From the Vault: Dirk Ciglar Should Be in the Fed?

7/16/02: (The following is one of the first opinion articles I wrote on professional wrestling. It is from 2002 and talks a popular local independent wrestler whom many thought should be wrestling for the WWE or TNA. At the time, local wrestling promoter Jim Miller was acting president of the National Wrestling Alliance and making appearances on their weekly Pay-Per-Views. His wrestlers were working for little to nothing in a building that sweltered in the summer and froze in the winter. The general point was to illustrate that in life and in wrestling nothing is handed to you. Almost 5 years later, CM Punk (who used to make frequent stops in Pittsburgh) made his WrestleMania debut because of his drive, initiative, and extensive travel. In contrast, Pittsburgh indy fans are still waiting for there first breakout star since Shane Douglas.)

I am a fairly popular guy around these parts. I mean, for the most part, my opinions are well respected, and people seem to genuinely see me as a nice guy. I've had some decent conversations in person with some of you, others of you online. I was given a live journal and am occasionally invited into gimmick chat. For the most part, "The Onslaught" is in.

However, there are times when concerns with making people happy have overshadowed my opinions. Well, this Live Journal entry should shatter that. After reading this, you may not like me as much or value what I have to say as much. I honestly do not care. What is to follow my friends, is a shoot...

All I hear all the time is that Dirk Ciglar should be in the fed. Much the same way I am told that Brock Lesnar is the "Next Big Thing", certain times ideas are shoved down your throat to the point where you either accept them, or resent them.

Well, I refuse to accept the notion that Dirk Ciglar should be in the fed. Why, you ask?

Is it that he isn't talented enough? No

Is it that he doesn't have the look? No

Today, while bored at work, I took a gander at the ECWA site. No, not the fake on with Julio and Hamrick. The real fucking deal East Coast Wrestling Association.

I am peering through the roster, and I am like holy shit. This sounds incredible. Then, the more I think about it, I realize that the only members of the roster I have seen are Crowbar, Christopher Daniels, Simon Diamond, Pete Gas, and Low-Ki.

Then I look at names like Abunai, American Dragon, Scoot Andrews, Red, Cheetah Master, Charlie Haas, Prince Nana, and Reckless Youth.

I have never seen one of these guys work ever, but I am told relatively everywhere that these guys are good.

Now, are the writers of PWI, the makers of Promotion Wars, and the writers of Wrestling News Sites attending every damn wrestling show to see first hand that these guys are good? It's doubtful.

I live in Wheeling, West Virginia, one hour away from Pittsburgh, and facts are, I knew who these guys were long before I heard of Jimmy Vegas, Dirk Ciglar, or Brandon K. In many ways that is very sad.

So I wonder, why doesn't Dirk, Brandon, and anyone else who Pittsburgh believes to be fed worthy making headlines in major magazines, on the internet, or even in simple games that wrestling fans are playing? Simple. Lack of good promotion.

I am one who strongly believes that bringing in Nova is not worth the money. It's much more impressive to make your own stars, or find your own indy standouts.

Dirk Ciglar is a very talented individual. Why is he not an indy standout? As much as I have never seen Scoot Andrews, chances are your ECWA fans have not seen Dirk Ciglar. Why haven't they heard about him yet?

What would make Vince McMahon choose Dirk Ciglar over any of the aformentioned ECWA wrestlers.

Pro Wrestling Express has Jimmy Vegas, Dirk Ciglar, Brandon K, Mad Mike, Zubov, The New Freebirds, Paul Atlas, Quinn Magnum and many others who's names should be being talked about and heard in other areas besides McKeesport. I have a cousin in Pittsburgh who is a wrestling fan who has never heard any of these names.

Pro Wrestling Express has a great young up and coming roster consisting of Nikita Allenov, The Premiere Players, Sterling, Devin Devine, and Lance Dayton.

Give me one reason Lance Dayton couldn't be the next AJ Styles.

One big difference between PWX and IWC, is that the wrestlers that Norm actually has that he really cares about, get press. Super Hentai being a good example. If it is believed so strongly that Dirk should be in the fed, why is his name not popping up in the places that Hentai's is?

PWX has an infastructure that seems to feature young vs. young and old vs. old. I think that Lance Dayton should be wrestling Brandon K and getting some much needed experience that could turn him into a standout. Sterling, Justin Idol, Devin Devine need put in there with the guys that can teach them things.

The PWX roster is very heavy right now. Maybe it is time to cut strings with those that haven't shown they have what it takes to be on a PWX show. When you can book a card featuring the young talent PWX has, Atlas, Zubov, Dirk, Brandon, Quinn, Vegas and others, why water down the rest of the card with people that make even the other wrestlers cringe.

Realize every time you are in the back thinking, here comes a shitty match, the fans are thinking that 10 fold. I know a lot of guys were loyal in rough times with PWX, but the roster has gotten so big with APWF, Glenn Spectre, Justin Idol, and Jimmy Vegas all coming in at once.

I wish that if I was a fan in Wheeling, West Virginia, 60 miles from Pittsburgh, I could hear about Axel Law, Nikita, Zubov, Dirk, Brandon, and Vegas in depth the way I hear about the Backseats, Andrews, Abunai, and the American Dragon.

There is no reason right now that PWX shouldn't be beating the shit out of IWC. PWX has an awesome full time roster of PWX guys. They need pushed as if they were names being brought in, marketed as if they were names being brought in. Come see Dirk Ciglar and PWX action.

The loyal fan base of PWX may be good enough for you, but it's not for me. Not anymore. Not when you have a roster like you have now. There is no reason that Looney Lenny, Grimace, Paula Heyman, and that crazy riddlin kid should be the only people who know about these wrestlers.

It is time for PWX to make itself known. For the wrestlers to make themselves known. PWX has all the potential in the world to be what ECWA has become. Yet the only mentions I ever hear are straight results on sites. Dirk Ciglar defeated Crusher Hanson. Not Dirk Ciglar amazed crowds with his aerial skills in a defeat over Crusher Hanson. (I know that sounds kind of lame, but it's trying to make a point). I get mentions of Jim Miller on TNA, and the Hashimoto title win from December 15th.

I think rather than talk about who needs to go to the fed, you should work on who needs to be on TNA. The Jarretts have taken Low-Ki who wrestles occasionally around here. Who is gonna tell Jeff and Jerry about Brandon, Dirk, Jimmy, and the rest???

When it was time to get a tag team, was it Brandon and Dirk or was it York and Matthews? When it was time to get muscle, was it Spellbinder or Vegas?

No offense to Jim, but the wrong man is going down for these TNA tapings. He should at least have a few guys in the car with him.

Should Ciglar be in the fed? Maybe...

Should Ciglar be more than he is right now? Hell yes.

Should PWX be better than what it is right now? Hell yes.

When your talent isn't known within an hour of you, and you are that good, it is a sad state of affairs. Get the word out, or get the f out! More on This Story...

Examining McMahon's Megastar Mentality

In a similar vein to anyone who is a fan of professional wrestling, Vince McMahon views his product and finds certain individuals, which he marks for.

In the almost 25 years that McMahon has been in charge of WWE, he seems to have come to a conclusion that the in-ring product itself is not the determining factor in what makes a superstar.

The main point for arguing his case would be the 1980's where Hulk Hogan, production values, and merchandising sent the World Wrestling Federation on a meteoric rise, integrating sports entertainment with pop-culture and the mainstream, while the NWA, their top competitor, always took a back seat despite having Ric Flair and a superior in-ring product.

Regardless of what method greater pads promoter's pocketbooks, wrestling fans today expect a mixture of both the glitz and glamour of sports entertainment and the art of professional wrestling. For the most part these two vastly different concepts exist in harmony in the unbelievable world of professional wrestling. However, it is inevitable that on occasion the two collide, and when they do, it's an all-out war.

Many fans cringed when Hulk Hogan made his way into the tradition-rich WCW and defeated Ric Flair in his first match. They can't argue however that Hogan's presence helped spawn the organization's most successful business period. That match occurred thirteen years ago, and today's fans have chosen new generals. For the sports entertainment faithful, that man is John Cena. For the fans of great wrestling, it has been Chris Benoit.

When the WWE made a decision to have “SmackDown!”'s United States Champion rendezvous on “Raw” for a night, they likely did not understand the implications of this match to fans. In Vince McMahon's eyes, John Cena is the megastar of the future. Benoit on the otherhand is an expendable superstar whose day in the sun was not as lucrative as McMahon would have liked.

In the creation and sustentation of a WWE "Megastar," there is no sacrifice too great.

Perhaps in one moment, "The Masterpeice" Chris Masters was thought of as a potential megastar based on his tremendous size and serviceable charisma. No matter to the fact that he was dangerous in the ring, breaking the nose of a great worker like Steven Richards with a double-axehandle blow. Masters may indeed have been the future of the business.

