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Here is an interview I conducted with WWE Hall of Famer The Iron Sheik prior to the Maryland Championship Wrestling show in Dundalk on July 19. Unfortunately, the funniest portions of the interview ended up on the cutting room floor due to excessive profanity. If you have ever watched The Iron Sheik on You Tube, you'll have a good idea of what was edited out.
And you thought Mike Adamle as Raw general manager was a strange hire. Yesterday, WWE announced that actor Freddie Prinze Jr. had joined its creative team, confirming reports that had surfaced earlier in the week.
While it seems like an odd marriage at first glance, WWE signing Prinze actually makes perfect sense. Vince McMahon began thinking of WWE as an entertainment company, not a pro wrestling company, a long time ago. So when he and daughter Stephanie McMahon-Levesque, who leads the creative writing team, look for prospective writers, experience in Hollywood takes precedence over knowledge of the wrestling industry.
In Prinze, they apparently have the best of both worlds. He was described as a longtime wrestling fan in a WWE news release and was a celebrity blogger for the WWE Fan Nation site, so that answers the question of why Prinze would want the job. For WWE, even if Prinze fails to come up with great ideas for story lines, just having someone with his name recognition on board helps the company gain credibility as a viable entertainment entity.
While some wrestling fans might scoff at WWE’s hiring of Prinze, I’m actually curious to see how he’ll fare in his new gig. At the very least, Prinze's association with the company might help WWE land Sarah Michelle Gellar for a cameo appearance. By the way, I hear there’s no truth to the rumor that Prinze wants to bring back Tito Santana and Ric Flair as a tag team called Chico and The Man. Sorry, I just couldn’t resist.
Here is an interview I conducted with former WCW star Crowbar backstage at the Maryland Championship Wrestling show in Dundalk on July 18:
My thoughts on Raw come from a different perspective this week, as I attended the show last night at Verizon Center in Washington and have not watched the televised broadcast.
Let’s get right to the big news of the night – the naming of Mike Adamle as new Raw general manager. OK, who saw it coming? You’ll have to take me at my word, but I called it. I swear it on my Shawn Michaels bobblehead.
When it was announced that the new Raw GM was ordering Michael Cole to be Jerry Lawler’s tag team partner against Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes, I initially had no idea where things were headed. However, it hit me as soon as Adamle came sprinting out to take Cole’s place at the broadcast table. I told my friend sitting next to me that I thought Adamle was the GM. He looked at me as if I had just said that the Orioles were going to win the World Series this year.
I’m actually surprised it took WWE this long to do an angle with Adamle. Then again, maybe Adamle’s shtick has been an angle all along. Could it be – as some have speculated – that his mistakes and Adamle-isms during the broadcasts, as well as the verbal abuse he has taken from the other announcers, were all a work?
I thought Adamle was going to become a heel character a few months ago after he walked off in the middle of an ECW broadcast. Here is what I wrote in an April 30 blog entry: “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.”
I actually think Adamle could be good in this role. However, judging by the reaction – more groans than boos – from the crowd when Shane McMahon made the announcement, I think most people felt let down after the big buildup. During the show, I heard some fans sitting near me speculating that the new GM might be Steve Austin or Ric Flair. So let’s see: Austin. Flair. Adamle. OK, I guess that is a letdown.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
I’m surprised that WWE is doing John Cena versus Batista at SummerSlam and not holding it off until WrestleMania. I would guess that means CM Punk defends the world heavyweight title in a triple threat against JBL and Kane at SummerSlam. …
Whenever I’m at a live WWE show, the reaction that Cena gets amazes me. He always receives the loudest response. When his music hits and he makes his way down the ramp, he is greeted with a huge babyface pop. But once he gets in the ring and the match starts, the jeers easily drown out the cheers. I’ve never seen anything like it. …
Since Batista really did grow up in D.C., I can’t criticize him for going for the cheap pop by wearing a Washington Bullets Wes Unseld throwback jersey. I did find it kind of ironic, however, that it was Batista wearing a throwback jersey, and not Cena. …
I don’t know how it came across on TV, but I thought the main event that pitted Cena and Batista against JBL and Kane was a bit lackluster. …
When McMahon said at the beginning of the show that Punk would be facing one of the most technically sound free agents in the business, I thought for sure that WWE had signed Bryan Danielson. It turned out to be Regal, who made his return after serving a 60-day suspension for violating WWE’s drug policy.
I thought Punk and Regal ended up having the best match on Raw. The time off sure hasn’t made Regal any less stiff in the ring, as Punk can certainly attest. It’s hard to come across as a tough guy with an outfit like Regal was wearing, but he did it. …
Another Raw, another great promo by Chris Jericho. He has definitely succeeded in turning the fans against him. Having the busted-up Jeri-Tron – which he smashed Shawn Michaels head into last month – on the Highlight Reel set was a nice touch. Jericho is a fantastic heel, but I am going to miss the “funny Jericho.” I loved seeing those classic segments with Stephanie McMahon again. …
Nice to see that Santino Marella finally found someone he can defeat – Kelly Kelly. I know that any story line involving Marella shouldn’t be over-analyzed or taken too seriously, but are we really supposed to believe that a guy who used to be in a relationship with Maria gets so giddy over a kiss from Beth Phoenix?
A few notes on Saturday Night's Main Event, which was taped last night and airs this Saturday at 9 p.m. on NBC:
Jeff Hardy and Edge had the best match of the night and the crowd was really into it. MVP came out of nowhere to attack Hardy when the referee wasn’t looking, allowing Edge to steal the victory. It was kind of an obvious finish but it didn’t take away from the match. I just wish that Vickie Guerrero would have made an appearance. …
Punk got an impressive pop when he came out to do commentary during a six-man match that pitted Cena and Cryme Tyme against JBL, DiBiase and Rhodes, but he didn’t get close to the same reaction when he came out for his match on Raw. …
Since being aligned with Cena, Cryme Tyme is more over than I ever thought possible. Shad and JTG appear to have gotten the rub from Cena without getting any of the “Cena backlash.”
Being a professional wrestling referee isn’t rocket science, but it’s not as easy as it looks, either. I learned that firsthand last weekend when I got the opportunity to referee a couple matches at the Maryland Championship Wrestling show in Dundalk.
As a lifelong wrestling fan, it was exciting to be in the ring in any capacity in front of a live crowd. It was actually the second time that I have participated in an MCW show. In 2006, I accompanied former WCW star Crowbar to the ring as his manager for the night. I ended up turning on him after the match, and he responded by decking me and laying me out with a splash.
To prepare for the July 18 show, I was given a crash course in refereeing by MCW official Chris Clow the night before at the Eastern Wrestling Alliance training facility in Middle River. Having followed wrestling since I was 6, I had a good grasp of the basics, but I knew that there was more to knowing how to referee than just watching Nick Patrick and Earl Hebner on television.
I don’t want to give away the tricks of the trade (although most have already been given away), but let’s just say that referees have a lot of things going on during the course of a match, such as paying attention to time cues and sometimes having to convey messages from one wrestler to the other. My main concern was making sure that I stayed out of the way. Clow gave me some advice about where to position myself in that regard and also told me that I had to be aware of where the hard camera was so that I did not obstruct the action (MCW records all their shows for DVDs).
The most important responsibility of a referee is to keep a watchful eye on the talent and recognize if someone is legitimately hurt. And if a wrestler does get hurt, the referee has to insure his safety and take control. Knowing that such a situation could arise and that someone’s well-being was in my hands to some degree definitely weighed on my mind. Sure, refereeing was going to be fun, but it wasn’t something to be taken lightly.
After arriving at The New Green Room for the show, I was informed that I would be refereeing two matches. One of them — Crowbar versus Devon Moore — I had requested. Crowbar, aka Chris Ford, is a friend, and I felt more comfortable being in the ring with someone I knew. The match was slated to go on second.
Clad in a striped shirt that I had borrowed from an MCW referee who simply goes by Nef, I became more and more anxious as showtime approached because Crowbar, who was coming in from New Jersey, was running late. There was no way I wanted to go out there without going over the match with him and Moore. He finally arrived, but he cut it so close that the match was moved down to fourth instead of second. That was a good thing because it gave Crowbar and Moore a chance to discuss the match while I listened in.
