This game has been hotly anticipated, even more so then the console it is on. When it was first unveiled back at E3 2005 people went absolutely nuts over it, the game definitely stole the show and it was the rage that entire year…even though the PS3 was still a year from launch. Playstation 3 would launch almost 2 years after that trailer of Killzone 2 was shown. The trailer was shown June 2005 and PS3 was launched November 2006, so give or take its almost 2 years.

As time progressed, the silence surrounding this game grew as more and more snippets of the game leaked onto the internet. Screen shots were rampant and rumors increased as well as speculation that this game may or may not be as real as the trailers made it out to be. Then last year at E3 2008, a new trailer as well as in game footage was shown. Also, a live demo of the game was shown, and suddenly the critics were silenced. All the talk about in game and CGI were finally finished, once and for all, people KNEW this game was for real.

The game did not see store shelves until February 2009 and it met with lots of praise and positive reviews. In contrast to the first game which was met with the heavy weight of being a “Halo Killer”. First off, Sony nor Guerrilla Games labeled this as a Halo anything, the media labeled this game as such. The first game ran into the Halo 2 monster that was released a week later. So from the word GO, Killzone stood no chance at capturing any true market share.

Killzone 2: The Box Art: http://i40.tinypic.com/qozxit.jpg

Killzone 2 E3 Screen Shot: http://i43.tinypic.com/23uu6bc.jpg

Killzone 2 Final Product Screen Shot: http://i39.tinypic.com/rk6gjt.jpg

So it was pretty obvious that this game had a lot to deal with from its launch. Halo 2 brought intense online multiplayer as well as a huge cinematic experience just to name a few. A new game launching against the BIGGEST game of the year and the most anticipated game of the generation, Killzone was outmatched in every sense of the word.

Killzone brought a decent story line, good cinematic scenes, and for the time on the PS2 the graphics were ok. However, Killzone had horrendous controls and a short single player. The online components were great, the game certainly had a large community but across the street, Halo 2 was a Planet, having the largest online community for any console game at the time. So when Killzone 2 was finally announced, Halo 3 was no where to be found. Halo 3 missed the Xbox 360 launch…so Killzone 2 had to follow suit by missing the PS3 launch. But Halo 3 would be released the year after the 360 launch, Killzone 2 was way off.

Almost a full three years from the launch of the Xbox 360, Sony finally had its killer app. Killzone 2 brings with it AMAZING graphics, great controls, great cinematic scenes, great voice over work, and an insanely deep online multiplayer. The single player experience was greatly improved this time around, however, it is still somewhat short in comparison. But in all fairness, Halo 3’s single player is over in the blink of an eye and Halo 3 was deemed the “Blockbuster Experience” of the gaming world. Such a title would suggest the game would have a deep single player, but its over very quick.

Most people had it finished in it’s first weekend of release, on the Legendary difficulty. Killzone 2 has the same problem as well, the single player experience is over quickly, but its just a tad longer then Halo 3’s. The Killzone 2 single player has a much more developed sense of Warfare. Your thrown into this conflict between the ISA and the Helghast, two warring factions locked into a conflict over control over the Helghast home world “Helghan”. The story picks up where Liberation on the PSP leaves off, and occurs two years after the Helghast invaded the ISA Colony called “Vekta”. You are Sergeant Tomas “Sev” Sevchenko, and your squad is sent to Helghan and as usual in any FPS, your thrown right into the middle of a huge firefight.

The Symbol Of The ISA: http://i39.tinypic.com/fawwgn.jpg

The Marking Of The Helghast: http://i42.tinypic.com/2qntcg7.jpg

What i love about the beginning of this game is that you meet and greet new faces as well as see returning characters, and once thats done you strap up and your thrown into battle, no nonsense. This game, more then any other FPS, has a fantastic sense of war to it. I never felt so much tension between two factions before so it is a refreshing experience to have while playing this game.

As the game progresses the intensity picks up between the two warring factions. Your objective is to capture the Helghast Leader, Scolar Visari. All the while you are dodging attacks from every possible angles as well as on ground and air assaults. Snipers are abound in this game so be on the lookout.

The variety of weapons that are available in this game are very wide and balanced. The shotgun in this game is the best i have seen in a shooter, not too strong but not too weak, its got a good balance to it. What i like about the weapons in this game is just the fact that they feel right when your using them, the controls are very sharp and using a weapon in this game is not a chore or made easy enough where its easy to go on insane killing sprees like the weapons in Halo or Call Of Duty.

