November to Remember was a damn good show if you don’t mind me saying and just so I can be a part of a very prestigious group allow me to make to make a bad pun of my own: it was definitely a show I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. Now that I got that out of the way let’s get down to business and one of the things that everyone is talking about is that almost every title got a new owner except for two—well three if you want to count The Machine Gun’s toy titles, but who really knows what’s going on with them—and I’m very curious to see where things go from here.
The Saviors of Society, who are so smart that they get their names wrong half the time, won their respective title matches sending Chavo fans home disappointed and sending Wade Barrett marks back to their holes fuming and then there was Kaitlyn who overcame the odds and retained her title saving us from another Layla reign and thankfully we won’t have to listen to her rant about there not being enough outfits to go with her title. What I was really paying attention to, however, was that confrontation between new World Champion Triple H and current XWL Chris Jericho at the end of the program that left me frothing at the mouth as thoughts of a match between the two took over my dreams.
Of course the title of this article spoils who I believe would win a match between the two but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the ride just because I know how it’ll end. But as it stands Triple H would have his way with Chris Jericho if these two were to meet in the ring, with or without the titles on the spoil. Just check out their respective promos from the pay per view.
“Because I am the best in the world at everything I do and I believe that with every fiber of my being... I know it... I AM it!” said Jericho and he really comes across like that annoying kid in school who kept on running his mouth until someone bigger and better than him came along. Edge wasn’t that guy, Miz wasn’t that guy, to me, Triple H could be that guy who shuts up Y2J. You could feel the passion and the hunger oozing out of him during his interview. “When I step in that ring tonight, You'll see the old Triple H once again. The unforgiving, ass-kicking, toughest son of a bitch you have ever met.” he said and made it clear just what kind champion he’ll be: relentless and aggressive.
If these two were to meet that would play in Triple H’s favor. It would be an understatement to say that he’s been through hell, and it looks like he’s only getting started. Jericho is Jericho of course, and he won’t make life easy for anyone much less Triple H, you can’t deny that he’s been backing up the things he’s been saying but the chip on his shoulder isn’t quite as big as Triple H’s. If they go one on one Y2J will simply have to deal with a beast in Triple H that he won’t be able to subdue. Jericho can claim to be more focused and better than he’s ever been, and that very well may be true, but no matter what level Jericho says he’s on, at this point Triple H is step above.
[S4]
Feud UpdatesWho’s been getting on each other’s nerves lately? Edge vs. ChristianEdge helped Christian to victory but his former best friend didn’t seem too happy about the interference. Are these two going to come to blows?
Dolph Ziggler vs. Dean Ambrose Nobody answered Ambrose’s challenge so he went out and found himself a victim. But why Dolph? And how will Dolph deal this threat?
Beth Phoenix vs. Layla Layla has more than her lost title to worry about now. The Glamazon is on the hunt and has found her next victim in the mentally and physically vulnerable Flawless One.
Mankind vs. The Rock Their battle at November to Remember made it clear that there’s still a lot of things left to be settled between the two. I won’t declare this feud over until someone gets a dirty sock stuffed into their mouth.
Ted DiBiase vs. Shawn Michaels With a kick to the jaw HBK let DiBiase know that he wasn’t welcome on Redemption. What led HBK to get involved in DiBiase’s contract affairs?
Triple H vs. Chris JerichoDid Jericho have a reason for interrupting Triple H’s celebration, or was he just in the neighborhood and decided to stop by?
[S5]
Newsletter CommentaryWe give our thoughts on the segments that graced our televisions this week.Christian vs. John Cena It was a great match as it’s always nice to see aggressive John Cena over the corny one that pops up his head every now and then. It’s a shame he loss, especially in the manner in which he did. Though I can’t say I’m not looking to see what both Christian and Edge have to say about what went down. Besides, are we really going to act all sad about Cena getting fired when he’ll probably back in a week or two?
