Wrestling...thats right, Wrestling!

[D]

I thought one of the downfalls of WWE was leaving USA

USA let them be more extreme plus more viewers were on USA and after the switch the ratings seemed to start sliding.

Cant believe Spike let them go considering its their highest rated program by far.

[Timothy]

I think Spike is banking a lot on the Ufc show ,

[Evolution]

Wow what an amazing segment on Raw! I totally did not expect Matt to return. I thought the backstage attack was a poor look-a-like!

Am i the only one who did'nt feel HBK properly explained last Monday?

[Timothy]

THe segments with matt wre some of the best stuff i have sen in a while on raw.



THe hole Pippers pit really didn't come of that well ,I don't really know what happened their it was just a bit weird.

[Evolution]

I loved the way Matt screamed "I hate the WWE". Back in the Attitude era negative comments made by wrestlers always happened and it gave a more realistic feeling. I must admit i got a flood of "is this real?" for about 5 seconds it was that well done. Must watch TV! i can't wait to see what happens next week. Matt/Edge at Summerslam?

[Rob]

I was lucky enough to be at Raw tonight (pretty good seats I might add).  I don't know if I've ever seen such a strong crowd reaction in person as I did for the Matt Hardy return.  The crowd went absolutely ballistic when that happened.  Great stuff.  When Piper came out in the begininning he got a great reaction, it was a very nice surprise to see him there.  However, I agree that the Piper's Pit segment seemed kinda off.  I blame Piper.  I love the guy, but his mic skills have diminished over the years.  He's all over the place when he talks.  Sometimes its hard to follow where he's going with stuff.  Aside from the Diva Search segment I tought it was all pretty entertaining.  We also got a dark match after the show went off the air.  Triple H and JBL vs. Batista and John Cena.  Triple H got a great reaction from the crowd when he came out, and during the match he pulled off a Flair flop to end all Flair flops.  He caught a boot from Cena and stumbled around all groggy for like 2 minutes before finally falling to the mat...very funny stuff.  Cena and Batista picked up the win.

[Hammy]

The segments with matt wre some of the best stuff i have sen in a while on raw.

Very good to see him return i also thought it was a look-a-like to start with, it was very well done by WWE if they can get you questioning whether something is real even for a second then they've done a damn good job.

The hole Pippers pit really didn't come of that well ,I don't really know what happened their it was just a bit weird.

Thing is to start with it sucked because when HBK gave his explanation it was like WTF? Is that it? But when Roddy Piper started probing and got intense then it got good and you can tell this storyline is going to develop real well, they'll be an underlying reason that will come out soon enough.  Even though the match at Summerslam may be medicore i expect the build-up to be fantastic.

[Thorazine Shuffle]

Inside Move: 'Smackdown' takes it on the chin
WWE, UPN under attack for offensive match
 
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER
advertisement

 


World Wrestling Entertainment and UPN have heard from several concerned viewers following last Thursday's "WWE Smackdown," which depicted a terrorist-like attack involving a group of Arab-Americans and a wrestling opponent.
The episode aired the same day as the subway and bus bombings in London; UPN ran a crawl on its screen four times through the broadcast, noting that, "In light of today's tragic events in London, parental discretion is advised in viewing this episode."

That wasn't enough of a warning for some viewers, who took offense at the depiction of Arab-American wrestlers Daivari and Muhammad Hassan -- who was shown in the episode praying while five men wearing ski masks rushed the ring and choked the "good guy," longtime WWE wrestler the Undertaker.

WWE and UPN said they were unable to alter the episode, due to the tight timeframe between the show's taping earlier in the week and its Thursday night timeslot.

"We all feel bad about the timing of the segment," said WWE spokesman Gary Davis, who said the show wasn't attempting to depict a terrorist attack -- although he said he understood how some viewers might construe it as such. "People will see what happens this week (as the storyline) gets straightened out."

The Hassan character recently joined "Smackdown," moving over from Spike TV's "WWE Raw" show.

UPN spokeswoman Joanna Lowry said the network reserves the right to preempt "Smackdown" but didn't think it was necessary last Thursday.

"Due to the tragic events in London, we took the added measure of running an advisory four times throughout the broadcast so that viewers could make the appropriate viewing decision for their household," the network said in a statement. "We will continue to monitor the situation involving this character and storyline."



