MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

As we approach the holidays I won't be posting to the blog often so I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

THE PROFESSOR

WWE OPINION: ANTONIO CESARO VS. RYBACK: WWE's NEXT GREAT FEUD?

ANTONIO CESARO                                              RYBACK


Hulk Hogan VS. "Macho Man" Randy Savage

Bret Hart VS. Shawn Michaels

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin VS. "THE ROCK"

John Cena VS. Batista

Antonio Cesaro VS. RYBACK

Last night I was watching WWE RAW and Ryback faced Antonio Cesaro and I thought we could be looking at a great feud in its earliest stages.

Ryback is the new hero of WWE and he needs an opponent that's different from him but has the same drive as he does to succeed. Antonio Cesaro is that man.

Cesaro got in some good offense with European uppercuts and a takedown which is more than most opponents get with Ryback.

Ryback countered of course with his power game and Cesaro took a walk and got counted out.

As a fan I was a hell of a lot more intrigued about this match than anything else on WWE RAW.

I thought this might be the beginning of a great feud. It has all of the classic elements:
 
1. Two guys on the rise in WWE.

2. Two wrestlers with different styles of wrestling

3. Two different personas that don't like each other

If WWE captalizes on this feud then it could be one of their biggest and most profitable feuds ever and join the list of some of WWE's greatest feuds.

Class Dismissed,
The Professor

If you like this article comment @SEMScorpio.

MARVEL VS. DC MOVIES: MAGICAL CINEMA VS. DARK-THEMED CINEMA

 

I saw the trailer for "MAN OF STEEL" and it was great but it felt like I'd seen this before. It felt like the tone was similar to "Batman Begins" with seriousness and uncertainty equating to realism. It didn't feel like Superman to me. Granted, I'm a child of the 80's that grew up on the Christopher Reeve movies so this new take will always seem a little weird to me.

I love the fun, adventure, and drama of "Superman: The Movie" and "Superman 2" while still faithful to the source material of Superman. Marvel seems to have captured that same spirit and adventure in their movies like "IRON MAN," "THOR," and "AVENGERS." Even Kevin Smith in an article on MTV SPLASHPAGE (which you can read here) says that he enjoyed the "magical cinema" of "AVENGERS" over the edgy, serious tone of  "THE DARK KNIGHT RISES."

DC in order to make their herores more accessible have gone with more dark themes in their movies following the success of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy which showed Bruce Wayne's transformation to THE DARK KNIGHT.

Nolan is also a producer on "MAN OF STEEL" and according to the trailer shows Clark Kent as a confused, frustrated, young man who is unsure of what to do with his powers. His parents want him to hide them and be normal while he considers using them to help humanity. When he does debut as Superman the military arrests him in fear of this, "strange, alien visitor."

MARVEL and DC exist at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of their approach to movies but one thing is clear: "IRON MAN 3" and "MAN OF STEEL"  will makes millions (if not billions) of dollars when they open during the Summer of 2013. Robert Downey Jr. as "IRON MAN" is a proven success.

The big question is: How will "MAN OF STEEL resonate with the pop culture? Will this new take on Superman last for the next 75 years? Only time will tell but just as a fan I think DC needs a little more, "magical cinema."  

Class Dismissed,
THE PROFESSOR

If you like this article, let me know @SEMSCORPIO

CM PUNK AS WWE CHAMPION: 380 DAYS AND COUNTING

CM PUNK has been WWE champion for 380 days now.
Paul Heyman has blogged about this amazing accomplishment. You can read his thoughts here.

John Cena's was the last man to hold the title this long. PUNK will soon surpass Cena's record and defend the title against THE ROCK in January at The Royal Rumble.

Class Dismissed,
The Professor

MOVIE NEWS: "MAN OF STEEL" POSTER SHOWS SUPERMAN IN HANDCUFFS

Entertainment Weekly has an article (you can read it here) showing Superman in handcuffs accompanied by military personnel in the newest poster for "Man of Steel."

Out June 14th, 2013, "Man of Steel" will look at how Superman would be viewed in today's world. From the poster, Superman is seen as a threat due to his powers. He could also be seen as a threat since he acts outside the law even as he stands as a symbol for justice.

I would venture to guess that Superman voluntarily gives himself up instead of being taken by force since he could easily snap those handcuffs if he wanted to.

I still have my issues with the suit (Why does Superman need armor? and Why is it so dark?), but this movie will bring Superman back in to the public consciousness in a major way and that's a good thing. It will succeed with Chris Nolan producing it and because it's a new take on Superman.

