by Alfonso Colasuonno
SMACKDOWN
I like the heel turn for Batista. I think he is well suited to play as a heel and brings out more of his personality. But then again, heels usually have a hell of a lot more personality than one-dimensional faces.
John Morrison is floundering at the mid-card level. What a waste of talent. I'd like to see him drop the title to Drew McIntyre and then go on to World Title contention.
It's good to see Dolph Ziggler finally out of intercontinental title challenges. Give someone else a chance.
Matt Hardy is only biding his time until he gets a pink slip. Or at least, he should.
CM Punk is the best thing going on Smackdown. My attention meter always goes up when he's on the mic. Bringing in Luke Gallows (Festus) to work with him in the straight edge is better than you angle is genius. Plus he's a hell of a wrestler, too.
Eric Escobar doesn't seem to be that interesting a wrestler. I hope he doesn't feud with Morrison.
I'd like to see Kane feud with The Undertaker. It might be rehashing old history, but it would be fun.
Cryme Tyme are no Harlem Heat, that's for sure.
I think R. Truth should feud with CM Punk for a while more. He's a real talent and the fans love him. He should get a real push to at least IC level.
Haven't seen the best wrestler in the world of wrestling, The Great Khali, in a while. The world of technical wrestling isn't the same without this dude.
Slam Master J needs to be on air more. If for no other reason than to laugh at white guys pretending to be down.
RAW -
The Miz is getting to be real annoying. Usually I side with the heels, but in his case, he's irritating as a mother--- The only time I really was high on him was when he was feuding with Cena.
Bit of news from my friend James Boesen - Sheamus is getting a push because he's one of Triple H's friends and Kofi Kingston is getting a push solely because he's Black. Dubious reasons aside, it's good to shake things up.
I hope Sheamus puts Cena through a table at TLC. All the six year olds in Cena shirts would start crying. That'd be worth it.
Carlito said what every non-mark was thinkiing on the last RAW.
Mark Henry has to be the worst rapper ever. Worse than Dee Dee Ramone.
DX really needs to turn on each other. I'm bored with them.
Has Evan Bourne ever said one thing on the mic in all his tenure with WWE?
Chris Masters' performance art was impressive.
Hornswoggle is ridiculous. Him and Santino need to be fired. I hate all these ill-attempts at humor on RAW.
ECW -
Seems WWE agreed with my last post, Christian will be facing Shelton Benjamin. Should be a hell of a match.
Regal and his friends are instant channel changers. Boring.
So, there's a new tag team in ECW - Caylen Croft and Trent Barreta. Jerishow should be shaking in their boots.
Vance Archer seems like a nobody. He's not the next Sheamus or Swagger.
Where is Tommy Dreamer?
Zack Ryder is reading poetry now? When is Walt Whitman's corpse going to be given a contract by WWE?
TNA -
Why is Matt Morgan being pushed back in the shuffle by teaming with Hernandez against Team 3D? He's a bonafide talent.
I hope Samoa Joe doesn't get released. He's the best TNA original. He's fierce.
I'm excited about Hogan entering TNA. I heard he might bring in Psycho Sid and Ric Flair too. That'd be great. Nash was also insinuating Scott Hall might come back last night. Imagine a reformed NWO? I'd love it.
Thank God the Main Event Mafia is no more. It was a horrible gimmick. It was OK when it started but got old real fast.
Scott Steiner is really irritating. It's nice to see Bobby Lashley kick him around.
Hamada vs. Awesome Kong would be a hell of a match. Either would be more deserving of the Knockouts Title than ODB.
Why are Raven and Stevie Richards jobbing? They should feud with some young guys like the Motor City Machine Guns.
So, Daniels got his push. I'd like to see Daniels pin AJ Styles. I never liked Daniels as a face. I think he works a lot better as a heel.
Jesse Neal's mohawk is sick.
Abyss should get back in the title contention.
It's good to see the Motor City Machine Guns getting a push. They are the best wrestlers in TNA.
Cody Deaner is so ridiculous he should be on RAW.
D'Angelo Dinero is quickly becoming one of my favorites in TNA.
It looks like Desmond Wolfe has upgraded his offensive repetoire since I last saw him at an ROH show. He has more moves than just the uppercut and lariat now. I think he's annoying. I don't think his character has much depth.
I really like Homicide's loco antics. He'd be great as X-Division champion and would give World Elite more credibility with them already holding the Global and Tag Titles.
Face or heel, I don't like Kurt Angle. As Vince McMahon said upon his release, he's not someone people tune in to watch.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
My Perspective
by Alfonso Colasuonno
SMACKDOWN -
After all the great work that John Morrison has been doing on Smackdown - it's a little depressing seeing him as the 4th face on the totem pole behind the Undertaker, Batista, and Rey Mysterio as evident by him being left off the Fatal 4-Way.
Props to Smackdown for bringing some new talent straight to the airwaves instead of the usual channel of ECW. Drew McIntyre and Erik Escobar are intriguing, if not yet fully realized, heels.
On that note, it's nice to see Vickie Guerrero back on the air in the managerial role with Escobar.
I like the whole Teddy Long on ice angle. It's nice to see Mr. McMahon scheming as the evil boss. What I'm really hoping for is the Undertaker to take retribution on McMahon. That would be epic.
It's amazing how the Undertaker still has the same gimmick he had in 1991.
I personally think Smackdown needs more powerful heels. When Ziggler is your #2 singles wrestling heel...you have a problem. I think it's time Jerishow lose the titles and Jericho makes a run at a face champion.
You know, it may be my nature as a rebel, but I just see nothing spectacular in the Hart Dynasty, tradition be damned.
Smackdown needs Edge to come back. He would add to an already great show.
RAW -
I love the guest hosts...it turned Raw from the stepcousin of Smackdown to its equal. I always am eager to tune in and see how they'll be drawn into the show. Even if most of the time its lame - Roethlisberger, Rev. Al, and Cedric the Entertainer were pretty blah. Still it adds spice.
Personally, I thought they should have ceded the US Title to Jack Swagger rather than The Miz. I think he has more upside.
I really think someone other than Randy Orton or John Cena should be the champion on RAW. Those two are BORING.
Without Maryse - Raw's without its top diva....I don't buy Mickie James vs. Alicia Fox as champion caliber talent. I think Beth Phoenix should have another run at the title. She is the only legitimate diva on RAW.
I call for Big Dick Johnson to become an honory member of DX. After all they already have the world's biggest member shirts.
Haven't seen Carlito in a while. I think he'd be a good guy to feud with Kofi Kingston.
It's nice to see a diva with curves - Jillian is my pick for thicky thick girl of the year. Too bad her voice is abysmal.
When is MVP ever going to get his push?
I personally think Santino's antics are starting to wear thin.
DX isn't cutting edge anymore...they need to amp it up.
ECW -
I always find the Abraham Washington show to be entertaining. Too bad it isn't shown every week on ECW.
Christian is still champion. I'd love to see face v. face in Christian v. Shelton Benjamin. Maybe if Shelton gets the best of Sheamus he'll be in line. Better than Regal or his silent bodyguards getting a title shot.
On that note, I think an interesting twist would be Kozlov and/ or Jackson turning on Regal for getting undeserving title shots while they don't.
I think Sheamus has some promise. Yoshi Tatsu has some nice moves. But Tyler Reks is a bust.
Tommy Dreamer seems lost in the shuffle. I'd like him to feud with Zack Ryder.
TNA -
I have to say I like TNA more than WWE. TNA seems more intense and WWE is a little too glitzy and kiddy. Sort of like the Playstation vs. Nintendo debate.
I like the pushes given to Hernandez and Matt Morgan - it rejuvenates the young talent in the fed. A great way to keep building momentum.
Abyss - Mick Foley in a Monster's Ball match should be pretty exciitng. Let's see if Foley can be the hardcore legend once again.
I think Mick Foley should join the Main Event Mafia with Booker T leaving. Either that or dismantle the MEM all together. I think the gimmick is old. It's also burying Samoa Joe - TNA's best homegrown talent.
The knockouts division is insane in TNA. I love watching these women wrestle. I actually like to watch the knockouts more than the guys in TNA. The matches actually last longer than 2 minutes too. WWE is getting destroyed in this regard. How about that....actual angles for lady wrestlers? Try it, WWE!
Kevin Nash has to be one of the most entertaining wrestlers of all time. I'd love him to be part of a breakup of the MEM by his greed.
How about the knockouts tag division...looking pretty revolutionary. I like it.
Lacey Von Erich is good, but I prefer Angelina Love. I think she captured the Beautiful People snob attitude perfectly.
World Elite are a poorly thrown together group of jobbers whose only benefit to TNA is the ability to draw out more USA chants than Hacksaw Jim.
I wish Dr. Stevie would actually be given a push. Or a new gimmick. He's a great worker.
Jeff Jarrett - we hardly miss ye.
Daniels needs a push badly.
Sting should retire as champion at Bound for Glory. It'd be a great way to go out.
Why isn't Shark Boy on TNA. He needs a push. (Sarcasm alert)
SMACKDOWN -
After all the great work that John Morrison has been doing on Smackdown - it's a little depressing seeing him as the 4th face on the totem pole behind the Undertaker, Batista, and Rey Mysterio as evident by him being left off the Fatal 4-Way.
Props to Smackdown for bringing some new talent straight to the airwaves instead of the usual channel of ECW. Drew McIntyre and Erik Escobar are intriguing, if not yet fully realized, heels.
On that note, it's nice to see Vickie Guerrero back on the air in the managerial role with Escobar.
I like the whole Teddy Long on ice angle. It's nice to see Mr. McMahon scheming as the evil boss. What I'm really hoping for is the Undertaker to take retribution on McMahon. That would be epic.
It's amazing how the Undertaker still has the same gimmick he had in 1991.
I personally think Smackdown needs more powerful heels. When Ziggler is your #2 singles wrestling heel...you have a problem. I think it's time Jerishow lose the titles and Jericho makes a run at a face champion.
You know, it may be my nature as a rebel, but I just see nothing spectacular in the Hart Dynasty, tradition be damned.
Smackdown needs Edge to come back. He would add to an already great show.
RAW -
I love the guest hosts...it turned Raw from the stepcousin of Smackdown to its equal. I always am eager to tune in and see how they'll be drawn into the show. Even if most of the time its lame - Roethlisberger, Rev. Al, and Cedric the Entertainer were pretty blah. Still it adds spice.
Personally, I thought they should have ceded the US Title to Jack Swagger rather than The Miz. I think he has more upside.
I really think someone other than Randy Orton or John Cena should be the champion on RAW. Those two are BORING.
Without Maryse - Raw's without its top diva....I don't buy Mickie James vs. Alicia Fox as champion caliber talent. I think Beth Phoenix should have another run at the title. She is the only legitimate diva on RAW.
I call for Big Dick Johnson to become an honory member of DX. After all they already have the world's biggest member shirts.
Haven't seen Carlito in a while. I think he'd be a good guy to feud with Kofi Kingston.
It's nice to see a diva with curves - Jillian is my pick for thicky thick girl of the year. Too bad her voice is abysmal.
When is MVP ever going to get his push?
I personally think Santino's antics are starting to wear thin.
DX isn't cutting edge anymore...they need to amp it up.
ECW -
I always find the Abraham Washington show to be entertaining. Too bad it isn't shown every week on ECW.
Christian is still champion. I'd love to see face v. face in Christian v. Shelton Benjamin. Maybe if Shelton gets the best of Sheamus he'll be in line. Better than Regal or his silent bodyguards getting a title shot.
On that note, I think an interesting twist would be Kozlov and/ or Jackson turning on Regal for getting undeserving title shots while they don't.
I think Sheamus has some promise. Yoshi Tatsu has some nice moves. But Tyler Reks is a bust.
Tommy Dreamer seems lost in the shuffle. I'd like him to feud with Zack Ryder.
TNA -
I have to say I like TNA more than WWE. TNA seems more intense and WWE is a little too glitzy and kiddy. Sort of like the Playstation vs. Nintendo debate.
I like the pushes given to Hernandez and Matt Morgan - it rejuvenates the young talent in the fed. A great way to keep building momentum.
Abyss - Mick Foley in a Monster's Ball match should be pretty exciitng. Let's see if Foley can be the hardcore legend once again.
I think Mick Foley should join the Main Event Mafia with Booker T leaving. Either that or dismantle the MEM all together. I think the gimmick is old. It's also burying Samoa Joe - TNA's best homegrown talent.
The knockouts division is insane in TNA. I love watching these women wrestle. I actually like to watch the knockouts more than the guys in TNA. The matches actually last longer than 2 minutes too. WWE is getting destroyed in this regard. How about that....actual angles for lady wrestlers? Try it, WWE!
Kevin Nash has to be one of the most entertaining wrestlers of all time. I'd love him to be part of a breakup of the MEM by his greed.
How about the knockouts tag division...looking pretty revolutionary. I like it.
Lacey Von Erich is good, but I prefer Angelina Love. I think she captured the Beautiful People snob attitude perfectly.
World Elite are a poorly thrown together group of jobbers whose only benefit to TNA is the ability to draw out more USA chants than Hacksaw Jim.
I wish Dr. Stevie would actually be given a push. Or a new gimmick. He's a great worker.
Jeff Jarrett - we hardly miss ye.
Daniels needs a push badly.
Sting should retire as champion at Bound for Glory. It'd be a great way to go out.
Why isn't Shark Boy on TNA. He needs a push. (Sarcasm alert)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wrestlemania X Review
by Alfonso Colasuonno
So, we've come to the final classic PPV review for now. I am done watching the first two volumes of Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology. Here goes!
Overall - Ladies and gentlemen, Hulk Hogan has left the WWF...and no, the world didn't fall apart. Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Yokozuna, Razor Ramon, Owen Hart....these are the new stars replacing luminaries such as Hogan, Piper, Savage, Warrior, and Andre. The wrestling is top notch on this card. If only the personalities were a little shinier. Alas, that's the problem with the post-Hogan, pre-Attitude WWF era. A whole bunch of talent but no shining star.
Bret Hart v. Owen Hart - Absolute classic of a scientific match between brothers. Just two great technicians working against each other with the added heat of sibling rivalry.
Bam Bam Bigelow and Luna Vachon v. Doink and Dink - Doink is now a face, but he's still just as annoying. It's a shame to see Luna Vachon go against a midget instead of Alundra Blayze or even Bertha Faye.
Falls Count Anywhere Match - Macho Man Randy Savage v. Crush - Not just your average falls count anywhere match, this is more like a Texas Death Match....you have 60 seconds to get back to the ring after a pinfall. It was pretty gutsy action. I liked it a lot. However, Savage was definitely downgraded by facing Crush...just two years prior he fought Flair for the title. I guess he had to go to WCW.
Women's Championship Match - Alundra Blayze v. Leilani Kai - Alundra Blayze is 100% more talented than any diva in the WWE today. A pleasure to watch. Leilani Kai is looking like a has-been by now.
Tag Team Championship Match - Quebecers v. Men on a Mission - Blatant misuse of Raven as Johnny Polo, the Quebecers manager. Men on a Mission's manager did the absolute worst rap ever in accompanying his guys to the ring. He makes R. Truth look like Nas.
WWF Title Match - Yokozuna v. Lex Luger - A pretty slow paced affair. A lot of the time is spent with Yoko actually doing submissions. In the end Luger gets screwed out of the title by Mr. Perfect, rekindling their rivalry...this time with Luger as the face and Perfect as the heel.
Earthquake v. Adam Bomb - Why was this even on here. No one cares. At least it was a squash for the Quake.
Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Title - Razor Ramon v. Shawn Michaels - Both men made claims for the title going into the match but only one would emerge the undisputed IC champ. Razor defeated Shawn in a nice, gruesome battle that would set the precedent for ladder matches at Wrestlemania and in the WWE. Also, watch out for the blatant butt shot of Shawn Michaels. That's more of him than I wanted to see.
WWE Championship Match - Yokozuna v. Bret Hart - After all the highlights of the night, the main event was rather anti-climatic as Hitman and Yokozuna met for the title for the second Wrestlemania in a row. It was a good match with all the faces celebrating with Bret after the match after he pinned Yokozuna who fell while attempting a banzai.
So, we've come to the final classic PPV review for now. I am done watching the first two volumes of Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology. Here goes!
Overall - Ladies and gentlemen, Hulk Hogan has left the WWF...and no, the world didn't fall apart. Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Yokozuna, Razor Ramon, Owen Hart....these are the new stars replacing luminaries such as Hogan, Piper, Savage, Warrior, and Andre. The wrestling is top notch on this card. If only the personalities were a little shinier. Alas, that's the problem with the post-Hogan, pre-Attitude WWF era. A whole bunch of talent but no shining star.
Bret Hart v. Owen Hart - Absolute classic of a scientific match between brothers. Just two great technicians working against each other with the added heat of sibling rivalry.
Bam Bam Bigelow and Luna Vachon v. Doink and Dink - Doink is now a face, but he's still just as annoying. It's a shame to see Luna Vachon go against a midget instead of Alundra Blayze or even Bertha Faye.
Falls Count Anywhere Match - Macho Man Randy Savage v. Crush - Not just your average falls count anywhere match, this is more like a Texas Death Match....you have 60 seconds to get back to the ring after a pinfall. It was pretty gutsy action. I liked it a lot. However, Savage was definitely downgraded by facing Crush...just two years prior he fought Flair for the title. I guess he had to go to WCW.
Women's Championship Match - Alundra Blayze v. Leilani Kai - Alundra Blayze is 100% more talented than any diva in the WWE today. A pleasure to watch. Leilani Kai is looking like a has-been by now.
Tag Team Championship Match - Quebecers v. Men on a Mission - Blatant misuse of Raven as Johnny Polo, the Quebecers manager. Men on a Mission's manager did the absolute worst rap ever in accompanying his guys to the ring. He makes R. Truth look like Nas.
WWF Title Match - Yokozuna v. Lex Luger - A pretty slow paced affair. A lot of the time is spent with Yoko actually doing submissions. In the end Luger gets screwed out of the title by Mr. Perfect, rekindling their rivalry...this time with Luger as the face and Perfect as the heel.
Earthquake v. Adam Bomb - Why was this even on here. No one cares. At least it was a squash for the Quake.
Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Title - Razor Ramon v. Shawn Michaels - Both men made claims for the title going into the match but only one would emerge the undisputed IC champ. Razor defeated Shawn in a nice, gruesome battle that would set the precedent for ladder matches at Wrestlemania and in the WWE. Also, watch out for the blatant butt shot of Shawn Michaels. That's more of him than I wanted to see.
WWE Championship Match - Yokozuna v. Bret Hart - After all the highlights of the night, the main event was rather anti-climatic as Hitman and Yokozuna met for the title for the second Wrestlemania in a row. It was a good match with all the faces celebrating with Bret after the match after he pinned Yokozuna who fell while attempting a banzai.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Wrestlemania VIII and IX Reviews
by Alfonso Colasuonno
Wrestlemania VIII -
Overall - The WWE apparently went on a major spending cut as the roster appears to be thinned considerably since WM VII. This is the beginning of the transitionary years as Hogan and Savage are giving way to new stars by the names of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels that would dominate the transition era between Hulkamania and Attitude. Ric Flair was brought in for his first and brief WWF run. Bobby Heenan is still hilarious as the now full-time broadcaster. However, this card is weak compared to the last two Wrestlemanias. A lot of the card is spent on fluff and the match quality hasn't really improved despite there being only 9 matches instead of 14+ like in the last 4 Wrestlemanias. The beginning of the post-WM VII decline starts here.
"El Matador" Tito Santana vs. Shawn Michaels - The slightly repackaged Santana goes up against free from Rockerdom Michaels. Interesting to hear the Sexy Boy theme sung by Sherri instead of the standard Shawn version we're all familiar with.
Legion of Doom Promo - They bring back Paul Ellering. Not really relevant to the card but awesome nonetheless.
Jake the Snake v. The Undertaker - Victim #2 on The Undertaker's streak. Jake puts a good performance up. Months later he'd be fighting Sting at Halloween Havoc 92 in rival WCW.
Intercontinental Title Match - Bret Hart v. Roddy Piper - Weird to see two faces of such startling popularity go up against each other. However, this match was no Hogan-Warrior. Piper almost turned heel in this match again when he thought about striking the Hitman with a bell when the ref was down but thought better of it. I think Piper is one of the few guys who can bring as much personality to a face role as a heel role.
Lex Luger Interview - Fresh off of losing to Sting at Superbrawl II - Luger is introduced to the WWF.
The Mountie, The Repo Man and the Nasty Boys v. Sgt. Slaughter, Big Bossman, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and Virgil - Ironically enough, not one of these performers would receive a paycheck for Wrestlemania IX one year later....guess this was their going out of business match. Some hilarious descriptions of the heels by former Family Feud host Ray Combs prior to the match.