Just as I breathed a sigh of relief, the backstage area suddenly was enveloped in total darkness. The power had gone out in the building. Yep, I show up to referee and all of the lights go out. That sure seemed like a bad omen. The show must go on, however, and it did, with emergency lights providing just enough illumination. The crowd seemed fine with it and I actually thought the dim lighting gave the show a cool throwback feel. Plus, if I screwed up, maybe it would be too dark for anyone to notice.
Once I got out in front of the crowd, I really wasn’t that nervous and the match seemed to go pretty well. The only anxious moment I had was when Crowbar and Moore were battling outside the ring and I had gotten up to six on my 10-count. When it was clear that they weren’t going to make it back in by 10, I had to break the count, jump out of the ring and admonish them.
The other match that I refereed was a tag team bout that pitted The Holy Rollers against Wesley Mercer and Adam Carelle. The lights had come back on by this time, so I no longer had the cover of darkness as a security blanket. I also figured that handling a match with four guys — all complete strangers — meant there was more of a chance that something could go wrong, but it actually went smoothly.
My final responsibility of the night was to help Clow and Nef in the main event, a ladder match between MCW tag team champions The Ghetto Mafia (Qenaan Creed and 2 Dope) and the team of Ryan McBride and Teddy Stigma. Clow was listed as the referee for the match, but, basically, there was no referee, as the three of us spent most of the match standing outside the ring. Our job was to slide into the ring and hold the ladder steady whenever there was going to be a big move off the ladder.
And there were quite a few big moves. All four guys really worked their butts off and tore the house down. Not only was it a thrill for me to be so close to the action, but it was truly an honor to be out there with such talented workers.
I want to thank MCW owner Dan McDevitt for giving me the opportunity to referee, and Clow for showing me the ropes and answering all my questions. I also appreciated the last-minute tips – as well as the striped shirt – from Nef. Finally, thanks to all the talent at the show who allowed me into their world, especially those I was privileged to work with. It was such a good experience that I just might do it again.
A few other notes from last weekend’s MCW shows:
Because I spent most of the night in the back, the only matches I got to see were the ones I refereed. Looking at the lineup, I think I missed some pretty good ones. … My biggest regret of the evening was that I never was able to hook up with Tammy “Sunny” Sytch. Wait, let me rephrase that. She had agreed to do a video interview, but with me refereeing, the lights going out for well over an hour, her working a match as a valet/manager and then leaving right after intermission, we never had an opportunity to do the interview. … Due to a prior commitment, I wasn’t able to attend MCW’s show the following night, so I missed Derek Frazier winning the Shamrock Cup. Frazier is always fun to watch and is a deserving winner. … It’s taken a bit longer than expected, but video interviews with The Iron Sheik (heavily edited, of course) and Crowbar will be up next week.
There were two major developments on Smackdown last night. One the fans have been clamoring for, while the other is something that no one wants to see – well, except perhaps for The Great Khali’s many fans in his native India.
It what shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone, The Undertaker was reinstated by Smackdown general manager Vickie Guerrero, who announced that the “Dead Man” will face Edge in a Hell in the Cell match at SummerSlam on Aug. 17.
Edge versus Undertaker will probably be a great match, but there isn’t a whole lot if intrigue. I really can’t fathom any result other than Undertaker avenging his loss in the TLC match at One Night Stand last month by defeating Edge in what has to be the blowoff match to their feud.
Now, onto one of WWE’s worst booking decisions in a long time. In a six-man battle royal to determine WWE champion Triple H’s challenger at SummerSlam between Big Show, Jeff Hardy, Mr. Kennedy, MVP, Umaga and The Great Khali, the last person you would want to win won. I read the Smackdown spoilers a few days ago but I refused to believe it until I saw it with my own eyes -- I think it's called being in denial.
Yep, it’s The Great Khali versus Triple H. When the fans booed Khali’s win, I don’t think it was the right kind of heat. Hardy would have been my choice, but I also wouldn’t have minded if MVP, Kennedy or Big Show got the shot. We’ve already seen Triple H-Umaga too many times.
It’s mind-boggling that WWE would book Triple-Khali. The only thing I can think of is that WWE wants to save Triple H’s matches with some of the other aforementioned contenders for shows that will be less-loaded than this one, which has a Hell in the Cell plus a likely gimmick match between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho, as well as a world heavyweight title match that has several interesting possibilities.
Triple H defeating Khali is as much of a sure thing as Undertaker beating Edge. I did see value in Khali a while back, but he’s been defeated too many times to still be booked as an indestructible monster heel. It was one thing for him to lose to guys like John Cena, Batista and The Undertaker, but when he lost to Finlay, that should have ended his days as a world title contender.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
The acting and facial expressions by Edge and Guerrero in the final segment were first-rate. …
Weren’t we all breathlessly awaiting the return of Mr. Charisma himself, Ranjin Singh? This guy actually has a job as a manager in WWE and Jim Mitchell doesn’t. If there is any justice – which there isn’t – WWE will hire Mitchell to manage Kane. …
The VIP Lounge segment with MVP and Jeff Hardy was well done. MVP proved once again that he is as good on the mic as anyone in WWE. I did think that bringing up Hardy’s dog, who died in the fire at Hardy’s residence last March, was a bit much. But then I remembered that this is wrestling, where the deaths of people have been used in story lines. …
I’m looking forward to seeing what R-Truth (formerly Ron “The Truth” Killings) can do in WWE. Based on last night’s vignette, it appears as if he is going to be a babyface playing off his real-life upbringing. When Killings (who wrestled as K-Kwik in WWE in 2000-2001) was in TNA, I thought he would be a natural opponent for Cena if he ever came back to WWE. Actually, the two did have a real-life altercation at an airport last year. Their WWE feud could have revolved around Killings, who really did come from the hood, accusing Cena of being a poser and a sell-out. The only problem with that story line, however, is that the fans probably would have sided with Killings and booed Cena even more. …
I really like the new Brian Kendrick. The only thing that might hold him back is his lack of size. It’s too bad there’s no cruiserweight title anymore, because he is the guy they could build it around. …
Michelle McCool is so ridiculously thin that the WWE divas title belt didn’t come close to being tight enough around her waist. That means the title doesn’t fit her literally or figuratively.
Sting continues to be the biggest star on TNA Impact right now whether he is actually on the show or not. The title of last night’s episode was “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t.” Except for a video package on Sting – which was pretty well done – we didn’t see him. But we did see his trademark black bat again.
In the closing segment, Booker T. and Samoa Joe were having a verbal confrontation when suddenly the lights went out. When they came back on, Joe was knocked out on the mat and Booker was holding a black bat – which obviously means that we are supposed to assume that he is aligned with Sting.
Last week, it was Sharmell who had the black bat. And for the past two episodes, Kurt Angle and Team 3-D have been proclaiming that Sting has come over to the dark side.
Meanwhile, A.J. Styles keeps saying that he is sticking by Sting. For Styles’ sake, I hope Sting doesn’t turn on him, because the last thing Styles needs is to be booked as a naïve, dim-witted babyface.
On the other hand, I would love to see a heel turn for Sting. He has wrestled almost exclusively as a babyface for the past 20-plus years, so a turn would freshen up his character. I wouldn’t bet on it happening, though. I’m not convinced that Steve Borden wants to play a heel. His heart sure wasn’t in it in 1999 when he turned in WCW.
Of course, the biggest problem with this whole story line, as I said last week, is that it just seems like a rehash of a famous WCW story line from 1996. Here’s an idea: Maybe Angle, Team 3-D, Booker, Sting, Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner (when he returns from injury) and Jeff Jarrett (when he returns from hiatus) can join forces to battle the young TNA stars. They could call it The Millionaires Club vs. The New Blood. OK, so that one’s been done in WCW, too, but at least it’s from this decade.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
The six-man tables match in which Angle and Team 3-D defeated Styles, Christian Cage and Rhino was fun to watch. However, to reiterate a point that is made often, TNA needs to be careful about doing so many gimmick matches – especially on network TV – because it lessens their impact. ..
