[Mr. Dashbee]

[glow=red,2,300]Week 22[/glow]
Late for the holiday, as usual....

Welcome to the 12-Pack voting thread. If you want/need the full run down, check out any of the old voting threads, drop me a PM or ask your question in here and any of us will be glad to answer.

Eligibility Info
Ranking Period: August 25 – August 31
WWE: RAW, ECW, Smackdown!
TNA: Impact
Plus any indy or international shows and new online content

What To Do?
-Rate your Top 6 performers of the past week (Monday through Sunday)
-Indicate your #1 brand for the past week
-Please provide comments for your rankings, they are in fashion!

Basic Rules
-Tag teams can be together, even if they are short term/one time deal
-Opponents, although working together in reality, cannot be considered together
-2-way ties are okay at any ranking, just eliminate the next spot (ex: 2 way tie for first place means no second place person)
-3 way ties for 5th place are also kosher, as is a 2-way tie for 6th play (this is the only way to actually rank 7 talents instead of 6)
-Please limit “statement votes” to one per week (ex: WWE creative, the RickRoll caller, etc.)
-Voting is open until 12 midnight EST Wednesday, with results posted during that night.

[Byrntrigan]

6. Lacey - Sweet sweet Lacey. I don't know if you did shit in ROH this week, but it doesn't really matter, now does it Lacey. ;D

5. Awesome Kong - Kong debuts a new oponent who promptly gets the hell beat out of her. That makes, what, 4 black people in TNA now? Fairly standard Kong squash but served it's purpose for an extended beat down to have ODB come make the save.

4. Curry Man - I wish they'd give him the stick all the time, as he's racist comedy gold! Good match as allways against Jimmy Rave.

3. Somoa Joe - Joe was really good on color, and explains his motivations of the last few weeks. I just wish they'd not have him looking like he's treading water during the wait to the PPV.

2. The Beautiful People - Awesome as always. Makes me want to masturbate when I see them as always. Except for gay-ass Kip.

and this week's Number 1 with a bullet, lock of the week...

Sting : It's almost like logic has dictated this "heel turn". I just hope it continues, as I really don't want TNA to botch a logical story so far. Plus Sting as a good heel has never been done, so if they can pull it off, would be awesome. I just hope it doesn;t turn into a heel version of nWo WolfPac. Shit, I'd rather it not turn into nWo at all. Russo, really. Please.

Brand 'O' Week: TNA

as Smackdown! was pre-empted in Chicago and STILL hasn't played so far it's only a 1 horse race this week.

TNA was a little light this week in action but the Sting promo actually makes sense of the last 2-3 weeks. I just hope it doesn't turn into the Millionaire's Club versus the New Blood 2008.

[Lucky]

Sept 1, 2008 17:49:08 GMT -5 Byrntrigan said:

5. Awesome Kong - Kong debuts a new oponent who promptly gets the hell beat out of her. That makes, what, 4 black people in TNA now?

That seems like an odd comment but for clarity... Kong, Booker, Sharmell, Lethal, Creed, Rhaka, Jackie, Devon, and the new chick if she is a TNA regular (which I don't think she is).

Makes me want to masturbate when I see them as always.

Right, I forgot who I was talking to. My bad.

[Byrntrigan]

Sept 1, 2008 18:10:30 GMT -5 Lucky said:

Sept 1, 2008 17:49:08 GMT -5 Byrntrigan said:

5. Awesome Kong - Kong debuts a new oponent who promptly gets the hell beat out of her. That makes, what, 4 black people in TNA now?

That seems like an odd comment but for clarity... Kong, Booker, Sharmell, Lethal, Creed, Rhaka, Jackie, Devon, and the new chick if she is a TNA regular (which I don't think she is).

Makes me want to masturbate when I see them as always.

Right, I forgot who I was talking to. My bad.

Fair enough. I guess I was only thinking about active wrestlers who are black. I'd be wrong either way...

And I did exempt Kip from that comment as well.

[bdbdbd]

It's vote for Shelton and a bunch of other people time again!

6. Charlie Haas - This is now the Charlie Haas honorary #6 spot for the most uselessly entertaining person of the week. Congratulations, Charlito.

