by The Smart Marks

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Summerslam is this coming Sunday so we thought this would be an opportune time to throw in our predictions on the big show (but not The Big Show)! We also discuss our thoughts on Goldberg, the HHH-HBK love affair, Goldberg, Steph vs. Bischoff and Fozzy! Before we get started, let's introduce the players...

Brandon Truitt: The newest member of the Smart Marks who owns a shitload of shoot interviews. You can check out his review of the Bobby Heenan shoot here!
Dr. Tom: Tom brings the content every week, providing the reader with his Smackdown recaps, The Mid-Week News and movie reviews! Catch the latest news from the wrestling world in Tom's Midweek News to find out what you missed.
Jason Sass: Sass is our newest writer here at The Smart Marks. He'll soon be presenting you, the reader, with his knowledge of wrestling and love of comic books. You have been forewarned!
O.R.Polk, Jr.: Polk pulls no punches when bringing you the reviews of the latest DVD's. He also is known for his neverending knowledge of the adult film industry! Don't miss out on his latest DVD review for the movie Freeway!
William Helmick: If you're interested in writing for the Smart Marks, drop William a line. For now, he'll be moderating the discussion.

William: OK guys, let’s cut to the chase. We’re going to examine the Summerslam card match by match. First off, I maintain that Test vs. Undertaker will be the worst match on the card. What’s your take on this match?
Dr. Tom: I don't think Taker-Test will be as bad as people think. It certainly won't be classic, but I think **1/2 is definitely possible
Brandon: Taker is immobile and not much of a worker and Test has a knack for blowing big chances. Test can be carried to about a ***+ match if he faces someone like Edge, or a bump machine like Shane, but Taker is neither.
Dr. Tom: I don't think Calloway is THAT bad of a wrestler. The tank is basically empty, but he does try, and the right opponent can make all the difference for him.
Brandon: I think you give him too much credit, Tom. He’s had a long string of bad upper-card matches with good workers since No Way Out at the least. When you can't have good matches with Rock or Austin, it's time to hang it up.
Sass: Taker vs. Test will be a car wreck. Test gets lost in the ring at times and Taker won't hold his hand.
Polk: I think this match is a sort of "test" for Test. If he does well, it could mean bigger things for him in the future. This is Test's last chance to prove he has even a fraction of "it". Otherwise, we'll see him about as much or in a role similar to Billy Gunn.
Brandon: Test is kind of a Billy Gunn, although not as bad. He'll keep getting pushed but will never make it to the main event scene.
William: So who gets the victory (as if I really have to ask)?
Brandon: Taker wins because Test has embarrassed him so far.
Dr. Tom: Taker wins. There's no way an upper-card guy like him jobs clean to Test on Raw without getting it back.
Sass: Taker will win.
Polk: Taker wins. That much is obvious. But what's going to be interesting is watching how well they work together and who gets the blame if the match doesn't go well.

William: Ok, a match I am personally looking forward to is Booker T & Goldust vs. The Un-Americans. How do you see this match unfolding?
Brandon: Un-Americans win because they'll lose closer to 9/11. They'll CHEAT TO WIN, esse!
Sass: WWE logic doesn't normally think that way Brandon. They usually stick by the win/payback win/lose routine. Booker and Goldust need this win.
Polk: Yeah, Un-Americans go over with Jericho's help, prompting a Booker/Jericho feud. Booker doesn't need to be in tag matches anyway. He's BEEN ready.
Brandon: Booker is where he is because the main event scene is clogged by Taker and HHH, neither of which can really cut it anymore.
Sass: Booker is still bogged down because the booker's are afraid to pull the trigger similar to Shawn and Bret’s situation in 1990. They think of Booker as a tag specialist who will help the nothing-to-do Goldust. Once Booker goes singles again, Goldust is leftovers
Brandon: I can agree with that. He deserves to be in the upper card, but won't get it anytime soon.
Dr. Tom: Personally, I think they're going to change the straps Sunday, but I think the Canadians should retain and stay a strong faction.
Polk: I'm afraid they won't do that simply because of the wins they've been getting on TV. If they (the bookers) put the titles on Booker-Dust, then that keeps them together longer… which will PISS me off.
Sass: But it's WWE logic we’re talking about here. I doubt they will break away from it
Brandon: Goldust should be Booker's entourage when he reaches the main event scene... like when HHH had DX backing him up.
Dr. Tom: It's the TV booking that makes me think Book-Dust wins the belts on Sunday.
Sass: But that's not the WWE booking style as of late. Goldust will be forced out on his own predictably by turning heel on Booker resulting in some less than desirable match-ups.
Brandon: As for the PPV match, I think that it will be above average. Goldust is the only "bad" worker in the match and he's carryable. But I doubt it will get enough time to be anything special. It'll probably end up in the **1/2 range.