World Title Match - Ric Flair v. Randy Savage - A good solid match like all bouts between Flair and Savage. I've never seen two more evenly matched wrestlers than the Flair - Savage bouts.
Tatanka v. Rick Martel - The only Native American superstar of the 90s who had any luck (take that Charlie Norris) takes out The Model in a blah match.
Tag Team Title Match - Money Inc. v. The Natural Disasters - Natural Disasters look good in this match but Money Inc. escape with the belts. I guess Vince McMahon really doesn't like to put over the big boys.
Owen Hart v. Skinner - First off, who the hell is Skinner? Second - this match is a joke - Owen easily beats Skinner. Boring.
Hulk Hogan v. Sid Justice - A solid match with Hogan getting a DQ win over Sid. Not one of Hogan's better main events. Remarkably Sid kicked out of the legdrop. That's about the only thing of note in this match.
WRESTLEMANIA IX -
Overall - Flair is now gone, Savage is in the announce booth, and Hogan is reduced to chasing the tag belts instead of the world title. The end is nigh for the old WWF. However, signs of hope emerge - Shawn Michaels is now the IC champ and Bret Hart is the world champ entering this PPV. The deck has been handed to a new generation. Ultimately, the rest of Hitman and Shawn's colleagues leave a lot to be desired. A pretty weak PPV. Not because of the quality of the matches which is actually pretty good, but because of the lack of superstar talent.
Intercontinental Title - Shawn Michaels v. Tatanka - Tatanka continues his unbeaten streak, but unfortunately he wins by countout. Luna Vachon and Sherri go at it and that looked like it would be an exciting match. This match was a long one and well paced.
The Headshrinkers v. The Steiner Brothers - Scott Steiner gets brutalized by the Samoans for the majority of the match but ends up winning with a frankensteiner. Personally, I wish the LOD didn't leave the fed and the Steiners and LOD met up at a Wrestlemania. Why let Japanese fans have all the fun between the two greatest tag teams ever.
Crush v. Doink the Clown - Doink the Clown is the absolute worst gimmick ever in WWE history. Yes, he surpasses the Red Rooster and the Gobbledy Gooker.
Razor Ramon v. Bob Backlund - The Bad Guy gets an easy win against the post-golden boy Backlund but not yet batshit insane chicken winging presidential candidate Backlund.
Tag Team Title Match - Money Inc. v. Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake - A very good match. Hogan works well in this tag match. Money Inc. try to escape the match by leaving the ring but are forced back on threat of stripping them of the belts. Say what you want about Hogan but I'm always pleased watching his matches. No, he's not a scientific or aerial genius or even that great a brawler but he has star power.
Lex Luger v. Mr. Perfect - A solid match, but I wasn't very interested in it. I think the street fight at the end of the match where Shawn Michaels nailed Perfect was more interesting than the match.
Undertaker v. Giant Gonzalez - The 8 foot beast knocks out the Undertaker with chloroform. Miraculously Taker gets up after being wheeled out on a stretcher and dominates Gonzalez in this DQ win. I never knew Taker had a DQ win at Wrestlemania...I always thought they were pinfalls. What I really wanted to see was El Gigante get tombstoned but that didn't happen. No "You can't wrestle" chants for the Giant either. I really liked this match to see how Undertaker would deal with a giant beast like Gonzalez.
World Championship Match - Yokozuna v. Bret Hart - Amazingly it's Yoko v. Bret and Hulk Hogan ends up with the spotlight and his 5th WWF title run at the end of the night. When Yoko and Bret were going at it it reminded me of some of those good Hogan - Vader matches in WCW. Bret loses the title when Fuji throws some salt in his eyes but Fuji then challenges Hogan and attempts to do the same to him, only to miss and hit Yokozuna's eyes. Bang. Hogan picks up the title, upstaging Bret Hart in what would be his final Wrestlemania until X-8.
Wrestlemania VIII -
Overall - The WWE apparently went on a major spending cut as the roster appears to be thinned considerably since WM VII. This is the beginning of the transitionary years as Hogan and Savage are giving way to new stars by the names of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels that would dominate the transition era between Hulkamania and Attitude. Ric Flair was brought in for his first and brief WWF run. Bobby Heenan is still hilarious as the now full-time broadcaster. However, this card is weak compared to the last two Wrestlemanias. A lot of the card is spent on fluff and the match quality hasn't really improved despite there being only 9 matches instead of 14+ like in the last 4 Wrestlemanias. The beginning of the post-WM VII decline starts here.
"El Matador" Tito Santana vs. Shawn Michaels - The slightly repackaged Santana goes up against free from Rockerdom Michaels. Interesting to hear the Sexy Boy theme sung by Sherri instead of the standard Shawn version we're all familiar with.
Legion of Doom Promo - They bring back Paul Ellering. Not really relevant to the card but awesome nonetheless.
Jake the Snake v. The Undertaker - Victim #2 on The Undertaker's streak. Jake puts a good performance up. Months later he'd be fighting Sting at Halloween Havoc 92 in rival WCW.
Intercontinental Title Match - Bret Hart v. Roddy Piper - Weird to see two faces of such startling popularity go up against each other. However, this match was no Hogan-Warrior. Piper almost turned heel in this match again when he thought about striking the Hitman with a bell when the ref was down but thought better of it. I think Piper is one of the few guys who can bring as much personality to a face role as a heel role.
Lex Luger Interview - Fresh off of losing to Sting at Superbrawl II - Luger is introduced to the WWF.
The Mountie, The Repo Man and the Nasty Boys v. Sgt. Slaughter, Big Bossman, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and Virgil - Ironically enough, not one of these performers would receive a paycheck for Wrestlemania IX one year later....guess this was their going out of business match. Some hilarious descriptions of the heels by former Family Feud host Ray Combs prior to the match.
World Title Match - Ric Flair v. Randy Savage - A good solid match like all bouts between Flair and Savage. I've never seen two more evenly matched wrestlers than the Flair - Savage bouts.
Tatanka v. Rick Martel - The only Native American superstar of the 90s who had any luck (take that Charlie Norris) takes out The Model in a blah match.
Tag Team Title Match - Money Inc. v. The Natural Disasters - Natural Disasters look good in this match but Money Inc. escape with the belts. I guess Vince McMahon really doesn't like to put over the big boys.
Owen Hart v. Skinner - First off, who the hell is Skinner? Second - this match is a joke - Owen easily beats Skinner. Boring.
Hulk Hogan v. Sid Justice - A solid match with Hogan getting a DQ win over Sid. Not one of Hogan's better main events. Remarkably Sid kicked out of the legdrop. That's about the only thing of note in this match.
WRESTLEMANIA IX -
Overall - Flair is now gone, Savage is in the announce booth, and Hogan is reduced to chasing the tag belts instead of the world title. The end is nigh for the old WWF. However, signs of hope emerge - Shawn Michaels is now the IC champ and Bret Hart is the world champ entering this PPV. The deck has been handed to a new generation. Ultimately, the rest of Hitman and Shawn's colleagues leave a lot to be desired. A pretty weak PPV. Not because of the quality of the matches which is actually pretty good, but because of the lack of superstar talent.
Intercontinental Title - Shawn Michaels v. Tatanka - Tatanka continues his unbeaten streak, but unfortunately he wins by countout. Luna Vachon and Sherri go at it and that looked like it would be an exciting match. This match was a long one and well paced.
The Headshrinkers v. The Steiner Brothers - Scott Steiner gets brutalized by the Samoans for the majority of the match but ends up winning with a frankensteiner. Personally, I wish the LOD didn't leave the fed and the Steiners and LOD met up at a Wrestlemania. Why let Japanese fans have all the fun between the two greatest tag teams ever.
Crush v. Doink the Clown - Doink the Clown is the absolute worst gimmick ever in WWE history. Yes, he surpasses the Red Rooster and the Gobbledy Gooker.
Razor Ramon v. Bob Backlund - The Bad Guy gets an easy win against the post-golden boy Backlund but not yet batshit insane chicken winging presidential candidate Backlund.
Tag Team Title Match - Money Inc. v. Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake - A very good match. Hogan works well in this tag match. Money Inc. try to escape the match by leaving the ring but are forced back on threat of stripping them of the belts. Say what you want about Hogan but I'm always pleased watching his matches. No, he's not a scientific or aerial genius or even that great a brawler but he has star power.
Lex Luger v. Mr. Perfect - A solid match, but I wasn't very interested in it. I think the street fight at the end of the match where Shawn Michaels nailed Perfect was more interesting than the match.
Undertaker v. Giant Gonzalez - The 8 foot beast knocks out the Undertaker with chloroform. Miraculously Taker gets up after being wheeled out on a stretcher and dominates Gonzalez in this DQ win. I never knew Taker had a DQ win at Wrestlemania...I always thought they were pinfalls. What I really wanted to see was El Gigante get tombstoned but that didn't happen. No "You can't wrestle" chants for the Giant either. I really liked this match to see how Undertaker would deal with a giant beast like Gonzalez.
World Championship Match - Yokozuna v. Bret Hart - Amazingly it's Yoko v. Bret and Hulk Hogan ends up with the spotlight and his 5th WWF title run at the end of the night. When Yoko and Bret were going at it it reminded me of some of those good Hogan - Vader matches in WCW. Bret loses the title when Fuji throws some salt in his eyes but Fuji then challenges Hogan and attempts to do the same to him, only to miss and hit Yokozuna's eyes. Bang. Hogan picks up the title, upstaging Bret Hart in what would be his final Wrestlemania until X-8.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Wrestlemania VII Review
by Alfonso Colasuonno
Overall - This is the first Wrestlemania without Jesse the Body on commentary, but with Bobby the Brain Heenan taking over most of the color commentary there is absolutely no slippage. Heenan is really hilarious, probably more so than Ventura. As for the matches, there's an unbelievable one between the Ultimate Warrior and the Macho Man, and the main event between Hogan and Sgt. Slaughter was great as well. Probably the best Wrestlemania to date amongst all the ones I've reviewed.
The Rockers v. Haku and the Barbarian - A pretty good start to the card. The Rockers remain impressive in their teamwork.
Dino Bravo v. Texas Tornado - The Texas Tornado, Kerry Von Erich dominates Bravo in his first and only WWF appearance before his tragic suicide.
The British Bulldog v. The Warlord - A surprisingly good match. The Warlord surprised me with a solid performance.
The Hart Foundation v. The Nasty Boys for the Tag Team Title - The Nasty Boys in their WWF debut. They steal the title from the Hart Foundation. Soon after, the singles career of Bret Hart was launched.
Jake the Snake v. Rick Martel in a Blindfold Match - Jake the Snake had been partially blinded months earlier by Martel and so to even things up both men were blindfolded. Really a break from the norm. I enjoyed this match a lot.
Superfly Jimmy Snuka v. The Undertaker - The streak is born! (to a jobbing Snuka)
Macho King Randy Savage v. Ultimate Warrior in a Retirement Match - An epic match. One of the best I've ever seen. Unbelievably the Warrior got up from five elbow smashes from the top rope by Savage. The stunning Sherri is in Macho's corner. After the match, she double crosses Savage and Savage reunites with Elizabeth. Classic.
Demolition vs. Tenryu and Kitao - Demolition's new incarnation - Smash and Crush - loses to apparently big Japanese stars Tenryu and Kitao. I've never heard of them.
Mr. Perfect vs. Big Bossman for the Intercontinental Title - A solid match. Andre the Giant comes out to intimidate Bobby Heenan. The Bossman's music rules.
Earthquake v. Greg Valentine - Earthquake dominates Valentine in a short outing.
Legion of Doom v. Power and Glory - LOD look absolutely awesome in dominating the short lived team of Pretty Paul Roma and Hercules Hernandez.
Virgil vs. The Million Dollar Man - Some cheap shots from the M$M on Roddy Piper who was in crutches from a motorcycle accident. Virgil wins by countout when M$M is too busy chasing Piper around.
The Mountie vs. Tito Santana - Mountie uses a cattle prod on Santana to get an easy win. The same method would be used later by Harley Race when managing Vader in a match on Halloween Havoc 93 against Cactus Jack.
Sgt. Slaughter vs. Hulk Hogan for the World Title - Once again Hogan main events a Wrestlemania and puts on a great performance against Slaughter. Slaughter dominated most of the match but Hogan pulls it out in the end.
Overall - This is the first Wrestlemania without Jesse the Body on commentary, but with Bobby the Brain Heenan taking over most of the color commentary there is absolutely no slippage. Heenan is really hilarious, probably more so than Ventura. As for the matches, there's an unbelievable one between the Ultimate Warrior and the Macho Man, and the main event between Hogan and Sgt. Slaughter was great as well. Probably the best Wrestlemania to date amongst all the ones I've reviewed.
The Rockers v. Haku and the Barbarian - A pretty good start to the card. The Rockers remain impressive in their teamwork.
Dino Bravo v. Texas Tornado - The Texas Tornado, Kerry Von Erich dominates Bravo in his first and only WWF appearance before his tragic suicide.
The British Bulldog v. The Warlord - A surprisingly good match. The Warlord surprised me with a solid performance.
The Hart Foundation v. The Nasty Boys for the Tag Team Title - The Nasty Boys in their WWF debut. They steal the title from the Hart Foundation. Soon after, the singles career of Bret Hart was launched.
Jake the Snake v. Rick Martel in a Blindfold Match - Jake the Snake had been partially blinded months earlier by Martel and so to even things up both men were blindfolded. Really a break from the norm. I enjoyed this match a lot.
Superfly Jimmy Snuka v. The Undertaker - The streak is born! (to a jobbing Snuka)
Macho King Randy Savage v. Ultimate Warrior in a Retirement Match - An epic match. One of the best I've ever seen. Unbelievably the Warrior got up from five elbow smashes from the top rope by Savage. The stunning Sherri is in Macho's corner. After the match, she double crosses Savage and Savage reunites with Elizabeth. Classic.
Demolition vs. Tenryu and Kitao - Demolition's new incarnation - Smash and Crush - loses to apparently big Japanese stars Tenryu and Kitao. I've never heard of them.
Mr. Perfect vs. Big Bossman for the Intercontinental Title - A solid match. Andre the Giant comes out to intimidate Bobby Heenan. The Bossman's music rules.
Earthquake v. Greg Valentine - Earthquake dominates Valentine in a short outing.
Legion of Doom v. Power and Glory - LOD look absolutely awesome in dominating the short lived team of Pretty Paul Roma and Hercules Hernandez.
Virgil vs. The Million Dollar Man - Some cheap shots from the M$M on Roddy Piper who was in crutches from a motorcycle accident. Virgil wins by countout when M$M is too busy chasing Piper around.
The Mountie vs. Tito Santana - Mountie uses a cattle prod on Santana to get an easy win. The same method would be used later by Harley Race when managing Vader in a match on Halloween Havoc 93 against Cactus Jack.
Sgt. Slaughter vs. Hulk Hogan for the World Title - Once again Hogan main events a Wrestlemania and puts on a great performance against Slaughter. Slaughter dominated most of the match but Hogan pulls it out in the end.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Wrestlemania VI Review
by Alfonso Colasuonno
Overall - Wrestlemania VI was a return to proper form with a rather good show after a lackluster Wrestlemania V. The wrestling on this card is still pretty good but nothing near the quality of the WCW cruiserweight division. The main attraction is the epic battle of good vs. good in the rare pitting together of two faces for the main event as Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan go at it.
Koko B. Ware vs. The Model Rick Martel - Koko hits some nice high flying moves, but honestly, how is that dude in the Hall of Fame. He loses all his matches at Wrestlemania and never is even in the contention for a title....
The Colossal Connection vs. Demolition - Andre the Giant doesn't even tag into this match as Demolition defeats Haku. Andre, in the twilight of his career turns face after getting into it with Bobby Heenan who chews him out over the loss.
Hercules vs. Earthquake - John Tenta. Yes, THE John Tenta of "I am a man, not a Shark" fame in battle against Hercules. He looked pretty good for a big dude and ends up with the win.
Mr. Perfect vs. Brutus the Barber Beefcake - The Barber ends up shearing some of The Genius' hair off. A solid match.
Bad News Brown vs. Roddy Piper - Piper paints half of himself black in this match against Bad News. Piper always knows how to entertain a crowd. And himself, apparently as from that video of him circulating on Youtube of him smoking medicinal marijuana.
The Hart Foundation v. The Bolsheviks - A squash. The Harts dominate The Bolsheviks via a sneak attack when Volkoff is singing the Soviet National Anthem.
The Barbarian v. Tito Santana - Really, who cares about this one? See, this is why Wrestlemanias IV - VII were so freaking long...they were stocked with matches that sucked like this.
Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire v. Macho Man and Sherri - The best match of the card. Dusty Rhodes knows how to entertain and the Macho Man was a great worker. Sherri looks absolutely stunning. Sapphire...eh, not so much.
Orient Express v. The Rockers - Another great match. The Rockers had great synergy as a team. The Orient Express were pretty good workers as well.
Dino Bravo v. Hacksaw Jim Duggan - Blah. This is another boring match on the card. More filler.
Jake the Snake v. The Million Dollar Man - Million Dollar Man wins with an assist from Virgil as Jake the Snake gets counted out. Solidly paced match from two good workers.
Akeem vs. Big Bossman - Surprisingly, a squash for the Bossman over Air Africa. The Bossman cuts a nice promo about Akeem and Slick before the match.
Rhythm and Blues Perform - All I can say about this is the song name is "Honka Honka Honka Honky Love" No, it's not about Glenn Beck's sex life....
Rick Rude v. Jimmy Snuka - Snuka is overwhelmed by Rude. More filler on the card.
Hulk Hogan v. Ultimate Warrior in a Title for Title Championship Match - A lot of the match is just a test of strength between Hogan and Warrior. Unreal to see Hogan cleanly defeated for the first time in the WWE. However, neither worker is very entertaining to watch so a lot of the appeal of this match is just to see Hogan get his first clean loss at a Wrestlemania. Personally, I'd choose Hogan-Rock at Wrestlemania X-8.
Overall - Wrestlemania VI was a return to proper form with a rather good show after a lackluster Wrestlemania V. The wrestling on this card is still pretty good but nothing near the quality of the WCW cruiserweight division. The main attraction is the epic battle of good vs. good in the rare pitting together of two faces for the main event as Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan go at it.
Koko B. Ware vs. The Model Rick Martel - Koko hits some nice high flying moves, but honestly, how is that dude in the Hall of Fame. He loses all his matches at Wrestlemania and never is even in the contention for a title....
The Colossal Connection vs. Demolition - Andre the Giant doesn't even tag into this match as Demolition defeats Haku. Andre, in the twilight of his career turns face after getting into it with Bobby Heenan who chews him out over the loss.
Hercules vs. Earthquake - John Tenta. Yes, THE John Tenta of "I am a man, not a Shark" fame in battle against Hercules. He looked pretty good for a big dude and ends up with the win.
Mr. Perfect vs. Brutus the Barber Beefcake - The Barber ends up shearing some of The Genius' hair off. A solid match.
Bad News Brown vs. Roddy Piper - Piper paints half of himself black in this match against Bad News. Piper always knows how to entertain a crowd. And himself, apparently as from that video of him circulating on Youtube of him smoking medicinal marijuana.
The Hart Foundation v. The Bolsheviks - A squash. The Harts dominate The Bolsheviks via a sneak attack when Volkoff is singing the Soviet National Anthem.
The Barbarian v. Tito Santana - Really, who cares about this one? See, this is why Wrestlemanias IV - VII were so freaking long...they were stocked with matches that sucked like this.
Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire v. Macho Man and Sherri - The best match of the card. Dusty Rhodes knows how to entertain and the Macho Man was a great worker. Sherri looks absolutely stunning. Sapphire...eh, not so much.
Orient Express v. The Rockers - Another great match. The Rockers had great synergy as a team. The Orient Express were pretty good workers as well.
Dino Bravo v. Hacksaw Jim Duggan - Blah. This is another boring match on the card. More filler.
Jake the Snake v. The Million Dollar Man - Million Dollar Man wins with an assist from Virgil as Jake the Snake gets counted out. Solidly paced match from two good workers.
Akeem vs. Big Bossman - Surprisingly, a squash for the Bossman over Air Africa. The Bossman cuts a nice promo about Akeem and Slick before the match.
Rhythm and Blues Perform - All I can say about this is the song name is "Honka Honka Honka Honky Love" No, it's not about Glenn Beck's sex life....
Rick Rude v. Jimmy Snuka - Snuka is overwhelmed by Rude. More filler on the card.