That is until the WWE exercised a new Wellness Policy, and Master's push vanished along with his muscles. Master's career has been ill fated ever since, as mere technicalities with Ron Simmons and a soldier in Iraq are all that have kept any legitimacy to his "Masterlock Challenge."

In recent weeks it seems that the WWE has had a change of opinion. Masters has rebuilt himself into the muscular juggernaut Vince adored in the first place. Suddenly, he is receiving plenty of TV time on the road to WrestleMania to reestablish the Masterlock. In past years men in the same position have gotten convincing wins at Mania and found themselves in main event title feuds by SummerSlam.

This was not to be for Masters however, as Masters himself was just a tool in the building of the man Vince truly views as the next WWE Megastar, Bobby Lashley. Despite being referred to as "my man" and "Lindsay", Lashley has certainly received a tremendous rub from his position in the McMahon/Trump feud. While his title and brand have been devalued, Lashley, himself, has not.

It just goes to show that the WWE has no problem in breaking continuity, giving weak payoffs to long-running storylines, or cutting the legs out from under a favorite (office or fan favorite) in order to establish the guy that they see dollar signs on.

In reference to the breaking of the Masterlock this past Monday Night on “Raw”, Why do you put anything over for two years to simply toss it aside with no feud, no payoff, nothing. Chris Masters' identity was lost as an accessory of a storyline he is not even involved in. Some view his loss as a positive new beginning and a chance to move on. Regardless of the popularity of the Masterlock Challenge, after being fed 5-10 minute segments weekly for two years, Masters and the WWE fans deserved more from it's inevitable "breaking".

Masters was not the only casuality left on the road to WrestleMania. The same night, WWE promoted a "Reversal of Fortunes" set of matches. When it was announced that John Cena would face one of Shawn Michaels former WrestleMania opponents, fans popped for the idea of Akeem, Pat Tanaka, The Barbarian, Haku, Tito Santana, or Tatanka returning to face the "Dr. of Thuganomics." Ok, maybe they didn't. In reality, the only legitimate option was Benoit.

Earlier in the night, Shawn Michaels had a verbal showdown with former Cena opponent, John "Justin Hawk Blackjack Bradshaw" Leyfield, or JJHBBL for short. JBL is an interesting superstar, as after years of languishing in the midcard, Leyfield was repackaged due to his vast knowledge of investments.

He committed some fantastic "smark sins" along the way to the WWE championship which include being pushed way too fast and taking the world title off of long time smark favorite Eddie Guerrero. A DVD release of the longest WWE title reign in ten years would not exactly be filled with a list of classic matches, either. Still, his ability to establish himself as an incredibly believable heel, despite his large stature, and his fantastic mic skills were enough to win many fans over to the side of JBL.

Some were disappointed when constant backpain and a lack of bladder control prevented JBL's return, despite the fact that he too would have only been an accessory of a bland Shawn Michaels/John Cena storyline.

Unfortunately for Benoit, there was nothing that would be able to save him from the same fate that the Tag Team titles have currently in the WWE title feud. Benoit, a former World Heavyweight Champion, current U.S. Champion, and darling to anyone that appreciates workrate and wrestling ability was about to become an accessory to the John Cena/Shawn Michaels storyline.

In the aftermath, smart fans are outraged. How did the man who represents everything they stand in opposition of defeat their hero with a submission move? Those with short memory spans may forget another essential battle in the war between sports entertainment vs. professional wrestling.

By the time Chris Benoit made his way to the WWE along with the Radicalz in 2000, he was a former WCW World Heavyweight Champion and a legit superstar. Benoit's rise was a bit surprising, as he is easily as vanilla a character as Lashley is currently. The fact that he was over is a testament not only to his wrestling ability, but the fans passion to watch great wrestling as well. Upon his arrival, the WWE already had two legitimate megastars, with others in the making.

The WWE is on one of it's hottest streaks at this time, and established tag teams are being jobbed out to Megastars in handicapped matches, the glass ceiling that men like Benoit, Jericho, and Guerrero left WCW over still seems to exist in the WWE, and often as the best workers in the company, they make the perfect accessories in storylines involving megastars.

One of these megastars was "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Austin's place in the war of sports entertainment VS. professional wrestling is significant, as Austin's battles were internal. As "Stunning" Steve, Austin showed all the promise of the next hot commodity in the early 90's world of WCW.

With his long flowing locks, Austin's workrate was tremendous and he was consistently having fantastic matches. When Eric Bischoff felt he couldn't market a great wrestler in black tights and black boots, he famously fired an injured Austin via FedEx.

Upon his entrance into the WWE, Austin was named "The Ringmaster," an obvious allusion to his ability in the ring. However, as Austin's popularity soared, his in-ring offering decreased. This is not to say that he wasn't having great, classic matches. However, when Austin and McMahon noticed how a punch, kick, and stomp was receiving a greater reaction than a majority of moves in Austin's extensive arsenal, he began to use fewer and fewer of them. Eventually Austin's reputation as a brawler overtook his reputation as a fantastic wrestler.

Chris Benoit made his way through the ranks of the WWE, and an epic clash with Austin was inevitable. "The Rabid Wolverine" was riding the gimmick that he was the best wrestler in the world, and who could argue? During a confrontation, Benoit scoffed at Austin's reputation as a brawler, and the two were scheduled in a pure-wrestling match the next week on Monday Night “Raw”.

In events that unfolded similarly to this past Monday's match with John Cena, Benoit entered the ring with only a short amount of time left until “Raw” was off the air for the night. After a few short minutes, Austin booted Benoit square in the gut and dropped him with the Stone Cold Stunner for the three count. A bloated Jim Ross got up out of his chair and proclaimed that Austin had beaten Benoit with the Stone Cold Stunner, a wrestling move!

To a pure wrestling fan, the mere notion was a travesty. Austin had long forsaken wrestling in that regard. In a match that was gimmicked to give Benoit the advantage and could have positioned him as a serious main event heel, the WWE instead decided to bury both Benoit and the idea of "wrestling" in around five minutes.

Still, there is something special about Chris Benoit. Something that carried him through that defeat and will carry him through the one he suffered to John Cena. For whatever reason, no matter what the WWE does, they can't put Benoit under.

With rumors floating inconsistently that Benoit will not be resigning with the WWE and may either retire or take a final tour of duty in Orlando, the WWE has attempted to get as much out of him, while downplaying to fans the fact that he is truly a big time superstar. Whether because of age, size, charisma, or any other factor, it is apparent that the WWE does not view Chris Benoit in the same light as they view current WWE champion John Cena.

Now, with Benoit's submission loss to John Cena, the fastest growing professional wrestling site is abuzz with the concept that certain people should not tap out. Names mentioned include Benoit and Bret "Hitman" Hart. While both of these men are submission specialists, I would disagree with the latter, as Bret Hart's reputation is certainly not that of a tough guy. Just because he perfects his own submission moves is no relation to his resistance of them. Some complain that he tapped to a guy like Lex Luger. Regardless of his workrate, Lex Luger's torture rack would have been an established submission hold for at least 10 years by that point.

Benoit is a better fit for the persona of a guy who would never tap, but I disagree that any wrestler who's gimmick isn't that of a no-selling monster should be immune from a submission loss, no matter how good they are at applying submission moves themselves. WWE fans are willing to have a sense of disbelief more often than not.

However, if you ever wrestle around with your buddies and neither guy wants to lose, it's relatively impossible to hold their shoulders down for three seconds. Making them quit to a painful submission move is a far more realistic finish, as either they are protecting themselves to fight another day, or the pain is just too excruciating and there is truly no way out of the hold.

Ever since Steve Austin passed out in the Sharpshooter at WrestleMania 13 there has always been a stigma to tapping out. Triple H waited what seemed like an eternity before finally tapping out at WrestleMania XX to Benoit. Kanyon questioned whether or not he took any heat for it, and he most certainly did by receiving "you tapped out" chants in the aftermath, but as Kanyon presumed, those chants were short lived.

Since that time, it appears that the WWE has tried to again legitimize the use of submission moves through guys like Benoit and Kurt Angle, because of the popularity of mixed martial arts.

An aside on Kanyon being the innovator of tapping, while I will not dispute that he was the first wrestler to lose a decision because of tapping out, I will say that that finish had to have been very confusing to wrestling fans at the time. With MMA fighting still largely flying under the mainstream radar, professional wrestlers had been tapping out for years. They weren't using it as an indication of submission, but rather a vehicle to sell how painful the moves were.