I liked Karen Angle’s interview segment with Kaz. It was good from a story line standpoint, and also because Kaz needs this type of up-close-and-personal treatment if he is going to get to the next level. His in-ring ability is not in question, but his promos are holding him back as far as really connecting with the crowd. …
One guy who does seem to be connecting with the fans is Matt Morgan. The crowd was definitely behind him last night. Like I said last week, booking him to go over in quick squash matches is a smart move. …
The Beer Money-Motor City Machine Guns match was laid out perfectly. TMCMG dominated the match before Robert Roode and James Storm scored a tainted victory. The beat-down after the match kept the heel heat on Roode and Storm and gave LAX a reason to come out and confront Beer Money. I also thought it was a good sign that TMCMG got a chance to cut a promo before the match, and it was a decent one (thanks to Alex Shelley). Hopefully, he and Chris Sabin are finally out of the doghouse. …
Taylor Wilde’s two quick pinfall victories (and a third win by DQ) over Velvet Sky were a great way to get the new TNA women’s champion over. By the way, you have to love ODB gnawing on a turkey leg when she came out to make the save. …
I’m happy to see that Shawn Daivari, now known as Sheik Abdul Bashir, is sticking around in TNA. He can work and talk. …
It was good to see that TNA at least tried to inject some logic into one of its story lines. When Sonjay Dutt underhandedly made it seem like Jay Lethal attacked him with a chair last week, SoCal Val bought it. The problem is that she could have easily watched a replay and seen that Dutt was lying. So, when Dutt asked her last night if she watched it again, she said, “You know I hate violence.” Well, that explains it. But it does raise another question: If she doesn’t like violence, why is she involved in pro wrestling? …
I love Curry Man, but not enough to prevent me from going to the bathroom, making a sandwich or changing the channel when the Prince Justice Brotherhood is on.
Mick Foley has been added to Comic-Con 2008 this weekend in San Diego.
There also is more information regarding Stacy Keibler's appearance:
Ticket distribution for the autograph session is between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. People can't just show up at 1:30 p.m. to get in line.
10-11 a.m. Ticket distribution at ABC Family booth (3913)
12 p.m. Samurai Girl Panel in Room 2
1:30 p.m. Autograph session
By the time Ted DiBiase came to WWE in 1987, he already had been a top guy in several territories and was regarded as one of the best workers in the business. It was his “Million Dollar Man” character in WWE, however, that made DiBiase a superstar.
DiBiase brilliantly portrayed one of wrestling’s most memorable heel characters and was involved in one of the most famous angles of all-time — Andre The Giant selling the WWE title to DiBiase after an evil twin referee helped Andre defeat Hulk Hogan for the belt in the most-watched match in professional wrestling history (33 million viewers on NBC).
DiBiase, 54, who retired 15 years ago due to a serious neck injury and went on to become an ordained minister, writes about his in- and out-of-the-ring exploits in his recently released autobiography, Ted DiBiase: The Million Dollar Man.
I spoke briefly with DiBiase in a phone interview last week.
You wrote an autobiography about 10 years ago. Why did you decide to do another one at this point?
The first book, if you look at it, was really more about my spiritual journey, and a number of people have said, “We’d really like you to tell us what your wrestling life was like,” because that book didn’t focus on my wrestling life. Being part of the Legends program in WWE, they approached me as well. They said, “Gosh, Ted, you did a book 10 years ago but we didn’t push that book and it really wasn’t about your career, so why don’t we do another one. I said, “Great. Let’s do it.”
In the book, you give insight into what wrestling was like during the territorial days. What would you say are the advantages that guys who came through that system like yourself have over guys who break into the business now?
It’s the opportunity for experience. The way that you used to learn this trade was you were invited into the fraternity if somebody liked you. There was no wrestling school that you could go and apply for. Somebody had to bring you in because they liked you, and basically that person, whoever that mentor was, would put you in the ring, teach you the basic fundamentals — hammerlock; headlock; this is how you take a hip toss; this is how you take a slam — and then they threw you in the deep end of the pool.
There was a place we used to wrestle in the Panhandle of Texas called the Hereford Bull Barn. It was a little place, but you’re out there in front of a live crowd and you don’t know anything. But you’re in there with a veteran who does know, and you listen. You listen to him and you listen to the people, and you do that night after night after night. You do that and you become a student of the business and you observe the other guys — I used to watch all the guys that were making the money.
I remember when I was in Mid-South and they used to tape interviews every Wednesday morning, and I wasn’t required to go to the interviews because I was a rookie and I wasn’t cutting any interviews — I was a curtain jerker. But I went every Wednesday anyway because I was going to watch those guys and I was going to glean from them. I knew what their program was. I would watch those angles take place and then I would listen to the interviews that they’d cut so I could learn. So you had to be a student of the business.
The opportunity that afforded guys was that you could go to some little territory and you could learn how to work there, and then you could go to the next territory and the next territory. You could go to three of four territories, and then the first time you went into New York, nobody knew who you were. That’s no available anymore, so the kids today are at a disadvantage because they don’t have that opportunity to learn it that way. They’re thrown into the mix before they’re really ready and they have to learn it as they go.
What is one thing you would like people who read the book to come away with?
I would say respect for my industry. The one thing I have dealt with my entire life – I grew up in wrestling – is that I had to listen to all the kids at school say, “Aw, that phony stuff.” And they never realized. Even today – I do this ministry that I am a part of out in Phoenix, and I go to this athletes conference every summer, and there’s this big fundraising banquet where they honor a lot of great athletes – they’ve honored Deion Sanders and Tom Landry. But this one guy named Joe Jackson – he’s a very good friend of mine and he played football for the Minnesota Vikings – he introduced me and he says, “Now to a not-so-real sport.” And I got up there this year and I said, “Joe, let me tell you something, pal. There are a lot of guys that did what you did, and when they got through doing what you did, then they tried wrestling thinking, ‘Well, I’m going to walk in here and this should be easy.’ They made it playing football, but they couldn’t hang here.”
It’s like going to boot camp and people don’t realize it. The WWE produces five hours of television a week, 11 pay-per-views a year [editor’s note: the actual number is 14]. If you watched the last WrestleMania, the Super Bowl could not compete with the pageantry. I just want people to come away with an understanding that what we do takes a great deal of effort, a lot of skill and it’s a lot of hard work. I want people to come away with a greater appreciation for what wrestling is.
You talk in the book about almost being chosen to be NWA world champion and later almost being the WWE champion. When you look back at your career, are there any regrets that you never got those title runs?
Not really. Yes, it would be nice because I loved the business and grew up in it to be able to say, “Yes, I was the NWA world champion, and yes, I was the WWE world champion.” That would be nice to say. But in reality, titles in wrestling are props. If you don’t need the prop, obviously, you’re a better wrestler. Instead of going with the WWE title like they had actually talked about, they created this Million Dollar title for me to have my own belt. To me, it made sense. It was like, “Look at this arrogant so-and-so. He pays no respect to the actual title so he’s going to create his own.” It just fit the character, and that’s what we’re all in this business for – to make money. So, no, no regrets.
You wrote that you discouraged your sons from following in your footsteps just the way your father, Iron Mike DiBiase, discouraged you. Now that all three of your sons have followed you into the business, what advice have you given them? And what are your impressions so far of Ted Jr. on TV?
The reason that I discouraged my boys as I was discouraged was not because of wrestling itself. The reason I discouraged them as a father was from having lived the lifestyle – like my father did – and understanding the hardships that come along with it. It’s not the wrestling itself. It’s the 90 percent divorce rate. It’s all the guys that died of drug and alcohol abuse. And again, to the credit of the WWE, the reason that as a father I have now given my sons the blessing to pursue wrestling is because of all the things that are now available to the talent that weren’t 20 years ago – the drug-testing policy, the work schedule.
Vince [McMahon] built this huge company. But anytime you build a company, you have to crawl before you can walk and you have to walk before you can run. We basically paved the path for these kids today. We would go out for weeks at a time without seeing home. These guys now work four days a week and they go home three every week, unless they go on a European tour. It’s more conducive to having a family and living a more normal life. My early impressions of my son are good, and I’m trying to be as unbiased as I can. But I heard it from all of my friends. I’d get a call from Michael Hayes or Arn Anderson or Steve Keirn, who’s running the school, and they said, “Ted, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. The kid’s got it. And if he keeps going in the direction he’s going, then the sky’s the limit.” Early on, he’s handled himself very well and I’m very proud.