Class Dismissed,

The Professor

If you like this artice let me know @SEMScorpio

THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN: 20 YEARS LATER

SUPERMAN VS. DOOMSDAY

On November 18, 1992, Superman was killed by the monster Doomsday and it was one of the most important events in  not only comics but also pop culture.

I was 10 years old at this time and I couldn't believe Superman was being killed. My hero was being obliterated and there was nothing I could do. What would the world do without Superman?

Apparently, other people felt the same way as Superman #75 was among the best selling issues in history.

NEWSOK.COM has a great article that you can read here, on the impact that the "Death of Superman" saga had on comics and pop culture.

Superman came back and is still my favorite Superhero no matter what they do to him (I'm looking at you DC NEW 52 reboot).

LONG LIVE SUPERMAN!!!

The Professor

CM PUNK: WWE CHAMPION FOR ONE YEAR

CM Punk has been champion for one year. Making him number 8 on the list of the longest reigning champions in WWE history.

He lands right between Randy Savage at number 7 and Hulk Hogan at number 9, two of wrestling's biggest names.

This is no accident. Punk deserves to be on the list. He is a mix of Ric Flair's skills and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper's attitude. Punk may not be a totally mainstream name now but he will be once he faces The Rock at The Royal Rumble.

In the last year and a half he has taken the WWE by storm and continues to be one of their top bad guys.

As a fan of wrestling, I love CM Punk and I can't wait to see what he does next.

The Professor

MATT MORGAN VS. HULK HOGAN: A GOOD INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE

Hulk Hogan said on his twitter page according to EWRESTLINGNEWS: "Yo Jeremy I would to wrestle Morgan but I think he wod really, for a shoot end up putting me in a wheel chair. He's too strong, it's his time now."

"I've been waiting for 25 yrs for someone like him to take his place in the food chain of the business. It's who he's meant to be. HH"


Hulk Hogan knows that Matt Morgan wants to be at the top of the wrestling business and now its his time. Hogan can't fight Morgan in a regular wrestling match but a "fight" scenario might be interesting. All Morgan really needs is to nail Hogan with one Carbon Footprint and he will be a made man.



Hogan said he's been waiting 25 years for someone like Matt Morgan to come along and I believe him. Even though Hogan is a great salesman he realizes that Matt Morgan has a mix of Randy Savage's attitude and Hulk Hogan size. As a fan I can't wait to see how this unfolds and I'm betting it leads to Morgan winning the World Heavyweight Championship.
 

CLARK KENT QUITS THE DAILY PLANET TO START A BLOG

HERO COMPLEX reports that in this week's Superman #13, Clark Kent quits the Daily Planet (which is now apart of a media conglomerate) due to the over arching sensationalism in journalism.

And what will he do now that he's quit....create the next Huffington Post or The Drudge Report according to writer Scott Lobdell.

Wait, didn't the Huffington Post get bought by AOL? So he's leaving a media conglomerate to start his own news blog that will probably get bought by a media conglomerate. Yeah....OK.

See you'd think in the revamp of The New 52, The Daily Planet would be a news blog like The Drudge Report that fights against big corporate media and its dangers in society.

But that might not fly well with Time Warner which owns DC Comics and Warner Brothers.

Class Dismissed,
The Professor

WARNERS PLAN TO HAVE JLA MOVIE IN THEATERS BY 2015

According to the LA TIMES Warner Brothers is tryimg to get a Justice League movie up and running by 2015. Avengers 2 will also be released during that same year.

THE GUARDIAN raises an interesting point. With Christopher Nolan directing the Batman trilogy and producig the new Man of Steel movie with a realistic tone, Will Warners have to create a seperate universe for the Justice League?

Interesting?

The Professor

TV NEWS: USA's SUITS RENEWED FOR SEASON 3

USA LEGAL DRAMA "SUITS"

Mike Ross and Harvey Spector are coming back!! According to ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, Suits has been renewed for a third season. Suits which averaged an audience of 6.5 million viewers for its second season returns in January to air the second-half of season 2.

USA ordered 16-episodes for season 3.

Class Dismissed,
The Professor

THE TNA IMPACT WRESTLING:BRING BACK "NO LIMITS"!!

Last night TNA scored its second lowest rating to date in 2012. The company attracted 0.86 rating according to PROWRESTLING.NET.

As a fan of pro wrestling, one thing I've noticed is that TNA needs to do better if it wants to grow:

Market it's product well

TNA doesn't announce matches until the start of the show. TNA should at least use Twitter to promote it's matches. That might get fans interested. There are no billboards or commercials that air for TNA programming or merchandise except during the show. TNA needs to start doing more to try and get the word out.