An aspect of FPS games that bothers me is the Sniper Rifle and how people can get so good at using it they become invincible. Killzone 2 brings a new twist in using the rifle, Motion Control. The angle you have the controller tilted will determine how the scope is positioned. This is a nice use of the motion controller for the PS3, not too cliche but not too unoriginal either. The people who were designing the engine for this game must have been paying attention to Call Of Duty 4 because the entire online system is based on Class and Rank, much like how Team Fortress 2 has its Class system and COD 4 has its ranking system. You can be one of 7 classes each with its different jobs.

A Medic is used to revive downed teammates as well as issue health packs to restore health to teammates. A Rifleman specializes in using the vast assortment of rifle’s in the game. The Assault Class will allow you to wear stronger body armor and allow you to have an extra burst of speed. Tactician allows people to place smoke grenades which can be used as spawn points as well as be used to request air support from sentry gun ships. The gunships stay around until they are destroyed. Engineer’s can build as well as reprogram sentry guns as well as construct ammo dumps. The Scout lets you don a cloaking device that is very good i must say, this class uses a sniper rifle the best since you can hide very good with it. The kickback from the sniper rifle will send shocks throughout your cloak. The Scout also allows you to locate all enemies on your radar. And the Saboteur can plant and disarm C4 charges as well as disguise themselves as an enemy soldier.

Introducing Sev and the ISA Soldiers: http://i43.tinypic.com/j8cnz7.jpg

Meet Visari and his Army: http://i44.tinypic.com/28u3drm.jpg

Sniper Scope: http://i43.tinypic.com/8vriqf.jpg

Each class has a Ribbon system, each with it bringing new jobs and abilities to each Class. You can even change your weapons as well as spawn in game with them. No need to go back to the lobby and change weapons or classes. You can also melee with your weapons as well as hold in the L3 button to run.

The map selection in the online multiplayer are all areas from the single player experience, much like how GTA IV did it. However unlike GTA IV, your not getting an entire city to do your warfare, your getting large areas yes, but none are inter connected. The game’s online multiplayer features levels based in cities, deserts, and factories. You can play in many different modes such as Capture & Hold which is a mode where ISA must protect while the Helghast must destroy.

Each time an objective is completed you must defend/destroy the next objective. First team to eliminate or protect all objectives in the time limit wins the round. Search & Retrieve is a mode where there is a centralized object that needs to be captured. Instead of Capture The Flag, you are looking for a “Propaganda Speaker” you bring it back to the selected area. Either team that collects the speaker will have there factions war propaganda being played for all to hear. Whomever picks the speaker up will be labeled and shown on screen. Your HUD will show you the distance and direction you are away or close to the holder. While running with the speaker you can attack people to defend yourself but it is not recommended that you stop and fire, run and gun works well here with a shotgun.

Teams must work together here. Assassination is a spin on the classic “Protect The Leader”, in this mode each team has a mission. One team protects the VIP and the other must eliminate the VIP. The VIP has a scoring meter and when the meter reaches its full score, the protecting team wins the round. If the target is eliminated, the round ends and the enemy team gets the point. Search & Destroy is a mode where there  are objectives that need to be protected/destroyed. You use C4 charges to destroy or you use the Circle button to disarm. All needed charges need to be placed before the countdown begins. The countdown is stopped when one charge is disarmed. Any one in range of the explosions will be killed.

Each mode can be played any of the maps as well as the upcoming Maps that will be released on April 30th for $5.99. More on those as they are released. Each map feels fluid with the many modes and classes in this game, unlike Gears 2 which some modes don’t feel well with a certain map. Multiplayer is strong here, each game consists of 32 players or a total of with bots. 16 Vs. 16 is the format here and auto balancing is in effect. Clan and Playstation Home integration as well are in this game including Trophy support. Given the large size of each team, you can create “Squads” within each team and work together in groups for the common goal. The game has also received 2 major patches for the known bugs and more are to come.

Just like Halo 2 and 3 there is an intense online community to this game, there is a website designed to follow each player, each clan, and every stat imaginable. Unlike Halo however, Killzone 2’s website shows you every instant of every game all in real time. While it doesn’t show the actual footage, what it allows you to do is view everything that occurs in the games while viewing an overview of the map and watching there icons move about. What is great about this feature is that if your constantly being eliminated by a certain player, you can focus your attention to that player by selecting him in the filter.