Hulk Hogan v. Ultimate Warrior in a Title for Title Championship Match - A lot of the match is just a test of strength between Hogan and Warrior. Unreal to see Hogan cleanly defeated for the first time in the WWE. However, neither worker is very entertaining to watch so a lot of the appeal of this match is just to see Hogan get his first clean loss at a Wrestlemania. Personally, I'd choose Hogan-Rock at Wrestlemania X-8.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Thoughts on The Best of Raw - 15th Anniversary
by Alfonso Colasuonno
Overall - Well, well, well...I've always been a sucker for the compilations. Amazingly, this 9 hour DVD set shrinks 15 years of the history of RAW into a neat little package in a startlingly stellar fashion. Relive all the memories of RAW and those forgotten and those missed in this DVD set. Definitely recommended. However, note that it is particularly strong around the years of 1997-1999, with short shrift given to other years. One can argue that those years during the heat of the Monday Night Wars led to the best episodes of RAW, but regardless, when some years have only one or two segments, it's a little off-putting.
Individual Segment Reviews -
1993 -
Mr. Perfect v. Ric Flair in a Loser Leaves the WWE Match - Flair loses the match and Bobby Heenan is shocked. Flair goes on to return to WCW afterwards where the now largely forgotten Flair for the Gold culminating in a shocking Starrcade '93 win over Vader. I for one always thought Flair looked a bit out of place in the WWE, particularly in his first run.
Razor Ramon v. The Kid - The Kid's shocking win over the Bad Guy with a remarkable moonsault. Watch the lift on The Kid. Unbelievable!
1994 -
Bret Hart v. The Kid for the WWE Championship - Two of the best workers in the history of the WWE going at in a grueling match. Hitman wins while The Kid's feet are on the ropes and actually has the class to tell the ref to restart the match. I never realized what a good worker The Kid was until watching this match.
1996 -
Vader Attacks WWE President Gorilla Monsoon - While Vader's career in the WWE was a total flop, this one segment gave thrills to many people, like myself, who hate the biased antics of Gorilla "Windbag" Monsoon.
Pillman's Got a Gun - Brian Pillman, imagine what could have been. I would have loved to see a reunion of the Hollywood Blondes with Stone Cold. A loose cannon in the world of wrestling if ever there was one. RIP.
1997 -
Original ECW Invasion - These guys showed the WWE, just before the Attitude Era was really taking place, how it was done. Damn I miss the old ECW.
Bret Screwed Bret - An interesting interview with Mr. McMahon after the Montreal Screwjob. I personally think McMahon is in the wrong and he should have waited until he was outside of Canada to have Bret lose the title.
1998 -
Tyson and Austin - Stone Cold messes with Mike Tyson's head and leads to an almost brawl that separates the two titans of their respective sports.
Dumpster Diving - Terry Funk and Cactus Jack are locked in a dumpster and pushed off the ramp by the New Age Outlaws. Pretty sick stuff.
Formation of the New DX - X-Pac Returns - X-Pac launches right into Hogan and Bischoff and tells how Scott Hall and Kevin Nash would be with him if they weren't locked into WCW contracts.
DX Invades WCW - The ultimate provocation - DX coming into WCW territory in Virginia and exposing how WCW gave tickets away for free to boost their attendance and how the fans were behind DX and thought WCW sucked. Very provocative.
DX Nation - DX impersonates the Nation of Domination. Absolutely hilarious stuff.
Bang 3:16 - Stone Cold gets Mr. McMahon to cower in fear on the mat, and then pulls a gun on him that when fired lets out a Bang 3:16 banner. I don't think this got Stone Cold quite as over as Pillman got with the Pillman's Got a Gun segment.
1999 -
Y2J - The absolutely awesome introducing to the WWE of Chris Jericho, as he interrupts The Rock during comments about the Big Show. Largely known by wrestling afficionados as "The Promo"
The Rock: This is Your Life - Mick Foley introduces The Rock to three people from the past, including a stunning ex-girlfriend who he calls a skank because she wouldn't let the Rock get to second base.
Big Bossman Sympathy - Big Bossman says some remarkably tasteless comments about the Big Show's dad death due to cancer.
2001 -
Shane Purchases WCW - The absolutely startling realization that the McMahons own WCW...and how they would bury it soon after in the Invasion angle.
2002 -
Past Meets Present - The Rock squares off with Hollywood Hogan in a battle of wits, ending with the Rock giving a rock bottom to Hogan. Absolutely thrilling!
Worlds Unite: Bischoff Hugs Mr. McMahon - Who would ever thought it would happen...Bischoff and McMahon getting together. Bischoff talks about the triumphs of WCW.
2003 -
The Rock Concert - The Rock performs songs that are designed to get a rise out of the Sacramento crowd and Stone Cold Steve Austin before Austin comes to the ring and smashes the starstruck Rock's guitar which was autographed by Willie Nelson.
2004 -
Musical Chairs With Eugene - Eugene plays musical chairs with a few competitors including Stacy, Tomko, Ric Flair, Tajiri, Coachman, and Y2J for a chance at a title shot. Y2J wins to the thrill of the Winnipeg crowd while wearing an old Winnipeg Jets shirt.
Are You Ready for Some Wrestling? - Trish Stratus comes on to Shelton Benjamin before Mr. McMahon cockblocks Shelton.
2005 -
Shelton Benjamin vs. Shawn Michaels - Shawn Michaels proving once again why he's the showstopper....an amazing performance from both men.
John Cena Drafted #1 To Raw - Cena is drafted #1 on Raw and ends up writing a battle rap against the Creepy Little Bastard Christian....This was when Cena was still awesome as a Marky Mark impersonator.
Kane/Lita Wedding - Edge was to marry Lita but it ends with Kane piledriving the priest. I guess that's one way to get rid of your Catholic block.
Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle in an Iron Man Match - It ends in a draw at 2 falls a piece. Incredible wrestling for thirty minutes from two of the greatest performers I've ever seen.
Stone Cold Stuns the McMahons - Stone Cold stuns all four members of the McMahon family in succession...a feat not even done by Randy Orton who never got to Linda.
2006 -
DX Impersonates Shane and Mr. McMahon - Triple H launches into his impersonation of Mr. McMahon with an I love Dicks routine. HBK dances around the ring like a fool. The McMahon men and the Spirit Squad end up doused with manure. All is well with the world.
Overall - Well, well, well...I've always been a sucker for the compilations. Amazingly, this 9 hour DVD set shrinks 15 years of the history of RAW into a neat little package in a startlingly stellar fashion. Relive all the memories of RAW and those forgotten and those missed in this DVD set. Definitely recommended. However, note that it is particularly strong around the years of 1997-1999, with short shrift given to other years. One can argue that those years during the heat of the Monday Night Wars led to the best episodes of RAW, but regardless, when some years have only one or two segments, it's a little off-putting.
Individual Segment Reviews -
1993 -
Mr. Perfect v. Ric Flair in a Loser Leaves the WWE Match - Flair loses the match and Bobby Heenan is shocked. Flair goes on to return to WCW afterwards where the now largely forgotten Flair for the Gold culminating in a shocking Starrcade '93 win over Vader. I for one always thought Flair looked a bit out of place in the WWE, particularly in his first run.
Razor Ramon v. The Kid - The Kid's shocking win over the Bad Guy with a remarkable moonsault. Watch the lift on The Kid. Unbelievable!
1994 -
Bret Hart v. The Kid for the WWE Championship - Two of the best workers in the history of the WWE going at in a grueling match. Hitman wins while The Kid's feet are on the ropes and actually has the class to tell the ref to restart the match. I never realized what a good worker The Kid was until watching this match.
1996 -
Vader Attacks WWE President Gorilla Monsoon - While Vader's career in the WWE was a total flop, this one segment gave thrills to many people, like myself, who hate the biased antics of Gorilla "Windbag" Monsoon.
Pillman's Got a Gun - Brian Pillman, imagine what could have been. I would have loved to see a reunion of the Hollywood Blondes with Stone Cold. A loose cannon in the world of wrestling if ever there was one. RIP.
1997 -
Original ECW Invasion - These guys showed the WWE, just before the Attitude Era was really taking place, how it was done. Damn I miss the old ECW.
Bret Screwed Bret - An interesting interview with Mr. McMahon after the Montreal Screwjob. I personally think McMahon is in the wrong and he should have waited until he was outside of Canada to have Bret lose the title.
1998 -
Tyson and Austin - Stone Cold messes with Mike Tyson's head and leads to an almost brawl that separates the two titans of their respective sports.
Dumpster Diving - Terry Funk and Cactus Jack are locked in a dumpster and pushed off the ramp by the New Age Outlaws. Pretty sick stuff.
Formation of the New DX - X-Pac Returns - X-Pac launches right into Hogan and Bischoff and tells how Scott Hall and Kevin Nash would be with him if they weren't locked into WCW contracts.
DX Invades WCW - The ultimate provocation - DX coming into WCW territory in Virginia and exposing how WCW gave tickets away for free to boost their attendance and how the fans were behind DX and thought WCW sucked. Very provocative.
DX Nation - DX impersonates the Nation of Domination. Absolutely hilarious stuff.
Bang 3:16 - Stone Cold gets Mr. McMahon to cower in fear on the mat, and then pulls a gun on him that when fired lets out a Bang 3:16 banner. I don't think this got Stone Cold quite as over as Pillman got with the Pillman's Got a Gun segment.
1999 -
Y2J - The absolutely awesome introducing to the WWE of Chris Jericho, as he interrupts The Rock during comments about the Big Show. Largely known by wrestling afficionados as "The Promo"
The Rock: This is Your Life - Mick Foley introduces The Rock to three people from the past, including a stunning ex-girlfriend who he calls a skank because she wouldn't let the Rock get to second base.
Big Bossman Sympathy - Big Bossman says some remarkably tasteless comments about the Big Show's dad death due to cancer.
2001 -
Shane Purchases WCW - The absolutely startling realization that the McMahons own WCW...and how they would bury it soon after in the Invasion angle.
2002 -
Past Meets Present - The Rock squares off with Hollywood Hogan in a battle of wits, ending with the Rock giving a rock bottom to Hogan. Absolutely thrilling!
Worlds Unite: Bischoff Hugs Mr. McMahon - Who would ever thought it would happen...Bischoff and McMahon getting together. Bischoff talks about the triumphs of WCW.
2003 -
The Rock Concert - The Rock performs songs that are designed to get a rise out of the Sacramento crowd and Stone Cold Steve Austin before Austin comes to the ring and smashes the starstruck Rock's guitar which was autographed by Willie Nelson.
2004 -
Musical Chairs With Eugene - Eugene plays musical chairs with a few competitors including Stacy, Tomko, Ric Flair, Tajiri, Coachman, and Y2J for a chance at a title shot. Y2J wins to the thrill of the Winnipeg crowd while wearing an old Winnipeg Jets shirt.
Are You Ready for Some Wrestling? - Trish Stratus comes on to Shelton Benjamin before Mr. McMahon cockblocks Shelton.
2005 -
Shelton Benjamin vs. Shawn Michaels - Shawn Michaels proving once again why he's the showstopper....an amazing performance from both men.
John Cena Drafted #1 To Raw - Cena is drafted #1 on Raw and ends up writing a battle rap against the Creepy Little Bastard Christian....This was when Cena was still awesome as a Marky Mark impersonator.
Kane/Lita Wedding - Edge was to marry Lita but it ends with Kane piledriving the priest. I guess that's one way to get rid of your Catholic block.
Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle in an Iron Man Match - It ends in a draw at 2 falls a piece. Incredible wrestling for thirty minutes from two of the greatest performers I've ever seen.
Stone Cold Stuns the McMahons - Stone Cold stuns all four members of the McMahon family in succession...a feat not even done by Randy Orton who never got to Linda.
2006 -
DX Impersonates Shane and Mr. McMahon - Triple H launches into his impersonation of Mr. McMahon with an I love Dicks routine. HBK dances around the ring like a fool. The McMahon men and the Spirit Squad end up doused with manure. All is well with the world.
Monday, September 14, 2009
My Perspective
by Alfonso Colasuonno
SMACKDOWN
I think CM Punk defeating Undertaker at Breaking Point in dubious fashion sets up a great way for Undertaker to gain the title - at Hell in the Cell!
Wow.....that's some pretty heavy stuff about Jeff Hardy being charged with felonies for drugs. Why would anyone making the money Hardy was making be involved in illegal drug running. It boggles the mind.
How long before Slam Master J is released?
How about this Drew McIntyre guy. He's looking pretty strong in beating up R. Truth - albeit by blindsiding the dude.
John Morrison - Rey Mysterio was undoubtedly the best match I've seen in a long while. Every match that Morrison is in, I walk away knowing I'm seeing a true star. This guy is the real deal.
I presume The Undertaker will likely win the title from CM Punk. But I wonder who he'll feud with? Maybe they can run Taker as a tweener and put him against Morrison. Or maybe they can make Jerishow lose the title and have him feud with Jericho. Or they can elevate Dolph Ziggler, but I don't think anyone would buy that just yet. Maybe with Kane dominating his feud with Khali he could be put over and they could start the whole Undertaker- Kane thing again.
RAW
Bob Barker was a king in his performance as guest host of RAW. Personally, even though I think Drew Carey is a funny guy (his idea of writing a book of dirty jokes under the pen name Ted Kennedy was classic) I can't stand to see him fronting Price is Right.
It looks like they're going to give Kofi Kingston a long reign as US Champion, despite having qualified contenders like Jack Swagger, The Miz, and Carlito. Maybe he can win the WWE title at the next time they have a championship scramble match. He deserves an opportunity.
Good to see Big Dick Johnson back in the WWE. He's absolutely hilarious as comic relief. I knew DX was going to have him in the gift box for Vince McMahon. The only thing better would be if Sandman came back and caned the hell out of him.
I was a little surprised to see Legacy beat DX at Breaking Point. It seems like Triple H took a step back in his push when he reformed with Michaels.
ECW
Well now that Christian convincingly beat Regal - does Shelton Benjamin get a title shot? Or are they going to drag out this feud some more?
Tony Atlas is now the second in command on the Abraham Washington Show. I heard of help a brother out but isn't there something more useful he can be used as.
TNA
How about that - Homicide turned on Hernandez? Too bad the feud is pretty much one-sided. Hernandez already beat Homicide and is on his way to main eventing and Homicide is floundering.
It looks like Samoa Joe is kind of just floating around - even as X Division Champion - since joining the Main Event Mafia. While his match against Daniels should be exciting - it's hard to consider him a full member of the MEM. He's often not with the rest of the group when they are shown on TV. I wonder if the face turn will come soon.
Call me crazy but I think the Motor City Machine Guns are great workers - outside and inside the ring. They are probably my favorite TNA stars.
D'Angelo Dinero is certainly over with the fans. I like The Pope.
Hamada has some amazing moves. I love watching her fight.
Those new Beer Money t-shirts with the newspaper on them are pretty cool. Spot on, Don West.
I like Rhino's heel turn. I'd like to see him go up against Abyss. Maybe if Abyss wins the Legends Title from Nash.
Still waiting to see Bobby Lashley in the ring!
SMACKDOWN
I think CM Punk defeating Undertaker at Breaking Point in dubious fashion sets up a great way for Undertaker to gain the title - at Hell in the Cell!
Wow.....that's some pretty heavy stuff about Jeff Hardy being charged with felonies for drugs. Why would anyone making the money Hardy was making be involved in illegal drug running. It boggles the mind.
How long before Slam Master J is released?
How about this Drew McIntyre guy. He's looking pretty strong in beating up R. Truth - albeit by blindsiding the dude.
John Morrison - Rey Mysterio was undoubtedly the best match I've seen in a long while. Every match that Morrison is in, I walk away knowing I'm seeing a true star. This guy is the real deal.
I presume The Undertaker will likely win the title from CM Punk. But I wonder who he'll feud with? Maybe they can run Taker as a tweener and put him against Morrison. Or maybe they can make Jerishow lose the title and have him feud with Jericho. Or they can elevate Dolph Ziggler, but I don't think anyone would buy that just yet. Maybe with Kane dominating his feud with Khali he could be put over and they could start the whole Undertaker- Kane thing again.
RAW
Bob Barker was a king in his performance as guest host of RAW. Personally, even though I think Drew Carey is a funny guy (his idea of writing a book of dirty jokes under the pen name Ted Kennedy was classic) I can't stand to see him fronting Price is Right.
It looks like they're going to give Kofi Kingston a long reign as US Champion, despite having qualified contenders like Jack Swagger, The Miz, and Carlito. Maybe he can win the WWE title at the next time they have a championship scramble match. He deserves an opportunity.
Good to see Big Dick Johnson back in the WWE. He's absolutely hilarious as comic relief. I knew DX was going to have him in the gift box for Vince McMahon. The only thing better would be if Sandman came back and caned the hell out of him.
I was a little surprised to see Legacy beat DX at Breaking Point. It seems like Triple H took a step back in his push when he reformed with Michaels.
ECW
Well now that Christian convincingly beat Regal - does Shelton Benjamin get a title shot? Or are they going to drag out this feud some more?
Tony Atlas is now the second in command on the Abraham Washington Show. I heard of help a brother out but isn't there something more useful he can be used as.
TNA
How about that - Homicide turned on Hernandez? Too bad the feud is pretty much one-sided. Hernandez already beat Homicide and is on his way to main eventing and Homicide is floundering.
It looks like Samoa Joe is kind of just floating around - even as X Division Champion - since joining the Main Event Mafia. While his match against Daniels should be exciting - it's hard to consider him a full member of the MEM. He's often not with the rest of the group when they are shown on TV. I wonder if the face turn will come soon.
Call me crazy but I think the Motor City Machine Guns are great workers - outside and inside the ring. They are probably my favorite TNA stars.
D'Angelo Dinero is certainly over with the fans. I like The Pope.
Hamada has some amazing moves. I love watching her fight.
Those new Beer Money t-shirts with the newspaper on them are pretty cool. Spot on, Don West.
I like Rhino's heel turn. I'd like to see him go up against Abyss. Maybe if Abyss wins the Legends Title from Nash.
Still waiting to see Bobby Lashley in the ring!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Wrestlemania V Review
by Alfonso Colasuonno
Overall - I can summarize Wrestlemania V in one word - disappointment. Despite boasting a great main event and an amusing segment with Roddy Piper, Brother Love, and Morton Downey Jr, the card as a whole otherwise truly disappointed. Many of the matches were straight up boring.
King Haku v. Hercules - This was actually a pretty good opening match with lots of back and forth action. Haku looked pretty spry, but not nearly as intimidating as in his WCW run.
The Twin Towers v. The Rockers - Excellent teamwork from Marty Jannetty and a young Shawn Michaels in this bout. Also funny to see the One Man Gang dancing around and wearing a jacket with a cutout of Africa on the back.
The Million Dollar Man v. Brutus Beefcake - Two good performers put on an average match.
The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers v. The Bushwhackers - An absolute bore. And in the case of the Bushwhackers, absolute boors. Ugh.
Mr. Perfect v. The Blue Blazer - Nice to see a young Owen Hart wrestle a good match against Perfecto.
Run-DMC performance - Fell flat.
Demolition v. The Powers of Pain & Mr. Fuji for the Tag Titles - Fuji looked out of shape. Not exactly the most exciting match in the world. What's with the Warlord's hairstyle.
Dino Bravo v. Rugged Ronnie Garvin - Skip this one. Dino Bravo looked pretty good but Garvin had nothing to offer.
The Brain Busters v. Strike Force - Martel turns on Santana and Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard wrestle the most uninspired performance of their career.
Piper's Pit with Morton Downey Jr. and Brother Love - I think Roddy Piper is one of the greatest talents with the mic in wrestling history and he shines here playing against Morton Downey Jr. especially. Hilarious to see the chain smoking Downey get blasted by a fire extinguisher after blowing smoke in Piper's face. The highlight of Wrestlemania V.
Jake the Snake v. Andre the Giant - Andre can barely move in the ring. It's always a chore to watch him face lower-level opponents. At least against Hogan you wonder how his immense size matches up with the Hulkster...with Jake the Snake...you just can't help but analyze the big man's lack of deftness of foot and poor wrestling ability (a precursor to Khali).
Greg the Hammer Valentine & The Honky Tonk Man v. The Hart Foundation - A bore of a match.
Ultimate Warrior v. Rick Rude for the Intercontinental Title - Surprisingly, this is the first time a man managed by Bobby the Brain Heenan wins a title. Solid match. The Warrior isn't much of a performer.
Bad News Brown v. Hacksaw Jim Duggan - All right. It wasn't a bad match and was actually pretty good despite the limitations of both wrestlers.
Red Rooster v. Bobby the Brain Heenan - A joke of a match. Pure filler. Heenan loses to Terrific Terry Taylor donning red spikes in his blond mane.
Macho Man Randy Savage v. Hulk Hogan for the World Title - The best match of the evening. Hulk hulks up after taking the elbow off the top rope from Savage. Randy Savage was quite the performer in his heyday. Hulk Hogan, limited as he may be as a wrestler, knows how to bring out the best in his opponents and you can't deny his mystique.
