In an attempt to bring back a sense of unpredictability to its programs, WWE had an unconventional ending to one of its shows for the second consecutive night.

After Raw concluded Monday with a dark screen and a few seconds of audio before going off the air in the middle of a match, ECW last night showed a main event with no commentary.

The much-maligned Mike Adamle abruptly took off his headset and left the broadcast position just prior to the match pitting Kane against Chavo Guerrero and Bam Neely. Shortly thereafter, Tazz also walked off, and the program went on with no announcers.

WWE obviously is turning the universally negative reaction to Adamle’s announcing skills into a story line. There was a story on wwe.com after ECW went off the air that said: “It has been no secret that our traditional ECW fans have not been satisfied with Adamle’s lackluster commentary. Speculation is this could have led to the play by play and color commentator walking off during a WWE broadcast. Did Adamle and Tazz leave of their own volition or were they asked to leave?”

I have talked to some people who believe that Adamle’s awful announcing has been a work from right from the start, and that WWE thought people would tune in to see a weekly train wreck. I don’t buy that. Adamle isn’t trying to be a bad wrestling announcer — he really is a bad wrestling wrestling announcer.

Once WWE saw how horrible he was and how the fans reacted to him, however, I think the company decided to try and make something out of it. That started to become apparent even before last night’s angle, as Adamle’s lack of announcing skills became a running joke on last week’s ECW and on the Backlash pay-per-view.

I am definitely interested in seeing what happens next, and that’s exactly what WWE is trying to accomplish. Maybe Adamle will end up as a heel announcer. He already has a lot of heat with the fans, so why not? That would certainly be more entertaining than what he’s been doing.

***

All three of WWE’s shows this week were designed to get people talking. I usually don’t do spoilers, but I will just say that a big angle takes place this week on Smackdown. Time will tell if all of this leads to higher ratings, but if it doesn’t, it won’t be for lack of effort.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

In reaction to last week’s disappointing rating for a much-publicized episode of Raw, I wrote that “it’s time for WWE to come up with a shocking plot twist that will create a buzz.”

At the conclusion of last night’s Raw, WWE definitely had people talking. Hopefully, for WWE’s sake, they won’t be cursing.

Saying that he had been disrespected by the fans earlier in the show, Raw general manager and King of the Ring winner William Regal decided to punish all of us by literally pulling the plug on a terrific WWE title rematch between new champion Triple H and ex-champ Randy Orton during a key point in the contest. The screen went dark, and Jim Ross continued to call the match for several seconds before the show abruptly ended and Law & Order came on.

I give WWE credit for thinking outside the box, but the company is risking alienating its audience. It reminded me of NWA television shows in the 1980s when Tony Schiavone and David Crockett would hype a main event for most of the program, and then the match would start with about two minutes left. Just as the participants would lock up, Schiavone would say, “We’re out of time,” and Crockett would scream, “No, no, no!” Instead of making me want to tune in next week to see what happened, it made me angry at the promotion for pulling a bait and switch.

The scenario on Raw was a little different, but perhaps even more frustrating. After enjoying the Triple H-Orton match for about 20 minutes, viewers were deprived of a finish. Since it was Regal who denied fans from seeing a conclusion, the intent is for the heat to be on him. However, most fans realize wrestling is a work and that it was WWE that pulled the plug, not Regal.

I don’t really think many people are going to stop watching Raw because of it, but if I were WWE, I wouldn’t do this again anytime soon.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

For those like me who thought that Regal’s king gimmick was going to be played for comedy, it’s clear that isn’t the case. Regal was portrayed as a serious character and someone who is a threat from a physical standpoint. I have long been a fan of Regal’s work and thought that he deserved a better spot on the card, but I thought that ship had sailed. Now, I think he just might get over in his new role. …

I’ve never been a fan of the coronations for the King of the Ring winners, but this one for Regal served a purpose. As a side note, Regal was present for the last coronation, when Booker T. was crowned. As much as I grew to like King Booker, that coronation – with Regal and Sharmell saying “All hail King Booker” over and over – was excruciating to watch. …

A feud between Regal and Mr. Kennedy – who crashed the coronation – could be interesting. However, I wish WWE could have come up with a more creative way to turn Kennedy babyface than just him being upset that he wasn’t invited to participate in the King of the Ring tournament. It’s not like winning it really means anything anyway. …

The verbal confrontation between Triple H and Orton to open the show was very good. Orton has come such a long way as an overall performer over the past year. In terms of intensity and presence, Orton was every bit Triple H’s equal. That wasn’t the case when they feuded four years ago. …

There was another good segment involving Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho, who was acting very heelish again one night after calling the Michaels-Batista match fairly at Backlash. Jericho called Michaels a great actor for fooling everyone by pretending his knee was hurt on Sunday night. Michaels, with a stern look on his face, told Jericho that he really was hurt.

I know they didn’t mean it in this sense, but I think Michaels really is a good actor, because everything he does in the ring is believable, from his selling to his promos. I’m surprised that he never attempted to do movies or TV, but he always has said that he has no interest in it. This story line also works on another level, as Michaels in real life has been accused in the past of coming up with knee injuries to get out of doing jobs. …

Jericho doing the awards shtick was mildly amusing, but I wonder how many newer fans got the Magnificent Muraco/Mr. Fuji skit from 1986? I miss Tuesday Night Titans. …

It has been clear for the past several weeks that Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch were headed for a split. It seemed like it was going to be a typical tag-team breakup, but WWE gave us something atypical last night – Murdoch serenading Cade with a nice rendition of “I Got Friends in Low Places.” I think Murdoch is going to make an entertaining mid-card babyface. …

Speaking of atypical, I like the idea of Paul Burchill and Katie Lea wrestling in two-on-one handicap matches. Anything performers can do to distinguish themselves is a good thing. …

After Robbie McAllister got destroyed by JBL – including taking a brutal clothesline – I’m sure he was thinking, “Couldn’t you just have fired me instead?” You have to believe that was his punishment for showing up on TNA television during WrestleMania weekend. …

One would think that a segment involving Santino Marella and Roddy Piper would be highly entertaining, but it kind of fell flat. You had to laugh, though, when Marella called him “Roddy The Piper.”

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

Last night’s WWE pay-per-view at 1st Mariner Arena began with the biggest title win of Matt Hardy’s career, and ended with Triple H coming out of a fantastic fatal four-way main event with his 12th world title.

Being there live always is a different experience from watching at home on pay-per-view, but from where I was sitting (the eighth row, facing the stage), it was a really good show.

The sold-out crowd was hot almost the entire night. In fact, the atmosphere and energy was reminiscent of a live show during the “Attitude” era. I know the ratings for WWE programs have been dipping lately, but WWE still puts butts in seats and sells loads of merchandise.

The big news coming out of the show was Triple H ending Randy Orton’s WWE title reign of nearly seven months. In other significant developments, Edge was taken out on a stretcher after his unsuccessful bid to regain the world heavyweight title from The Undertaker, and Mick Foley debuted as the new Smackdown color commentator.

Triple H’s victory was historic for a couple reasons. For one, it was only the second time the WWE title has changed hands in Baltimore, and the first since Superstar Billy Graham defeated Bruno Sammartino on April 30, 1977.

And by capturing his 12th world title, Triple H moved into a tie for second place with Hulk Hogan for the most world championships, trailing 16-time champ Ric Flair. I know there are fans who have a problem with Triple H getting the title again, but I’m not one of them. Except for a couple hours back in October – when he won the title from Orton and lost it back to him in the same night – Triple H has not held a world title since April 2005. It was his time and it makes sense based on the story lines.

There was a time when I had grown tired of Triple H as champion, too. Between September 2002 and January 2005, he won the title five times, giving him 10 reigns for his career at that point. At the rate he was going, I figured he would have Flair’s record beat by now. Triple H obviously has tremendous influence backstage, and I give him credit for keeping himself away from the title for three years.

Most wrestling pundits believe it’s just a matter if time before Triple H turns heel again, but I’m hoping it doesn’t happen, because that really will seem like the same old, same old. I might be in the minority on this, but I always have liked Triple H better as a babyface. I think it would be great to shake things up and keep Triple H a babyface and have John Cena turn on him.

As for Orton, I think he has turned a corner in his career, and he certainly has several more title reigns in his future.

Here’s a match-by-match look at the show in the order in which they were presented:

Dark match – John Morrison and The Miz defeated Jimmy Wang Yang and Shannon Moore: It was a short, fast-paced match and the crowd was into it. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but The Miz has really improved in the ring as of late.

After the match, the announce teams were introduced. As usual, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler and Tazz all got big pops. Michael Cole always gets mostly boos, but I don’t think he deserves it. Mike Adamle got all boos, and he does deserve it. Foley got a great response. Even though it had been out there since Friday that WWE had offered him the position on Smackdown, most of the crowd seemed surprised to see him. For those who bought the pay-per-view, how did Foley do? Without hearing a word of the commentary, I’m confident that he was better than Jonathan Coachman, who I would assume is headed back to Raw to replace William Regal as general manager.

Matt Hardy defeated MVP to win the U.S. title: This was an excellent opener, as these two work well together. The crowd was very enthusiastic in cheering Hardy and jeering MVP. MVP, who had held the title since last May, missed a big kick to the head, and Hardy hit the Twist of Fate for the pin.

ECW champion Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero: Every time I see Kane up close I think how TV just doesn’t do him justice as far as how big he is. Even though Kane has done jobs for the likes of Mark Henry, The Great Khali and Umaga over the past 18 months, the fans still treat him like a superstar. The match was fine, but nothing special, as Kane won with a chokeslam after snatching Guerrero by the throat as Guerrero hit a frog splash. I was surprised that Bam Neely didn’t play more of a role. If this was Guerrero’s last shot at Kane, I have no idea who “The Big Red Machine’s” next challenger will be.

The Big Show defeated The Great Khali: The match wasn’t good, but I’ve seen a lot worse. Big Show is capable of having good matches with good workers, but there wasn’t much he could do with Khali. As expected, Show won clean with a chokeslam.

Shawn Michaels defeated Batista: Special referee Chris Jericho got a nice pop even though he has been acting heelish on television lately. Although Batista got mostly cheers when he came out, Michaels was clearly the crowd favorite once the match started. For most of the bout, Jericho just seemed like a regular referee. He did end up getting in both men’s faces at different points. The finish came after Michaels seemingly suffered a knee injury, and Jericho refused to allow Batista to go after him. Michaels then struggled to his feet and hit a superkick for the win.

Michaels did a great job of selling the knee, and he was helped to the back by two referees. It was a very good match, but it seemed a little anti-climactic because Jericho called it right down the middle when a lot of people – myself included – were expecting him to turn on one or both competitors. I also thought there was an outside chance that Flair would show up, as he was in Baltimore Friday doing local television and radio programs to promote the show.

Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Melina, Victoria, Jillian Hall and Layla defeated Mickie James, Michelle McCool, Maria, Kelly Kelly, Cherry and Ashley: The pace was pretty quick here and there were a lot of spots. Phoenix pinned Ashley for the win. Since James wasn’t involved in the decision, I’m not sure what purpose this match served – other than two give a few losers the opportunity to chant “We want puppies.”

World heavyweight champion The Undertaker defeated Edge: It wasn’t quite at the level of their WrestleMania match, but it still was really good. Edge got a great heel reaction when he was introduced. After a nice back-and-forth battle, Undertaker went for the Last Ride, but Edge reversed it into a sunset flip. As Edge attempted a pin, Undertaker hooked his arm and caught him in the submission move that WWE still hasn’t come up with a name for (yes, I know it’s called the gogoplata). After staying in the hold perhaps for longer than anybody, Edge finally tapped out.

I really didn’t expect the same tap-out finish as their match at WrestleMania. Undertaker at first refused to release the hold, and Edge was doing the bleeding-from-the-mouth bit. Vickie Guerrero came out and was hysterical as Edge was taken away on a stretcher by paramedics. I’m interested to see where this goes from here. With Edge tapping out two times in a row, I don’t see how another title shot for him against Undertaker could be justified.

Triple H defeated Randy Orton, John Cena and JBL to win the WWE title: The crowd was super-hot for this match. During the introductions, Orton and JBL got great heat and Triple H got his usual loud ovation. It was Cena, however, who got the biggest reaction of the night, and he definitely was getting a lot more cheers than jeers. Cena came off as exactly what he is – the biggest star in the company. There is no denying that fans are passionate about him whether they love him or hate him. Once the match started, however, the Cena haters got a lot louder.