Pop in a DVD and you will see many superstars tapping out to Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Sting, Rick Martel, and any other star of that era who had a submission finisher in which their opponent laid on the mat. This could be very confusing to a newer fan watching classic wrestling matches. I think I actually witnessed that Kanyon match and had no idea what the hell was going on based on my wrestling fan conditioning at the time.

I am not sure that Benoit tapping to a main-event-level star is necessarily worth a great storyline and a pay per view match, although it undoubtedly couldn't hurt. The reason I say this is that Benoit tapping is not something that has been protected for the duration of his WWE run.

I believe The Rock, Brock Lesnar, and Kurt Angle have made Benoit tap. One or two might have even made him tap to the crossface. Still, Benoit tapping is at least deserving of a great lengthy match, as Benoit's gritty persona screams that he would never give up until he is either exhausted or finds no other alternative.

One booking suggestion was involving MVP in the decision, as he is Benoit's U.S. title opponent at WrestleMania 23. Of course, this brings us back to the Megastar VS. Superstar concept, as this match was not ever supposed to be about Benoit or the US title in the eyes of WWE.

It was to be used as a vehicle for further legitimizing John Cena, in the same vein as the other major stars who have made Benoit tap in the past. However, here is an alternate booking idea. With the drama on commentary not being centered around the match at all, and rather being centered around when Michaels is going to deliver "Sweet Chin Music" to Cena, why not incorporate Michaels into the match rather than waiting until the match is over for his involvement.

Michaels levels Benoit and we are left to wonder who the kick was intended for in the first place. This seems to me a much better way to save face for Benoit and advance the storyline.

The main thing wrong with the way it played out is that it does nothing for either story. He also brings up a valid point about the STFU.

The STF is nothing to mess with, and is a reputable hold that has brought Masahiro Chono many victories, and Erik Watts significantly less victories. Cena's quick execution of the hold provides a great pop from the crowd, but the crossface he applies is pathetic, and it's amazing to me that the WWE agents would let any major star tap out to it, until they make Cena look more convincing while applying it.

Vince McMahon and the WWE don't take any consideration for these things, because the only things that Vince cares about is the preservation of sports entertainment, the downplaying of wrestling in his product, and the creation of money-making megastars.

As someone who often comes to the defense of John Cena in the face of constant bashing online, I must admit that even I cringed when the decision of the Cena/Benoit match was a submission victory. It's easy to understand the intent of the WWE, wanting to add dimension to their current "golden boy."

No doubt, having a superstar like Benoit tap out would legitimize the STFU, however, in this case the backlash is greater than the result. That is because the WWE didn't give Cena and Benoit enough time to build a match in which that scenario was believable.

This is all just another win for the WWE and sports entertainment in their campaign to bury traditional professional wrestling. In addition, it is a evidence of the company's indifference to the undercard. Fans like us have been complaining about this ever since Al Gore invented the internet. The WWE has the ability to do whatever they want at their leisure, until fans show them their decisions are incorrect by tuning out. All of us who disagreed with last Monday's finish, regardless of the reason, are in Vince McMahon's back pocket.

We are the one's blogging, buying DVDs, and we will be watching “Raw” this Monday and purchasing Wrestlemania regardless. Vince is trying to appeal to the ones he hasn't already hooked, and he knows that first and foremost. How he accomplishes that by putting Lance Storm in the ring week after week and having Steve Austin come out and tell the fans it's boring, I'll never understand.

A testament however to the legacy of the business and guys like Chris Benoit is, even new fans being assimilated by the current anti-wrestling, pro-sports entertainment product tend to form a respect and appreciation of great wrestling matches. That fact will always protect a hard worker who gives 100% and lays everything out on the line every single night, regardless of how crappy the booking is.

No matter what Vince McMahon does, no matter what he thinks, no matter who he pushes, and no matter what he books, there are some megastars he has had no say in the creation of, and some guys he can never bury.

More on This Story...

If You Believe In Wrestling Heaven...

"If you believe in forever,
Then life is just a one-night stand.
If there's a rock and roll heaven,
Well you know they've got a hell of a band."

It was 1974 when the previously broken up Righteous Brothers reunited to record this anthem in memory of their fallen peers.

Jim Croce, Jimi Hendrix, Janice Joplin and Otis Redding are a few of the artists who receive special mention.

With the recent passing of Scott "Bam Bam" Bigelow, I am called once again to reflect on the large number of professional wrestling superstars who I have grown up watching that have been taken from us too soon. I cannot help but think that if there is a hell of a band playing out there somewhere, there must also be one hell of a wrestling promotion too.

Imagine, if you will, your commentators Gorilla Monsoon and Gordon Solie welcoming you to the program. Your referees are Pee Wee Anderson, Mark Curtis, and Joey Marella.

It is sure to be a star studded event, as the list of talent is seemingly endless. Perhaps, it is announced that the main event will be a showdown among two of the greatest wrestling families of all time as the Von Erichs, comprised of Kerry, David, Mike, and Chris will be accompanied by Fritz to take on the Hart Foundation, comprised of Owen Hart, Dean Hart, "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, and Brian Pillman accompanied by Stu Hart.

The heavyweight title picture is very interesting. Former AWA Champion "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig might be taking on his good friend and former WCW International Champion "Ravishing" Rick Rude. Right in the middle of the title hunt would former NWA World Champions Kerry Von Erich, Chris Candido, and Shinya Hashimoto, Former WWE World Champions Yokozuna, Andre the Giant, and Eddie Guerrero and former ECW World Champion "Bam Bam" Bigelow, among others.

A special monsters of the ring tournament could be announced. First round matches see Andre the Giant taking on his old nemises Big John Studd and Yokozuna battling Earthquake. Pride and honor beckon these larger than life superstars.

The tag team division would be able to thrive. Maybe you could see the team of Eddie Guerrero and Art Barr, known as Los Gringos Locos in action as they take on "Flyboy" Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge, the Public Enemy or Gino Hernandez and "Gentleman" Chris Adams reunite to take on Chris Candido and Louie Spicolli. Earthquake and Dino Bravo, the Hart Foundation, and the Von Erichs are just some options to round out the full tag team roster.

If your style is more extreme or hardcore, this is the place to see some of the stiffest most brutal wrestlers of all time. Perhaps you could see a rematch of the battle of the Bam Bam's as Bam Bam Bigelow takes on Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy. Maybe all hell breaks lose when Shinya Hashimoto wrestles the incomprable Bruiser Brody. Maybe old school greats like the Sheik, Dick Murdoch, or "Hotstuff" Eddie Gilbert get involved.

There are so many possibilities when you think of some of the greatest names in the sport being able to square off. Possibly Road Warrior Hawk has a score to settle when he meets up with former Legion of Doom stablemate Buzz Sawyer. What would happen when two strongmen collide like Hercules and Dino Bravo? What about if two dogs collide with fan favorite, Junkyard Dog taking on Moondog Spot. Who knows, maybe even Sky-Low-Low and Little Beaver will get into the action. Wrestlers like The Big Bossman, Adrian Adonis, Gary Albright, Jay Youngblood, and "Pistol" Pez Whatley could have a great deal to contribute to the wrestling business as road agents if they were still with us. Perhaps in heaven, they are stealing the show.

There is even some room to create some of the stars of the future. Who knows what would have been had wrestlers like The Wall, Pitbull #2,Crash Holly, Russ Haas, the Renegade, Bobby Duncum Jr., and Big Dick Dudley had more time here on earth. Perhaps they could be the biggest superstars on the other side.

There are even a great deal of popular wrestling personalities to invigorate storylines. A jealous rift over the lovely Miss Elizabeth or a long feud with the incomparable Andy Kaufmann are just two possibilities. Sweet Sapphire, The Grand Wizard, "Classy" Freddie Blassie, Johnny Valentine, Lord Alfred Hayes and Bertha Faye are some additional ways to liven up a wrestler or angle.

This doesn't even touch upon previous generations who have gone before: Frank Gotch, Stanislaus Zbyszko, "Mr. Wrestling" Tim Woods, Lou Thesz, Ray "Crippler" Stevens, Stan "The Man" Stasiak, El Santo, "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, Antonino Rocca, Rikidozan, Bob Orton Sr., Pat O' Conner, Bronko Nagurski, William Muldoon, Wahoo McDaniel, Hiro Matsuda, "High Chief" Peter Miavia, George Hackenschmidt, Gory Guerrero, Eddie Graham, Gorgeous George, Dory Funk Sr., Dick the Bruiser, Mike Dibiase, Haystacks Calhoun, Bobo Brasil, Giant Baba, Mr. Togo, and Prof. Tanaka are just a sample of deceased professional wrestlers who have passed who left an incredible legacy in the business. Perhaps in heaven they are in their prime and ready for action.

If indeed, there is a wrestling heaven, when it is my time to go, after I greet my family and friends, I hope to find my way to the grandstand for an incredible night of professional wrestling, because they sure do have a hell of a band.