5. Evan Bourne - If The Brian Kendrik deserves a spot in a scramble match, so does Evan Bourne. Much more than the Miz. Who the hell books the Miz over Bourne anyway?

4. Kurt Angle - Ya done good with Nash. I was very entertained by that match.

3. The Beautiful People - KIP JAMES IS GAY AND THAT IS FUNNY

2. Sting - If we have to do Main Event promos, by god let it be like this. Sting showed...what is that word...passion in talking about his generation versus them upstart kids in the back who can't let it end with a victory. And he differentiated between all the kids in the back and just some so, if there's anyone with a brain in TNA, this won't just be old vs young.

1. Shelton Benjamin - I love you, Shelton. It's just too bad you and everyone else are already being overlooked for that Khali d-bag.

Brand: TNA - I gotta go TNA again just because it had less authority figures trapped in their offices and scared of their wrestlers

[Moreofabreadguyanyway]

1. Sting- Before Impact last Thursday I thought the young vs. old storyline was going to suck. It still might, but not if everyone involved in it could be half as excellent as Sting was last Thursday.

2. Shawn Michaels- While Y2J is still the clear MVP of the feud, it was Shawn who really stole the show last Monday.

3. Chris Jericho- I doubt I'll order Unforgiven due to the fact that I was unenthusiastic about the idea of one scramble match let alone three, but I know part of me will regret that decision just because of how great Jericho's feud with Michaels has been.

4. (t) Matt Hardy and John Morrison- I don't remember their match on ECW too well, but I do remember enjoying it a lot.

6. Brian Kendrick- I thought his first few weeks on Smackdown were a little rough, but with solid matches and nice intense promos, he has won me over.

Brand of the Week: ECW- everything was kind of bland this week, not good or bad. Still, I'm pretty sure I was entertained by all of the scramble qualifying matches on ECW.

[Demko]

Dammit, now I've gotta go back and watch Impact from last week. I didn't get the opportunity, but now it looks like I'm gonna have to MAKE time to see it. :-)

[Byrntrigan]

Sept 2, 2008 10:33:03 GMT -5 bdbdbd said:

KIP JAMES IS GAY AND THAT IS FUNNY

I said it a couple weeks ago, and I'll say it again:

This explains everything he's done in the last year. All the outfits, , the belly button piercing, everything.

I'd wager Monty will actually come out now, cause I honestly have thought he was gay, for many years now...

not that there's anything wrong with that.

[Ultimatejobber]

Tivo did not record all of Raw this past week (tennis sucks), so here is Rawless top six:

5. Shelton Benjamin: Terrific match with Trips despite the loss.

4. The Brian Kendrick: I loved his promo this past week on Smackdown! I am still surprised he is getting this kind of push.

2 (Tie): Jeff Hardy/MVP: My match of the week from last week.

1. Sting: I really tried to find a way not put Sting at number 1 because I liked, not loved the promo. That being said, it was the highlight of Impact and wrestling this week. I hope this angle plays out well, and doesn't fall apart.

Brand: Smackdown: Still just a superior overall show in my opinion. Two really strong, lengthy matches with solid build to a finale. Add in a great Kendrick promo and a little gay spooky Undertaker promo and you find the show that won the day for me.

[Batman]

I'm not loving the Sting storyline right now. I have an open mind, they could still win me over, but that promo isn't getting him ranked this week.

For me, this week was about make-goods. Two rematches from Summerslam--Punk v JBL and Jeff vs MVP--that were much better than the original match.

1) Shelton Benjamin - Wow, that was some amazing wrestling. And he was in the main event for the first time in a long time.

2) Shawn Michaels - For winning the war of words for the first time in his feud with Jericho. Intense stuff.

3) Jeff Hardy - This was his best match since his match with HBK before his suspension, I think. He needs to remind people that he can do more than jump off high places and do some fan favorite signature moves, and he did that Friday night.

4) The Miz - Not only kept up with Bourne, but brought out his best performance yet, and ended his winning streak and got into one of the scrambles at the PPV.