You can also monitor your clan’s status as well as issue/accept challenges. You can also create and update your profile and track all your trophies and your career stats. The site is updated all in real time with no delays. It syncs to your Playstation Network account, and you use the email account that created your PSN Account to log in. You can view players from all over the world as well as monitor all your friends and or team mates in there games so you can develop strategies to play and win. The website is very well done and it feels like a command center used for war. Hence the name “Killzone Command Center”. You can track your levels as well as ranks and see where you measure up to the games ever growing online community.

There is a ticker tape going across the site that shows you all news related to Killzone 2 as well as check out community sites related to PS3 and Killzone. There is a live message board as well as a section of the site that gives you a all types of media for the game. Another feature about this site is the amount of information available to you in the members area. You get all types of information available to you whether it be kill/death ratio, the weapon used the most, the percentage of games won/loss, you total amount of time in game and which modes you labeled as you favorite. You can also accept and send invites to friends from this site. Great stuff, but why am i mentioning it in the review for the game? Because you can access it from the PS3 web browser as well as on your computer.

In the end, what your getting here is an amazing experience to be had. This is by far the best shooter i have ever played, without question. Goldeneye 007 for the Nintendo 64 has officially be dethroned, a new king of the FPS has arrived and it is very serious. This game is a MUST HAVE for Playstation 3 owners all over the world since it has been available since February.

Killzone 2 is an absolutely tremendous game both online and offline, with its deep scale in detail and attention to the feel of the controls as well as integration of using the Sixaxis controls this game has been really built on and for the Playstation 3. Its a brand new game, a new experience. Unlike Halo 3 which to me feels like an HD Version of Halo 2. Voice Chat support is also included in the game as well, no button holding required also which is nice and there is an indicator telling you who is talking. The definitive Playstation 3 experience has arrived!!

Killzone 2 is NOW available for an MSRP of $59.99. Rated M For Mature.

Hits

-Deep Multiplayer

-Great Graphics

-Great Controls

-Huge Community

-Excellent Music, Voice Over Work, And Cinematics

-Simply put, the single greatest sense of Warfare in a game

Misses

-Short Single Player

-Although KZ2 has a great cinematic experience, some of the characters tend to over act

-No Online Co-Op
———————————————————————
Official Score:

Killzone 2: 5 Stars Out Of 5

Editor’s Choice Award
———————————————————————-
You can buy Killzone 2 by clicking here: http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7808677&style=games&frm=lk_pwradio

Check Out Playstation Blog for more updates on Killzone 2 & Playstation network related news: http://blog.us.playstation.com

Check out the Killzone Command Center Here: http://www.killzone.com

Check out my profile by viewing a picture of it here: http://i44.tinypic.com/2db8p4x.jpg

Read More About The Newest Patch and Fixes Here: http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/04/21/patch-124-fewer-bugs-more-features/

Read More About The Upcoming Killzone 2 Map Pack as well as view a Trailer Here: http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/04/21/killzone-2-dlc-price-and-trailer/

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- John Yomtov

Pro Wrestling has lost another one of its favorite sons. Former AWA world tag team champion, Playboy Buddy Rose was found dead in his home by his wife on Wednesday. Rose is remembered by a lot of fans for a variety of pro wrestling accomplishments. It is fair to say that there will never be anyone like Playboy Buddy Rose in wrestling again.

Buddy Rose’s career spanned three decades wrestling for some of the biggest companies in the world. Rose’s big break came in the early 1980s in the WWE, then known as the WWWF. This is where I remember Buddy Rose. Rose was a top heel and had an incredible series of matches with then champion Bob Backlund. In my opinion, Backlund’s matches with Rose were some of the best of his entire title reign.

See a promotional video of Playboy Buddy Rose from Portland Wrestling by clicking here.

Rose would return to the WWF in the mid-1980s for some sporadic appearances. Rose never achieved the glory of his previous run. Rose’s biggest claim to fame in wrestling may be one match. Ironically, Rose would wrestle this match in a mask. Rose wrestled Tito Santana in the opening match at the first WrestleMania. Rose wore a mask and wrestled as the Executioner.

Rose is probably known most for his series of matches against the Midnight Rockers, Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty. Rose teamed with Doug Somers for a classic run against the Rockers in the AWA in 1985. Two of those matches have been memorialized on WWE home video. One match in particular, a bloodbath from ESPN has become legendary in its own right. Rose’s brief run in the AWA earned him his only world championship, winning the AWA tag team titles with Doug Somers.