William: Another match I’m looking forward to is Edge vs. Eddy. I’m having a hard time predicting who wins this match. What do you think?
Sass: Eddy has been on fire for the last 4 months in the WWE. Edge has been trying to improve his game and has been stepping up as of late but I will give the “edge” to Edge
Brandon: This will be a really good match... Edge is on the way up and Eddy is in the zone. Eddy will win to start the feud and it'll be a ***1/2 to **** match.
Polk: I disagree Brandon. Edge is being pushed harder as the next big thing than Brock. I don't like it, but Eddy is just a stepping-stone on Edge's hardcore push to the WWE main event scene.
Dr. Tom: I also disagree with Brandon. I think Edge gets the win, and Eddy's the first rung on the ladder in what looks like it's his big push. At least Eddy will help him to a good match. ***1/2, maybe ****.
Sass: I'm not going to write this match off as an instant *** + match. If Edge isn't working as a ME guy by Survivor Series...then I think it's time to pull the plug on him. Eddy will move on in another meaningless feud while Edge hopefully makes it to the next level.
Polk: They'll put the Undisputed Title on Edge in the future; they WANT TO. But on Eddy? NEVER.
Brandon: Edge isn't making it to the main event scene THAT soon. He'll feud with Eddy for a month or two first. They want him in reserve in case Brock fails miserably and they can't use Angle.
Polk: I don't like them sacrificing the better worker to put over the blonde haired, blue eyed Adonis, but that's how the old carny biz seems to work. Edge wins.
Sass: After Edge’s colossal push, if he is not ready to run with the ball, dump him.
Brandon: Edge will be ready but I don't think they'll pull the trigger on him. He's fairly over and a good worker, which puts him light-years ahead of Brock.
Polk: I don't get overly excited about Edge's ring work and I've ALWAYS been opposed to him using the SPEAR.

William: Well, regardless of who gets their hand raised, I’m hoping we get a good match out of the whole deal. Speaking of good matches, how is the Mysterio vs. Angle match going to play out?
Dr. Tom: I think Angle has to win to avoid becoming a complete joke. If Rey can hang with him for 15 minutes, it will help the cruiserweight division a lot. A good showing by Rey gives the division some instant cred. Polk:I'm finally proud to be a Rey mark again. Like Tom has said, Angle has to win, but Rey has to hang with him. Otherwise it serves no purpose for either guy.
Brandon: Rey-Angle: If they're allowed to have a real match and not just an Angle squash, it will be good. *** minimum, probably a ****, but room to go up if they're given a lot of time. And there is no way I see Angle losing. Angle wins.
Sass: I have to disagree with you guys. The WWE likes the Giant Killer deal and they have pimped Rey to the high heavens. Rey gets a fluke win. It would be seen as a waste if Rey lost to Angle. Even beating Rey by the skin of his teeth would still be a loss so I think you give the victory to Rey cleanly.
Dr. Tom: Angle has to win, or he's a goddamn joke. With that said, it will be interesting how much of the lucha style Rey works, and how well Angle hangs with that.
Polk: Rey can't work too much of his old style because he simply CAN'T work that style anymore.
Sass: Rey in WCW 2000/2001 proved that. Yet people for some reason still think Rey is in his 1996/1997 form.
William: So should Angle win in a squash?
Sass: No! It would kill Rey and any hope of a serious light heavyweight division.
Polk: I think Rey will impress with a few highspots, but he'll eventually pull a Jeff Hardy i.e. crash and burn and Angle will pin him out of nowhere like he did in John Cena’s debut match.
Dr. Tom: Angle needs to win, and not by a fluke or by heel chicanery.
Sass: Hey, I'm not the booker BUT I think Angle will dominate Rey but Rey will get a fluke win.
Brandon: They need to start teasing an Angle face-turn if they want to use him as their backup plan to Brock so it is possible they could use the Handshake of Good Sportsmanship to build on that future feud.