5) C. M. Punk - His strongest title defense yet, I think. Finally found that right balance that says "pushed to the limit, but gave his all to pull out a victory" instead of "overmatched but got lucky."

6) Evan Bourne - I think this week was the first time it wasn't just his moves that were impressive, but the match as a whole was great. He'd be higher up, but it was a strong week for wrestling.

HM) I enjoyed a lot this week, so this will be a long list: Jericho, Cryme Tyme, Kane, Batista, Matt Hardy, Morrison, Nash (????!), Angle, MVP, Kendrick, Triple H.

Best Show - Tough one. Raw had two really good matches (Punk/JBL and Batista/Kane) and one great promo (HBK). SD! had two really, really good matches (Jeff/MVP and Shelton/HHH) and one really good promo (Kendrick).

Damn close, but I'm giving it to Raw.

[Lucky]

I really, really, really can't remember ANYTHING from last week except the Sting/AJ interview. ANYTHING. I THINK I watched all the shows but nothing stuck with me at all. I don't know if that's because it was a shitty and forgettable week or if its because I've been kind of spaced out the last couple of weeks between a lot of hard work and a flu that has really fucked with my head.

Reading over the ballots doesn't help. I do vaguely recall the Hardy/MVP match and I'm pretty sure I dozed off during it. I don't recall Shelton/HHH at all except that Khali showed up and I immediately deleted the episode. Don't remember Jericho/HBK. Don't remember Miz/Hardy (ECW had Scramble qualifiers, right?). Can't remember what Evan Bourne did (lost in a Scramble qualifier I presume?). Can't remember what the Beautiful People did. Can't remember what CM Punk did. I did enjoy Sting but it seems like he's already going to grab a top spot and his interview didn't seem worth a #1 ranking.

So instead I'm going to just rank the women in wrestling I'm turned on by at the moment (but only the ones who did SOMETHING during the voting period, in keeping with the rules). GB may feel free to reject my ballot if he feels my qualifications are suspect.

6) Beautiful People - They're just really smoking. I'd put them higher except they're actually probably going to get ranked so my silly vote shouldn't make much of an impact. They did something that made Byrne say something crude.


5) Michelle McCool - She must have done something. She's the Pretty, Pretty Princess Champion. I'm sure someone tapped out to a shitty submission move or she saved some bad wrestlers from a beatdown by some evil Canadians. She has very long legs.


4) Taylor Wilde - I checked, she did something. I suspect she looked hot as long as her hair wasn't all weird.


3) Christy Hemme - I seem to recall her boobs being something special last week.


2) Maryse - I continue to be unsure why it is she makes me feel the way I feel because generally such a look would do nothing for me. But Maryse has that sex appeal going like few others in wrestling. Brooke from Extreme Expose had that. I miss her.


1) Lacey - She retired.

[Byrntrigan]

You're kidding right? Only in kayfabe?

If she really retired for real, then I'm fucked when I need a 6th person for these things.

BTW, exalt on your voting methodology. I personally like this Lacey pic myself:



I'd say something crude but at this point it probably goes without saying

[wld]

No comments this week. Two weeks of being sick is kind of hard on the motivation levels.

1.) Shelton Benjamin
2.) Shawn Michaels
3.) Sting
4.) Kurt Angle
5.) Brian Kendrick
6.) The Beautiful People

Brand: TNA

[Lucky]

Supposed she left wrestling and is going to college. She's been out of ROH for over 6 months, I think, and basically inactive. They were using it as a story element as Jimmy Jacobs doing something undefined to her and I was actually thinking it was a real mark against Gabe that he was keeping her out of the angle when the "attack" really didn't strike me as terribly brutal or worthy of such an absence or heat inducing. But I guess her just giving up on wrestling and leaving to do other things gets him off the hook.

Of course last I checked she's involved with Aries and I'm sure has a large circle of friends in wrestling. The Briscoes "retired" to go to college, or play high school football or something. And Danielson was supposedly retiring to go to college or join the peace corp and that was like 4 years ago. Its wrestling. Unless they're crippled none of these idiots actually "retire."

