- The world of professional wrestling will be forever grateful for the Rated R Superstar.
- The Carolina Panthers are going to piss away having the #1 Draft Pick with a one-year wonder.
- It is going to be hard to replace Michael Scott.
- And, I’m Aaron Goins. All my thoughts on those topics and so much more (including a Madden 2012 cover I’d buy)… in The Highlight Reel!
NEWS and NOTES
**Less than an hour after my last edition of The Highlight Reel, the wrestling world was shaken to its very core by the sudden retirement of Adam Copeland, known the world over as the “Rated R Superstar” Edge. On the April 11th edition of RAW, Edge entered the ring and informed the wrestling world that he was retiring after being diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis. This led to numbness in his extremities and a higher risk for paralysis from even the most minor of bumps. After years of competing at the highest level, Edge’s body could no longer keep up with the gold standard he had set for himself throughout his career. More importantly, Edge could no longer compete with the risk of every bump being his last as the risk of paralysis was too great to continue.
As with all things in professional wrestling, the cynic in me immediately questioned the realness of the moment. Though, as Edge gave his passionate farewell address on RAW, the reality of the situation sunk in: Edge was retiring. On RAW and SmackDown the week of April 11th-15th, Edge said farewell to the fans and his colleagues while forfeiting the World Heavyweight Championship and creating another lasting moment that I will remember for the rest of my days. Of course, throughout his career, Edge was one of those guys who always created lasting memories.
Edge won 31 major championships throughout his career. He was an 11-time world champion (four WWE Championships and seven World Heavyweight Championships), five-time Intercontinental Champion. one-time United States Champion, 14-time Tag Team Champion, 2010 Royal Rumble winner, 2001 King of the Ring winner, and 2005 Money in the Bank winner during his 13-year WWE career. He was involved in incredible rivalries throughout his career. His feud alongside Christian with Matt and Jeff Hardy and the Dudley Boyz revolutionized tag team wrestling for a new generation. His feud with Matt Hardy over a real-life relationship with Lita gave wrestling one of the most intense feuds of the 2000s. His rivalry alongside Rey Mysterio against the teams of Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit and Eddie and Chavo Guerrero in 2002 gave fans spectacular matches that will never be forgotten. Plus, Edge’s feuds with John Cena, Batista, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, and Shawn Michaels all created memorable matches that gave fans thrills for a lifetime.
I was a major fan of Edge from the beginning of his career. From his cool introduction through the crowd to his early days alongside Gangrel and Christian as the Brood, Edge immediately captured my imagination. Then, I became a major fan of his when he and Christian introduced the world to “five-second poses for those with the benefit of flash photography” as Edge was always more than just awesome matches; he was an awesome personality. When the “Rated R Superstar” was born, I continued staying a major fan of Edge, the wrestler, even when it looked like Adam Copeland, the man, was a bit of a tool. As nobody is perfect in this life, I have forgiven and forgotten a lot of the negatives that some still have towards Edge. He was just a tremendous professional wrestler who made mistakes in his life. But, who hasn’t?
In saying that, I must reiterate that Edge was a professional wrestler. In an era when the company heads want to get away from the term “wrestler” and performers are more “sport entertainers” in the business because it is a job, Adam Copeland was a professional wrestler who lived, eat, and breathed the business and wanted to be involved in it since he was a child. Edge was one of the last of a dying bread of professional wrestlers. That statement, more than most, is what has made me sad about the retirement of Adam Copeland.
The Rated R Superstar was truly one of a kind who will never be forgotten or matched in the world of professional wrestling. I will miss hearing “You think you know me” and the drums pounding as Alter Bridge’s “Metallingus” starts one of the greatest ring intros of all-time. Most importantly of all, I will miss Edge. But, I will forever be grateful for all of the memories.
**With the sudden retirement of Edge, World Wrestling Entertainment has rushed the 2011 WWE Draft. Frankly, I don’t know why they have done this because of one key thing: brand separation in World Wrestling Entertainment is essentially meaningless and has been meaningless in the WWE for years now. The last time the brands really were separate entities was in 2006, 2007. Nowadays, superstars and Divas wander aimlessly from brand-to-brand depending upon where they are needed at the moment without even the guise of trades between the general managers used anymore.