Rest In Peace to all the former warriors of the squared circle. Your contributions are why we are here today. You are fondly remembered and greatly missed.

More on This Story...

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

We Want Wrestling! This chant has become ever more present and popular among today's wrestling fan.

Thanks to Vince McMahon, D-Generation X and many others, an actual in-ring product has been all but missing from WWE "Raw".

The straw that broke the camel's back was the abysmal Rosie VS. The Donald Skit that occured on the January 8 episode of "Raw".

At TNA's Final Resolution, the Voodoo Kin Mafia (who the majority of wrestling fans I talk to still refer to as the New Age Outlaws) claimed victory in their war against McMahon because of the way the "Raw" skit was received. Little did they know that a few minutes later, they would be receiving the same chant.

Former WWE Diva Search winner and current TNA Knockout Christy Hemme confronted VKM in the ring, leading a much needed movement in the world of professional wrestling, that has unfortunately been spearheaded by the wrong leader. Hemme began to talk about how women receive no respect in professional wrestling, an all too true fact. However the fact is, Hemme has never done anything to earn it.

However on WWE's "Raw" roster, there is a woman who has done more than enough to earn her respect.She is a former 2 time WWE Women's Champion and former PWI Woman of the Year. However, when the prominent women of wrestling are named, she is often left out. Her name is Victoria, and she has arguably been the most consistent in-ring performer on any brand of Sports Entertainment for the past five years.

Victoria's matches with the likes of Trish Stratus and Molly Holly revolutionized the role of women in professional wrestling. Her unique athleticism enables her to perform both military presses and backflips.

Victoria is the epitome of toughness. The WWE had enough confidence in Victoria to let her compete in cage matches and street fights. Victoria has done most of it with a knee brace on, because she opted not to have surgery on an injured knee.

Her first major run had it's legs cut out from under it, when Victoria was turned babyface at the height of her popularity. While normally this would make sense, the WWE decided to change the psycho character fans grew to love to a generic dancing character. Still Victoria was producing weekly in the ring.

Victoria has been forced to step back and give Diva Search winners time to shine. Both Christy Hemme and Candice Michelle have been featured at Wrestlemania's over Victoria. When Victoria attacked Candice, Christy, and Maria, her actions were met with applause by the audience.

Together with Lita, Molly, Jazz, and Trish, Victoria established a new place for women in wrestling, and elevated the Women's championship to a place where models with limited wrestling knowledge and ability could not compete. Fans wanted to see the four star matches that Victoria and Trish could deliver over the T&A of the new divas.

Still, most of the credit for the limited respect today's wrestling women do get goes to Trish and Lita. However, with both women recently retiring, Victoria has had the opportunity to step back into the ring with the new class of female, and to be quite frank, she looks more beautiful than she ever has.

Showing shades of her past "psycho bitch" character, Victoria has been one of the more entertaining aspects of "Raw" since November. She has consistently delivered solid performances against various women on the current roster, which is quite a feat.

Victoria and Mickie James, if done right, has the potential to be the next great rivalry in the world of women's wrestling. These two women have the potential to go to WrestleMania 23 and deliver the greatest women's wrestling matches ever, and one of the all time classics for any sex, provided that the WWE keeps their story going.

Victoria has been an often-overlooked aspect of the WWE in a number of ways. However, if WWE fans are clamoring for great wrestling, they need look no further than the fiesty raw diva with red streaks in her hair. If Playboy is looking for a best-selling issue, they need look no further as well.

Victoria has gone on record to say that she would love to pose for the magazine and I will go on record as to say in my opinion she has the most attractive body of any WWE diva, ever. That's quite a statement.

Maybe someday Christy, Candice, and Maria will do something to earn the respect that women in professional wrestling are clamoring for.

However, Victoria has not only been a featured Diva over the course of the past five years. She has won the first women's steel cage match. She has had incredible matches with a variety of women and men. She has been one of the most entertaining and consistent performers in professional wrestling. She's tough, she's innovative, and she's beautiful.

If we want wrestling and if we are going to begin giving women in wrestling their proper respect, then we need look no further than the master of the Widow's Peak.

More on This Story...

From the Vault: Tag Team Wrestling on Life Support

8/16/06: It's great that WWE is convincing some that they are taking interest in reestablishing tag teams, but they haven't convinced me...

Case in point? The Bashams...

The Bashams were a sweet team, brought in, given the tag gold, then dropped into obscurity. Soon perhaps they will reappear in ECW...

Case in point? La Resistance...

Two different pairs, Rene Dupree and Sylvan Grenier, and Sylvan and Rob Conway, broken up so that the talent can pursue singles aspirations.

I guess once you reach the tag belts, there isn't much more to accomplish as a team...

But the problem is, teams get the tag belts almost immediately upon their formation. There is no chase...

Murdoch and Cade won them almost immediately, then after they lost them were split up. WWE.com did a cool little article about how they realized they were the most successful together when they were paired again, but the initial idea was to push Murdoch towards the IC title.

WWE is very short sighted when it comes to tag teams, which is ridiculous, because they have had plenty of workers who could use the seasoning that tag wrestling for a while would have given.

Gunner Scott and Chris Benoit could have had a long tag title reign. Now Scott is off the main roster. That time with Benoit in tag matches would have given him time to become something.

Bret Hart was on the verge of getting released before he and the Anvil teamed up. How far would Shawn have gone if brought in as a singles wrestler... Probably not very. He needed the time and experience of being a tag wrestler to prepare him. He also needed the heat generated when the team broke up.

Snitsky and Tomko could have been a new team in the vein of the Powers of Pain or Skyscrapers. Now Tomko is gone and Snitsky is with Val Venis. How does that make sense?

Viscera and Charlie Haas? Why, cause Charlie knocked Lillian off the mat?

And still, I prefer these makeshift teams to makeshift star teams. They are trying to find something for these guys to do.

That's much better than Rey & RVD, RVD & Booker, Edge & Benoit, or whoever else winning the tag belts. Only one thing bothers me more than two singles wrestlers coming together to embarass established tag teams.

One single wrestler embarassing established tag teams. The Rock defeating both Dudleyz in a Tables Match?

That type of stuff happens often in the WWE. Had Kane and Big Show stayed together, their dominance would have been a good chance to breed some teams without the belts having to be in the picture. Right now, every time a new team is introduced, they go straight for the champs. They either win them, lose them, and break up, or they lose and dissapear.

The belts are never featured. They don't Main Event free tv, and they seldom make PPV. Despite two real feuds for tag belts, neither one will be decided at Summerslam.

And now they are talking about breaking up the Spirit Squad...

Imagine if the WWE had broken up the New Age Outlaws after their first title reign... After all, they were just two crap guys thrown together. They caught lightning in a bottle once, and if they don't see the same flare, they immediately split the team up and look to do something else.

The WWE is looking for Attitude Vol. 2. This is why John Cena becomes more like Steve Austin, every other babyface champ becomes The Rock, and Tag Teams can't last.

A lot of people shit on the New Legion of Doom, but hell, it got Animal a payday and got Heidenreich something to do that was over. They released Heidenreich and repackaged Animal as the gay biker from the Village People. They could have had a real tag team for KC James and Idol Stevens to go over en route to London and Kendrick.

It's not impressive to dominate the tag division, because every new team that appears does. When there is a tag team feud, all other teams are off TV, much like the Women's and Cruiserweight Divisions.

I thought the reason for breaking up the Mexicools was to move Super Crazy to ECW. I was wrong. There was no reason. So what the hell are the two of them doing? Absolutely nothing.

When writers need filler for their shows, they break up a tag team. However, these tag teams aren't well enough established that their feuds even make a PPV. How did they blow off the Mexicools break up? It certainly wasn't on PPV. It wasn't even an extended feud on TV.

I am certainly not convinced that introducing tag teams renews a commitment to tag team wrestling. If tag team wresting is alive anywhere, it's on TNA.

WWE has so many developmental guys that would benefit from starting in a tag team. They have so many guys with absolutely nothing to do that could be put together in a way that makes sense.

However the only real tag team feud in years has been McMahons vs. DX, neither of which will still be together by this time next year.

WWE is like MTV. Despite what you want to see, they can get over what they want to get over. WWE does not want to get tag team wrestling over. More on This Story...

The Return of Crash TV

Vince Russo has returned to wrestling, bringing back a formula he popularized during the late 90's wrestling boom, Crash TV. Under the watchful eye of a supervisor like Vince McMahon, Russo thrived.

However his exploits since have led many to wonder exactly how much of the success of the Attitude Era can be attributed to Russo. The more power and control given to Russo without someone like McMahon to keep him in check usually meant more mind-numbing garbage for wrestling viewers to struggle through. So the question I pose is, how much "Impact" can TNA have with Vince Russo in charge?