Had a feeling this was going to happen.

[Evolution]

Interestingly Matt Hardy seems to be claiming last night was a shoot.

The following is a huge post by Matt Hardy from his message board on TheMattHardy.com:

If you guys are ready for a ride, jump the f*ck on. Well, I promised you all fireworks, so I hope I didn't disappoint. As of July 11th, 2005, my personal Independence Day, the Movement has begun-- and the Movement's purpose is two-fold. Purpose one--To never let anyone control what Matt Hardy says and does and thinks. Purpose two--To make Adam Copeland, Amy Dumas, and the WWE regret what they did to me, what they did to us. It's time for Matt Hardy to stand up for all the MFer's that have been chanting "We Want Matt", and "You Screwed Matt". Although you may not know this--you guys, the MFers, started the Movement months ago. I can now finally join the Movement because I am no longer controlled by the WWE. The McMahons, the Johnny Aces, and all of the WWE management can kiss my @$$. I did what I did tonight because for me to live with myself, Adam "Feces" Copeland must pay. I'm not going to let the WWE forget that they f*cked up when they released me instead of that scumbag home-wrecker. And Amy Dumas, you know what's it's like to have me as your closest ally--but you're gonna hate to see what it's like to have me as your worst enemy b*tch. Even though I didn't slash your tires FCF, slashed tires are going to be the least of your problems--Bank on it. A little message to the whore, the feces, and the horsesh*t "family" that is the WWE--Matt Hardy is like cancer, I don't go away and you won't find a cure. I thank EVERYONE that has supported me through thick and thin--I promise I will always be there for my MFers. I love you guys--and as I always say, without you, there is no me. I am going to turn a hugely negative situation into something that will benefit us. If you don't want to be able to predict what happens next, you're all in for a treat.

P.S. - If you're thinking about pressing charges Vince, I got a couple bucks, I'll fight it. Besides, I think I might have some pixs and video from a camera phone that shows your officers Rodney Kinging my @$$. My wrist is cut from the handcuffs, and I would suggest that there was a little unnecessary roughness involved in kicking me out of your building.

P.S.S. - And don't forget to catch Matt Hardy in action this Friday in Indiana, PA, this Saturday in Woodbridge, CT, and you never know where I'll show up on Sunday. And The Matt Hardy Show is so on...

Matt "F*cking" Hardy

It's obviously a worked-shoot(WWE would have cut his mike,gone to adverts if he had hit the ring which wouldnt have happened anyway due to security) but its good Matt is adding these little things to fuel the fire so to speak

[Timothy]

This Matt Hardy thing just might be the best thing the WWE has done sincet Austin  and brett hart stuff in 96.

[Rob]

Yeah. they're really putting a lot into this Matt Hardy thing.  I love it.  I've been a fan of Matt for a while, and this feud should put him near the top of the Raw ladder.  And with this Hassan thing...they're really going in the wrong direction with him.  When he's the angry Arab American speaking out against how he feels he's being discriminated against then he's a very effective character.  When he's a terrorist kidnapping wrestlers it totally undermines his whole gimmick.  And of course it was in very poor taste.  The WWe should either abandon this terrorist angle, or abandon Hassan.

[Izzy]

or abandon Hassan.

Thats my vote

[Hammy]

abandon Hassan.

The guy is great on the mic and decent in the ring he doesn't need dumping or releasing maybe just repackaging, although i think people take things too seriously at the end of the day it's like watching a film with evil terrorists...they're only actors.

[Rob]

Yeah, but making him a terrorist ruins his whole persona.  His gimmick is no longer believable if he's actually a terrorist.  If he's the pissed off Arab American it works much better.

[Hammy]

Yeah, but making him a terrorist ruins his whole persona.? His gimmick is no longer believable if he's actually a terrorist.? If he's the pissed off Arab American it works much better.