See the legendary Midnight Rockers vs. Buddy Rose and Doug Somers bloodbath on the WWE – From the Vault: Shawn Michaels DVD by “>clicking here.

See the Midnight Rockers battle Playboy Buddy Rose and Doug Somers on the WWE – The Shawn Michaels Story: Heartbreak & Triumph DVD by clicking here.

Rose returned the WWE in the early 1990s.for an infamous run. Unlike his past stints in the WWE, Rose worked mainly as an enhancement wrestler. Rose was heavier than ever and didn’t have any high-profile matches. Vince McMahon actually turned Rose into a running joke by continually poking fun at his weight. WWE produced a legendary video at the time entitled, “Buddy Rose Blow Away Diet.” This was Rose’s last national run.

Click here to see the Buddy Rose Blow Away Diet.

Rose was a polarizing figure among wrestlers. Nobody would ever doubt his in-ring credentials. Many wrestlers including Shawn Michaels, Curt Hennig, and the Nasty Boys credit him with helping them when they were younger. Other wrestlers have not been too kind to the Playboy. Like him or not, nobody ever dared take credit away from him as being one of the best while in his prime.

“He knew what his role was, and he always seemed to press the right buttons to make himself a most unique character that stood out from the rest of the pack,” Fink said on his WWE Universe blog.

My condolences go out to the friends and family of the late Playboy Buddy Rose.

Headlocks and Eye Gouges – I will be back on Pro Wrestling Radio this Wednesday night May 6 at 7 PM/EST. I will talk more about Playboy Buddy Rose and I want your thoughts. I’ll also be talking about all of the fallout news in pro wrestling, mma, and more. Call in with a question or comment at -877-800-8834. Listen live at http://www.tvbydemand.com/radio_prowrestling_radioshow.asp 7-8:30 PM/EST this and every Wednesday night.

On the heels of one of the most disappointing UFC main-events in years, Dana White has announced a blockbuster main-event for UFC 101. UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva will face ex-UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin. The fight will co-headline UFC’s debut in Philadelphia, PA at UFC 101 on August 8.

Dana White said the following about the fight. “Forrest loved the idea and said he’d do it right away, and Anderson told me he would fight anyone I wanted him to fight, no matter who it is. So we got the deal…. I talked to (a reporter) the day after (UFC 97) and that’s when I started working on this. At the end of the day, it’s my job to put on the kinds of fights that you in the media will like and that the fans will want to see. Silva and Griffin is the kind of fight that even other fighters are going to go crazy for. That’s what I do for a living. I as a fan didn’t like what I saw (at UFC 97) and I wasn’t kidding when I said I wanted to walk out of the building because of how embarrassed I am. But I can tell you this: I’m going to be counting the days until this fight.”

I love this fight on paper. Arguably, Anderson Silva is coming off of two boring fights. Silva likes to play the waiting game with his opponents, which can lead to dull fights. Griffin is a stand up striker and will push this fight like nobody Silva has fought since Dan Henderson. I don’t know how long this one is going to go, but it is guaranteed to be an exciting fight.

There was some interesting news coming out of this announcement. Maybe the biggest other than the fight, centered around Anderson Silva’s dream opponent. Silva went on record saying that he wishes to fight heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. Emelianenko is under contract elsewhere and has been unable to come to terms with UFC for years. This one is something to keep an eye out for in the future.

The fight will co-headline UFC’s first foray into Philadelphia. UFC 101 will also be headlined by B.J. Penn vs. Kenny Florian for Penn’s lightweight title. The show looks fantastic thus far on paper. I hope for Silva’s sake that he doesn’t go into this fight with the strategy of the last fight. The fans in Philadelphia will likely riot in the streets if they are treated that kind of entertainment. Nonetheless, it should be a hell of a fight and I am glad it is coming here to Philadelphia.

Get UFC tickets at StubHub.com.

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Headlocks and Eye Gouges – I will be back on Pro Wrestling Radio tonight at 7 PM. I will talk about the big matches signed for UFC 101 and more. I’ll also be talking about all of the fallout from WWE Backlash,  and more. Call in with a question or comment at 1-877-800-8834. Listen live at http://www.tvbydemand.com/radio_prowrestling_radioshow.asp 7-8:30 PM/EST this and every Wednesday night.