At about the 10-minute mark, Cena eliminated JBL by forcing him to tap out to the STFU. While Cena still had the hold applied, Orton kicked him in the head and pinned him, and it was down to the champ and Triple H. They battled for nearly 20 minutes before Triple H hit the Pedigree for the pin after a series of reversals. Triple H then got the pyro and confetti treatment that eluded him at WrestleMania. After Triple H’s celebration ended, Orton lingered around the ring. He stared at his hands, conveying the fact that it had sunk in that the belt had slipped from his grasp. He then very slowly walked back up the ramp.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

Predictions for tonight’s WWE pay-per-view, which I will be attending at 1st Mariner Arena:

WWE champion Randy Orton vs. John Cena vs. JBL vs. Triple H: It’s just a matter of time before Triple H gets the title back. I was shocked that it didn’t happen at WrestleMania, and I think tonight will be his night. The only other scenario I can envision is Orton somehow escaping with the title again, and then facing Triple H in a one-on-one match next month at the Judgment Day pay-per-view. I don’t see JBL winning and I don’t think the time is right to put the belt back on Cena.

World heavyweight champion The Undertaker vs. Edge: I don’t think Edge is going to regain the title, but I also don’t believe The Undertaker is going over clean. I’m expecting either a no-decision or Edge to win by disqualification or countout. This feud will likely continue with some sort of gimmick match at Judgment Day.

Batista vs. Shawn Michaels: This match that has been built up better than any on the card. Special referee Chris Jericho is the wild card here (I wish Jericho was wrestling on the show, and CM Punk, too). In recent weeks, he has been laid out by both Michaels and Batista. I still think Jericho is turning on Michaels and costing him the match to set up a program between the two. There also is the possibility of a Batista heel turn.

The Big Show vs. The Great Khali: This one could be ugly, and I’m not talking about the physical appearance of the participants. I would be very surprised if Big Show doesn’t win clean, especially because it has been reported that Khali is heading home to India for a while after this match.

ECW champion Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero: I have a hunch that Guerrero will regain the title due to outside interference from the Edgeheads and Bam Neely.

U.S. champion MVP vs. Matt Hardy: If these two are given enough time, this has potential to be a very good match. I think Hardy has to get the title at some point, but not yet. Look for Hardy to somehow get screwed and for MVP to escape with his title, setting up the inevitable rematch.

Mickie James, Michelle McCool, Maria, Kelly Kelly, Cherry and Ashley vs. Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Melina, Victoria, Jillian Hall and Layla: I’m going with the heels on this one, with either Phoenix or Natalya scoring the pin on James to set up a title program.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Here are some quotes from my interview with WWE champion Randy Orton on Friday that did not make it into the story I wrote for The Sun.

His anger issues: “I was just kind of a [jerk]. I was making myself miserable and I didn’t know it. If I was upset with the way my dinner was cooked at a restaurant, or if I was upset with the service that I was being given at an airport, I would react in a way where I wasn’t living in the moment. Being on TV and being around a lot of fans, you’re going to be in those situations every day. I had to realize that everyone has opinions and they all have the right to feel a certain way, and you have to respect that.”

People in WWE losing confidence in him due to his immaturity: “I let some people down like Triple H, who had a lot of faith in me and took me under his wing. Ric Flair would never say it, but he loved me like I was his kid and he was like a dad to me on the road. I’m sure I let him down somewhere along the way. These guys really invested a lot of time, faith and energy in me. The company invested money in me.”

Excelling in the business at a young age: “You know, I was just naturally good, so I would ride on that. I could go have a good match and not have to be 100 percent there. I didn’t have to be all warmed up and stretched out. I could go work. Early on, what you can’t be taught in this business, I just kind of picked up. I think it was probably [because of] growing up in the business and being around the people that I was around.”

His future in wrestling: “I definitely see myself trying to get some longevity out of my career. I’m loyal to this company. I don’t necessarily see myself branching out and doing movies like [John] Cena, and Rock and Mr. Kennedy. I think they’re a little more well-rounded than me. When it comes to wrestling, I’m 100 percent confident in my abilities, and I see myself being in the ring as long as my body can handle it. As long as my health is good and I’m not jeopardizing my family, I see myself pushing forward and being a champion as many times as I can – being a six, seven-, eight-time world champion. I want to work with guys like Rey Mysterio, The Undertaker, Edge, and have good feuds and do entertaining stuff, and I know I’m capable of it.”

Whether his father and grandfather, both pro wrestlers, discouraged him from getting into the business: “It was more my mom. It definitely wasn’t encouraged. With my grandpa [Bob Orton Sr.], my father [Cowboy Bob Orton] and my uncle [Barry O], they would have loved to see me get into it in their hearts, but I had my mother there. My dad was gone all the time, and the road was a lot more vigorous then. They were gone 30, 40, 50 days [at a time]. I think because of that lifestyle, my mom didn’t want me to put my family through what my dad put us through, which was just him not being around a lot. Once I got in the business and I was on TV, that’s cool for any parent. I made them proud, and my mom – I think her attitude turned around. She was happy to see me doing well. She’s a nurse, and her friends at work – my mom would call me and say, ‘I need 10 autographed pictures.’ Now she’s a little superstar at work because her son’s on TV. I think my mom just thinks it’s cool now.”

The fatal four-way at Backlash: “I think it’s definitely going to be a long, grueling match. We’ve got four of the top performers in the business right now – on Raw, anyway – fighting it out. We’re going to be like a bunch of caged dogs going at it. I see some banged-up bodies and bruises following the match. I definitely see no one getting along. A lot of times in a four-way match like that you see guys taking sides and taking out a guy, but I see it being every man for himself from bell to bell. It’s definitely going to be a fight, but I’m confident in my abilities. Anything can happen, but I’m confident that I am going to remain the WWE champion.”

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Two of TNA’s most entertaining wrestlers — “Tennessee Cowboy” James Storm and ODB — will make appearances at the Maryland Championship Wrestling show on May 4 at North Point Plaza in Dundalk.

Also appearing on the MCW show is Joey Matthews (formerly known as Joey Mercury in WWE). The show starts at 7:30 p.m. For more information, go to marylandwrestling.com.

The MCW show is one of three live wrestling events in the Baltimore area in an eight-day span. WWE’s Backlash pay-per-view takes place Sunday at 1st Mariner Arena (it’s sold out), and the Eastern Wrestling Alliance has a free show on May 3 at 1 p.m. at Michael’s Eight Avenue in Glen Burnie. Go to ewamaryland.com for more information.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Last night’s TNA Impact featured a strong main event between Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe, good wrestling throughout the show, just the right amount of comedy and no groan-inducing skits.

It was a total departure from last week’s nonsensical show and more in line with the tone of the previous four episodes. When I see shows like this one, I become a lot more optimistic about TNA’s future.

Once again, TNA did a great job of making the Angle-Joe rivalry seem special, including putting together another good video package that chronicled their feud. Angle was all business this week, and Joe was portrayed as a credible world champion.

The two wrestled each other on network television for the first time, and they didn’t disappoint. The TNA world title match took up the final half hour of the show, with Joe getting the win after Scott Steiner’s outside interference (which Joe was unaware of). It was announced after the match that Joe would defend the title against Steiner and Angle in a three-way bout at the Sacrifice pay-per-view on May 11.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

Steiner costing Angle the match made sense based on an incident earlier in the program in which Angle talked about facing “Rick Steiner” at Sacrifice. It seemed like a throwaway line at the time, but Steiner’s attack on Angle at the end of the show was payback for disrespecting him and referring to him by his brother’s name. It made Angle come off like a babyface, however, which I don’t think was the intention – at least I hope not. …

As far as the new main event at the pay-per-view, obviously a three-way has more appeal than a Joe-Steiner singles match. …

During the Angle-Joe match, Don West referenced a remark that Kevin Nash had made earlier in the program – except that West actually stated the exact opposite of what Nash said. In talking about Joe, Nash said that winning the title was the easy part, and now that he’s champion, the work really begins. West said that Nash was right – the hard part was over because his career was on the line, and now he can just concentrate on “pure wrestling.” …

The two qualifying matches for the tag-team title tournament at Sacrifice were both good, especially Christian Cage and Rhino’s win over The Motor City Machine Guns. Team 3D defeated Rellik (the announcers didn’t say you-know-what this week) and Black Reign in the other match. …

Another tag-team match (not part of the tournament qualifying) that was entertaining saw Sting and Booker T. defeat Robert Roode and James Storm. …

Jeremy Borash was great in his “stooge” role, as he ran to tell Kurt Angle that his wife, Karen, was in the building with A.J. Styles after he had promised Karen and Styles that he wouldn’t say anything. The first time I realized that Borash had potential as an on-screen character was when he played a similar role briefly in WCW. As Vince Russo’s stooge, Borash would be shown lurking around backstage and taking notes whenever he witnessed something that he thought Russo should know about. The facial expressions that he would make were priceless. …

The only segment that I didn’t care for last night was the Eric Young and Kaz interview, in which they went back and forth on the Super Eric silliness from last week. Since Young cost them the tag-team titles, wouldn’t Kaz be totally justified in turning on him? …

It looks as if TNA is trying to get Matt Morgan over as a babyface with heel tendencies, as Morgan unleashed an unprovoked attack on Kip James backstage to open the show. It just might work. …

Jim Cornette seems to be doing a subtle heel turn. He was one of the greatest heel managers of all time, but I liked the fact that his TNA character tried to call things fairly. I’m sure Cornette would be entertaining as a heel authority figure, but that role has become passé as far as I’m concerned. …

Cornette announced that one of the women on the roster – excluding Awesome Kong – will get her head shaved on the pay-per-view. My money’s on Rhaka Khan or ODB.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

The recent retirement of Ric Flair has sparked a lot of talk about who the greatest wrestler of all time is. It’s a complex question because everyone has a different idea of what constitutes a great wrestler. Is it the best worker? The biggest box office draw? The biggest crossover celebrity? What about longevity?

I think a less ambiguous question would be: Who is the best all-around performer? I define that as the wrestler who possesses the best combination of in-ring ability, charisma and promo skills. Following that criteria, I have come up with a list of my top 10.

Wrestlers who excelled in one aspect but were significantly deficient in another did not make the cut. For example, Hulk Hogan, the biggest star in the history of wrestling, did not make the list because his in-ring work was average at best. On the flip side, an outstanding worker such as Chris Benoit did not make the list because he was ordinary as far as charisma and promos.

I only considered wrestlers that I have seen enough of to judge. Therefore, legends such as Lou Thesz and Buddy Rogers, who would be included in any discussion of the all-time greats, aren’t on the list. I also didn’t consider wrestlers such as Harley Race, Verne Gagne, Jack Brisco, Terry Funk and others because I didn’t see much of them in their primes. I have been watching wrestling for more than 35 years, but, having grown up in Baltimore, the only exposure I had to any wrestling other than WWE prior to the early 1980s was in magazines.

Back to Flair. A strong argument can be made for him being the greatest wrestler of all time, especially when factoring in longevity, drawing power and the fact that he inspired many of today’s stars to pursue a career in wrestling.

One of those stars is Shawn Michaels. And while Michaels likely won’t be regarded as the greatest of all time, he does get the nod over Flair as the best all-around performer that I have ever seen.

Here’s my top 10:

1. Shawn Michaels: As a heel, “The Heartbreak Kid” exudes cockiness and is a superb bump-taker. As a babyface, his selling is top notch and he is both charismatic and sympathetic. No matter which role he plays, Michaels is a great worker, a master of ring psychology and strong on promos. Michaels, who has earned the moniker of “Mr. WrestleMania” for often stealing the show at WWE’s signature event, incorporates mat wrestling, Lucha Libre moves and brawling into his repertoire. Perhaps the greatest testament to Michaels’ ability is the fact that an array of wrestlers have had their best matches against him.

2. Ric Flair: It has often been stated that Flair could have a great match with a broomstick, and that isn’t much of an exaggeration considering some of the limited wrestlers that looked like a million bucks thanks to him. Flair was among the most charismatic wrestlers ever and one of the all-time best on the microphone. No one was better than the “Nature Boy” at talking fans into the building. The only knock against him is his versatility in the ring, as he often wrestled the same match no matter who he was working with.

3. The Rock: The eyebrow-raising superstar being this high on the list might raise a lot of eyebrows, but it shouldn’t. While most fans will focus on his unparalleled charisma and highly entertaining work on the microphone, Rock actually was very underrated as a worker. Was he a mat technician like Benoit or Dean Malenko? No, but he was smooth in the ring and athletic, and he had more than his share of good-to-great matches. As The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer once said to me, with Rock’s charismatic personality, he was much better in the ring than he really needed to be.

4. Kurt Angle: The Olympic gold medalist proved to be a fast learner after entering pro wrestling. Not only is he a tremendous mat wrestler, but he will occasionally break out a moonsault – including once off the top of a steel cage. Serious neck and spinal injuries have taken a toll, but he still as among the elite workers today. Angle also knows how to connect with the crowd, especially when he works as a heel. He has shown range as a character, as he has effectively portrayed an intense shooter and also demonstrated a flair for comedy.

5. Randy Savage: “The Macho Man” adeptly combined his speed and agility with an effective brawling style. He not only had great matches with other great workers such as Rick Steamboat – their match at WrestleMania III is considered one of the best ever – but also with lesser workers such as The Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan. Savage was one of the most distinctive and colorful characters of the ’80s and ’90s. His promos sometimes didn’t make a whole lot of sense, but they were intense and often humorous.