William: Benoit vs. RVD. Will this be the first legit ***** match produced this year?
Brandon: I wouldn’t go that far. With a long time to work with, this will surpass their RAW match from a few weeks back. Probably a **** to ****1/2 match is the best we could hope for.
Polk: I can't say which way they're going to go with this...they're high on RVD obviously but since his flirtation with the world title and Undertaker, I don't know if they even know what to do with him.
Sass: Their RAW match was masturbatory. Hopefully this match won't have a body part worked on forever and then be forgotten
Dr. Tom: RVD will make everything Benoit does look super-stiff, which will be awesome. This is a **** match. If both guys are really on, we could be looking at full monty.
Sass: *** - **** at best! ****1/2 is near Godly.
Brandon: As people are fond of saying... Benoit is God!!!
Sass: Benoit is good but RVD is a whole new story. His match with Benoit left a lot to be desired. My kid brother even pointed out how Benoit's working over of RVD’s arm was retarded. Then RVD does a back flip with both arms and when he hits the frog splash he lands on the arm.
Polk: Which is how Eddy dislocated his elbow.
Dr. Tom: The frog splash, though, is supposed to be him landing with his midsection. That's why he acts injured after he hits it. He sells the ribs because that's supposed to be what makes contact.
Polk: Yeah, I dig RVD selling the ribs but sometimes he really over sells it.
Sass: If RVD's arm were really worked over, he would have been in more pain from the arm making contact as well. Throw in the fact that Benoit's crossface was a non-factor as well.
Polk: THAT, I can't stand. In RVD’s defense, he had a good series of matches with Eddy and then that was dropped, and then he wrestled Jeff pretty often.
William: Well, who wins this thing?
Brandon: Benoit will win because SD needs the IC belt more than RAW.
Dr. Tom: I think Benoit has to win. He jumped to SD with the IC title to maintain some kind of championship parity between the two shows. Taking it off of him destroys that.
Sass: Benoit appears to have this one wrapped up but either man could take it.
Polk: I'd like Benoit to go over, but I have ZERO faith in the WWE bookers to do the right thing. In this case, I'm not sure if they can really have a WRONG outcome. Either one winning makes total sense. I think Benoit needs to give some stability to the belt and some credibility to his own career.

William: Now the battle of to living legends… Ric Flair vs. Chris Jericho.
Polk: This could have been so awesome if given the proper buildup. Instead all we get is run-ins and backstage attacks instead of PROMOS, which would have been great. You've got two great promo guys and neither one of them gets more than 30 seconds of airtime to hype the match. Instead ROCKY gets 5 minutes to cut an unfunny promo about him and HHH facing each other 2,000 times throughout history.
Sass: Unfortunately, Flair is not Mr. Broomstick anymore Jericho is really inconsistent compared to his 2001 stuff so this match could go either way. * to ****.
Dr. Tom: I don't think Jericho-Flair will be any great shakes, though. Flair's just not what he used to be, and Jericho hasn't looked inspired since he was cleaning up dog poop. I'll say **-**1/2.
Brandon: I'd say this is an okay match, but nothing special. Jericho hasn't really brought greatness since the Rumble. **
Sass: The Jericho/Flair match is five months too late IMO. Flair is so lazy now. He can't even bothered to use his Stalling Suplex, Knee Drop, Head Scissors Takedown, Gut Wrench, Double Arm Suplex or his fucking Small Package. The man has a moveset and he doesn’t even use it!
Polk: Yeah, why didn't Jericho and Flair feud right after Jericho first won the title? He was always in Flair's shit about how he was better than him and making him present him the title and whatnot.
Brandon: I believe they wanted to keep Flair off TV for some odd reason. Flair had just been brought in but was barely there.
Polk: He's barely been there since they brought him in. It really pissed me off Monday when he had to say that his major announcement had to be put "on hold".
Brandon: his announcement will be forgotten like the Humvee driver and DDP's mysterious benefactor.
Polk: The writers screw up his career and he has to go out there and cover up their mistakes by looking like a senile, schizoid old bastard.
Dr. Tom: Flair has always gotten the shaft.
Sass: But Flair is also responsible for making himself look like an ass. In 1996 - 2000 he could have stopped himself from looking like a crazy old geezer but he chose not to and just collected his check
Polk: I actually dug Flair last Monday when he pantsed Jericho and was trying to run and strut at the same time. He was being chased but he just HAD to get his strut in. It was hilarious.
Dr. Tom: Hey, someone Jericho can finally go over at the PPV. Flair's jobbing brigade continues.