As some fans who still believe in WWE debate about the moves in the Draft, I just hope for one thing with the Draft that I know will not happen: the moves made and celebrated during the Draft will actually still be relevant at the end of May.
**TNA Lockdown came and went with the wrestling world, even the WWE sycophants who hate TNA blindly without reason, saying one thing: Lockdown was the best pay-per-view event of April 2011.
With every match held inside the steel cage, Lockdown featured bloodshed, violence, and the intensity that professional wrestling fans have been missing from WWE for years. Also, Lockdown was home to two early Match of the Year candidates and an historic moment of wrestling history.
In the main event, Fortune (Christopher Daniels, Kazarian, Robert Roode, and James Storm) defeated Immortal (Ric Flair, Bully Ray, Matt Hardy, and Abyss) in a Lethal Lockdown match that saw the return of AJ Styles and a bloody war that had fans chanting “Match of the Year.” Of course, that was after they were chanting that in the aftermath of a thrilling Best Two out of Three Falls match that saw Jeff Jarrett defeat Kurt Angle in a bloody war to end one of the most personal rivalries in recent wrestling history.
Mickie James defeated Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne to finally win the title in a 35-second squash that established Mickie’s dominance over Madison in a setting where Madison couldn’t use Tara’s assistance and protected Mickie’s separated shoulder in the process. Plus, the win was historic as Mickie James became the first woman to win all three of the major women’s championships in America.
Also at Lockdown, TNA World Champion Sting successfully defended his title over Mr. Anderson and Rob Van Dam in a three-way match while Max Buck won an Escape match to become #1 contender to the X-Division title. Also, Samoa Joe defeated D’Angelo Dinero and Matt Morgan defeated Hernandez in the blow-off matches for their feuds and Ink, Inc. won a four-way tag match to continue establishing themselves as one of the top contenders in TNA Wrestling.
After a WrestleMania that left a lot to be desired, TNA Lockdown more than made up for the lack of quality wrestling action on pay-per-view in April 2011 as TNA, once again, brought it on PPV. While they will never be looked at as the premiere wrestling company as long as WWE is still recognized by the masses, the wrestling fans who know the business can not deny that TNA Wrestling is the premiere wrestling company in America today. Between outstanding in-ring action and the best wrestlers in the world located all over their roster, TNA is where it is at for professional wrestling. Lockdown was a perfect example of how great TNA can be.
**The NFL Draft is coming up on April 28th and, for once, the eyes of the football world are resting solely on the Carolina Panthers. After John Fox gave Panther Nation another spectacular outing, Carolina earned the #1 Draft pick and a new coach in Ron Rivera. With a bright new future in Carolina on the horizon, Rivera needs to make this first pick a major positive as Carolina can not handle another bust like last year’s Jimmy Clausen debacle. Sadly, I fear that Carolina is going to fall for the hype and amazing season of Auburn QB Cam Newton and he will be drafted first on Thursday.
Now, I’m not denying that Cam Newton isn’t a hell of a talented football player. Newton carried the Auburn Tigers to a National Championship (at least for right now as the NCAA sanctions haven’t fallen yet on Auburn) and won the Heisman Trophy last season. But, Newton has a lot of character issues. Also, Newton only played one year at Auburn. It was successful but it was also one year only. I fear that, in falling for Newton’s charms, Carolina could be drafting the next JaMarcus Russell or Akili Smith.
If I was able to make the selection, I would shock the world by taking a quarterback who is off-the-radar on most teams’ radar right now: TCU QB Andy Dalton. This young man is smart, accurate, and a stud athlete who, with a little time learning behind an experienced QB, could be a future Aaron Rodgers. Yeah, I said it. That is why a lot of rumors have Dalton going to Indianapolis to learn and eventually take over for Peyton Manning. Considering the intelligence in that organization, I think Andy Dalton would be the best choice if Carolina goes quarterback in the draft. But sadly, I believe they will fall for Cam Newton and we’ll have a bust on our hands. I hope I’m wrong but believe I’m right.
