MY 100 UNAPOLOGETIC FAVORITE WRESTLING MATCHES

What could have been....



#94: Bret “The Hitman” Hart vs. The 1-2-3 Kid – WWF Championship Match, Monday Night Raw, July 11, 1994

(AUTHOR’S NOTE: I apologize with utmost sincerity for the huge gap between installments. Life intervened on a series of levels that I couldn’t help. I plan to hustle and make up for lost time with a few new inductions this week, however.

By the by, don't forget to check Austin Buckner's Pro Wrestling Wake Up - http://prowrestlingwakeup.blogspot.com)

The best wrestlers in the business become invaluable assets if in no other way, then in that they elevate every individual who stands across the ring from them. Not coincidentally, it is also the hallmark of a creative wrestling genius when a mid-level talent can be made to look like a perfectly legitimate main event-level performer and credible championship threat.

Various ROH and NWA champions have historically excelled in this. In both respective promotions and eras, elevating nearly every talent on the roster accomplished some really special things: the champ could carry off an intriguing main event against any given wrestler on any given night that guaranteed a butt ever 18 inches, no matter the dance partner; the main event scene practically never came with an expiration date – with so many wrestlers looking like credible contenders, nothing got stale; and most importantly, it made it incredibly difficult to ever “see the finish coming.”

Bret Hart hit an absolute hot streak in 1994 during his first run with the WWF title (I’m no revisionist; it was the WWF then, so it’s the WWF here) and shortly thereafter into 1995. He had matches that made superb talents look phenomenal and afterthought performers seem on the cusp of entering a new echelon. For mid-card performers such as Virgil, being there across the ring from Hart marked the only time they came close to perceptions of main-event acceptance.

Now ponder this: on this particular night, Hart stood across the ring from a longtime independent prodigy only beginning to make waves and win over fans: Sean Waltman. The former 1-2-3 Kid/X-Pac/Syxx was a smooth as buttermilk, crisp as a fresh-baked baguette’s crust and sold like ice in Hell.

Watching this match should make a wrestling fan angry. Really bitter. Anyone who appreciates the art in professional wrestling will at feel compelled to never look away. This was a honed master and a prodigy only beginning to show his polish. The ones who know the epilogue to these two careers knows Waltman became a walking attitude problem, degraded his gift with his drug problems and poor taste in friends and became a shell of himself that inspired the term “X-Pac heat”.

That should make someone angry, because in this match that had no build-up, no promos, no back-story, Waltman looked like a WWF Champion in the making.

Oh yes, it’s getting redundant, but no one announcer – save perhaps Joey Styles – could do this match justice as Jim Ross did. He treats this as sporting competition, not storytelling. He analyzes, breaks down and still colors the action. It even overcomes the hysterical-yet-borderline-irritating babbling of Randy Savage next to him. Ross was still in his NWA/WCW-style prime here, before he fell into the barbeque sauce stupor in which he remains to this day. This is the Gordon Solie School of Announcing proudly displayed in a promotion fronted by a man Sollie never liked at all, Vince McMahon.

Hart worked a physical, sometimes stiff style, and Waltman earns those first points of admiration by matching him hold-for-hold. It always made for interesting storytelling when anyone worked against his usual style by working the mat style with Hart. Yet, this always worked so well because Hart knew so very, very well how to make anyone look like an outstanding wrestler when in that element.

Once Hart takes control, Waltman displays a gift every great face needs to possess: complete comprehension of How To Take A Kicking 101. Taking a grind-it-out beating like that reminds everyone that, as good as Waltman may be, Hart is the champion for a reason. He’s just that good. Waltman returns Hart’s favor by coming across as struggling to barely survive until that next opportunity comes up.

For the record, consider this: so often, stories take weeks to develop and culminate in a big blow-off match or two. These two are getting across all the narrative one could handle in a space of about 17 minutes and change.

We now pause for character development: Hart gets a three-count, but saw Waltman’s foot on the ropes. Does he take the win? No, not the “fighting champion.” Instead, he insists on a re-start – and here, kicks the storytelling into a new gear. Almost right away, Waltman gets a long two-count of his own. So, we now have sportsmanship backfiring on the fighting champion and Waltman seizing the day.

So now, we arrive at Act Two. Suddenly, we have a fight on our hands. Suddenly, Waltman is making a big comeback. He manages near-fall after near-fall and catches Hart off-guard again and again. Waltman, the plucky underdog, achieved something with Hart on which Hart had always prided himself: the match felt real, competitive and unpredictable. By the end, people actually believed Waltman might win the WWF Championship. Again and again, Hart barely kicked out. How many kick-outs could he possibly have left?

The finish? The finish makes a mockery of anyone who claims Hart could never concoct an original way to resolve a match. Waltman – much like Pillman did in the previously-inducted match with Lex Luger – missed one move too many, Hart applied the Sharpshooter and Waltman submitted. But nothing could be further from the truth than to say that losing cleanly to Hart hurt Waltman. In fact, he gained immeasurably from this fast-paced, exciting match.

He gained so much, it makes me hate him when I leap from remembering that career performance, to his unmotivated laziness in the last five years or so.

To this day, ROH achieves something incredible in their main events – or, at least, they did. A talent such as Jay Briscoe or Kevin Steen could finagle a ROH World Title match on any given night against a Nigel McGuinness or a Bryan Danielson. No one would honestly believe a title switch would take place, and rightfully so. But the true gift, is when men such as those two or Chris Hero El Generico could actually have the most rabid, smark-infested crowd in the palms of their hands and believing they would really witness an improbable title change.

That’s the stuff from which the excitement of pro wrestling comes. Any Hulk Hogan main event hinged inevitably on Hogan’s appointment looking like a perfectly legitimate threat, whether it was Earthquake or Paul Orndorff or Andre The Giant. Look at Wrestlemania VI! The whole main event with Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior lived or died on its sheer unpredictability. That made the atmosphere legendary.


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MY 100 UNAPOLOGETIC FAVORITE WRESTLING MATCHES

Scott Steiner was right...



#96: Lex Luger © versus Brian Pillman, NWA U.S. Title Match – Halloween Havoc, October 28, 1989

Art imitates life, and vice versa. Yeah, next, I should tell you all something you don’t know.

Whether anybody buys it or not, wrestling embodies the characteristics of theatrical art. Characters major and minor must all make their marks to craft an engaging story. How many matches have featured great individual performers who didn’t possess the chemistry to make a winning combination?

Hence why I hate the overused term, “carry.”

Come on, wrestling fans, we toss it around constantly.

“Such-and-such ‘carried’ John Cena to a great match.”

“Ric Flair could ‘carry’ anyone to a great match.”

Look, Scott Steiner doesn’t get many things right. But when he reminded Triple H that “It takes two people to have a good match and two people to have a shitty match,” he nailed it right on the head. I mean, just dead-on.

When people see a good Lex Luger match – and even I’ll admit, you have to really know where to look – they often overlook Luger’s share of the credit.

Luger and Brian Pillman pulled together a match I could watch dozens of times over at Halloween Havoc in 1989. Pulling that off really didn’t take much. Both men knew their roles in the play, and knew how they needed to mesh to pull off something of quality. Luger had “the look” and pulled off a fine combination of narcissistic – do I REALLY need to explain my word-choice here when it comes to Luger, or do we all get the reference? – and cowardly heel, with just a touch of skill of his own. Pillman looked like nothing short of a higher-flying Ricky Steamboat here with an innate knack for psychology and selling that made Luger look like a million bucks and bought Pillman the crowd’s “underdog” vote.

The timing, the pacing – it all showed why the U.S. Title, held here by Luger, was on a level with the WWF’s Intercontinental Title: it was held by some of the best wrestlers having some of the most sound matches on the entire card. Putting Pillman in contention for the belt launched him far enough.

But this match made a statement for another reason: it sold Pillman as someone who could beat someone of Luger’s caliber. Keep in mind, at this point, Luger wasn’t far away from a big world title reign after Ric Flair left the company in 1991. So really, Pillman was in there once again showing he could go with the big main-event stars.

Pillman got the better of enough of the opening sequences to start making just that point. However, Luger got the better of Pillman enough times to keep him looking strong, instead of overwhelmed. Give credit once again where it’s due to Jim Ross for making both men look like a million bucks on commentary. He doesn’t skimp on getting over Luger’s raw talent and potential, or Pillman’s heart. The end sequence saw Pillman miss a splash, Luger drop Pillman’s throat across the top rope, then slide over for a clean pin. Immediately, Luger makes Pillman look fantastic by vacating the ring immediately looking thankful to still have his title.