Overall - I can summarize Wrestlemania V in one word - disappointment. Despite boasting a great main event and an amusing segment with Roddy Piper, Brother Love, and Morton Downey Jr, the card as a whole otherwise truly disappointed. Many of the matches were straight up boring.
King Haku v. Hercules - This was actually a pretty good opening match with lots of back and forth action. Haku looked pretty spry, but not nearly as intimidating as in his WCW run.
The Twin Towers v. The Rockers - Excellent teamwork from Marty Jannetty and a young Shawn Michaels in this bout. Also funny to see the One Man Gang dancing around and wearing a jacket with a cutout of Africa on the back.
The Million Dollar Man v. Brutus Beefcake - Two good performers put on an average match.
The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers v. The Bushwhackers - An absolute bore. And in the case of the Bushwhackers, absolute boors. Ugh.
Mr. Perfect v. The Blue Blazer - Nice to see a young Owen Hart wrestle a good match against Perfecto.
Run-DMC performance - Fell flat.
Demolition v. The Powers of Pain & Mr. Fuji for the Tag Titles - Fuji looked out of shape. Not exactly the most exciting match in the world. What's with the Warlord's hairstyle.
Dino Bravo v. Rugged Ronnie Garvin - Skip this one. Dino Bravo looked pretty good but Garvin had nothing to offer.
The Brain Busters v. Strike Force - Martel turns on Santana and Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard wrestle the most uninspired performance of their career.
Piper's Pit with Morton Downey Jr. and Brother Love - I think Roddy Piper is one of the greatest talents with the mic in wrestling history and he shines here playing against Morton Downey Jr. especially. Hilarious to see the chain smoking Downey get blasted by a fire extinguisher after blowing smoke in Piper's face. The highlight of Wrestlemania V.
Jake the Snake v. Andre the Giant - Andre can barely move in the ring. It's always a chore to watch him face lower-level opponents. At least against Hogan you wonder how his immense size matches up with the Hulkster...with Jake the Snake...you just can't help but analyze the big man's lack of deftness of foot and poor wrestling ability (a precursor to Khali).
Greg the Hammer Valentine & The Honky Tonk Man v. The Hart Foundation - A bore of a match.
Ultimate Warrior v. Rick Rude for the Intercontinental Title - Surprisingly, this is the first time a man managed by Bobby the Brain Heenan wins a title. Solid match. The Warrior isn't much of a performer.
Bad News Brown v. Hacksaw Jim Duggan - All right. It wasn't a bad match and was actually pretty good despite the limitations of both wrestlers.
Red Rooster v. Bobby the Brain Heenan - A joke of a match. Pure filler. Heenan loses to Terrific Terry Taylor donning red spikes in his blond mane.
Macho Man Randy Savage v. Hulk Hogan for the World Title - The best match of the evening. Hulk hulks up after taking the elbow off the top rope from Savage. Randy Savage was quite the performer in his heyday. Hulk Hogan, limited as he may be as a wrestler, knows how to bring out the best in his opponents and you can't deny his mystique.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Wrestlemania IV Review
by Alfonso Colasuonno
Overall - While it doesn't have the highest high points of the previous two Wrestlemania's, this is probably the best Wrestlemania to date. The fact that it didn't revolve around Hogan might have something to do with it. Macho Man gets his chance to shine and win the world title in a tournament to determine the new undisputed champion after a fast count led Andre the Giant to beat Hulk Hogan. This is the first time we see Demolition, The Ultimate Warrior, and the Million Dollar Man at a Wrestlemania. Overall, an epic Wrestlemania.
Invitational Battle Royal - While it wasn't as exciting as Wrestlemania 2's Battle Royal, I've always been a sucker for battle royals. Sneaky win for Bad News Brown over Bret Hart here.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs. Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase - Hacksaw Duggan's always been a technical master, apparently...I'm amazed that the man has had one gimmick, a meatheaded patriot, his entire career (albeit 2000 WCW he joined Team Canada unwillingly)
Dino Bravo v. Don "The Rock" Muraco - Watch the original Rock. I prefer the Maivia version, myself.
Greg Valentine v. Ricky Steamboat - Ricky comes out with his young son. He loses in an upset to Valentine. Surprisingly average match from two great performers.
The Natural Butch Reed v. Randy Savage - Savage's first win of many on the night. I think Butch Reed's best days were with Ron Simmons in Doom in WCW.
One Man Gang v. Bam Bam Bigelow - A short, but quality match between these two big boys. A chance to see OMG before he became African Akeem.
Rick Rude v. Jake the Snake - Probably the best match of the card. A 15 minute draw.
Hercules v. The Ultimate Warrior - The Warrior didn't look too powerful in his Wrestlemania debut, but manages to get the win regardless in controversial fashion.
Andre the Giant v. Hulk Hogan - Both men get eliminated from the tournament in this match. I preferred the main event at Wrestlemania III to this match.
Don Muraco v. Ted DiBiase - Ho-hum. A boring match.
Greg Valentine v. Macho Man Randy Savage - A quality match, with Savage getting his second win of the night by scooping up The Hammer when he was about to put on the Figure 4.
Honky Tonk Man v. Brutus Beefcake for the Intercontinental Title - The second best match of the night, after Rude-Jake the Snake. I never realize how quality a performer Brutus Beefcake was until I started watching these old Wrestlemanias. He's not anything flashy but he gets the job done in surprising quality.
The Islanders and Bobby the Brain Heenan v. The British Bulldogs and Koko B. Ware - This was interesting seeing Bobby the Brain wrestle. He didn't do too horribly either.
One Man Gang v. Macho Man Randy Savage - One Man Gang blows his chance at the title by nailing Macho Man with Slick's cane. Boo.
Demolition v. Strike Force for the Tag Team Championship - Demolition - WWF's answer to The Road Warriors. I think they were an exciting tag team. Here they win the titles from Tito and Martel.
Macho Man Randy Savage v. Ted DiBiase for the World Title - Macho Man wins his fourth match of the night in a fairly good one against the Million Dollar Man. However, credit the assist to Hulk Hogan for slamming DiBiase with a chair when he had a sleeper on the Macho Man.
Overall - While it doesn't have the highest high points of the previous two Wrestlemania's, this is probably the best Wrestlemania to date. The fact that it didn't revolve around Hogan might have something to do with it. Macho Man gets his chance to shine and win the world title in a tournament to determine the new undisputed champion after a fast count led Andre the Giant to beat Hulk Hogan. This is the first time we see Demolition, The Ultimate Warrior, and the Million Dollar Man at a Wrestlemania. Overall, an epic Wrestlemania.
Invitational Battle Royal - While it wasn't as exciting as Wrestlemania 2's Battle Royal, I've always been a sucker for battle royals. Sneaky win for Bad News Brown over Bret Hart here.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs. Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase - Hacksaw Duggan's always been a technical master, apparently...I'm amazed that the man has had one gimmick, a meatheaded patriot, his entire career (albeit 2000 WCW he joined Team Canada unwillingly)
Dino Bravo v. Don "The Rock" Muraco - Watch the original Rock. I prefer the Maivia version, myself.
Greg Valentine v. Ricky Steamboat - Ricky comes out with his young son. He loses in an upset to Valentine. Surprisingly average match from two great performers.
The Natural Butch Reed v. Randy Savage - Savage's first win of many on the night. I think Butch Reed's best days were with Ron Simmons in Doom in WCW.
One Man Gang v. Bam Bam Bigelow - A short, but quality match between these two big boys. A chance to see OMG before he became African Akeem.
Rick Rude v. Jake the Snake - Probably the best match of the card. A 15 minute draw.
Hercules v. The Ultimate Warrior - The Warrior didn't look too powerful in his Wrestlemania debut, but manages to get the win regardless in controversial fashion.
Andre the Giant v. Hulk Hogan - Both men get eliminated from the tournament in this match. I preferred the main event at Wrestlemania III to this match.
Don Muraco v. Ted DiBiase - Ho-hum. A boring match.
Greg Valentine v. Macho Man Randy Savage - A quality match, with Savage getting his second win of the night by scooping up The Hammer when he was about to put on the Figure 4.
Honky Tonk Man v. Brutus Beefcake for the Intercontinental Title - The second best match of the night, after Rude-Jake the Snake. I never realize how quality a performer Brutus Beefcake was until I started watching these old Wrestlemanias. He's not anything flashy but he gets the job done in surprising quality.
The Islanders and Bobby the Brain Heenan v. The British Bulldogs and Koko B. Ware - This was interesting seeing Bobby the Brain wrestle. He didn't do too horribly either.
One Man Gang v. Macho Man Randy Savage - One Man Gang blows his chance at the title by nailing Macho Man with Slick's cane. Boo.
Demolition v. Strike Force for the Tag Team Championship - Demolition - WWF's answer to The Road Warriors. I think they were an exciting tag team. Here they win the titles from Tito and Martel.
Macho Man Randy Savage v. Ted DiBiase for the World Title - Macho Man wins his fourth match of the night in a fairly good one against the Million Dollar Man. However, credit the assist to Hulk Hogan for slamming DiBiase with a chair when he had a sleeper on the Macho Man.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Wrestlemania 2 and 3 Reviews
by Alfonso Colasuonno
WRESTLEMANIA II -
Overall - A major improvement over the first Wrestlemania and almost an hour longer. This is where the WWE starts coming into its own. It still has its established stars in Andre the Giant, Roddy Piper, and Hulk Hogan and adds Randy Savage to the established cast of stars in a great undercard match.
Don Muraco v. Paul Orndorff - Weird match, in the fact that Paul Orndorff is a face for practically the only time in his career. Ends in a double countout.
George the Animal Steele v. Randy Savage - A real thrill of a match. Definitely steals the show. The Animal's unorthodox style and overwhelming fur gave quite the challenge to Randy Savage. I definitely think George the Animal Steele looked like an interesting wrestler. Wish I saw more of his matches.
Jake the Snake v. George Welles - Jake the Snake as a heel against a no-namer. Boring.
Rowdy Roddy Piper v. Mr. T in a boxing match - I actually liked this one a great deal, too. Didn't have a clean ending with Piper getting DQ'd. Still, a lot of action from two men unfamiliar with boxing. They still put on a good show.
Velvet McIntyre v. Fabulous Moolah - a squash match for Moolah. I guess this is when the WWE began under a minute diva matches...
Nikolai Volkoff v. Corporal Kirschner - Who's Corporal Kirschner? He seems like the sire of later luminaries like Cobra of the feud with Sgt. Craig Pittman fame. Anyway he trounces the Russian in a flag match.
20-Man Battle Royal with NFL players - Refrigerator Perry looked good, but is anyone really going to beat Andre the Giant in a battle royal? Very fun match that came down to Andre v. the Hart Foundation.
Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake v. The British Bulldogs - The British Bulldogs in their first PPV match on Wrestlemania. A solid but unspectacular match.
Hercules Hernandez v. Ricky Steamboat - You can't really go wrong with a Ricky Steamboat match. Solid.
Adorable Adrian Adonis v. Uncle Elmer - Triple A has got to be the most grotesque wrestler ever. Wearing a dress to the ring on his fat body. Gross.
Terry Funk & Hoss Funk v. Tito Santana & The Junkyard Dog - Believe it or not, Terry Funk put on a match that wasn't that great. Put the man in a hardcore match or don't let him wrestle at all. I'd rather watch him vs. Dangerous Devon Storm in Starrcade 2000 when he looked like a corpse but damn if he didn't use hardcore items.
Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship - Hulk Hogan v. King Kong Bundy - Bundy proved to be a good challenge for Hogan. I liked the cage match a lot. Hogan once again dominated a big man (Andre, Vader, Earthquake, Big Show, etc.)
WRESTLEMANIA III -
Overall - A little bit of a drop off from Wrestlemania II. Here we see Randy Savage in a classic against Steamboat, Piper as a face, and Andre squaring off with Hogan. Unfortunately, there's a lot more filler on the card than on Wrestlemania 2.
Can-Am Connection v. Magnificent Muraco and Cowboy Bob Orton - Quick. If you can tell Tom Zenk and Rick Martel apart I'll give you 5 dollars. No cheating by checking Google Images.
Billy Jack Haynes v. Hercules in a Full Nelson Challenge - A pretty good match, but unfortunately it ends in a double countout, like all matches when unsure of who to give a push to.
King Kong Bundy, Lord Littlebrook, and Little Tokyo v. Hillbilly Jim, Little Beaver, and the Haiti Kid - It's clear King Kong suffered a major fall after losing to Hogan as he's relegated to a match with midgets. Nice to see Little Beaver get destroyed by King Kong.
Junkyard Dog v. Harley Race - Harley Race is a master wrestler and he puts on a good show against the JYD.
Rougeau Brothers v. Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine - The face turn for Beefcake in an otherwise uneventful match.
Loser Gets His Head Shaved Match - Roddy Piper v. Adrian Adonis - Piper shaves Adonis head partways and he looks even worse than before. Why are they using Piper in this fashion against a loser like Adonis?
The Hart Foundation and Danny Davis v. The British Bulldogs and Tito Santana - Good action. Nice to see two of the star tag teams of the 80s square off. Danny Davis - apparently a former ref turned bad (Nick Patrick - I wonder where that angle came from?) - only took advantage at the most opportune times.
Natural Butch Reed v. Koko B. Ware - Why is Koko B. Ware a Hall of Famer? Filler.
Ricky Steamboat v. Macho Man Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Title - A classic. Great wrestling from two guys in their prime. Two stars are born.
Jake the Snake v. Honky Tonk Man - Solid match. Could have been a lot better, though. I think it's funny how they originally (not in this match) planned to have Honky as a face but he was routinely booed.
Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff v. Killer Bees - Though I'm always up for ethnic heel action, this match was a bore.
Hulk Hogan v. Andre the Giant for the World Championship - A great match, albeit slow paced (as any match with Andre is). I'm sure it really put Hulkamania over to beat a guy who hadn't lost in his entire 15 year career.
More to come soon!!! Wrestlemania IV is next!
WRESTLEMANIA II -
Overall - A major improvement over the first Wrestlemania and almost an hour longer. This is where the WWE starts coming into its own. It still has its established stars in Andre the Giant, Roddy Piper, and Hulk Hogan and adds Randy Savage to the established cast of stars in a great undercard match.
Don Muraco v. Paul Orndorff - Weird match, in the fact that Paul Orndorff is a face for practically the only time in his career. Ends in a double countout.
George the Animal Steele v. Randy Savage - A real thrill of a match. Definitely steals the show. The Animal's unorthodox style and overwhelming fur gave quite the challenge to Randy Savage. I definitely think George the Animal Steele looked like an interesting wrestler. Wish I saw more of his matches.
Jake the Snake v. George Welles - Jake the Snake as a heel against a no-namer. Boring.
Rowdy Roddy Piper v. Mr. T in a boxing match - I actually liked this one a great deal, too. Didn't have a clean ending with Piper getting DQ'd. Still, a lot of action from two men unfamiliar with boxing. They still put on a good show.
Velvet McIntyre v. Fabulous Moolah - a squash match for Moolah. I guess this is when the WWE began under a minute diva matches...
Nikolai Volkoff v. Corporal Kirschner - Who's Corporal Kirschner? He seems like the sire of later luminaries like Cobra of the feud with Sgt. Craig Pittman fame. Anyway he trounces the Russian in a flag match.
20-Man Battle Royal with NFL players - Refrigerator Perry looked good, but is anyone really going to beat Andre the Giant in a battle royal? Very fun match that came down to Andre v. the Hart Foundation.
Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake v. The British Bulldogs - The British Bulldogs in their first PPV match on Wrestlemania. A solid but unspectacular match.
Hercules Hernandez v. Ricky Steamboat - You can't really go wrong with a Ricky Steamboat match. Solid.
Adorable Adrian Adonis v. Uncle Elmer - Triple A has got to be the most grotesque wrestler ever. Wearing a dress to the ring on his fat body. Gross.
Terry Funk & Hoss Funk v. Tito Santana & The Junkyard Dog - Believe it or not, Terry Funk put on a match that wasn't that great. Put the man in a hardcore match or don't let him wrestle at all. I'd rather watch him vs. Dangerous Devon Storm in Starrcade 2000 when he looked like a corpse but damn if he didn't use hardcore items.
Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship - Hulk Hogan v. King Kong Bundy - Bundy proved to be a good challenge for Hogan. I liked the cage match a lot. Hogan once again dominated a big man (Andre, Vader, Earthquake, Big Show, etc.)
WRESTLEMANIA III -
Overall - A little bit of a drop off from Wrestlemania II. Here we see Randy Savage in a classic against Steamboat, Piper as a face, and Andre squaring off with Hogan. Unfortunately, there's a lot more filler on the card than on Wrestlemania 2.
Can-Am Connection v. Magnificent Muraco and Cowboy Bob Orton - Quick. If you can tell Tom Zenk and Rick Martel apart I'll give you 5 dollars. No cheating by checking Google Images.
Billy Jack Haynes v. Hercules in a Full Nelson Challenge - A pretty good match, but unfortunately it ends in a double countout, like all matches when unsure of who to give a push to.
King Kong Bundy, Lord Littlebrook, and Little Tokyo v. Hillbilly Jim, Little Beaver, and the Haiti Kid - It's clear King Kong suffered a major fall after losing to Hogan as he's relegated to a match with midgets. Nice to see Little Beaver get destroyed by King Kong.
Junkyard Dog v. Harley Race - Harley Race is a master wrestler and he puts on a good show against the JYD.
Rougeau Brothers v. Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine - The face turn for Beefcake in an otherwise uneventful match.
Loser Gets His Head Shaved Match - Roddy Piper v. Adrian Adonis - Piper shaves Adonis head partways and he looks even worse than before. Why are they using Piper in this fashion against a loser like Adonis?
The Hart Foundation and Danny Davis v. The British Bulldogs and Tito Santana - Good action. Nice to see two of the star tag teams of the 80s square off. Danny Davis - apparently a former ref turned bad (Nick Patrick - I wonder where that angle came from?) - only took advantage at the most opportune times.
Natural Butch Reed v. Koko B. Ware - Why is Koko B. Ware a Hall of Famer? Filler.
Ricky Steamboat v. Macho Man Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Title - A classic. Great wrestling from two guys in their prime. Two stars are born.
Jake the Snake v. Honky Tonk Man - Solid match. Could have been a lot better, though. I think it's funny how they originally (not in this match) planned to have Honky as a face but he was routinely booed.
Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff v. Killer Bees - Though I'm always up for ethnic heel action, this match was a bore.
Hulk Hogan v. Andre the Giant for the World Championship - A great match, albeit slow paced (as any match with Andre is). I'm sure it really put Hulkamania over to beat a guy who hadn't lost in his entire 15 year career.
More to come soon!!! Wrestlemania IV is next!
Wrestlemania 1 Review
by Alfonso Colasuonno
My sister recently bought me the first ten Wrestlemanias on DVD. I thought I'd review them for those checking out this blog. So far, I've seen Wrestlemania, Wrestlemania 2, and Wrestlemania III. Today, I'll review Wrestlemania 1.
WRESTLEMANIA
Tito Santana v. The Executioner - a short match to start off the card. Nothing really special here.
King Kong Bundy v. S.D. Jones - a monster squash for Bundy. He looked mighty impressive and mobile for a big man.
Matt Borne v. Ricky Steamboat - Nice to see Steamboat in action, but not one of his best matches.
David Sammartino v. Brutus Beefcake - Just a nice paced match. The best of the card. I wonder what happened to David Sammartino. Probably blacklisted with his dad Bruno.
Greg Valentine v. Junkyard Dog - Solid match. JYD is definitely an unorthodox wrestler.
Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff v. Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo - This was a good match. Sheik and Volkoff drew some great nationalist heat.
Big John Studd v. Andre the Giant - this was a 15,000 dollar slam match. Was it supposed to be shocking that a man Andre's size could bodyslam a man Studd's size? The other way around would be a shocker.
Leilani Kai v. Wendi Richter - I think this was better women's action than the Divas matches of today. I wonder why WWE has such terrible women's wrestling compared to TNA. It's like they are half-assing it. Why even bother.
Hogan and Mr. T v. Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff - A solid bout to close the show. I really think the first few Wrestlemanias - Hogan carried the show.
Overall - A solid PPV to start the Wrestlemania legacy. However, the action left a lot to be desired.
My sister recently bought me the first ten Wrestlemanias on DVD. I thought I'd review them for those checking out this blog. So far, I've seen Wrestlemania, Wrestlemania 2, and Wrestlemania III. Today, I'll review Wrestlemania 1.
WRESTLEMANIA
Tito Santana v. The Executioner - a short match to start off the card. Nothing really special here.
King Kong Bundy v. S.D. Jones - a monster squash for Bundy. He looked mighty impressive and mobile for a big man.
Matt Borne v. Ricky Steamboat - Nice to see Steamboat in action, but not one of his best matches.
David Sammartino v. Brutus Beefcake - Just a nice paced match. The best of the card. I wonder what happened to David Sammartino. Probably blacklisted with his dad Bruno.