Carlito Segment It was great to see Carlito show some initiative and promo when he wasn’t on the card and his bitterness about being overlooked was as clear as day as he busted out some of his best fat insults to use on the crowd. Hopefully XWL puts him in a program soon so he isn’t relegated to taking out his frustrations on the crowd. Let’s see how Carlito handles himself when he has to deal with someone who can bite back.
Brie Bella Segment It’s hard not to feel sorry for Brie, there she was at the top of the world and the divas division only for it to get it taken away by Kaitlyn almost immediately. It was easy for me to get why she was upset but then again after everything she’s said and pulled maybe she had this coming. In any case, she really made it clear that her confidence hadn’t been damaged and if we were to go by this promo alone then you would have thought that she was the favorite to win the match.
Dean Ambrose Segment A tale of betrayal, a story of revenge, Dean certainly has a lot of demons to battle in his head and he seemed to have had a tough time growing up—poor guy. But hey, I certainly got a kick out of story even though it brought back some painful memories of my own school days. It was also sweet that he found a friend, no one should have to go it alone, and this Sami guy looks he was made to hang around with Dean. We’ll see if anyone is brave enough to answer Dean’s challenge and I wouldn’t blame anyone for not showing up. Dean is dangerous enough alone, but there’s no doubt that Sami would be somewhere in the vicinity.
Wade Barrett Segment It was great to see Wade Barrett on my screen, not so great to hear him diss robes. For the record, Wade, robes are very comfortable to wear when you’re lounging in your home with no one around to tell you how much weight you’ve been putting on. But I digress, Wade made his point clear that he’ll do away with Sandow and I would certainly hope he does because this would be his third shot at the United States Championship in as many months and you’d think the guy would catch a break eventually.
Kana Segment I have to say: I could get behind a chick that carries around a sword—I mean that in the cleanest way possible, of course. It was nice to hear Kana’s voice, even if I couldn’t understand what she was saying, it’s good to have a no-nonsense diva around and her reasoning for her setback during the gauntlet was a solid one, she prepared herself to beat who she believed and who Layla would have you believe was the best person in the gauntlet only to run into a Beth Phoenix who was pissed about having to deal with Kharma and her sidekick. Kana has the tools to make an impact in the ailing divas division, and by tools I don’t mean that sword. They probably shouldn’t let her into the arena with that thing.
Dean Ambrose vs. Sami Calli..someting something First off, what the hell were those masks they were wearing? Second, damn wasn’t expecting Dean to turn on the guy who I thought was his pal but I guess it makes sense after his little story earlier in the night: Dean doesn’t trust anyone and no one should trust him. Surprisingly, Dean wasn’t as invincible as I thought he’d be—he almost lost a couple of times—but the match showed that he doesn’t care about winning, he just wants hurt you at any means necessary.
Layla Segment *Divas promo of the show.* In case you missed her saying it: Layla called that tile match between Layla and Kaitlyn right down the middle. The segment was a nice little history lesson because as we’ve learned by now Layla won’t hesitate to tell you everything that she’s accomplished over the years and while normally I’d get annoyed, how could I complain when someone who looks like that is on my screen? The confidence was there with Layla talking like the other girls aren’t a match for her. She was even making plans for her title celebration and photoshoot, now that’s some major confidence… or major denial that her time in the spotlight is over.
Dolph Ziggler Segment I’ve always loved the comparisons between Dolph and HBK and Dolph comparing this situation to the infamous Bret/Michaels rivalry was welcome. Ever cocky, and downright rude at times, Dolph didn’t hesitate to put Striker in his place yet he hesitated every time we inquired about the nature of his relationship with Vicki, guess there are some things he just isn’t comfortable talking about. The Show Off vs. The Showstopper should be a great match though it’s a shame the latter didn’t pop up to exchange a few words with Dolph.
