An interesting tidbit from the 4/4 edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter regarding a WWE house show spot that went awry.
At the Smackdown house show in Evansville, when Bryan did a tope on Sheamus, they crashed into the barricades and somehow a few spectators in the front row got hurt. One of our readers said he was really upset, but then Dean Malenko came out and invited him to go backstage and meet the wrestlers. He said Lawler looked over his knee while the WWE trainer looked him over, and Cena and Orton were nice to him, and then Cena went and got several of the other wrestlers to come out and talk with him. Sheamus then came in, apologized and gave him his T-shirt that he wore to the ring and signed it and Malenko took photos of him with almost everyone on the show.
See, that's why I will never be ashamed to be a wrestling fan. For the most part, the guys are so fan-friendly, and it shows here, with not just Malenko, but the big guys like Cena and Lawler coming out and checking on the kid. Plus, Sheamus showed he was a real stand-up guy there. I mean, times like these that make me smile and be glad that I give my viewing time and PPV dollar to pay these guys' salaries.
ON the other end of the spectrum, also in that edition of the newsletter, they had a piece about Dixie Carter's Twitter being suspended. Apparently, she stopped Tweeting well before her ill-informed "verified" stunt because she was, and I quote, "getting barraged with so much negativity about the product". Now, I know how nasty Tweeters can be. Whether they're fans or whether they're TNA employees (Jeremy Borash DMing a critic and wishing that his family would die coming to mind), Twitter, like most corners of the Internet, can have their trolls, their negative Nancies, and it can get frustrating, but I'm guessing that amongst that "barrage of negativity" that there were some legitimate gripes. And by some, I mean a majority. So, instead of listening to the fans (which TNA supposedly does, I mean, why else would they move back to Thursdays?), she stops Tweeting. Classy.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
For those who don't know, TH is an e-fed enthusiast. Even in years when he wasn't watching wrestling, he was still e-fedding. He ran several characters in several feds at a time at his peak, but now, he resides only in Empire Pro Wrestling with one character. Still, he's handled and seen a ton of characters. Some may work in the real world, some may not. This is one of those characters from the former.
Have a wonderful day!
The first character/concept that I didn't have anything to do with, other than job to...
Name: Chip Friendly
What's His Deal: Friendly, a character handled by friend of TWB Dan West back in the day (and possibly now), is a cloyingly agreeable character where he's nice to everyone he meets. However, there's an underlying sarcasm to his niceness, almost like he's being incredibly facetious to the point of insincerity. Basically, he'll shake your hand as he's plotting to stab your back. His moveset even reflected his undying wishes to make people happy. His impact finisher is a tilt-a-whirl face bomb, while his submission finisher is a double fishhook called the "Smiley Face".
Was He Successful in E-Feds: Yes, Friendly was amazingly successful, capturing the World Championship in his major fed. He's one of the most beloved characters, heel or otherwise, in the history of the circle where he's handled in, thanks to Dan's quick wit and cutting handling of the character. I'd say it's probably his most successful character, even though others he's handled have won more titles.
Could He Get Over in Reality: Definitely, but it would have to be given to a guy who has great delivery and who could be so cleverly disingenuous without even thinking. The thing is, this character couldn't be wholly scripted. It wouldn't work if it was someone memorizing lines unless that person was a MASTER at doing it. However, I think what made it work in print is what would make it flourish in real life – the organic nature of how everything comes about as a result of what the opponent character does. Honestly, I think if Alberto del Rio weren't so well-cast as the Mexican aristocrat and had a cleaner grasp of the English language, he'd be perfect for this role. I mean, he's already got some elements of Friendly's character in his own. I think what would set him apart from other guys would be his facial expressions. I love his facetious smile. It's the best.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
Hey, remember two weeks ago when I wrote about that TEAM thing I used to run? Yeah, JR Fatu, aka Rikishi, is starting up a concept that's similar to what I had ideated and wanted to run. It's called Territory League, and it looks pretty interesting. As you might deduct, it's a team-based wrestling league, and while the rules look to be a lot more complicated than what I laid out for TEAM, it still looks pretty solid.
I have to say, I'm intrigued at the concept, although right now, I'm not sure if I'm going to subscribe just yet. But I'm thinking about it. I guess I have to see who they have signed up. If they get some ROH or even Chikara level talent involved, it might be must-see. Then again, even if it's a bunch of new guys from other regions, it would be a great entree into getting them exposure. I give this concept two thumbs up.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
Lawler. Cole. THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE.
Photo Credit: WWE.com
The King's WrestleMania Debut
Jerry "The King" Lawler vs. Michael Cole (w/ Jack Swagger), special guest referee "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
How: Lawler made the challenge to Cole after repeated attacks on Lawler by the sniveling heel PBP man. Cole accepted only under the circumstance that he could pick the referee.
Heat Check: If you believe it, the story here began with NXT Season 1's premiere. Bryan Danielson became christened Daniel Bryan, and with his first appearance on the first segment of the show, Cole started to heel on him pretty bad. What was out of character for the normally mild-mannered and face cheerleading announcer would soon be revealed as a virulent "real face" of the character. This heeling spread to other targets, and Cole himself became the official propaganda machine for one Mike Mizanin.
This cheerleading took a much more serious turn on the RAW after Survivor Series, when Jerry Lawler received his first ever WWE Championship shot in a TLC match. Cole berated him beforehand for making it "all about him", but what he did after was what forever turned the relationship sour. After knocking The Miz off the top turnbuckle out of the ring and through a table, Lawler was scot-free to claim the title, except for Cole leaping from his announce position and preventing it from happening. Lawler, irate, confronted his announce partner, but this left him wide open for a sneak attack to leave him incapacitated. Miz kept the title.
This left Lawler wanting to get his hands on Cole in the worst way, but a ruling from the Anonymous General Manager made it so that if Lawler touched Cole, he'd be fired. This made for awkward conversation in the group, as Cole continued to slander Lawler with no fear of reprisal. The pinnacle of this was when Lawler's mother died, and Cole took to the ring to tell him that his mother was never proud of him and that she'd look down with scorn upon her failure of a son from the afterlife.
This set Lawler over the edge. He challenged Cole to a WrestleMania match, to which Cole did not accept until he was able to name his terms. The first one was allowing Jack Swagger to be at ringside, as Swagger would train him in the ways of the ring. The second was hand-picking a special guest referee. This choice was originally supposed to be JBL, but in a shocking development, before he could sign the contract, he got stunnered by Steve Austin, who promptly signed the contract.
In the following weeks though, Cole would continue the personal attacks on Lawler, bringing out his son to denigrate him and a photo album with him and his father as material to further smear him as a bad son and a failure. He also has been bringing Lawler's friends into the fray. Jim Ross, who suffered Cole's verbal wrath at Old School RAW when he tried to call a match between Swagger and Bryan, came out to try and talk sense into Cole and got an ankle lock from Swagger for his troubles. Despite everything, Lawler still has not been able to legally attack Cole, but that will all change at WrestleMania.
Analysis: To say this is the best built match on the card is an understatement. As I wrote about a week or so ago, the reason they've been able to turn the heat up on this is because Cole has been able to live his gimmick without fear of reprisal… well at least until he called Josh Mathews a "faggot" on Twitter. While going to far in that respect was pretty bad, I'd say everything else he's done to get himself over as the best heel in wrestling right now has worked to a tee. In fact, I think the way this match has been built may be somewhat of a bad thing. It's worked so well that nearly every other match on the card is put to shame. With WWE wrestlers, face or heel, needing to be media darlings as well as characters, they can't afford to go full heel on guys like CM Punk or ESPECIALLY The Miz. But instead of worrying about the bad, I'll focus on the good. The WWE has done such a good job of making people want to see Cole get the sports entertainment equivalent of being stuffed into a locker, and they deserve to be commended for it. Hell, the way they've made Cole so hateable, Lawler's old school fireball would be considered a BABYFACE move.