6. Steve Austin: He basically had two careers in one. As “Stunning Steve,” a heel with flashy robes and long blond hair, Austin was regarded as a very good worker with average charisma and promo skills. When he shaved his head, grew a goatee, put on black tights and black boots and became the no-nonsense, trash-talking “Stone Cold,” he became one of the biggest stars in the history of the industry. During the “Stone Cold” years, injuries to Austin’s neck and knees slowed him a bit in the ring, but he still was a good worker and one of the best brawlers ever. He also developed a promo style that really connected with fans.

7. Bret Hart: “The Hitman” also was known as “The Excellence of Execution,” and with good reason. Hart was very smooth in the ring and a fantastic technical wrestler. He was regarded as being bland before he received a singles push, but his somewhat understated personality eventually connected with fans and his promo skills improved. Hart was at his all-around best during his transformation he from bitter babyface to full-fledged heel in 1997.

8. Chris Jericho: Before making it big in WCW and even bigger in WWE, Jericho honed his craft all over the world, learning a variety of styles in places such as Mexico, Japan and Germany. Once a high flyer and risk-taker, Jericho began toning down his style several years ago, but he still can go and he understands ring psychology. Effective as a charismatic babyface or a smarmy, smirking heel, Jericho is adept at cutting serious promos as well as humorous ones.

9. Rick Steamboat: He was as good a worker as anybody on this list. “The Dragon” has participated in matches that are considered among the best ever, specifically against Flair and Savage. In the late ’70s and ’80s, Steamboat was the prototype for a babyface, and he never worked as a heel during his 18-year career. Steamboat, who had charisma but not in an over-the-top manner, was great at selling for the heels. He would have placed higher on the list if not for his average promos.

10. “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig: When it comes to in-ring ability, Henning wasn’t perfect, but he was close. Everything he did in the ring looked smooth, and he was a great mat technician and fantastic bump-taker. Although he had been AWA champion, Henning was at his best as the cocky “Mr. Perfect” in WWE. Hennig’s character wasn’t as effective as a babyface, but he definitely had a strong heel persona. His promos were decent, but not anything special.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (63)
        

The good news is that WWE gained unprecedented credibility and a ton of national media coverage for having the three presidential candidates appear on Raw Monday night.

The bad news is that the candidates’ appearance meant nothing for ratings. The three-hour edition of Raw did a 3.0 rating, down from last week’s 3.2. It is especially disappointing because WWE also presented a King of the Ring tournament and had a star-studded main event.

Raw did a 2.4 rating for the first hour, 3.3 for the second and 3.4 for the third. With a three-hour special, it is expected that the first hour won’t do as well because viewers aren’t used to tuning in at that time. If you throw out the first hour, the rating would be 3.3, which still is a disappointing number considering the hype surrounding the show.

I’m not sure what to make of the recent ratings dip. I think Raw is good most weeks, but I’m a diehard fan. A portion of the casual fans seem to have lost interest. Perhaps it’s time for WWE to come up with a shocking plot twist that will create a buzz, such as turning John Cena heel, which I suggested a few weeks ago.

If the ratings continue to slip, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Vince McMahon back on television sooner than later.

***

It was another bad night for Mike Adamle on ECW. He didn’t have much to say – Tazz basically was doing color commentary and play-by-play – and what he did say didn’t add anything to the broadcast. I have never been a fan of The Miz, but I had to laugh when he kept pointing out Adamle’s mistakes while sitting at the announce table for the Jimmy Wang Yang-John Morrison match.

In Adamle’s defense, doing play-by-play is a lot harder than it looks. It’s hard even if you’re familiar with the product, and Adamle clearly is learning on the job about the subject matter. I don’t fault him as much as I fault the people who put him in that position.

Overall, the current crop of wrestling announcers is pretty underwhelming. In addition to Adamle, Jonathan Coachman is struggling on Smackdown and Don West has me reaching for the mute button on a weekly basis while watching Impact.

Tazz, Michael Cole and Mike Tenay all deserve raises for having to carry their respective broadcasts.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

After seeing the three presidential candidates make appearances on a three-hour edition of Raw last night, I couldn’t help but think how far pro wrestling has come in my lifetime.

When I watched wrestling on a UHF station in the territory days of the 1970s, the thought of the future President of the United States appearing on a wrestling show would have been beyond ridiculous – although I do think that “Tricky” Dick Nixon would have made a great heel manager.

It was a major coup for WWE to have Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and Republican John McCain address the WWE audience with taped messages. As expected, the candidates’ appearance on Raw received a lot of national news coverage.

Ever since Bill Clinton did his saxophone bit on The Arsenio Hall Show 16 years ago, it has become fashionable for presidential hopefuls to appear on late night talk shows and Saturday Night Live to demonstrate that they have a sense of humor. But for them to be on a wrestling show – especially after all the negative press the wrestling industry has received over the past year – almost was surreal.

Each candidate gave a brief speech putting over their agenda by using wrestling vernacular. In my unbiased opinion, I think McCain, surprisingly, did the best job.

More than the other two, McCain – who is not exactly known as the most electrifying man in politics – seemed to embrace the idea of cutting a wrestling promo. While he did call the fatal four-way match a “fatal four,” McCain gets big points for working in the catch phrases of Hulk Hogan, The Rock, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Ric Flair and Triple H.

Obama, who definitely is the most charismatic of the three, didn’t really seem to be into it. He needed to put more feeling into it when he closed with “Do you smell what Barack is cooking?”

Clinton tried hard, but her use of wrestling puns seemed forced.

In addition to the presence of the candidates, there also was a “match” between Clinton and Obama impersonators and an appearance by a Bill Clinton look-alike. The crowd didn’t seem to appreciate the pre-match banter between the faux political figures, but the bout was actually better than just about every Great Khali match.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

William Regal winning the King of the Ring tournament was unexpected, but I actually thought it was pretty obvious that he was going over once the final was set between him and CM Punk. The result made sense considering that Punk had to earn hard-fought victories over Matt Hardy and Chris Jericho to get to the final, while Regal had only to get by Hornswoggle and an injured Finlay. It also made sense because Regal is tailor-made for the king gimmick. I just can’t see Punk going around wearing a crown and robe. …

There were three good matches in the tournament: Jericho over MVP, Punk over Hardy and Punk over Jericho. It certainly appears as if Punk is going to get a major push. After winning the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV, Punk now owns clean victories over Hardy and Jericho – and he scored those wins on WWE’s top show with presumably a larger-than-usual audience. …

It certainly was a star-studded main event, as the team of Edge, Randy Orton, JBL and Chavo Guerrero defeated The Undertaker, John Cena, Triple H and Kane. Not offense to Guerrero, but he did seem a little out of place out there with all those superstars. …

Making the fatal four-way WWE title bout at Backlash an elimination match is a good call. …

Shawn Michaels and Batista had another intense verbal confrontation. It was somewhat marred, however, by the idiots in the crowd doing the “What?” chant. …

I’m trying to figure out why the Bill Clinton look-alike tripped over the ropes when entering the ring. I thought pratfalls were Gerald Ford’s gimmick. By the way, not only was the Obama impersonator’s timing off on the “It doesn’t matter” line, but he also forgot to raise his eyebrow after his promo. Amateurs. …

Mr. Kennedy is returning to Raw next week. I didn’t even realize he was gone. …

Call me crazy, but I’m looking forward to Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes defending the world tag-team titles against Carlito and Santino Marella. …

Do you think it was a coincidence that Jim Ross said this is “the enhanced version of Monday Night Raw” during the divas’ segment? Me either.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

WWE's publicity stunt has turned out better than it ever could have imagined.

The company had invited Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to settle their differences in the ring tonight during a three-hour edition of Raw. Most fans were expecting two impersonators to show up, much like the infamous Donald Trump-Rosie O'Donnell match last year.

Instead, the real Obama, Clinton and Republican John McCain will all address the WWE audience tonight via taped messages, according to a WWE news release.

This is a win-win situation. WWE gains exposure and credibility, and the candidates, by appearing on a wrestling program, show that they have a sense of humor and are not elitists. They also get a forum to deliver their messages to a young demographic that otherwise might not have been listening.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

I appreciate those who posted a comment or sent me an e-mail saying that they got a chuckle out of this morning’s post, in which I imagined what would happen if Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton accepted WWE’s invitation to appear on Raw tomorrow night.

Obviously, my intent was just to have a little fun with the absurd idea of the two presidential candidates settling their differences in the ring – which is what WWE has proposed.

It seems that not everyone got the joke, however.

I have received quite a few comments from people passionately defending their candidate and denouncing what they perceived as a negative portrayal of him or her. Some even attempted to engage in a serious political debate.

Don’t get me wrong. Next to pro wrestling, politics is one of my favorite subjects to discuss. But there is a time and place for serious discourse on the election, and that place isn’t on Raw or on this blog. For that reason, I have chosen not to post any comments from people who didn’t take the post in the vein in which it was intended.

Some people even claimed that they could tell my political leanings by the satirical piece. Believe me, those who know me well will find that especially funny. I have no problem poking fun at both parties – although, with President Bush, it’s like shooting fish in a barrel at this point.

OK, now that I’ve offended both sides, let’s move on.

***

To follow up on a post from last week, I will be discussing pro wrestling on The Rob Long Show on WNST (1570 AM) every Wednesday at 3 p.m. beginning this week. The segments will be archived on WNST.net.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

It could be a historic episode of Raw tomorrow night, as WWE has invited Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to settle their differences in the squared circle during the three-hour edition of the show.

Will they accept WWE’s offer? Highly unlikely. But, in all seriousness, I think it would be smart for the candidates to think outside the box and at least send along a taped message. It would show that they have a sense of humor and don’t take themselves too seriously, which just might get them over with some undecided voters.

I’m sure there are some wrestling fans rolling their eyes at WWE’s obvious publicity stunt, but I think it’s pretty clever. WWE already has received some press coverage on the company’s invitation to the candidates, and it will likely get more based on whatever happens – or doesn’t happen – on the show. It’s all about getting the company’s name out there and trying to lure new viewers to sample the product.

To add to the hype, the makers of the WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 game have produced a video simulating what could happen if Obama and Clinton square off.

I have come up with my own scenario of what would happen if the two Democratic heavyweights show up tomorrow night in Greenville, S.C., for Raw:

Obama comes to the ring first and soaks up the cheers of the crowd for about 30 seconds before dramatically raising the microphone to his mouth.

“Finally, Barack has come back to Greenville!” he says.

The charismatic Obama talks some smack about Clinton, and then waits for her to make her entrance. At that point, Bill Clinton appears on the stage, and he’s pushing Hillary in a wheelchair. She appears to be in a catatonic state.

Bill helps her into the ring and seats her back in the wheelchair, as Obama looks confused. Bill explains that Hillary caught him in the divas’ locker room earlier and she was livid. Bill says he couldn’t calm her down, so when she wasn’t looking, he slipped some sedatives into her water. He says that Vince McMahon told him that’s how he should handle a wife who meddles in his affairs. “I just wish Vince would have told me that about 10 years ago,” Bill says.

Obama then declares that he is the winner of the match by default. Suddenly, Hillary rises from the wheelchair and kicks Bill below the belt, sending the former president crumbling to the mat. “Oh, man, I feel your pain,” Obama says as he clutches his own lower abdomen.

Hillary picks up a microphone and explains that she got some advice on how to handle a philandering husband from Linda McMahon, so she only pretended to drink the spiked water.

“And now you’re next,” she says to Obama. He takes a defensive stance and tries to reason with her. Obama says he doesn’t think they should fight because they are really on the same side. He extends his hand as a gesture of friendship.

Hillary hesitates, unsure of whether to trust him. Finally, she shakes his hand, and then the two candidates raise each other’s arms in a show of solidarity.

All of a sudden, Obama decks Hillary, knocking her out cold.

“You see, Hillary,” he says standing over her, “it’s like I’ve been telling you all along. I’m all about change.”

He opens his clenched fist to reveal a roll of quarters.

Before walking off, Obama delivers one final line: “If you smell what Barack is cookin’!”

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Was I dreaming, or did TNA produce good episodes of Impact for four consecutive weeks? If I was dreaming, I sure got a wakeup call last night.

After an outstanding buildup to last Sunday’s Lockdown pay-per-view that featured a serious, MMA-influenced approach to the Kurt Angle-Samoa Joe main event, TNA reverted back to all of the nonsense that had made Impact almost unwatchable at times.

Among the lowlights: Almost every set of partners and allies weren’t getting along; Angle went back to being a funny guy; and there was way too much of Super Eric.

There is a lot of talent in TNA and it seemed like the company was heading in the right direction, which is what makes last night’s show so frustrating. It’s almost unfathomable that the same people responsible for the previous four shows also were responsible for this debacle.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

The program ended with Booker T. and Sting not getting along, with Booker acting heelish. That would have meant something if we hadn’t already seen friction among allies in segment after segment all night.