TNA does not have any real bad guys

Most of TNA's villains like Bobby Roode, Magnus, Zema Ion, and others are not always featured regularly and their motivations for being a bad guy aren't clearly explained. Bobby Roode seemed to turn evil on a whim and became the promotion's World Champion. Zema Ion is a bad guy because he (legitimately) injured Jesse Sorenson. People don't dislike Zema Ion because of this, they dislike him because he's annoying and they don't care about him.

Put the titles on wrestlers the fans care about


     ZEMA ION

Zema Ion is the current X-Division champion and he won it in less than a year. The problem with that is that fans do not care about Zema Ion much, because TNA hasn't taken the time to introduce his character. As a cocky heel he should be having feuds with guys like Mr. Anderson and RVD just so that the fans can understand more about his character.

Guys who have been around a while like Magnus, Matt Morgan, and Bobby Roode who have been in TNA for a while and have a connection to the fan should have the title. They bring more prestige to it.


NO LIMITS


The slogan for the X-DIVISION was once, "No Limits" This slogan should be used for all of TNA. There should be no weight limits in the TV, X-DIVISION or  WORLD Heavyweight title matches. The only requirement would be, "Can you have an entertaining match? "

This could open the flood gates to new ideas and new matches. Wrestlers like Jeff  Hardy, Rey Mysterio,CM PUNK, and AJ Styles have changed the business and shown that smaller wrestlers can hang in there with the big guys. TNA should reflect that.

IF TNA wants better ratings then they need to go back to some "old school' ways to make their product better or are they just a sinking ship?

CLASS DISMISSED
THE PROFESSOR

WILL JEFF HARDY STAY IN TNA OR GO TO WWE?

According to WRESTLEZONE, Jeff Hardy is considering returning to WWE in 2013 when his contract expires in 2013 in TNA.

TNA is doing all it cfan to make Hardy happy as he has won the Bound For Glory series and will face Austin Aries for the World title at Bound For Glory.

TNA may even put the World title on Hardy to keep him there as he is their biggest merchandise seller.

More on this story as it develops.

The Professor

MATT MORGAN RETURNS TO TNA

According to WRESTLING INC. Matt Morgan has resigned with TNA. During a house shows in Pennsylvania, Morgan came through the crowd and attacked a referee.

Morgan may return as a heel. I guess we'll have to tune into Impact this Thursday at 8pm on Spike to see if there are any further developments on this story.

Class Dismissed,
The Professor

RIP MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN

Michael Clarke Duncan died Monday morning. He was 54. He died from complications from his heart atttack in July. Duncan gained an Oscar nomination in "The Green Mile." He also starred in movies like "The Scorpion King"  with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and "The Whole Nine Yards" with Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry.

Duncan also appeared at many WWE and MMA events. CBS News has a great article with Twitter tributes at this link.

REST IN PEACE Mr. Duncan. You will not be forgotten.

Class Dismissed
The Professor

SUPERMAN AND WONDER WOMAN: THE ULTIMATE "IT" COUPLE

In pop culture Superman and Wonder Woman stand as two of the biggest icons in comics history along with Batman. In Justice League # 12 which comes out on August 29th, Superman and Wonder Woman kiss and begin a relationship that will have a major effect on the DC Universe according to artist Jim Lee in an article in the NY DAILY NEWS.

This pairing comes one year after DC Comics relaunched its history in the DC NEW 52 last August. In this continuity Clark Kent/Superman is not romantically involved with Lois Lane. After a long battle in Justice League # 12, Superman and Wonder Woman find comfort with each other.

Personally, I don't have a problem with Superman and Wonder Woman being a couple. One is an alien with superpowers, a demigod. The other is an Amazon warrior and goddess. On paper it's a perfect match.

However, I think it reinforces the idea that DC is focusing on Superman as the main persona as an alien living as a human on earth. In the 80's and 90's comics focused more on Clark Kent as the main persona and Superman as the disguise he creates so Clark Kent can have a normal life.

Justice League # 12 comes out this Wednesday and it will be interesting to see what the ramifications of this relationship will have on Superman and Wonder Woman in the future.

Class Dismissed
The Professor

SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE DVD REVIEW

Synopsis
In the film, Superman's effectiveness as a super hero comes into question when a new group of super powerful crusaders, known as "The Elite," appear on the scene. As super heroes, the Elite know no bounds, and are more than willing to kill, even on a massive scale, to stop villainy -- putting them on a collision course with the ever-ethical and decidedly non-lethal Man of Steel.

Two questions that comic book fans have asked for many years are: Why doesn't Superman kill? and Is Superman still relevant in a post-9/11 world? "Superman vs. The Elite" answers those questions.