****Warning: Spoilers Ahead****
It should have been the greatest night in TNA history up to this point. TNA was about to go prime time, and this was no reference to Elix Skipper. After four long years, this was the opportunity these guys had been waiting for. TNA was no stranger to new audiences. After making moves from Nashville to Orlando, Pay Per View to Fox Sports Net, and Fox Sports Net to Spike TV, TNA has had to reestablish their show for different audiences over and over again.

For this reason alone there was great reason to have faith in the product TNA would provide on this night, but TNA had an ace up their proverbial sleeve. In addition to their strong core of talent they had built over the past four years, they had just procured one of the most valuable talents in the wrestling business from their main competitor. TNA had signed a multi-time former world champion and olympic gold medalist, Kurt Angle, and on this night, he would make his in-ring debut.

The show begins with several of TNA's hottest home-grown commodities. LAX, AMW, and Samoa Joe highlight the beginning of the broadcast. Joe, who has been undefeated for 18 months may not look resemble the prototype of what the future of this business has been believed to be in the past, but he certainly has made a connection with fans.

Based on their styles, he is the perfect opponent for Kurt Angle. TNA recognizes this, but rather than create a slow build that ends with big money, they give it a little over a month to develop, and throw it on the Genesis Pay-Per-View, referring to it as the "Dream Match of the Decade."

It is hard to argue that Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle is one of the most highly anticipated matches of the year in either promotion. It may be the most highly anticipated match in TNA history. Still, this decade has presented such highly anticipated matches as NCAA Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Olympic Champion Kurt Angle, Best of the 90's Shawn Michaels vs. Best of the New Milennium Kurt Angle, as well as Hogan vs. The Rock and Hogan vs. Shawn Michaels.

This is not to make an argument that TNA should reference the competition (although they have proven time and time again that they love doing so) or that they shouldn't pull out all the stops to put their own product over, but still, whether casual fan or smart mark, the idea that this is the "Dream Match of the Decade" seems a bit contrived, especially with rumors of a Hogan/Austin match surfacing every so often. In reality, it's not the dream match of the decade. Angle himself has been in two bigger in the last 5 years.

In the meantime Kevin Nash is in the bathroom with Austin Starr and Alex Shelley. We later find out that Nash is naked, as he does his most tiresome promo since the dying days of WCW. Unfunny and uninteresting.

At the end of the show Nash namedrops Shawn Michaels in his promo. If only this was the only reference to HBK on the show. As Kazarian is in the process of cutting a promo about himself, Matt Bentley, and Johnny Devine, we get a very confusing TNA-tron for the Voodoo Kin Mafia, which I wrongly assume will be the name of the movement Kazarian is referring to.

Instead, it turns out to be BG James and Kip James, who are "back in black" after quitting a week earlier. It seems they are spinning their wheels as new shirts and bandanas, and a really hideous dye job to Kip's hair don't appear to be the answers to their struggling careers. It's obvious where this is going, as it doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize that VKM are Vince's initials. Wrestling is famous for these types of ribs. Virgil, Ted Dibiase's slave shares his gimmick name with American Dream Dusty Rhodes' real name. Later when he moves to WCW, he is renamed Vincent. They spit the names Paul Levesque, Michael Hickenbottom, and Vince McMahon in an awkwardly forced attempt to be controversial.

Let me bring some war to Brian James Armstrong and Monty Sopp. If you are going to talk about Degeneration X, talk about their history in correct terms. Degeneration X was created while The Roadie was attempting to live off the fact that it was he who really sang, "With My Baby Tonight" and while Billy Gunn was managed by the Honky Tonk Man and billed as Rockabilly. Both men should have probably been released, but it was decided to throw them together. I give them both a lot of credit for making something out of nothing.

However, I give Vince McMahon more credit. Later, as singles wrestlers Vince again tried to make something out of nothing by pushing them both, even going so far as making Gunn a King of the Ring winner. However, his sheer athleticism which was always pushed by Jim Ross would never allow him to break through to become a bigger superstar. He remained on the WWE roster longer than most, and was repackaged all the way from a Smokin Gunn to being "The One."

At one point his theme music said he was an Ass Man, but he proved he could be even gayer with tag partner Chuck. What does he have for his long and moderately successful WWE run? A lot of bitterness. The New Age Outlaws were able to get over in WWE, and due to Shawn Michaels back injury and a returning X-Pac, they were able to get a run in Degeneration X. With a few catchy phrases and the ability to leech off of something that the fans already supported, they had a great run.

In TNA under a multitude of names, gimmicks, and storylines, they have not been able to get over. That my friends, is no fault of Vince McMahon, Paul Levesque, or Michael Hickenbottom. The angle seems amatuerish, and the unhealthy obsession of the Voodoo Kin Mafia on their more successful counterparts up in Stamford makes the whole TNA product look second rate.

Christian Cage and Rhino attempt to save the show with a fantastic, albiet overbooked, cage match. Bolt Cutters, Strait Jackets, and Chairs, Oh My! They use a fairly standard finish, used by Snuka/Muraco and Austin/McMahon. Still, it looked great. These guys are what's right about TNA right now, but the problem is, they are WWE midcarders. Don't get me wrong, I like them both. I am a huge Christian fan. Still, no matter how much I wished for him to be a World Champion over the years, when he finally got his chance, the fans lamed out and the reign went flat.

Styles, Daniels, and Sabin wrestle next. Daniels wins the X title by pinning Sabin while AJ is outside dealing with Christian Cage, who by all means shouldn't be able to even walk. Russo thinks the best thing for the X Division is turning Sabin and Styles heel apparantely. He also is fond of jobbing out Sabin.

We then go to some remote location where LAX is ready to burn the flag. They hand the blow torch to Petey, which I love, because it seemingly is them wanting to commit the dirtiest of deeds, but pass the actual responsibility off to Williams. Williams then goes on to give one of the lamest speeches I have ever heard, proving he is no Patrick Henry. Hell, he's not even "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. It will always be a concern to me what would have happened had Williams not been handed the blow torch.

Would he have had his opportunity to go all Susan Powter and stop the madness? LAX gives him the beatdown. Then, lacking any true emotion, and appearing pre-taped, Tenay gives us a monologue that was better rehearsed than most plays I have seen.

I guess you can't spell Tenay without TNA, but you should be able to find two asses to fill seats for a national primetime broadcast who are better than Tenay and West. Tenay has long been an IWC favorite because he knows the names of moves and recognizes things that have Mexican and Japanese origin, but Tenay is incapable of generating the proper amount of emotion to get anything over.

One can assume that Tenay's boring demeanor is the reason for the hiring of Don West, who can best be described as being constantly on a bender. Stop screaming at me you big fat oaf. You almost make me miss Mark Madden. Ok, that was a little harsh. What would be wrong with having Cornette and Scott Hudson in the booth. At least with them we might be able to get past the Tony Schavonie "This is the most important night in wrestling history" schpiel that Tenay seemingly picked up and passed along to West. Tenay is wrestling's smartest dose of dramamine, and West is a caffiene-infused idiot. Those who thought the two would make a great pair were sadly mistaken.

West is so idiotic, you might have thought he was booking this garbage. No, that honor is all Russo's. Number one contender Abyss vs. the debuting Kurt Angle. Some would think you have to give them props for actually giving us a finish. The finish? Put the debuting Angle over the number one contender.

Yeah Yeah, I know, it's Kurt F'N Angle. Regardless, Abyss needs to be built as a serious contender to the World Heavyweight title to help sell this pay per view on Sunday, and it's hard to believe it when he's losing on Thursday night. He didn't just lose even. He tapped out.

Ah, but wait, we still got Joe vs. Angle to anticipate, right? Wrong. We get it right here on free tv, three nights before the PPV. Joe loses credibility by teaming with Abyss to handle an already beaten and tired Kurt Angle. This is obviously to set up Sting taking out Abyss, but still... Sting chases off Abyss, as Joe hooks submission moves on a lifeless angle. Backstage, in one of the most assinine moments I have ever seen, Sting is now hanging upside down in some sort of cartoon bear trap while Abyss is gently hitting him with a baseball bat. Wow, craptastic.

On to Genesis:

Before the PPV, Robert Roode loses to Eric Young. Pre-Russo, they were going in the right direction. He was a hot free agent, with various managers courting him, a throwback to my favorite wrestler ever, "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Lance Storm had his fair share to say about TNA's shoddy booking on his website in reference to this Roode angle. He ends up choosing Traci Brooks, and since has basically become a jobber. He now has dissention with Brooks. Who cares? Roode deserves better.