I see your point but look at Kane and his 'powers' and Undertaker's how believeable are they? Doink the evil Clown?  HHH the sledghammer weilding maniac who attacks people outside of matches with it, that's called assualt he would be arrested, for years you've had to suspended your belief of the outside world and you still have to now it's just the way it is.  I'm not trying to defend the guy too much though i would much rather he had a different gimmick it's as popular and as successful as La Resistance was.  I really hate to see talent wasted and careers killed with dodgy gimmicks and i fail to see why someone with a gimmick which is not that over get's to feud with The Undertaker while someone like Christian who could not be more over (well not much) gets quickly jobbed out of the main event picture.

[Rob]

True there are plenty of unrealsitic gimmikcs out there.  I did think Hassan had a lot of potential as a heel until this latest turn of events.

[Malcolm]

Because UPN refused to allow Hassan to appear on Thursday's SmackDown, the following response was taped for WWE.com:

I stand here tonight the only patriot left in America. I stand here tonight perhaps even a martyr against tyranny and injustice. Because the fact is I am an AMERICAN professional wrestler, but because of my heritage, because of my background, because of who my ancestors were, I'm labeled - we're labeled terrorists. Terrorists; I'm a terrorist! Well it must be true - it's gotta be true - because it's right here in black and white, in a reputable source, like the New York Post.

What, you don't believe me? Here it is: "Terrorist Wrestles After Bombing." I'm a terrorist - we're terrorists. We wrestled after a bombing. Well, Mr. Don Kaplan, (to Daivari) have you ever met Don Kaplan? Have you ever spoken to Don Kaplan? Have you ever called Don Kaplan on the phone? Well, I never have either. So, if Don Kaplan of the New York Post has never met us, how does Don Kaplan know we're terrorists? Don Kaplan also wrote that "Arabs in ski-masks carried Daivari out as a sacrifice last week." Arabs in SKI-MASKS...in SKI-MASKS...in a ski-mask. How does he know that they were Arabs?

The point is, because of articles like this, because of the fear that the media has put in all of you people, I have been denied my God-given right to pursue the profession of my choosing...to pursue the American Dream. I have been denied my basic rights as an American citizen. You know, as I look around this crowd and I look at all these faces looking at me in disgust, I think a lot of you have forgotten what this country was founded on. I think you have forgotten that your ancestors fought for their freedom. They gave their lives for their freedom - whether they be black, Irish-American, Italian-American, Jewish-American, Asian-American, they gave their lives for their freedom.

What's next? What's next? Because anytime anything goes wrong in this country, it's the Arabs. When a plane crashes, it's the Arabs. When a bomb goes off, it's the Arabs. The blackout two summers ago - it was the Arabs. Hurricane Dennis must be the Arabs.

You people say what you want. Because I have a right to be in here. I have a right to say what I want. And what I'm going to say, my name is Muhammad Hassan. I am an Arab-American and I am very proud of my heritage. But, as an American, my first amendment rights have been trampled. And, I stand here before all of you ashamed of my country.

(Hassan rips the NYPost article as Daivari translates the speech)

[D]

Hussan is dead on the money


Here is my prediction

frame it cause it is coming true watch and see


Wrestlemania

Batista Vs Triple H for the undisputed unified championship and after Wrestlemania the brand extension ends

watch and see

[Evolution]

Interesting prediction D(and one i would welcome), what makes you say that'll happen with some certainity?


I must say that Hassan did have some valid points with what he said, but still he should'nt have been in the position that would need him to reply to the US media. That angle would have been ok in my view if it did'nt involve the praying and "martyrdom" of Daivari as masked men attacking has been seen before on WWE television

[D]

I just thought of it while I was driving home

Triple H isnt gonna job 3 times without getting at least one win

funny they sent Batista to Smackdown and not HHH.

Who on Smackdown can u see being in a main event at Wrestlemania honestly?

HHH will win the belt against Cena or whoever the champ is and he will come out talkin how he is the real world champ, remember he has planted seeds before talkin bout Smackdown being the 2nd rate show etc
so he runs his mouth saying how he is the real champ etc

someone will point out how Batista beat him 3 times

HHH will somehow enter the Royal Rumble and win, challenge Batista, the belts will be unified, Vince will come out with his Shake things up speech and the brand extension will end

it hasnt been very successful, especiallysince he has to go back to USA Network

who knows how much longer UPN will wanna carry Smackdown

so it just seems the brand extension has ran its course.

I thought of all that on the way home, there is no merit to that, just something I cooked up by myself.