In this film Superman is confronted by "The Elite" a group of Superheroes that believes in doing whatever it takes to stop criminals even if that means killing them.

That puts them in direct conflict with Superman who believes that superheroes are not above the law.

The Elite are great foes for Superman as they are powerful, funny, and have a very charismatic leader in Manchester Black.

Black feels just as strongly about his position that bad guys need to be stopped by any means neccessary and feels that Superman is an antiquated hero.

In many ways Black represents some fans opinion of Superman and that superheroes with a darker edge like Batman or Spawn are better than Superman and more relatable.

In my opinion it's the fact that Superman does see himself as an earthling and wants to adapt to our laws eventhough he is so powerful, makes him one of the most relatable superheroes. It's his love for Lois and his friends that makes him so great.

The action sequences are great in this DVD movie especially in the third act when Superman and "The Elite" finally face off.

The voice cast is stellar as George Newbern returns to the role of Superman. Pauley Perette of "NCIS" fame does an incredible Lois Lane. Robin Atkin Downes as the voice of Manchester Black gives the character charm and ruthlessness. Everyone in the voice cast seems tailor-made for their characters. Another great job by Warner Brothers.

I really enjoyed this movie and I think it's a great addition for any fan of Superman or anyone that likes comics and sci-fi in general.

Class Dismissed,
The Professor

WRESTLING ISN'T DEAD BUT WE NEED LARGER THAN LIFE CHARACTERS FOR IT TO SURVIVE

Kevin Nash

Kevin Nash said that the wrestling business "died" when Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero hugged in the middle of the ring at Wrestlemania 20 in an article that you can read here.

He then goes on to criticize CM Punk and Brayn "Daniel Bryan" Danielson for not being "bigger than life" because of their small stature.

In that statement we have one of the many problems in pro wrestling being said by one of its most controversial figures: THERE ARE NO LARGER THAN LIFE CHARACTERS IN PRO WRESTLING ANYMORE!!

Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, "The Rock," and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin are all icons of wrestling because they were different and larger than life

Right now the most impressive movies are comic book movies like "The Avengers" and "The Dark Knight Returns" because of the over the top characters that each movie has.   


Avengers VS. Batman

Pro wrestling is built on amazing characters and WWE and TNA are lacking those right now. You can still be "real" like CM Punk but he needs a larger than life adversary to fight like Kane. That is what makes wrestling cool.

And a guy doesn't need to be 7 feet tall to be larger than life, all he needs is an engaging personality. Just ask Rey Mysterio.

I hope WWE or TNA starts bringing in new characters because that's what makes the business exciting. The business may not be dead as Kevin Nash says but it will definitely need something more to get back to the success it has enjoyed in the past.

Class Dismissed
The Professor

MY FAVORITE JAMES BOND

Image Courtesy of Google Images

My favorite James Bond has always been Roger Moore. His wit and charm were always more impressive to me than Sean Connery's bravado. My two favorite James Bond films are "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "For Your Eyes Only."

On EW.COM they are celebrating 50 years of Bond by ranking the 6 actors that have played Bond through the years. Roger Moore comes in at number two behind Sean Connery.

If you like this blog post or want to comment on any blog post. tweet me @semscorpio.

Class Dismissed,
The Professor

RIP SHERMAN HEMSLEY

Sherman Hemsley passed away yesterday at the age of 74. Hemsley ws famous for his portrayal of drycleaner George Jefferson first on "All in the Family" from 1973 to 1975  and then on its spin-off "The Jeffersons" which ran from 1975 to 1985.

From 1986 to 1991, he starred on the NBC sitcom, "AMEN" as the less than scrupulous deacon Ernest Frye. And he was a voice on the show, "Dinosaurs."

In later years Mr. Hemsley made appearances on shows like "Sister, Sister," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," and "House of Payne."

I loved Sherman Hemsley. From his dancing to his strut, he gave an air of confidence as George Jefferson that people loved. Especially for a man that was so short in stature. His physical comedy was just as great as his verbal sparring with Carroll O'Connor or Isabel Sanford.

A great article on Hemsley's life and career can be found here.

The Professor

Random Thoughts on WWE's RAW 1000

RAW 1000 is in the history books and it was a great show in my opinion.

It was good to see DX in its entirety. Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, and X-PAC looked great.

It was great to see Lita back in the ring. When she did the twist of fate I thought about the Hardy Boyz. Lita can still deliver an awesome moonsault.

APA was great to see in the ring again along with all of the legends like Sid, Vader, DDP etc.

The Rock announcing that he will face the WWE champ at Royal Rumble is a big deal. Whoever it is, that match will be big and have major ramifications on Wrestlemania 29.