Every once in awhile a great pro wrestling rivalry spills from the world of make-believe into the world of real life. Considering the fact that Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan are two of the smartest businessmen in pro wrestling, it is surprising as to how much heat the two have outside of the ring. Personal issues aside, Hogan vs. Savage is one of the greatest rivalries of all-time.

There are many factors to consider when labeling a wrestling rivalry as one of the greatest. Longevity, money, fan interest, storylines, and excitements are what I would consider the key factors in a legendary rivalry. Hogan vs. Savage had it all.

On paper this didn’t look like it would be anything other than a routine challenge for Hogan. Savage came into the WWF without ever wrestling on a main stage. Savage didn’t have the monster muscles that most of Hogan’s rivals had at the time. Savage by all standards looked to be a perfect fit for WWF’s Intercontinental title division.

There was something different about Savage than the rest of the other wrestlers relegated to the Intercontinental division. While Savage was an outstanding wrestler, he had that “it” factor that most of the upper mid-carders missed. Savage was an entertainer from the second he appeared on WWF television. Timing and chemistry would play a big part in this classic wrestling feud.

Savage and Hogan would wrestle on house shows right in the midst of his Intercontinental reign. There was something different about these matches. Unlike most Hogan matches, the fans began cheering Savage. The two had immediate chemistry and it was evident from the start that these two would see bigger things in the near future.

Timing was Randy Savage’s best friend. Hogan started to develop an interest in doing movies. At the peak of his fame, Hogan had agreed to star in No Holds Barred. Hogan needed time off and the WWE needed someone to carry the company. Vince McMahon gave Savage his vote of confidence, turned him babyface, and gave him the all-important championship run. The run of course was temporary until Hogan returned.

The seeds were planted a year out from Hogan and Savage’s biggest match. Savage won the WWF title at WrestleMania IV. Hogan came into the ring and put Elizabeth on his shoulders. Savage gave Hogan a subtle glare which planted the seed of doubt into Savage’s babyface intentions. A brilliant idea that most fans didn’t even catch until the tape was replayed a year later.

Hogan finally returned to active wrestling in the summer of 1988. Hogan and Savage teamed up as the “Mega Powers” to take on Andre the Giant and Ted Dibiase at SummerSlam. The two would continue to team on big shows including the Survivor Series. The tension began to mount when Hogan took Savage’s manager Elizabeth as his own manager around this time.

Savage’s legendary jealousy behind the scenes would be the catalyst for one of the greatest feuds of all-time. Savage’s off-screen jealousy was written into the storyline. Savage finally had enough and attacked Hogan following a tag team match on The Main Event. This last attack would finally make the match that had been built up for almost one year between the Mega Powers.

WrestleMania V was entitled, “The Mega Powers Explode.” A year of tension would finally explode into one of the most memorable WrestleMania matches of all time. Elizabeth would take a neutral corner as her two colleagues would battle for the gold. Elizabeth would later be ordered to return to the backstage area after she blocked an offensive move from Hogan.

365 days of tension would end in a little over 17:00 on the biggest stage of the year. Savage looked on his way to victory as he leaped off the top rope and nailed Hogan with his patented flying elbow drop. Hogan miraculously kicked out to the roar of the crowd. After a big boot and a leg drop, Hogan pinned Savage at 17:54 to win his second WWF world title.

As I said earlier, longevity was a key to this classic feud. WrestleMania V would not be their last encounter. Savage would now become the victim of a double-cross at the hands of his old nemesis. Hogan turned on Savage, Sting, and Lex Luger in WCW to join the N.W.O. Once again these two legends would be a part of one of the biggest money-making angles in pro wrestling history.

The two would continue their feud with several matches over the next couple of years in WCW. Due to the inconsistent booking, the two actually reunited in one of the many N.W.O. stables. Their final go-around ended when Hogan regained the WCW title at Savage’s expense in 1998. In over 10 years of matches, Savage would never pin Hogan.

Behind the scenes, this feud has become legendary in the wrestling business. It is hard at times to decipher what is real or what is a work when it comes to these two. Savage’s wife Elizabeth left Randy and stayed with the Hogan family for awhile. This would cause an enormous amount of tension between the two colleagues.