William: Next up, the matchup we have been looking forward to. HHH-HBK!
Sass: Two broken down has-beens. Gotta love it! Shawn's match with Venom in 2000 was terrible. Shawn isn't getting any younger and looks in terrible shape! ** at best. Shawn can't do his crazy bumping anymore and HHH is a slug.
Dr. Tom: I think Shawn should just dance around until HHH has to lunge at him and tears a quad.
Brandon: HBK couldn't even jump the rope last night and HHH couldn't have an above-average match with the guy he's worked with 1000 times before.
Dr. Tom: If Shawn has something left in the tank, they might get ** out of this one. But if he were the cripple he looked like last night, I'd say DUD. *, tops!
Polk: This'll be great for fans that want to see HBK in a ring again for nostalgia's sake, but if you want an actual watchable match, this ain't the one to put money on. It really is a shame that they've been showing all those highlights from Shawn's career. Some marks are going to be mightily disappointed.
William: So are we in agreement that HHH wins this match?
Sass: HHH wants that pay back win from 1996 that Shawn owes him. HHH never forgets. HHH is going over.
Polk: HHH goes over. There's no other way. He will NOT lose.
Dr. Tom: HHH goes over, of course.
Brandon: Crap match with HHH going over.
Polk: AND they're ghey.

Sass: HHH and Shawn should move to Delaware. (That is where gay couples can marry, right?)
Polk: HHH and HBK should move to San Francisco.
Sass: Like California need those two fuck-ups!
Brandon: They should move to Hawaii, home of the Rainbow Warriors. They're so ghey that they might as well start making out after the match and have HHH carry HBK off into the back.
Polk: They're so ghey they might as well start making out DURING the match so at least their female fans will have something to enjoy.
Dr. Tom: I'm going to be the heel and say they're hetero. Shawn's a Jesus freak, and you know that type doesn't look too fondly on the gays. And HHH is poking Stephanie. Why the hell would he toss that fine piece of ass aside for Shawn?
Polk: Just because someone believes in God doesn't mean they aren't homo. I doubt when HBK gets to the pearly gates (if there is such a thing), that God will be concerned with who Shawn slept with.
Dr. Tom: There's believing in God, and then there's being the born-again Jesus freak. Shawn is the latter. Look at his comments on DiBiase's website.
Sass: I am waiting to hear how Shawn steals money from his church's collection plate along with pissing on his wife's head.
Dr. Tom: "Sharing Jesus" indeed. He acts like he passed a joint around.
Polk: I'm sorry but I just don't believe everything I read. Unless it's my DVD reviews. Those you can put MONEY on.
William: I have to agree with Tom. Damn guys, they aren't Billy and Chuck and Shawn isn’t friggin’ Jake Roberts, Sass!