The Rock doing his schtick on Daniel Bryan showed that Daniel Bryan is a true main event star.

CM PUNK and Rock had a major moment.

CENA vs. PUNK was good but they've done better. Big Show interfering was a given but Rock coming down to make the save was great. Made me want to see Rock vs. Big Show.

The surprise of CM PUNK giving ROCK the clothesline when he was going to deliver the People's Elbow and then the "Go To Sleep" was the moment of the night.




Is this the CM PUNK that we will see in the WWE soon?


It looks like CM PUNK, Cena, Big Show, and Rock will be in the WWE title picture for a long time to come. As a fan I'm looking forward to it.

The Professor

AUSTIN ARIES IS THE NEW TNA WORLD CHAMPION

AUSTIN ARIES

Last night at TNA's  Destination X Pay-Per-View, Austin Aries won the World Heavyweight Championship from Bobby Roode. This was a shocking development. Many wrestling fans thought (including myself) that Bobby Roode would retain the title and lose it in October to James Storm at "Bound For Glory".

It will be interesting to see how long Aries will be champion. But it is a good sign that shows that major wrestling promotions like WWE and TNA are using wrestlers like Aries, CM PUNK, Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) and Samoa Joe as the future of the wrestling industry.

I must admit I was wrong when I wrote an article (you can read it here) saying that Austin Aries was in a no-win situation at Destination X. It seems that TNA shocked and surprised its audience which I think is a wonderful thing. It's something that WWE has not done in a while with their champions or title matches.

TNA has built Austin Aries well and he is a star that they can build for the future. Similar to Ric Flair in skill and charisma, he is a man who can play good guy or bad guy against anyone no matter what size they are. I'll be watching Impact this week to see the new World Champion.

The Professor

RIP ERNEST BORGNINE

Ernest Borgnine

Ernest Borgnine died last night at the age of 95. Borgnine was an Oscar Winner for his role in "Marty" in 1955. Borgnine was also honored with a SAG award in 2010.

Borgnine began playing bad guys in movies like "From Here To Eternity" playing Sgt. "Fatso"  Judson who beats Frank Sinatra's character to death.

In 1955 he played Marty a lovesick butcher in the bronx who finds love with a wallflower named Clara(Betsy Blair). Borgnine won the Oscar for Best Actor and his career would never be the same.

He would go on to play many different characters with good hearts in "The Poseidon Adventure" and "Escape From New York".

His most beloved character besides "Marty" was Lt. Commander Quentin McHale in "McHale's Navy" which ran on ABC from 1962-1966.

During his career, Mr. Borgnine appeared in over 200 movies and TV shows during his 70 years in the business. He was a true star. For a true in-depth article, please read this piece at CBS NEWS.

If you like this blog then feel free to comment on Twitter @SEMScorpio.

The Professor

RIP ANDY GRIFFITH

Andy Griffith

On July 3rd Andy Griffith passed away. America lost one of its greatest performers. Griffith was known for his comedy album, "What it was, was football" in the 1950's. By 1955 he had starred on Broadway in "No Time for Sargeants" and in 1957 he was  a  drifter turned TV star in the movie, "A Face In The Crowd".

But in 1960, he started a show that would define his career, "The Andy Griffith Show". Playing Sheriff Andy Taylor in the fictional town of Mayberry, Griffith played the nice quiet sheriff in a town of crazy characters. With his son Opie (Ron Howard), Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier), and Deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts) Andy always had his hands full.

After the Andy Griffith show ended in 1968,  Griffith starred in a few movies that went against his squeaky clean image.

In 1987 he returned to TV as Ben Matlock, a crusty defense attorney in Atlanta. The show ran until 1996.

If you really want to read an in-depth article on Andy Griffith, please read this article in the NY TIMES.

Thank you Mr. Griffith for your many contributions to TV and Hollywood. You will be missed.

The Professor

COMIC BOOK NEWS: BATMAN IS COMIMG TO SMALLVILLE

Image Courtesy of DC Comics

Batman will appear in Smallville Season 11 starting in September, in a story entitled, "Detective."  According to writer Bryan Q. Miller at Comic Book Resources, Batman will be on the hunt for his parents killers when he enters Metropolis. Also this Batman is older than Superman by a few years. It should be a good story.

The Professor

ROSARIO DAWSON: DREAM GIRL

Photo Courtesy of Google Images

Rosario Dawson is one of the most accomplished actresses in Hollywood. She's been in many movies including "RENT," "Clerks 2," "Sin City," and "Unstoppable".

Her incredible talent and stunning beauty have made her one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood among fans and studio executives.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to show my appreciation for Ms. Dawson and her incredible career.