“Whew! That was too close,” you can almost hear Luger thinking.

Give Pillman this, as well: he knew pacing. He knew when to bust out his high spots as much as he knew when to chain wrestle. He knew how to keep the crowd involved. He knew how to make each spot mean something.

For telling a David-versus-Goliath story, these two made great dance partners. Few people come to mind when I think of people who can get that kind of story over as entertainingly as Pillman could in his prime. Rey Mysterio is the very first name that pops into my head.

But of course, it takes two to tango. More importantly in this case, it takes two people to have a good match and – well, I won’t repeat it. Scott Steiner deserves his moment.


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MY 100 UNAPOLOGETIC FAVORITE WRESTLING MATCHES

Simple....but not easy



First and foremost, all apologies for taking so long to post another match. Life intervened at every turn. That's all you need to know.

Second, if you get a moment, check out my good friend Austin "KhanX" Buckner's very own Pro Wrestling Wake Up. Search for it right here on Blogger, it's very good stuff.

#97: "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes vs. "Superstar" Billy Graham, Texas Bullrope Match, Madison Square Garden, August 28, 1978


There aren't many performers one could take from this era of professional wrestling, drop into another completely different era and watch display the tools to truly stay at the top.

Jake Roberts once said if wrestling were strictly about legitimate toughness, there would be nobody left but "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and Haku. In his own inimitable way, Jake was stating the obvious: there's more to creating a great match than who can beat one another up the most. As Ole Anderson said once, "The finish has to make sense."

Yet another legend - I forget just now who it was - once said the only individuals he could see absolutely holding their own in any era in professional wrestling's history were Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle.

There's something to both theories. Jake reminded everyone that actual toughness isn't a necessity at all. If one possesses the right gifts, the illusion of true grit can be manufactured. But the ability to tell a story is a must to create something even remotely watchable.

The second theory holds some weight, too. Chris Benoit would be a quintessential "shooter" - someone with very legitimate wrestling ability - in any given promotion in any given era. Guerrero and Angle would possess the charisma, presence and storytelling gifts to captivate audiences across every territory.

Which brings me around to this match: not everyone can pull off what Dusty Rhodes and Billy Graham could separately.

There's no point adding a stipulation if it doesn't make things more interesting. Right off the bat, these two make the bullrope a schizophrenic character all its own. It's that "up-the-ante" factor that gimmick matches need to have. Vince Russo, someway, somehow, has never learned this.

Rhodes taunts Graham with the rope right off the bat, and witness the flayboyant Graham display all the charms of a great cowardly heel. He begs off, tries to run and Dusty, like a cat with a mouse, just toys with him by yanking him back into the ring. If one is going to play a character, he might as well turn up the volume and rip that knob off.

But once Graham takes over, he reminds everyone there's two sides to any story. He takes the rope and makes it HIS ally. He punishes Dusty over and over with it. Watching this single seven-minute match is like watching some great architecht of the past, present and future of the wrestling business toying with the early blueprints for the character works of art called Scott Steiner, "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan and Triple H. Vanity and arrogance crossed with strength and brutality.

What the Hell, just because I almost quoted him directly, toss a generous helping of "Ravishing" Rick Rude in there, as well.

Both men execute every single moment with an over-the-top aplomb that not many today bother with. If what these two men could do was easy, we'd see more of it today. Nobody would complain about Mark and Jay Briscoe doing so little to sell their opponents' offense. Truthfully, of everybody in the business today, C.M. Punk, Randy Orton, Edge and Chris Jericho spring immediately to mind first on the list of wrestlers who could do what Rhodes and Graham do here.

Let me put it another way: this match may be one of the only satisfying COUNTOUT FINISHES I've ever watched. These two worked the crowd the hard way: with selling, timing and telling a logical story. They used the bullrope to the fullest advantage to enhance what they both already did so well.

This match in itself is a lesson so many wrestlers today either never bothered learning, or forgot as quickly as they'd learned it.

I think it's time for some wrestlers to go back to school.

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MY 100 UNAPOLOGETIC FAVORITE WRESTLING MATCHES

The birth of the "ROH style"?


#98: Brian Pillman vs. Jushin "Thunder" Liger, WCW Light Heavyweight Championship - Superbrawl II, February 29, 1992

The previous two matches extolled the values found in a good, rowdy brawl. They also prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that keeping a match compelling doesn't take 450-splashes off of ladders through flaming tables propped up over tanks filled with bloodthirsty sharks, eels and Democrats.

This match proves that aiming high with style points doesn't necessarily hurt, as long as it adds to the story.

And this match's story might be my favorite kind: that of competition for 10 pounds of gold. That is "competition" (OK, we all know it's scripted, right? right, moving on....) just to be the best. It wasn't for custody of a child. No one's wife got slapped, nor anyone's significant-other stolen. It didn't even need animosity. It just needed one championship, and two guys who wanted it.

"Flyin'" Brian Pillman almost defies mere words at this point. Without the high-flying, high-risk offense that he introduced to mainstream American wrestling, A.J. Styles, Sonjay Dutt, Jeff Hardy and others would spend whole careers languishing in dark matches. Meanwhile, Jushin "Thunder" Liger was absolutely in his prime, which included classic matches with the likes of two young men named Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero.

Pillman had lost his WCW light heavyweight championship to Liger, and wanted it back. Again, I must stress this: there was no bitter animosity or even much antagonism. Pillman wanted his title back, plain and simple.

The two carried off this match at a very, very brisk pace. Both men scarcely sought a moment to rest, stringing together a superb match combining some flawless technical chain-wrestling and each man's trademark aerial artistry. And it cannot be understated: both these men were, in every sense of the word, ARTISTS in what they did.

Both men swapped the momentum enough times to keep every single fan on edge wondering who would come out on top. That might be the most consistently effective way to tell a story in the ring. The last third of the match, each man would reverse something the other did into a high-impact move that I guarantee every fan thought meant the end of the match . . . except when it didn't. I cannot stress this enough, this was not Hogan-Warrior formulaic, face-takes-a-beating-then-dominates-the-last-segment-of-the-match-to-pull-off-the-improbable-win booking. You couldn't read the pacing and have the slightest idea who goes over.

That's the kind of match that is a joy to watch, even when you know the outcome. It sucks you right back in again like the first time you watched it.

Pillman hit his springboard clothesline, but couldn't put Liger away. Liger hit a Liger-bomb, but that couldn't put Pillman away. Pillman nailed a top-rope splash, but couldn't get the three. Liger missed a diving headbutt . . . and then Pillman executed a sneaky sort of rolling clutch you just didn't see on American TV that often and picked up an out-of-the-blue three-count.

And THEREIN lies the perfection. After all the false finishes that threw the crowd off, it was a move absolutely outside of Pillman's signature offense - in fact, something that most would've guessed to be a transitional sort of near-fall move - that finally ended it.

It saddens me to hear "Internet fans" sometimes lament the rampant use of complicated, unorthodox offense in American wrestling, especially in independent federations. And to be perfectly honest, they're not always wrong. What gets me, is that these fans will even lay on the cynicism when high-spots and acrobatic, unorthodox move sets DO help tell the story. The aerial offense both these men employed brought the audience to its feet and added something special.

Remember, it was a MISSED diving headbutt that set up the finish. Pillman's springboard clothesline, often a finisher, couldn't get the three-count, and that put over just how tough Liger really had to be to withstand everything Pillman could throw at him. A dive by Pillman at one point ended with him eating guardrail and the audience probably believing that Liger then had the match in hand . . . which, of course, set up more near-falls, proving that Pillman could take whatever Liger could throw at him. The high-spots need to either mark a transition or assist in getting something else about the story over. As it stands now, they've been significantly cheapened.

Speaking of little things driving the story, give ample credit to Jim Ross for calling this match solo and putting over the immense athleticism that both these men possessed. Ross was the Al Michaels/Bob Costas of professional wrestling at this point, who had an incredible gift for getting across crucial intangible aspects of a match to make it make sense to any average first-time viewer. This night, Ross was in rare form.