William: Ok, speaking about the show-stopper, the main event… Brock-Rock.
Sass: I think the Brock/Rock match will be good. ** - ***1/2
Polk: I think Rock will be left to "carry" the Vanilla Gorilla greenhorn to a watchable match. How well that goes remains to be seen.
Brandon: Brock will destroy Rock. Rock can do a good job but Brock is unproven, so I'm not overly optimistic about the match. It'll be better than Test-Taker and HHH-HBK, though. Probably in the **1/2 to *** range
Dr. Tom: I'm still looking for the swerve: Rock wins, only to job the strap to HHH on Raw the following Monday.
Brandon: I don't think even Vince is that stupid, Dr. Tom. They won't pull the plug on Brock this late in the game and give the belt back to HHH, who failed miserably a few months back and is heatless when Rock isn't out there.
Polk: But this will be the match where everyone is made a believer, or Brock is exposed. People are under the assumption that a Brock win is automatic. I don't agree. I say Rock wins but jobs to BROCK on Monday in a BLOODY BRUTAL rematch in a cage with some hardcore heel tactics thrown in.
Dr. Tom: I said something very similar earlier, Polk. They could get Brock over bigger by having him DESTROY Rocky in a cage match on Raw. Let him "injure" Rock so he has to miss a few months.
Polk: For once, Tom and I are in complete agreement. Cage match on Raw; I can see it happening. That way MORE people see Brock's win.
Dr. Tom: It looks like Brock is going to win but I'd like to see them turn him loose on offense and not make him such a plodding monster. Rock will have to carry him here, and I think they'll get *** out of it without too much trouble.
Sass: I think the finish will have Brock finally showoff his Shooting Star Press to the world and pin Rock with it. The SSP will be Brock's last resort because I'd put money of Paul E. booking this match. Paul likes having guys kick out of numerous finishers and I think this match will be no different. Brock will kick out of the Rock Bottom and Rock will kick out of the F5
Polk: Brock will kick out of Rock’s finishers, but he won't even hit the F5 much less have anyone kick out of it at this point. You don't want to kill Brock's finisher this early.
Sass: But Polk, we aren't Paul E. Paul likes doing the multiple finishes shtick and I wouldn't put it past him to it again like he did with Austin/Angle in last year's Summerslam main event
Polk: Austin/Angle was different because neither of them was being pushed as Unstoppable legend-killing Monsters. So it's plausible for them to kick out of each other's finishers. Same with Rock/Austin.
Sass: Not really. A finisher is a finisher
Dr. Tom: Yep. Multiple F5's when he's out cold. The ref has to stop the match because Rock is just about dead. He does the stretcher job and everything. THAT gets Brock over bigger than he is now, and keeps him that way.
Sass: The Stunner was looked at as a kill anytime it was hit…
Polk: …Until people started kicking out of it on PPV. But they won't do that to the F5 this early in the game.

William: Now on to some quick news topics... One guy not appearing at Summerslam is Goldberg. He recently inked a deal to appear with All Japan. Does he stay away from Vince's circus or is it only a matter of time before he becomes the next big failure in the company?
Dr. Tom: He's got something on his site that he'll be meeting with Vince at some point. He's in WWE by Royal Rumble next January.
Polk: I say he never makes it back from All Japan. I hope someone drops him on his big, bald head.
Brandon: Goldberg is going to keep asking for too much until Vince either gets VERY desperate or gives him a hardball offer, which he accepts.
Dr. Tom: The money and the prestige of playing before an American audience are too much. Japan's cool and all, but WWE is where the big stars play, and Goldberg still thinks he's a big star.
Brandon: He's coming in eventually, but will probably get the Bischoff treatment due to his Jeckyl and Hyde attitude towards the WWE.
Sass: Goldberg is a mark for himself. He wants to be looked at as an international draw. Goldberg is milking his appeal with the WWE. I wouldn't be surprised if Mutoh talks Goldberg into making more tours. Mutoh is a *huge* mark for Goldberg and wants to Americanize All Japan. Goldberg is the best way to start and it would be a big win for Mutoh if he could convince Goldberg to work more tours.
Polk: You can't be considered an international draw when the fans in the US have all but forgotten you. : He has ZERO love for wrestling, he's still green as hell and he's got MAJOR attitude. What the REAL upside of bringing him in, especially at this point?
William: Whoa Whoa, Whoa! I disagree with you Polk. If he were forgotten then Brock's biggest heat wouldn't be Goldberg chants!
Polk: He's not COMPLETELY forgotten, no. But anyone who looks like Brock is going to draw Goldberg chants. Those are recognition/comparison chants...not WE MARK FOR BILL chants.
Dr. Tom: There's no upside, Polk. I don't think his name is worth what he and Vince are expecting it to be worth. It's been over two years since he wrestled in North America.
Polk: Which is why he's partially forgotten except to hardcore wrestling fans, Tom. He's simply not worth it.
Dr. Tom: And the hardcore fans remember him in a negative light.
Polk: America = we don't really care about Goldberg
Brandon: Some casual fans still ask about him at events, but that's more of an "It would be nice to see him" attitude rather than "I'll pay ANYTHING to see him" thing.
Polk: Goldberg is the equivalent of MC HAMMER pants. A fad. We all thought it was cool while it was going on, but when you go back and look at those pictures of yourself, you realize what an idiot you were.
Dr. Tom: Yes. He'll be in WWE, but it will NOT go over like he and Vince think it will.
William: But you can guarantee he will milk Vince for every dime possible!


