sense for 1 week. Karen and Kurt were KIND of together. The show was about their reunion. And even if it didn't go as Kurt planned they WERE back together when Karen brought Kurt out to help AJ. But we essentially saw Kurt turn on Karen. But he was with her for a moment there.

I don't know. Karen/Kurt seems to make sense to me. Kurt/Tomko/Booker/Team 3D makes less sense to me because they were just kind of randomly together for a moment. Karen/AJ seems iffy to me. So are AJ, Kurt, and Karen just all individual? I guess they could be. But I kind of think Kurt/Karen makes some sense.

I was gonna rank them together and let GB and Serg make the call. But as it is I have an open spot at the moment on my rankings so I can live with them broken up. But this is one of those times where I think their COMBINED work is ranks them high on my list. The whole was the greater than the sum of its parts.

[Batman]

See, my perspective is, if they had been a wrestler/valet team up until this week, and just broke up this week, it would be OK to rank them together one last time. But they broke up as a wrestler/valet team weeks ago, and just teased possibly reuniting this week.

But if both you (Lucky) and Tommy want to rank them together, I'm OK with it, as long as Greg is.

[Deadly]

May 28, 2008 9:59:52 GMT -5 Batman said:

See, my perspective is, if they had been a wrestler/valet team up until this week, and just broke up this week, it would be OK to rank them together one last time. But they broke up as a wrestler/valet team weeks ago, and just teased possibly reuniting this week.

That's how I see it. If it were up to me (which is isn't), I'd rank them separately.

[Lucky]

Yeah, I see the argument both ways. I've been debating the fairness of it the last day or so. I just want to be able to say they should be ranked together because it means I can get another guy on my rankings. But if GB says no I ain't gonna argue.