As for the match… oh, who gives a fuck about the match quality here. It's not about how many stars the action is going to earn. It's about catharsis, for Lawler, for the fans of Daniel Bryan, for Jim Ross, for every fan whom Cole has annoyed in the last year. It's about Cole taking an ass-whipping and about Lawler getting his moment in the sun. The only thing I hope is that they learned from last year's debacle with Bret Hart and Vince McMahon and don't have it DRAG on.
Who Should Win: Duh. Lawler should win. Lawler not winning should not be in the minds of the bookers/producers/agents, and if it is, they should be shot. This match should be about Cole eating a piledriver and Swagger getting a stunner and a beer shower. That's it. And before you say "BUT JACK SWAGGER NEEDS TO GET OVER," get over yourselves. Swagger does need better treatment, but you know what? Taking lumps is part of growth, and as long as they push the reset button on him after WM and give him a good push, him getting the Stone Cold treatment won't hurt him one bit in the long run.
Who Will Win: Lawler. Again, Eric Bischoff works for TNA.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
The final two pairings have been announced, and they're both pretty snazzy if you ask me. In the first one, the Throwbacks, featuring TWB favorites Sugar Dunkerton, Dasher Hatfield AND Matt Classic (who may be bringing his good friend Colt Cabana with him) will be taking on the returning, retweaked Team Osaka Pro in what could be the darkhorse showstealer of the first round. The second match will almost certainly be the equivalent of last year's Team Delicioso~! vs. Team Perros del Mal in terms of comedic prowess. The Osirian Portal, known for its dance moves and highly illegal maneuvers that go viral, will take on the crazy Canuck trio of Team 3.Olé!. My entertainment bar is set so high for that match that it's not even funny, and I think they'll almost certainly pass it. Good slate of opening round matches. Night one should be a blast this year.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
Although can a guy who looks this good whomping on Rey Mysterio really be a face?
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Here's the story for WrestleMania. There's this match featuring a babyface whom the smarks would love to see turned heel. He's wrestling against an Internet favorite who gets his share of cheers from the crowd from time to time. That cult favorite is verbally gifted and can manipulate a crowd with the best of them. Meanwhile, the face is subject to grumblings that he's boring in his current role and could use a change, despite the fact that a portion of the crowd still cheers him vociferously. Executed right, a double turn could work and get each guy over huge with their respective reactions.
If you think the match I'm describing is The Miz vs. John Cena, you're wrong. It's CM Punk against Randy Orton. I've been saying this for a bit, and other people who are smarter than I have been saying it longer than I have been. With Punk's mic skills, he can be a HUGE babyface, a potential megadraw for the WWE as he appeals to the crowd that The Rock is slowly luring back with his appearances. His foil here is Orton, who never really turned face as much as he started getting different reactions from the crowd and then was programmed against different opponents than what he was facing before. Still, I feel like the booking suits his mannerisms (or lack thereof) and his character better when he's heel. This seems like a perfect storm for there to be a major shift in direction for the WWE. There's one problem.
Orton's still majorly over as a face with more people than some of us – we who aren't exactly fans of the Viper – care to admit exist. When fans want to cheer someone, it doesn't matter what they do. In fact, I'm pretty sure the only thing that could turn Orton heel is if he brutally beat on Jerry Lawler, and even then, it might just do more to turn Lawler heel than anything. If they were to present Orton as a sore loser, would it really resonate with the crowd? I mean, he gets pops for punting folks in the skull post-match, win or lose. Conversely, could they do the Austin/Hart finish where Punk is a valiant competitor who earns respect through a never-quit showing in the ring? I think if they tried that, it could just end up making both guys face and creating a dueling chant situation.
In a perfect world, I think this is the perfect situation, the perfect match to create a new megaface and try a double turn. However, the world is far from perfect, and while the booking narrative fits Orton better as a heel, the rules of who's a face and who's a heel that were established back in the day no longer apply. The WWE only has themselves to blame for the way they've booked everything in the last decade or so, because that would have been a WrestleMania moment for the ages.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
How badly will the Phils miss Utley?
Photo Credit: Philly Sports Central
Major League Baseball's Opening Day is today. Of course, it may not seem like it in a few locales, given the dreariness of the day and the rain, but it is here. It's a season of great anticipation for fans of many teams, myself included. The Phillies went all in and decided they didn't want to wait another 28 years for another title. They went out and added Clifton Phifer Lee BACK to their rotation, in addition to the three aces already in tow – Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt.
Normally, this is where I would make predictions, but I'm just not in the mood for prognostication today. Is it the rain? No, well, not in a literal sense, it's not. However, the weather in Philadelphia matches the mood, as injuries and uncertainty around the offense have plagued the team this spring. Chase Utley, the proverbial straw that stirs the Phillies' offense's drink, has not seen any meaningful reps yet this year, and he'll start the season on the disabled list. Meanwhile, the team will soldier forward with Ben Francisco replacing Jayson Werth in rightfield. Werth was arguably the Phils' most valuable offensive player last year, and Francisco has never been more than a platoon player in his career, so to say this is a new frontier is an understatement. Francisco did have a scorching spring, but a lot of times, that can end up being a smokescreen.
In addition to the offensive uncertainty, Brad Lidge, a.k.a. the number one reason why Phillies fans consume Tums in the late innings, will miss at least six weeks, thrusting Jose Contreras into the closer's role. While the bullpen will hopefully not need to be used much this year with the four aces and a more-than-capable fifth starter in Joe Blanton (who I'd imagine most teams would LOVE to have as their third starter, let alone fifth) in tow. However, no matter how much we'd all like to believe it, none of the starters are infallible, not even Halladay. (Sorry, Zoo With Roy)
So, while I'd be uncertain in most seasons pre-2008 because I'd be rooting for a team that was an unknown quantity with a longing for a title, this year it's different. My anxiety is because we're the favorites and I don't want to know what it's like to epically choke. I know, I know, boo-hoo you're all saying. No one wants to hear rich people whine, and I get that. Hell, I even called Bill Simmons out on that in a guest blog at The 700 Level. With a title so close in the rearview, I'm not in a position to cry woe is me. I'm not about to shed tears though. I'm just saying that I don't want to be that guy, the guy who is on the perch and crowing about his team like a jackass. And really, if we don't win it all this year, because 2008 is still fresh in my mind, then I promise you, I will spare you the emo.
So what's my point? I don't know what it is. I know, I know, it's par for the course according to the peanut gallery. I guess it's that the Phillies aren't exactly the favorites to win the NL in a walk, but at the same time, I still think that we're going to do some damage, whether Utley comes back next week, next month or even never. If Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco and most importantly, Ryan Howard all produce at a level expected of them, the offense will be just fine. And yeah, five solid starting pitchers are a LUXURY. Some teams would kill for Blanton as their ace, and he's our fifth starter. I'm still going to pick us to win the World Series, winning the NL and then beating the Chicago White Sox in the final series to take home our second title in four years.
However, if I were going to assign a confidence level to that pick? It would be somewhere around a 5 out of 10. I know you don't care if you're not a Phillies fan, and you probably relish the fact that I'm worried. However, I think it's worth putting out there. But I will promise this. If the ship does sink and we drastically underperform, I won't expect any of you to feel sorry for me, and I will leave myself open for mockery. You know why? Because I would deserve it.