VKM squashes the newly repackaged New Movement. Well, that was a waste... They use HBK and Triple H's moves. Well, whoopdee crap. This angle is horrible, and can't possibly go anywhere that gives VKM or TNA for that matter the upper hand. For those who think Vince, DX, or WWE should acknowledge this on their shows, you are crazy. WWE would generate twice the audience TNA already has for them if a third of their casual audience flipped the channel because someone chose to acknowledge them.

DX has bigger fish to fry in the form of Edge and Orton. They have no reason to worry about VKM. It would be the equivalent of being 30 and hearing that some dude you went to high school with was talking shit because you stole his girlfriend 15 years ago. Just the mere fact that DX blows it off makes them look big time compared to VKM.

Later that night, Christian Cage defeats AJ Styles, and Styles continues his heel turn. Didn't Russo attempt this with Styles last time he was there, and didn't it fail? Didn't Russo also turn Goldberg for the sake of turning Goldberg? AJ's style won't work for a heel wrestler, and I don't see them toning him down any. Him and Daniels are more interesting as rivals than enemies.

Russo is grasping at straws to present the type of product he is used to, which is face vs. heel. That will involve throwing a lot of shit at the wall til something sticks, and that could involve a lot of failed heel and face turns that seemingly make no sense.

LAX defeats AMW, but it's all for not. AMW could be tag champs, but not LAX. Cornette comes out and strips them for attempting to burn the flag and beating up Petey Williams. If they don't hand over the belts, they will be fired. If wrestling were real, LAX would say F U to TNA and take the belts up north and lay them at Vince McMahon's feet. Normally this wouldn't matter, but this is coming from a company who loves worked shoots and loves referring to the WWE constantly.

Abyss defeats Sting via DQ, but becomes TNA champion. This is such a lackluster way for someone who has been with TNA for so long and has been so deserving to win the title. This is worse than Kane winning the belt and losing it the next day. I understand that this is a TNA rule, but no one will accept a champion that wins the title under these circumstances as being a true champion ever.

Even if Abyss holds the belt for two years, we will remember that he won it because Sting got disqualified. Now, in the first PPV after the relaunch, we have two titles marginalized. Three if you count the fact that Daniels didn't actually beat former champion Styles to win the X Division belt, but won it in a three way by pinning Sabin.

Now it was time for what is supposed to redeem this show. The intrigue is somewhat lost as the match was booked immediately upon Angle's arrival to TNA, Joe has basically been turned heel, and they basically were able to go for 20 minutes on free TV three days before, showing how they would counter each other's finishers and the like.

Joe didn't pass out while in the Ankle Lock, or even get pinned in a quick roll up. He definitively tapped out to the ankle lock. What if Joe had not given up, but could not continue? I know it's Kurt Angle, but regardless, this feud should have been booked to make money. TNA's insistance on instant gratification was a huge mistake.

Now, the great thing about TNA is that you can see into their future, up to three weeks, and while attempting to spare specific details so the show remains interesting, I do want to highlight some of the Crash TV that TNA is dishing out this month.

Highlight the following if you wish to read it:

- Sting is booked as Jesus Christ, as his disqualification is the equivalent of Jesus destroying the marketplace in the church before he was crucified. He will spend the next three weeks trying to show Abyss the light.

- Christian Cage comes to the ring in full Sting gear and mask, leaving us to wonder where in the hell the Sting Gear Warehouse for Wrestlers is located, as this is like the millionth time someone has worn his exact stuff to the ring. Russo loves dressing guys up as Sting, but he's not the first.

- Eric Young wears a turkey suit. Hooray for the Gobbledy Gooker.

- Eric Young, the misfit of TNA, defeats "wrestling's hottest prospect" Robert Roode again!

- All American Boy Petey Williams and Jim Cornette sing the Star Spangled Banner together. There is a lot of junk about flags to come.

- It is announced that Joe and Angle will meet again, and again it will be rushed to the next Pay Per View.

- The Voodoo Kin Mafia spends their frequent flyer miles to cut a promo in Stamford. Get over it guys, seriously.

- The first two weeks main events end in no contests. Russoriffic!

- We refer to Abyss by his real name, thus breaking kayfabe on one of the only characters in wrestling with any mystery to him. How about we take your mask off next week, Chris?

- Styles finishes turning heel, despite the fact that it will never work.

- Abyss has a shocking secret in his past, that somehow Christian knows about. I assume the bookstore he stopped at to read about Abyss' past is next to the Sting Gear Warehouse.

- Angle beats Joe again, as they face off the week before the PPV, again. Welp, no reason to buy this PPV either.

So TNA has effectively ruined some title belts, ruined some big money feuds, ruined some great babyfaces by turning them heel, and ruined some great heels by making them suck. All the action will be brought to you by your favorite commentators Don West and Mike Tenay, and everything you will see has to be coming from the mind of Vince Russo. TNA has a lot of problems right now. They certainly need a problem solver.

Oh yes, there is more crap to highlight below:


NEWS FLASH: TNA has signed Problem Solver Tyson Tomko. Somewhere, Tomko and his mom rumored to be the only two people really happy about it.

Thank you Mr. Russo for single-handedly steering TNA directly back to the minor leagues. Thank you Jeff Jarrett and Dixie Carter for allowing the return of Crash TV.

More on This Story...

Who Krazier than Kanyon? Nobody!

Right before my last post, the self-proclaimed "King of Kontroversy" Chris Kanyon was part of an exclusive interview that was supposed to be all the rage. Funny how many people are throwing around the word controversy, nowadays. How is this for some controversy: The Rise and Fall of Kanyon!

Chris Kanyon first caught my eye as a part of the Men at Work tag team, wrestling frequently with partner Mark Starr on WCW Saturday Night. He would go on to portray the Ultra-Sweet Mortis, and the Much Less Sweet Positively Kanyon. He managed to be one of the more entertaining aspects of an abysmal WCW invasion of the WWE years later, but interspersed with every bit of Kanyon goodness (Being an offensive innovator, his triad team with Dallas Page and Bam Bam Bigelow)was a moment that overshadowed it (The Villano IV Incident, Being thrown off the triple cage).< br />
Much like I said about Bret Hart when I wrote the article titled "Bret Screwed Bret" for this site in September, I will let the history books decide Chris Kanyon's legacy in professional wrestling. In his interview, Kanyon supposedly "dropped a bombshell" that Bret was in on it the whole time. This should be major wrestling news, right?

Well, perhaps it could have been. Unfortunately Kanyon was taking a downward spiral. Now, Kanyon is arguably 3rd on the list for craziest wrestler behind Ultimate "Warrior Warrior" Warrior and my favorite wrestler of all time, "Macho Man" Randy Savage. I mean, Kanyon said himself that reporters didn't believe he'd really be on Stern. Why didn't they believe it? Cause Kanyon went Krazy!

Over this past summer Kanyon has come out to the wrestling community, both as a character and as a person. Hey, I'm cool. I have no problem with gay people. Kanyon then accused WWE of firing him based on his sexual preference. Ric Flair and others have publicly disputed the claim, which Kanyon blows off as them just toeing the company line. However, with the WWE having Sylvan still under contract, and having had Pat Patterson in a position of great power in the company, these accusations are a bit hard to believe.

I am not sure what Kanyon is thinking when he shows up at a WWE House show to rebel rouse. Kanyon drew the ire of Triple H amongst others, and drew scrutiny from a great number of WWE fans as he stormed to the ring. Just when you thought the guy was loopy as hell, he breaks the news that Bret was in on the Montreal Screwjob, and some have the audacity to say, "Don't believe it, listen to the interview!"

Well I am sorry, but regardless of whether it is true or not, one of the biggest wrestling controversies ever will not rest with me on Chris Kanyon's word alone. Was Bret working Kanyon? Was Kanyon working us? Who knows?

It seems that for a few months at the end of the summer, Kanyon would do or say anything to get a job with the WWE. I think that the Mortis gimmick could still make some money, and Kanyon's in ring work could still be greatly appreciated by today's fans. Unfortunately, I think Kanyon pretty much made sure we'll never see it in the WWE. I wish Kanyon all the best. Hopefully when I remember the wrestler, I won't worry about any of this B.S. publicity, and just remember him as a true talent.

More on This Story...

A Timely Defense of John Cena

It's been a while. In fact, it's been so long, that Marty "Boogeyman" Wright has been both fired and rehired since the last time you heard from me. Maybe even more impressive than that, Mike "Corporal" Kirshner died, then came back to life! That doesn't mean that the Pro-Wrestling Pundit hasn't had his share of opinions.

Say what you will about John Cena, and other wrestling sites have about said it all ad nauseaum, but this dude draws crowds, sells merchandise, stays over, and makes for damn good TV. While I understand the mentality of those who oppose him, and while I detest the way he has been taken out of his entertaining rap character and made Steve Austin/Rock light, I can't think of anyone who has been more interesting since Summer.