Except Mongo. I recently realized that Mongo just fell off the wrestling planet all at once and apparently went back into the football world. I think he may be the only wrestler I can think of who just went and retired just because he felt like leaving this shitty world. I mean, I'm pretty sure he retired like months after the Horsemen reformed.

[Byrntrigan]

The prevailing thought in Chicago is that Mongo took the divorce to Debra rather hard and became a hermit for like 3 -4 years after wrestling.

I saw him on TV once for a Bears XX reunion as his teammates were worried about him, but he looked well and in rather good shape.

And regarding Lacey - damn. Rain/ Ms. (Don't remember her name) is MIA and now Lacey. Stacey Valentine better come in for someone else to ogle,

Lacey was always the hottest women in wrestling to me. I'm sad now...

[DevSop]

Lucky, I can give you the name of someone who left the wrestling business, was involved with someone, and basically only showed up 2 or 3 times after she was forced to leave by injury and it's a pretty apt comparison for me since I am a big Aries fan and I was a big Dreamer fan...Lacey seems to have taken the Beulah exit. It really sucks as I was anticipating her comeback and now it may not happen for a long time if ever.

And on that note, I'm going to follow your lead.

1)Lacey - Jacobs was the voice of Age of the Fall, Black has become the superstar, but Lacey was and always will be the heart of it. Because Love doesn't save.

2)Sting - I haven't liked Sting in a while, but I thought he said what needed to be said and brought the right amount of passion/legitimacy to the upcoming New Blood/Old School feud.

3)The Young Bucks - Any team that wins a title by beating Jacobs & Black will get a vote from me. PWG is probably the 4th best company in the country and to be tag team champs gets you a vote. If it wasn't such a bad week, they'd be down at 6.

4)Beautiful People - Because go fuck yourself.

5)Jeff Jarrett - His music played and I was actually hoping he'd be there. I'm actually looking forward to JEFF JARRETT. There is something wrong with that.

6)Mickie James and Awesome Kong - just cause.

[Lucky]

I guess you'll need one of these.



EDIT: And Dev, Beulah left due to injury. Others have. That's my point. Mongo just left because he didn't want to do it anymore. Not because of injury, or because opportunity ran out. He had a spot, a fairly high profile spot, and he walked and almost 10 years later hasn't come back. That's pretty rare. Blitzkrieg did but he was in wrestling for like 5 minutes. Stacy Keibler, Trish, and Lita left but they've come back to WWE since for cameos and its too early for me to believe they're done. I mean, besides an exceptional case like The Rock not too many people just walk away and say "I'm done" and don't look back.

[DevSop]

Beulah wasn't injured. She went back to school.

[Lucky]

Hey, you said "she was forced to leave by injury." I presumed you were referencing some real injury I was unaware of not the kayfabe storytelling. But I probably should have realized it since you were drawing the comparison to Lacey's gay ass "injury."

But Beulah was also never really much for wrestling anyway. She was just a valet who took a job and never seemed to have any passion for the business. Her role became pretty pointless, she became pretty useless, and she got written out happy to go on with life. Which is different than a woman who trained to wrestle and has spent years as one of the top independent wrestlers and managers in indy wrestling. And unlike Beulah Lacey actually, you know, did stuff as a manager besides look hot.

Beulah was a hot chick who showed up. She was a "Useless Diva" who possessed no apparent skills and just happened to be part of a legendary feud. Lacey was/is a wrestler. Beulah didn't try to wrestle, travel a crazy WWE schedule, or do anything really "wrestle like" like even today's "Useless Divas." She was just a stripper and soft porn model who got a decent TV gig for a couple of nights a week that didn't ask her to do much more than look hot and occasionally do something physical. As much as I love her I'd never compare her to Lacey or make the mistake of calling her a "wrestler."

I would be kind of hard pressed to call her a "manager." She really was, in every realistic way, EXACTLY the sort of thing that the internet loves to rip on for the Diva Search who never even did as much "work" as Kelly Kelly has. We just love her because Heyman and Raven are geniuses.

[DevSop]

Wow, who shit in your cornflakes today?