That's my word.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
Sorry, no time for a Paint job this morning
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Alright, we're through the second round for Madison Square Garden, and here are the results:
#1 The Miz d. #9 El Generico, 56-23
#5 James Storm d. #13 Kozlov, 53-24
#7 Cody Rhodes d. #15 Brodie Lee, 64-13
#6 Kevin Steen d. #3 Rey Mysterio, 47-31 (UPSET)
Now, it's time to dip into The Omni Region's second round matches. First up, #1 seed and WrestleMania co-headliner John Cena, fresh off a resounding thumping of Johnny Curtis, will take on the #9 seed and his UPW buddy Samoa Joe, who took out fellow TNA tecnico Kazarian. And just think, if Joe had gone to WWE with his rival and foil, CM Punk, this might have been a regional final at the very least…
Next up, #4 seed Kane battles the #5 seed, John Morrison. Kane soundly beat Charlie Haas in the first round, while Morrison destroyed Nick Jackson of the Young Bucks. This is a match that might have happened before, but the circumstances have changed since any potential meeting. Expect this to be a hot match between two fan favorites.
Match number three pits #2 seed Kurt Angle against the #10 seed Jerry Lawler. Angle, who took out Jigsaw to get here, might be a bit hung over for this match, but even slowed down, he can hang with the best of them. But can he handle Jerry Lawler's veteran foxiness? It took down Davey Richards…
Finally, in a match that has happened a few times in the indies, #3 seed Daniel Bryan will take on #6 seed and ROH Tag Team Champion Chris Hero. Hero, the only holder of gold who remains in the Omni bracket and who beat Eddie Kingston to get here, will be looking to avenge a loss from 2009 to the American Dragon. Why is this so important? Well, it was the match where Bryan, then known as Bryan Danielson and who took out Masato Yoshino in round one, beat him for the PWG World Championship. This will be a very spirited affair.
VOTE!
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
In a weird twist, Dixie Carter, the blithering tweeter and head of TNA, had her account suspended because she added a verification icon without getting it okayed with Twitter's head honchos. However, I think there was more to the story, so I got my crack team of investigators and researchers from GraphJam on the case. They got the drop on several potential causes that all have merit and how much merit they have. Here's what they found out, in handy pie chart format:
There you have it.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
I've written so many words about WrestleMania so far, and why not? It's THE event on the calendar. I'm also a total wrestling geek, plugged into everything wrestling and probably overanalytical to the point of superfluousness. To provide a counterweight to that, friend of TWB and a guy I've known for about ten years or so now, Bill Dempsey, is going to weigh in on the card. As the title of the blog says, he's not so much a hardcore fan anymore, but like many people who used to watch, his one big wrestling event each year is WrestleMania. Plus, he's looking forward to the card more than usual. Here's his defense of the card, match-by-match, and why it's shaping up to be one of the best big events ever: I stopped watching WWE programming on a regular basis about 3 years ago. It was around WrestleMania 24 that I just decided to stop watching RAW and SmackDown on a weekly basis and stopped ordering Pay Per Views (with the exception of my yearly WrestleMania buy). I also stopped talking about wrestling online for the most part. I still read results online and I’ll flip past RAW on Mondays when I’m home or there is nothing else on, but for the most part wrestling is no longer appointment viewing for me and I am far less invested in the product than I was a few years back. So while I may not be the die-hard fan that this blog caters to I am exactly the casual fan that WWE hopes will purchase WrestleMania and help make it the biggest show of the year. Once again, I’m planning on buying the show this year and I find that I am looking forward to the show more than I have in a while (although for the most part I think it has consistently delivered over the past decade or so). I think the card on paper is one of the stronger ones they have presented in years and while it may not be hitting the smart fans in the sweet spot, I think that there is a lot to be said in defense of the line up for Sunday, which I guess is the whole point of this blog.
Alberto del Rio is a key to this card... but you already knew that.
Photo Credit: WWE.com
In that spirit, off we go in defense of the WrestleMania 27 card.
The Corre vs. The Big Show, Kane, Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov
This is probably the least interesting match on the card, as well as clearly being the least hyped. It’s beyond obvious at this point that the WWE has no interest in a tag division and as such the tag titles are a complete joke and should just be retired. That said, I don’t feel a tremendous loss at not seeing the titles defended as they haven’t mattered in ages and I’d honestly rather see a multiman match like this than a weak title defense against a team cobbled together at the last minute like R-Truth and John Morrison. The only real drawback here is that the IC title once again isn’t being defended on the show, but again, that hasn’t happened in ages and the significance of a title match on the big show is nil. So why not have the current champ stand with his stable mates with the goal of getting The Corre over as a unit rather than pushing him as a clear leader with a match on the show at the expense of the rest of the group? I’m guessing The Corre goes over here as no other outcome makes sense, unless they are planning to kill the group already, which wouldn’t really be a bad idea either, except what else are these guys gonna do? No harm in letting a guy like Koslov take a fall after 6 minutes or so, which would be my best guess with this car-wreck (if it even makes the PPV broadcast).
Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus – US Championship
It’s sort of strange how the past few years have featured US Title matches at WrestleMania at the expense of the home-grown belt. For years I was a proponent of keeping the titles and the brands separate, but that is such a joke at this point that they ought to unify everything, starting with the US and IC belt (which it sort of looked like they were going for with a Sheamus/Kofi match on this show). Bryan vs. Sheamus could be great, but I think it will end up being a lot like Mysterio/Punk from last year with all the potential in the world undercut by the fact that this one isn’t going long. Nor should it with all they have to cram into the show entertainment-wise. WrestleMania, despite the name, isn’t about the wrestling (except for the co-mains) and the job here is to set up a rematch where they can really tear it up without having to take time away from other priorities. We can argue about whether or not it SHOULD be this way, but it doesn’t matter because nothing is going to change it at this point (and a 70,000 paid gate gets tougher and tougher to argue with every year). So this match will likely disappoint Bryan fans, but I think the fact that he’s even on the show, especially this year when so many over acts have been passed up, should be celebrated and enjoyed for what it is.
John Morrison, Trish Stratus & Snooki vs. Dolph Ziggler & LayCool
This seems to be the match that is drawing the most criticism on the show for a couple of reasons. People feel like Snooki is stealing a spot on the card from a more deserving performer while simultaneously feeling that John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler are being wasted in an intergender match. The first argument is ridiculous. If Snooki is stealing a spot from anyone it’s Kelly Kelly (who was originally penciled in for this match), and I find it pretty suspect that anyone wants to see Kelly Kelly wrestle in this match to the point where it upsets them that she’s not. I’m not arguing that I want to see Snooki wrestle, but honestly, outside of Beth Phoenix, Nattie Neidhart and Gail Kim she’ll probably be about as good as any of the other divas available, and the bottom line is, she will get more of a reaction from the crowd than any of them. The Dolph/Morrison argument I can sort of understand (in the case of Dolph anyway) but the fact is, this match has him in a more high profile position on the card than he would be otherwise unless they decided to give him Del Rio’s push, which would have been a crime. He’ll recover from this just fine and in fact it’ll most likely be a boost to his career considering the alternative. Put it this way I guarantee you that 90% of the people that watch this show will remember this match more than they remember which spot took place in any of the previous half dozen interchangeable and ultimately meaningless Money In The Bank matches.
Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes
I don’t really feel much one way or the other about this match except that it evokes a certain nostalgic element in me. It feels like a very old-school Mania match where they just kind of plop two guys on the card to give them something to do. Rhodes is a much better choice for the show than a guy like DiBiase, so that’s good, and I expect Ray will be up to the task too. A perfectly fine match that does a great job of making the main events feel bigger than they are simply because this match means very little. That might sound like a knock, but in the end it’s two guys who can work, so it will be a perfectly good use of 7 or 8 minutes.
Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole
In the past I have been vocally against matches like this. I don’t know if I’ve changed (probably) or if they’ve done such a great job with the build to this, but this match doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, it’s miles ahead of the Hart/McMahon, Trump/McMahon, Big Show/Mayweather “attraction” matches that they have booked recently. Cole is a great heel and while at first I thought this was a cop out as Jerry Lawler’s WrestleMania moment, I don’t think there is a single guy on the roster that would be a better fit for him to go up against at this point. This should be incredible and the heat is going to be off the charts. Perfect for this card.