Some smark sites cheered as Edge pulled Cena's "Punk Card." That's simply not what Edge's job is. Edge's job is to be the most hated heel in wrestling, while helping Cena's babyface crowd reaction. Regardless of all that, they were easily the most interesting World title program in months, possibly years. Unfortunately Edge is now in a very boring go nowhere storyline with Randy Orton and Degeneration X. While HBK and HHH are constantly making me groan, Cena has managed to entertain me with the likes of Johnny Nitro, Kevin Federline, Big Show, King Booker, and Umaga.

John Cena is a hard working man, and he is money in Vince's bank. It's as Ric Flair would say back in the day, "If you don't like it, learn to love it, cause it's the best thing going today." While Batista fizzled, Cena sizzled. John Cena deserves respect!

There was an article on a website about how Cena disrespected the NWA TNA X Division Title. While Cena made an appearance on Cold Pizza, Chicago White Sock A.J. Pfftmylastnameishardtospell comes out with his TNA X Division title. I can't even begin to imagine what would have happened 10 years ago in a similar situation. It was said that Cena stupidly and ignorantly commented that he saw the same belt in the gumball machine outside. I think you meant to say Cena cleverly and humorously commented.

What the hell do you think Steve Austin would have done in the attitude era had Karl Malone or David Arquette came out during his appearance with the WCW title. What about if Cyndi Lauper showed up next to Ric Flair with the WWF title during the Rock N' Wrestling Era. Cena handled himself like a champ by letting people get their pictures of him next to what is easily the ugliest belt in professional wrestling (Cena's may be a close second).

One columnist then went on to say that the X Division belt had gained more respect that the lunk of shit Cena carries. That lunk of shit is the WWE Championship smark, and it's the reason you are writing for a pro-wrestling blog. Criticizing Cena for not being a mark for TNA and the X Division is ludicrous. He is the biggest wrestling superstar in the world right now. Luckily the readers were quick to jump out and exclaim that while the X Division may be exciting, the majority of matches have little to no psychology, tell no story, and are spot on top of spot. While Cena is the bad guy for making one comment in jest, TNA is cutting promos and making angles based on WWE stuff: Rhyno, Angle, and the James Gang being the most outstanding examples. 20 years ago, a professional wrestler would have slapped a major league baseball player in the mouth for pulling a stunt like that.
More on This Story...

From the Vault: Orton's Entitlement?

8/09/06: When Randy Orton burst onto the WWE scene years ago, I more than detested the latest OVW superstar to break through.

Randy Orton had some pretty impressive athletecism, but where does that honestly get you? Probably a couple IC title runs. At the time, it was getting Randy Orton chopped in the throat by Bob Holly.

Randy Orton got hurt, and pretty soon WWE offered a place to send you get well wishes. This was a nice throwback to when Earthquake sat on the Hulkster, and we got to wish him well. I got a sweet postcard out of that deal.

Well, I didn't feel for Randy Orton the way I felt about Hulk Hogan. So being in my smarkest smark mode, I send him about the most vile e-mail I've ever sent.

I chastized Orton for having absolutely no personality, yet taking away TV time from Val Venis and Al Snow, guys that could work both in the ring and on the stick that I felt weren't getting their due. That certainly wasn't Orton's fault, but I figured I'd let him be my scapegoat.

However, those Get Well Randy segments are what gave Randy Orton a personality and an identity. Shortly thereafter he was the Intercontinental Champion and thrust into Evolution.

At this point I have done a total 180, and looked at Orton as the future of the company. His good looks, natural charisma, and in ring abilities were sure to take him to the top, right?

Orton eventually dropped his IC title, and they attempted to pull the trigger on a Randy Orton title reign and a babyface turn...

The turn was largely unsuccessful, but it's hard to place the blame on Orton. First off, Orton took the title off of Chris Benoit, who had been an internet darling for 10 years. The IWC wanted to see Benoit with a lengthy reign. Whoever the man was to end it was not going to be popular in their eyes.

In addition, Orton's turn was too fast. Rather than a slow build of Triple H's jealousy, and the interesting character development and situations that would have/could have/should have happened while Triple H took a backseat to someone for the first time in his life were lost.

Batista dropped Orton like a sack of shit, and Orton was our new hero. But the qualities we had grown to like in Orton were gone. This wasn't the spit-in-your-face cocky young upstart that was good enough to back his attitude up...

This was Blandy Orton. So bland that his futile attempt to be The Rock included a horribly unentertaining skit where Orton showed the crowd pictures on easels up by the Titantron.

Within a week the rug was pulled from under him and the momentum was gone. Orton was a shell of former champions and a shell of his former self.

Orton worked as a babyface until it was time to meet the Undertaker, and at the time, it certainly looked as if he would be the man to break the Wrestlemania Streak.

Tired of the Undertaker's schtick, I looked forward to Orton getting the big win. I mean, yeah Foley put him over, but that seemingly comes with the territory nowadays. I'd argue that a win over Foley now doesn't really mean much of anything.

Orton was unable to one up the Undertaker, and got hurt before his inevitable program with Batista could happen.

Orton however has not reached the level of mediocrity that a failed push and two injuries normally gives a WWE superstar.

Knowing that, Orton's ego grew and grew. The office was behind Randy Orton. Randy Orton could do no wrong.

So Randy Orton shit in a diva's bag and Randy Orton smoked pot and Randy Orton was just pretty much the biggest asshole he could be, which shows why he is so successful in his role as an asshole character. The apple does not fall far from the tree.

And like Edge before him who slept with his close friend's longtime girlfriend on the way to becoming the greatest heel in the company, there would be no real punishment for Orton.

A quick suspension moved him back to Raw. Raw is undoubtedly the A show. Now Orton is locked in a program against the greatest professional wrestler of all time. You can argue about Hogan's abilities day and night, but when America thinks Pro Wrestling, America thinks of Hogan.

For whatever reason, Hogan did or didn't tear his meniscus. Maybe we will never know. We do know however that if Orton is able to RKO the Hulkster, he will be one of the very few in the last 20 plus years to obtain a victory over Hogan.

Maybe Hogan wants to be able to say on Regis and Kelly that he had a bum knee. After all, he's Hulk Hogan. He's beaten giants. Is he really slowing down so much that he can't beat Orton? He's supposed to be our hero!

Well, I for one am not 100% for wrestlers returning to put over new talent. I think it's best if they stay away all together. However if they want to pop a buyrate and bring back someone, should the automatically job?

I think we've seen what's happened with Mick Foley, and we can argue no. Up until his program with Flair, Foley's programs haven't been as interesting as they could be, because you know he is going to lose. That's his role. Much like Terry Funk, he lets those who are still wrestling get the victory. That is a good thing, until you are trying to use your name to elevate other talent. How many guys can you lose to, before it stops having meaning.

That's why Hogan is the Holy Grail. Hogan faced Shawn Michaels at last year's Summerslam, and did not put Michaels over. Michaels certainly isn't the next big thing. While he sells t-shirts and draws crowds, he is well past his prime. He can fool you on any given night however and make you think he's in his prime right now.

But the best wrestler of the 80's was not willing to be defeated by the best of the 90's, and the list of the men Hogan has allowed to defeat him has stayed relatively short.

A win for Randy Orton at Summerslam would do wonders for his career and his legend killer character, but what would it do to the WWE as a whole?

Orton has no shame in any of his past actions. He simply serves his time, pays his fines, and continues on without any remorse.

Orton has a lot of growing up to do before he is given a win over Hulk Hogan, clean or otherwise. Yes, Hogan has an ego, but he has 30 years of work that back it up.

What does Orton have right now? Not much. What may he have by fall? A victory over "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan...

So ask yourself, what is really good for business?

What makes Orton extremely talented?

I was watching a WWE blooper real on YouTube that began with him saying Eugene and Regal will meet La Resistance for the World Heavyweight Championship and ended with him botching an RKO on Chris Jericho, to which he ran off the ropes and did the damn thing again.



Orton can't play any character other than the asshole, which he's proven. He was boring when they brought him in and bland when they turned him back to being a babyface.

He was no boost to Smackdown when he was brought over, and he should have been a major star in the absence of a lot of talent. He didn't show anything.

As I said, I was a big Orton supporter, but he's a prick who really hasn't shown anything. Rob Conway could easily be in his spot right now.

Due to Orton's look and lineage, he gets many more opportunities that guys better than him would kill for, and he's lazy with them.

Orton had all the potential to be big money, but I think that opportunity has been squandered.

They can put Orton over til the cows come home, but all they will get is a Heavyweight title run for him 5 years down the road that winds up with him walking out of the company to pursue acting or getting busted for drugs...