Kaitlyn Segment It was a damn shame that they didn’t show Kaitlyn from the waist down, but I won’t let that effect my thoughts on what I thought was an excellent seg. Kaitlyn’s stepping nicely into her role as champ and appears more than ready to prove that she wasn’t a one hit wonder and that she can make it without AJ, or rather despite AJ. Gotta love how she outright said that Brie wouldn’t be a factor in the match and that even Layla wouldn’t pose a challenge, that’s the kind of feistiness we need to see out of her and I hope that translates into her match.
CM Punk segment *Male promo of the show* Joey Ryan under Vince’s wing? Now that would have been something to see, and even though any idea of that happening was ruined by Punk showing up the exchange between the two more than made up for it. We were all waiting to see Punk lay Vince out with a GTS, but he didn’t. Instead he verbally demolished Vince in a manner in which only CM Punk can and it was quite the sight to see the mighty Vince McMahon walk away with his tail tucked between his legs. Punk laying into the people was also a highlight of the seg, but I’ll save my thoughts on what’s been going on with him and them for a later time.
Savior of Society Matches and Segments Was it really a surprise that these two won their respective title matches? It seemed like the stars aligned perfectly for the duo, and hey, maybe they were behind what happened to Chavo and Cesaro in some grand intellectual scheme that mere mortals such as you and myself couldn’t even begin to comprehend. Chavo tried his hardest but he should have stayed home and Wade doesn’t seem to be destined to win the US title and I was also disturbed by that lengthy commercial break. I thought I was paying these pay per view prices so I wouldn’t have to deal with that, my provider is certainly going to hear from me. Morrison isn’t quite as fluent in the use of the multi-syllable word as his partner but he still did a good job making me flip through a dictionary while he spoke so I guess he proved his point. Sandow started off strong informing us that this is only the beginning and time will tell when the end will be.
Brock Lesnar Segment This man is sick how else can you describe him? He just says all these disturbing and violent things and then chuckles about afterwards. Even at his calmest Brock is still dangerous and that’s the vibe I got from this segment. He’ll make Orton regret coming at him and add his names to the list of men that he’s demolished and damn near left for dead.
Justin Gabriel Segment Well Gabriel was rather nonchalant about getting stood up during his match on one of the biggest shows of the year, but I guess he’s just happy to be around. Hopefully he doesn’t inexplicably disappear after this.
Triple H SegmentI said it earlier, Triple H looks ready, he sounds ready he’s hungry for something that’s been eluding for so long and he’ll fight and give it everything he has to get what he wants. He’s on a roll and he’s been on an impressive run, but Joey Ryan’s meteoric rise to the top happened for a reason and he’s the world champion for a reason.
Daniel Bryan Segment Oh, there he is. I was wondering what happened to this guy, guess he just needed some time to collect himself. Hopefully the time off did what it needed to do because we need the Daniel Bryan who was one of XWL’s hottest and most entertaining stars back. He seemed to be in the correct mindset and if wrestles at the same intensity he shouts ‘Yes’ then he’ll get back to the top in no time.
Beth vs. Kharma*Divas match of the show* Beth really took it Kharma in what was an entertaining match though beating someone like that doesn’t come easy and for Beth it came with the assistance of Paige—she didn’t need help slamming Kharma through that table, that was all her--who hasn’t been seen since she disappeared into the dark months ago. Did Paige go after Kharma for a reason? Or was she just looking for a creative way to return?
Chris Jericho Segment Jericho certainly never lacks any confidence, though it’s hard to knock him for it since he’s been able to back it up and he plans on looking to use Miz to make another statement. You gotta wonder if Miz could be the one to knock Jericho off his pedestal, though. Miz is no saint but Jericho appears to be underestimating him and if Miz is smart and crafty enough he could use it to his advantage he could walk out the next XWL champion.
The Miz Segment And of course the self-proclaimed hardest working man in the business won’t hesitate to tell you that the title is as good as his. Miz may claim that Jericho has the world on his shoulders but he has a lot to prove too. He needs to prove that his US Title run wasn’t his peak, he has to prove that he isn’t all talk, and he has to prove that Jericho isn’t truly the best in the world.