Randy Orton vs. CM Punk
Another great upper card feud that doesn’t tie up the titles while simultaneously feeling like an important “WrestleMania-worthy” match. Punk has been off the charts this year and deserved a title match at this show, but in the interest of keeping those matches one on one (always better than a multi-man match) this is a fine substitute, especially as I think they are going to get some time to this one as a payback for Orton’s awful three-way match last year. Look at this as Taker/HHH from WrestleMania 17 – not the main event, but two guys who could have been booked there who go out and work a main event style match. Bonus – it keeps Orton away from a title belt for the time being (which isn’t to say he sucks or anything, but he is boring both chasing and holding the title for whatever reason).
The Undertaker vs. Triple H – No Holds Barred
The stip should have gone to Orton/Punk, but ultimately these guys need it more, so there you have it. This is miles beyond what we would have gotten from a UT/Barrett or HHH/Sheamus match, so that’s good. Plus, the real story here is the streak and it will be until UT retires (I can’t see them ever ending it at this point), so they need to pick his opponents carefully (outside of Triple H, Cena and Punk are about the only guys they have right now who will fit the bill with Lesnar being the best choice of guys outside of the fed). I think the Michaels matches are hilariously overrated, but I can’t deny that UT knows how to make these WM performances count. HHH is less trustworthy (his past few Mania matches have been pretty terrible and more importantly – forgettable) but he and UT have great chemistry (their match at WM17 is arguably the best on that show) and I think he is going to hold up his end of the bargain. Just too damn bad Michaels is going to end it with sweet chin music on HHH.
Alberto Del Rio vs. Edge – World Championship
As tired as Edge is as the World Champ he is sort of the perfect guy to help make Del Rio (although I can’t for the life of me shake the idea that this match sells so much better with Mysterio defending). He’s a perfectly acceptable wrestler who can carry his weight when in there with superior guys, of which Del Rio unquestionably is, and with like a dozen reigns or whatever he won’t ever be hurt by losing. From what I have seen Del Rio is THE guy they have been waiting for and when I see him I feel like I’m watching Ric Flair. I don’t know that he would ever work as a face (it would probably neuter him like it did with MVP), but I don’t know if WWE has a better heel right now, including Cole and Vicki. Just incredible and he deserves to win this belt on this show. Terrific match up for SmackDown and again, the only way it could have been better would be with Mysterio in the place of Edge. Although the Christian/Clay dynamic here gives this a tremendous old-school NWA feel with both guys having their seconds watch their backs. Love that.
John Cena vs. The Miz – WWE Championship
As tired as I am of seeing Cena win titles at WrestleMania, I gotta say that this is just about the best match they could have put in this slot (although Cena/Punk would have been immeasurably better). I give them a lot of credit for giving The Miz the ball to run with or fumble and despite the fact that he is ultimately vanilla in the ring. The bigger picture is that he is a character that people are 100% buying into and I’ll enjoy seeing him ping pong for Cena. The addition of The Rock into this angle has been genius. Here we get to see Miz headline the big show (assuming this goes on last, as it should – no reason for HHH/UT to main event this thing) before he is really ready to do so, but also with the benefit of him not having to do all of the heavy lifting. Some can argue that he is being overlooked as the champion, and I can understand that aggravation but the bottom line is that he is simply not on the level of Cena or The Rock yet and he is being given an opportunity to study two of the best while grooming himself as the undeniable future of the company. WrestleManias to follow will benefit greatly from this match, and even on it’s own it should be completely watchable and a satisfying finish to the biggest show of the year. Let’s just hope that somewhere down the line The Miz finds a better Hogan to his Piper (not a knock on Cena, but one of his big problems is he just doesn’t have a signature opponent and thus far I don’t see that being The Miz).
So there you have it. My casual fan’s defense of this year’s WrestleMania card and the reasons I’m looking forward to the show – or at the very least, reasons why I can overlook some of the weaker aspects of it. In years passed I have bitched and moaned about wanting a more wrestling-centric product and less focus on the fluff and more on the competition, but as I get older I realize that sometimes a broader stroke works better, especially when you’re trying to reach as many different people as possible. It’s not a wrestling show – it’s a sports entertainment show.
And really, I’m just fine with that.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
Yep, that's a commercial for the new Ric Flair scratch-off ticket for the North Carolina Education Lottery. An aside, most transparent attempt at trying to make gambling sound like it's a good idea? I can see it now: "Bally's presents Texas Hold 'Em for Orphans!" or "The Bellagio's SPCA Slot Machines!". Anyway, this is a pretty sweet display of nostalgia. Even if Flair is making an ass of himself in TNA, when in the presence of a company that has good production values, he can still remind you of how awesome he can be.
Speaking of awesome... one of the big deals this week has been the release of the WWE All-Stars game. The WWE has put a HUGE amount of hype behind the game, and they've been promoting a bunch of fantasy match ups behind the game. One of them was Steve Austin vs. CM Punk. This sparked a Twitter feud of sorts between the WWE legend and the current heel dynamo:
Y'know, it's a shame that Austin probably will never wrestle again, because a feud with Punk would be money for obvious reasons. It might be too awesome to contain in the WWE. It might just melt the whole world. Then again, I'm an unabashed mark for both guys, so I might be exaggerating things here... Still, it's great to see guys having fun with this. The All-Stars game may be the only way to see these fantasy match-ups, but the fact that the wrestlers themselves are playing along and stoking the fires? That's fanservice, even if at heart it's a tease. Then again, I'd much rather see Punk and Austin have fun with this and go back and forth than to see them just ignore it altogether, y'know?
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
The A1W 100 is a list, voted on by regular wrestling fans like you and me, that chronicles the best in-ring workers in the United States for the calendar year 2010. There were 20 total ballots sent in from TWB readers and forum members at A1 Wrestling.
And now, the one you've been waiting for. Drumroll, please…
*drum roll*
The Best in the World
Photo Credit: WWE.com
1. Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson Points: 1892 Votes Received:20 Highest Vote:1st (ME!, jerseyboy, Padje Mescall, reader, Russel Harder, Robert Lamb, Koppo Kick) Last Year's Ranking: 15th
And now, the testimonials…
TH
Daniel Bryan began the year out of sight, out of mind, as Bryan Danielson, freshly signed with WWE after years of resisting the call. The anticipation was electric. We'd all heard he'd be at the landmark 1/4 RAW, and he was, although in a dark match against Chavo Guerrero. Next thing we all knew, he was in FCW by his own request. There, he had a match with Kaval that went viral. We all waited with baited breath.
Then came NXT. However, with his rechristening as Daniel Bryan, the matches didn't start coming. Yeah, there was the wildly overrated tilt with Chris Jericho but that was sloppy as all get out, mainly because of Jericho and not Bryan. His NXT resume wasn't all that great. Some of it was the greenness of the workers he was put in the ring with. Some of it was lack of time. Some of it was him getting squashed. I mean, he was good, but he wasn't the Best in the World that we were used to.
Then he got fired for choking Justin Roberts with a tie. What we all had a collective aneurysm over this firing, but it was the turning point in the year in in-ring work as we all knew it. When Bryan became Danielson once more, he went into the indies and started doing some serious work. He started with Eddie Kingston and Tim Donst in Chikara. He took on Johnny Gargano in AIW, Roderick Strong in PWG, Bobby Fish and Munenori Sawa in EVOLVE and YAMATO and Jon Moxley (and another match I don't like to mention) in DGUSA. He became the Best in the World once more. It was the Summer of Danielson, and the heat came not only from the Sun but from his work around the indies.
When he bade farewell to the indies and was revealed as John Cena's final team member in the fight against Bryan's former stable, some groaned at him being cuffed again by the WWE and its booking. A funny thing happened though… he was given a good faith push, and with that push, he was given more time to work matches up to his par. If the summer was hot, his fall and winter in WWE were SCORCHING. He went out and had the best WWE match all year by my reckoning, a tilt where he beat The Miz for the United States Championship. He had an epic series of matches with Dolph Ziggler over three days. He was excellent with the gamut of opponents, from Sheamus all the way down to Alex Riley. By the end of the year, there was no doubt who the best worker in the world was.