Was she a wrestler? No, of course not, but she did always hold her own in matches/brawls much better than any "Useless diva." And yes Lacey is a much better wrestler who was trained for the business while Beulah was a porn star who gave a dance to the right guy, but to say she wasn't even a good manager seems to be too much I think. Looking back at the whole story and every woman who's been in wrestler, I really cant think of many who'd have been the perfect "Beulah." She was.

And we don't just love her because Raven and Heyman are geniuses. We love her cause she took bumps and then made Alfonso bleed like a stuck pig.

[Lucky]

What "shit in my cornflakes"? Nothing there was pissy. I was just clarifying my point in detail.

Beulah never wrestled more than a few matches to my memory and never did much more than catfighting or lowblowing besides the Alfonso match. Which was basically just her beating the crud out of Fonzie for real and him taking the beating in a horrifying manner. I mean, really. That credit to her is because she busted a guy open and he was happy to take the beating and lose the blood to get her over.

Beulah was a hot chick who almost never talked and when she did wasn't particularly good, and never did much more in the ring than what any of those Diva Search girls could do if asked. Really, I fail to see what she ever brought to the situation. I love her because she was really hot and because she was the focus of an awesome story. None of this is criticism of her because I personally think most of these wrestlers are idiots.

My point is comparing her to Lacey seems crazy. Its not just that Lacey is a better wrestler. Point is she IS a wrestler. She trained. She toured. She worked indies. She talks. She is a full service performer. Beulah was a valet for ECW. I think there's a real difference between a "valet" and a "manager." Beulah didn't talk for her men and didn't "guide" them. She was a hot chick whose job it was to look good on their arm and occasionally do something physical but simple. A couple of pretty bad moonsaults and one time she was asked to beat the crud out of a guy. And she did that maybe half a dozen nights a month for 4 or 5 years for one employer. That's about a million miles away from Lacey's career and a WHOLE lot closer to Kelly Kelly's (who works WAY more days and has wrestled and trained WAY more).

Really, she was a "Useless Diva." And I say that as the guy who constantly defends "Useless Divas" as having a place because I also happen to think Miss Elizabeth was a "Useless Diva." But she was a stripper who posted nude and took a job on TV with no training or skills because she was offered it because of her looks. That's basically the definition of the Diva Search.

So when I say that I can't think of too many wrestlers/performers who walked away from the business and never looked back I'm NOT talking about Major Gunns. I'm talking about people who seriously worked the business.

[Byrntrigan]

I can only think of Blitzkrieg, and like Lucky said earlier was in WCW for a cup of coffee. He had to have worked the indys for a bit, no one is THAT good without training for while.

*looks in wiki*

Yep. Worked the indys for 4 years and then WCW for 6 months. He was really good though, it sounds like he left for the more exciting and lucrative career of IT ;D

[Mr. Dashbee]

I can't rank Lacey, do we know for sure she retired? Was there some MySpace blog I missed? She'll make the 12-Pack regardless if I rank her, so it matters not.

1. Sting
2. Shawn Michaels
3. Shelton Benjamin
4. The Beautiful People
5. The Young Bucks
6. Brian Kendrick

Brand: TNA

It's so weird, next week, it's shaping up to be plenty of RAW already (Jericho, Michaels, Punk, Orton, Santino, DiBiase/Rhodes could all be ranked if it was only based on RAW). Looks like we might be in for a good week of voting/discussion.

No comments from me this week, and no comments in the results post. I was up too late putting together the last few things for the kid. Which reminds me to post this: we're having another kid on Friday. I'll send UJOB the info to post on Sunday night for the 12-Pack (although we're bringing the laptop to the hospital, and we'll have wireless). I'll probably post a picture, too.

Except I'll comment on The Young Bucks. It's the biggest win of the careers of Rockers 2k8. I may not be their biggest fan, but I think they have a chance to at least make it to TNA someday.

EDIT - I don't see a problem with Lucky's ballot, they were all active this week. And although I didn't rank him, I like the Jarrett vote, his music does make me want to see him back.

[Batman]

Congrats on the kid, DashBee.

Re wrestlers who have left the business without being forced out by injury or lack of interest, lets not forget the Rock.