AJ vs. Eve A nice bounce back win for AJ after coming up short against her ex-best friend.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Shawn Michaels Male Match of the Show A match excellent both in concept and in excecution, this was a contest that had me on the edge of my set from the moment HBK’s theme hit to the moment Ambrose showed up, thankfully not in the mask he wore earlier. Dolph and Shawn both went at it and they both did their best to out-perform the other which led to some great moments and entertaining banter.
Undertaker Segment It was interesting idea for a segment because cemeteries just ooze creepiness but the way it played out was rather odd. Is Undertaker claiming responsibility for the end of the world? Or does he have something planned that will end XWL’s world has we know it. Only time will tell, and as Undertaker made clear: time isn’t on our side.
Brie vs. Kaitlyn vs. Layla Kaitlyn retains and shows that she’s here to stay. Who will be the next woman to step up and challenge her for the belt?
Layla gets jumped Well Beth certainly didn’t waste any time moving onto her next victim and Layla is probably wishing it wasn’t her while we’re wishing for Beth to give Layla everything she’s been begging for as her downward spiral continues.
Mankind vs. The Rock With Foley involved nobody was expecting a technical clinic and instead we got a brawl for the ages that unfortunately destroyed a few food stands, but I’m sure the people in the audience got over it because they got an epic moment out of it with an absolutely sick Rock Bottom. If anything this battle proved that not only do these two men dislike each other, but that The Rock is more than willing to get on Mankind’s level of violence.
Ted DiBiase vs. Vickie Guerrero I won’t comment on how Ted could fight off multiple security guards at Monster Bash but couldn’t figure out a way to keep Vickie down for a three count—maybe she’s stronger than she looks. In any case, it was nice to see Vickie take a hands-on approach and watching Ted struggle with his morals made for some good television. It looked like he would snap a few times and I fully expected him to lash out with one of his wickedest backhands but that moment never came thanks to Shawn Michaels. HBK’s appearance was definitely a surprise and there are plenty of questions to be answered.
Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar This match was every bit as violent and hard to stomach as Brock Lesnar promised it would be, and the ending was something I wouldn’t have seen coming. Sure I knew that someone had to lost, but Orton tapping out? Is this real life? I would’ve just as soon expect him to gnaw off his arm than to admit defeat. With Lesnar winning that match so dominantly, are this over between the two, or can Orton rebound and redeem himself?
The Miz vs. Chris Jericho Poor Miz, all he wanted was the title.
Triple H vs. Joey Ryan It was a close call, but The Game managed to get a huge win after almost getting hit with his own finisher. The Era of Sleaze is over and when you have a champ as dominant as Triple H has been, the title may not be going anywhere anytime soon.
[S6]
Rumor Mill The top stories being talked about around the water cooler. Change is ComingAlthough the identity of this person has yet to be confirmed by our sources, rumor has it that the guy who’ll use this gimmick will have change rain down from the ceiling every time he makes his entrances. According to our sources, this has been tested during a house show and many members of the audience had to be treated for potential head injuries.
Contract Concerns After a heartbreaking loss at November to Remember, rumor has it that The Miz is once again considering taking a leave of absence from XWL. This isn’t the first time Miz’s contract situation has made headlines, and many wonder if now this just a simply a case of crying wolf. Is Miz crying to get himself another title match?
Xtreme Pre-show There is apparently a special match in the works for the Xtreme X-mas pre-show and while we couldn’t get any solid information from out sources we were told that the match is going to be... crazy.
[S7]
Interview: This week we decided to switch it up by interviewing famed XWL interviewer: Matt Striker. Interview-ception anyone?... Anyone? Interviewer Hey there, Mr. Striker, how’s it going?
Matt Striker It’s going swell if I do say so myself. But please, call me Matt, Mr. Striker was my father.
Interviewer Noted. Speaking of your dad does he approve of your choice of profession?
Matt Striker That I’m not sure of, but what I do know is that I didn’t choose this, it chose me.