It was Daniel fucking Bryan. That's why I gave him my number one vote, and that's why he's become maybe my favorite wrestler in all the land right now, now that Chris Jericho is off dancing for housewives on TV and Austin Aries is having a mid-life crisis. If you can work, you're good with me, and to say Daniel Bryan can work is like saying Monet could paint or Mozart could write music. There was no better example than the portfolio he put together in 2010.
Seth Zillman
Since I can actually watch his matches now, I can say I see why he's been tops on people's list for years. Bryan is another guy who has it all when it comes to matches. Fluid in-ring work, match psychology, and an athletic look. If there's anything he lacks, it's that ability to cut a money promo. But once he gets in the ring, he's a top 10 in anybody's book.
jerseyboy
The reason Daniel Bryan was #1 on my ballot wasn't just the fact that he had maybe the best WWE TV match of 2011 against Dolph Ziggler, or arguably the best PPV match of the year against the Miz. It wasn't that he had matches with Ted DiBiase that were actually entertaining or a contest against Batista that was the funnest squash I've seen in year.
No, I decided Daniel Bryan was the #1 wrestler of 2011 because of what he did on NXT. Yeah, yeah, he got jobbed out repeatedly to a bunch of developmental guys. But if you noticed - in every one of those matches he made his opponent look great. Without fail. The other guys I had in my top 5, like CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler, would've had competent matches with the likes of Darren Young. But they wouldn't have made them look like legitimate stars the way Daniel Bryan did, and that's why in a very competitive race he gets my nod for the top stop.
Jeff Peña
Daniel Bryan seems to be given full recognition for his work on the internet, so I'm not sure anything I could say wouldn't have already been acknowledged. However, if there is anyone out there who isn't sold on Bryan's work rate and ability, look no further than what WWE has done with him, in less than a year.
WWE is not known for pushing new hires all that quickly. Or, if they do, they generally de-push them soon after (see: Sheamus). However, there are two particular standouts who broke this mold in 2010: Alberto del Rio and Daniel Bryan. What makes Bryan's push arguably more impressive than AdR's-- even if it isn't a Main Event push, yet-- is that Bryan may not strike people as having all that he does. Not to take anything away from AdR, but he's considered the "Next Big Thing" as far as WWEs Mexican stars go. His push has a backing, and he's backed it up. However, Bryan doesn't have that angle to play.
Daniel Bryan has won over the WWE Universe by being upstanding (returning to battle against Nexus); he's shown a huge reservoir of talent in matches; he's able to hold his own on the mic, and does it in a straightforward manner that fits him like a glove; and he knows how to make an angle work (salvaged the angle with the Bellas and Gail Kim).
In short, Daniel Bryan has shown that he's worth the push because of his work rate, in-and-out of the ring, to the point where WWE took the risk of giving him an immediate and significant push. He's justified that trust in full (really, the cord-choking incident was not 100% his fault, and should not be held against him), and WWE should make good on this work rate machine, pushing him into the Main Event scene in 2011.
Russel Harder
In a world of bodybuilders and talkers, so says VinnyMac, it's unprecedented to be called BACK to the 'big show' based on your workrate, I would think. Then again, when it was your workrate that got you fired in the first place (adding a truly memorable moment of chaos that only proved to be one among many)... it's understandable. Then again, I don't think Daniel Bryan (nee, Bryan Danielson) expected his tie-choking of the WWE's announcer to become an indy wrestling meme shortly after either (El Generico would tie it up against Kevin Steen a week and a half later in Toronto). This moment is barely even remembered now too, though his short victory lap in the indy world will always be remembered and enjoyed, because Bryan would be able to return at SUMMERSLAM during the night's biggest match as a conquering hero. What followed was a feud that cemented the Miz (which says something, after the run that Miz had with the Tag Team and US titles) and gave Bryan as large a stage as possible for a series of classic matches that MADE Dolph Ziggler over a week of PPV, Raw and Smackdown. Still, after everything, the meatiest story-line that creative has given the American Dragon... was the "virgin/no wait I just dig Can-Asian girls" storyline, and yet he's still put himself in a possible show-stealer at Wrestlemania with Sheamus (given 15 to 20 minutes, a classic) based on workrate alone. It's easy to worry about a average sized guy's future in the WWE, but you have to think that only the sky is the limit for his future. Which means next year... even more #1 votes? I guess so.
Andy Hewitt
I'm going to say it, and you can't stop me!
I think Daniel Bryan is overrated.
Really? Well, yes. That's not to say I don't think he's marvellous. I do think he's marvellous, and his place inside my Top Ten shows that. It's just that, well, I don't think he's Top Five material at the moment, based on what he's doing in WWE. Now, I love Bryan, and I think that when he shows what he can do then it's entertaining, but what makes me rate him lower is that he's not really being able to translate his in-ring intensity into something a little more. By that I mean that he's failing to get the crowd as hot and into his matches and storylines as I would like. The WWE are selling the LeBell Lock superbly, and some of his signature spots will always draw a reaction, but there's just a slight disconnect at the moment. When Bryan returned to WWE as part of the team to face the Nexus, he was like lightning in the ring. I've never seen anyone try to make a statement as much as he did then, and the crowd ate it up. Since then though, he's been booked incredibly strongly, held the US Title for a long time, went clean over everyone not named Sheamus, and yet there's still something a little missing. It reminds me of when CM Punk was a face, back when he won his first title. It just seemed like there was something not quite working. The in-ring ability was there, but there wasn't a hook to really get the crowd going one way or another. I think Bryan needs something, be it a set of stellar matches that are given time in the ring, a 'Road to Damascus' feud with someone that makes him show a little more character, or a turn to make him a vicious 'Tap or Snap' heel.
I can see why Bryan will have received #1 votes, but for me, at the moment in WWE, he's a rocket waiting for a fuse to be lit. And that light can't just come from the bookers.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Edge (c) vs. Alberto del Rio
How: Edge defeated Kane at Survivor Series to earn his 10th World-level Championship in WWE. Alberto del Rio won the Royal Rumble and chose Edge's WHC as his target the week after.
Heat Check: While the two waited until del Rio's choosing ceremony to tangle directly, the heat for this match sparked back in late 2010. Edge's old BFF Christian was about to feud with del Rio when he tore a pectoral muscle. The injury was sold in kayfabe as del Rio putting him out with his cross armbreaker. Fast forward to February, when del Rio announced he'd chase Edge's World Heavyweight Championship as part of his destiny. There was a lull between that date and the real build, which started at Elimination Chamber *sigh*. There, Christian came back from his injury and made the save for Edge getting beaten up by del Rio.
In the following weeks, del Rio and his charge, NXT Season 4 runner-up and dead ringer for 8-bit morbidly obese boxer King Hippo, Brodus Clay, took to harassing the shit out of Edge, to which Christian made the save. For his troubles, Christian started getting his ass whomped too. The proceedings got so bad that Teddy Long banned any contact between the two before their match at WrestleMania, but only on Smackdown (FFFFFUUUUU BRAND SPLIT). This led to Christian being the proxy for Edge's revenge, as he defeated del Rio in two grueling matches in the last two Smackdown main events. del Rio would get the last laugh as he laid both Edge and Christian out on RAW Monday.
Analysis: Alberto del Rio's time in the sun really begins now. For a guy who was still in FCW at this point last year if he was even signed by WWE (not sure of the time table on him coming in), this is an amazing progression. It's rumored that Vince is super-high on del Rio, which has to be the case since he's a heel who won the Royal Rumble within his first six months in the bigs. That NEVER happens. I have to give them credit too; they struck when the iron was hot with him the former Dos Caras, Jr. However, I feel like they're getting off this angle kinda cold.