For those who live in or plan to be in San Diego this weekend, former WWE diva Stacy Keibler will be appearing at Comic-Con 2008 on Friday. The Rosedale native, who will be there promoting her upcoming ABC Family mini-series Samurai Girl, will be signing autographs and taking photos with fans.
“I am so excited to reconnect with all of my wrestling fans,” Keibler said. “I hope everyone will stop by and see me. I will be signing autographs from 1:30 p.m. in the ABC Family booth. I will also be shooting 'A Day in the Life' segment [for Extra], and I would love to record as many of you as I can.”
Prior to the autograph signing, Keibler will participate in a panel discussion about Samurai Girl with castmates.
At the conclusion of Raw last night, John Cena inadvertently punched Batista, which led to an exchange of blows before they were pulled apart.
Could that physical confrontation be setting up a match between the two WWE superstars at SummerSlam next month? It’s possible, but I have a hard time believing that is the case.
There has been speculation that the long-term plan was for Cena versus Batista to headline WrestleMania XXIV this past March, but Cena’s injury necessitated a change in direction. And when Batista was drafted to Raw last month, the move immediately sparked talk of a match between the two at next year’s WrestleMania.
A Cena-Batista match on the biggest show of the year makes sense because it’s one of the few marquee match-ups in WWE that hasn’t been done. That’s why I can’t see WWE giving that match away this early in Batista’s move to Raw. Then again, I didn’t think the Triple H-Edge match would happen as fast as it did.
If last night’s pull-apart was just a tease and WWE is indeed planning to hold off the inevitable match until WrestleMania, the challenge will be in keeping them apart for the next eight months.
The other intriguing aspect of a Cena-Batista match is the question of whether it would be a babyface versus babyface match or if one of them would turn heel. The conventional thinking seems to be that Batista eventually will turn – and he has looked a bit heelish as of late – but I still think a Cena turn would be a big shot in the arm for business in WWE. The crowds have been behind Cena as of late, which means it’s the perfect time to turn him.
One thing for certain about Cena and Batista coming to blows last night is that WWE again came up with an ending that no one saw coming.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
The curious booking of CM Punk’s world heavyweight title reign continues. In a title rematch from The Great American Bash against Batista last night, Punk either gained or lost credibility, depending on how you look at it. On the one hand, he dominated the match, but Batista was weakened by a chokeslam from Kane immediately before the match began. Batista eventually rallied and the announcers again put over how he was about to defeat Punk.
I wouldn’t say WWE is totally burying Punk, because he isn’t backing down from anyone and he is holding his own against bigger (in size and status) opponents. And the bottom line is that he is still the champion. If I had to guess where this is headed, I’d say that Punk will keep retaining the title on flukes before eventually scoring a clean win over a top star. The question is whether the fans will already have given up on him by that point. …
It looks as if Chris Jericho no longer has to worry about fans cheering for him as a heel. His brutal attack on Shawn Michaels at the Bash struck a nerve, and he followed it up with an excellent promo last night that got him a lot of heat from the crowd. I really liked the part where he talked about returning to WWE and not being embraced by the fans. That’s actually somewhat true, as it seemed like fans were happy to see him come back, but perhaps not as much as he and WWE had hoped. …
Speaking of good promos, Punk has shown that he can do them, which begs the following question: Why didn’t he get more opportunities to talk before now? …
Batista has been booked very well over the past few months. He’s become a Triple H-type babyface – a fan favorite who is obsessed with being the best and isn’t interested in making friends. Somewhere along the way, Batista had become too much of a traditional babyface (remember the lovefest between him and Rey Mysterio?), which made him a less interesting character. …
It was nice that JBL limped to the ring and Cena had his elbow bandaged, but I think they should have done even more to sell their injuries from Sunday’s parking lot brawl. I won’t bother asking how Cena didn’t even get an abrasion after being “grazed” by a speeding car last week. …
It’s great that WWE is trying to give Ted DiBiase Jr., Cody Rhodes and Cryme Tyme a rub by having them involved in the JBL-Cena feud. However, having Cena do a double FU to finish off DiBiase and Rhodes isn’t doing them any favors. …
I don’t know what to say about the Santino Marella-Beth Phoenix liplock, but I’m betting that wherever this angle is going, it will be entertaining. It will be even better if it leads to Marella winning some matches. …
It’s hard to get overly excited about the return of D-Lo Brown, but I always thought he was a decent mid-carder. …
Hacksaw Jim Duggan is a heck of a nice guy, but I personally don’t care to see him wrestle anymore. Judging by the crowd reaction when he said he was thinking about hanging it up, however, I must be in the minority. …
It looks like Jerry Lawler is going to team with Duggan to face DiBiase and Rhodes. I’d rather see Lawler in the role than Hardcore Holly, but it still bothers me from a continuity standpoint that Holly has not sought revenge for Rhodes turning on him. …
Paul Burchill really needed that pinfall victory over Kofi Kingston, even if it did occur in a tag team match. …
Kelly Kelly had a good match with Phoenix and continues to get better in the ring. She is well on her way to becoming WWE’s “it girl.” Actually, she may already be there.
Shawn Michaels found another way to steal the show on a pay-per-view.
Numerous times throughout his career, Michaels did it with his tremendous athleticism and wrestling skills. At The Great American Bash last night, Michaels and Chris Jericho had the best match on the show due to each man’s impeccable ability to tell a story in the ring.
There were a couple of big moves, but what really made the match memorable were the believable performances of Michaels and Jericho after Michaels suffered a laceration near his “injured” eye. Michaels did a great job of selling the injury and courageously refusing to give up, while Jericho’s facial expressions conveyed a sadistic side without being over the top.
The exclamation point on a perfectly executed angle was Jericho, still covered in Michaels’ blood, coming out at the end of the next match and proclaiming that Michaels’ career was over because he had suffered a detached retina. Jericho said that the worst had finally come for Michaels. Of course, we all know there will be more to come from these two – and I can’t wait to see it.
The other significant development on the show was that CM Punk was booked to look like he belonged in the same ring with Batista. He retained the world heavyweight title in a match that went to a double disqualification due to Kane’s interference.
Overall, the Bash delivered solid action and it advanced story lines. Three new champions were crowned, and the two matches that were of the least interest – Mark Henry versus Tommy Dreamer and Michelle McCool versus Natalya – were both kept short.
Here is a match-by-match look at last night’s show:
WWE champion Triple H defeated Edge: This was a good match, but these two are capable of having a great match. Before it began, Mick Foley said that he had no doubt that Edge loved Vickie Guerrero, which makes me think that Foley missed the point of the entire story line. As expected, outside interference by Guerrero led to Edge losing, although it didn’t go down the way I thought it would. Guerrero and Alicia Fox had a catfight, which led to Edge trying to spear someone (it wasn’t clear who he was aiming for, but the announcers made it seem as if he was trying to hit Fox, which wouldn’t make any sense). Edge ended up hitting Guerrero and then he walked right into a Pedigree for the finish. There were no Undertaker sightings – yet.
World heavyweight champion CM Punk and Batista wrestled to a double disqualification: The crowd reactions were interesting, as both guys were booed during the introductions. I liked the way the match was laid out, with Punk using his unorthodox style to counter Batista’s power game. I expected Batista to dominate the match, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that wasn’t the case. Batista sold Punk’s offense and made him look strong. They were having a good match until Kane showed up and attacked both men for the double DQ. Some fans will be upset by that finish, but sometimes a non-finish is the right one, and I think that is the case here. My problem was with the commentary after the match. Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler kept hammering home the fact that Batista clearly had the match won before Kane showed up. That’s not the story they should have been conveying. The story is that Punk, a huge underdog who is trying to prove that his title reign isn’t a fluke, stood toe-to-toe with Batista and held his own.
JBL defeated John Cena in a New York City Parking Lot Brawl: There probably are plenty of people who hated this match, but I found it entertaining. It reminded me of the empty arena, falls-count-anywhere match between The Rock and Mankind during halftime of the Super Bowl in 1999. In order to enjoy this one, I had to suspend my disbelief about Cena showing up without a scratch after being “grazed” by a speeding car last Monday on Raw, as well as the fact that these two guys were literally trying to kill each other. We probably could have done without JBL setting the car on fire with Cena inside. I liked the finish of JBL slipping out of the FU on the stage and then sending Cena off the stage and onto the windshield of a car, where he made the pin. I’m guessing that JBL’s victory means that these two will meet one last time in some kind of gimmick match at SummerSlam.