Pillman brought colossal heart, talent and athletic gifts to the table, as Ross pointed out. Liger equaled him in nearly every way, except for being in his own right a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. How I WISH I could hear Ross name-drop promotions like New Japan and great performers such as Antonio Inoki on TV again. This is an example of the night-and-day difference between how Vince McMahon likes things done, and what's best for the product. They are not always the same thing, trust me.

It's not the sort of thing anyone notices off the bat, but good logic inconspicuously made this match superb. Every time someone made a wrong move, the other capitalized; that way, it got across these two were so equal in terms of ability, one mistake by either could mean the match. The focus of the match never deviated from the title; that way, in the eyes of the fan, the title truly meant something significant. Finally, the match showed that both men were masters of the one word on the marquee that should ever be made to matter by the promoters:

Wrestling.

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MY 100 UNAPOLOGETIC FAVORITE WRESTLING MATCHES

#99: STORYTELLING MADE SIMPLE


#99: Raven vs. C.M. Punk (Dog-Collar Match)

I could almost count on one hand the heels more fun to watch than ROH-era C.M. Punk. I would barely need two to count the wrestlers, heel or face, I enjoy watching more than Raven.

You surely see why this match holds a special place in my heart.

This feud exemplified Punk’s gift for adapting his straight-edge gimmick to whatever direction the wind may blow him. It makes an ideal tool for getting under anyone’s skin as an elitist, moralistic, high-and-mighty blowhard. The same gimmick – which, for the uninitiated, he lived before he ever set foot in a wrestling ring – can make him an ideal white-meat babyface that couldn’t be easier to market, with a colorful look, charisma to spare and a positive code of living.

Then there’s Raven.

What Punk is to clean-living, Raven is to the fabled excesses and debauchery behind wrestling’s curtain. However, like so many, he also eventually showed himself to be an underestimated genius of creating a character and telling an engaging story in and out of the ring. He was on par, unfortunately in many ways, with Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Rowdy Roddy Piper. Those clashing, polarized personalities set the stage for a feud that wrote itself before audiences’ very eyes. And as workers, these two men nailed the psychology, the story-telling, so well that you forgot you were watching something scripted.

From the time Raven came into ROH, Punk obsessed over running him out. This was HIS house, he believed. Not only did ROH not need Raven’s hardcore circus and debaucherous background – Punk’s personal code and Raven’s rules could not coexist. They had wars. They chased one another up and down ROH’s home turf.

Then came this match. This is how to let a gimmick or stipulation enhance the storytelling. The two eschewed ROH’s signature high-flying, innovative, strong-style offense and took wrestling back to Greg Valentine-Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes-Billy Graham territory.

Two men chained together. Can’t run, can’t hide. The length of chain between them, practically all they could ever need to do unholy degrees of damage to one another. It was the science of simplicity.

Punk came out on top after a sequence that saw ECW alum Danny Doring rush the ring after Punk cut yet ANOTHER scathing pre-match promo, this time calling out Doring, who was “in attendance” (see: plant). In the midst of the fray, in came Punk’s fellow Second City Saint, Colt Cabana, to DDT Raven.

There’s the injury. Here comes the insult.

Punk then tied Raven in the ropes and desecrated Raven’s new-found sobriety by pouring a beer down his throat. One man emerged to aid Raven. Of ALL people, Raven’s oldest and most storied rival . . . . TOMMY DREAMER. Dreamer took down Punk with a DDT of his own, untied Raven, stared him down . . . . and hugged the man like a brother.

Here was the icing on the cake, though. Punk so loved this feud, he allowed Dreamer and Raven to tie him in the ropes and pour a beer down his straight-edge gullet, followed by Dreamer and Raven celebrated to “Man In The Box.” Truly, it was a moment.


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Smarks might want to step away.....


I spent some time pondering my writing’s direction. I reached one conclusion: I seek out direction a little too diligently sometimes.

Wait, back up and let me explain.

I enjoy writing. I truly, truly love it. But I need something more sometimes. I need a mission. I need a message.

I sometimes neglect sitting down, shutting up and just writing.

So I want to take this back to something I love doing when I sit with my friends and talk wrestling: pick out my favorite matches (as they pick theirs) and discuss why I love them. I’m trying to convey something about fandom that should’ve never been lost and has ended up forgotten: forget the backstage news, forget being a smark, forget being a consummate critic and just enjoy the things you love.

So I won’t apologize for one single match in this list. These are truly my 100 unapologetic favorite matches, including a tidbit here and there explaining the qualities of great wrestling that I feel they exemplify. Most come from my personal DVD library. A few I can’t find anywhere, so I will recall them as best I can from memory. Sometimes, that means I must rely on an unreliable memory and won’t give much in terms of play-by-play.

These will be in order in the most basic sense. I did not rank this meticulously. I will not quibble over precise placement. I don’t care how any of you interpret these matches’ exact respective placements. I will give away one hint: yes, #1 IS, in fact, my favorite match of all time, and probably always will be.

Oh, one last thing: since this is an effort to help me write with more of a nod to thrift, I have imposed upon myself a 450-word limit. That should also encourage getting to the damn point.

So sit back, relax and enjoy a short ride. Here’s number 100.



Chris Benoit vs. Meng (Death Match)
WCW The Great American Bash 1997



Look no further for proof that entertaining wrestling doesn’t need to be one-tenth as difficult as fans sometimes want it to be, or as bookers tend to sometimes book it.

This was a straight-up battle of “Who can take more of a beating?” Benoit was being built as one of the toughest, most vicious, cold-hearted men to ever lace a pair of boots.
Meng….well, Meng was Meng. For the uninitiated, he is most likely honored to be considered one of the few men as legitimately tough as the in-ring savage he portrayed. Watching him was watching a clinic of how to no-sell and make it WORK. The man took endless punishment, seemed to feel no pain whatsoever, and kept the in-ring action brutal and stiff, but convincing.

You didn’t need to suspend any disbelief to believe what either of these guys did to the guy across the ring hurt. Chances are, it probably hurt even worse than it looked.

These two had the kind of feud you could book in any promotion, in the midst of any era in the wrestling business’s history, and it would fit right in. ECW, Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, Mid-South, WCCW, Mexico, Japan – it would play ANYWHERE at ANYTIME.

So you have two guys well-known for dishing it out doubly as well as they could take it. What could be more fun than turning ‘em loose on one another to see, once and for all, who is left standing at the end? The finish was absolutely perfect: Meng, the unstoppable monster savage, passed out in the crossface. It comes back to why Meng no-selling worked: it further established Benoit’s credibility by not just beating Meng, but making the man pass out. The same finish made the last-man-standing match between John Cena and Umaga at the 2007 Royal Rumble easily the most enjoyable match of their entire program.

It was a wild, violent brawl. And for WCW, it was a rare instance when everything felt completely satisfying from start to finish. If, like me, you loved this match, check out the Cena/Umaga match, anything between the Undertaker and Mankind or take your pick of any of dozens of matches between Mike Awesome and Masato Tanaka in either FMW or the original ECW.


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Kurt Angle Interview

Here is an interview conducted by Dameon Nelson of the Pro Wrestling Report.



Do you think Angle's comments were for real, or a work? Post your thoughts here.

-Jedd-



Body

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Kimbo Slice the Headliner

This stuff annoys the piss out of me.

Since this fight took place, every news site, every fighting forum, every article I've read, it's been nothing but cutting up Kimbo Slice because of his poor showing.



"The fight was fixed"

"Kimbo's a joke"

"Kimbo's a flash in the pan"

"Kimbo's overpaid"

I want to know how many people making these statements have ever been in the ring! Have they ever traded punches for pay? Have they ever even been hit with a punch? I doubt that the majority of these writers have even strapped on gloves before. They download a few videos on the internet, buy a few pay-per-views and watch a season of the Ultimate Fighter and all of a sudden they're a fight critic.

I'll give my opinion on a few of these statements I have seen.

"The fight was fixed"

I highly doubt it. I don't think Kimbo was faking his post-fight daze. If you watch that video again, as Petruzelli is running around the cage in amazement, Kimbo starts hooking up on the referee. The dude was out of it. Whatever shot he took initially was followed by a series of short strikes that took him out of reality.