Greg Valentine v. Junkyard Dog - Solid match. JYD is definitely an unorthodox wrestler.
Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff v. Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo - This was a good match. Sheik and Volkoff drew some great nationalist heat.
Big John Studd v. Andre the Giant - this was a 15,000 dollar slam match. Was it supposed to be shocking that a man Andre's size could bodyslam a man Studd's size? The other way around would be a shocker.
Leilani Kai v. Wendi Richter - I think this was better women's action than the Divas matches of today. I wonder why WWE has such terrible women's wrestling compared to TNA. It's like they are half-assing it. Why even bother.
Hogan and Mr. T v. Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff - A solid bout to close the show. I really think the first few Wrestlemanias - Hogan carried the show.
Overall - A solid PPV to start the Wrestlemania legacy. However, the action left a lot to be desired.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
My Perspective
By Alfonso Colasuonno
SMACKDOWN
So, not only is Mike Knox back on Smackdown, but his weird intellectual bent that Jim Ross has been playing up seems to be in full effect. I like it.
How about that? CM Punk finally won a match for a change as he pinned John Morrison in the last edition of Smackdown. I like his new hardline image but how can you take him seriously as a #1 contender to the title when he keeps losing repeatedly to JoMo, Edge, and Jeff Hardy.
I like the idea of turning Matt Hardy face and reuniting the Hardy Boys. However, is anything going to come of this with Jeff likely leaving the WWE after Summerslam? I can't believe I'm saying this, but hopefully Jeff'll sign on for a few more months to see where it goes with his brother.
Slam Master J is a complete joke. However, he's a lot funnier than the old gimmick of Jesse. I'd like to see Slam Master J just become a total jobber a la Santino. Be the Smackdown equivalent of Santino in comic relief.
I was right on in calling for Ricky Ortiz to get the pink slip. He'll be missed. Heh.
R. Truth is electric. I think they should give Ziggler the IC title at Summerslam and have him feud for it with Truth. Mysterio maybe can be moved up to the #2 face behind John Morrison and feud with CM Punk for the title and/or #1 contendership.
I like the gruesomeness of the new Kane - Great Khali clips. I hope these guys are on for Summerslam.
Is Melina not the most absolute gorgeous diva in WWE? While the diva action is not nearly as good as the TNA knockouts, I always am eager to see Melina in action. Rawr.
I still think Jericho is the best mic worker in the WWE today but I'd like to see him turn face again. Maybe turn on the Big Show?
I found out that Finlay is in his 50's. I guess he's the lone exception to the McMahon's youth policy promotion.
I like the Word Up segments with Cryme Tyme. They tend to be amusing. Mainly for the humiliation of Slam Master J.
I like the angle of Mr. McMahon putting Teddy Long on ice. I think McMahon is the best heel in the WWE. But then again, who likes their boss?
RAW
Surprisingly, the idea of guest hosts of RAW isn't bringing the show any better ratings. I was quite the critic of Monday Night Raw until they brought in the guest hosts. While some hosts are more subdued (I mean would anyone want to see a show all about Sgt. Slaughter?) the Shaq episode was just hilarious even if his comments about Christina and Fat Boy were puerile. As for Jeremy Piven, he made wrestling look bad by not even knowing that it was Summerslam instead of Summerfest. He deserved getting thrown around by Cena after that gaffe. As for Sgt. Slaughter - he plays the part of the ugly American as well as anyone (and was that a Hacksaw sighting!)
I'm getting tired of the fact that for the last 4-5 years no one other than Batista, Orton, Triple H, or Cena is getting heavily promoted as a major WWE title holder. I think if Vince McMahon wants to make his product improve he has to take chances. Why not promote a Kofi Kingston or a Jack Swagger or even a Mark Henry into the title match at a PPV?
So it's off to dopes to infinity for The Brian Kendrick. Supposedly his attitude and drug abuse cost him his job in the WWE. I think he'd be great in TNA or ROH. I hope he gets a new job soon. I really think he has a great future in this business if given a solid push.
Chris Masters is back. Does anyone care?
We haven't seen Festus in a while. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. With him and Santino being pushed to the side, Raw loses its comedic value.
I'm personally glad Eugene was once again given the pink slip by WWE.
Why does Kelly Kelly get a 7-11 Cup. Has she even been a title holder before? Besides I think there are better looking divas than her (Michelle McCool, Maryse, Jillian, and Melina come to mind)
I wonder how Lawler's mayoral candidacy is going. Best of luck to him on that.
Am I the only one who whenever they announce the name Primo thinks of crack and pot mixed together or am I just living in the streets for too long?
The Miz is back on RAW. Personally, I'd have liked to see him moved back to ECW. I think he and Christian could have had a great feud for the ECW title. Either way, glad to see him back on programming.
Last, but certainly not least, DX is back. Shawn Michaels absolutely suffered under the serious gimmicks with Jericho and especially JBL in the last year or so. Best to see him in his role with DX where he shined brightest. I'd like to see DX versus Jericho and Big Show for the titles.
ECW
I'm still waiting on a match between Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov. I think it would be nice to see these two heavyweights go at it.
Is Abraham Washington ever going to wrestle? Or does he just talk a good game?
Hurricane Helms is almost as stupid a gimmick as Super Eric and the Prince Justice Brotherhood.
I've never seen anyone as pale as Sheamus before.
Tyler Reks is the definition of a shooting star. He'll be gone in mere minutes from the world of pro wrestling.
Shelton Benjamin as a face is a great move. I think he'll be ECW champion soon enough. I think he's a great talent and it's a shame to see him banished to the wasteland of the WWE.
All I can say about Zack Ryder is he strikes me as quite common for a Long Islander.
TNA
World Elite strikes me as just as a midcard version of the Main Event Mafia.
I know Bobby Lashley is a dual sport athlete but I'd like to see him in a few matches in TNA sometime soon.
Eric Young is a heel now and perhaps leader of World Elite. And still no one cares about him.
I really think Kevin Nash is the best mic worker other than Jericho in the business today. I loved his title match signing with Mick Foley where he admits, once again, it's all about the benjamins.
Does anyone really think the Outlaw Jethro Holliday has a chance against Abyss. I think Abyss needs a title shot at Kurt Angle. Why is every other face in a feud with the MEM and World Elite and he's stuck battling Stevie Richards.
AJ Styles if floundering in mediocrity. I think he's got a dynamic future if given the chance. I'd rather see AJ vs. Matt Morgan for the TNA title than guys like Sting or Foley in the picture when they should bow out gracefully (However, Sting is set to retire very shortly)
I think Cody Deaner has watched too many hours of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour.
Daniels and Daffney are completely misused by TNA. They are great talents who are floundering around doing nothing. Another example of TNA's ineptness and why they can't challenge WWE.
Is Jeff Jarrett going to be cut from the umbilical cord of his that is TNA? Maybe then TNA can get serious and compete with the WWE.
I enjoyed seeing Rhino gore Jesse Neal. Stupid rook.
I really hope Matt Morgan gets the title from Kurt Angle. I like the heat betweeen Morgan and Angle at the last TNA episode over Morgan being ordered to help Angle retain the title if he wanted to be in the Main Event Mafia. Hopefully, he won't be another Samoa Joe.
Sarita is amazing. I've never seen a female wrestler with the amazing high flying antics of her. She reminds me of Jushin Liger!
If nothing else, Team 3D will always be the best tag team ever in mic skills.
SMACKDOWN
So, not only is Mike Knox back on Smackdown, but his weird intellectual bent that Jim Ross has been playing up seems to be in full effect. I like it.
How about that? CM Punk finally won a match for a change as he pinned John Morrison in the last edition of Smackdown. I like his new hardline image but how can you take him seriously as a #1 contender to the title when he keeps losing repeatedly to JoMo, Edge, and Jeff Hardy.
I like the idea of turning Matt Hardy face and reuniting the Hardy Boys. However, is anything going to come of this with Jeff likely leaving the WWE after Summerslam? I can't believe I'm saying this, but hopefully Jeff'll sign on for a few more months to see where it goes with his brother.
Slam Master J is a complete joke. However, he's a lot funnier than the old gimmick of Jesse. I'd like to see Slam Master J just become a total jobber a la Santino. Be the Smackdown equivalent of Santino in comic relief.
I was right on in calling for Ricky Ortiz to get the pink slip. He'll be missed. Heh.
R. Truth is electric. I think they should give Ziggler the IC title at Summerslam and have him feud for it with Truth. Mysterio maybe can be moved up to the #2 face behind John Morrison and feud with CM Punk for the title and/or #1 contendership.
I like the gruesomeness of the new Kane - Great Khali clips. I hope these guys are on for Summerslam.
Is Melina not the most absolute gorgeous diva in WWE? While the diva action is not nearly as good as the TNA knockouts, I always am eager to see Melina in action. Rawr.
I still think Jericho is the best mic worker in the WWE today but I'd like to see him turn face again. Maybe turn on the Big Show?
I found out that Finlay is in his 50's. I guess he's the lone exception to the McMahon's youth policy promotion.
I like the Word Up segments with Cryme Tyme. They tend to be amusing. Mainly for the humiliation of Slam Master J.
I like the angle of Mr. McMahon putting Teddy Long on ice. I think McMahon is the best heel in the WWE. But then again, who likes their boss?
RAW
Surprisingly, the idea of guest hosts of RAW isn't bringing the show any better ratings. I was quite the critic of Monday Night Raw until they brought in the guest hosts. While some hosts are more subdued (I mean would anyone want to see a show all about Sgt. Slaughter?) the Shaq episode was just hilarious even if his comments about Christina and Fat Boy were puerile. As for Jeremy Piven, he made wrestling look bad by not even knowing that it was Summerslam instead of Summerfest. He deserved getting thrown around by Cena after that gaffe. As for Sgt. Slaughter - he plays the part of the ugly American as well as anyone (and was that a Hacksaw sighting!)
I'm getting tired of the fact that for the last 4-5 years no one other than Batista, Orton, Triple H, or Cena is getting heavily promoted as a major WWE title holder. I think if Vince McMahon wants to make his product improve he has to take chances. Why not promote a Kofi Kingston or a Jack Swagger or even a Mark Henry into the title match at a PPV?
So it's off to dopes to infinity for The Brian Kendrick. Supposedly his attitude and drug abuse cost him his job in the WWE. I think he'd be great in TNA or ROH. I hope he gets a new job soon. I really think he has a great future in this business if given a solid push.
Chris Masters is back. Does anyone care?
We haven't seen Festus in a while. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. With him and Santino being pushed to the side, Raw loses its comedic value.
I'm personally glad Eugene was once again given the pink slip by WWE.
Why does Kelly Kelly get a 7-11 Cup. Has she even been a title holder before? Besides I think there are better looking divas than her (Michelle McCool, Maryse, Jillian, and Melina come to mind)
I wonder how Lawler's mayoral candidacy is going. Best of luck to him on that.
Am I the only one who whenever they announce the name Primo thinks of crack and pot mixed together or am I just living in the streets for too long?
The Miz is back on RAW. Personally, I'd have liked to see him moved back to ECW. I think he and Christian could have had a great feud for the ECW title. Either way, glad to see him back on programming.
Last, but certainly not least, DX is back. Shawn Michaels absolutely suffered under the serious gimmicks with Jericho and especially JBL in the last year or so. Best to see him in his role with DX where he shined brightest. I'd like to see DX versus Jericho and Big Show for the titles.
ECW
I'm still waiting on a match between Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov. I think it would be nice to see these two heavyweights go at it.
Is Abraham Washington ever going to wrestle? Or does he just talk a good game?
Hurricane Helms is almost as stupid a gimmick as Super Eric and the Prince Justice Brotherhood.
I've never seen anyone as pale as Sheamus before.
Tyler Reks is the definition of a shooting star. He'll be gone in mere minutes from the world of pro wrestling.
Shelton Benjamin as a face is a great move. I think he'll be ECW champion soon enough. I think he's a great talent and it's a shame to see him banished to the wasteland of the WWE.
All I can say about Zack Ryder is he strikes me as quite common for a Long Islander.
TNA
World Elite strikes me as just as a midcard version of the Main Event Mafia.
I know Bobby Lashley is a dual sport athlete but I'd like to see him in a few matches in TNA sometime soon.
Eric Young is a heel now and perhaps leader of World Elite. And still no one cares about him.
I really think Kevin Nash is the best mic worker other than Jericho in the business today. I loved his title match signing with Mick Foley where he admits, once again, it's all about the benjamins.
Does anyone really think the Outlaw Jethro Holliday has a chance against Abyss. I think Abyss needs a title shot at Kurt Angle. Why is every other face in a feud with the MEM and World Elite and he's stuck battling Stevie Richards.
AJ Styles if floundering in mediocrity. I think he's got a dynamic future if given the chance. I'd rather see AJ vs. Matt Morgan for the TNA title than guys like Sting or Foley in the picture when they should bow out gracefully (However, Sting is set to retire very shortly)
I think Cody Deaner has watched too many hours of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour.
Daniels and Daffney are completely misused by TNA. They are great talents who are floundering around doing nothing. Another example of TNA's ineptness and why they can't challenge WWE.
Is Jeff Jarrett going to be cut from the umbilical cord of his that is TNA? Maybe then TNA can get serious and compete with the WWE.
I enjoyed seeing Rhino gore Jesse Neal. Stupid rook.
I really hope Matt Morgan gets the title from Kurt Angle. I like the heat betweeen Morgan and Angle at the last TNA episode over Morgan being ordered to help Angle retain the title if he wanted to be in the Main Event Mafia. Hopefully, he won't be another Samoa Joe.
Sarita is amazing. I've never seen a female wrestler with the amazing high flying antics of her. She reminds me of Jushin Liger!
If nothing else, Team 3D will always be the best tag team ever in mic skills.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
My Perspective
by Alfonso Colasuonno
ECW
I saw William Regal tell Yoshi Tatsu that he hates foreigners yesterday on ECW. Ironic, considering this Englishman said that in Roanoke, Virginia....Still, I think this angle might be becoming developed since Regal's comment to Kofi Kingston about how it'd be better for him to represent the US Title than a Jamaican. Let's hope this racist angle is pulled off better than JBL giving the Nazi salute.
The Abraham Washington Show is definitely must-see-TV. I wonder what kind of competitor he is in the ring. I'd like to see Abey Baby get started in a feud against Tommy Dreamer.
Definitely don't know what ECW is going to do with their women's division with only 3 stars...could we see the Bellas turn on each other, again?
When is DJ Gabriel returning to ECW? I swear he was the second coming of Alex "Berlyn" Wright!
Goldust is as useless as ever. Definitely have to agree that he hasn't been a factor in the WWE since intimidating Razor Ramon.
Is a Vladimir Kozlov feud against Ezekiel Jackson possible? There was a tease of it last night. I personally think the days of Russian mega heels are over. Try Kozlov as a face - if only as an experiment.
Too bad Finlay isn't on ECW anymore. I'd like to see a Finlay-Sheamus feud.
William Regal and Paul Burchill might make a good tag team....
RAW
Raw is once again the flagship of the WWE Universe. There's been a lot of improvement on the show in the last month or so. I really like the idea of guest hosts, as it really alleviates a lot of the problems of depth in the superstar pool that Raw has. That said, ZZ Top on RAW was lame.
Anyone else as excited about the 6 man match for the US Title. First off, Kofi Kingston is a delight to watch in the ring. The Miz is just awesome! Jack Swagger really has the potential to be a great heel for years to come. I like Carlito's heel turn too. However, the Big Show and MVP are sort of floundering. The Big Show is really just used as a tool because of his size to show how amazing your top-of-the-line guys on RAW are by beating him. MVP was also rumored to be challenging Orton for the belt at one point but now is apparently an afterthought.
It's a shame to see Beth Phoenix as a non-entity in the Divas title picture. She really has more talent than most of the other Divas in WWE.
How great would it be if Jericho's tag team partner was Randy Orton at Night of Champions? I think it would clear the way for a feud between Orton and DiBiase and give DiBiase the chance to develop into a star in his own right.
Personally, I think Hornswoggle's matches are painful to watch. When he and Chavo Guerrero are going at it, I just feel like I'd taken some Seraquil.
I like Mark Henry's push. While I don't know how well he'll go over as a face in the long run, I think his dominance of Jericho and Orton is putting him in good position for a title contendership if Orton manages to hold on to the belt.
The Brian Kendrick losing to Lawler (could you believe his dropkick at his age?) is just one more nail in the coffin for Kendrick. What a waste of his talent.
Lastly, for those who've been in the loop for awhile...doesn't Monday Nitro sound a lot like Monday Night Raw if pronounced in a Southern accent?
SMACKDOWN
Where's been Mike Knox on the last few editions of Smackdown? I'd like it if they play us his intellectual proclivities. I don't mean turn him into another Dean Douglas...but it would be nice to see a smart face for a change.
Have you ever seen a champion lose as often as CM Punk has recently? He's been pinned twice by John Morrison, forfeited a match to Edge, and lost via disqualification to Jeff Hardy.
Speaking of Jeff Hardy, his contract is about to run out....I think his mic skills are terrible...I don't think he'd be a big loss to the WWE.
I love the Edge face turn. I think when Edge returns, and with John Morrison, Smackdown has two faces that don't insult fans' intelligence (i.e. Cena, Batista, J.Hardy)
I'm surprised that the Hart Dynasty isn't getting over in their feud against Cryme Time. To think that the son of Davey Boy Smith, the daughter of Jim the Anvil Neidhart, and the last graduate of Stu Hart's famed dungeon is 2-2 against Cryme Time....is disappointing to say the least.
Dolph Ziggler is the likely choice for Jericho's tag team partner; but for once, WWE, surprise me!
Jesse as the eternal wanksta is a gimmick that is going over with me quite well. Who'd have thought the son of one of the Fabulous Freebirds would be more akin to Eminem than the dudes from Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Jim Ross remains the best announcer currently in the business.
When are they going to start using Matt Hardy? I think it's kind of funny how he destroys Jeff Hardy in a brother vs. brother feud, and then gets drafted to RAW and used as a mid-carder while Jeff wins the title.
When will they give Ricky Ortiz the pink slip already...the rally up gimmick is lame!
I don't really get the whole Pretty Ricky gimmick they are giving R. Truth. I also don't get why he hasn't been in contention for the Intercontinental Title yet.
Has there really ever been a worse wrestler (and I use that term loosely) than The Great Khali?
WWE just isn't the same without The Undertaker (or Shawn Michaels)
TNA
It's a low down dirty shame that first Shane Douglas, and now Raven, are gone from TNA. Why even bring them in to tease the fans in the first place if you weren't going to stick by them.
So the Main Event Mafia controls all the (major) belts. Now what? Here's where things can get interesting. I can't wait to see what happens next...
Sheik Abdul Bashir hasn't really been used much lately in TNA. I think he has potential to be a great X-division champion.
Somehow, I don't understand the idea of your most powerful knockout being used as a face in the case of Awesome Kong.
Bobby Lashley signed on to TNA....wonder how they'll use him.
I don't really understand the idea of half-heartedly doing an anti-American faction with the British Invasion, Kiyoshi, and Sheik Abdul Bashir, when Kiyoshi and SAB aren't even used in the fed much.
I really think TNA needs to remold the Legends belt into their secondary title instead of something associated with Legends. I think The Monster Abyss is one of the few TNA originals to really go anywhere lately with the MEM's domination. Maybe he should challenge Nash for the belt.
I think Beer Money, Inc. - if they stick together - could one day be considered one of the great tag teams in line with your Steiners, Road Warriors, and Dudleys.
I really think TNA should get Hulk Hogan. Like Vince said, Kurt Angle just isn't a channel changer.
Taz as Samoa Joe's trainer....whoo....I think that was a pretty good move for TNA.
ECW
I saw William Regal tell Yoshi Tatsu that he hates foreigners yesterday on ECW. Ironic, considering this Englishman said that in Roanoke, Virginia....Still, I think this angle might be becoming developed since Regal's comment to Kofi Kingston about how it'd be better for him to represent the US Title than a Jamaican. Let's hope this racist angle is pulled off better than JBL giving the Nazi salute.
The Abraham Washington Show is definitely must-see-TV. I wonder what kind of competitor he is in the ring. I'd like to see Abey Baby get started in a feud against Tommy Dreamer.
Definitely don't know what ECW is going to do with their women's division with only 3 stars...could we see the Bellas turn on each other, again?
When is DJ Gabriel returning to ECW? I swear he was the second coming of Alex "Berlyn" Wright!
Goldust is as useless as ever. Definitely have to agree that he hasn't been a factor in the WWE since intimidating Razor Ramon.
Is a Vladimir Kozlov feud against Ezekiel Jackson possible? There was a tease of it last night. I personally think the days of Russian mega heels are over. Try Kozlov as a face - if only as an experiment.