William: Speaking of WCW alumni, Eric Bischoff has recently been the RAW GM or whatever. How do you evaluate his performance so far? I personally think he has been doing a great job but the rumor is he is only a temporary face so that Stacy Keibler can eventually take over the position.
Brandon: That would be a mistake since Stacy sucks on the mic. He's done a great job and has actually become a face since Steph has done so badly. He was still a heel up until this past week where he's shown more sense and compassion for his guys than Steph has.
Sass: Bischoff has done everything that has been asked of him. It's a shame that he is about a year too late
Polk: Been doing damned better than Stephanie. That's insane when you think about it and it should really open Vince's eyes. Steph is so bad; she's made ERIC fucking BISCHOFF a defacto face.
Brandon: Stacy is good eye candy, but she isn't a leader or a promo person.
Dr. Tom: Bischoff has been awesome as the smarmy heel GM. Much better than Stephanie in her annoying tweener role, and much better than the Mr. McMahon character, which had devolved into a self-parody. Stacy would be terrible as a GM.
Sass: I think the bigger question is whether or not Bischoff will be kept around with the ratings for RAW the way they are. Does anyone here know when Bischoff's contract is up?
Brandon: It's probably a 3-4 month contract, and it's on the second month now, I believe.
Sass: The WWE is looking for the quick fix, which is not going to happen
Polk: The quick fix sure ain't Steph and Stacy as opposing GMs..
Brandon: The better fix would be Bischoff vs. Flair or Bischoff vs. Vince, but it would either make a McMahon look bad or put scapegoat Flair back in charge of a show.
William: But does anyone here truly believe Bischoff can actually be a valuable asset when not dealing with the Turner suits? Should Vinnie Mac keep him around longer?
Dr. Tom: Absolutely. Even when the GM angle runs its course, they could find a role for him. He'd be a great manager and, as bad as he was in WCW, a much better announcer than Jerry Fucking Lawler.
Brandon: Bischoff is fine as long as he's only cutting promos and is in a figurehead role. He's MUCH fresher than anyone else in the role but don't give him any real responsibility.
Sass: I do not like Bischoff but he is doing everything that is asked of him and that's all he can do at this point.
Polk: All I ask of wrestling at this point is less women (unless they're actually wrestling), more actual wrestling and managers for guys who can't talk.