"Kimbo's a joke, a flash in the pan"

Maybe but only if the promoters just decide to drop him. Fighting and succeeding at this level is dependent on many factors. No one but Kimbo and his squad knows how Kimbo was feeling that night. Was he 100%? Was he worn out? Was he sick? Did he have a headache? Was he nervous? There are so many factors that could have contributed to Kimbo being off his game. To say he's a joke after one poor fight isn't even fair. In baseball, you're expected to fail 7 out of ten times. Batters go without a hit for several games. Pitchers go winless for entire months, but we don't give up on them. These critics are ready to cart Kimbo off into the desert and dump him there. And what sucks is, the promoters will probably figuratively do just that. The sport of MMA seems to be one of the most cut throat there is. Promoters love the fighters while they're on top, but they suffer a hard loss, and the promoters are out looking for a new piece of meat to throw in there. Again, the people behind the scenes, running these menageries probably never stepped into a ring in their life. And people say Vince McMahon is a cut throat prick.

"Kimbo's overpaid"

Kimbo got paid big time, (reportedly $500,000) and good for him. He brought in the ratings. He headlined the card. He gets the big paycheck. That's the way it should be. MMA is entertainment now. It's about creating pay-per-view buys, internet traffic, television ratings, and merchandise sales. It is not about paying the best athletes the biggest purses - it's about dropping the pile of dough on the guy who puts the asses every 18 inches. That was Kimbo Slice last Saturday.

And ya know what? If the Office decides to kick Kimbo to the curb, they'll find another headliner to push. And if that headliner stumbles one day, you can bet the critics will turn on him too.

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HOW TO MAKE A WRESTLING FAN

EASY? No. POSSIBLE? Absolutely.



The most worthwhile things we do never come easily.

Can creating new wrestling fans really be called worthwhile? Maybe, maybe not. We wrestling fans do not have it easy. Public perception usually works against us. Popular culture's judges long ago and far away deemed our chosen entertainment form a sideshow attraction, a comical, low-brow farce.

I can't say I disagree. After all, if you know your history, wrestling began as a sideshow attraction.

I blame Vincent Kennedy McMahon for the ridicule and raised-eyebrows forcing me to defend wrestling's identity. His success mainstream America his over-the-top sideshow in two different phenomenal boom eras wins him my thanks. You see my conundrum.

I can't exactly call that fence comfortable. I can defend the semi-improvisational drama woven by such masters as "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Bret Hart, "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig and others until my face turns blue as Owen Hart's alter-ego. It takes exactly one "Katie Vick" or "David Arquette, WCW Champion" to instantly make me a jabbering mental patient with an IQ of 40.

It never fails: people see the worst, turn to share a laugh with the other naysayers, and miss the redeeming things.

Most people consider wrestling fans to be the shallow dim-witted ones, to my amazement. I challenge you to find people more judgmental fans with limited capacity to make valid arguments in their defense than wrestling's naysayers. You could find someone who willingly sits with you "objectively" watching Chris Benoit battle Kurt Angle or Sting battle Ric Flair.

Their response, paraphrased only slightly:

"Steroids steroids FAKE steroids steroids GAY DUDES ROLLING AROUND WITH EACH steroids FAKE steroids I SAW TRIPLE H HUMP A CORPSE ONCE, THAT WAS GAY AND FAKE steroids BENOIT steroids."

That, or . . .

"So does Hulk Hogan still wrestle?"

I can't honestly decide which response I prefer hearing. I really can't.

So many people won't try something before knocking it, that we the fans have one hope, and one hope only: if someone comes across even passably interested in watching wrestling, show them the good stuff. Sell them the business's merits. Make it clear we hate the same things about the business they find stupid, inane, and credulity straining.

How do we do that, though? Throwing someone who didn't waste a moment watching wrestling once either Hogan left the WWF, or Steve Austin and The Rock moved on, right into Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat wouldn't necessarily work. Coax the sheep gently.

I hope I can demonstrate the path to that for you. I've done it a few times, but none more notably than making my wonderful fiancee, Alexis. But I want to save that for next time....



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Hulk Hogan Wasn't the First to Slam the Giant!

All these years we were led to believe the Hulkster was the first to bodyslam the Giant. But it just isn't so. Behold someone who pulled this magnificent feat off before Hulk Hogan!




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PWR Show - Latest Episode

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Steiner Brothers vs. Hart Brothers

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The First Encounter

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Ultimate Warrior - Returning to Action

In case you haven't heard, the Ultimate Warrior is scheduled to return to in-ring action in Barcelona Spain this year. Read on to watch some of the videos he has posted about his return.

I am not sure how I came about his blog, as I have not visited it much since he began his ridiculous and controversial, and often offensive, narratives on his blog, but I did somehow find myself there this week.

Warrior has re-done his site once again, and now maintains a blog at http://ultimatewarriortv.com/blog/, posting new content almost daily. Surprisingly, for some reason he is seeing it fit to shoot footage of his commentary on Heath Ledger and Hulk Hogan, among others, wearing an antique Ultimate Warrior Halloween mask. Click the link to check it out for yourself.

Now, if anybody who reads this blog knows me, you know that I am a strength and conditioning fanatic, so it was very interesting for me to see current footage of the Warrior spending time in the gym, putting in some good hard work and effort.

The Warrior has obviously stuck with his strength and conditioning training his absence from the ring spotlight, and judging by the lack of body fat to be seen anywhere on his 40-some year-old body, he is still spectacular in his dietary discipline. At least that much is an inspiration.

And thankfully, he doesn't play with the Ultimate Warrior figurine during his workouts.

Jedd
DieselCrew.com
Napalm's Corner
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The Return of Wargames and a New Four Horsemen

Again, it has been a while. Consistency has never been a strength of mine. I am mostly done with my MBA, so I should be able to step it up here, assuming of course I have something interesting to write about. In my opinion, the worst thing I can do is give you readers an uninspired article just to meet a deadline. My last column was in February. I was attempting to push through on the Road to WrestleMania.

I was actually fortunate enough to attend WrestleMania XXIV in Orlando, Florida thanks to my good friend Shawn. The experience was incredible. Shawn won a contest, which gave us backstage access at Axxess, and got us a stretch excursion ride to the Citrus Bowl. Our car was let in to the wrong gate and we actually spent a few minutes backstage prior to WrestleMania where we saw Randy Orton and John Cena prior to the granddaddy of them all. Don't believe me? Here is a picture of us backstage at Axxess:




Ten people jobbed to me in the WWE name game:



Here is a picture of our stretch excursion:



Here is a picture of us backstage at WrestleMania with Jimmy Wang Yang and Shannon Moore:



Notice how Cherry loves me. Cherry, if you are out there, I love you too! You are gorgeous. Anywho, my dream of attending a WrestleMania became a reality, and the whole weekend was incredibly special, especially due to the fanfare surrounding Ric Flair's retirement. WrestleMania missteps? The biggest one I can think of was putting JBL over Finlay. WWE had a major star on their hands. Then they pulled the rug out from under him. Sad to see Finlay languishing on Smackdown after what should have been a triumphant victory over Mr. McMahon at WrestleMania XXIV.

I have never been a big Jeff Hardy fan. I have not been too much of a William Regal fan either. Funny how when my interest peaks in both men, and I see them as can't miss main eventers, they both get 60 day wellness suspensions. Regal vs. Triple H should have been the program of the summer. Now that the possibility is gone altogether, I would like to see Trips drop his belt-ah at One Night Stand-ah to Randy Orton-ah.

WWE's One Night Stand is right around the corner, and 5 matches have been announced as of this writing:
WWE Title Last Man Standing Match
Triple H © vs. Randy Orton

First Blood Match
JBL vs. John Cena

Stretcher Match
Shawn Michaels vs. Batista

Falls Count Anywhere Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga

Singapore Cane Match (To crown a #1 Contender for the ECW Title)
Tommy Dreamer vs. CM Punk vs. John Morrison vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. The Big Show
Is it just me or has JBL been awful since his return to the ring? He ruined his match with Chris Jericho at the Royal Rumble, he ruined Finlay's program with Vince McMahon and inexplicably went over at WrestleMania, and his positioning in the title picture on Raw seems awkward and forced. I have not seen his Judgment Day match with John Cena, but I am not expecting a great deal from their first blood match at One Night Stand. Why didn't JBL choose a bullrope match, or something more related to his gimmick? Eh, who cares. The winner of this match will likely work with the winner of the Orton/HHH match next. As I said, the up and coming contenders I was most interested in watching were Jeff Hardy and William Regal. I guess that won't be happening for either of them any time soon.