**For Dunder-Mifflin fans everywhere, April 28th is a bittersweet day as it will be the day that Michael Scott leaves forever with Steve Carell’s last episode of The Office set to air. Over the past weeks, the episodes have been somewhat hard to watch as each insane comment from Michael reminds viewers, including myself, that the genius of the character is about to go away after an incredible seven-year run on NBC. Thankfully, Will Ferrell has been around to help make the transition a little easier to take.
Ferrell, playing Sabre’s replacement for Michael - DeAngelo Vickers, has been hilarious enough to make me wish he was coming on full-time. While there is still no clue as to who will come on-board for season eight as the full-time replacement for Steve Carell, one thing is sure: whoever takes over will have big shoes to fill. The Office is one of the great comedies of all-time and I hope that this transition will lead to a new era of comedic gold on NBC. If not, the April 28th farewell episode for Steve Carell may be an early funeral for one of television’s greatest shows.
**When it was announced that a fourth Scream film was being made, I wondered why aloud. It had been a decade since the third film occurred and that third film showed that the franchise was running on fumes in comparison to the iconic 1996 Scream that started things. Still, the series ended nicely with no loose ends. So, I did not see why a new film was necessary. Yet, Scream 4 was made and I was there on opening night.
While a good film, I do have to say this: why was there a Scream 4? The introduction of plenty of new characters added to the series’ body count. Plus, the surprising turn at the end saw the killer come out of nowhere and shake the rumored new trilogy’s foundation to its core already. Still, even with the returns of stars Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette and the additions of young Hollywood stars Emma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere to the cast, Scream 4 did not do well at the box office and the reviews were less-than-stellar. I could see why too. Besides having no real reason for a fourth film, Scream 4 itself flirted too much with comedy-horror instead of straight horror for me to enjoy the film as much as I should have. The kills were good, the turn at the end was fabulous, and the acting was really great for a horror movie. But, the writing created a mood that made Scream 4 feel more like a parody of the previous films than a continuation of a horror franchise that breathed new life into a dying genre in 1996.
**Either Philadelphia Eagles quarterback/celebrated dog murderer Michael Vick or Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis will be on the cover of Madden 2012 as they have reached the finals of the first ever fan-voted tournament to determine the cover athlete of the highly popular video game series. If I had a vote though, I think it is pretty obvious where my vote would go.
Is there anyone else worthy of the Madden cover? Michelle Beadle is sports. Well, she is SportsNation anyway. While I don’t play the Madden games (or any video games anymore), I would buy Madden 2012 if this was the cover on the first day it was available. Beadle = AWESOME! No doubt about it.
**Speaking of Michelle Beadle, you know that she will be a key part of the eighth annual 50 Most Beautiful Women in the World edition of The Highlight Reel scheduled for April 28th. This year, I started with almost 700 women coming from all aspects of pop culture: television, sports, music, movies, etc. and have whittled the list down to the 50 hottest of the hot. They are the women who I crush on the most.
Since the list is only the top 50, that means that some incredibly beautiful ladies just missed out on the list. Here are the women who ranked 51st - 55th and just missed a spot on the 2011 list: Angelina Jolie, Gisele Bundchen, Jennifer Morrison, Brittany Snow, and Mandy Moore. If those gorgeous ladies couldn’t make the list, you know my Top 50 for 2011 is absolutely breathtaking. Check it out on April 28th (hopefully).
CHEERS and JEERS
Superstar of the Week: Mickie James
On April 17th at Lockdown, Mickie James defeated Madison Rayne for the TNA Knockouts Championship. With that victory, Mickie James once again made history as Mickie became the first woman to hold all of the major women’s championships in America. Before entering TNA Wrestling, Mickie won the WWE Women’s Championship five times and the Divas Championship once. With the win over Rayne, Mickie added the TNA Knockouts Championship to her resume.