I'm not sure that Edge/del Rio feels like a WM main event. Miz vs. Cena has the feel to it, and I think it would have even if The Rock wasn't involved. Taker/Trips has had a lackluster build, but it still feels like a main event for WM, mainly because The Streak is in play. Punk/Orton feels like a main event to me. Fuck, even Lawler/Cole feels like a main event WM feud, and in fact, the way it was booked, it would have been one if it was transposed to this angle (if it could have, mind you) rather than that one. I think history has something to do with it. Miz and Cena have had history since summer '09. Taker/Trips is natural, as is the announcer feud. Punk and Orton had the seeds planted even earlier than Miz and Cena. But Edge and del Rio? I almost wish that they had given me Rey Mysterio as World Champion here instead of Edge because you had that blisteringly hot feud between Mr. 619 and del Rio last year, and the roots were ingrained in the ground for it.
I think the addition of Christian to the build helps, in that it adds to the theme of nostalgia for the event. However, if I didn't get the sinking feeling that Christian was going to turn on Edge here (it's not ZOMG PAINFULLY OBVIOUS like some analysts are saying), I'd probably think better of it. I don't know. Maybe I'm just not feeling it. I do think it could surprise as a match though. Chris Jericho dragged a good match out of Edge last year at WM. del Rio might be able to do the same.
Who Should Win: I'm going to buck the trend and go against my personal preferences and say Edge should win this match. The idea of Christian costing Edge his match just stinks to me. I know Edge wants to feud with Christian one last time before he retires next year, but I think Edge ought to be the heel (he's a better heel than he is face, and Christian can do either with aplomb). I think they need to find a better way to do it, and I think that del Rio doesn't particularly NEED to win the title at WrestleMania. He's a heel; heels aren't supposed to get WrestleMania moments. I'm sure if he takes as much as I think he will, he'll get his own WM moment as a face to the adoration of two nations, both the US and Mexico.
Who Will Win: del Rio after Christian costs Edge the match, either accidentally or on purpose. The celebration on RAW the next night will make micro-giraffe guy's opulence from the Direct TV commercials look like meager wares.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
It's Hump Day, so if you're having a little trouble getting through the midpoint, here are some links to get you through:
Wrestling Related:
- Razor of Kick-out Blog came up with the crazy idea of turning the WWE "Universe" into a RPG. With this plot, I'd definitely buy it [Kick-out Blog]
- What would Monday's RAW have looked like if Vince Russo were booking it? [Things Cole Says]
- Paul Heyman's WrestleMania Rushmore... Intersting choices. [I Want Wrestling]
- Brandon Stroud's Best and Worst of RAW... yeah, I'm linking it again because I really like it and want it to succeed... and despite the fact that he trashes The Rock. Last week, Evan Bourne. This week, Rocky. Can I expect a wholesale diss of Chris Jericho next week? MAYBE [With Leather]
- So, Brock Lesnar is either REALLY selling this work for a future date with Undertaker, or he's got a legit beef with the Dead Man. Damn this carny business! [Camel Clutch Blog]
- WWE has launched a section of their site dedicated to WCW. I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty cool. [WWE]
- Stanley Kubrick took pictures of Gorgeous George back in the '40s. Way cool. [Library of Congress]
- WrestleMania signs! My favorite is the Brodus Clay one. [Wrestling Nuggets]
- Fair to Flair announcing their quarterly magazine. Yeah, you have to pay for it, but y'know what? It's way better than paying for an Apter mag. Or even those insipid Hollywood gossip rags. [Fair to Flair]
- Hey, Long Island isn't ALL bad. It did give us Zack Ryder! [Flyers Goal Scored By]
- Evan Longoria owns an AK-47? Well, in his defense, with the number of MLB players still possibly doing steroids, it might come in handy. [Tirico Suave]
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
If you know me, you know I'm not the biggest Shawn Michaels fan out there. I don't know if it was the lazy eye, the stories of him backstage being a prick or just the fact that everyone else out there drooling over him, but yeah, I never really appreciated Michaels when he was around. Then he retired, and I got a little misty-eyed at his speech. A year later, and I'm legit bummed that he won't be resuming his mantel as The Showstopper at WrestleMania this year. I can't explain it. I don't know. Anyway, here's the last bit of Michaels in the ring that we've seen and probably will see for the time being at least. Undertaker hitting him with maybe my favorite finishing move of all time, only with a jumping spike variant. What'chu know about Tombstone Piledrivers?
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
Rednecks vs. Russians
Photo Credits: Storm - TNAWrestling.com; Kozlov - WWE.com
Photo Manipulation: ME
We're finally through the first round! Here are the results for the last pod of matches for the Cow Palace:
#2 CM Punk d. #15 Frightmare, 92-5 (SUPER OUCH)
#10 Dolph Ziggler d. #7 Justin Gabriel, 82-19 (Upset in name only)
#3 Wade Barrett d. #14 Mike Quackenbush, 62-38
#11 Jay Briscoe d. #6 Ken Anderson, 49-46 (UPSET, closest match yet!)
Alright, we're onto the second round, and now we're back to the Madison Square Garden Region. Our first match-up pits the #1 seed overall, WWE Champion The Miz against #9 seed El Generico. Miz easily dispatched of Gunner in the first round, while Generico scored the upset-in-name-only over Heath Slater. Miz has a checkered history against Internet darlings... can Generico score the Daniel-Bryan-at-Night-of-Champions-esque upset over Miz and turn this tournament on its ear?
Next up, #13 seed Kozlov takes on the #5 seed James Storm in a match-up of tag specialists. Kozlov stunned the world by taking out Rob Van Dam in the first round, while Storm dispatched Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks. This should be a hard-hitting affair, lots of power moves and lots of brawling. Who'll come out on top though?
Third match features the biggest upset by seed, #15 Brodie Lee, taking on #7 seed Cody Rhodes. Lee knocked off #2 seeded Jeff Jarrett in the first round, thanks to some major TNA backlash, but will he be able to have a chance against the fairly popular and formerly Dashing son of a son of a plumber?
Finally, #3 seed Rey Mysterio will put his high-flying to the test against #11 seed Kevin Steen. Mysterio felled the nasty Necro Butcher in the first round, while Steen scored the upset victory over former Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston.
Keep them votes comin'!
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
Your two best Mr. WM candidates
Photo Credit: WWE.com
I swear to God, I had this topic in mind last week, and then I swear to God, Dave Lagana came out with a topic on who his WrestleMania Mount Rushmore would be. Seriously, I'm not biting. I swear. But yeah, WrestleMania is around the corner. A star performance at the event can make a wrestler. Continual star performances? They make legends. Here are six who are in serious contention for the title of "Mr. WrestleMania" for his continued clutch performances.
1. Shawn Michaels
The WWE gave HBK the title "Mr. WrestleMania", and it's very hard to argue the title. Michaels wrestled a shitload of memorable matches. From his debut with Marty Jannetty against the Twin Towers at WrestleMania V all the way up to his final, memorable match last year against Undertaker, Michaels made his bones on the big stage. His coming out party at the event may have been his best performance ever - the Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania X against Razor Ramon. It's not like he hasn't tried topping himself though. The list of memorable encounters he's had at the Granddaddy of Them All dwarfs some guys' resume of good matches in total. Bret Hart at XII. Steve Austin at XIV. Chris Jericho at XIX. Ric Flair at XXIV. The double shot against Undertaker the last two years. It's amazing.