In case you missed the show, here are the others on the dissension list: Brother Ray and Brother Devon; Kip James and James Storm; and the entire women’s locker room. There also was implied tension between Kevin Nash and Samoa Joe, Black Machismo and Sonjay Dutt, and Christian and Rhino. …

Angle, who is at his best when he’s portrayed as an intense shooter, was sobbing again, this time because his private dressing room had been converted into a storage closet. …

Perhaps the best segment on the show featured a backstage confrontation that Christian Cage and Rhino had with Team 3-D. As usual, Brother Ray was great on the microphone. Like a typical bully, he challenged Rhino and Cage to a fight, and then had Kip James, Robert Roode and James Storm suddenly appear to back him up. …

After Black Machismo defeated Johnny Devine in a good match, Petey Williams attacked Machismo, cashed in his Feast of Fired briefcase and defeated Machismo for the X Division title. I wonder where TNA got the idea to have a briefcase with a contract for a title shot in it that the holder of the case could cash in at any time? …

NASCAR driver Hermie Sadler did commentary on the X Division match. I was waiting for him to say “Shazam!” or Golly, Sgt. Carter.” Ask your parents if you’re not old enough to get that one. On a serious note, Sadler and TNA are doing a good thing, as he said that the company will be donating a portion of its proceeds from merchandise sales to benefit Autism research. …

Awesome Kong retained the TNA women’s title against Roxxi Laveaux in a decent match. I liked that Laveaux got in a good amount of offense before losing. She can work and she seems to be over with the crowd at the Impact Zone. …

The team of Super Eric and Kaz defeated Tomko and A.J. Styles for the TNA tag-team titles, with Super Eric pinning Styles. You read that correctly. That in itself was bad enough. But then we had to go through this whole ordeal about whether the title change was valid. See, it was supposed to be Eric Young in the match, but since he claims he isn’t Super Eric, it was technically outside interference. Got all that? So then Jim Cornette stripped Super Eric and Kaz of the title. …

When dealing with the Super Eric/Eric Young silliness, Cornette must have been shooting when he apologized for all the stupidity on the program. The fans applauded that one. He also said, “I remember when I had a little dignity left.” As good as Cornette is as a performer, even he can’t get this stuff over. …

The hints that Kevin Nash is turning heel continued, as Samoa Joe did a promo and Nash appeared behind him and kept staring at the TNA world title belt. If a Samoa Joe-Nash title program is where this is heading, Nash at this stage of his career needs to put Joe over clean in the middle of the ring. …

During a promo, Kip James did the nWo’s “Down where? Down there” bit. If you’re going to use material from a decade ago, at least use your own. …

LAX did a promo that was barely intelligible, and then, for no apparent reason, Salinas began berating new backstage interviewer Lauren, who was trying not to laugh. Aren’t LAX supposed to be babyfaces? …

Two more reasons that I didn’t care for this show: It appears as if Crystal has been replaced, and there was no Curry Man. I don’t know what the deal is with Crystal, but she was the best of any of the female backstage interviewers that have been in TNA or WWE. Plus, she and Curry Man could really cut a rug together.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

This entry is for the old-timers (like myself).

Wladek “Killer” Kowalski, one of pro wrestling’s all-time great heels, is recovering in a physical rehabilitation center in Massachusetts after badly injuring his knees in three separate falls, according to a report on wrestlingfigs.com. Kowalski, 81, has been at the rehab facility since April 2 after a two-week stay in the hospital.

The report attributed the news of Kowalski’s condition to wrestling great Bruno Sammartino, a longtime in-ring rival of Kowalski’s who has been in contact with Kowalski’s wife.

Kowalski, a member of the WWE Hall of Fame and The Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame, wrestled from 1947 to 1977. He is most famous for a match in 1954 against Yukon Eric in which Eric’s ear was severed as the result of Kowalski’s kneedrop. Kowalski was a frequent challenger to Sammartino’s WWE title throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

After retiring from wrestling, he opened a wrestling school and trained people such as Triple H, Big John Studd, Chyna and Perry Saturn. In 1976, he and Studd formed a masked tag team known as The Executioners and won the WWE tag-team title.

Kowalski was in WWE — then known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation — when I first started following wrestling when I was 6 and believed it was real. Kowalski, a menacing figure at about 6 feet 7 and 275 pounds, was the only wrestler that actually frightened me. I still remember watching him wrestle Tony Garea at the Baltimore Civic Center around 1974 and believing that Garea might not make it out of the ring alive. I took the “Killer” moniker literally because Kowalski was so good at being bad.

I wish Kowalski well in his recovery.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

So Mike Adamle is now doing play-by-play on ECW. As Joey Styles used to say, “Oh my God!”

There’s no denying that WWE does a lot of things right. That’s why 2007 was the company’s best year ever in terms of total revenue. When it comes to choosing announcers, however, WWE has been in a slump recently.

If having Jonathan Coachman do color commentary on Smackdown isn’t bad enough, we now have Adamle on ECW. The change was announced last night at the beginning of ECW, as Tazz said that Styles had been promoted and will now oversee WWE.com.

If this is really a promotion for Styles, then I suppose it’s a good move for him. For viewers of ECW, not so good.

Although Adamle is a veteran broadcaster, he hasn’t looked comfortable on camera since his inauspicious WWE debut at the Royal Rumble, when he referred to Jeff Hardy as “Jeff Harvey.” Last night, Adamle again seemed tentative and didn’t know the names of moves. He also had a few groan-inducing moments, such as when he said, “Kofi Kingston is Jamaican me crazy,” and, on a pin attempt, “Uno, dos, adios.”

I realize that WWE, like most of the entertainment world, strongly considers whether someone has the right look when it comes to hiring on-air talent. But as far as wrestling fans are concerned, they would much rather have someone like Jim Ross, who admits that he has not-ready-for-prime-time looks, call a match than someone like Adamle, who brings nothing to the wrestling announce table other than good hair.

***

Since we’re on the subject of on-air talent -- or lack thereof -- I will be calling in to The Rob Long Show on WNST (1570 AM) every week to discuss the latest news in pro wrestling. The day and time isn’t set yet, but I’ll pass it along when I know for sure. Once we get underway, the segments will be archived on WNST.net.

Two more shameless plugs: I was on the Between The Ropes show last week discussing a variety of wrestling topics. The show has been archived and can be found at BetweenTheRopes.com. Also, I will be previewing Backlash on the Monday Night Mayhem show on Monday at 8 p.m. You can listen live at MondayNightMayhem.com.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Unless WWE is pulling a major swerve, Chris Jericho is about to embrace his inner heel again.

It was hinted at last week on Raw when he was stirring the pot during the interview segment with Shawn Michaels and Batista. Last night on Raw, Jericho was even more heelish.

First, he interrupted another strong promo by Michaels by coming out to Ric Flair’s entrance music, which naturally elicited a chorus of boos from the crowd. Then, in trying to goad Michaels into admitting that he retired Flair to satisfy his own ego, Jericho recited Michaels’ past transgressions, including the fact that he had conspired against Bret Hart in Montreal in ’97. After Michaels had heard enough, he gave Jericho a superkick that looked as if it legitimately caught him square on the chin.

Later in the show, Jericho successfully defended the Intercontinental title against Umaga by scoring the pinfall with his feet on the ropes.

I enjoyed the interaction between Jericho and Michaels, who are two of my favorite performers, and I’m looking forward to them reviving their rivalry.

It was announced that Jericho will be the guest referee in the Michaels-Batista match at the Backlash pay-per-view on April 27 at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore. It sure seems like Jericho will be turning against Michaels at that show. Raw could use another good heel, and Jericho always is entertaining whether he’s a heel or a face.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

It was a nice surprise to see Mickie James defeat Beth Phoenix for the WWE women’s title. I just wish WWE would have followed through on the story line of James chasing Phoenix, with the title change occurring at WrestleMania XXIV. It would have meant a lot more. Instead, we got a lackluster women’s tag-team match at WrestleMania and Snoop Dogg making out with Maria. …

I feared for the worst when Randy Orton landed badly on his head and neck from a suplex by William Regal. I’m amazed that he wasn’t seriously hurt and was able to finish the match. I also was surprised at how much offense Regal got in. I know he was wrestling in front of his countrymen, but I don’t think the Raw general manager should be able to physically dominate the WWE champion. …

The main event between Triple H and JBL whetted my appetite for a singles program between them. They’re both strong characters, and I’m sure the promos would be great. …

When JBL and Orton double-teamed Triple H after the match, it was pretty obvious that one of the heels was going to turn on the other, and it ended up being JBL who laid out both guys. It sounded like the fans were expecting to see John Cena make the save, but he did not appear on the show. …

Carlito and Santino Marella versus Paul London and Brian Kendrick was a good-but-short, fast-paced match. Carlito and Marella prevailed in the bout, which was to determine the No. 1 contenders to the tag-team title. I would love to see Carlito and Marella get a run as tag-team champions, although those belts don’t really mean much at this point.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

As far back as two years ago, the question was when, not if, Samoa Joe would become TNA world champion. One could argue that TNA crossed the fine line between building interest in Joe’s chase for the title and waiting too long to pull the trigger.

Joe finally captured the title last night when he defeated Kurt Angle at the Lockdown pay-per-view. The match, which was booked as a hybrid of MMA and pro wrestling, was the payoff to a fantastic buildup the past few weeks on Impact. By putting over Joe clean, Angle made good on something he told me in an interview two weeks ago.

“I’m the top guy and I’m not stopping anyone from coming up and taking my place. I want somebody to come up and take my place,” he said. “Me and [Samoa] Joe are going to have a great match on pay-per-view. I want him to look better than I look so that his value goes up.”

The real question is whether Samoa Joe is the right guy to be given an opportunity to take Angle’s place. Personally, I’m not sold on the idea.

As I stated earlier, it was obvious the way Joe was pushed from his first day in TNA that he was being groomed to be the top guy. And perhaps when Jeff Jarrett was dominating the title scene and TNA was lacking for star power, a favorite of “smart” fans such as Joe was a good choice to be the “chosen one.” But everything changed when Angle left WWE for TNA.

Angle gave TNA instant credibility. When he won the TNA title last June, the company was able to argue for the first time in its existence that its world champion was superior to WWE’s two world champions. I would have kept the title on Angle for a long time until someone special came along who was worthy of having his career made by defeating Angle. As great as the buildup to last night’s match was, I’m just not sure that Joe is that guy.

I know there are a lot of people who will disagree with me, but I just don’t see Samoa Joe in the same league as Kurt Angle. It seems kind of ludicrous that the guy who defeated everyone from “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, to The Rock, to The Undertaker, to Shawn Michaels, to Brock Lesnar, to John Cena, loses to Samoa Joe.

It’s not that I don’t respect Joe. I like that he works “strong style” and I don’t doubt his work ethic or that he’s a tough guy. But he doesn’t look like a superstar and his promos are nothing special. I just don’t think he has that “it” factor, that larger-than-life quality that a world champion should have.

Joe was a great choice to be the Ring of Honor champion and he’s over with the hardcore TNA audience, so he definitely deserves a good spot on the card. But I don’t think TNA will be able to achieve its goal of hooking casual fans with him as the face of the company.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

This is the last of five interviews I conducted with TNA talent backstage at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., before the Impact taping on March 28:

Can you talk about the growth you have seen in TNA since you’ve been in the company and where you see things headed?

Yeah, it’s amazing. I came in a little under three years ago and we didn’t even have a TV deal. They were working on it, and Spike jumped aboard and the relationship to my knowledge has been great. The future looks great for the company. It’s growing each day, as far as the departments – whether it’s merchandise or the promotional team or just in the office. They’re hiring people because we’re growing so fast – the international market is just exploding and the fan base over here. We’re running a lot of live events. I think we have 70 to 80 right now this year, and they’re adding more shows as we speak. Dixie [Carter, TNA owner] doesn’t want to go on the road as much as our competition because she wants us to have a family life, too. But we’ve got to take the wrestling to the fans. We can’t expect them to come down to Orlando or wherever we’re having our pay-per-views – 12 different venues a year.

What else do you think TNA has to do to get to the next level and become legitimate competition for WWE?

I think raising my pay a lot (laughs). I think we’re on the right track. It’s exploding. Obviously, when other wrestlers’ contracts come up with other companies or some wrestlers want to come back from Japan, certain moves will help out the company as far as signing guys. The guys that we have under contract like Shark Boy – I’m a big fan of his. The stuff he’s doing, it’s great. All the guys here are elevating themselves. They’re given an opportunity and they’re taking advantage of it. So that raises the product. If some people do become part of the TNA team that aren’t with us now, I’m sure they’ll be a team player and help the company, and that will help the growth, too.

When WWE revived the ECW brand, you had an opportunity to go back there, but you decided to stay in TNA. Why?

I didn’t want to go on the road that much. I really saw the growth in TNA starting, and they gave me an opportunity when they really didn’t need to. But they knew my talent and what I can bring to the table. I kind of felt like, OK, I didn’t really want to go on the road that much at that point in my life – and that was almost two years ago when I re-signed. I saw the future looking bright for TNA, and I was right, because we’re sitting here talking about the growth of the company. So, I decided to re-sign with TNA and I’m happy that I did.

