So ... I've been out of the loop the last couple weeks on the blog because I've been finangling a deal and I've pretty much hit on it. I will be cohosting the "Voice of Wrestling" this week on http://www.wrestlingradionetwork.com with Nick "The Man of 1000 Names" at a special time from 6 pm Eastern. This is the flagship show of the WRN, brought to us for a long time by Mr. Chris Cash (aka Chris Chisum), and now that he's taking an indefinite (possibly permanent) sabbatacle, I will be stepping in with his co-host, and now host, Nick, at least this week and hopefully more longterm as we go. So be sure and tune in at 6 pm tomorrow night, again, at wrestlingradionetwork.com.

Meanwhile though it's been a lousy two weeks to be busy finalizing that type of shee-it. With Kurt Angle going to TNA in what is easily the biggest jump between WWE and TNA, and Vince McMahon giving an honest and intelligent -- though somewhat hypocritical -- interview on WWE.com, lots has been going down. Oh and we can' forget (as if WWE would let us) that John Cena's "The Marine" is coming out in theatres next Friday! Wheee. I can't wait. And I'm sure, neither can any of you.

So let me just address those two pieces of news quickly before issuing my predictions for the Smackdown "No Mercy" pay-per-view tonight. First, Angle: I am taking such a "wait and see" approach here. The man left the WWE because he was practically a cripple. He will be lucky, at this point, to see out this decade without at least being in a wheelchair. He's a young man with a young family and a bright future, if he could just moderate himself. Thus, my first instinct seeing him go to TNA was "Crap. Would you TAKE TIME OFF already before you kill yourself?" But then I started looking at the bigger picture -- TNA involves a lighter workload, and their talent is much better able to 'go' in the way and style and speed Angle goes, than a lot of the WWE behomeths. Thus it would be easier for him to attain the 5-star matches he so desires, without having to carry it entirely on his all-too-fragile back. And there's no saying he'll start wrestling right away, and all signs point to his in-ring debut being at least 6 weeks away -- he'll be a special enforcer at "Bound for Glory", and I suspect his first actual match will be the following pay-per-view. Hopefully that will give his body some time to heal.

AND it's still 'fake' wrestling, where everyone ideally looks after each other, at least within the ring, and that's certainly better than the alternative, MMA, that Angle was looking into, where he'd be liable to be killed as well as not. But it's still a risky move from someone who by all intents and purposes should be retired and at most working as some kind of manager or coach or talent scout at this point. It's a very 'iffy' scenario, where I could easily see the man going nuts just sitting at home, but can also see him dying very prematurely, and perhaps before our very eyes, in the ring. There is some comfort I have no affect or impact on this decision one way or another, and it HAS already been made -- so at this piont I suppose all any of us can do is to sit back, enjoy watching this true talent perform, and pray he made the right decision for himself and his family. Good luck, Kurt -- I'm still afraid you're going to need at least a little of it.

Quickly addressing the VKM interview at wwe.com, now: I find it interesting how he talked about his concern for Angle, and how you don't want to see anyone be unable to hold their children or to walk at such a young age, and that's what he's afraid will happen to him ... yet, he still fires people for taking time off with injuries, he still has his company on probably the most extensive travel program in the world, and he still keeps known injury machines like Mark Henry et al on his roster, and issues slaps on the wrist to folks who fail the "Wellness Program" drug testing (although we've only been through one round, which is strictly suspension of pay -- we'll see if heads start rolling come the second round, as they should). But more importantly, he truly believes that, yet has no kind of benefits/health package for his wrestlers, and still treats them as independent contractors instead of employees. The hypocrisy drips from this man ...

That said, one thing that also rings hypocritical, but which I hope is less an indication of self-contradiction and MORE an indication of realizing some things need to be adjusted, were comments Vince made about listening to fans -- how Katie Vick amused him, but not other viewers, and how it's fans who make the stars (even putting forward Finlay as perhaps a future top-level guy -- someone I'd have never seen him get behind before). His comments about tightening up wwe.com and his ideas for doing so were well-founded, and using himself as an example and how he was overexposed on the site, I hope, is an indication of him taking a step back or two from here out. I'm very concerned about his comments about the women's division -- how men in the demographic he's reaching out for simply want to see the sexiest women in the world, and it has evolved away from wrestling -- because it's simply not true. But if Vince puts some punch behind his words ... he was definitely humming the right tune for a change.

OK. So that wasn't so very 'brief', but now that I have those thoughts off my chest, on to HONESTLY short-winded "No Mercy Predix"

World Heavyweight Champion Booker T vs. Batista vs. Finlay vs. Bobby Lashley
If they go the obvious route, the belt will end up on Batista, he's who they've been playing up. If they want to go 'red herring', watch for Finlay to get it in an upset, ruining his friendship with the King.

Ken Kennedy vs. Undertaker
Undertaker doesn't lie down for anyone, certainly not someone who's ACTUALLY talented like Ken Kennedy. Look for UT to go over here.

Falls Count Anywhere: Rey Mysterio vs. Chavo Guerrero
Look for Rey to win this one and end this feud -- already gone on too long and been too disrespectful in the eyes of many fans to Eddie's memory. The very light mentioning of Eddie during Friday's SD shows they're finally ready to move on.

MVP Makes his In-Ring Debut
Well this all depends on who he's facing, doesn't it? Expect the new guy who they've been pushing to win, the only possible exceptiong being if it's against some major name like Chris Benoit. And even then, look for it to be a very competitive match.
World Heavyweight Championship (Fatal Four Way)
King Booker (c) vs. Batista vs. Finlay vs. Lashley

WWE Tag Team Champions London & Kendrick vs. KC James & Idol Stevens
If the past is any indication, look for KC and Idol to win the belts and L&K to break up within the week ... what? Cynical? Okay okay, but James and Idol will win the titles as the heels to keep up this feud I think.

Gregory Helms vs. Matt Hardy
Not sure if this is for the cruiserweight title or not -- if so, expect Matt to go over; the fact they only put this title on the line TO change champs and reinvigorate the division is sign enough. Otherwise, the burial of Hardy continues.

Look out for ...
One more impromptu/bonus match; 6 matches is a pretty light card for the WWE of late ... and a possible Kane and/or Umaga appearance, as one of them will end up on SD after tomorrow and a new feud will need to be started accordingly (maybe in the UT-Kennedy match?)

OK so that wasn't brief either but it was as much as I could make it. Remember to tune in to VOW tomorrow (details above) and I shall see y'all later. Peace! (And fellow Canucks: Happy Turkey Day!).