Speaking of Jeff Hardy, what is the deal with the WWE's use of Umaga? Whenever a babyface needs an opponent, a supposed authority figure will bring out the Samoan Bulldozer as a punishment, but who are they really punishing. Umaga has been brought out to be the demise of Triple H, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, and Jeff Hardy on a number of occasions, and every single time, he gets his ass handed to him. How can these Raw babyfaces remotely hold a straight face when Umaga is coming to destroy them, knowing that the guy hasn't won a match in the last 8 months. For all the job duty Umaga has done, he should have defeated Batista at WrestleMania XXIV. He is a solid hand for the WWE, and at one time he was a hot character. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that it will be long before they turn him from a Samoan Savage to a big dancing goof like his big brother Rikishi. If they do make him dance, I got the perfect song for him. Sing it to the tune of YMCA.

Young Man, you are in for a fight because
Young Man, your opponent tonight is a
Young Man, from the Isle of Samoa
Who we call the Samoan Bulldozer
Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun
You have to wrestle the U-M-A-G-A
You have to wrestle the U-M-A-G-A
He's got dreadlocked hair, he's got white thumb tape, since Patterson's gone this is as close as we have come to butt rape

CMoney in the Bank Punk is in a number one contenders match at One Night Stand. Not really making a lot of sense from where I am sitting. I guess he could win this, take the ECW title, and cash in the briefcase for a different title. Personally, I would like to see the elevation of Shelton Benjamin. Not that this is a secret to anyone who reads my columns. How do I propose that they do this? Let me tell you…





Week 1: May 24-31: At One Night Stand, presumably Big Show will go over as the number one contender for the ECW title. That is fine, as Benjamin is not ready to contend for that title just yet. Tuesday Night on Sci-Fi, Benjamin defeated Kofi Kingston. With one ECW show left prior to One Night Stand, Benjamin should get a second victory over Kingston, to squash any type of program brewing between the two.

ECW: Benjamin then cuts a promo: I came to ECW to prove that I am the man, and that is exactly what I have done. I am the Gold Standard. Hell, I am the Black Nature Boy, Whoooo!

One Night Stand: At One Night Stand right before the Shawn Michaels/Batista match, Benjamin and Elijah Burke get some face time backstage. Benjamin is dressed in a suit, with a rolex watch and diamond rings on. Benjamin goes on to tell Burke that he is a Street Fightin', High Flyin, Show Stealing, Sex Appealing, Son of a Bitch, Whooo. He then puts over Elijah Burke's legit boxing background, and offers him a role as his enforcer. He then starts referring to Burke as Double E, which could stand for Elijah Enforcer, Elijah Experience, or Elijah Express.

Week 2: June 1 – 7: ECW: On the June third ECW broadcast, Benjamin dons a Ric Flair-esque robe and comes out to his signature Ain't No Stopping Me Now, followed by Ric Flair's 1991 WWF theme.


Benjamin, with Burke by his side cuts a promo saying that if diamonds are forever, the gold standard's one better. Tonight, Colin Delaney will walk that aisle, and the Black Nature Boy will take him to school. Whooo!
During the match, Benjamin sends Delaney to the outside, where he takes 4-Up and a Double E spinebuster. Burke rolls Delaney back in where Benjamin hits Paydirt and locks in a figure four. Delaney is out, so the ref counts his shoulders down, 1, 2, 3.

Smackdown: That same week, Burke is set to wrestle Matt Hardy on Smackdown for the United States title. During the match, Benjamin attempts interference but is cut off by Hardy. With the ref distracted by Benjamin, The Miz and John Morrison make their way into the ring. Morrison levels Hardy with the tag team title belt, and Miz pulls Burke on top of Matt Hardy for the 3 count. Winner and new United States Champion, Elijah Burke.

Week 3: June 8-14: ECW: The next week on ECW, Benjamin, Burke, Miz, and Morrison open the show. They congratulate Burke on his United States title and proclaim themselves the New Breed of Horsemen, and hold up four fingers. Benjamin whoo's repeatedly, until Batista's music hits. The Animal makes his way down to the ring to confront Benjamin and company saying, you are no Evolution, and you certainly are no Four Horsemen. The New Breed Horsemen take exception to this and attack. Batista is able to fend them off briefly, but eventually succumbs to the 4 on 1 beat down.

Benjamin beats an ECW roster member.

Miz and Morrison defeat an ECW or Smackdown Tag Team.

Smackdown: Friday Night Smackdown rolls around, and Batista comes to the ring to say that the New Breed has Unleashed the Animal, and challenges them all right there on the spot. The four come out to the top of the ramp to Flair's 91 theme. Benjamin takes the microphone and says that Batista has not earned the right to stand toe to toe with the most athletic player in the game, the Black Nature Boy, Shelton Benjamin, whooo! He tells Batista that he will have the pleasure of meeting United States Champion Elijah Burke, and Tag Team Champions Miz and Morrsion three on one tonight.

Backstage, Batista is gearing up for his match when in walks Cody Rhodes. Rhodes acknowledges that he is not supposed to be on Smackdown, but he has seen what Benjamin and company are doing to tarnish the legacy of Ric Flair and the Horsemen, and he won't stand for it. He figured Batista would need some back up, so he and Hardcore Holly are there to watch his back. The match is changed to Burke, Miz, and Morrsion vs. Batista, Holly, and Rhodes. Batista, Holly, and Rhodes win when Rhodes rolls up Morrison quick for a three count.

Week 4: June 15-21: Raw: The next week on Raw, Rhodes and Holly are scheduled to defend their tag team championship against Carlito and Santino Marella on Raw. Earlier in the night, Piper and Rhodes are shown backstage talking about what Santino Marella and the new horsemen group. During the tag title match, Morrison appears on the screen. "Hey Cody, Cody! We got a little surprise for you. Cody is distracted from the apron. The New Breed are standing with lead pipes. Does this look familiar to you?" They hold up a bloody Dusty Rhodes, bring him to a car in the parking lot, and slam his arm in the door. The Miz comes on. "And just to make sure that he doesn't get in our business, we got Piper too!" They hold up Piper and give him repeated shots to his surgically repaired hip with the lead pipes. Cody Rhodes begins to run to the back. Hardcore Holly walks to the ropes facing the entrance with his arms out asking Cody where he is going. Carlito delivers a back cracker and pins Holly to win the Tag Team titles.

When Rhodes gets to the backstage area, the New Breed are already gone, and Shawn Michaels is attending to Rhodes and Piper with a number of agents and referees. Cody breaks down and weeps into his hands.

ECW: ECW starts with the New Breed in the ring gloating about what they have done to Piper and Dusty, and say to let it serve as a warning to anyone who wants to get in their business. Shawn Michaels music hits and he walks to the ring and stands face to face with the four new breed members. "I know what it is like to be young and cocky with a chip on your shoulder. I know what it is like to give everything you have and not get noticed, but I have been around long enough to know that this is not the way to do it." Morrison, Burke, Benjamin, and Miz take turns mocking Shawn. Morrison suggests that Shawn doesn't remember what it's like to be in that position, because he has been politicking and holding guys down for the last 15 years. Miz says that if he had never stepped up and thrown Marty Jannetty through the barber shop window, he would be in line collecting unemployment checks with Techno Team 2000. Burke tells him that he would be better suited to stay out of New Breed business and get lost to go find his smile. Benjamin gets in his face and says, "Shawn Michaels, you are as much of an opportunist as anyone of us. Look at what you did to Ric Flair at WrestleMania XXIV. I am the Black Nature Boy Whooo! If diamonds are forever, the gold standard is one better. I am a street fightin, high flying, show stealing… Shawn interrupts Benjamin with a slap to the face. The New Breed starts to beat down Shawn, but Rhodes, Holly, and Batista come to make the save. GM Estrada announces a four on four match for the main event.

Backstage, Batista and Shawn squash their beef, agreeing that this isn't about either of them, it's about the legacy of Ric Flair. Cody Rhodes is chomping at the bit, but Hardcore Holly looks less than enthused. Holly begins talking about Rhodes taking his eye off the ball and losing their tag team titles. Michaels reprimands Holly, suggesting they focus on the task at hand tonight, and the mood is tense.

