Heart Punch

FOR: I'm hoping JBL takes Cole to task mercilessly for losing his voice and leaving JBL to call the main event at the PPV. AGAINST: Looks like Batista's pyro didn't go off on cue. FOR: So they're keeping him face. All right. AGAINST: Cole's still sounding a little rough. FOR: There it is. Good job, John. FOR: Cole: "I don't even think they have arenas there." FOR: Matt's bulldog/dropkick. AGAINST: What's Vickie mean by that? AGAINST: Scotty's flubbed hurricanrana. FOR: JBL: "He took time off." Cole: "He retired." FOR: This match has been surprisingly long. AGAINST: JBL's 360 OTC joke falling flat. FOR: Really? Edge has never lost at Mania? FOR: The falls are actually counting everywhere. FOR: Hey, where's the ring be... oh. AGAINST: Khali? AGAINST: Kane could've done a better job going through the barricade. FOR: JBL: "Get your ass off my show, Khali!" FOR: Booker's all ...

Instead of being bummed out over yet another wrestler who died *way* too young, let's celebrate him for what he was best at...cracking Masato Tanaka's skull and dropping people on their head. This stuff is totally random, as it's pretty much just every match of his I can find on the video sites. But it's Awesome being Awesome and, on this night, that'll have to do. RIP. "Gladiator" Mike Awesome v. Masato Tanaka (FMW - 2.18.97) Part One Part Two Mike Awesome v. Masato Tanaka (ECW: Heatwave 1998) This is still *the* Tanaka/Awesome match for me. Probably the first time most of us saw this matchup and hot damn, did it live up to the hype. Mike Awesome v. Masato Tanaka (ECW: November to Remember 1999) Great match, containing everything you love (or hate, as the case may be) about the Awesome/Tanaka series. Mike Awesome v. Masato Tanaka (ECW on TNN - 12.31.99, I think) A lot of people might consider this the best of their ECW matches. Honestly, they all sort of ...

Mike Alfonso, better known to wrestling fans around the world as Mike Awesome, has been found dead in his home of an apparent suicide. Awesome first hit it big over in Japan, and got his first American exposure in Extreme Championship Wrestling. He had several memorable matches in ECW, many of which came against Japanese star Masato Tanaka. In fact, his last WWE appearance came at the first WWE/ECW One Night Stand in a match against Tanaka. He was a two-time ECW Champion and a co-holder of the ECW Tag Team Titles. Sadly, he might be best known for leaving ECW while still holding their world title and appearing on WCW Monday Nitro on the first night of Vince Russo's "new era of WCW." This resulted in him returning to the ECW Arena and getting beaten by Taz in less than 30 seconds. Everyone at Heart Punch would like to extend their deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of Mike Alfonso.

Sorry this is late. Between the weather causing a power outage, work and having plans pop up this weekend, today is the first free time I've had to work on it since it aired. Looks like I'll have a week off, though, since stupid MTV doesn't seem to want the next episode to air. After all, why would MTV want to air something that's actually entertaining? Oh yeah...and a hearty fuck you for dropping the Friday previews. -On tonight's show, we get The Filth and the Fury (Teddy Hart & Matt "M-Dogg 20" Cross) v. The Trailer Park Boyz (Nate Webb & Josh Raymond w/Johnny Webb), Jack Evans in action and Al Katrazz/Luke Hawk v. Los Pochos Guapos (Aaron Aguilera & Kaos) in a TLC match. Tables. Ladders. Cervezas. -Intro. - Sparta performs. -Clips of last week's WSX title match lead to a Vampiro interview. Regardless of the sacrifice, the WSX Title is his destiny. -Tony & Keeley from Sparta join in on commentary. Tony seems fairly knowledgeable ab...

AGAINST: Edge's weak-ass pelvic thrust in his chyron. FOR: JBL: "What were his parents? Mr. and Mrs. Bastard?" FOR: JBL: "I don't think that's important to bring that up." AGAINST: "Weird dude?" FOR: JBL agrees with me. AGAINST: A mini-Boogeyman? This is beyond ridiculous. FOR: JBL: "Somebody make some sense of this, please!" FOR: The look on TLB's face. AGAINST: Recapping the Trump angle. FOR: Deuce and Domino going over Teddy Long's head for a tag title match. FOR: 'Crack 'Em in the Mouth'. It's apt if nothing else. AGAINST: Tonight is the FIRST edition of "At The Movies". AGAINST: See No Evil DVD sales must be really slow. I blame The Marine . AGAINST: This was so much better when Booker and Goldust did it. AGAINST: Even JBL and Cole can't sell that. FOR : Kennedy ducking Sweet Chin music. FOR : Shawn's slingshot pescado. FOR: That was unique. FOR: There's an awful...

FOR : JBL: "Miz saying he had him is like Cleveland Williams saying he had Muhammad Ali." AGAINST : Isn't it a little early in the show to be destroying the announce table? BOTH : They're doing the ladder match again? FOR : Deuce's jumping side kick that should have broken Kendrick's collarbone. FOR : Long shoving Sharmell's broken nail out of his face. FOR: JBL noting how Matt's going right for the facemask unlike earlier battles. FOR : This match. FOR : Kennedy's got a point about being overlooked. AGAINST : What, they didn't play his music? AGAINST: UNNECESSARY ZOOM FOR : Finlay headbutting Boogeyman and immediately regretting it. FOR: Daivari? AGAINST : Actually, JBL, they do have cruiserweights in boxing. The comparison fails. FOR : Cole forgetting the question. FOR : Helms getting out-cheated. AGAINST : Jillian's hair and makeup. FOR : This could be great or horrifying. FOR : Kennedy stopping to look at the WM sign. FOR : Batista...

FOR: Taker showing up at both RAW and ECW. FOR: Nick Patrick's reaction to Benoit's slap. FOR: Cole dropping some psychology on us with his explanation of Finlay's kick. FOR: This match. FOR: What's up with The Little Bastard? AGAINST: A whirlpool, Cole? FOR: Oh, all right. That actually makes sense since they both hang out under the ring at times. AGAINST: "Unsafe working conditions"? AGAINST: Why are the boys wearing surgical masks? AGAINST: I think JBL's "Sandy" thing is one of those inside jokes that only he and Cole get. AGAINST: The closest Sonic to NYC is in West Virginia, JBL. FOR: London's quick thinking with the rollup of Domino. Too bad Deuce had just tagged in. FOR: Kendrick circling the ring off the hot tag to build momentum. AGAINST: Can we get a name for that? AGAINST: The Ancient Order of Royal Houstonians? FOR: Cronkite. AGAINST: Clemens. AGAINST: Swayze. FOR: The Rockets. AGAINST: I can't see how...

So, apparently MTV has decided to do a "sneak peek" of the new WSX episodes on Friday nights. If I'm home (as I am tonight, since my plans were snowed out), you can expect to typically see these recaps up by Saturday morning. That's my goal, at any rate. -Tonight, Human Tornado debuts, facing Luke Hawx. Team Dragon Gate faces That 70s team and we crown the first WSX champion as Vampiro squares off with 6-Pac. There's also a good chance that shit will blow up. God, I love this show already. -We get an opening montage this week. Some low budget, generic animation. Who cares? -The Three-6 Mafia perform. Hell if I know what song they did. Someone more hip hopically inclined can fill in the blanks. Gotta say…the sight of these guys performing in front of a bunch of scenesters who were totally rocking out made me laugh just a little. Who knew Southern rap went over so well with the doom and gloom crowd? -Clips of the WSX Rumble from last week to establish our main even...