What is your impression of WWE’s version of ECW?

To be honest with you, I haven’t really watched it. That’s not a good thing. I’m not saying that to say, “Oh, I don’t want to watch the competition.” You have to watch the competition because maybe you’ll learn something. It’s good to keep an eye on the competition and it’s good to keep an eye on new upcoming wrestlers because you might be wrestling them in the ring one day. I really haven’t see too much of the show, but it would never be the same when Vince [McMahon] bought it. I knew that from the beginning. I’m not saying good or bad, but I knew it just wouldn’t be the same. Because back then you had young guys that weren’t getting paid, some were getting paid very little and some were getting paid pretty decent. But it was just a different atmosphere.

It was kind of like you’ve got a nice nightclub, and then you’ve got that dirty, dingy nightclub. Back then it was that dirty, dingy nightclub. Now it’s a nice nightclub. You can’t knock Vince because you can learn a lot from him if you watch him. Look at what he made wrestling. He took it from territories to an international product. I honestly believe if Vince didn’t do what he did then, TNA wouldn’t be here. It might be a little territory, but it wouldn’t have that opportunity to become an international company like it is.

Is there anybody in TNA that you haven’t worked with yet that you would like to have a program with at some point?

No, just put them out there and I’ll kick their [butt]. See, I said that to sound tough. I think it did. You know, there’s so much talent in this locker room. Petey Williams, Scott Steiner, Kurt Angle, Black Machismo, A.J. Styles, Sonjay Dutt – the talent list is just so incredible. I’d like to wrestle some of the X Division guys. I’ve been in the ring with Samoa Joe, and that guy’s tough, I’ll tell you that. There’s Kurt [Angle], and Christian [Cage] – I enjoyed getting in the ring with him. Like I said, the talent list is incredible. I couldn’t pick just one person. I’d have to give you the whole roster (laughs).

You’ve done two Elevation X matches. How nerve-wracking is it to be wrestling that high up?

It’s not being up there. It’s when it’s over and you know you can walk away from it, whether you’re climbing down or whether you fall. What people really don’t understand is that a match like that … you really can’t predict anything. Honest to God truth: If you fall two feet and land on you head wrong, you can break your neck and die or you can break your neck and be paralyzed. Nobody will understand unless they get up there. Kids, don’t wrestle at home and try this stuff. Don’t jump off of roofs. It’s not going to get you a job in pro wrestling. Actually, promotions like TNA and WWE look down on that so don’t even do it, because it’s stupid and you’ll get hurt eventually. A buddy of mine’s little brother broke his neck when he was 14 back in ’96 – paralyzed from the chest down. He was wrestling in the backyard, did a back flip and landed on his head.

With the Elevation X match, I think three weeks before the match last year and this year it’s just like, “Am I marching to my death?” Really, that’s what you think. One slip, one wrong move and it could be over. I would try not to think about it, but it was always in my mind and would always come up. It seems stupid to say, but it seemed like the war drums were beating and they got louder and louder getting to the event. So I’m glad I climbed down both years (laughs).

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Q&As
        

What a difference two months makes. Back in February, I was writing about what a horrible job TNA did to build interest for the Against All Odds pay-per-view. Last night, however, in the final episode of Impact before Sunday’s Lockdown pay-per-view, TNA did a fantastic job of hyping the show and making the Kurt Angle-Samoa Joe match for the TNA world title seem like an epic confrontation.

It’s really just Booking 101, but the company seemed to have a difficult time grasping the concept – and the low buy rates have reflected that difficulty. I would be surprised if TNA doesn’t see an increase in buys for Lockdown.

The promos and video packages for the Angle-Joe match have been tremendous. The serious tone and MMA-influenced build are far superior to how the match was booked the last time these two met on pay-per-view, when Karen Angle was an integral part of the feud and her heel turn was predictable. It’s nice to see the focus entirely on the two competitors in the main event and not some cliffhanger about which side this guy or that guy is on.

In addition to Angle-Joe, TNA also did a nice job of promoting several other matches on Sunday's card, specifically Team Cage vs. Team Tomko, Robert Roode and Payton Banks vs. Booker T. and Sharmell, B.G. James vs. Kip James and the Queen of the Cage women’s match.

I would love to hear from the TNA fans out there. Do you like the new creative direction, or do you prefer an emphasis on comedy, skits and soap opera-like drama?

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

Having Angle and Joe both wear suits for the contract signing added to the big-match aura. It also was a nice touch to end the segment with the two rivals shaking hands rather than the typical pull-apart or physical confrontation. …

Kevin Nash’s promo, in which he said he is in wrestling strictly for the money and that he will always go where the money is, seemed to suggest a heel turn. If he isn’t turning, then that sure is an odd motivation for a babyface. …

Brother Ray and Christian Cage both cut very good promos in the opening segment. Ray actually comes across more like the leader of his team than Tomko, who really has lost steam as a character since his ill-advised heel turn. …

In the tag-team main event between Team 3-D and Nash and Sting, it looked as if Tomko and A.J. Styles were supposed to break up Nash’s pin attempt, but their run-in was a split-second too late. …

I still like the idea of the “Rough Cuts” segments with B.G. James and Kip James, and I hope TNA uses this feature to get over other angles moving forward. However, while B.G. did a great job of making his comments seem like a shoot, Kip again hurt the segment by giving a wrestling promo. I had to chuckle when Kip started talking about wanting to be the world champion, but I guess if David Arquette and Vince Russo could be the world champion, anyone can. …

Consequences Creed was impressive in his debut and will infuse some new blood into the X Division. However, Carlito called and wants his hairdo back. …

It was kind of funny to see the young girls almost in tears when Scott Steiner was cutting Petey Williams’ hair. Steiner with a pair of scissors was a scary sight, but not quite as scary as Sid Vicious. …

Although the Motor City Machine Guns lost to Steiner and Williams, they looked great in defeat. Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley are the most exciting tag team in wrestling. I would love to see them wrestle Paul London and Brian Kendrick. …

ODB is getting better on promos. It’s either that or else I’m just becoming more used to her style…

Roxxi Laveaux debuted a spine-jarring new finisher in her win over Angelina Love. Having Laveaux lose all the scary makeup was a good call. …

Gail Kim was right when she said in an interview with me two weeks ago that TNA does a great job of giving its women distinctive looks and gimmicks as compared to WWE. There’s a reason why women’s matches are often the highest-rated segment on Impact, while they are bathroom breaks on WWE shows. …

I know we’re not supposed to take the Super Eric character too seriously, but if the idea is that Eric Young doesn’t want anyone to know it’s him behind the mask, shouldn’t he refrain from wearing tights that have his moniker of “Showtime” on the back. Or maybe that’s done on purpose because the Young character is so goofy. …

My biggest beef with this episode: No Curry Man and Crystal dancing together.

Note: My Q&A with Rhino will be posted sometime this weekend.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Regarding the Q&A with Kevin Nash that I posted this morning, I have been asked why I didn’t ask Nash about our mutual experiences in WCW, including the time I requested an interview with him for a cover story in WCW Magazine and he rudely declined (although he did agree to it later after Vince Russo asked him to), which I have written about. I just thought it best not to go there, and my interview time with him was very limited anyway.

Here’s how the whole thing went down in Orlando, Fla. I had given Ross Forman, who does publicity for TNA and also worked for WCW when I was there, a list of five or six TNA personalities to interview at Universal Studios before the Impact taping, and he said he would try to get as many as he could. Because they were taping the show that day, each interview was kept to about 10 minutes or so (Kurt Angle went longer because he said he had the time to extend it).

Nash was not one of the people I requested, so to say I was surprised when he walked through the door would be an understatement. Having no time to prepare questions, I just asked him some things off the top of my head. Plus, I literally had 5 minutes with him because the taping was just about to begin.

To my surprise, he never mentioned anything about WCW and was as friendly as could be, even making small talk briefly after the interview and asking me about where I was living and about The Wire, the HBO series that is set in Baltimore. I also saw him at the end of the night and he acknowledged me on my way out.

When I look back now on what was really the only time I interacted with him in WCW, it could have been that he was just having a bad day and I probably made more out of it than it really was. I have a strong feeling that the incident resonated with me — mostly because the majority of people that I have dealt with in wrestling have been so accommodating, including mega-stars such as Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Ric Flair and even honchos such as Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff — then it did with Nash, who might not even remember it.

I still have issues with Nash’s backstage politics, but I have let go of “the incident.”

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

This is the fourth of five interviews I conducted with TNA talent backstage at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., before the Impact taping on March 28:

You’ve had more of an in-ring role in TNA in recent months. Is that something that TNA initiated or is it something that you pitched to them?

I think it was mutual. I think that my contract was up and they were hoping that I’d be more of an in-ring personality than out-of-ring. So, I said I’d give it a shot and see how my body felt, and it’s worked out – knock on wood – so far (laughs). And I’m actually having fun, which is the key.

How much longer do you see yourself still doing this?

I don’t know. When you’re a wrestler, I think they have to drive a stake in your heart.

No one ever really retires, right?

No, they don’t. I think they just either slow down or get so many parts replaced that you just can’t do it anymore. But, actually right now I feel good. The schedule is light enough where, even though after three days I feel like hell, I’ve usually got like 13 or 14 days to get my body back. If I was working house shows I couldn’t do it.

How disappointing was it for you on a personal level when Scott Hall came back toward the end of last year and ended up no-showing the Turning Point pay-per-view?

My relationship with Scott – wrestling is probably like one percent of what our relationship is. I knew that if Scott no-showed that he was in trouble. While everybody else was running around concerned that they couldn’t put the match together, I was concerned about my buddy’s well-being. I was very upset about it, but Scott’s Scott. He’s dealing with those issues now and he’s doing better.

You were instrumental in getting both he and Sean Waltman some help, correct?

Yeah. I mean, we’re like brothers, all of us. I think it’s just that we’ve spent so much time together that when one of us shows up at the door, it’s kind of like, “Oh God, my big brother’s here.” And I’m not going to come do it unless you’re screwing up. And if you’re screwing up, it’s like, “OK, you’ve got to take care of this.” The three of us have a really good relationship, as I do with Shawn [Michaels] and Paul [Levesque, aka Triple H]. [Hall and Waltman] have just had a bad year (laughs). But I think in the long run this will probably be the most productive year both have had in a long time.

You mentioned Shawn Michaels, and on his DVD he talked about how you confronted him as well several years ago and told him he needed to straighten up, especially being a husband and a father now. It seems like you’ve always been the steady one who was there for everyone when they were struggling.

I don’t know. I mean, when we all went out, I drove. I was kind of the dad. I drove most of the miles. They used to say, even when we were pretty screwed up, “You’re the heaviest – you drive! You’ve got more body weight.” For three years, we spent 300 days a year together, in an environment that wasn’t really advantageous to proper living. I look back and I just say, “Of all the guys who have passed, it’s a miracle that the four of us made it through that.” But I think it’s because we did watch out for each other, and we always pulled back the reins and kept an eye on each other, and would say, “Dude, you’re out of control.” I think that’s why we’re all still here.

The next TNA Q&A will be with Rhino.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Q&As
        

This is the third of five interviews I conducted with TNA talent backstage at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., before the Impact taping on March 28:

Were you a wrestling fan growing up, and if so, who were some of the people that you were influenced by?

Yeah, I was a wrestling fan growing up. Probably around the age of 7 or 8 I started watching wrestling. Growing up in Canada, the wrestling that I got to see was all WWF stuff, watching guys like Hulk Hogan, “Macho Man” and guys of that nature. I was a hockey player growing up, and, of course, living in Canada, I always wanted to be a professional hockey player. In the back of my mind I knew that someday I always wanted to try professional wrestling.

Probably around the age of 18 or 19, I got to a certain level in hockey and I knew I really wasn’t going to go any farther, and I really wanted to get into professional wrestling. Fortunately for me, I was friends with Val Venis. So before he actually signed with the WWE, I started doing a little bit of training with him, and from there it slowly but surely took off. He basically broke me in and taught me a little bit of stuff. From there, his partner at the time who was in Puerto Rico, “Glamour Boy” Shane Sewell, who is also Canadian, took over my training. And the rest is history.

You actually had some WWE dark matches early in your career. What did you take from that experience?

It was a real eye-opener. Really, my first match was in June 1998, and I did my first dark match in probably the fall of ’98. So, I didn’t have very many matches under my belt at the time. I was just in the right place at the right time and it was a real eye-opener, but it was a great experience. It made me learn different things about the business and see the stars that you see on TV, how they handle themselves professionally backstage and how they prepare for matches and so on. I had probably – between ’98 and the time I came to TNA in 2004 – close to a dozen dark matches or TV matches with WWE.

Who came up with the Robert Roode character, and how much input do you have in the direction of the character?