Mickie James is one of the greatest female performers to ever lace a pair of boots. After years of having spectacular runs and immense popularity in World Wrestling Entertainment, Mickie’s time in the company ended on April 22nd, 2010 at the culmination of one of the most controversial times in company history as James remained popular and loyal despite being degraded continually on television by horrible booking reflecting the thoughts of management. Since she returned to TNA Wrestling, Mickie has had a new fire in her to prove the WWE wrong and to show her fans that she is still among the best female wrestlers in the world today. With her title victory, despite having a separated shoulder in the process, Mickie James has done just that as she now stands tall (even at only 5’2”) over the most talented female locker room in the business today. Congrats to Mickie James on her first TNA Knockouts Championship.
Jerk of the Week: The Royal Wedding Sycophants
On April 29th, 2011, the world will finally see the culmination of one of the biggest hype jobs in all of popular culture as that will be the wedding day for Prince William… does he even have a last name?… and Kate Middleton in England. Television shows like Entertainment Tonight and Extra have helped hype this wedding and television channels like BBC America and E! have pushed the hype for this spectacle into overdrive. With the media pushing this, of course legions of idiotic people have leeched onto this event as if it is truly history in the making. No. It’s not.
For some reason, Americans have been infatuated with the British Royal Family since the beginning of our nation. Millions tuned in for the wedding of Princess Diana in 1981 and millions will tune in for the wedding of William and Kate on Friday. And, those millions of people are idiots. They all are supporting the wedding and public spectacle of two people who are not celebrities or even important people. They are fake celebrities. They have no power. Being a prince or princess does not mean squat. This is a complete sham that millions of fools are falling for with their looks of wonderment. These people, shoving this down everyone else’s throat, are the biggest jerks of all because they have been so foolish to fall for the mess.
If you find yourself watching the Royal Wedding on Friday, you should be hit. Hard. In the face. With a shovel. That would be the only thing acceptable for such a jerky moronic supporter of such a fake garbage moment.
POWER RANKINGS - Best #1 Draft Picks of the Last 30 Years
5. Orlando Pace - selected in 1997 by the St. Louis Rams
4. Bruce Smith - selected in 1985 by the Buffalo Bills
3. Troy Aikman - selected in 1989 by the Dallas Cowboys
2. Peyton Manning - selected in 1998 by the Indianapolis Colts
1. John Elway - selected in 1983 by the Baltimore Colts
BIG A RECOMMENDS…
Paul - currently available in theaters
Everyone who knows me knows I’m not very fond of science fiction movies, TV shows, or stories. I just have never liked the idea of extraterrestrials, space travel, or any of the other major draws of the sci-fi genre. So, on the surface, Paul should not be a movie I would like, right? Well, I can not stress enough how much I loved this comedy.
Coming from the director of the 2007 comedy Superbad and the genius of Shaun of the Dead creators Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, Paul is the story of two British sci-fi fanatics going on vacation to visit the hot spots of UFO phenomenon in America. While on the journey, they encounter an alien named Paul (voiced perfectly by Seth Rogen) and hi-jinx ensue as the trio try to escape agents after the escaped alien while he attempts to make his way home. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are absolutely hysterical as the sci-fi loving best friends while performances from Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio, and Kristin Wiig only added to the quirky charm of this wonderful sci-fi comedy.
Paul is filled with plenty of moments of sci-fi bliss as well as moments of comedic gold that appeal to even the most unknowledgeable of the genre. Paul is a terrific comedy that I recommend to anybody who is a fan of sci-fi, comedy, or cinema period. It is a great film worth checking out when you want a good laugh.
WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK…
Not much. Ha! Perhaps I will learn something soon that will be worth sharing with you all. Until then, I leave you with this; some words of wisdom from an old friend that have rang true throughout my life.
“Be careful when eating cheese doodles because nobody likes them orange genitals.” - Stephen “Nip” King.
Truer words have really never been spoken.
- Aaron Goins.
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