5 minutes into the main event, the ref loses control and all hell breaks loose. In the ring, Shawn Michaels goes to deliver the flying forearm to the Miz, but he ducks and HBK hits Hardcore Holly. Michaels kips up and gives sweet chin music to the Miz, which knocks him out of the ring. Morrison slides in, and Shawn gives him and atomic drop and goes to work with right hands. Holly rolls to the outside of the ring and grabs a chair. Inside the ring, Michaels bodyslams Morrison and goes to the top for the elbow. He hits. He gets up to go for Sweet Chin Music and Hardcore Holly lays him out with a hard chair shot. Miz rolls back in and slides on top of Michaels for the three count while Holly walks out on the whole thing.

Smackdown: On Smackdown that week, Holly is nowhere to be found. The New Breed gloat about their victory on ECW and take credit for Shawn Michaels being unable to compete on Smackdown. Batista and Cody Rhodes will meet Miz and Morrison for the tag team titles, and Matt Hardy will meet Elijah Burke for the US title. Matt Hardy defeats Burke by disqualification when Shelton Benjamin interferes. Miz and Morrison walk out with their tag team titles when the going gets tough. Matt Hardy sneaks behind them and throws them back into the ring. Rhodes hits a DDT on the Miz, and Batista give the Batista Bomb to Morrison, but Benjamin and Burke get to the ring just in time to break up the three counts and end the match in a DQ. Matt Hardy gets in the fight, and Rhodes, Batista, and Hardy are left standing at the end of the fight.

Week 5: June 22-29: Raw: Monday Night Raw begins with the Highlight Reel with guests Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes. Rhodes comes out first, and Holly comes out second to his own music, complete with that stupid How do you like me now entrance. Chris Jericho announces that Holly and Rhodes are scheduled to face Miz and Morrison for the Tag Team Titles tomorrow night on ECW. Rhodes denounces the actions of Holly from the previous week and tells Holly to apologize. Holly speaks about working for 15 years with Shawn Michaels, the opportunities Michaels stole from him, and how he just plain doesn't like Shawn Michaels and that is why he did what he did. "As far as Rhodes and Holly teaming tonight for the tag team titles? Here is my answer to that. Holly gives Rhodes a hard slap to the mouth and walks out of the ring." Rhodes holds his face and stares at Holly as he makes his exit, proud of distancing himself from Rhodes. When Holly gets to the top of the ramp, Shawn Michaels music hits. When Holly turns around, HBK levels him with Sweet Chin Music, and gets down and begins shouting in his face. Cody Rhodes manages a smile and leaves.

Shawn Michaels was already scheduled to face Chris Jericho at the Night of Champions for the Intercontinental title. They will also face off later on this night in a non title match as a preview for the Night of Champions. I am not a big fan of this kind of booking, but WWE does it quite often. Hardcore Holly interrupts with his steel chair in hand and lays out both Jericho and Michaels, inserting himself into the match at Night of Champions. Holly and Michaels have been effectively removed from the Horsemen storyline, despite Holly's prior ties to Rhodes and Michaels relationship with Flair and reason to be at the front lines.

ECW: The next night on ECW, Elijah Burke and Shelton Benjamin are shown backstage. They announce that if Batista or Matt Hardy lay a hand on any member of the New Breed tonight without physical provocation, Matt Hardy will forfeit his United States title match with Burke at Night of Champions, and Batista will not face Benjamin at One Night Stand.

Shelton defeats an ECW roster member.

Burke defeats an ECW roster member.

The Miz and John Morrison make their entrance and await Cody Rhodes, knowing that he is without a partner for the evening. Rhodes makes his way to the ring to compete alone. Trevor Murdoch's music hits and he makes his way to the ring with a microphone. He says he's been watching what's been going on, and says it's been too long since a Murdoch and a Rhodes stood side by side kicking ass and taking names. He asks if Rhodes will accept him as his tag team partner, and Rhodes replies, "The Rhodes family has wined and dined with King's and Queens, and slept in alleys and dined on pork and beans, but there is no place more comfortable for a Rhodes than as a Texas Outlaw, with a Murdoch watching his back!" Burke and Benjamin make their way to the ring with no music, looking concerned at this turn of events while the match starts. Batista and Matt Hardy make their way to the ring to even out the sides. Batista and Hardy make their way out to even up the odds, but neither is allowed to make any contact with Burke or Benjamin if not physically provoked. Burke and Benjamin take turns cheating, as Batista and Hardy get increasingly frustrated, causing more distractions and more cheating. Dusty Rhodes music hits and he and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper make their way to ringside and dispose of Benjamin and Burke. Rhodes hits a DDT while Murdoch hits a bulldog, and they simultaneously pin the Miz and Morrison to win the Tag Team titles. They celebrate with Batista, Matt Hardy, Dusty Rhodes, and Roddy Piper.

Smackdown: Friday Night Smackdown begins with the New Breed fuming about losing the tag team titles. Miz and Morrison announce that they will use their rematch clause at Night of Champions. Burke talks about being the enforcer and talks about Hardy. Benjamin cuts a Flair like promo on Batista, then promises that the New Breed will do something that no one will ever forget that night on Smackdown.

Backstage, Batista and Hardy are shown talking with Dusty Rhodes and Ricky Steamboat. It is announced that Cody and Trevor Murdoch are not there. Matt Hardy and Batista both pick up wins over Smackdown roster members to prepare for Night of Champions. Backstage Ricky Steamboat is shown walking, when he is jumped and beaten by the members of the New Breed. They cut a promo stating how Steamboat is the Dragon, and so he probably likes fire. They then threaten to set him on fire and begin dousing him with gasoline. Batista and Hardy arrive just in time to prevent the lighting, chasing off the New Breed.

Night of Champions: Miz and Morrison defeat Rhodes and Murdoch to regain the Tag Team Titles. Elijah Burke loses the United States Title back to Matt Hardy. Shelton Benjamin picks a victory over Batista thanks to help from Elijah Burke. Shawn Michaels defeats Hardcore Holly.

Week 6: June 30-July 6: ECW: ECW opens with the New Breed bragging about their accomplishments from the night before. Burke begins a feud with Batista, Miz and Morrison brag up their Tag Team Title victory, and Benjamin challenges Kane for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship at the Great American Bash. Miz and Morrison defeat Colin Delaney and Tommy Dreamer, Burke defeats Stevie Richards, Benjamin defeats the Boogeyman. Kane defeats Bam Neely and is attacked by the New Breed at the end of the show.

Smackdown: Batista answers Burke's challenge and a match is scheduled for next Tuesday on ECW. A backstage promo is shown with the New Breed living a Horsemen lifestyle in the back of a limo with many women, mocking Batista, Ric Flair, and Arn Anderson.

Week 7: July 7-July 13: ECW: ECW begins with Miz and Morrison talking about defeating every team the WWE has to offer, calling themselves the most dominant Tag Team in WWE history. Barry Windham makes his way to the ring to confront Miz and Morrison. Barry talks about what it meant to hold the 4 fingers in the air, and how a group like the Horsemen could never be recreated. Miz and Morrison make fun of the Horsemen's legacy and Windham, spitting in his face. Windham unloads with hard right hands, clearing the ring. He challenges them to a match that night. On ECW, Batista defeats Elijah Burke. Miz and Morrison defeat Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo. Shelton Benjamin and Kane have a contract signing for their World Title Match at the Great American Bash. Shelton cuts a promo about how next week ECW will eminate from Charlotte, NC. He plays up how he is from South Carolina, and from now on the Carolina's will be known as Benjamin Country. The show ends with an attempted New Breed attack on Kane, which he fends off by throwing Miz, Morrison, and Burke over the top rope, and creating a ring of fire around the ring. He then chokeslams Benjamin through the table, and sets the corner pyro off as the show goes off the air.