The Professor

BOBBY ROODE'S CHAMPIONSHIP REIGN: QUANTITY OVER QUALITY

Photo Courtesy of Google Images and TNA Impact Wrestling.com

Booby Roode is the longest reigning world champion in TNA history. He has held the title since November 2011 and is a quality performer in the ring. One thing that his title reign is lacking in my opinion is a memorable and epic feel to it. This is a reflection of TNA's lackluster booking in some areas.

Make no mistake, Roode has faced some great opponents including A. J. Styles, Jeff Hardy, Sting, James Storm and others but the "big fight" atmosphere has been lacking. Roode has gotten clean and decisive wins in recent months against Jeff Hardy, RVD, and Ken Anderson to establish himself as a credible champion.

If I were booking Roode, he would be a beast of a man who did everything and anything to keep his title, much like Edge did in WWE.

TNA is trying to make Bound For Glory their big night when James Storm and Bobby Roode have their next confrontation for the heavyweight championship. In the minds of TNA fans that is a "BIG FIGHT."

Roode will defend his title on July 7th at Destuination X against Austin Aries. This could be a great Summer feud if TNA books it correctly. We will have to wait and see.

The Professor

AUSTIN ARIES IS IN A NO-WIN SITUATION IN TNA

Austin Aries

(Photo Courtesy of Google Images)

On last week's TNA IMPACT WRESTLING Hulk Hogan told Austin Aries that in order to face Bobby Roode for the World title at Destination X, he would have to relinquish the X-Division title on this week's edition of Impact Wrestling.

This makes no sense to me as a fan for at least two reasons:

1. The X-Division title makes Austin Aries a credible opponent

With the X-Division title, Aries has a lot more credibility as a challenger for the World title. Aries is the longest reigning X-Division champion in TNA history, so when he says that he should be in the main event, one of the reasons that fans believe him, besides his great skills in the ring, but also because that belt backs up his statement.

2. A "Champion vs. Champion" gives your main event more prestige

TNA is looking to attract more fans to its product and one way to do that is to promote that your two top champions are going to fight each other. They should play that fact up on TV and put both men on posters with their respective titles. That can draw much needed attention to TNA's struggling brand. The Destination X main event would surely be something that hardcore fans and casual fans would want to see if it was promoted as, "Who's really the best in TNA?"

This storyline will probably lead to Austin Aries relinquishing the X-Division title which is a mistake in my book. TNA probably think that they'll need the belt for some tournament match at Destination X.

Besides the money match is James Storm vs. Bobby Roode for the world title which won't happen until Bound For Glory in October so Aries won't win at Destination X.  So he'll lose a lot of momentum in the process. But that is TNA Wrestling's plan for building a new star. Peculiar.

The Professor

MATT MORGAN IS DONE WITH TNA WRESTLING

Image Courtesy of Google

WRESTLING INC.  reports that Matt Morgan has completed his contractual obligations for TNA Wrestling and may now be headed to WWE.

Morgan defeated Crimson over the weekend in Texas and then wrote on his twitter page, "Texas yesterday, Connecticut today, who says u can't go home!"

Morgan began his career in WWE back in 2002 when he was in OVW(Ohio Valley Wrestling). OVW was a talent development territory for WWE at the time.

Morgan said in an interview that he had a "beef" with TNA since he didn't feel he was being used properly.

I hope we see Morgan in WWE soon. I think he could really help their roster if given the right opportunity.

The Professor

JUSTICE LEAGUE MOVIE IN THE WORKS AT WARNER BROS.

According to an article at VARIETY, a movie involving DC's flagship superhero team "Justice League" is being developed.  Warner Bros has hired Will Beall to write a new script for the franchise. Beall is also writing scripts for the reboot of the "Lethal Weapon" series and "Logan's Run". Beall is the writer of "Gangster Squad" starring Ryan Reynolds and will be released on Sept. 7th.

Warner Bros. hired Beall last year, in anticipation of Marvel's "The Avengers" movie sparking an interest in Superhero team movies.

Warner Bros has some big projects on the horizon in regards to superhero films. In July, Christian Bale takes his final bow as Batman in "The Dark Knight Rises" and in 2013, the new Superman movie, "Man Of Steel" debuts. The studio hopes that it will be a huge success.

The big question is: Once those two films are done, Will Warners use the "Justice League" movie as an introduction for other characters like Wonder Woman or Flash? Another big question is:  With Bale leaving the Batman franchise, will Warner Bros. use the "Justice League" movie as a way to introduce a new actor in the role of Batman? .