Chris Jericho defeated Shawn Michaels: It appeared as if Michaels was legitimately injured during the first minute, as he began favoring his ribs after taking an elbow from Jericho. If Michaels was hurt, it didn’t stop him from executing a moonsault off the top rope onto the floor, where Jericho and Lance Cade didn’t break his fall very well. The match picked up when Michaels began bleeding profusely near his injured eye after taking another elbow from Jericho. Jericho got wide-eyed upon seeing the blood and immediately went after Michaels’ eye. Jericho was relentless in his attack, and the blood – which was flowing from Michaels’ head and was smeared all over Jericho – really added to the drama of the match. In the hope spot, Michaels caught Jericho in a crossface, but Jericho escaped. The referee eventually stopped the match after Jericho took Michaels down to the mat, got him in a defenseless position and started pounding away at the eye. At that point, it looked more like an MMA match than a wrestling match. No offense to Cole, but a match this intense deserved to have Jim Ross calling it.
ECW champion Mark Henry defeated Tommy Dreamer: Colin Delaney not-so-surprisingly turned heel and cost Dreamer the match. During a radio appearance last week, I said that it was just a matter of time before Delaney turned on Dreamer. It does seem like the turn happened a little too soon, however. The best part of the match was listening to Mike Adamle make himself sound like a complete goof. Before the match, Tazz pointed out that two titles already had changed hands and this could be the third. Adamle responded by saying, “I hope not.” So, what does Adamle have against Dreamer? Later, Adamle said that Henry missed The World’s Strongest Slam. “No,” Tazz said, “that was just a straight-up splash.” Adamle is such an embarrassment.
Shelton Benjamin defeated Matt Hardy to win the U.S. title: These two had a good back-and-forth match that the crowd was into. I liked Hardy holding the title, but Benjamin needs it more at this point. I’m hoping that Benjamin will finally get a sustained push.
Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins defeated Jesse and Festus, John Morrison and The Miz and Finlay and Hornswoggle to win the WWE tag team title: This was a solid opener with a surprising finish – at least to me. After Festus cleaned house and prepared to launch Jesse from the top rope onto Hawkins, I thought for sure the “Biscuits and Gravy” train was about to pull into the winners’ circle. But Ryder tripped up Festus, and Hawkins then pulled Jesse off the ropes and pinned him. So Edge’s two cronies now have title belts, but he doesn’t. I thought Hawkins and Ryder had potential when they were The Major Brothers, but I haven’t been as impressed with them since they aligned with Edge. It will be interesting to see what happens next with Morrison and Miz, who lost the belts despite not losing the fall.
Michelle McCool defeated Natalya to become the first WWE divas champion: I just don’t see whatever it is that WWE sees in McCool, who won by submission with the Brazilian Heel Hook.
A question that I’m frequently asked by people in Baltimore is whether there are any restaurants or bars that show the WWE pay-per-views. During the Monday Night Wars era, it wasn’t hard to find such places, but with UFC replacing WWE as the trendy form of “fighting” entertainment, pretty much the only place to watch a WWE pay-per-view is in someone’s living room.
Until now, that is. Fantasies Nightclub is advertising that it will show a WWE pay-per-view for the first time with its broadcast of The Great American Bash tonight. Admission is free.
Now, here is the disclaimer. For those who are not familiar with this establishment, you can probably guess by the name that it is not a family restaurant or corner sports bar. It is an adult club that features exotic dancers (I believe that is the politically correct term), so consider yourself warned.
If you show up with your family at Fantasies and your 8-year-old in the John Cena T-shirt and Rey Mysterio mask gets scarred for life, well, as Snitsky would say, “It’s not my fault.”
As for those of you who are of legal age and choose to go, good luck on keeping your attention focused on Mark Henry tonight.
A few other notes:
It has been reported on several Web sites that a U.S. title match between champion Matt Hardy and Shelton Benjamin has been added to tonight’s show. As of early this afternoon, however, it still was not listed on the Bash lineup on wwe.com. …
For those who have asked, yes, I did do some refereeing at the Maryland Championship wrestling show Friday night in Dundalk. It was a great experience and I’ll have a full post up about it soon. I also shot video interviews with WWE Hall of Famer The Iron Sheik and former WCW star Crowbar at the MCW shows over the weekend. The Sheik was hilarious, but I’m not sure how much of the interview is suitable for airing on a family newspaper’s Web site. Right before we turned the camera on, I politely asked him to refrain from cursing. He said, “No problem, my friend. You ask me not to curse, I don’t curse.” The Sheik was true to his word – for about two minutes. Once he got on a roll, there was no stopping him. …
Kevin Nash is scheduled to make an appearance at MCW’s next show on Aug. 23. …
I recently conducted a phone interview with “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase that I will post in the next few days. I’m scheduled to interview Diamond Dallas Page tomorrow and possibly a WWE star in the middle of the week. I really need to hire a secretary to transcribe all this stuff. I wonder if Teddy Long’s personal assistant on ECW is available.
Predictions for tonight’s WWE pay-per-view:
WWE champion Triple H vs. Edge: With Edge and Vickie Guerrero breaking up on Smackdown Friday, it seems unlikely that Edge would win the title here. Guerrero probably will somehow cost him the match, perhaps by reinstating The Undertaker and having him take out her new (and soon-to-be former) husband.
World heavyweight champion CM Punk vs. Batista: To say that Punk hasn’t looked strong since winning the title – or, for that matter, even before winning the title – would be an understatement. That could mean that WWE has no confidence in Punk as champion and he is dropping the title tonight. Or maybe that is what WWE wants us to think and Punk is going over. I’m going with the latter scenario, although I bet it will be one of those deals in which Batista dominates the match and basically has it won before Punk pulls out another fluke win. I’m guessing that Kane will interfere and cost Batista the match.
John Cena vs. JBL in a New York City Parking Lot Brawl: This feud has been very one-sided. I picked JBL to win his past two pay-per-view matches against Cena but was wrong both times. JBL has to win one sooner or later, doesn’t he? Somehow, perhaps with interference from Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes, JBL finally will get a victory over Cena.
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels: This story line has been booked so well and both guys have been so good in their roles that this match feels like the real main event. Since Michaels won their previous meeting – and to keep the program going – I think Jericho wins this one, perhaps with an assist from Lance Cade. I expect Michaels’ eye injury to be a factor.
ECW champion Mark Henry vs. Tommy Dreamer: I don’t give Dreamer much chance of winning. Frankly, it seems kind of weak to have Dreamer in a pay-per-view title match (even if it is just for the ECW championship). Look for Henry to score a convincing victory in his first title defense.
WWE tag team champions John Morrison and The Miz vs. Fit Finlay and Hornswoggle vs. Jesse and Festus vs. Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins: Morrison and Miz have held the title for eight months, so it might be time for a switch. I don’t think the “Edge guys” are winning, and it would be a travesty if Finlay and Hornswoggle got the belts. That leaves Jesse and Festus. They are over with the crowd – especially Festus – and just might have earned themselves a title run. I say “Biscuits and Gravy” all the way.
Michelle McCool vs. Natalya to crown the WWE divas champion: It might be wishful thinking, but I’m picking Natalya. She is much more believable as a champion than McCool is.
Edge really messed up this time. It appears as if his and Vickie Guerrero’s glorious reign of terror on Smackdown is over – along with their relationship – because he was caught on tape making out with the wedding planner.
Triple H crashed Edge and Guerrero’s wedding reception last night on Smackdown and revealed the hidden video of Edge putting the moves on Alicia Fox.
I’m deeply saddened by this shocking development. Edge and Guerrero are an awesome heel act and they have been carrying Smackdown. Oh well, I guess nothing lasts forever, but I do wish it would have lasted a while longer.
In all seriousness, I do think it’s premature to split them up, and I don’t believe Guerrero will be as entertaining as a babyface (assuming that is where this is headed). Guerrero turning babyface reportedly was the plan since the inception of the Edge-Guerrero story line, but she has been getting unbelievable heat from the crowd, so I wouldn’t have messed with something that was working so well.