William: Ok, the final topic... FOZZY!!!!!! Did that suck or what?
Polk: It was a really bad idea to put a heel out there like that.
Brandon: They sounded like crap live, but that track is really good. I had it looped on Winamp earlier.
Polk: Whether it sucked or not, how surreal would it have been for them to CHEER Jericho? They were going to boo him regardless so why promote his album in a way where he's DEFINITELY going to get a negative reaction?
Dr. Tom: I didn't see the point of it, mainly because of the negative reaction everyone knew he would get. I hope the other guys in the band were expecting it.
Sass: The entire concept of the band was killed off on RAW. : Jericho and Mongoose are supposed to be two different people and it's just supposed to be a little joke that isn't supposed to be something serious.
Polk: Like Shock G and Humpty Hump (old Digital Underground reference!).
Dr. Tom: They definitely sound better on the album than they did live, but the mixing wasn't very good on Raw, so I doubt it was really their fault.
Sass: Having Jericho, a heel, go out on the RAW stage and perform while calling the fans jackass's is suicide.
William: During the segment hyping the performance, was there a point to HHH and Jericho, both heels, verbally sparring with one another?
Dr. Tom: None that I can think of. But I'm sure WWE Logic has a perfectly valid explanation.
Brandon: I think it was a way to mercy-kill HHH's baä promo because he was dying out there.
Sass: It was just another masturbatory HHH interview that the fans were falling asleep for
Polk: Jericho comes out to AGREE with HHH and HHH embarrasses him by mentioning his loss at WMX8. What a standup guy, that Hunter.
Sass: Jericho also looked like a tool thanks to HHH and now Jericho is a joke
Polk: Now? Jericho's been a joke for quite some time now.
Brandon: Last week's pantsing didn't help his character any.
William: One thing that bothered me was Jericho’s lack of rebuttal after HHH mentioned the Wrestlemania win. Wouldn’t logic dictate that Jericho mentions his tearing of Hunter's quad?
Polk: Not when Steph is a booker. Logic + WWE = rupture in time/space continuum.
Sass: Not in HHH's world. That would have actually made Jericho look tough.

William: Finally, any lasting impressions from RAW? Did it accomplish its goals to give the hard sell for Summerslam?
Brandon: I think that it didn't accomplish that goal. It made Brock look bad in the main event; made HBK look like he shouldn't be in the ring; and it exposed HHH as a heatless wonder unless Rock or Jericho is out there.
Sass: The main event was such a clusterfuck that I can't see how that would make fans want to by it.
Brandon: I think that, while they shilled the PPV pretty hardcore, they spent too much time working with people who aren't going to be on the PPV.
Dr. Tom: I don't think Summerslam really needs a hard sell. Since it's one of the "big" PPVs, I think the shilling was effective for its target audience, yes.
Polk: I don't think the casual fan sees Summerslam as the summer version of Wrestlemania. They don't differentiate between the BIG PPVs and the in-between ones. As a smart fan of the product, I think they failed miserably. I hardly watched the main.
Sass: To me, that show told me that I, the paying fan, might see a non finish in the main event of a $35 PPV.
Dr. Tom: There's no way they teased a non-finish last night. They used the main event schmoz to put over two different matches. They do that a lot.
Sass: The main event from RAW just proved that big matches might not have finishes to them that are clean and make people look good.
Dr. Tom: It's common for them to use a main event and schmoz the ending, have wrestler A get embroiled in his little PPV feud, while wrestler B does the same thing.
Polk: They use that ending on Smackdown, in that fashion all the time before PPVs. There are rarely finishes at all the week leading up to a PPV.
Sass: Why should the fans take Brock seriously if HHH or Paul interfere and cost the Rock the match? The Rock's workout video for Summerslam is what will get people interested in the show if anything, not the lackluster RAW.
Polk: With that said, the only thing WWE has done right to get me hyped for the PPV has been on either Smackdown or in that awesome promo they've been showing. That Summerslam promo that's been airing is AWESOME. I know it's been said a million times but the WWE production team is top notch.

William: As we wrap this bad boy up, will Summerslam be thumbs up or thumbs down?
Brandon: Thumbs up.
Sass: Thumbs (hopefully) up!
Dr. Tom: Thumbs up. I'd like to think that even WWE couldn't screw this up, but their history speaks against them on that count. I think they'll get this one right, though. Thumbs up, and it'll be a very good show.
Polk: Thumbs up. I haven't ordered a PPV since before the last Rumble and I'm getting this one. They better not let me down.
William: I also think this will be he first genuine thumbs up PPV of the year. Well, we'll find out on Sunday when we have our PPV reaction Crossface!

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