Whatever direction that Warner Bros. decides to take on "Justice League", the good news is that fans will be buzzing and waiting in anticipation to see their favorite DC heroes on the big screen.

The Professor

MY TOP 3 FAVORITE WWE CHAMPIONS

In the history of WWE there are certain WWE champions that have left an indelible mark on me as a wrestling fan.

BRET "THE HITMAN" HART



In my mind Bret Hart was the reason I became a wrestling fan. I became a fan in 1991. The Hulk Hogan era was fading out. There was a new era coming in being led by smaller wrestlers like Bret, Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig, and Shawn Michaels. Bret as World Champion provided intense matches where he often used his technical skills to overcome much bigger opponents. Bret was a classic fighting champion who never quit and was always fighting for the honor and glory of the title.

DWAYNE "THE ROCK" JOHNSON


Long before he was a Hollywood movie star, Dwayne Johnson was "The Rock." An entertaining wrestler with a larger than life attitude. His great looks and entertaining catchphrases made him a favorite among fans. His incredible rivalries with Triple H, Mick "Mankind" Foley, and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin cemented his position as one of the greatest WWE champions that ever lived.

"STONE COLD" STEVE AUSTIN

Like Hulk Hogan before him, Stone Cold struck a chord with wrestling fans. Whereas Hogan was the ultimate good guy like John Wayne, Steve Austin was a rebel with a cause like Clint Eastwood. During the late 90's Austin captured fans' imaginations with an intense attitude like nothing you've ever seen before. He was the common man who fought against his maniacal boss, Vince McMahon and his corporate structure. Austin's great rivalries with "The Rock" and Vince made him the greatest superstar ever and made the wrestling business Must-See-TV.

Though all three of these men are different in so many ways, they have one thing in common: Their passion and dedication to the wrestling business made them great champions and entertained millions of fans.

The Professor

DVD Review: Justice League: Doom

Image Courtesy of Google

The Plot

Batman has created contingency plans to neutralize the JLA if they ever turn on the world. These plans are altered by Vandal Savage as he assembles a Legion of Doom (Bane, Star Sapphire, Metallo, Cheetah, Mirror Master, and Ma'alefa'ak). Each member of the Legion of Doom attacks the Justice League exploiting their greatest weaknesses. Batman finds a way to save each League member and reveals that he came up with the plans. The League comes together and vanquishes the villains and afterwards Batman leaves the League rather than wait on a vote on whether he should still be a member or not. The fact is that Batman isn't wrong for creating contingency plans for the League but it is the fact that he doesn't say anything to them. That's where the breach of trust comes in.

What I liked:

1. The Action was great and the battles were superb as always from Bruce Timm and Co.

2. The animation was also wonderful and made each character look realistic yet powerful.

3. Batman is the lone wolf and this is exhibited through out the film. Batman decides to take on the   Royal Flush Gang by himself in the beginning of the film and this establishes the motif of the whole film.

4. I love the fact that Vandal Savage knows Batman's secret identity. It adds a lot of credibility to his character as a supervillain.

5 Cyborg is used well and we haven't seen him do this much since Superfriends: Galactic Guardians.

What I didn't like:

There's not a lot of character development in this movie and that's a little frustrating. For example, we never get to explore why Hal supports Batman's decision to have contingency plans. I assume it's because he's an air force pilot and understands Batman's position from a strategic standpoint.

Overall, "Justice League: Doom" is a great movie and I recommend it for anyone who loves DC. This is the best JLA movie so far. Kudos to Mark Waid and the late great Dwayne McDuffie.

PAUL HEYMAN RETURNS TO WWE

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Last night on RAW, Paul Heyman returned to the WWE. He was acting as the "representative" of Brock  Lesnar just as he did in 2002 when Lesnar first arrived in WWE.

Heyman announced that Brock will not return to WWE due to unfair treatment by upper management. It should be interesting to see how this storyline plays out especially with Heyman involved.

It was good to see Heyman again. He was always one of the most brilliant minds in professional wrestling.

The Professor

AVENGERS GROSSES OVER 200 MILLION IN OPENING WEEKEND

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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY reports that Marvel's The Avengers movie grossed 200.3 million dollars in its opening weekend making it the biggest opening weekend for any movie.

Overseas it has grossed 441.5 million dollars since opening on April 25th, giving it a total gross of over 641.8 million dollars worldwide.

The real question now is: Will The Dark Knight Rises surpass these numbers?

The Professor

JOHN LEGEND REPLACES LIONEL RICHIE ON ABC'S DUETS

John Legend and Fiance Chrissy Teigen
(Courtesy of Google Images)

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY reports that John Legend will replace Lionel Richie on ABC's singing competition, "Duets" this Summer. He joins Robin Thicke, Kelly Clarkson, and Jennifer Nettles as mentors and judges.