2. The Undertaker
You might thing that everyone else is gunning for second place to Shawn Michaels. Yeah, try telling that to the one wrestler so important to the event that he's never been booked to lose at WrestleMania and probably never will be. I don't know how the idea started that Taker would never lose, but man, The Streak has become a de facto third title match for the event now. While some of those matches have been pretty bad - Giant Gonzalez anyone? - you can't deny the impact it has had on shaping what the event is right now. Other than the Michaels matches though, he has had some really memorable ones, whether the WWE wants you to recall them or not. He and Triple H had a really fun brawl all the way out into the crowd at X-7. The WWE downplays it now, but it was pretty good. So was his match against Ric Flair and even his brawl against Jake Roberts in the second match of The Streak, before it really became The Streak.
3. "Macho Man" Randy Savage
However, before those two took center stage, there was Macho. In fact, you could argue that Savage was Shawn Michaels before Shawn Michaels really grew into his role as the Showstopper. Between III and VIII, Savage was either in a main event match or a show-stealing match at every single card except one. Five out of six WrestleManias, Savage was the unquestioned star and possible MVP. He was involved in what many consider the best WM match ever, vs. Ricky Steamboat at III, and in perhaps the best carry job in the States ever, vs. The Ultimate Warrior at VII. Because of whatever his beef was with the WWF, we were robbed of an epic passing of the torch from him to Michaels, but I'm grateful for what we got from Macho.
4. Hulk Hogan
Honestly, though, how could you mention WrestleMania and not mention perhaps the one guy who was the most instrumental in making it the spectacle that it is today? You can denigrate his in-ring all you want (although if you do, you miss the point of Hogan in the '80s), but would WrestleMania be the pop culture icon today if he didn't body slam Andre the Giant at III? I mean, that's a seminal moment in pro wrestling history. He was the anchor of the first nine WrestleManias, and a big reason why both the WWF was huge and why he was able to help propel WCW to the top of the ratings. Of course, you can't forget his return to WrestleMania, at X-8 in Toronto against The Rock.
5. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
It's easy to go down the list and just put guys who were draws in here, but at the same time, Austin was involved in three of the most infamous moments in WWE history. One was at 13, when his double turn with Bret Hart was one of the key events in ringing in the Attitude Era. Two was the next year at XIV, when he won his first WWF Championship and cemented himself as THE man in all pro wrestling. Finally, X-7 was his ill-advised yet wholly memorable heel turn, aligning himself with his mortal enemy, Vince McMahon. There was also his series with The Rock over three WrestleManias, plus his role as the special guest referee for maybe the most infamous WM match of all-time, the Goldberg/Brock Lesnar schlock-fest at XX. He reprises his role as a referee this year for a match that has equal potential for infamy. Hm...
6. The Rock
There were a lot of great choices for this role. John Cena, Bret Hart, Triple H (begrudgingly), Roddy Piper, Edge and Ric Flair are all good choices, but I think I went with Rock because he does have that Michaels-big match quality to his appearance. Starting with his valiant attempts at saving the 2000 main event, Rock would go onto huge main event-type performances. If he had stuck around, he might be approaching Michaels' resume right now. As of right now, he's a fringe candidate. However, the Hogan match, the last two Austin matches and his XX match more than make up for it. Plus, he's a huge reason why WM is so must-see this year. That has to count for something, right?
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
How: The match was made after Triple H upstaged Undertaker's 2/21/11 return.
Heat Check: The story began about a month or so before Undertaker's vaunted return at the RAW after Elimination Chamber *sigh*. The WWE started running promos for a big happening on 2 21 11, featuring an old house, rain and a shadowy figure in a black trenchcoat. While the smarks on the Web all thought it was Sting, or Sting and Undertaker, what it really signaled was just Undertaker returning. And he did return, intending to make a new target for WrestleMania.
*record scratch*
That was until his target came gunning for him. Right after Undertaker completed his long walk to the ring, Triple H's music hit and he followed right out. Not a word was spoken, but the point was driven home. Trips wanted to be the one to end The Streak, he wanted to be the one to succeed where his best friend, Shawn Michaels, couldn't two years running. After this came promos in the ring and promotional videos out of it, done in the always-excellent WWE style. There wasn't a whole lot of real confrontation until RAW last night, when the two came to the ring face to face. It looked like a reprisal of the 2/21 confrontation until Michaels came down. The three put on a show of promos driving home the point that there was mutual respect, but that this was one last big challenge. Then, Trips asked Michaels if he thought that he could end The Streak. Michaels didn't answer, leaving everyone to ask if The Game bit off more than he could chew…
Analysis: The untold story of this match is one of redemption. Because Vince McMahon doesn't really want you to realize that this match happened at WrestleMania before (WrestleMania X-7, to be exact), they're burying a much more compelling story, one that could have been fleshed out over the last five weeks more than just what they've done. This could have been about Triple H realizing that when he had the world handed to him by his wife, he pissed away a golden opportunity to end the streak and become something greater than what he was. After years of being wizened and gaining insight, he would then come out and put a renewed focus into beating Taker, by himself instead of with the help of toadies. It's a redemption story because over that span of ten years, Trips would have grown up, learned so much and had a chip on his shoulder.
Instead, they decided that it'd be better if they just ignored the shit out of that match and built from scratch. Granted, what they've done has been good, but it wasn't great until that confrontation last night. Why it took them so long to have the two have a direct reason other than Trips wanting one last challenge and pedigreeing midcarders through the announce table to show that no one else was a challenge for him or have Taker cut promos at the top of the stage, I have no idea. However, the rumored plans of this match closing the show to me are a bad idea, as this match has been surpassed by the WWE Championship match in heat, or to be more specific, the intrigue for what Rocky and Cena are going to do to each other has surpassed this (although I think the Cena vs. Miz portion of it has been built well too).
As for what kind of match this will be? I don't have high hopes for the quality, although I didn't have high hopes for the first Taker/HBK match either. Trips now isn't the worker Michaels was before he retired, but he's surprised me before.
Who Should Win: I'm on record as saying that no one should beat Undertaker until he's ready to retire, and I stand by it. Furthermore, I don't think it should be a guy like Trips, Cena or Orton either. It should be someone who would stand to gain a rub from it. So it goes without saying that Taker should win this match, clean, and have a handshake with Trips at the end.
Who Will Win: I think this is the rare case where "should" and "will" will be 100% identical, unless they have the harebrained idea to turn Triple H heel. But yeah, Taker's winning this match.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
Tim Donst's BDK teammates have been announced, and yes, that is bilingual ring announcer Jakob Hammermeir to go along with BDK pet Delirious. Hammermeir made his debut last month, defeating Green Ant under HIGHLY dubious circumstances, but I think he's getting a bit too big for his britches here. Anyway, while one feud hasn't been manipulated into a first round match (Spectral Envoy and Batiri), they managed to fit at least one feud into the first round as this BDK team will take on Da Soul Touchaz. I'm guessing if there's any match that's likely to have Derek Sabato fired from his post as corrupt referee, it's this one.
The second match might provide the biggest combined fireworks for the first round. Team QuackSaw Toyota (BEST.IMPORT.DEALERSHIP.EVER) will battle SAT. I'm just giggling at the prospect of seeing Manami Toyota breaking Amazing Red in half. Seriously, will Toyota have a size advantage on Red? I think she might. I think she might.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
First, some backstory. The leaked WrestleMania card from a month or so ago had an eight man tag match listed in it featuring the Corre going up against a mish-mash of Smackdown faces (and Kane, who was a heel at the time). There was no hide nor hair of that match to be announced, even if the Corre was terrorizing Kane and Big Show for the better part of the last month. The other two names dropped were Kofi Kingston and Christian. The former name didn't make a whole lot of sense until Friday, when he dropped his Intercontinental Championship to the big name of the Corre, Wade Barrett. Christian didn't make sense at all, since he was totally entangled in the Edge/Alberto del Rio angle.
Santino's inclusion: An intentional mis-leak?