As much as Savage as trashed Hogan over the years, he isn’t a stupid man. Savage and Hogan have both made several attempts through the decade to make money together. The closest the two came was when Savage wrestled briefly for TNA Wrestling. TNA was negotiating with Hogan at the time. Savage quit the company claiming that he wouldn’t share a locker room with Hogan. To this day nobody will ever know if this was all part of the angle or if this was the result of TNA not being big enough for the two of them.

No matter what you think of Hogan or Savage, together they combined for one of the greatest rivalries of all-time. Every great hero needs a great villain, and Savage may have been the greatest of Hogan’s villains. It is this combination of fiction, fact, and drama that allows me to honor Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage as one of wrestling’s greatest rivalries.

Order the WWE Hulk Hogan DVD Anthology set by clicking here.

Pre-order the WWE Randy Savage Macho Madness DVD set by clicking here.

It seems surreal that Henrik Lundqvist first took the ice at Madison Square Garden about four years ago. It was natural for this great goalie to become a fan favorite in relative quick fashion, especially after taking three points from the hated New Jersey Devils in his first two games in the NHL. The stage had been set for “Hank” to become the next Mike Richter in New York. He would be the stone wall between the two red pipes. Shortly after his debut, the media in New York bestowed him the nickname, “King.” Why wouldn’t they? Since that time, he has become the first and only goalie to post four consecutive 30 win seasons in his first four seasons in the league.

However, there has been something amiss with King Lundqvist of Sweden’s play. When the weather starts getting hot, the King doesn’t seem to play like a 30 game winner. He plays like the young, inexperienced goalie that he truly is. He certainly isn’t at the caliber of his river-rival, Martin Brodeur. At the ripe old age of 27, I know full well that provided Henrik stays healthy, he can eventually get to the status of a Brodeur or a Roy. My issue is, four seasons is plenty for an athlete to come into his own and be ready for the playoffs, to show how clutch of a player he can be in the playoffs. In the past two games, Henrik hasn’t shown that side of his play.

Game four was where it began. While he faced 39 shots, he let only one goal through. That’s the stellar, phenomenal play one would expect from the second coming of Christ between the pipes. You can’t expect that to last too long, and I do fully put that on the Ranger defensemen’s shoulders. They needed to do a much better job of stopping shots from getting through to Lundqvist. Perhaps, dare I say it, hitting the man with the puck just might jar that black piece of rubber loose, and let you take it back. I sat in Madison Square Garden for that game, screaming until I lost my voice “HIT HIM!” And, naturally, they didn’t hear me, and they didn’t listen. Maybe John Tortorella should yell at his team, rather than the display he put on during Game Five.

While we’re bringing up Game Five, let’s get back onto Hank’s case. Carrying over from his amazing display of 38 saves, Lundqvist only saw 14 shots in two periods of work, and let 4 slip past him and into the net. Backup goalie and natural disaster Stephen Valiquette took over for the third period and stopped all 7 shots he faced. To top it off, I personally filed a Missing Persons report in Washington for the Rangers offense.

Henrik’s fantastic plan of “let the puck slip past the line, and hope no one notices” didn’t seem to work in Game Six. In twenty shots, Lundqvist let five shots bank not only into the net, but right through his glove side. Each of the five shots went right over his glove side shoulder. If not for my girlfriend physically restraining me, I would have taken my computer and smashed it through my brand new HDTV. Did he not realize that the Capitals were going to expose his weakness? Sure, he had some unbelievable saves earlier in the series using that same glove. But it was bound to happen for him. People would find out where he lets his goals through, and they would expose him on it. To the tune of five goals in another two periods of work. Once again, Valiquette comes to save the day, and blanks out the Capitals for the third period.

While the Rangers didn’t do much to back up Lundqvist for the second game in a row, this just shows how Henrik hasn’t matured into a goalie you would want in a playoff situation. At this point, I would still take Brodeur over Lundqvist in the playoffs. This all coming from a person who worships the ground that this “King” walks on. He’s blown two games in a row, where the Rangers could have sealed the deal and moved on to playing Boston. Now they’re backed against a wall. They’re playing like the team people expected them to play like prior to the series. The Capitals have all the momentum in the world, and Henrik Lundqvist has all the weight of the media scrutiny resting on his shoulders. If he loses this one, when does the talk start where we question his ability in the playoffs? Do we give him another two or three years to prove himself after this before the media turns on him? Or do we just get all over him starting tomorrow (provided the Rangers lose this crucial game)?