Coming off of the Team Canada split, the whole Robert Roode character coming from Wall Street and the money and stuff was really Vince Russo’s idea, and Dutch Mantel kind of ran with it and made it his own. As far as my input goes, the good thing about TNA and the creative team here is that they like to listen to the talent’s input. It’s kind of a team effort.

You seem to have good chemistry with Traci Brooks, especially when you’re on opposite sides. To say your character treats her character poorly would be an understatement. Is it difficult to be as nasty to her on camera as you are?

That’s the best thing about being in professional wrestling for me, because the person you see on TV every week is completely different than the guy you see at the grocery store or getting gas. Traci and I are both Canadian and we go back before TNA. We’ve known each other for many years. What happens in the ring and on TV stays on TV and we just kind of laugh about it. She’s real professional. She’s a very good valet and a very good on-screen talent. I had a lot of fun working with her. The whole angle with her and “Showtime” Eric Young was one of the most enjoyable angles I’ve ever done.

You mentioned that the guy fans see on TV is different than the guy they see at the grocery store. There was a time in this business when heels were actually shot at and stabbed. The character you play is not a “cool heel” and doesn’t really have any redeeming qualities. Do you ever get an over-the-top negative reaction when you’re out in public from people who have trouble separating what they see on TV from who you are?

It’s never gotten to the extreme where people throw things at me in public or come up and say anything mean to me. But the people that come up for autographs are a little bit timid around me. When we do fan interaction stuff, people are very polite and kind of shy even to get an autograph because I think they take the persona they see on TV and translate that into real life. That’s good in a way because I’m an old-school guy when it comes to the business.

I don’t want to be a cool heel. I want the Robert Roode character to be hated, and I think that’s what makes the Robert Roode character unique right now in professional wrestling. All over the business, whether it’s here, WWE or wherever it is, you’re always going to have the heels that get cheered. If I had it my way, and the majority of the time it is the case, I don’t have any cheers and people really do hate me. So that makes me feel like I’m doing my job.

What has it been like for you to work with a guy as respected and accomplished as Booker T.?

It’s been great. We’ve been working together now pretty much since he’s come to the company. It’s been pretty close to five months now heading into Lockdown. It’s been a great experience for me. I’ve learned so much from him. I grew up watching him in Harlem Heat and seen what he’s accomplished in his career in WCW, and even recently in the WWE. It’s an honor for me to be able to get in the ring with him.

I think the story that we’ve gotten to with Sharmell and myself has really taken off and it’s almost got a dramatic feel to it. It’s a little different than what you normally see on wrestling shows. It’s almost like a real life situation and I think people are really interested in it. He’s probably one of the top professional guys inside and outside of the ring. I’m learning not only how to handle myself in the ring with him, but also learning how to handle myself outside of the ring as businessman. I’m real fortunate to be able to work with him.

People who have been watching TNA for a few years have seen you gradually climb the ladder from Team Canada to where you are now. It seems like you are right on the cusp of main events. What do you need to do to get to that next level?

Just keep working and doing the best I can. Whatever the creative team throws at me, just try to make it the best and make my segment the best on the show. Keep creating that heel heat that I have. And as long as I keep working with great babyfaces and great workers like Booker T. and Christian and keep myself in that upper echelon of guys, I think it’ll get me there. I just have to be patient, and I think in the end it’s going to pay off.

The next TNA Q&A will be with Kevin Nash.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Q&As
        

This is the second of five interviews I conducted with TNA talent backstage at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., before the Impact taping on March 28:

Why do you think the TNA women’s division has caught on with fans the way it has?

I think when we started this division, expectations were really low. Not to knock anything, but women’s wrestling at that time was pretty much at a lull. There was not much going on except for a lot of T&A – pardon the pun (laughs). I think that the fans wanted to see something different. True wrestling fans love a great wrestling match. And when the expectations are kind of low, it’s not hard to please, but I think we’ve really worked hard and we’ve shown the fans that we’re passionate about the business, that we want to entertain them, and they really truly appreciate us and it’s not all about just looks.

Was it frustrating for you before there was a women’s division in TNA to basically be a valet? You got some spots in, but you weren’t actually wrestling much.

Yeah, it was so frustrating for me, because I appreciated the position in the company, but they knew from before I signed the contract that I wanted wrestle, and that’s what I perceived myself as – a wrestler not a manager. Normally, with girls that I know in the business, they start off managing and then they become a wrestler, or they just stay as a manager who can wrestle, but I was always a wrestler. It was hard to go from being all of the action to being just part of the action. It’s hard to be out there with the guys and watch them do what you love and you can’t be in that position.

There have been rumors that TNA is considering having a separate TV show devoted exclusively to the women’s division. Is there any truth to that?

I’ve heard rumors that they want that to happen, and I think that’s a great thing. If it can succeed, I think it’s great for women’s wrestling, because I think we’ve changed the minds of a lot of people, including people in the company. A lot of fans have already e-mailed me and said they would definitely watch it. I just know that all-girls shows don’t have a really good track record of succeeding, but I think we could do it.

I’ve never understood what WWE was thinking when it released you. How surprised were you when it happened? Did that come out of left field?

Yeah, it really did. I remember us talking about a brand new story line at that time that was with me, Trish [Stratus] and Lita, and I actually went in the pre-tape room the day before. And then at Raw that night I did a run-in to start that whole angle, and then the very next day I got the phone call. So, yeah, I was shocked. Johnny Ace [John Laurinaitis, WWE senior vice president of talent relations] called me and basically said that I was released. And then he just tried to hang up (laughs). I wasn’t even upset; I was just in shock, I think. I said, “Hold on, hold on. Can I get a reason for this?” He just said that they wanted to change the direction of the women’s division. And they did; he didn’t lie about that. But everything happens for a reason, and I would never have accomplished everything that I have to this day if that never happened.

Every great babyface needs a great heel to work with, and for you, that’s Awesome Kong. What has it been like working with her?

Very physical. Like I’ve gotten hit by a truck after a match (laughs). This is the one angle or feud that I’ve been involved in that I’m very, very proud of, and I’m pretty hard on myself when it comes to my work. It’s the perfect David and Goliath feud, I guess you could say. She’s an amazing heel; she is a monster. I love the physicality. She came from working in Japan all those years, and I love it.

Who were the women wrestlers that influenced you or that you looked up to?

I watched wrestling as a kid when I was younger, and then I kind of fell out of it, and then I started watching it again around my early 20s. At that time, WWE’s women’s division was just starting to form, and it was Trish, Jazz, Victoria, and I really just loved watching Molly Holly and really admired her, the way she moved in the ring and her work ethic. And then I got to meet her and she’s actually the one who gave me my break in the business, so that was cool. She’s a really good person.

If you could sum it up, what distinguishes TNA knockouts from WWE divas?

I think those girls are very hot and they look great and everything, but I think to succeed in this business you need to have the passion. A lot of girls that are in our company took it upon themselves to go get trained and learn about the business and pay their dues. If the fans watch our show, they can say, “Oh, that’s Awesome Kong, she’s this character. And ODB’s that nutty, crazy character, and Roxxi Laveaux is the gypsy character.” We have characters and we all have our own distinctive look. I think a lot of the time when you just see a lot of beautiful girls it kind of just all blends in together. You want something about yourself to stand out.

The next TNA Q&A will be with Robert Roode.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Q&As
        

As he has done so many times in his career, Shawn Michaels stole the show again last night on Raw. This time, however, he did it with his words, not his actions.

After a verbal confrontation last Friday on Smackdown between Michaels and Batista, the two raised the intensity level when both were guests of Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel. All three men delivered strong performances in the segment, which focused on Batista’s anger at Michaels for ending Ric Flair’s career at WrestleMania XXIV.

Batista did his simmering, man-of-few-words thing, and Jericho was the guy stirring the pot and pushing both men’s buttons. It was Michaels, however, who really shined. He was very believable as a guy who felt he did the right thing, but still was remorseful. During the segment, he went from trying to defend his actions in a respectful manner to becoming agitated at having to explain himself to finally losing his temper.

This came off less like a wrestling angle and more like a real-life heated disagreement. At the conclusion of the segment, which set up a match between Michaels and Batista at the Backlash pay-per-view on April 27, Batista received some boos, but it didn’t come across like a heel turn. I’m not sure if that’s where things are headed, but I think it’s more compelling to keep both as babyfaces.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

A fatal four-way for the WWE title between champion Randy Orton, JBL, Triple H and John Cena was announced for Backlash. I was expecting it to be Orton versus Triple H for the title, and JBL versus Cena with the winner facing the champion at Judgment Day next month. I’m surprised they are doing a four-way right after doing a triple threat at WrestleMania. …

I had a really hard time trying to figure out the logic behind everyone’s motives in the main event that pitted Cena against Triple H and JBL in a handicap match. It would seem like the three men who were already guaranteed a spot in the match would do everything in their power to keep Cena out and increase their odds of winning, but that’s not what happened. …

Stop the presses: Santino Marella won a match! He actually scored the pinfall as he and Carlito defeated Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly. Marella’s big moment was marred, however, by Jerry Lawler’s insensitive remark about Marella’s love handles. …

I enjoyed WWE’s video package on Ric Flair’s farewell. I know some people are tired of the tearful tributes, but I’m not one of them. …

Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch aren’t getting along. A couple weeks ago, it was Paul London and Brian Kendrick who had some dissension. I thought for a second that I was watching Impact. …

Having some time off didn’t make Cryme Tyme any funnier.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

In the television listings today, the teaser for tonight’s Raw says: “After WrestleMania, what’s next for John Cena, Triple H and champion Randy Orton?”

I’m so glad they asked.

For Triple H and Orton, I think a title match between the two at the Backlash pay-per-view on April 27 in Baltimore would be in order. As for Cena, I would suggest something a little more dramatic.

It’s time for WWE to finally give in to the humanoids and turn Cena heel.

In the past, whenever a babyface got a strong negative reaction or a heel got a lot of cheers, the promotion listened to the fans and went with the flow. With Cena, WWE has defiantly gone against that conventional thinking.

I always agreed with Cena and others who said that a passionate reaction — whether it’s positive or negative — is better than no reaction, and I understand WWE’s reasoning for not turning him. It’s mostly guys that are booing Cena, while he is incredibly popular with kids and women, two important demographics for WWE.

Kids make up a large segment of the audience, and their parents buy Cena merchandise and tickets to house shows that Cena’s on. Women are often a difficult group to reach, so when they find an attraction that they are willing to pay to see, the company cannot ignore that. Turning him heel could hurt WWE in those demos.

For a while, it seemed like WWE had succeeded in getting the majority of the audience back on Cena’s side, especially when he was feuding with Edge. But it didn’t last, and the verbal assault on Cena is more vociferous now than ever.

The mean-spirited response he received at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony was the clincher for me. A response that spirited needs to translate into dollars. A heel Cena likely would mean a spike in ratings, pay-per-view buys and ticket sales, which could offset whatever WWE loses in merchandise sales.

A Cena turn also makes sense from a creative standpoint. Pro wrestling is in need of another “Oh my God, can you believe that happened?” moment, and there’s no doubt that Cena as a heel would create a buzz. Plus, he already has faced most of the top heels in the company, and his character is in need of a fresh direction.

Cena’s motivation for turning couldn’t be more obvious. All he has to say is that no matter how hard he tried to do the honorable thing, the fans hated him. “Now, I’m going to give you a reason to really hate me,” he would say. I could even see him going back to his roots and slipping into his rapper persona.

The keys to getting the most out of a Cena turn involve when and who. It should come out of nowhere, perhaps at the end of a Raw or on pay-per-view. And the wrestler he turns on needs to be a very popular and sympathetic babyface. Triple H and Shawn Michaels are possibilities, but the best candidates would be either a revered icon such as The Undertaker, or a rising superstar such as Jeff Hardy.

If WWE regains confidence in Hardy, he would be my choice. It would immediately make Hardy hot again, and it would make story line sense, especially if WWE wanted to incorporate elements of real life into the angle. Cena could be resentful of Hardy being so over with the fans despite not having his act together, while Cena has always walked the straight and narrow yet he gets no respect.

It’s not necessarily an original concept, but I’ll bet it would be a successful one. And if history is any indication, when Cena inevitably turns babyface again, he might be more popular than ever.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)
        

This is the first of five interviews I conducted with TNA talent backstage at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., before the Impact taping on March 28:

Your injury history has been well documented, but you seem to be doing well since signing with TNA. Is that the case, and if so, how much do you attribute it to the lighter schedule?

Yeah, I feel great. I haven’t felt this good in years. I actually got my weight down under 210. I’m in the best shape of my life since I wrestled in the Olympics. Thank God. I’m not going to BS anybody and say that I have a lighter schedule, because I don’t. I am on the road just as much, but I wrestle half as much. I try to do a lot more promotion. Anything to help promote TNA, whether it’s the television show, the pay-per-view, the video game, the action figures – whatever marketing thing that we’re going after, I’m always there promoting it. They keep me pretty busy from that aspect.

