Link: PWI Presentation To Madison Eagles

On October 1, I had the opportunity to present Madison Eagles with a plaque to commemorate her earning the top spot of the 2011 "PWI Female 50." Madison was gracious enough, but she had some harsh words for Serena Deeb, which brought the former WWE star out to the ring. Eagles went on to beat Deeb, but she lost the championship to Cheerleader Melissa the following day. As for me, I was just happy I didn't get roughed up the way former Managing Editor Jeff Ruoss was manhandled by Angel Orsini last year ... although being manhandled by Eagles and Deeb is an intriguing prospect.


A youtube link of my presentation just surfaced on youtube, so I thought I'd share the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gmbXCPoBQ8

Dan Murphy
PWI Senior Writer

Bound for Glory 2011: PWI Staffers' Predictions

Choosing which match is the true main event of TNA’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view is may depend on how you like your wrestling served up. If you love nothing more than to watch the legends of the sport relive their glory days, then you probably can’t wait to see the epic “fight” between Hulk Hogan and Sting. On the other hand, if you're hungry for something fresh and exciting, then you should be looking forward to seeing TNA’s newest superhero, Bobby Roode, challenge Kurt Angle for the World title.

In fact, whatever your tastes are, there’s a good chance that the loaded lineup for this Sunday’s show—TNA’s biggest of the year—has something for you. Our senior staffers offer their predictions for each match at Bound for Glor, accompanied by some commentary.

World Tag Team Championship: Mexican American (c) vs. Ink Inc.

Frank Ingiosi: Ink Inc.
Al Castle: Ink Inc.
Dan Murphy: Mexican America
Dave Lenker: Ink Inc.
Frank Krewda: Ink Inc.
Harry Burkett: Ink Inc.
Stu Saks: Mexican America

Commentary: TNA’s tag team division isn’t what it used to be just a few months ago, when the likes of The Motor City Machine Guns, Beer Money Inc., and Team 3-D were all in the title mix. Nevertheless, the team of Jesse Neal and Shannon Moore appear to have more of an upside than that of Hernandez and Anarchia. Whoever comes out on top, here’s hoping TNA finds them some fresh opponents.

Knockouts Championship: Winter(c) vs. Mickie James vs. Velvet Sky vs. Madison Rayne

Frank Ingiosi: Madison Rayne
Al Castle: Mickie James
Dan Murphy: Velvet Sky
Dave Lenker: Madison Rayne
Frank Krewda: Velvet Sky
Harry Burkett: Velvet Sky
Stu Saks: Mickie James

Commentary: It’s looking likely that a new Knockouts champion will be crowned in Philly this Sunday. Velvet Sky is the frontrunner to win the title for the first time, but you can never count out Mickie James. She’s hardcore country, and a multiple-time women’s champ. Whatever the case, if given enough time, this could be one of the better women’s matches by a national promotion this year.

X Division Championship: Austin Aries(c) vs. Brian Kendrick

Frank Ingiosi: Brian Kendrick
Al Castle: Austin Aries
Dan Murphy: Austin Aries
Dave Lenker: Austin Aries
Frank Krewda: Austin Aries
Harry Burkett: Austin Aries
Stu Saks: Austin Aries

Commentary: It’s nearly unanimous. A-Double looks to be a lock to retain the X title at Bound for Glory. Our confidence in Aries is no surprise. He’s a two-time ROH heavyweight champ, and has almost singlehandedly resurrected the X division since his arrival in TNA. We’re looking for some big-time athleticism in this one.

I Quit Match: AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels

Frank Ingiosi: Christopher Daniels
Al Castle: Christopher Daniels
Dan Murphy: AJ Styles
Dave Lenker: Christopher Daniels
Frank Krewda: AJ Styles
Harry Burkett: AJ Styles
Stu Saks: AJ Styles

Commentary: You can expect wrestling magic every time Styles and Daniels step into the ring. And with the “I Quit” stipulation added, the latest battle in the Daniels-Styles war promises to have its drama level turned up to 11. Styles is the favorite to pick up the victory here, and hopefully along the way remind TNA matchmakers how “phenomenal” he really is.

Falls Count Anywhere: Mr. Anderson vs. Bully Ray

Frank Ingiosi: Bully Ray
Al Castle: Bully Ray
Dan Murphy: Bully Ray
Dave Lenker: Anderson
Frank Krewda: Mr. Anderson
Harry Burkett: Bully Ray
Stu Saks: Bully Ray

Commentary: In a race to fill up a swear jar, it would be a close one. But a falls-count-anywhere match looks to favor Bully Ray, who helped put Team 3-D on the map through wild brawls like this one. What’s more, with Ray impressing fans and observers in recent months, it’s a good bet he’ll move into a World title feud before too long.

Full Metal Mayhem: Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn

Frank Ingiosi: Rob Van Dam
Al Castle: Ron Van Dam
Dan Murphy: Rob Van Dam
Dave Lenker: Jerry Lynn
Frank Krewda: Rob Van Dam
Harry Burkett: Jerry Lynn
Stu Saks: Draw

Commentary: It’s the latest chapter in an epic saga that began more than a dozen years ago. But this time, the grace and athleticism you can usually count on with Lynn and Van Dam will be accented by some tables, ladders, and chairs. Eight years younger, and infinitely more valuable to TNA, Van Dam looks to be a favorite here, but not by much.

Hulk Hogan vs. Sting in a “fight”:

Frank Ingiosi: Sting
Al Castle: Sting
Dan Murphy: Sting
Dave Lenker: Hulk Hogan
Frank Krewda: Sting
Harry Burkett: Hulk Hogan
Stu Saks: Sting

Commentary: On this much, we can all agree: Don’t look for Hulk Hogan to be dropping the big leg, or doing much of anything that would require leaving his feet. The toughest thing to predict is exactly what shape this “fight” will take, and what kind of smoke and mirrors TNA will employ to disguise the limitations of Sting, 52, and Hogan, 58. We’re expecting Joker Sting to get the last laugh on Hogan… and, possibly, a return of the red and yellow.

TNA World Heavyweight Championship: Bobby Roode vs. (c) Kurt Angle

Frank Ingiosi: Bobby Roode
Al Castle: Bobby Roode
Dan Murphy: Bobby Roode
Dave Lenker: Kurt Angle
Frank Krewda: Robert Roode
Harry Burkett: Kurt Angle
Stu Saks: Bobby Roode

Commentary: If you told us six months ago that Roode would be headlining TNA’s version of WrestleMania, we would have said you were Totally Not Aware of how this promotion operates. But TNA has done a tremendous job of building up Roode as an inspirational underdog challenger to legendary former Olympic gold medalist. We’re counting on Roode pulling out the victory in this one, but even if he doesn’t, he should be proud that the match happened at all. And so should all of TNA.