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Now, here's where the sneakiness comes in. They posted an error page with source code on it that intimated that the eight man tag would go on as leaked earlier. The dirtsheets, who don't like to look bad by and large, by the way, went wild with this, posting the spoiler and speculating that the angle to include Christian in the match would be shot later that night. Again, even though Christian was entrenched in the World Championship angle, they insisted that this match was going to happen. I had an inkling that they might have included Kofi in the match, but I wondered who'd they recruit for the fourth spot.
"You know," I thought, "The Corre attacked Kozlov and Santino two weeks ago. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them were inserted, or maybe both would get in and the Corre would debut a new member, like, I don't know, SKIP SHEFFIELD?" Well, the rogue group didn't debut a new member, but I was right in my own speculation partially. Both Santino and Kozlov were introduced as Kane and Show's teammates. The reaction from the sheets was one of surprise, even though the cards were right there in front of their faces.
Now, to their credit, I didn't really see anyone decrying it as a bad call in a fit of bitter balls about being wrong about their leaked sources, or even intimating that their sources may have intentionally leaked false information to make it a genuine surprise. However, this really shows some danger in how to report news. As with any news reporting, you really don't go on rumors. That doesn't stop reporters, mind you, and it's a big reason why I have great issue with ESPN. However, in wrestling, because of kayfabe, what the companies keep guarded is much more plentiful than what teams and leagues do in other sports. This leads to the sheets to grasp at straws in order to scoop everyone else, moreso than what happens in reputable journalism. It also leads to getting worked more than in other fields of reporting, mainly because of that kayfabe. With the dissemination of information so easy in the digital age, WWE has to send out fake leaks to keep people off their scents. They even worked people within their own company over The Rock guest hosting WrestleMania, telling everyone up to the moment before he came out the first time that it was going to be Justin Bieber.
Now, this instance is pretty benign. However, it serves as a reminder that it happens and that these dirtsheets need to be more responsible. Because while it's not a big deal whether they misreport that it's Kofi Kingston and Christian in a match instead of Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov, it can be a big deal if that reporting leads to something a little less concrete. Rumors and "leaks" like those were big reasons why people believed there was more than one Ultimate Warrior, or even worse and more insidious, that Lex Luger was the one who killed Miss Elizabeth, not herself via accidental overdose. I should know, I was in that latter camp for the longest time, and even though I don't know Luger personally, I feel shitty that I blamed him for something that wasn't his fault.
The moral of the story? Don't believe everything you read on news sites, even if they're reputable ones like F4W Online. Be judicious with how you believe spoilers from events that haven't taken place yet, and most importantly, judge the product with your eyes, not by what someone reports to you. It may not be that big a deal, but it's always your responsibility to be well-informed.
Even if the stakes are only who's in a piddling midcard match at WrestleMania.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
The A1W 100 is a list, voted on by regular wrestling fans like you and me, that chronicles the best in-ring workers in the United States for the calendar year 2010. There were 20 total ballots sent in from TWB readers and forum members at A1 Wrestling.
Punk killifying Evan Bourne
Photo Credit: WWE.com
2. CM Punk Points: 1890 Votes Received:20 Highest Vote:1st (7, Chus Killalea, Chris Sloboda, Jeff Peña, Seth Zillman, Andy Hewitt, James Varga, Sean McLaughlin) Last Year's Ranking: 4th
And now, the testimonials…
TH
At the half-way point of the year, I was convinced that Punk was the best worker in America in 2010 and that he'd run away with the mantel. Of course, this was before Daniel Bryan was faux-ture endeavored and started his warpath in the indies and before Punk got hurt. Still, despite battling injuries in the second half of 2010, he still delivered results, coupled with the ones he got in the first half, enough to nab him my second place vote. His main highlights included a series with Rey Mysterio that wowed every time they went out and worked together. Whether it was a set-up match on Smackdown or on the big stage of pay-per-view, they worked together flawlessly. It was a hand-in-hand thing, Rey sold and flew, Punk brutalized and made great facial expressions. His other highlights include having a decent match with Big Show at Night of Champions, but most importantly, killifying Evan Bourne on his RAW debut, as well as a key match with Cena on one of the final RAWs of 2010.
Russel Harder
CM Punk is special. He really is. He wasn't even my #1 pick in the 100, but just watching him in the ring there is NO WAY that you can't be entertained by CM Punk. I defy anyone that isn't. Outside of 2010, from when he initially came into the WWE, he immediately nailed the five moves of death style that had become instrumental in the E, fighting in a way that clicked with the crowd and showed them something 'new'. I think it was because he hit it off so well, with both the crowd and those in the back, that Evan Bourne and more importantly, Daniel Bryan were given the path that they have been (even with either of there obvious talents). Back to 2010, CM Punk lost some time in the ring this year, due to injuries... but damn it all if he still didn't make matches better by being one of the bigger high points in recent WWE color commentary, outside of this recent Lawler/Cole feud of old school carny goodness. After that he was finally given the good faith push that one and all wished he had been given when Batista was picking on him way back when for being a paper champion, and stood toe to toe with WWE's monster faces (and not just Jeff Hardy) in high-profile, highly entertaining feuds. Top that off with some fantastic free TV matches with Cena (Cena's best of this past year) as well as another stellar Rumble (if he hasn't won multiple Rumble's by the end of his career, ala Austin, I'm going to riot)... and CM Punk is in a position to have an incredible 2011 in the WWE.
Andy Hewitt
I don't just think that CM Punk is the best wrestler in the world right now. I think he's one of the best and most entertaining that I've ever seen. Give the man two minutes and a plank of wood and he'll put on a four star match. Well, maybe not quite that, but he certainly has the most magnetism of anyone in recent memory.
It's almost like he's a composite of the best parts of everyone else working today. He's got the straight-up ring ability and moves of Daniel Bryan, the connection with the audience and knowledge of how to sell a big match to a crowd like John Cena, the ability to get people riled up in an instant like The Miz, the intensity of Randy Orton and the company smarts of a man like Triple H. Whether he's in or out of the ring, I just can't take my eyes off him, and not in a massive man crush kinda way (though now you mention it...). It just seems that there's never any wasted effort. His charisma in the ring as a heel is a joy to watch,and he moves seamlessly between promo work and ring work all fused into the same character. Who else would (admittedly not this year) they let run the first section of the Royal Rumble as a promo spot?
The other thing I like about Punk is his ability to sell himself as a heel even when he's not acting particularly badly, but is just picking upon the weaknesses of his face opponents. To an extent, his beef with Cena was legitimate in that Cena had acted poorly, but the way in which he went about it made people boo the hell out of him. And that's what really sets him above the rest of the wrestling world at the moment; it's that believability of his character in the ring. Someone like The Miz, or Ziggler, or whoever else you want to mention - they know they're a bad guy and they play on it. They cheat and they cower and they do whatever it takes to win and they know that they're a bad person, but will do what they need to do. Punk's character never gives off that feeling. You feel that he genuinely believes that he is right all of the time, and that his victims are the ones that were in the wrong. Even when bringing about a beating in the ring where his minions slaughter someone, you never, ever feel like he has any remorse, or that he'd even consider that he has done something that would require that.
When Punk wrestles, I watch with my eyes on stalks, because he lives and breathes the role, and he turns it into something more, with his facial expressions and psychology mixed with charisma to give him a far broader and more impressive all-round package than anyone else working today.
And that's why CM Punk is my pick for #1.
Sean McLaughlin
What can be said about Cookie Monster Punk that hasn't been said before? I love the dude, best promo in the business. This generations Roddy Piper, though Punk is a better wrestler then Piper. Punk, I think, will go down as a defining figure in wrestling.
Seth Zillman
My #1 Pick, and for me it wasn't much of a contest. Great in-ring work, including one of the best "game faces" in town. Punk can tell a story without having to resort to sick bumps or foreign objects. He has the Jake Roberts or Raven school of thought of being able to tell a story by simple movement and facial expressions. Heck he managed to top my list while still being an announcer for a few months! 2011 looks to be the best yet.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