Randy Orton is not a sound investment because he has respect only for himself. That flys on WWE TV, but shouldn't fly in the locker room. More on This Story...

Game Over: At Whose Expense?

The road to the top for Triple H was a long one. Under the downright abysmal pun name of Terra Ryzing, he made his way from the independent scene into World Championship Wrestling. After a fairly unforgettable run wrestling on WCW Saturday Night, he was lucky enough to find a spot on the WWE roster.

The Greenwich Snob, Hunter Hearst Helmsley certainly didn't have an easy climb to the top, but he eventually made it there, and upon his arrival he unleashed a reign of "Terra" that has prevented more than one superstar from "Ryzing." His latest victim however, baffles the mind.
Triple H effectively destroyed the credibility of Rob Van Dam, Kane, and Booker T in 2002. Time heals all wounds, however, and Rob Van Dam and Booker T both have been positioned into World Heavyweight Championship roles in 2006. Possibly Kane will get a chance to run with the ball for more than a day as well.

However, the latest victim of the Cerebral Assassin might not be so lucky. On the August 28th edition of WWE RAW, Triple H and Shawn Michaels were slated to face mystery opponents. A little over a week removed from overcoming five members of the Spirit Squad, Ken Kennedy, William Regal, Fit Finlay, ECW World Champion The Big Show, Umaga, and both McMahon's at Summerslam, DX was unreasonably on top of the world.

Despite the fact that the McMahon/DX angle had more than run it's course, and most agree that the reunion of Degeneration X reunion has largely been unable to recapture the group's past magic due to religious beliefs amongst other things (like the fact that no one wants to see two 40 year old guys acting like high school sophomores), we are still in the middle of a McMahon vs. DX feud.

Smackdown's number one prospect, Ken Kennedy, and their two strongest mid-card heels, Finlay and Regal, showed up on RAW to gain a measure of revenge in a handicapped match against Degeneration X. All three men, and the Smackdown brand itself took a huge blow as Triple H pinned Regal for the victory.

After the match had concluded, Shane brought ECW World Heavyweight Champion, The Big Show, out for his vengeance. I breathed a sigh of relief as together with the three defeated Smackdown superstars, Big Show was finally getting the advantage.

Both Michaels and Triple H were worked over with Finlay's Shillelagh. Both Michaels and Triple H were chokeslammed. Michaels laid in the ring and played dead. Triple H on the other hand was showing signs of life.

Out comes Vince McMahon. Now, Vince McMahon is not a wrestler, but we've all seen that he's no normal man either. He's built, and there is some credibility to the idea that Vince can hold his own. Add to the equation, Vince is carrying a lead pipe.

Michaels took his beating and laid prone on the mat as expected. Triple H, however, does not stay down so easily. Between Vince and Shane, Triple H had to have taken approximately 20 blunt strikes to the head the aforementioned lead pipe.

Now, I am certainly not built like Vince McMahon, but if I were to hit you in the head with a lead pipe once, I am pretty sure I could muster up the amount of lethal force required to kill you in one or two blows. Since you are an O Show reader however, I'll not test my theory...

Shane hit both men with running lead pipe strikes right in the head. At no point did Triple H ever simply lay down and act as though he was unconcious like his stablemate. Triple H, after 20 or so blows to the head with a "lead pipe" continues to crawl around the mat, as if somehow he was going to get up and exact a measure of revenge.

Only days after what should be considered a deadly assault, Triple H and Shawn Michaels announced that they would be back in action that Tuesday on ECW against the Big Show. Wait, wha?

Maybe it's my fault. Maybe, I underestimated the amount of pain that Triple H can withstand. I didn't forget about the time that Steve Austin operated a crane and lifted Triple H and his car 50 feet in the air and pulled the release. Triple H not only lived, but wrestled the next week on Raw as Jim Ross explained it as a "miracle."

This is in stark contrast to the wrestling world I grew up watching. Hulk Hogan, wrestling's equivalent of Superman, took three Earthquake splashes from Earthquake and was out of action for months. If a wrestler was hit with a chair or piledriven outside of the ring, you could expect him to be out of action for some duration of time. A table or the ring bell? That was months off TV. Many major stars spent time at home selling injury angles. Very few had ever incurred anything nearly as serious as being struck in the head with a lead pipe.

Somehow, we had moved from there to a place in wrestling where the only credible weapons used by wrestlers are the baseball bat, lead pipe, and sledgehammer. Thanks to the Cerebral Assassin's resistance to lay down, we can now cross another off that list.

What has happened to injury angles in professional wrestling? Can the lead pipe be rebuilt as a credible wrestling weapon? Is there anything in this world capable of stopping Triple H?

Indeed the Game is Over, but his book fails to mention that talent and traditions that have been completely destroyed while "Making the Game."

More on This Story...

From the Vault: The Flair/Foley Nightmare

8/01/06: Mick Foley has the creative leeway to say pretty much whatever he wants, as evidenced by his promo a few years ago where if you don't hold a title in the WWE, there is something wrong with you, said in ring on Raw.

Foley's current promo's do irreversable career damage to Flair. Flair doesn't get less old, broke down, or washed up when this feud is over.

The problem?

Flair is the babyface.

Foley is putting himself back over hard at the expense of the angle and at the expense of what's left of Flair's career. Why does this make him the best promo guy ever?

Foley has had some entertaining nights on the stick, I will not deny. However, to call him the best of all time is irresponsible. You think Foley is the only one that can come up with good shit to say nowadays? No. He's just one of the only ones left with the ok to say it.

When he essentially shot on Flair, Flair was left in the ring like a wounded dog. The next week, Foley used that vulnerability against Flair. Why was Flair only able to come up with Fat Boy? I dunno that he had any idea the verbal assault that he was about to receive.

And to be honest, half of wrestling fans are not internet smarks. Just because Foley's book is a best seller doesn't mean every wrestling fan read it. I know guys that go to WWE shows TODAY that think they will see Austin and the Rock.

Shoot promos get over with a certain audience, but because you are allowed to make them and it satiates the Internet Wrestling Community, that doesn't make you a great talker.

Great talkers are the guys that used the stick to get them somewhere in the business.

Hogan
Flair
HBK
Austin
The Rock
Triple H

Hell, then you had the guys that said absolutely nothing that ever made sense, but people listened:

Warrior
Savage
Sid
Vader
Dusty Rhodes

Then on top of that, you have the guys that could just flat out talk. Talk about wrestling, talk about matches, and make you care.

Rick Rude
Jake Roberts
Ted Dibiase
Curt Hennig

Then you had the managers:

Cornette
Heenan

Who did more to get the story and the emotion where it needed to be than those guys?

I think Foley stomps on his ability to cut promos every week nowadays, because he cut some of the best ever, but now he is simply a patsy of the internet, and in every promo he cuts, I hear him begging for the internet's approval. Foley has never had any self-esteem in the business, because he knows deep down that his stunts did get him to the top.

He is truly one of the all time greats, but the more he begs for our acceptance, the more he brings himself off the pedestal and back on our level.

I think that it's a telling sign for the current state of the product when last night's verbal showdown between Flair and Foley is so critically acclaimed.

Foley again flip-flops and puts under Flair. Flair is incoherent and babbly. I much prefer the limousine riding, jet flying cocky son of a bitch to this crazy heart attack having old man.

It seems when Flair and Foley and Funk for that matter are out there, they have a general outline, but ALWAYS forget where the hell they are going. Flair will start yelling and screaming just to make sure someone is saying something. Foley appears to be waiting for the cue that never comes. Finally Flair remembers, oh Melina.

That sets off the Foley family man comments 5 minutes after they should have originally come.

Don't get me wrong, they are two of the best. I mean that. I just don't see last night as the magic moment that many others seem to.

I think they are two men who believe their own hype. Foley is tearing down Flair's legacy, but Flair is doing business and actually building Foley's further.

I am happy that they are getting fans into their future encounter, but am worried when the talent that the WWE actually needs to propel them into the future is losing time to very long and often multiple promo segments between Flair and Foley.

These aren't classic promos by old standards. They are just way above the low bar set by current superstars.

The fact that Foley ever referred to anyone in the industry as an "imaginary badass" exposes the business. It was cool to hear Flair tout legends that normally don't get their due on WWE TV, but that a good promo does not make.

We all will have our differing opinions. My personal opinion is that if this promo is at any other time when the business is up, and if any of those other great talkers we mentioned are anywhere insight, we look at this as being long, unfocused, and probably a 6 or 7 out of 10.

At points, Flair seemed like a deer in the headlights. Luckily he has his crazy old man act to fall back on.

At one time, diamonds were forever, and so was Ric Flair. This program with Foley has shown that perhaps Flair's time is running short. More on This Story...