Too bad Finlay isn't on ECW anymore. I'd like to see a Finlay-Sheamus feud.
William Regal and Paul Burchill might make a good tag team....
RAW
Raw is once again the flagship of the WWE Universe. There's been a lot of improvement on the show in the last month or so. I really like the idea of guest hosts, as it really alleviates a lot of the problems of depth in the superstar pool that Raw has. That said, ZZ Top on RAW was lame.
Anyone else as excited about the 6 man match for the US Title. First off, Kofi Kingston is a delight to watch in the ring. The Miz is just awesome! Jack Swagger really has the potential to be a great heel for years to come. I like Carlito's heel turn too. However, the Big Show and MVP are sort of floundering. The Big Show is really just used as a tool because of his size to show how amazing your top-of-the-line guys on RAW are by beating him. MVP was also rumored to be challenging Orton for the belt at one point but now is apparently an afterthought.
It's a shame to see Beth Phoenix as a non-entity in the Divas title picture. She really has more talent than most of the other Divas in WWE.
How great would it be if Jericho's tag team partner was Randy Orton at Night of Champions? I think it would clear the way for a feud between Orton and DiBiase and give DiBiase the chance to develop into a star in his own right.
Personally, I think Hornswoggle's matches are painful to watch. When he and Chavo Guerrero are going at it, I just feel like I'd taken some Seraquil.
I like Mark Henry's push. While I don't know how well he'll go over as a face in the long run, I think his dominance of Jericho and Orton is putting him in good position for a title contendership if Orton manages to hold on to the belt.
The Brian Kendrick losing to Lawler (could you believe his dropkick at his age?) is just one more nail in the coffin for Kendrick. What a waste of his talent.
Lastly, for those who've been in the loop for awhile...doesn't Monday Nitro sound a lot like Monday Night Raw if pronounced in a Southern accent?
SMACKDOWN
Where's been Mike Knox on the last few editions of Smackdown? I'd like it if they play us his intellectual proclivities. I don't mean turn him into another Dean Douglas...but it would be nice to see a smart face for a change.
Have you ever seen a champion lose as often as CM Punk has recently? He's been pinned twice by John Morrison, forfeited a match to Edge, and lost via disqualification to Jeff Hardy.
Speaking of Jeff Hardy, his contract is about to run out....I think his mic skills are terrible...I don't think he'd be a big loss to the WWE.
I love the Edge face turn. I think when Edge returns, and with John Morrison, Smackdown has two faces that don't insult fans' intelligence (i.e. Cena, Batista, J.Hardy)
I'm surprised that the Hart Dynasty isn't getting over in their feud against Cryme Time. To think that the son of Davey Boy Smith, the daughter of Jim the Anvil Neidhart, and the last graduate of Stu Hart's famed dungeon is 2-2 against Cryme Time....is disappointing to say the least.
Dolph Ziggler is the likely choice for Jericho's tag team partner; but for once, WWE, surprise me!
Jesse as the eternal wanksta is a gimmick that is going over with me quite well. Who'd have thought the son of one of the Fabulous Freebirds would be more akin to Eminem than the dudes from Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Jim Ross remains the best announcer currently in the business.
When are they going to start using Matt Hardy? I think it's kind of funny how he destroys Jeff Hardy in a brother vs. brother feud, and then gets drafted to RAW and used as a mid-carder while Jeff wins the title.
When will they give Ricky Ortiz the pink slip already...the rally up gimmick is lame!
I don't really get the whole Pretty Ricky gimmick they are giving R. Truth. I also don't get why he hasn't been in contention for the Intercontinental Title yet.
Has there really ever been a worse wrestler (and I use that term loosely) than The Great Khali?
WWE just isn't the same without The Undertaker (or Shawn Michaels)
TNA
It's a low down dirty shame that first Shane Douglas, and now Raven, are gone from TNA. Why even bring them in to tease the fans in the first place if you weren't going to stick by them.
So the Main Event Mafia controls all the (major) belts. Now what? Here's where things can get interesting. I can't wait to see what happens next...
Sheik Abdul Bashir hasn't really been used much lately in TNA. I think he has potential to be a great X-division champion.
Somehow, I don't understand the idea of your most powerful knockout being used as a face in the case of Awesome Kong.
Bobby Lashley signed on to TNA....wonder how they'll use him.
I don't really understand the idea of half-heartedly doing an anti-American faction with the British Invasion, Kiyoshi, and Sheik Abdul Bashir, when Kiyoshi and SAB aren't even used in the fed much.
I really think TNA needs to remold the Legends belt into their secondary title instead of something associated with Legends. I think The Monster Abyss is one of the few TNA originals to really go anywhere lately with the MEM's domination. Maybe he should challenge Nash for the belt.
I think Beer Money, Inc. - if they stick together - could one day be considered one of the great tag teams in line with your Steiners, Road Warriors, and Dudleys.
I really think TNA should get Hulk Hogan. Like Vince said, Kurt Angle just isn't a channel changer.
Taz as Samoa Joe's trainer....whoo....I think that was a pretty good move for TNA.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Heroes of World Class: The Story of the Von Erichs (DVD Review)
By Alfonso Colasuonno
A while ago, for my good friend and contributor to this site, Russell Jaffe's birthday - I bought him a DVD entitled "Heroes of World Class: The Story of the Von Erichs." While browsing through the sports section of Best Buy I knew I had to get something good for Russell - something to catch his eye - as he'd soon be leaving New York City for brighter pastures in Iowa City. I think I hit the nail on the head with this DVD.
Flash forward to two months later, I was stirred to pick up the DVD for myself. Honestly, I was rather ignorant of the Von Erich family. I had known they were a cursed brood in wrestling lore. However, prior to the DVD catching my eye that May day when shopping for Russell, I had never even heard of World Class Championship Wrestling. I was even somewhat ignorant of the extent of the fact that the NWA was a loose confederation of pro wrestling in various territories in the United States - of which WCCW was one of them. The DVD rectified to a large extent my ignorance of this groundbreaking wrestling family and their promotion.
The DVD introduced me to the world of such stars as the Von Erich family, Gino Hernandez, The Fabulous Freebirds (of which I best knew Michael Hayes as Dok Hendrix in the WWE and as a character in the old NES World Championship Wrestling video game), Bruiser Brody and "Gentleman" Chris Adams (of who I'd seen in mid-90s era AWF television programs). The comprehensive and informative look at the history of WCCW - when it was the toast of Texas and the world - syndicated in 25 countries and picked up in 85 world markets - to the downfall after the string of deaths that occurred connected to the promotion of wrestlers gone before their time - starting with David Von Erich tracked the rollercoaster ride of one Texas promotion that could have been where the WWE is today if things had turned out a little differently.
One facet that I found highly interesting was the territorial system of pro wrestling prior to the WWE's explosion and branching out of the NYC market. Wrestling had a definite regional flair to it that made a Ric Flair coming to Texas or a Kerry Von Erich coming to Atlanta a huge draw. In the modern era, we take it for granted that we can view our favorite WWE or TNA stars no matter where we live in the United States (or in many places abroad) but once wrestling promoters held swaths of territory in which their promotion was the only one featured at the time in arenas. I found that to be just one of the startling changes between the modern and previous eras of pro wrestling.
As the DVD nears its end, I was overcome with a profound sense of sadness as the deaths rattled on and hard luck of countless wrestlers involved in the promotion were illustrated. From Bruiser Brody's homicide in Puerto Rico to Gino Hernandez' probable forced overdose of cocaine after hanging out with shady characters - the sense of grief was overwhelming. This voyeuristic documentary played all the strings in this wrestling's fan's heart with its first-hand look at the rise and fall of this promotion. I felt through interviews with stars like Gary Hart and Skandar Akbar that I really got to see the humanity in the wrestling world behind our television heroes and the glitz and glamour.
While the DVD was terribly depressing, it was definitely worth watching in order to enlighten my Yankee mind of the history of this distinctly Southern piece of Texas wrestling and state history. The DVD made me grateful to have most of my loved family and friends alive and mourn those who've passed on. All this from one wrestling video. I just expected to watch a bunch of matches. I came away with much more. The actual wrestling clips were rather minimal - as that was not what was set out to cover in this DVD. Instead, this haunting piece teaches us a lesson in grief. The stirring story of the demise of the Von Erich brood brings us an appreciation of having our loved ones here. Particularly, the fall of David Von Erich, with his special flair - he could have been one of the biggest babyfaces in pro wrestling history - saddens all of us fans of pro wrestling.
Perhaps the most depressing part of the DVD is Kevin Von Erich - the lone survivor - taking us back to the old Sportatorium in Dallas and recounting all his memories at the arena in better times. The Sportatorium, like the ECW Arena after it, truly was a wrestling arena of great majesty, albeit humble in appearance.
Overall, what I took from this most terribly depressing DVD is to be grateful for all that you have around you. I was left touched. Truly a work of great artistry and a compelling addition to any pro wrestling fan's DVD collection.
A while ago, for my good friend and contributor to this site, Russell Jaffe's birthday - I bought him a DVD entitled "Heroes of World Class: The Story of the Von Erichs." While browsing through the sports section of Best Buy I knew I had to get something good for Russell - something to catch his eye - as he'd soon be leaving New York City for brighter pastures in Iowa City. I think I hit the nail on the head with this DVD.
Flash forward to two months later, I was stirred to pick up the DVD for myself. Honestly, I was rather ignorant of the Von Erich family. I had known they were a cursed brood in wrestling lore. However, prior to the DVD catching my eye that May day when shopping for Russell, I had never even heard of World Class Championship Wrestling. I was even somewhat ignorant of the extent of the fact that the NWA was a loose confederation of pro wrestling in various territories in the United States - of which WCCW was one of them. The DVD rectified to a large extent my ignorance of this groundbreaking wrestling family and their promotion.
The DVD introduced me to the world of such stars as the Von Erich family, Gino Hernandez, The Fabulous Freebirds (of which I best knew Michael Hayes as Dok Hendrix in the WWE and as a character in the old NES World Championship Wrestling video game), Bruiser Brody and "Gentleman" Chris Adams (of who I'd seen in mid-90s era AWF television programs). The comprehensive and informative look at the history of WCCW - when it was the toast of Texas and the world - syndicated in 25 countries and picked up in 85 world markets - to the downfall after the string of deaths that occurred connected to the promotion of wrestlers gone before their time - starting with David Von Erich tracked the rollercoaster ride of one Texas promotion that could have been where the WWE is today if things had turned out a little differently.
One facet that I found highly interesting was the territorial system of pro wrestling prior to the WWE's explosion and branching out of the NYC market. Wrestling had a definite regional flair to it that made a Ric Flair coming to Texas or a Kerry Von Erich coming to Atlanta a huge draw. In the modern era, we take it for granted that we can view our favorite WWE or TNA stars no matter where we live in the United States (or in many places abroad) but once wrestling promoters held swaths of territory in which their promotion was the only one featured at the time in arenas. I found that to be just one of the startling changes between the modern and previous eras of pro wrestling.
As the DVD nears its end, I was overcome with a profound sense of sadness as the deaths rattled on and hard luck of countless wrestlers involved in the promotion were illustrated. From Bruiser Brody's homicide in Puerto Rico to Gino Hernandez' probable forced overdose of cocaine after hanging out with shady characters - the sense of grief was overwhelming. This voyeuristic documentary played all the strings in this wrestling's fan's heart with its first-hand look at the rise and fall of this promotion. I felt through interviews with stars like Gary Hart and Skandar Akbar that I really got to see the humanity in the wrestling world behind our television heroes and the glitz and glamour.
While the DVD was terribly depressing, it was definitely worth watching in order to enlighten my Yankee mind of the history of this distinctly Southern piece of Texas wrestling and state history. The DVD made me grateful to have most of my loved family and friends alive and mourn those who've passed on. All this from one wrestling video. I just expected to watch a bunch of matches. I came away with much more. The actual wrestling clips were rather minimal - as that was not what was set out to cover in this DVD. Instead, this haunting piece teaches us a lesson in grief. The stirring story of the demise of the Von Erich brood brings us an appreciation of having our loved ones here. Particularly, the fall of David Von Erich, with his special flair - he could have been one of the biggest babyfaces in pro wrestling history - saddens all of us fans of pro wrestling.
Perhaps the most depressing part of the DVD is Kevin Von Erich - the lone survivor - taking us back to the old Sportatorium in Dallas and recounting all his memories at the arena in better times. The Sportatorium, like the ECW Arena after it, truly was a wrestling arena of great majesty, albeit humble in appearance.
Overall, what I took from this most terribly depressing DVD is to be grateful for all that you have around you. I was left touched. Truly a work of great artistry and a compelling addition to any pro wrestling fan's DVD collection.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
1 Month Later - An Update (Finally...)
by Alfonso Colasuonno
RAW
I know I've been critical of RAW lately...but they have had a string of three really good episodes in a row. First the multi-branded RAW was saved by the diversity of matches from the brands. Last week's was amazing - adding The Donald and aggressively placing Vince in his role of heel worked magnificently. As for yesterday - the addition of Jack Swagger to RAW made me a lot more excited about the program's future, well that combined with the good showing of The Miz, who is a really talented worker.
A rumor heard from my friend James Boesen is that RAW will eventually go with Ric Flair as GM. As for now, Vince is sticking with Trump's idea of guest hosts, which seems pretty cool.
I have to say that while Trump was an amazing, albeit short-lived, promotional trick...I was disappointed that Vince didn't sell RAW to Stone Cold, Hogan, or Flair. All of those superstars have enough money to make the storyline plausible. Even Randy Savage, longtime nemesis of Vinnie Mack would have been solid.
I think Trump's trade really did a lot to revitalize the RAW brand. Evan Bourne - while he has zero mic skills should be interesting. I'd like to see him feud with The Brian Kendrick. Jack Swagger brings some enthusiasm to RAW. Mark Henry is another solid US title contender. Gail Kim should bring a solid challenger to Maryse's Divas title...along with Mickie James.
Is Mark Henry actually going to be used as a face? It's almost as strange seeing him posturing to the fans after demolishing Orton as it was to see Kozlov doing the same the last time he was spotted on ECW.
The never ending saga of Randy Orton v. McMahon brood/Evolution might finally end. Things are getting a little testy between him and Ted DiBiase. Hopefully, by Summerslam they'll be feuding. I'd also like to see John Cena win next week. Cena v. Orton should be a nice main event at Night of Champions.
The Miz looked really solid in his match against Cena last night. He could use a push. Even if it's just to the US title ranking. I'd really like to see The Miz team with the underutilized The Brian Kendrick or maybe Jack Swagger.
The first RAW in a while without Santino. I think he should turn heel again.
SMACKDOWN
I like the new direction for the straight edge superstar CM Punk. Personally, I think he's making Jeff Hardy seem like a whiny jerk.
Edge + Jericho as a team is an interesting concept. However, I think the WWE should do more to develop two tag teams with lots of potential as a unit - DH Smith + Tyson Kidd and Priceless. One other team that could have been put perhaps in the same unit is Shelton Benjamin + Charlie Haas...but unfortunately they were broken up....although I think Shelton has championship potential now in ECW. As for the Colons and Cryme Time....I don't think anyone takes them seriously.
I also think the Hart Dynasty on Smackdown is a great move. I think it's only a matter of time before they get tag team gold around their waists.
Anyone see John Morrison beat CM Punk. I think he is the next Shawn Michaels. He has loads of charisma and is an incredible in-ring performer. The Starship Pain finishing move is incredible. Someone should give him a chance to face Punk for the title.
Jesse actually made an appearance on Smackdown and was as hokey as ever. Here's a no-talent who needs to be released from his contract.
TNA
Shane Douglas is gone almost as soon as he came into TNA. That's a shame. He's an incredible performer. Oh well. Back to high school history class for the Dean.
I really like the direction the Main Event Mafia has taken with kicking Sting out and bringing Samoa Joe in with the promise of big bucks. I think it puts a fresh spin on the MEM. I never thought Sting would last in the group...the giveaway? His high-fives to fans. I want to see Samoa Joe rip Sting apart.
Whatever happened to all the amazing outfits Daffney used to find? Still she's my all-time favorite female wrestler. Hail the Scream Queen!
RAW
I know I've been critical of RAW lately...but they have had a string of three really good episodes in a row. First the multi-branded RAW was saved by the diversity of matches from the brands. Last week's was amazing - adding The Donald and aggressively placing Vince in his role of heel worked magnificently. As for yesterday - the addition of Jack Swagger to RAW made me a lot more excited about the program's future, well that combined with the good showing of The Miz, who is a really talented worker.
A rumor heard from my friend James Boesen is that RAW will eventually go with Ric Flair as GM. As for now, Vince is sticking with Trump's idea of guest hosts, which seems pretty cool.
I have to say that while Trump was an amazing, albeit short-lived, promotional trick...I was disappointed that Vince didn't sell RAW to Stone Cold, Hogan, or Flair. All of those superstars have enough money to make the storyline plausible. Even Randy Savage, longtime nemesis of Vinnie Mack would have been solid.
I think Trump's trade really did a lot to revitalize the RAW brand. Evan Bourne - while he has zero mic skills should be interesting. I'd like to see him feud with The Brian Kendrick. Jack Swagger brings some enthusiasm to RAW. Mark Henry is another solid US title contender. Gail Kim should bring a solid challenger to Maryse's Divas title...along with Mickie James.
Is Mark Henry actually going to be used as a face? It's almost as strange seeing him posturing to the fans after demolishing Orton as it was to see Kozlov doing the same the last time he was spotted on ECW.
The never ending saga of Randy Orton v. McMahon brood/Evolution might finally end. Things are getting a little testy between him and Ted DiBiase. Hopefully, by Summerslam they'll be feuding. I'd also like to see John Cena win next week. Cena v. Orton should be a nice main event at Night of Champions.
The Miz looked really solid in his match against Cena last night. He could use a push. Even if it's just to the US title ranking. I'd really like to see The Miz team with the underutilized The Brian Kendrick or maybe Jack Swagger.
The first RAW in a while without Santino. I think he should turn heel again.
SMACKDOWN
I like the new direction for the straight edge superstar CM Punk. Personally, I think he's making Jeff Hardy seem like a whiny jerk.
Edge + Jericho as a team is an interesting concept. However, I think the WWE should do more to develop two tag teams with lots of potential as a unit - DH Smith + Tyson Kidd and Priceless. One other team that could have been put perhaps in the same unit is Shelton Benjamin + Charlie Haas...but unfortunately they were broken up....although I think Shelton has championship potential now in ECW. As for the Colons and Cryme Time....I don't think anyone takes them seriously.
I also think the Hart Dynasty on Smackdown is a great move. I think it's only a matter of time before they get tag team gold around their waists.
Anyone see John Morrison beat CM Punk. I think he is the next Shawn Michaels. He has loads of charisma and is an incredible in-ring performer. The Starship Pain finishing move is incredible. Someone should give him a chance to face Punk for the title.
Jesse actually made an appearance on Smackdown and was as hokey as ever. Here's a no-talent who needs to be released from his contract.
TNA
Shane Douglas is gone almost as soon as he came into TNA. That's a shame. He's an incredible performer. Oh well. Back to high school history class for the Dean.
I really like the direction the Main Event Mafia has taken with kicking Sting out and bringing Samoa Joe in with the promise of big bucks. I think it puts a fresh spin on the MEM. I never thought Sting would last in the group...the giveaway? His high-fives to fans. I want to see Samoa Joe rip Sting apart.
Whatever happened to all the amazing outfits Daffney used to find? Still she's my all-time favorite female wrestler. Hail the Scream Queen!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
TNA's New Arrivals, The Floundering Nature of RAW, and The Birth of a Star on Smackdown
by Alfonso Colasuonno
TNA
Well, TNA brought three new arrivals to the Impact Zone this week and I think the show will all together be a lot stronger for their additions.
First - about Victoria - all I have to say is her theme music is amazing. It's the best I've ever heard. It sounds like some cross between L7 and My Bloody Valentine. Anyone know who does the music?
Raven joining with old pal Stevie Richards and Daffney has the makings for a great stable. I'm really optimistic about how TNA will handle the addition of Raven.
Shane Douglas using his old friend the brass knuckles on Daniels was an interesting way to close out the show. And by interesting, I mean I think they could do better. Still, I think a Daniels - Douglas feud would be pretty exciting.
Next week will bring a new addition - Jesse Neal. I really think Abdul Bashir and The British Invasion are going to do something to feud with him. Yes, I think it will be the worst gimmick around. My fingers are crossed that this is botched so horribly that it goes from bad to good.
I'm not feeling the idea of bringing in Cody Deaner is an active competitor. See when Don West said the crystal meth crack about him, I actually think it was aptly put.
Samoa Joe remains the height of absurdity by stating that he is going to kill Kurt Angle. Gah.