Week 8: July 14-July 21: ECW in Charlotte, NC: The New Breed come out impersonating the Horsemen. Miz and Morrison talk about defeating Barry Windham, and Shelton gets on the mic and begins going into his Flair routine. Flair's music hits and he comes to the ring with Arn Anderson, Barry Windham, and Dean Malenko. Flair cuts a spirited promo about what it means to be a Horsemen, why the four men in front of him haven't earned it, and why they never will. Flair speaks about the Nature Boy name, and how Benjamin hasn't earned that, and he doesn't know what it means to be the Nature Boy. "I've beaten BUDDY ROGERS, BUDDY LANDELL, and by hell, you couldn't lace my boots Buddy Benjamin! I am the limousine riding, jet flying, kiss stealing, wheeling, dealing son of a gun! You want to make yourself famous at the expense of Ric Flair? Let me tell you, pal. I chose a man to wrestle my final match with. That man's name is Shawn Michaels. If I thought you could give me half the match Shawn Michaels did at WrestleMania, I would take you to school. Burke, Miz, and Morrison are chomping at the bit to get to the Horsemen, but Benjamin suggest discretion be the better part of valor and retreats. The Real Horsemen celebrate in the ring. ECW ends with Kane defeating Elijah Burke. Backstage, Arn Anderson says his goodbyes to his Horsemen comrades and makes his way to his car. Anderson is attacked by the Miz and Morrison at his car, and ECW goes off the air.

Smackdown: Smackdown returns from commercial and Ric Flair's music hits. Flair and Anderson make their way to the ring. Flair is outraged. Flair cuts a promo how he made a promise to his family that he was done wrestling and he's wrestling with keeping that promise. Arn Anderson has his injured arm in a sling and bandages on his head. Anderson cuts a classic cold calculated promo saying There are three things you should never do: 1)Don't step on superman's cape 2) don't mess with a dog in it's own back yard and 3) don't mess with the 4 horsemen! The Miz and Morrison make their way to the ring and go to attack, but Anderson is throwing punches from his good arm, and Flair is in rare form. Flair chops down Miz, gives a whoo, and hooks in the figure four leglock, while Anderson delivers a Double A spinebuster to Morrison. Burke runs to the ring, and Flair unlocks the figure four, and they beg Burke to come get a piece. Burke stops and rolls Morrison and Miz out of the ring and helps them to the back. Flair and Anderson celebrate with Four Fingers in the air. Backstage, Batista laughs with them and congratulates them on their performance. Kane walks in and asks them if they will have his back at the Great American Bash on Sunday. The ECW title match is made into a lumberjack match. Shelton will have Miz, Morrison, and Burke in his corner. Kane will have Flair, Anderson, and Batista in his.

Great American Bash: Shelton Benjamin defeats Kane in a Lumberjack match to win the ECW World Heavyweight title. Shawn Michaels defeats Hardcore Holly. Cody Rhodes and Trevor Murdoch defeat Santino Marella and Carlito for the World Tag Team Titles.

Week 9: July 21-28: ECW: Shelton Benjamin has a victory celebration. There is a large box in the ring. Miz and Morrison tell him they have a special surprise for them, saying they went to FCW where Reid is training. They point to the Titantron. A video plays of them beating and kidnapping Reid Flair. The box lifts and Reid is underneath bound to a chair and gagged. Shelton takes the gag off of him, and prompts him to say who the real nature boy is. Reid says Ric Flair, and Benjamin slaps him. He asks again. This continues until Benjamin gets fed up and delivers his spinning kick, knocking the chair over, and Reid out cold. Kane makes his way out and the New Breed leaves.

Smackdown: Ric Flair is shown backstage saying that he will get revenge on the New Breed. Reid appears bruised and battered, saying no dad, this is my fight! Later in the night, Reid is shown talking to Arn Anderson. Anderson offers to help him. Reid again says that it is his fight. Reid says he will be at ECW on Tuesday night and promises to take care of the New Breed. It is announced that Kane will have his ECW title rematch on Tuesday's ECW.

Week 10: July 28-August 2: ECW: Shawn Michaels, Batista, Cody Rhodes, and Trevor Murdoch walk into Reid Flair's dressing room. Reid insists that he needs to handle this himself. Triple H walks in, and says he regrets that he has things of his own that he needs to take care of as he would also like to be of assistance.. He tells Reid that Ric Flair has taught him a lot, one of those things being the value of strength in numbers. Reid listens to Triple H and welcomes the assistance of Michaels, Batista, Rhodes, and Murdoch. Triple H leaves. Backstage in the New Breed lockeroom Shelton is flipping out. He has a title match with Kane that night, and now there are outnumbered. Burke says he will take care of it. Kane comes to the ring for his rematch. Shelton comes to the ring flanked by Miz and Morrison. The Titantron shows Elijah Burke driving a forklift to the door where Michaels, Batista, Flair, Rhodes, and Murdoch are. Burke leaves the keys in the car and makes his way towards the entrance. Burke comes down to the ring with a big smile on his face, and Shelton goes from being worried to relaxed. As the New Breed work over Kane throughout the match, Shelton gains a comfortable advantage. The Titantron shows Triple H returning to the door where the forklift is parked. Triple H notices the keys in it, gets in, and removes it from the door. Shelton and the New Breed watch as Flair, Batista, Rhodes, and Murdoch come pouring out of the door. Michaels walks out last, smiles at Triple H says, "Thanks buddy." To which Triple H, replies, "No problem." Upon seeing the calvary heading to the ring, Miz, Morrison, and Burke immediately jump into the ring with chairs and attack Kane causing a DQ. They are able to "pillmanize" his ankle right before the group of babyfaces hits the top of the ramp. Kane is in obvious pain as the New Breed retreats through the crowd.

Smackdown: Batista, Michaels, Reid Flair, Cody Rhodes, and Trevor Murdoch make their way to the ring. Reid says there is only one way to resolve this. At Summerslam, they want a 5 on 5 War Games Match.
Week 11: August 3-August 10: Raw: Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham, and Arn Anderson talk to Reid Flair about how War Games is the most vicious environment in the history of professional wrestling, and that no one is ever the same afterwards. Dusty says that he really doesn't want his son taking part, but the War Games seem to be a right of passage for a Rhodes. Windham argues that Reid has a bright future ahead of him, and not to ruin it by taking part in this match. Anderson says it's one thing when you've been wrestling for years. It's another thing when it's your debut match. I am like an uncle to you, and I don't want to see you do it. Your dad wouldn't want to see you do it either. A vignette plays that shows the history of the War Games.

ECW: Charlie Haas approaches Shelton Benjamin backstage and talks about the history the two have together, saying he wants to be a part of the New Breed and take the fifth place in the War Games match. Shelton appears as though he's considering it, and then asks Miz, Morrison, and Burke what they think. The three New Breed members beat down Haas. Shelton wooo's in his face before the group walks off. The New Breed comes to the ring and accept the War Games Challenge on one condition. If the New Breed win, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Barry Windham, Ricky Steamboat, and Dusty Rhodes must bow and kiss the feet of the New Breed. They then introduce their 5th partner for the War Games match, The Samoan Bulldozer, Umaga! Armando Estrada comes to the ring to announce that there is a steel cage hanging over head to show Reid Flair what he is in for at WarGames. He calls for Colin Delaney to come to the ring. Delaney comes out. He says that right now, Delaney will face the Samoan Bulldozer Umaga inside the steel cage, and snaps a cigar. The New Breed and Estrada exit, and Estrada demands that they lower the cage. Umaga tears through Delaney.

Smackdown: Shawn Michaels, Batista, Cody Rhodes and Trevor Murdoch defeat Chavo Guerrero, Bam Neely, Zach Ryder, and Cody Hawkins in a four on four tag match. Cody Rhodes takes the microphone after the match and insists that when they win, Flair, Rhodes, Windham, Steamboat, and Anderson will get five minutes alone in the cage with Shelton Benjamin.

Week 12: August 11- August 18: Raw: Umaga faces Super Crazy in a Steel Cage, and gives him the Colin Delaney treatment. Backstage, DH Smith talks to Reid Flair about how his Dad competed in one War Games match in 1993, left the company 2 months later and said that he would never compete in War Games again. Shelton Benjamin questions Elijah Burke's ability to perform in the role of the enforcer, mentioning his recent losses to Matt Hardy, Batista, and Kane, and his mistake of leaving the keys in the forklift two weeks before on ECW. Elijah replies that if it weren't for him, Miz and Morrison would no longer have their tag team titles, and there is no way Shelton Benjamin would be holding the ECW World Heavyweight title. Shelton looks mad, and says that Burke will face Shawn Michaels tonight, and he expects Michaels to be taken care of the same way that Umaga has taken care of Colin Delaney and Super Crazy. Reid Flair is shown backstage again, and Stone Cold Steve Austin comes to talk with him. Austin says that he was in one War Games match in 1992, and unquestionably, it was like going through hell. "It was that experience that helped me realize that I am the world's toughest S.O.B., and when I got fired by Fed Ex three years later, I knew that if I survived War Games, I could survive anything. Now you have fighting in your blood. Your dad was the greatest wrestler to ever lace up a pair of boots. So you are going to enter the War Games, and you are going to Unleash Hell, and that's the bottom line cause Stone Cold said so. Later that night, Elijah Burke wrestles a hard fought match with Shawn Michaels, but succumbs to Sweet Chin Music. Michaels leaves, and Burke is laying on the mat as they go to commercial. When they return, the New Breed members and Umaga are standing around Burke. Burke makes his way back to his feet, and Umaga delivers a Samoan Spike. Shelton Benjamin hooks in the figure four leglock and begins wooo'ing. Batista, Michaels, Rhodes, Murdoch, Reid Flair, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham, and Ricky Steamboat all run to the ring to chase the New Breed members away.