I also do a lot of interviews during the week and we do a lot of media days. Usually I’m the one who does the media days for the pay-per-views – usually but not always. I think we’re doing two days for me before Boston [site of the Lockdown pay-per-view on April 13]. I do a lot of autograph signings for the company. What that does is that brings in more revenue for them. The company gave me a great guaranteed deal, and I want to give back. I only wrestle so many dates, so they give me a certain amount of money per date, and by the end of the year my money doesn’t match my guarantee – I usually make a lot more than what I earned. So I do a lot of dates where I do autograph signings or promotions for TNA that makes up for it. I want to work for the company and work for the money. I don’t just want it handed to me. I like helping promote the company.

Being in TNA is way more exciting than WWE, because they’re established. They’re already a huge Fortune 500 company. They’re obviously the biggest wrestling company in the world. But TNA is making history. We were nothing five and a half years ago, and now we’re a wrestling power. We’re not at WWE’s level yet, but we’re going to get there. It’s fun being a part of it because I’m seeing it growing every week. Now, I feel like I actually have a purpose, instead of just being some top wrestler for a company, and basically all they wanted to do was wrestle me into the ground. Here I have a purpose, and that’s to make TNA the best possible company it can be, and it feels good. It feels good when you hear, “Hey, we did our highest rating this week.” And I’ve heard that a lot in the last year and a half or so.

We’re in 125 countries now, and I’ve already represented TNA over in Japan. I went over to Germany and England to set up our tours. I do all that stuff. I even went out to Vegas and went to a bunch of promoters to do house shows, and [TNA owner] Dixie Carter had me sell the shows. I explained to them why they should buy them. So they have used me more than just a talent, and it feels good. I’m helping them in every aspect. And I’m also helping them in a creative aspect, from a writer’s standpoint. They include me in on that and I like doing it.

One thing I don’t like is politics in wrestling. You’re going to have that, but here, if there are any, it’s very little. I’m the top guy and I’m not stopping anyone from coming up and taking my place. I want somebody to come up and take my place. In WWE it’s the opposite. Everybody is trying to keep everybody else down. I want everyone to come up to my level. Me and [Samoa] Joe are going to have a great match on pay-per-view. I want him to look better than I look so that his value goes up. That’s how we all are. We all want to make each other look good. It’s a lot different locker room than it is in WWE.

You actually answered several of my questions in your response. Let me shift gears and talk to you about your wife, Karen. Historically, this business has not been great for marriages, especially when the wife also becomes talent. Did you have any trepidation about her coming into the wrestling world?

When she did her first promo, I was blown away. I was thinking, “Wow, this girl is huge. She can make the company some money.” Jeff Jarrett came to me right afterward. He actually got out of the truck from directing, and we had just gotten backstage after doing the promo in the ring, and he said, “Kurt, she’s huge money.” I said, “Jeff, that’s the same thing I was thinking when I was in the ring with her.” He said, “Well, will she take a job?” “I said, “You’re going to have to ask her.” She said, “Sure, but I have to be home this many days a month. I can’t do house shows; I can only do TV and pay-per-view. Every once in a while, pay to have my kids come down and go to Disney World while I’m working and it’ll be great.” Thank God, it’s actually brought us closer together. We spend more time together, and it actually did the opposite of what it’s done in the past to others. It’s been great.

There’s been a lot of talk about you doing MMA. Is that still in your future, or is it too late at this point?

No, it isn’t [too late]. I just did a training session on Tuesday before I came here. I am in the process of signing an agreement to fight Randy Couture. We both signed a no-compete clause, which means the company that I’m not allowed to say who it is, signed us to a deal where we couldn’t go anywhere else to do this; we have to do it with this particular company. That’s the first step. The next step is signing the fight. And then after that it will be, instead of me training periodically, it will be me training more consistently. So, I’m open to it. If I’m going to do it, I don’t want any guys fed to me. In other words, I don’t need to make my name bigger in order to fight a top guy. I’m there already. I know my caliber of athleticism and what caliber of guy I want to go against – it’s Randy. I consider him one of the best fighters of all time. I think Randy and I would have a heck of a fight. We’re both very well-conditioned athletes.

It should be very exciting, but me wrestling fulltime and doing the fighting also, the advantage goes to Randy. He’s already established as a fighter. Even though I’m an Olympic gold medalist, it’s been years since I really competed. It’s just a matter of getting some training down. I’m not timid or scared of a large crowd – that’s not going to bother me. I’ve been in cages – I’m not worried about that. I know that when I get in there, I will be ready. Am I ready right now? No. I have to train to get ready. I’ve been working a lot on my technique more than anything. My conditioning will come down the road six weeks before the fight; that’s when I’ll really clamp down and train hard. As far as technique and stuff, that’s why I’m periodically going to the Pittsburgh Fight Club and training and making sure that I learn the proper technique so I don’t get myself in trouble.

You mentioned earlier about wanting to bring guys on the roster up to your level. Samoa Joe already has main-evented pay-per-views with you. Who are some others that you think will eventually rise up to the main-event level?

Actually, let’s talk about the guys. Samoa Joe isn’t there yet. If you’re going to put him on the same pedestal as me, I don’t think he’s quite there. Can he get there? Yeah. A.J. Styles, is he there? Not yet. He will get there. Robert Roode is a great example. He’s a guy that’s going to end up being a major big-time star. James Storm – another guy that’s mid-cardish right now that’s going to end up being a big star. Abyss, when he comes back, we’re actually going to back up and redo his whole character and make him more of a monster. He’s going to be a bigger star. We have a lot of talented kids. Kaz is another kid that I think is going to have a big future. He just needs to work a little bit more on his promo skills. The tag teams are great. The Motor City Machine Guns – even if you split them up and let them go singles, they are exciting and they’re fun to watch; they have so much talent.

Right now, the established guys are me, Kevin Nash, Christian Cage, Sting and Booker T. I’d say that’s the first level. And then you’ve got Abyss, Samoa Joe and A.J. Styles that are right there. And Tomko, I forgot about him. So those guys are right about ready to make it. And the guys right under them are James Storm, Robert Roode. Even guys like Eric Young. Even though his character is somewhat of a goofball, he’s a great wrestler and people love him. As silly as his character is, people love that kid and he’s very talented. Our X Division is incredible and doesn’t get the credit it deserves. I like wrestling those guys in the X Division. I don’t get to do it enough, but when we do I have a lot of fun.

It’s weird, because WWE has five hours of programming a week, and when I was up there, I’d be looking around and thinking, “There’s really nobody left for me to work with.” I came down here and I was like, “Wow, I can work with this guy, this guy, this guy, this guy – it seemed like the list went on and on.” I know there are some guys that are even under the guys that I mentioned, but eventually they’re going to get there. I want to wrestle those guys. One guy that’s getting over really big, and his character is a little bit off the wall, is Black Machismo. He’s doing a great job. I guess in TNA there’s a little bit of something for everybody. We have a lot of different characters and stuff like that, but one thing we do have is really good wrestlers.

After your in-ring career ends – whenever that is – do you want to stay involved in the business in some capacity?

I will stay with TNA definitely, and I mean this with all my heart, for at least the next 10 years. Whether it’s wrestling, agent, producer, even helping out with promotion, I’ll be here the next 10 years; I’m not going anywhere. I want to see it all the way through. I don’t want to bow out before this company is head to head with WWE, and it’s going to happen eventually. It’s happened before in the past with WCW and WWF, and it’s going to happen again with TNA and WWE. And God willing, it happens while I’m still wrestling. But if I’m not, and it’s six or seven years from now and I’m retired, I will still be in the company in some capacity.

The next TNA Q&A will be with Gail Kim.

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Here is a short interview I conducted with WWE star Mick Foley on the red carpet at the WWE Circle of Champions event last Saturday in Orlando, Fla.

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Categories: Video interviews
        

Here is a short interview I conducted with WWE diva Mickie James on the red carpet at the WWE Circle of Champions event last Saturday in Orlando, Fla.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 9:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Video interviews
        

Ric Flair has cut some of the greatest promos in the history of wrestling over his 35-year career, but there is no doubt which one is my all-time favorite. However, it’s probably one that very few besides me would even remember.

It was Dec. 29, 1997, and WCW Nitro was taking place at the Baltimore Arena. I had interviewed Flair over the phone about a week earlier for a story about him that I was writing for The Baltimore Sun. It ran the day Nitro was in town.

The piece was about how Flair, two months shy of his 49th birthday, had survived the poundings and politics of pro wrestling to become the oldest main-event wrestler in sports entertainment at that time.

As a longtime fan of both wrestling and Flair, it was a real pleasure to have the opportunity to interview him and write about him. What happened that Monday night at the arena, however, was surreal.

Flair – who was just beginning an angle with Bret Hart, who had recently signed with WCW after the infamous Montreal Survivor Series – came out to cut a promo with Gene Okerlund. I was there live at the arena with my future wife and a couple friends, listening intently to the “Nature Boy” talk the talk.

At that time, Hart was writing a column for The Calgary Sun, and he had written some unflattering things about Flair. Flair addressed Hart’s comments, and then reached inside his suit jacket to pull something out. It was a newspaper clipping.

“Bret Hart, let me introduce you to The Baltimore Sun,” Flair said.

My jaw hit the floor. How cool was this? “The Man” himself was using a story I had written to further an angle between himself and Hart.

Flair proceeded to read an excerpt from the article, which was a quote from The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer saying basically that Flair was the greatest performer of all time. Flair punctuated the quote with a “Woooo!” and then tossed the clipping in the air and strutted off.

Fortunately, I was such a wrestling geek – and still am – that I taped the show even though I was there live, and I still watch the clip every so often. Needless to say, after witnessing Flair’s farewell weekend, I pulled that tape out and watched it again.

Fast-forward to April 2000. I had just left The Baltmore Sun to become the editor of WCW Magazine, and I was attending my first Nitro as a WCW employee. I ran into Flair backstage and introduced myself. He immediately referenced the story I had written about him more than two years earlier.

Flair told me that he had gotten a lot of heat from some of his peers – especially Hulk Hogan – for reading from the article on Nitro. He also told me that it was one of the best stories ever written about him, and he asked if I could get him another copy so he could have it framed.

As Flair reflects back on his incredible career, I’m sure the article and the promo in which he referenced it don’t even warrant a blip on the radar. When I reflect back on my career, however, there’s no doubt that it will be one of my fondest memories.

Here is the clip from Nitro:

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

TNA is infamous for booking swerves that are often obvious and nonsensical, but the surprise babyface turn of Matt Morgan was well done on last night’s TNA Impact – a show that I attended live when it was taped last Friday in Orlando, Fla.

TNA has decided to pull the trigger on a push for Morgan, who recently accepted a contract to become a regular on NBC’s American Gladiators but will continue to appear in TNA. I think pushing Morgan, who is listed at 7 feet 1 and 330 pounds, is a great idea. He has a good look, moves well for a big man and has the gift of gab.

Morgan, who appeared on the second season of WWE’s Tough Enough and was one of the favorites to win it before he had to leave the show due to an injury, was considered by many to be a future star when he signed a developmental deal with WWE in 2002. Despite his ability to cut a promo, however, Morgan was given a stuttering gimmick in WWE. He never really got over and was released in 2005.

Last night’s show was built around him, as he openly favored the Tomko-led heel team that is facing a team led by Christian Cage at the Lockdown pay-per-view on April 13. As TNA management director Jim Cornette’s second in command, Morgan signed off on Tomko adding James Storm to his team, giving the heels a 5-on-4 advantage. Cage said that he had an ace in the hole, which turned out to be Morgan.

During last night’s main event between Sting and Storm, Morgan, who had appointed himself as the special referee to seemingly stack the deck against Sting, instead helped Sting get the victory. After the match, Cage ripped off Morgan’s referee shirt to reveal a “Team Cage” t-shirt. I have to admit that I didn’t see that one coming. Hopefully, next week’s show will include a promo from Morgan explaining what his motivation was for joining Team Cage.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

When I saw this show live, the crowd was so raucous during the opening promo by Team Tomko that it was hard for me to understand what the wrestlers were saying. It didn’t come across nearly as hot on television. …

Rhino’s gore on A.J. Styles looked amazing. …

Scott Steiner said he was cashing in his Money in the, er, I mean his Feast of Fired TNA world title shot at the Sacrifice pay-per-view in May against the winner of the Kurt Angle-Samoa Joe title match at Lockdown. That means it’s most likely Steiner versus Joe.

Curry Man is giving Santino Marella a run for his money as the best comedy act in sports entertainment. I don’t think his dancing with Crystal will ever get old, and neither will his referencing of famous Japanese wrestlers in his promos. Last night, he was talking to Shark Boy and said: “Chono Masahiro.” …

The “Rough Cuts” segment was the weakest so far in the series. Kip James sounded like he was cutting a typical wrestling promo, while B.G. James already was talking about reconciling in the future with Kip even though they haven’t even wrestled yet.