I like the idea of Sting leading the Main Event Mafia. It brings a bit of a twist to the same tired old heel faction. Let's see how this develops. I think Matt Morgan could be really something of a star and might be a good fit for the faction as an enforcer - sort of replacing Kurt Angle's bodyguards in that role.
RAW
I am completely bored of the Legacy. Even Ric Flair wasn't enough to salve the wound that is the Ortoncentric nature of RAW.
I have to admit - even though it was out of jealousy and self-promotion, the idea of the faces wearing Lakers jerseys and the heels wearing Nuggets jerseys in the main event and the confrontation between McMahon and the Nuggets owner impersonator was pretty entertaining.
SMACKDOWN
The more I see of John Morrison, like the way he handled himself against Umaga - the more I think this kid has the potential to be the next Shawn Michaels.
TNA
Well, TNA brought three new arrivals to the Impact Zone this week and I think the show will all together be a lot stronger for their additions.
First - about Victoria - all I have to say is her theme music is amazing. It's the best I've ever heard. It sounds like some cross between L7 and My Bloody Valentine. Anyone know who does the music?
Raven joining with old pal Stevie Richards and Daffney has the makings for a great stable. I'm really optimistic about how TNA will handle the addition of Raven.
Shane Douglas using his old friend the brass knuckles on Daniels was an interesting way to close out the show. And by interesting, I mean I think they could do better. Still, I think a Daniels - Douglas feud would be pretty exciting.
Next week will bring a new addition - Jesse Neal. I really think Abdul Bashir and The British Invasion are going to do something to feud with him. Yes, I think it will be the worst gimmick around. My fingers are crossed that this is botched so horribly that it goes from bad to good.
I'm not feeling the idea of bringing in Cody Deaner is an active competitor. See when Don West said the crystal meth crack about him, I actually think it was aptly put.
Samoa Joe remains the height of absurdity by stating that he is going to kill Kurt Angle. Gah.
I like the idea of Sting leading the Main Event Mafia. It brings a bit of a twist to the same tired old heel faction. Let's see how this develops. I think Matt Morgan could be really something of a star and might be a good fit for the faction as an enforcer - sort of replacing Kurt Angle's bodyguards in that role.
RAW
I am completely bored of the Legacy. Even Ric Flair wasn't enough to salve the wound that is the Ortoncentric nature of RAW.
I have to admit - even though it was out of jealousy and self-promotion, the idea of the faces wearing Lakers jerseys and the heels wearing Nuggets jerseys in the main event and the confrontation between McMahon and the Nuggets owner impersonator was pretty entertaining.
SMACKDOWN
The more I see of John Morrison, like the way he handled himself against Umaga - the more I think this kid has the potential to be the next Shawn Michaels.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Recent Observations
By Alfonso Colasuonno
Is anyone as sick of Randy Orton as I am? OK. You systematically dismantled every member of the McMahon family and now you're setting your sights on dismantling every member of Evolution. You already put Triple H out of commission. Boring. Smackdown is an infinitely better show than Raw simply because Raw revolves around Orton (and Cena - don't get me started on him). I think he needs a new gimmick. This feud is getting old. Just a few months ago I was incredibly high on Orton...but now, I'm just frustrated watching his skits on RAW and prefer to watch The Miz or The Brian Kendrick or any of the other few good competitors on the program.
Speaking of Randy Orton's feud...how about bringing in the decomposing corpse of Ric Flair in to feud with Orton. Granted, Flair looks older than John McCain but I still mark out for the old boy. Still, the thought of Batista vs. Orton as the main draw on RAW leaves me with a sigh and a yawn.
On the last episode of Smackdown - Chris Jericho showed exactly why he is the best mic worker in WWE. At first I didn't like Jericho's angle of constant whiner. The angle could only really work in a truly skilled professional's hand (see how Jack Swagger is failing at it in his feud with Christian). While I miss the antics of the old Jericho...I think the new professional Jericho is equally entertaining.
Does anyone else think Batista is nothing but a ripoff of Goldberg?
The Miz is the reason to watch RAW. Him dressed up like a John Cena fanboy was hilarious. His rap ("The Steve Urkel of handsome") was funny. I actually want to see The Miz moved up to the main event status. I think he is an incredible mic worker. If not...I think he'd make an amazing tag team with The Brian Kendrick.
What's up with David Hart Smith saying he's already better than his father without ever wrestling a match in ECW? Hmm....he might be...but the kid is too brash without a record to back it up. Still, the new formed Hart Foundation is looking good.
Zack Ryder is the most entertaining wrestler on ECW. WOO WOO WOO!
I think I'm alone in my enthusiasm for the Soviet Cyborg - Vladimir Kozlov. I just wish he starts finding better competition than the no-names ECW is throwing at him. Who is going to win a match - the guy with the ring entrance or the guy you've never heard of without a ring entrance. Lame.
I really think the tag team belts should remain unified considering how little WWE cares about them.
Here's hoping Shawn Michaels and Triple H reform as DX and Kane and Undertaker reform as the Brothers of Destruction and give the tag team division a jolt. I just don't buy the Colons as legitimate tag team champions.
As Russell Jaffe said - the odds are 100 to 100 that the Navy guy that Rhino is training will feud with Sheik Abdul Bashir - I for one can hardly wait!!!
Stevie Richards needs a better angle than this Dr. Stevie gimmick.
FIN
Is anyone as sick of Randy Orton as I am? OK. You systematically dismantled every member of the McMahon family and now you're setting your sights on dismantling every member of Evolution. You already put Triple H out of commission. Boring. Smackdown is an infinitely better show than Raw simply because Raw revolves around Orton (and Cena - don't get me started on him). I think he needs a new gimmick. This feud is getting old. Just a few months ago I was incredibly high on Orton...but now, I'm just frustrated watching his skits on RAW and prefer to watch The Miz or The Brian Kendrick or any of the other few good competitors on the program.
Speaking of Randy Orton's feud...how about bringing in the decomposing corpse of Ric Flair in to feud with Orton. Granted, Flair looks older than John McCain but I still mark out for the old boy. Still, the thought of Batista vs. Orton as the main draw on RAW leaves me with a sigh and a yawn.
On the last episode of Smackdown - Chris Jericho showed exactly why he is the best mic worker in WWE. At first I didn't like Jericho's angle of constant whiner. The angle could only really work in a truly skilled professional's hand (see how Jack Swagger is failing at it in his feud with Christian). While I miss the antics of the old Jericho...I think the new professional Jericho is equally entertaining.
Does anyone else think Batista is nothing but a ripoff of Goldberg?
The Miz is the reason to watch RAW. Him dressed up like a John Cena fanboy was hilarious. His rap ("The Steve Urkel of handsome") was funny. I actually want to see The Miz moved up to the main event status. I think he is an incredible mic worker. If not...I think he'd make an amazing tag team with The Brian Kendrick.
What's up with David Hart Smith saying he's already better than his father without ever wrestling a match in ECW? Hmm....he might be...but the kid is too brash without a record to back it up. Still, the new formed Hart Foundation is looking good.
Zack Ryder is the most entertaining wrestler on ECW. WOO WOO WOO!
I think I'm alone in my enthusiasm for the Soviet Cyborg - Vladimir Kozlov. I just wish he starts finding better competition than the no-names ECW is throwing at him. Who is going to win a match - the guy with the ring entrance or the guy you've never heard of without a ring entrance. Lame.
I really think the tag team belts should remain unified considering how little WWE cares about them.
Here's hoping Shawn Michaels and Triple H reform as DX and Kane and Undertaker reform as the Brothers of Destruction and give the tag team division a jolt. I just don't buy the Colons as legitimate tag team champions.
As Russell Jaffe said - the odds are 100 to 100 that the Navy guy that Rhino is training will feud with Sheik Abdul Bashir - I for one can hardly wait!!!
Stevie Richards needs a better angle than this Dr. Stevie gimmick.
FIN
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Unsung, Underground, and Underappreciated: Must-see matches available on Youtube
by Russell Jaffe
As a lover of all things pro wrestling, I hold a soft spot in my heart for the bizarre, rare, and just plain insane. I collect WCW tapes from late 1999 and beyond, own every episode of XPW TV, and keep up with the lowliest of the low indie promotions, like Dirty South Pro Wrestling and Jonny Rodz’ World of Unpredictable Wrestling. I try to diversify. But what about people less-crazy than myself who want all the strangest must-see pro wrestling without all the time and money flushed into the abyss? I present to you: Unsung, Underground, and Underappreciated: Must-see matches available on Youtube.
Youtube is the voice of Generation Y: fast, to the point, odd, sadistic, voyeuristic, and representative of our multi-tasting, ADD generation. These matches are perfect fits within the deep cracks of pro-wrestling subculture. I present them for your enjoyment, whether you’ve seen them or not.
Finlay vs Grasshopper-World of Sport 1986
This bizarre match is must-watch for a number of reasons:
1.) World of Sport was totally fucking awesome and added an authentic edge to pro wrestling while retaining all the ridiculousness we all love.
2.) It’s Finlay in 1986. With a girl dressed like an Injun.
3.) I cannot figure out of this match is actually on sped up tape, but if not, these guys could give Bruce Lee a run for his money. Their way of moving is really fast and insane.
I recommend that anyone who likes World of Sport to seek out Mike Quackenbush vs. Johnny Saint from CHIKARA…that throwback match really brought back memories of simpler (and in this case, equally as odd) times.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRwa8AdVDQY
WCW 1989: Ding Dongs vs. Skyscrapers
This insanely brutal squash makes me laugh every time. It’s humiliation at its most humiliating as the pathetic, despised Ding Dongs are decimated and de-masked by the monsterous Skyscrapers. Yup, that’s Teddy Long with them. Let the neck snapping begin.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-pCo0CMIFA
Juvi's hilarious XPW promo: Philadelphia, 2001
People remember an awful lot about XPW, but you’d be hard pressed to find anything good. While many of the matches were garbage matches, how many times can you say that you’ve seen a garbage PROMO? Juvi brings it out in full force here, and envokes the wrath of the 2001 audience, chanting “WHAT?” Yes, Austin and the Rock were hot, and their hotness did not translate at all to Juvi.
Unfortunately, this video was taken down and uploaded again, but its missing some funny stuff, particularly when Chris Chetti comes out and gets bonked in the head by the lone piece of the set- a juicer that has been sitting in the corner.
LINK:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFqrppW9N0c
Vader vs Takeshi Morishima- NOAH 2003
Call it a torch being passed or forcefully taken. Vader, on his way out, takes on Takeshi Morishima, on his way up. Morishima would go on to win the ROH and GHC world titles, while Vader would go on to fall off the ring in WWE. This match is fast, stiff, and brutal: perfect for Youtube. Not quite the infamous Stan Hanson vs. Vader match, but does anything need to be?
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTRpqt0UiHI
Mighty Wilbur vs David Isley -AWA
This match is important for anyone who says mic skills don’t matter. What as Mighty Wilbur squashes a jobber, gets over in about 3 seconds, and then proceeds to destroy all his heat with a dragged out promo that will remind you of that one math teacher who made you want to just play calculator games the whole class. Apparently he dislikes Paul Jones.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bwYxQfdrSs
Toshiaki Kawada vs. Katsuyori Shibata-2004 NJPW
It’s hard for me to describe this vicious match besides saying that each man has nothing but reckless abandon for themselves and their opponents. Like Youtube itself, it presents a non-stop marathon of hard hitting violence and insanity. Watch for the most horrific knee-drop in the history of wrestling at the end. You know from the get go that this match isn’t ending until someone can’t go anymore. This is an absolute must-see match!
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN6F1USUOaE
Great Antonio vs Antonio Inoki: 70s
This match is more important for the story behind it…Great Antonio refused to sell for Antonio Inoki, which is basically akin to inking your own death sentence in your own blood. Also, it’s worth mentioning that this match that degenerates into a shoot has amazing camerawork and quality, and it was the 1970s! Nice, Japan.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lXAGZtMxU8
Nasty Boys at Maryland Science Center
Remember when you were a kid and you watched all those wacky segments that made wrestling so much larger than life? If yes, then you do not remember this poop-covered gem: the Nasty Boys visiting the Maryland Science Center. While Knobbs may be called a legend on reality TV shows, he’s not exactly the wittiest guy in the world, and he has about 4 times the brain power that Jerry Saggs does. Turn your brain off and enjoy the stupidity!
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vypggcGJ1E0
Buff Bagwell and Lex Luger vs Perfect Event- WCW Greed 2001
Relive the death of WCW as Luger and Bagwell allow themselves to be totally slaughtered by the Perfect Event. The myth behind the match is that Luger and Bagwell stated many times that they think this was a good idea for getting their opponents over, while Death of WCW thinks it was a snide way to challenge management, who demanded Perfect Event be put over. Regardless, it’s a rare gem from WCW’s end.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EnFK-XhLe0
Val CM Punk- heat 2005
Reportedly, this is the match that got CM Punk signed to a WWE developmental deal, and if you watch it you’ll see why. Val Venis puts on his work boots to take CM Punk (working heel) to an intense back-and-forth match that you’d never in a billion years expect to see on the former “Stevie Night Heat.”
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rDEfClDq-g
Little Egypt and Little Fiji vs. HOUSEWIVES -GLOW
Let me start by saying that I love the Housewives and I wish there were more matches that just allowed wrestlers to be totally over the top and bury their opponents. Don’t expect any quality women’s wrestling here. Check out the amazing rap that starts this weird garbage clusterfuck!
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld8RIR3QoaY
Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton- Smackdown fall 2002
Who would have thought Randy Orton would go on to greatness? Anyone, after watching this match. Watch Orton destroy himself and sell as only Orton can but look like he has a chance in this classic “David vs. Goliath” match up. Imagine how awesome this match could be now!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBb5F52cKg0
Jean-Paul Levesque vs. Alex Wright- WCW 94
Part 2 is easily accessible…and it must be here just so it can be said that Alex Wright beat Triple H clean (oops, spoiler alert). How did he do it? What is the secret to beating the Superman son-in-law McMahon? How did Wright beat the Game? Why hasn’t Wright main-evented Wrestlemania??? Find out (almost all) of those things.
LINK:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qra-2p4fcaM
Low KI (Kaval) vs. TJ Wilson (Tyson Kidd)
If HHH vs. Wright represents the past of wrestling, this match could represent the future. Indie standout and ROH alum Low Ki takes on TJ Wilson, soon to be Tyson Kidd, on FCW TV. This is a kick-ass match, and the result may very well surprise you! Could these guys be the future of Wrestlemania?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLLwcGBKvgI
As a lover of all things pro wrestling, I hold a soft spot in my heart for the bizarre, rare, and just plain insane. I collect WCW tapes from late 1999 and beyond, own every episode of XPW TV, and keep up with the lowliest of the low indie promotions, like Dirty South Pro Wrestling and Jonny Rodz’ World of Unpredictable Wrestling. I try to diversify. But what about people less-crazy than myself who want all the strangest must-see pro wrestling without all the time and money flushed into the abyss? I present to you: Unsung, Underground, and Underappreciated: Must-see matches available on Youtube.
Youtube is the voice of Generation Y: fast, to the point, odd, sadistic, voyeuristic, and representative of our multi-tasting, ADD generation. These matches are perfect fits within the deep cracks of pro-wrestling subculture. I present them for your enjoyment, whether you’ve seen them or not.
Finlay vs Grasshopper-World of Sport 1986
This bizarre match is must-watch for a number of reasons:
1.) World of Sport was totally fucking awesome and added an authentic edge to pro wrestling while retaining all the ridiculousness we all love.
2.) It’s Finlay in 1986. With a girl dressed like an Injun.
3.) I cannot figure out of this match is actually on sped up tape, but if not, these guys could give Bruce Lee a run for his money. Their way of moving is really fast and insane.
I recommend that anyone who likes World of Sport to seek out Mike Quackenbush vs. Johnny Saint from CHIKARA…that throwback match really brought back memories of simpler (and in this case, equally as odd) times.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRwa8AdVDQY
WCW 1989: Ding Dongs vs. Skyscrapers
This insanely brutal squash makes me laugh every time. It’s humiliation at its most humiliating as the pathetic, despised Ding Dongs are decimated and de-masked by the monsterous Skyscrapers. Yup, that’s Teddy Long with them. Let the neck snapping begin.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-pCo0CMIFA
Juvi's hilarious XPW promo: Philadelphia, 2001
People remember an awful lot about XPW, but you’d be hard pressed to find anything good. While many of the matches were garbage matches, how many times can you say that you’ve seen a garbage PROMO? Juvi brings it out in full force here, and envokes the wrath of the 2001 audience, chanting “WHAT?” Yes, Austin and the Rock were hot, and their hotness did not translate at all to Juvi.
Unfortunately, this video was taken down and uploaded again, but its missing some funny stuff, particularly when Chris Chetti comes out and gets bonked in the head by the lone piece of the set- a juicer that has been sitting in the corner.
LINK:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFqrppW9N0c
Vader vs Takeshi Morishima- NOAH 2003
Call it a torch being passed or forcefully taken. Vader, on his way out, takes on Takeshi Morishima, on his way up. Morishima would go on to win the ROH and GHC world titles, while Vader would go on to fall off the ring in WWE. This match is fast, stiff, and brutal: perfect for Youtube. Not quite the infamous Stan Hanson vs. Vader match, but does anything need to be?
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTRpqt0UiHI
Mighty Wilbur vs David Isley -AWA
This match is important for anyone who says mic skills don’t matter. What as Mighty Wilbur squashes a jobber, gets over in about 3 seconds, and then proceeds to destroy all his heat with a dragged out promo that will remind you of that one math teacher who made you want to just play calculator games the whole class. Apparently he dislikes Paul Jones.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bwYxQfdrSs
Toshiaki Kawada vs. Katsuyori Shibata-2004 NJPW
It’s hard for me to describe this vicious match besides saying that each man has nothing but reckless abandon for themselves and their opponents. Like Youtube itself, it presents a non-stop marathon of hard hitting violence and insanity. Watch for the most horrific knee-drop in the history of wrestling at the end. You know from the get go that this match isn’t ending until someone can’t go anymore. This is an absolute must-see match!
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN6F1USUOaE
Great Antonio vs Antonio Inoki: 70s
This match is more important for the story behind it…Great Antonio refused to sell for Antonio Inoki, which is basically akin to inking your own death sentence in your own blood. Also, it’s worth mentioning that this match that degenerates into a shoot has amazing camerawork and quality, and it was the 1970s! Nice, Japan.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lXAGZtMxU8
Nasty Boys at Maryland Science Center
Remember when you were a kid and you watched all those wacky segments that made wrestling so much larger than life? If yes, then you do not remember this poop-covered gem: the Nasty Boys visiting the Maryland Science Center. While Knobbs may be called a legend on reality TV shows, he’s not exactly the wittiest guy in the world, and he has about 4 times the brain power that Jerry Saggs does. Turn your brain off and enjoy the stupidity!
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vypggcGJ1E0
Buff Bagwell and Lex Luger vs Perfect Event- WCW Greed 2001
Relive the death of WCW as Luger and Bagwell allow themselves to be totally slaughtered by the Perfect Event. The myth behind the match is that Luger and Bagwell stated many times that they think this was a good idea for getting their opponents over, while Death of WCW thinks it was a snide way to challenge management, who demanded Perfect Event be put over. Regardless, it’s a rare gem from WCW’s end.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EnFK-XhLe0
Val CM Punk- heat 2005
Reportedly, this is the match that got CM Punk signed to a WWE developmental deal, and if you watch it you’ll see why. Val Venis puts on his work boots to take CM Punk (working heel) to an intense back-and-forth match that you’d never in a billion years expect to see on the former “Stevie Night Heat.”
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rDEfClDq-g
Little Egypt and Little Fiji vs. HOUSEWIVES -GLOW
Let me start by saying that I love the Housewives and I wish there were more matches that just allowed wrestlers to be totally over the top and bury their opponents. Don’t expect any quality women’s wrestling here. Check out the amazing rap that starts this weird garbage clusterfuck!
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld8RIR3QoaY
Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton- Smackdown fall 2002
Who would have thought Randy Orton would go on to greatness? Anyone, after watching this match. Watch Orton destroy himself and sell as only Orton can but look like he has a chance in this classic “David vs. Goliath” match up. Imagine how awesome this match could be now!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBb5F52cKg0
Jean-Paul Levesque vs. Alex Wright- WCW 94
Part 2 is easily accessible…and it must be here just so it can be said that Alex Wright beat Triple H clean (oops, spoiler alert). How did he do it? What is the secret to beating the Superman son-in-law McMahon? How did Wright beat the Game? Why hasn’t Wright main-evented Wrestlemania??? Find out (almost all) of those things.