I do believe there is a method to WWE’s madness, however. I’m guessing that Guerrero, seeking revenge for Edge’s betrayal, will reinstate The Undertaker. I could see Undertaker possibly screwing over Edge in his match against WWE champion Triple H Sunday at The Great American Bash to resume their feud.
As I have stated in the past, I have mixed feelings about going in that direction. Edge and Undertaker have had some great matches, but the feud feels played out. If the scenario unfolds the way I think it will, then Triple H will likely remain champion for a while. Nothing against Triple H, but I think Edge is deserving of a lengthy reign. Perhaps when Edge’s inevitable feud with Undertaker concludes, Edge will get back in the title picture and reclaim the gold.
Other thoughts from last night’s show:
The wedding reception stuff wasn’t bad, but it won’t go down as one of WWE’s classic wedding/reception episodes. The best part was Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins wrestling in their tuxes (with Edge refereeing), and Guerrero pinning a fallen Cherry while wearing her wedding gown. …
I hope we’re going to get some explanation as to how Triple H found out about Edge and Alicia and managed to videotape them together. …
One of the most entertaining things on the show was Edge’s new Slim Jim commercial. Maybe Spicy Side Edge could wrestle Hornswoggle. …
I’m not sure what to make of Umaga pinning Mr. Kennedy clean in what bordered on being a squash match. …
Brian Kendrick’s new cocky heel persona has the potential to get over. I don’t know if his bodyguard, Ezekiel, can work, but if titles were awarded for menacing looks, he would be the world champion. ...
There was no story line reason for Kendrick turning heel, but Jim Ross and Mick Foley at least tried to come up with something. Ross said he noticed that Kendrick seemed to be having a change of attitude backstage lately, and Foley added that Kendrick was always a jerk and now he’s showing his true self. …
Foley had the line of the night. After Festus got the hot tag, he said: “He’s going off the rails of the gravy train.” Foley had another funny line when he referred to Guerrero by her new married name: Vickie Guerrero Edge. …
I also liked Ross’ line about Natalya: “She’s Natalya by name and naughty by nature.” I wonder if Good Ol’ J.R. has “Hip Hop Horray” on his iPod.
A scheduled appearance by Tammy “Sunny” Sytch is one of the highlights of Maryland Championship Wrestling’s Shamrock Cup tonight at The New Green Room in Dundalk.
The former WWE diva will be participating in a meet and greet before the show along with Balls Mahoney, Steve Corino and more.
The first round of the Shamrock Cup features a match between Joey Matthews (formerly Joey Mercury of MNM) and Ruckus. Also participating in the tournament tonight are former WCW star Crowbar, Ring of Honor’s Claudio Castagnoli and Delirious and others.
In addition to the tournament, MCW champion Christian York defends against Adam Flash in a two-out-of-three falls match, with Corino as the special guest referee. The first fall is “I quit” rules, followed by last man standing and then a chain match if there is a third fall. There also will be a ladder match for the MCW tag-team title pitting champions The Ghetto Mafia against Ryan McBride and Teddy Stigma.
From what my sources tell me, there also will be a new referee on the card tonight who looks exactly like me.
The Shamrock Cup concludes tomorrow night, and former WWE champion and You Tube star The Iron Sheik will participate in a Q&A in the afternoon. Now that should really be something.
For more information on the MCW shows, go to marylandwrestling.com.
I have a confession to make: I dozed off briefly while watching TNA Impact last night. While the show was dull at times, I really think the resting of my eyes had more to do with having a long day and a lack of sleep the night before than it did with the quality of the show. Fortunately, I taped it, so I didn’t miss anything. At one point when I was struggling to keep my eyes open, however, I wasn’t sure if I was awake or if I was dreaming that I was watching an episode of WCW Nitro from 10 years ago.
Wrestlers running around in Sting masks and black trench coats was cool for a while in 1997, but WCW eventually did it so often that it became a cliché. To still be doing the “Sting thing” in 2008 (Kurt Angle and Team 3-D raided Steve Borden’s wardrobe last night) is pretty lame. The story line that began at Sunday’s Victory Road pay-per-view of whether Sting is or isn’t turning heel also has a been-there, done-that feel. Next thing you know, Jeff Farmer will be repelling from the ceiling.
The confusion over the TNA world title also seems like a page from WCW’s playbook. I don’t believe that there has to be a decisive finish in every pay-per-view main event, but paying customers deserved better than the ill-conceived non-finish to Sunday’s Samoa Joe-Booker T. title match.
Last night, Booker T. was carrying around the title belt even though he is not the champion, and Samoa Joe, who still is the champion, told him to just keep it until the next pay-per-view. Why not just keep it simple and have Booker screw Joe out of the title at Victory Road and then defend it against him in a rematch with stipulations at Hard Justice? That way, people who paid for Victory Road won’t feel like they got ripped off, and they – and others – might be compelled to pay to see Joe try to regain the title.
Fittingly, Impact concluded with another wrestling cliché, as Booker T. tried to dump Consequences Creed into an ambulance, but – surprise! – Joe was waiting in the ambulance and attacked Booker.
At least that’s what I thought I saw. I might have been dreaming.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
When cutting a promo about Sting turning heel, Angle said that everyone thought “it could never happen.” Except it did. Sting briefly turned heel in WCW in 1999. I know that no one was watching WCW at that time, but it still happened. …
For a second, I thought Ric Flair was coming to TNA. Angle and Team 3-D were attempting to imitate Sting’s howl, but it sounded just like Flair’s “Whooo!” …
I already hate the Eric Young/Prince Justice Brotherhood story line. …
The best part of the show was Robert Roode and James Storm whipping everyone in sight with belts. Hopefully the person responsible for coming up with the Prince Justice Brotherhood got a few well-deserved lashes. …
Karen Angle will be getting her own talk show segment starting next week. That could be pretty good. At least we now know what her talent contract is for. …
I really like the way Matt Morgan was booked, as he got quick squash wins over Jimmy Rave and Lance Hoyt, who is now known as Lance Rock. Nothing against Hoyt, who is a decent worker and has a good look, but his faux rocker persona comes off like a Saturday Night Live skit satirizing pro wrestling rather than actual pro wrestling. …
Kaz and Petey Williams had the best match of the night. It looks like a heel turn might be coming for Kaz, which probably isn’t a bad idea. …
Velvet Sky winning the gauntlet battle royal to earn a shot at women’s champion Taylor Wilde was a surprise, but it does make sense. Wilde needs a decisive win in her first title defense against someone other than Awesome Kong, and she will most likely get it against Sky. …
It seems like the Jay Lethal-Sonjay Dutt story line has been going on forever. Just have SoCal Val turn on Lethal already and let’s move on.
With Edge and Vickie Guerrero scheduled to tie the knot on tomorrow’s episode of Smackdown, it seems like an appropriate time to reminisce about past holy – or, in some cases, unholy – unions that have taken place on WWE programs.
WWE weddings are the very definition of train-wreck television. The over-the-top ceremonies basically fall into two categories: ones that are so bad that they’re good and ones that are just so bad. At some of the better weddings, I’ve actually gotten teary-eyed – from laughing so hard.
While some wrestling fans detest this type of sports entertainment, the wedding shows usually do well in the ratings and often result in memorable angles.
Here’s a look at my favorite WWE weddings:
Randy Savage and Elizabeth (SummerSlam, 8/26/91): The ceremony for the real-life husband and wife went on last on the pay-per-view broadcast. The wedding itself was surprisingly uneventful, as viewers kept waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. The reception, however, was classic. When Elizabeth opened one of the gifts, a cobra popped out, causing mass hysteria. Jake Roberts and The Undertaker then crashed the party, attacking Savage and terrorizing Elizabeth before Sid Justice (aka Sid Vicious) made the save. Roberts delivered some of the all-time great heel performances during this story line.
The Undertaker and Stephanie McMahon (Raw, 4/26/99): In my opinion, The Undertaker’s best persona was during this period, when he was the demonic leader of the Ministry of Darkness. The “black wedding” marked the television debut of Stephanie McMahon (she was 22 at the time), who was kidnapped by The Undertaker and forced to be his bride. Paul Bearer presided over the borderline-Satanic ritual, as Stephanie was dressed all in black and bound to The Undertaker’s symbol (don’t call it a cross!). She did a good job of acting terrified, and The Undertaker was at his all-time creepiest. Ken Shamrock and The Big Show tried to intervene, but they were beaten down by The Undertaker’s minions (which included Bradshaw and Ron Simmons).