Lionel Richie cited  “personal scheduling conflicts,” according to a statement fron his rep.

I wonder if ABC wanted someone younger to appeal to the 18-49 demographic which John Legend fits along with the other judges.

The Professor

Fringe gets renewal: Networks are listening to the Nerds

(Courtesy of Google Images)

According to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, Fringe got renewed for a fifth and final season from Fox. It will run for 13 episodes so that writers can create a full and satisfying story for its fans.

Eventhough "Fringe" hovers around 3 million viewers on Fridays, Fox still renewed it. Fox Entertainment Chief, Kevin Reilly said, in regards to the renewal, “Fringe is a remarkably creative series that has set the bar as one of television’s most imaginative dramas. Bringing it back for a final 13 allows us to provide the climactic conclusion that its passionate and loyal fans deserve."

Kevin Reilly is a fan of Fringe and it's important to note that he realizes how much this show means to its fans. Finally, executives are thinking about what people like instead of the financial implications. Yes, Fox is losing money on "Fringe" but it is giving it a shot to tell its story. Once the fifth season is completed Fringe will have 100 episodes and can be sold into syndication.

"CHUCK" On NBC which ended its run in January got renewed  for 13 episodes in its fifth and final season but it only had 91 episodes in total. But in both cases network executives realized the loyal fanbase both shows had despite their low ratings and renewed them.

(Courtesy of Google Images)

Hopefully this starts a trend where executives re(cognize the passion of fans and keep shows that may not have the best ratings but a loyal audience.

Class Dismissed,
The Professor

THE PRIMETIME AUDIENCE IS SHRINKING

(Courtesy of Google Images)


Ratings for some of TV's best shows are down in especially in the 18-49 demographic according to an article by Bill Carter in THE NEW YORK TIMES. During the Spring time hits like "American Idol", "Modern Family", and "Glee" have seen new ratings lows. Even cable's viewership has declined during the Spring season.

As a matter of fact, networks like ABC, CBS, and FOX have been losing viewers ever since March 19th. According to the article, "NBC lost an average of 59,000 viewers (about 3 percent) in that 18-to-49 age category compared with the same period last year, CBS lost 239,000 (8 percent), ABC lost 681,000 (21 percent) and Fox lost 709,000 (20 percent)."    

In the article, Mr. Carter gives some reasons for the decline in viewership including:

1. The Use of DVR's and people watching what they've recorded and not watching things live.
2. The nice weather of springtime which encourages people to do outdoor activities.

In my opinion, the best conclusion is offered by fomer head of entertainment at NBC, Jeff Gaspin who said that people have built-up libraries of shows that they watch on DVR, DVD, and Netflix so they don't have to watch every episode when it originally airs anymore or worry about commercials.

Mr. Gaspin gives an example of how he and his teenage son watched the first two seasons of "The Walking Dead" on DVR and Netflix to catch up for the season finale. The episodes they saw on DVR and Netflix made them feel all the tension and terror of the series. He notes that when he watched the season finale with his son on AMC, the tension was broken by all the commercials.
Mr. Gaspin saisd that he would not be watching "The Walking Dead" on AMC again.

I think that Mr. Gaspin's point is valid. Ever since the invention of DVD's and DVR's the audience's viewing habits have changed. People like watching their shows without commercials. Commercials are the lifeblood of the TV industry going back to the 40's and 50's. Now with this new change in habits, Will Product Placement become even more prevalent in TV shows? Will TV feature more reality shows? Only time will tell.

The Professor

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES TRAILER TO RUN BEFORE AVENGERS MOVIE

According to ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, the Avengers movie will carry the "Dark Knight Rises" Trailer when it debuts in theaters on May 4.

A smart move by Marvel piggy backing on the first big comic book movie to promote the latest Batman movie. The real question will be: Which one will make more money?

If you like this blog, let me know and follow me on twitter @SEMSCORPIO.

THE PROFESSOR

R.I.P. DICK CLARK

(Image Courtesy of Google Images)

Dick Clark passed away last week at the age of 82. I first came to know Dick Clark as the host of the $64,000 Pyramid. But he was so much more. His impact on culture and race relations through music and "American Bandstand" is still being felt today.

Thank you Mr. Clark. You will never be forgotten.

The Professor

BROCK VS. CENA AT EXTREME RULES

(Image Courtesy of WWE.COM)

WWE announced on RAW Monday night that Brock Lesnar will face John Cena at Extreme Rules. It's yet to be seen what lasting impact Brock will have on WWE but it should be fun to watch.

The Professor