LINK:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qra-2p4fcaM
Low KI (Kaval) vs. TJ Wilson (Tyson Kidd)
If HHH vs. Wright represents the past of wrestling, this match could represent the future. Indie standout and ROH alum Low Ki takes on TJ Wilson, soon to be Tyson Kidd, on FCW TV. This is a kick-ass match, and the result may very well surprise you! Could these guys be the future of Wrestlemania?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLLwcGBKvgI
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Their Days Are Numbered... (Or At Least Should Be)
by Alfonso Colasuonno
First of all, let me state that experience is extremely valuable in most situations, inclusive of pro wrestling. However, with experience in pro wrestling comes the eventual bodily breakdown. This article is a plea to four legendary (well, maybe not Tommy Dreamer...make that three legendary) superstars to hang up the wrestling tights and call it a career. These four are the hardcore innovator Mick Foley, the once amazingly agile giant Kevin Nash, the iconic Sting, and the extreme Tommy Dreamer.
Watching pro wrestling this last year or so has led me to think that these four, and only these four, should hang up the tights. I've discussed this with friends who would extend it to others, including Scott Steiner and Booker T., but I think they can still put on an entertaining match. Of course, advanced age for an athlete doesn't necessarily mean that you should retire (although usually it does, Michael Jordan). Clearly the best match at Wrestlemania 25 was between fortysomethings Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker. Though their hair may be thinning, their talent is still as full as when they were some of the main draws of the WWE. Of course there are other wrestlers who it be argued should hang it up but I won't really elaborate on them for the following reasons. Hacksaw Jim Duggan is barely used by the WWE nowadays. Furthermore, he never really had much going for him in the beginning of his career other than how easily wrestling fans mark out for patriotism. Jerry Lawler, the god of Memphis, is barely ever used in WWE and has settled nicely over the last fifteen or so years as commentator first, wrestler second (these days a distant second).
Commentator first, wrestler second - ah, wouldn't those words be ideal for fans of the sport in regards to Mick Foley and Kevin Nash. Kevin Nash is one of the all-time greatest mic workers in the sport and Mick Foley proved his chops in the WWE as a commentator. Can you think of how much more intriguing TNA Impact would be if they got rid of the dweeby Mike Tenay and the "how much of a heel should I be this week" Don West and replaced them with Foley and Nash. Yes, I firmly believe that Mick Foley and Kevin Nash should retire and become the new commentators on the Impact Zone. Mick Foley was never one of the most agile wrestlers around but today with a little extra padding around his midsection, he is far too slow to put on a decent match. Kevin Nash doesn't look old so much as bored when in the ring. Nash was once nicknamed "Big Lazy" and when I see him wrestle a match I can see how he earned the moniker. Kevin Nash in his prime with the NWO or as a main eventer in the WWE as Diesel was a genuine star. Cactus Jack was a legend of the indies. Losing an ear in a match against Vader and continuing on. Well, the dude was just always willing to put on an amazing show. But there is a new Cactus Jack these days....Necro Butcher of ROH fame. Sure, Foley should stick to making the indie rounds in hardcore matches but his days as a legitimate star in wrestling should be numbered.
Sting. Sting is the only wrestler of the four mentioned who has broken the half-century mark (he's 50). Personally, I think Sting has been done as someone worth viewing since he debuted the Dark Sting angle in WCW. He's had a great career, multiple time TNA and WCW champion. He also can hold his head high for never selling out to join his nemesis Vince McMahon. But watching Sting wrestle guys who can put on a great show like Kurt Angle is just painful. This is not the Stinger of early 90s WCW fame whose combination of strength and speed gave headaches to Vader and Flair. No, Sting looks old in the ring. This one might just have a happy ending as in recent episodes of Impact! Sting insinuated that if he lost the TNA World Title he might call it a career or at least give it a rest.
Tommy Dreamer is only 38. However, I still think Tommy Dreamer should retire because he's gotten kind of fat and is slower than ever. Watching him, I hope his contract runs out without an ECW championship simply because he is tarnishing the good name of ECW past and his own career by wrestling in the new ECW. Whereas Sandman and Stevie Richards have moved on, Dreamer remains the last link to the old ECW. Dreamer was best in hardcore domain and having to wrestle straight matches really shows how limited he is. Hey, maybe Mick Foley and Tommy Dreamer can feud in hardcore matches at an indie card near you soon enough, if the Gods be just. (I'd rather see Abdullah the Butcher, though)
There comes a time in every wrestler's career when they know to step out of the spotlight. Even Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan have seemingly ended their careers to the surprise of all. Maybe Chris Jericho does have a point. Some of these legends are just tarnishing their image by continuing on. Let's just hope Rick Steamboat, Roddy Piper, and worst of all, Jimmy Snuka, don't decide to give it another try. Of course, TNA seemingly is always willing to hire any such over-the-hill legend to wrestle (their contract offer to Ric Flair, case in point). Let's not chance it. Step away and give the young guys a chance!
First of all, let me state that experience is extremely valuable in most situations, inclusive of pro wrestling. However, with experience in pro wrestling comes the eventual bodily breakdown. This article is a plea to four legendary (well, maybe not Tommy Dreamer...make that three legendary) superstars to hang up the wrestling tights and call it a career. These four are the hardcore innovator Mick Foley, the once amazingly agile giant Kevin Nash, the iconic Sting, and the extreme Tommy Dreamer.
Watching pro wrestling this last year or so has led me to think that these four, and only these four, should hang up the tights. I've discussed this with friends who would extend it to others, including Scott Steiner and Booker T., but I think they can still put on an entertaining match. Of course, advanced age for an athlete doesn't necessarily mean that you should retire (although usually it does, Michael Jordan). Clearly the best match at Wrestlemania 25 was between fortysomethings Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker. Though their hair may be thinning, their talent is still as full as when they were some of the main draws of the WWE. Of course there are other wrestlers who it be argued should hang it up but I won't really elaborate on them for the following reasons. Hacksaw Jim Duggan is barely used by the WWE nowadays. Furthermore, he never really had much going for him in the beginning of his career other than how easily wrestling fans mark out for patriotism. Jerry Lawler, the god of Memphis, is barely ever used in WWE and has settled nicely over the last fifteen or so years as commentator first, wrestler second (these days a distant second).
Commentator first, wrestler second - ah, wouldn't those words be ideal for fans of the sport in regards to Mick Foley and Kevin Nash. Kevin Nash is one of the all-time greatest mic workers in the sport and Mick Foley proved his chops in the WWE as a commentator. Can you think of how much more intriguing TNA Impact would be if they got rid of the dweeby Mike Tenay and the "how much of a heel should I be this week" Don West and replaced them with Foley and Nash. Yes, I firmly believe that Mick Foley and Kevin Nash should retire and become the new commentators on the Impact Zone. Mick Foley was never one of the most agile wrestlers around but today with a little extra padding around his midsection, he is far too slow to put on a decent match. Kevin Nash doesn't look old so much as bored when in the ring. Nash was once nicknamed "Big Lazy" and when I see him wrestle a match I can see how he earned the moniker. Kevin Nash in his prime with the NWO or as a main eventer in the WWE as Diesel was a genuine star. Cactus Jack was a legend of the indies. Losing an ear in a match against Vader and continuing on. Well, the dude was just always willing to put on an amazing show. But there is a new Cactus Jack these days....Necro Butcher of ROH fame. Sure, Foley should stick to making the indie rounds in hardcore matches but his days as a legitimate star in wrestling should be numbered.
Sting. Sting is the only wrestler of the four mentioned who has broken the half-century mark (he's 50). Personally, I think Sting has been done as someone worth viewing since he debuted the Dark Sting angle in WCW. He's had a great career, multiple time TNA and WCW champion. He also can hold his head high for never selling out to join his nemesis Vince McMahon. But watching Sting wrestle guys who can put on a great show like Kurt Angle is just painful. This is not the Stinger of early 90s WCW fame whose combination of strength and speed gave headaches to Vader and Flair. No, Sting looks old in the ring. This one might just have a happy ending as in recent episodes of Impact! Sting insinuated that if he lost the TNA World Title he might call it a career or at least give it a rest.
Tommy Dreamer is only 38. However, I still think Tommy Dreamer should retire because he's gotten kind of fat and is slower than ever. Watching him, I hope his contract runs out without an ECW championship simply because he is tarnishing the good name of ECW past and his own career by wrestling in the new ECW. Whereas Sandman and Stevie Richards have moved on, Dreamer remains the last link to the old ECW. Dreamer was best in hardcore domain and having to wrestle straight matches really shows how limited he is. Hey, maybe Mick Foley and Tommy Dreamer can feud in hardcore matches at an indie card near you soon enough, if the Gods be just. (I'd rather see Abdullah the Butcher, though)
There comes a time in every wrestler's career when they know to step out of the spotlight. Even Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan have seemingly ended their careers to the surprise of all. Maybe Chris Jericho does have a point. Some of these legends are just tarnishing their image by continuing on. Let's just hope Rick Steamboat, Roddy Piper, and worst of all, Jimmy Snuka, don't decide to give it another try. Of course, TNA seemingly is always willing to hire any such over-the-hill legend to wrestle (their contract offer to Ric Flair, case in point). Let's not chance it. Step away and give the young guys a chance!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Lamenting the Death of the (Original) ECW
by Alfonso Colasuonno
Last night, instead of watching Smackdown and seeing more of the same old tired John Cena - Edge feud, I watched a couple of YouTube clips of the old ECW. One was of Shane Douglas during his feud with Brian Pillman (who never actually wrestled a match in ECW). The other was of Raven and Stevie Richards building up their feud with Luna Vachon and Tommy Dreamer. Stevie had a hilarious spot where he talked about Kevin Sullivan's height, Florida Championship Wrestling, and Beulah's fishy smell. It made me think that wrestling today needs a true alternative.
Why was ECW so successful as an alternative to the WWE and WCW? Because it didn't aim for a 14 and under audience. When was the WWE at its best? During the Attitude phase when Stone Cold and The Rock were the pinnacle of the company and edginess was not only allowed but encouraged. The promotion of John Cena has disneyfied the WWE. There is no extreme left. Furthermore, the storylines are tired. Randy Orton feuding with the McMahon brood. Edge and John Cena fighting for the 100th time. Chris Jericho wasting his talent in a feud with has-beens.
TNA? Well, I think the problem with TNA is when it does go on a limb and try to be edgy, it's done is such a piss poor way that it's laughable rather than credible. Samoa Joe threatening Scott Steiner with a hunting knife is a case in point. I don't know whether that whole Nation of Violence angle is disturbing or humorous in its absurdity. TNA tries at times, but the fact is that a large portion of their wrestlers are completely washed-up (i.e. Kevin Nash and Mick Foley would both be better served replacing the awful commentators on Impact rather than wrestling on it.)
Why was ECW so great before it was co-opted by the McMahons? Because it was a wrestling program designed for adults. The violence was extreme. The angles were edgy. The wrestlers gave it their all every night of the week. Where else could you see Raven and Tommy Dreamer nailing each other over their heads with frying pans on the same card as a Dean Malenko - Eddy Guerrero technical masterpiece. ECW was the best federation to ever grace a television set. Perhaps ROH, which has the best action I've ever seen, can step in to the role of ECW, but without a television presence, stars like Necro Butcher, Tyler Black, and Bryan Danielson won't become household names until they go to the big leagues. The fact is that wrestling fans are made as kids in most cases, but when they grow up, they require something a little bit different, a little bit more mature, to keep them enamored of their favorite sport. Here's hoping another alternative can arise.
Last night, instead of watching Smackdown and seeing more of the same old tired John Cena - Edge feud, I watched a couple of YouTube clips of the old ECW. One was of Shane Douglas during his feud with Brian Pillman (who never actually wrestled a match in ECW). The other was of Raven and Stevie Richards building up their feud with Luna Vachon and Tommy Dreamer. Stevie had a hilarious spot where he talked about Kevin Sullivan's height, Florida Championship Wrestling, and Beulah's fishy smell. It made me think that wrestling today needs a true alternative.
Why was ECW so successful as an alternative to the WWE and WCW? Because it didn't aim for a 14 and under audience. When was the WWE at its best? During the Attitude phase when Stone Cold and The Rock were the pinnacle of the company and edginess was not only allowed but encouraged. The promotion of John Cena has disneyfied the WWE. There is no extreme left. Furthermore, the storylines are tired. Randy Orton feuding with the McMahon brood. Edge and John Cena fighting for the 100th time. Chris Jericho wasting his talent in a feud with has-beens.
TNA? Well, I think the problem with TNA is when it does go on a limb and try to be edgy, it's done is such a piss poor way that it's laughable rather than credible. Samoa Joe threatening Scott Steiner with a hunting knife is a case in point. I don't know whether that whole Nation of Violence angle is disturbing or humorous in its absurdity. TNA tries at times, but the fact is that a large portion of their wrestlers are completely washed-up (i.e. Kevin Nash and Mick Foley would both be better served replacing the awful commentators on Impact rather than wrestling on it.)
Why was ECW so great before it was co-opted by the McMahons? Because it was a wrestling program designed for adults. The violence was extreme. The angles were edgy. The wrestlers gave it their all every night of the week. Where else could you see Raven and Tommy Dreamer nailing each other over their heads with frying pans on the same card as a Dean Malenko - Eddy Guerrero technical masterpiece. ECW was the best federation to ever grace a television set. Perhaps ROH, which has the best action I've ever seen, can step in to the role of ECW, but without a television presence, stars like Necro Butcher, Tyler Black, and Bryan Danielson won't become household names until they go to the big leagues. The fact is that wrestling fans are made as kids in most cases, but when they grow up, they require something a little bit different, a little bit more mature, to keep them enamored of their favorite sport. Here's hoping another alternative can arise.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Starrcade 2000: Best PPV of All Time
by Alfonso Colasuonno
WCW's post-NWA life can be traced in a pretty neat progression. The late 80s and early 90s were solid times with significant talent (Sting, Flair, Luger, Steamboat, Rude, Vader, etc.) but little appreciation on the national level as compared to McMahon's Stamford based behemoth. Signing Hulk Hogan captured people's attention, if not for having the biggest star in wrestling, for re-creating WWF circa 1989. Then with the NWO, WCW began to be taken seriously. They brought in spectacular technical performers from around the world such as Rey Mysterio, Ultimo Dragon, Dean Malenko, and Chris Jericho who wrestled A+ matches and topped off the night with the biggest stars in the biz. And then egos got in the way and it all turned to crap until Vince bought the company and trashed it. That's the history of WCW, right?
Wrong. At least on the last part. I am here to tell you that the most magnificent pay per view event ever was not a Wrestlemania, it was a Starrcade. Starrcade 2000 in fact. Brought to the fans from the MCI Center in Washington DC to only 6,596 paying customers and ridiculously low pay-per-view numbers, Starrcade 2000 was an under the radar gem from the beginning to the end...well maybe just the first two-thirds of the card.
Starrcade 2000 started off with a ladder match between six high-octane performers - Shane Helms and Shannon Moore of boy band 3 Count (try getting their theme out of your head, sickening as it is), the Jung Dragons (featuring perennial jobber Jimmy Wang Yang and Kaz Hayashi) and Jamie (K)noble and Evan Karagias. The action was non-stop. These young guys gave it their all. Granted, the conclusion of the match - Helms and Moore reaching the contract to face Chavo Guerrero for the lightweight title at the same time - was bunk. Still, the 3 Count theme song was as nauseatingly appealing as "It's Gonna Be Me."
Lance Storm versus The Cat was a solid match. The anti-American Canadian angle is always one of my favorite wrestling stock devices. To think of Hacksaw Duggan turning on the USA, albeit half-heartedly. Well, it was just an epic moment.
Crowbar vs. Terry Funk for the hardcore title was great. First of all, Daffney's ear-piercing screams throughout the match coupled with her nasal accent was great for those who want to learn how to withstand torture. Terry Funk wrestled even worse than you would think a 56 year old could wrestle. He barely could move, yet won the match. To put it simply, Terry Funk in this match makes a modern day Tommy Dreamer look like the most nimble wrestler around.
KroniK vs. Big Vito and Reno? Well, it was an unspectacular match. The twist of Reno turning on Big Vito was still impressive. OK, one subpar match can be excused.
Then the highlight of the night came in the next match....Bam Bam Bigelow crashing through an ambulance in an ambulance match against Mike Awesome. Granted Bam Bam Bigelow has always been a never was, yet always was promoted like a could have been, well Mike Awesome showed a for all intents and purposes fitting end to Bam Bam's career.
Shane Douglas vs. General Rection. Come on, Shane Douglas was one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. And he's facing a guy named General Hugh G. Rection. The match was actually surprisingly good. Shane Douglas' theme song was killer.
The best match of the night was a bunkhouse street fight between the Filthy Animals (Konnan, Rey Mysterio, and Billy Kidman) against Jeff Jarrett and the Harris Brothers. It was as frenetic and violent a match as I've seen in WCW. To see six men going at it at once was incredible (although oddly, midway through the match, tags began to be enforced)
The last three matches were unspectacular. DDP and Nash pinned the Perfect Event for the tag team titles, Goldberg beat Luger easily, and Scott Steiner wrestled Sid Vicious in a solid main event.
All that can be said to justify my opinion is that never have I been so enraptured watching a pay-per-view from the comfort of my own home. You might say that it was just so bad it turned good. You might be right. All that I know is that Starrcade 2000 was the premier event in wrestling history (for me, at least).
WCW's post-NWA life can be traced in a pretty neat progression. The late 80s and early 90s were solid times with significant talent (Sting, Flair, Luger, Steamboat, Rude, Vader, etc.) but little appreciation on the national level as compared to McMahon's Stamford based behemoth. Signing Hulk Hogan captured people's attention, if not for having the biggest star in wrestling, for re-creating WWF circa 1989. Then with the NWO, WCW began to be taken seriously. They brought in spectacular technical performers from around the world such as Rey Mysterio, Ultimo Dragon, Dean Malenko, and Chris Jericho who wrestled A+ matches and topped off the night with the biggest stars in the biz. And then egos got in the way and it all turned to crap until Vince bought the company and trashed it. That's the history of WCW, right?
Wrong. At least on the last part. I am here to tell you that the most magnificent pay per view event ever was not a Wrestlemania, it was a Starrcade. Starrcade 2000 in fact. Brought to the fans from the MCI Center in Washington DC to only 6,596 paying customers and ridiculously low pay-per-view numbers, Starrcade 2000 was an under the radar gem from the beginning to the end...well maybe just the first two-thirds of the card.
Starrcade 2000 started off with a ladder match between six high-octane performers - Shane Helms and Shannon Moore of boy band 3 Count (try getting their theme out of your head, sickening as it is), the Jung Dragons (featuring perennial jobber Jimmy Wang Yang and Kaz Hayashi) and Jamie (K)noble and Evan Karagias. The action was non-stop. These young guys gave it their all. Granted, the conclusion of the match - Helms and Moore reaching the contract to face Chavo Guerrero for the lightweight title at the same time - was bunk. Still, the 3 Count theme song was as nauseatingly appealing as "It's Gonna Be Me."
Lance Storm versus The Cat was a solid match. The anti-American Canadian angle is always one of my favorite wrestling stock devices. To think of Hacksaw Duggan turning on the USA, albeit half-heartedly. Well, it was just an epic moment.
Crowbar vs. Terry Funk for the hardcore title was great. First of all, Daffney's ear-piercing screams throughout the match coupled with her nasal accent was great for those who want to learn how to withstand torture. Terry Funk wrestled even worse than you would think a 56 year old could wrestle. He barely could move, yet won the match. To put it simply, Terry Funk in this match makes a modern day Tommy Dreamer look like the most nimble wrestler around.
KroniK vs. Big Vito and Reno? Well, it was an unspectacular match. The twist of Reno turning on Big Vito was still impressive. OK, one subpar match can be excused.
Then the highlight of the night came in the next match....Bam Bam Bigelow crashing through an ambulance in an ambulance match against Mike Awesome. Granted Bam Bam Bigelow has always been a never was, yet always was promoted like a could have been, well Mike Awesome showed a for all intents and purposes fitting end to Bam Bam's career.
Shane Douglas vs. General Rection. Come on, Shane Douglas was one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. And he's facing a guy named General Hugh G. Rection. The match was actually surprisingly good. Shane Douglas' theme song was killer.
The best match of the night was a bunkhouse street fight between the Filthy Animals (Konnan, Rey Mysterio, and Billy Kidman) against Jeff Jarrett and the Harris Brothers. It was as frenetic and violent a match as I've seen in WCW. To see six men going at it at once was incredible (although oddly, midway through the match, tags began to be enforced)
The last three matches were unspectacular. DDP and Nash pinned the Perfect Event for the tag team titles, Goldberg beat Luger easily, and Scott Steiner wrestled Sid Vicious in a solid main event.
All that can be said to justify my opinion is that never have I been so enraptured watching a pay-per-view from the comfort of my own home. You might say that it was just so bad it turned good. You might be right. All that I know is that Starrcade 2000 was the premier event in wrestling history (for me, at least).
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