Finally, Steve Austin showed up, cleaned house and untied Stephanie. She immediately ran up to Austin and hugged him, but Austin would not return the embrace. Then Vince McMahon, Austin’s sworn enemy, came out. As Vince hugged his daughter, he looked at Austin and mouthed, “Thank you.” It was a great angle, but the story line eventually was weakened by an implausible plot twist: It turned out that Vince McMahon masterminded the whole thing and was the “Higher Power” that Undertaker had often referred to.
Test and Stephanie McMahon (Raw, 11/29/99): Stephanie was still playing a wholesome character at this point. I thought for sure that the angle was going to be that Test was cheating on her, thus turning him heel and giving him a big push. Instead, this story line pretty much solidified his status as a mid-carder for life. In one of the most entertaining surprise twists, Triple H interrupted the wedding and claimed that he and Stephanie already were married. He proceeded to show a video of him and an unconscious Stephanie getting hitched at a drive-through wedding chapel.
The story line would take an even more shocking turn a couple weeks later. During a match between Triple H and Vince McMahon, Stephanie turned on her father and joined Triple H in ushering in the McMahon-Helmsley era. Stephanie’s character eventually became stale, but during her initial heel turn, she was one of the most entertaining performers in WWE.
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon (Raw, 2/11/02): Their relationship had hit the skids and a separation seemed imminent. But when Stephanie told Triple H that she was pregnant, he agreed to renew their vows. Just prior to the ceremony, however, Triple H’s mother-in-law, Linda McMahon, told him that Stephanie had lied about the pregnancy. During what had been a classy ceremony, Triple H suddenly went off on Stephanie, telling her that he knew that she had lied and what exactly he thought of her. He then destroyed the wedding set, gave Vince McMahon a Pedigree and pie-faced Stephanie. Her reactions while Triple H was berating her were tremendous, and the fiendish look on her face as Jim Ross yelled, “Oh my God! Oh my God!” was one of the best closing shots ever on Raw.
By the way, Triple H and Stephanie’s real-life wedding in 2003 went off without incident, although Michael Hayes’ performance at the reception reportedly was a spectacle worthy of a WWE televised wedding.
Kane and Lita (Raw, 8/23/04): Even though she was in love with Matt Hardy, Lita was forced to marry Kane because he defeated Hardy in a match in which Lita had agreed to wed the winner. Lita, who earlier in the story line had been abducted by Kane, was carrying his child. The wedding was befitting of the perverse story line. Kane looked dapper in a white tux, while Lita wore a black dress. In the middle of the ceremony, Trish Stratus came out in the most risqué wedding getup of all time to verbally humiliate Lita, and a catfight quickly ensued.
Once order was restored, the odd couple exchanged vows. Lita, speaking in a monotone voice, said: “I hate you Kane more than life itself. … The only joy I have now in life is in hoping and praying that you suffer a horrible accident, resulting in your painful and immediate death. I sincerely hope you rot in hell.” Kane’s response: “That was lovely.” Suddenly, Hardy crashed the wedding and attacked Kane. Of course, since Hardy always seems to get buried in WWE, Kane eventually chokeslammed him off the stage, said “I do” and carried off his new bride.
Edge and Lita (Raw, 6/20/05): In real life, longtime couple Matt Hardy and Lita split up after she had cheated on him with Edge. Hardy went public with the situation on his Web site, which led to WWE releasing him. None of this was initially acknowledged on the air because Lita was married to Kane in the story line. Lita, however, was greeted with chants of “You screwed Matt!” at every arena she appeared in, prompting WWE to turn her heel and align her with Edge. The weirdest thing about the TV story line was that Kane, who had black-mailed Lita into having sex with him and then forced her to marry him against her will, somehow became a babyface when Lita left him for Edge.
The Edge-Lita nuptials produced two memorable highlights, but enough about Lita’s wedding dress with the plunging neckline. No, I’m actually talking about the point in the ceremony when the priest asked if anyone objected to the wedding, and Hardy’s entrance music played. There was a huge pop, but he wasn’t there. Edge and Lita were just taunting the fans (and Hardy). And then there was the big payoff. As the priest was about to make the marriage official, he said: “By the power invested in me by God, our Father, and the Lord … ” Just then, Kane’s head popped up through the floor, and the priest yelled, “Jesus Christ!” I just watched that again on You Tube and it still makes me laugh out loud. The priest’s delivery and the look on Kane’s face as he was coming through the floor were gold. Edge and Lita managed to get away from Kane nearly unscathed, but the priest was not as lucky, as Kane gave him a tombstone piledriver.
I’m glad that I checked wwe.com before starting to write this entry. I was about to slam WWE for the ludicrous ending to Raw last night, but as it turned out, no harm was done – both figuratively and literally.
When JBL propped up an unconscious John Cena against a car and then seemingly rammed his car into him, I groaned and rolled my eyes. We didn’t see whether Cena was actually struck, but the look on JBL’s face as the show went off the air seemed to indicate that he was.
On wwe.com, however, it was reported that “Cena was grazed and escaped the attack.” That’s good, because I have always detested angles with highly exaggerated violence a la a Roadrunner cartoon.
We all know wrestling is entertainment, but no one wants their intelligence insulted. Human beings should not walk away unscathed after being tossed into a flaming dumpster (Kane), falling off the roof of a building (Big Show), having their car dropped from a crane (Triple H) or being involved in a high-speed collision (The Rock, Kane). Just the fact that JBL basically attempted to murder Cena strains credibility.
Since Cena was just “grazed,” however, I don’t have a big problem with the angle, other than the fact that I don’t know why JBL hates Cena so much that he would try to kill him. It was another cliffhanger ending designed to get people talking. In that regard, it was a success.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
Raw got off to a wonderfully chaotic start. Right after Shane and Stephanie McMahon made another earnest plea for the wrestlers to unite during Vince McMahon’s absence, the camera immediately cut to Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels brawling. So much for unity. As soon as their fight was broken up, Kane’s entrance music played and he stormed down to the announce table. Suddenly, we’re backstage and Michaels is going at it with Lance Cade and Jericho. That should pacify the people who have complained about 20-minute promos opening the show. …
Judging by the way CM Punk was booked, it sure looks like WWE has no confidence in him as world champion. Honestly, could they have made him look more inept? Instead of defeating Kane by countout, why couldn’t Punk have pinned him? It would have made perfect sense, as a pinfall loss would have really given Kane a reason to freak out.
The post-match interaction with Batista was even more troubling if you’re a Punk fan. After Batista condescendingly patted Punk on the cheek, the champ pushed Batista, who responded by giving him a spinebuster. Michael Cole said, “Well, I guess he stood up for himself a little bit.” To top it off, after Raw went off the air, Batista pinned Punk in a non-title match that was described as a two-minute squash.
This could all be leading to Punk pulling out a surprise victory over Batista at The Great American Bash pay-per-view Sunday. If that is the case, hopefully he will get a legitimate win and not a fluke one. Even if Punk holds the title for several months, if he is booked as a paper champion, the crowd will turn against him. …
I’m starting to agree with the people who have speculated that Kane was talking about himself when he asked, “Is he alive or dead?” Perhaps his old mask was in the bag he was carrying last night. …
The build-up for Sunday’s Michaels-Jericho match has been very good, capped by last night’s pull-aparts and Michaels’ succinct promo. …
Cena also cut a strong promo about his Parking Lot Brawl match with JBL at the Bash. It was serious, intense and devoid of “poopy” references. …
Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes looked like stars on the mic (humiliating Hacksaw Jim Duggan) and in the ring (teaming with JBL against Cena and Cryme Tyme in the main event). Having them send Kelly Kelly away was a good way to get the crowd against them right from the start. By the way, whatever happened to Hardcore Holly? Not that I really care to see it, but shouldn’t he be seeking revenge on Rhodes for turning on him? Perhaps he’ll return and team with Duggan in a grizzled veterans vs. young punks program. …
It was ironic that JBL agreed with Rhodes and DiBiase about them not having to pay dues. In real life, JBL has a reputation for terrorizing some of the younger guys, but I guess it’s different if they are the sons of legendary wrestlers. …
After watching DiBiase and Rhodes, I’m convinced more than ever that they should be part of a faction of second- and third-generation wrestlers led by Randy Orton when he returns. Having Orton as the leader would make it a main-event level stable. …
One last comment about Rhodes: During the six-man match, I sure thought I heard him tell JTG to “shine my shoes” while JTG was down on the mat. That’s cheap heat and it has no place in wrestling in 2008. …
Paul Burchill holding Mickie James while Katie Lea slapped her around was a good heat-getting spot, and Kofi Kingston got a nice pop for making the save. It made sense from a wrestling booking perspective that Kingston would come out since he is in a program with Burchill, but from a logic standpoint, why wouldn’t Cena – James’ love interest – save her? ...