Interviewer Yeah you started out as a teacher, right? What was that like?
Matt Striker I used to be a teacher, yes, and it seems to be something that people can’t help but bring up all the time no matter what. However, being a teacher did help me prepare to become an interviewer.
Interviewer Really now? Do you give private lessons backstage when the cameras aren’t rolling?
Matt Striker No, but after dealing with a bunch of rowdy kids for so long you learn to have patience… a lot of it… you got some guys here that really like to hear themselves talk, so much so that sometimes they don’t even let me get a word in they just have me stand there and hold the mic for them as if that’s all I’m good for.
Interviewer Well, if it makes you feel better, no one can hold a microphone quite like you, Matt.
Matt Striker Why thank you. It’s good to be recognized for my talents.
Interviewer It’s an interviewer thing; we’re just a misunderstood bunch and have to stick together.
Matt Striker That’s right, they need us around to ask the tough questions…
Interviewer And apparently to hold microphones..
Matt Striker Right, could you imagine if we just upped and left? Everything would just fall apart.
Interviewer Well, did you ever think of just up and leaving your job?
Matt Striker Well it’s work, who hasn’t thought about just saying screw it and running away before? But like I said, being a teacher has taught me to be patient with guys and when you’re dealing with kids like I had to you have to learn to be nice and massage their egos and sugarcoat your thoughts so you don’t hurt their feelings and cause them to go complaining to their parents.
Interviewer Do these wrestlers go running to mom and dad when you say things they don’t like?
Matt Striker No, these guys just threaten to hit you. Some of them don’t even give you the courtesy of a threat; they just go and do it.
Interviewer What’s the worst thing a wrestler’s done to you?
Matt Striker Aw man, it’s hard to choose just one, but they all do get very violent and hurt whoever’s around at the time and unfortunately that unlucky soul is sometimes me. Between you and me, these guys have some serious anger problems.
Interviewer Tell me about it, I’ve had to deal with some of them—not fun at all.
Matt Striker It’s not a glamorous gig, but hey, someone has to do it.
Interviewer You used to be a wrestler, though, you can handle the pain, I’m just a guy who always got picked second to last in gym class.
Matt Striker It doesn’t matter who you are, when one of those guys hits you with everything they’ve got you’re gonna feel it for the next couple of days.
Interviewer Are you considering a return to the ring to perhaps get back at these guys?
Matt Striker Haha no, at least not anytime soon, I’m comfortable where I’m at now and I’m not quite ready to mess it up.
Interviewer Well Matt, I’m going to have to mess up this interview by calling it a day.
Matt Striker Really? Just when we were starting to build a rapport. Well thanks for having me.
Interviewer And thank you for showing up.
The Stars Speak Out Next week’s question: Why aren’t you a champion right now?
[S8]
Power 15 Let me know which one of your superstars you want used for this, please. Thanks! I’ll begin after the new year.
Shuggz: CM Punk
Sdogg: Wade Barrett
Austin: Christian
Fn: Stone Cold Steve Austin
Gaz: Triple H
Bang: Shawn Michaels
CC: Carlito
Stay: John Morrison
RCP: Sandow
Zander: The Rock
Chris: Ezekiel Jackson
Red: Chris Jericho
Zack: Heath Slater
GLG: Seth Rollins
[S9]
Win or Go Home I believe it’s time to give this game a try. Stay and Austin should be familiar with it as should Shuggz since he’s the one who brought it up. To put it simplest terms, it’s a game where you draft a team, the members of the team compete in elimination matches and the last team standing after several rounds wins… bragging rights. Let me know if you’re interested. 1. Shuggz
2. Sdogg
3. Ash
4. Zander
5. Stay
6.
(7-12)
[S10]
Wrap Up If you want to be interviewed, have any questions or suggestions or just want to shower me with praise, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Subject: XWL Newsletter 12/4: Chris Jericho Can't Handle Triple H 
Tue Dec 04, 2012 4:35 am