ECW: Shelton Benjamin, Miz, Morrison, and Umaga make their way to the ring to talk about their decision to drop the dead weight. Burke makes his way to the ring with Charlie Haas, Colin Delaney, and Super Crazy. Burke says that it was a mistake to do Benjamin's dirty work for so long, and that the New Breed would not be what it is without him, and was sure to fall apart without him. Benjamin tells him that to be the man, you have to beat the man, whooooo! Burke says they want a four on four match tonight, and Benjamin is sure to get 4-up. Benjamin says that there is a problem with that challenge as his team has five members. He says Reid Flair, make sure you are watching and introduces a returning Big Daddy V. As Burke, Haas, Delaney, and Crazy turn to watch V make his way to the ring, Miz, Morrison, Benjamin and Umaga attack. Just as V hits the ring, Kane's music hits, and the Big Red Machine makes his return to ECW. With Kane's help, the group is able to clear the ring of the New Breed, Umaga, and V. A 5 on 5 match is scheduled for later on that night. Elijah Burke and Kane are the only two members of their team that get any effective offense on the New Breed. The match ends with Charlie Haas in the ring alone with both Big Daddy V and Umaga. Umaga hits the Samoan Spike, and V drops an elbow to get the pin. The announcers highlight how that could be Reid Flair at Summerslam.

Smackdown: As a preview for War Games, Miz and Morrison will face Cody Rhodes and Trevor Murdoch, Batista will face Umaga, and Shawn Michaels will face Big Daddy V. Miz and Morrison defeat Rhodes and Murdoch, Batista defeats Umaga, and Shawn Michaels vs. Big Daddy V goes to a no contest when all the members of both teams get involved in a slugfest. Ric Flair, Rick Steamboat, Dusty Rhodes, Arn Anderson, and Barry Windham again come out and stand victorious with the members of the team.

Summerslam: War Games, The Match Beyond: The veterans are waiting on the side of the ring with Batista, Michaels, Rhodes, Murdoch, and Reid Flair. The match starts with Trevor Murdoch and John Morrison. The New Breed gains the advantage, and sends the Miz into the ring. They double team Murdoch and Cody Rhodes is sent in. With Murdoch beat down, the two focus attention to Cody Rhodes. Then Umaga is sent in. Umaga, Morrison, and Miz destroy Rhodes and Murdoch, until Batista makes his way through the cage. The match begins to even out, with the heels maintaining a slight advantage. The heels send in Shelton Benjamin. The advantage grows, and Shawn Michaels decides to go in. Michaels evens up the sides, giving the babyfaces the first advantage of the night. Big Daddy V makes his way in and begins to destroy what's left of the babyface team, and finally Reid Flair makes his WWE debut. Batista and Big Daddy V square off, Umaga and Shawn Michaels square off, Trevor Murdoch ends up with John Morrison while Cody Rhodes has Shelton Benjamin. Somewhere in the fray, Reid Flair is able to hook the figure four leglock on the Miz, and the Miz surrenders. Big Daddy V, Umaga, Morrison, and the Miz all exit the ring, while Shelton regains consciousness and stands up only to be leveled with Sweet Chin Music. Batista follows with a Batista Bomb. Rhodes and Murdoch hold up Benjamin while Reid motions for the veterans to enter the cage. Dusty Rhodes gives Benjamin a bionic elbow, and Steamboat gives him a hard chop. Windham delivers a DDT, and Anderson gives a Double A spinebuster. Now it is the moment everyone has been waiting for, Flair's turn. Murdoch and Rhodes hold up Benjamin, and Flair cuts a promo in his face letting him know that there will only be one true Nature Boy in the history of Professional Wrestling. No matter who claims the moniker, there is only one Ric Flair. Flair then calls Charlie Haas, Super Crazy, Colin Delaney, Kane, and Elijah Burke to the ring. Haas, Crazy, and Delaney all slap Benjamin. Burke gives him 4 Up. Kane delivers a chokeslam. The icing on the cake comes as Ric Flair hooks in the figure four leglock. His music hits and the 15 babyfaces exit together in celebration of the dismantling of the New Breed Horsemen.

Week 13: August 19 – August 26: ECW: CM Punk cashes in his Money in the Bank briefcase to defeat Shelton Benjamin for the ECW World Heavyweight Title.









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Protecting the Business

As I mentioned in my last post, I just recently finished the book about Superstar Billy Graham, "Tangled Ropes." One thing that the Superstar talked about quite a bit is how the wrestlers used their carny language (adding "iz" to the middle of words, among other things) to confuse the general public as to what they were talking about, in an effort to "protect the business."

I found a pretty interesting video on youtube today, and it shows "candid" interviews with Gorilla Monsoon, Hulk Hogan, and the Samoans. I can pick up the nuances of "protecting the business" in Gorilla's and Monsoon's sections, and the part with the Samoans is pretty thick - they stick to their character 100%.

It's also pretty interesting that the reporter does her analysis of some of the strikes during the Hogan/Monsoon encounter, trying to "out" the sport as being "fake."

Check it out...

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The Superstar

When I was 12, I picked up Wrestlemania 4. It was on sale at the video store and I got it along with a few other WWF tapes for about $20. They all came in those huge boxes. The ones that are extra big so they could have more area to put the art on and draw your attention.

I remember watching the Don "The Rock" Muraco match and seeing Superstar Billy Graham for the first time. Upon seeing the Superstar, I wondered, "Who the hell is this guy trying to rip off Jesse Ventura and Hulk Hogan? Man was I wrong.

Last Christmas I got an huge addition to my WWE DVD collection. These are like the only thing I ask for at Christmas, and I quickly had over half of them watched. I was on my way to having my whole year's worth of videos watched by January. I knew I had to do something, I had to stop right away.

One of the videos I got was Superstar Bill Graham's documentary, and it came with his autobiography, entitled Tangled Ropes. I told myself I absolutely could not watch any more of the DVDs until I finished reading the Superstar's book.

I really hate reading. I honestly don't read anything besides stuff I see on the internet, and that is mostly strength forums. Sure, I read Bischoff's book last year, but I read that over a vacation. During a real week, I never open a book, so it took me forever to read Tangled Ropes. I started it a few times, but it was very difficult wading through his born again Christian section at the beginning.

Well, this past week, I was on vacation again and decided to work my way through this book. What a story brother! Since watching Wrestlemania 4 all those years ago, I did actually find out that Superstar was the champion between Bruno Sammartino and Bob Bachlund, but I had no idea what a profound influence the Superstar Bill Graham has had on wrestling. This man basically spawned the career of Jesse Ventura and Hulk Hogan both. If the Superstar was never around, we might never have had Hulkamania!

I truly suggest everyone who enjoys documentaries and autobiographies of wrestlers check out both this book and the DVD. Superstar is not a perfect human being. He is full of faults and made a lot of mistakes in his life, similar to Jake Roberts in his drug problems, and similar to the Ultimate Warrior in his poor business decisions. But Superstars story seems to be one with a happy ending.

Although Superstar may have done damage to his wrestling career on his own, he seems to be making the best of his new life by trying to help others. After receiving a liver by donation, he is now trying to spread the word about organ donation.

Put this DVD and book set on your list of items to get - I am sure you will enjoy it. And if you have time, check out this video from the Superstar himself, where he discusses his efforts around organ donation.

Thanks for checking out the PUNDIT.
-NAPALM-
DieselCrew.com
Napalm's Corner

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I'm Going to WrestleMania

My friend won a VIP trip to Mania, and is taking me. More details forthcoming! More on This Story...