LAX has never been the same since Konnan left, and the talents of Homicide and Hernandez are being wasted in mid-card feuds. They need another mouthpiece to regain their momentum. …

The videos on Consequences Creed – which is a great name, by the way – are making him look like a star. He is another fine addition to a TNA roster that is overflowing with hungry, young talent. …

Bottom line: Elix Skipper is too talented to be jobbing to Shark Boy.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Here is a short interview I conducted with WWE star Chris Jericho on the red carpet at the WWE Circle of Champions event Saturday afternoon in Orlando, Fla.

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Categories: Video interviews
        

Here is a short interview I conducted with former WWE star Hillbilly Jim at WWE Fan Axxess Saturday afternoon in Orlando, Fla.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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It has been reported on various wrestling Web sites that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has a lot of heat on him in WWE for going too long at Saturday’s Hall of Fame ceremony and being aloof and “too Hollywood” backstage.

So, let me see if I have this right. John Cena criticized Johnson in a published report last month for not giving back to wrestling fans. And now after putting on a highly entertaining performance at one of WWE’s signature events, Johnson is being accused of overstaying his welcome. It seems like no matter what Johnson does at this point, some in the industry just won’t be happy with him.

I did not see him backstage on Saturday night, so I can’t speak about whether he was aloof. However, it wasn’t exactly a secret that Johnson had arranged to halt filming of his current movie project for a full day so that he could appear at the ceremony to induct his father and grandfather. He basically had time to fly in, do his thing on stage and fly out.

As a fan sitting in the Amway Arena in Orlando, Fla., for the event, I appreciate that he morphed into The Rock again and spent so much time performing for the live crowd. I think that’s called giving back to the fans. The more time he was on stage giving the people what they clearly wanted, the less time he had to socialize with his former peers. I never would have guessed that grown men in a tough business could get their feelings hurt so easily. But perhaps it's less about being thin-skinned and more about plain old jealousy.

The fact is that WWE needs Johnson more than he needs WWE. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the main reason Rocky Johnson and Peter Maivia were being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year was because WWE wanted to lure Dwayne Johnson back into the fold for one night. His presence at the event will help sell tickets and DVDs and boost ratings. I’m sure Johnson realized it was more about getting him to return than it was about honoring his father and grandfather, but he wanted to do it for his family.

Johnson is a bona fide movie star now, and I’ll bet there are people in Hollywood telling him that by doing his Rock shtick he is taking a step backward and hurting his credibility as an actor. So, if he really wanted to be “too Hollywood,” he would have just given a nice speech about his father and grandfather and nothing more. Instead, he did what he does best – electrify the crowd.

Rather than criticizing him, WWE personnel should just say thank you.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)
        

I apologize for the later-than-usual post about Raw, but I am still recovering from a whirlwind weekend in Orlando, Fla. Needless to say, the final segment of last night’s show will go down as one of the most memorable in WWE history.

Ric Flair was surprisingly composed when delivering his farewell address, but he couldn’t hold back the tears after his peers, past and present, came out to honor him. Like many of the wrestlers in attendance, I got teary-eyed watching from home and was kicking myself for not staying one more night in Orlando to witness it live.

Among the noteworthy former stars on hand to pay tribute to Flair were Ricky Steamboat, whom Flair has referred to as his favorite opponent; Harley Race, who headlined the first Starrcade in 1983 with Flair; Four Horsemen members Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Barry Windham and J.J. Dillon; and Greg Valentine, his former tag-team partner and rival in the Carolinas.

The big spot, of course, saw Shawn Michaels, who was guilt-ridden for ending his idol’s career at WrestleMania XXIV Sunday, coming down to the ring to embrace Flair. Batista glared at Michaels twice during the show, so it looks like that could be the start of a new program.

I thought the parting shot of Flair hugging John Cena and Race really said it all about Flair’s longevity and his standing in the business. To have wrestled legends such as Race, Buddy Rogers and Jack Brisco, as well as current stars such as Cena, Randy Orton and Edge — and perform at a high level against all of them — is an amazing feat.

I don’t think there has ever been a wrestler more well liked and revered by those in the wrestling community than “The Nature Boy.” As big a star as Hulk Hogan is, he does not have the same level of admiration and respect among his peers, a fact that Flair alluded to in his autobiography.

It will be interesting to see what’s next for Flair. It’s obvious that he is having a hard time walking way from being an active wrestler. I believe he means it when he says he will never wrestle again, but that’s what Mick Foley and a long list of others said, too. It is almost certain that he will have a role with WWE, whether it’s on camera, in the back or as a goodwill ambassador.

I believe the decision to end Flair’s in-ring career at this time is the right one, but to say he will be missed is obviously an understatement. To add a twist to one of Flair’s lesser-known catch phrases, I won’t be the first to say this, but I will be the next: “Thanks for the memories, Ric.”

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

Raw had a fresh feel to it. JBL interrupting Randy Orton and cutting a great promo, Matt Hardy attacking Orton and wrestling him later in the show, Chris Jericho wrestling CM Punk, the potential start of a Michaels-Batista program and even the return of Cryme Tyme were a break from the same old, same old. ...

Playing Cena’s entrance music and then Triple H’s before Orton came out was a clever way to get over the fact that no one gave Orton a chance to retain the WWE title at WrestleMania. I know Orton has some detractors, but I think he has matured into everything WWE thought he could be. When the fans were chanting “you suck” at Orton, he had a nice ad-lib when he glanced at the title belt that was draped over his shoulder, smirked at the crowd and mouthed, “No, I don’t.” …

Jericho and Punk had a good match, as did Orton and Hardy. Orton reminded me of Flair as far as a world champion making his opponent look good before barely pulling out the win. …

It looks as if Big Show’s babyface turn is complete. He got a nice pop from the crowd, and his loss to Floyd Mayweather, because of the manner in which it went down, seems to have benefited him. I think he’s more over now than at any time since he first held the WCW world title as The Giant. It was a great visual when The Great Khali interrupted him last night. A feud between these two is a natural, even though it’s almost certain to be a bad match. After losing to the much smaller Mayweather, it makes sense for Big Show to rebound by taking down the only guy in the company taller than him. …

The backstage verbal sparring between Santino Marella and Maria was pretty funny. After jobbing to Maria, however, I wonder if Marella is ever going to win another match. ...

It was probably not a coincidence that Cryme Tyme’s first match back in WWE after being let go last September was against Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch. It had been reported that their release stemmed from a backstage argument with Cade and Murdoch. Perhaps WWE wanted to see if the teams could work together without incident.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

I figured I would empty out my notebook as I reflect on a fantastic three days in Orlando, Fla.

One of the many highlights of the weekend was the WWE Circle of Champions event that took place Saturday at Universal Studios. As part of WWE’s partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 50 children with life-threatening medical conditions and their families attended a pizza party hosted by John Cena. Chris Jericho, Mick Foley and Mickie James also were on hand.

“It knocks me over and completely humbles me that these children’s one wish is to come to a WrestleMania, or their one wish is to meet John Cena. Anything that Make-A-Wish has ever asked for, I’ve dropped what I’m doing,” said Cena, who recently was honored by Make-A-Wish for granting his 100th wish.

Added Foley: “I would much rather be at this event than appearing at an auto parts store in Kissimmee as part of WrestleMania weekend. They have a choice of doing anything in the world, and for kids who have been through so much to want to come spend time with us is flattering beyond my ability to describe it.”

***

WWE champion Randy Orton was asked at the WWE Hall of Fame news conference Saturday if he was concerned that he might lose the title because “normally a face is the winner in the main event at WrestleMania.” Orton gave a great deadpan response. “That’s interesting,” he said. “I can’t confirm that if that’s true, so I really don’t know how to answer that. A face, uh, babyface I guess is what you’re referring to.” The reporter then used Hulk Hogan as an example. “Oh, like a good guy,” Orton replied. “So basically what you’re saying is that generally good guys go over in the main event at WrestleMania. I guess if that’s the case then it’s time for a change. And you’ll see tomorrow.”

***

For those keeping score, Triple H has not won at WrestleMania since 2003 after coming up short in the triple threat match for the WWE title Sunday. He receives a lot of criticism – some of it justified – for trying to keep certain wrestlers down, but the undeniable fact is that he hasn’t had the world title around his waist – except for a couple hours last October – since 2005. We all know he’s going to have several more title reigns eventually, but he deserves credit for allowing Chris Benoit, Batista, Cena and Orton to shine at WrestleMania.

***

Mae Young, 85, said at the news conference that she plans to wrestle when she’s 100 and that Stephanie McMahon said she could wrestle her daughter, Aurora Rose Levesque, who would be 17 then. Young, by the way, was so excited when she was introduced at the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony that she began wildly flailing her arms, and she nailed Kelly Kelly, who was accompanying her to the podium, in the face.

***

Some more observations from the induction ceremony: Any mention of Hulk Hogan’s name during the night was greeted by a chorus of boos. That’s quite a different reaction from the one Hogan received when he was inducted in 2005. … Whenever anyone mentioned North Carolina in their speech, even if it had nothing to do with Ric Flair, the crowd shouted “Wooo!” … The crowd gave Flair a four-minute standing ovation when he was introduced. I have no doubt that it would have gone on longer had an emotional Flair not asked the crowd to “please sit down.” … I thought Cena was unintentionally set up for failure when he came out to speak at the point in the ceremony when everyone was expecting Flair to be out next. The crowd had booed Cena all night, but it really got on him for that. …

What is it with JBL’s constant referencing of the Simpson brothers? When inducting the Brisco brothers, he brought up other great brother tag teams such as the Funks, Von Erichs, Steiners, Harlem Heat and the Simpsons. Shaun and Steve Simpson were a couple of Bon Jovi look-alikes who had limited success in World Class Championship Wrestling in the late 1980s, and they certainly weren’t anywhere near the caliber of the others JBL talked about. It seems odd that they got mentioned, yet the Hardys did not. ... JBL was very funny during his speech. In reference to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s monologue going long, he said: “He talked so long that the Brisco brothers and Ric Flair have already sobered up.” When discussing the Briscos’ Native American heritage, JBL said: “I saw the Briscos standing around outside. I told them, ‘This isn’t a cigar store. Go on inside.’ ” JBL also cut a promo on Christopher Columbus. Really. …

Speaking of good lines from the Hall of Fame ceremony, here’s a couple more. When the fans booed Cena, Johnson said to him, “You haven’t made it in this business until you have people chanting ‘you suck.’ Trust me, I know.” Jim Ross, when inducting the late Gordon Solie, said that “Gordon is the greatest wrestling announcer of all time. All of us other yahoos are fighting for No. 2.”

***

I was very impressed with Floyd Mayweather’s performance in the ring Sunday night and the way he handled himself at the Hall of Fame news conference. Say what you want about him, but the guy is a natural entertainer. How can you not like a guy who dropped $20 million bills with his face on them to the crowd at the Citrus Bowl?

***

There was a lot of talk during the weekend about WWE stars getting heat with management for associating with TNA talent, but Gregory “I Still Call Him Shane” Helms was in a unique situation. His girlfriend is TNA’s Velvet Sky, and she accompanied him to the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and WrestleMania XXIV. I ran into the couple heading into the Citrus Bowl Sunday. He was one of the really good guys that I knew from the old WCW days. Helms, who underwent neck surgery last May, said he is feeling good but that his return still is a few months away.

***

Jimmy Hart is another good guy I was fortunate to cross paths with at WCW. He hosted the Hall of Fame news conference and did a great job of introducing the guests and keeping things entertaining during the breaks between guests. I don’t know of anyone who has a bad thing to say about Hart, which he once told me is the secret to his longevity – not having heat with anybody.

***

I got an opportunity to interview Mickie James at the WWE Circle of Champions event. When I asked her how she felt about not having a match at WrestleMania, she said: “I’m disappointed. It’s the biggest show of the year and you want to be a part of it.” When I brought up her win over Trish Stratus for the WWE women’s title at WrestleMania 22 and the fact that the crowd cheered James even though she was a heel, she said: “It was insane, but it felt really good. I got chill bumps in the middle of it. I get chill bumps now just thinking about it.” I can verify that James did indeed have chill bumps on her arm.

***

I also caught up with Jericho at the Circle of Champions affair. He told me that he had read the interview that I conducted with Rob Van Dam in January in which Van Dam said that he was frustrated by Jericho’s backstage politics when they both were in WWE. “I remember things a little differently,” Jericho said.

***

I spoke briefly with former WWE star Hillbilly Jim at WWE Fan Axxess. In addition to hosting the Fan Axxess tour for five years, he also has a show on Sirius Satellite Radio called Hillbilly Jim’s Moonshine Matinee, which he described as “a four-hour outlaw country show.” During our conversation, I informed him that he and I had a mutual acquaintance. Vivienne Shub, the elderly woman who portrayed his grandmother, Granny Kim, back in the mid-1980s, also was my drama teacher at Towson State University. ...

***

In closing, I want to thank the people whose professionalism and courtesy helped to make the trip a pleasant experience: WWE’s Gary Davis, Kevin Hennessy, Adam Hopkins and Joe Villa; TNA’s Ross Forman; and Universal Studios' Kristen Clark and Jennifer Kron.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)