Personally, I hope he pulls it out. I like him as a player, and I found him to be one of the classiest, friendliest athletes I’ve ever met. All that aside, it’s time for Henrik to step his game up. He needs a win tonight more than he’s ever needed a win in his NHL career. It’s just up to him to get his act together and stop a Capitals team that he’s already shown earlier in the series exactly who the King of the ice is.

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Erik Espenberg is a native New Yorker who is an avid fan of the Yankees, Rangers, and Jets. When not writing for Camel Clutch, he can be found killing his brain cells playing assorted video games. He can be contacted at camelclutcherik@gmail.com .

It was a newsworthy night for WWE RAW. Batista vs. Randy Orton for the WWE world championship was announced for WWE Judgment Day. Batista and the Big Show battled it out in the main-event for the chance to challenge Orton. Batista defeated Show via count out for the win. The former Evolution pals face off in a rematch from Armageddon 2008.

Both Batista and Orton had big matches on RAW last night. Batista defeated Big Show in the main-event. John Cena returned and a surprised Big Show, who was counted out as Cena stared him down. RAW ended with Show and Cena continuing to stare each other down. Cena’s appearance was a bit of a surprise considering the way his match ended at WWE Backlash and an earlier angle.

Randy Orton earlier defeated MVP by disqualification. MVP looks like the big benefit of the draft thus far. MVP confronted Orton at the start of the show. Vickie Guerrero ordered a match between the two. The two had a good match going until Shane McMahon ran in and beat the crap out of Orton with a kendo stick. Orton vs. Shane O’ was announced for next week’s RAW.

Batista and Orton last wrestled each other at Armageddon 2008. It surprised me when looking back that the match was their only big encounter in the WWE. The two have a long history going back to their days in Evolution together. However, they have never really had the lengthy one-on-one series most would have suspected. I am guessing that these two will likely have a series of matches before Triple H returns this summer.

RAW had a lot of good things with a few bad things last night. Kofi Kingston defeated the Brian Kendrick in a hell of a match. These guys really tore it up and had a fast-paced match. MVP is a breath of fresh air. Initially the fans were silent as a he confronted Orton, but he turned it around quickly. I don’t know how far he is going to get, but it is nice to see someone new in the spotlight. Matt Hardy is now using the old Bob Orton gimmick and wearing a cast on his broken hand. Hardy beat Goldust using the cast.

Earlier in the show the Miz challenged Cena to a match. The announcers said he wasn’t there, Cena never showed up, and Miz was awarded the win. This made no sense once Cena actually did walk out and show his face. Why would he theoretically just sit back there and let Miz run him down? Maybe it was to “surprise” Big Show, but it just came off a little too sketchy to me.

I don’t know how many times I am going to rant about Shane McMahon. I haven’t seen anything like this shoved down our throats since the Lex Express. Nobody is buying this, unless you count fans cheering for kendo stick shots. It isn’t that Shane is a bad wrestler. It just kills the credibility of Orton every week by having to sell even a little for McMahon. Not too mention the fact that the rub of Shane has practically killed Triple H’s popularity. Let’s hope next week is the end of this ridiculous storyline.

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Headlocks and Eye Gouges – I will be back on Pro Wrestling Radio this Wednesday April 28 at 7 PM/EST. I will talk about Batitsa-Orton, Orton-Shane, Cena-Show, MVP’s new push, and and I want your thoughts. I’ll also be talking about all of the fallout news in pro wrestling, mma, and more. Call in with a question or comment at -877-800-8834. Listen live at http://www.tvbydemand.com/radio_prowrestling_radioshow.asp 7-8:30 PM/EST this and every Wednesday night.

WWE SmackDown announced a tremendous main-event featuring Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Jericho vs. John Morrison vs. Great Khali vs. Rey Mysterio in a Scramble Match for Friday night. The winner will face Edge for the title at Judgment Day 2008.

Ric Flair’s son Reid was arrested for a third time over the weekend. Reid Fliehr was charged with driving while impaired and driving with a revoked license. Heroin was also found in his car. This is a very sad and tragic story. Heroin is a serious thing. Sadly, he has probably kissed any chance of a WWE career good-bye.

Matt Hardy indeed suffered a broken hand during his match at WWE Backlash.

Former TNA star, Lance Hoyt has signed a WWE deal.

Look for the Nasty Boys to head to TNA to feud with Team 3-D.

Triple H is expected to be out until SummerSlam.

Charlie Haas and Mike Knox have formed a team called the “Hard Knox Connection.”

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