When Beth Phoenix answered Santino Marella’s challenge, every single person watching Raw knew that he was going to lose. Well, at least losing to Phoenix is less humiliating than jobbing to Cousin Sal, Hornswoggle and Maria. Seriously, I will never understand why WWE doesn’t make Marella’s character more of a threat. As entertaining as he is, if I know that he’s never going to win a match, why should I care to watch him?
I thought I had the Edge-Vickie Guerrero saga all figured out. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking.
When everyone’s favorite wrestling couple broke up last week, I thought for sure the acrimony would continue until the Great American Bash pay-per-view on July 20. That night, in Edge’s match against WWE champion Triple H, Guerrero would tease costing Edge the match before ultimately interfering on his behalf and cheating Triple H out of the title. After the match, Edge and Guerrero would reconcile.
One week after their split, however, Edge and Guerrero got back together last night at the end of Smackdown. The crowd booed, but I think it would have been more dramatic and had more heat if it happened at the pay-per-view and Triple H got screwed out of the title. It seems like an opportunity wasted.
Perhaps the plan isn’t for Edge to get the title at the Bash, but, if not, I hope he wins it sometime in the near future. I think Edge is the best all-around performer in the business right now, and he and Guerrero are too hot of a heel act for him not to be on top. Triple H should be the one in the chase position, playing the role of the no-nonsense babyface who has to overcome a duplicitous general manager and world champion.
The wild card in all of this is The Undertaker, who probably is returning sooner rather than later to get revenge on Edge. As great as the Edge-Undertaker series of matches was, I think the feud has played itself out. I would rather see a long-term Edge-Triple H story line.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
It seemed odd that Edge and Triple H had absolutely no interaction with just one show to go before their match at the Bash. …
Edge and Guerrero were both great on the mic during the opening segment. I wonder if Vince McMahon had any idea that Guerrero would be this good of a performer when he offered her an on-air role. “Excuse me!” has become the most over catch phrase in WWE, and her sneering facial expressions are tremendous. …
The Shelton Benjamin-Matt Hardy match was good, although I wish it would have gone a little longer. It was nice to see Benjamin get the (non-title win). I figured he would get lost in the shuffle on a loaded Smackdown roster, but I would love to be proved wrong. Hopefully, a series of matches between these two for the U.S. title is forthcoming. …
I continue to be impressed with Natalya. If there is any justice, she will defeat Michelle McCool at the Bash for the new divas title. I also continue to be impressed with Maryse, but for entirely different reasons. …
While it’s true that Hornswoggle helps Finlay get over and the character appeals to kids, I think it’s ridiculous that the WWE tag-team champions have to sell the little guy’s offense and even job for him. David Arquette winning the world title was more believable. Even though I’m not a huge fan of The Miz, he and John Morrison have had a nice reign as champions, and this kills any credibility that they have attained. …
Hey, if WWE wants to have a comedy act challenging for – and maybe even winning – the tag-team titles, Jesse and Festus would be a much better choice than Finlay and Hornswoggle. I still find the Festus character very entertaining. …
I had almost forgotten that Stevie Richards was still with the company. I think WWE dropped the ball with him. He had a chance to get over as a mid-card babyface on ECW when he did that interview last February in which he went into detail about the serious neck injury he suffered years ago and his multiple throat surgeries. Unfortunately, WWE never followed up on it.
Taylor’s upset of Awesome Kong for the TNA women’s title was clearly the highlight of an otherwise bland episode of Impact last night.
When TNA began having Kong take on challengers out of the crowd, it was obvious that the angle was designed to create a new female star, and it seems to have worked. The crowd was behind Taylor Wilde (she was given a last name last night), and the underdog story line was well-executed. The announcers played it up as the biggest upset in TNA history.
Now that Wilde has gone from “fan” to champion in four episodes, the next step in getting her over is to reveal her back story, which could be done either in “Rough Cuts” segments or a sit-down interview with Mike Tenay.
It will be interesting to see what happens when Kong gets her rematch on Sunday’s Victory Road pay-per-view.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
Impact did not have the feel of a go-home show. Except for the women’s title switch and a parking lot brawl between LAX and Beer Money to open the show, nothing really stood out. …
Booker T. has been so entertaining on the mic during the buildup to his match against Samoa Joe that he almost comes across as a cool babyface rather than a heel. I don’t think it will happen, but I’d like to see Booker get a run with the title. …
When Booker said that he was going to rattle off the names of some of the big stars that he has beaten, I don’t think anyone expected Rick Martel to be the first one he mentioned. Nothing against Martel, who had a fine career and was a good worker, but younger fans probably don’t know who he is and older fans probably don’t regard him as an all-time great. …
It was a good idea to give Gail Kim, ODB and The Beautiful People a rub by being involved in the six-person tag main event with A.J. Styles and Kurt Angle. By the way, now that Karen Angle is a contracted performer, I’m waiting for TNA to explain what exactly her job entails – I mean other than punching her husband in his groin. …
During the “Rough Cuts” segment, Kurt Angle said that Matt Morgan has the talent to be “an attraction,” not just a “main-eventer.” He said the difference is that an attraction is so over that he doesn’t need the title. If you read between the lines, Angle basically is saying that he’s the real star regardless of who has the title. I agree with him, but I don’t think it’s wise to say it within the context of the show. …
The World X Cup matches have been good, but I’m having a difficult time getting interested in the tournament. The Black Machismo/Sonjay Dutt/SoCal Val love triangle isn’t doing much for me either. …
Was there a reason given as to why Kevin Nash wasn’t on the show? Perhaps I missed it while flipping back and forth between Impact and the Orioles-Blue Jays game. The Orioles, by the way, are winning games lately about as frequently as Santino Marella wins matches.
WWE.com is asking fans to help select which matches should be on its upcoming History of the Intercontinental Title DVD. I came up with a baker’s dozen that I would include, although some of the matches I chose are not among the choices on WWE’s ballot.
As I reviewed my list, I noticed that only one of the matches I selected occurred in this decade. But considering the way the title has been de-emphasized over the past 10 years, that’s actually not surprising.
Here are my picks (in chronological order):
Pedro Morales vs. Magnificent Muraco in a no-disqualification match (11/23/81): Morales became the first man to regain the title by defeating Muraco in a wild, bloody brawl at Madison Square Garden. Morales got the win after taking a foreign object away from Muraco and knocking him out with it. It was poetic justice, as Muraco had used a foreign object to win the title from Morales five months earlier. Morales went on to hold the title for 14 months, which is the second-longest reign in the 29-year history of the title.
Magnificent Muraco vs. Jimmy Snuka in a steel cage match (10/17/83): Even though the title did not change hands this night in Madison Square Garden, the match has become legendary. After Muraco lucked into the victory by falling through the cage door after being on the receiving end of a flying headbutt, Snuka would have the last laugh. “The Superfly” brought the bloody, battered champion back into the ring and delivered a breathtaking splash off the top of the cage.
Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine in a steel cage match (7/6/85): For the first time, the title changed hands in a cage match. This match also has special meaning for me because I was there that night at the sold-out Baltimore Civic Center, although I was a Valentine fan and hated to see Santana regain the belt from the man he had lost it to nearly 10 months prior. “The Hammer” got a measure of revenge after the match, however, by destroying the belt.
Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage (WrestleMania III, 3/29/87): Some consider this to be not only the greatest Intercontinental title match ever, but also the best match of any kind in WWE history. Two of the all-time great performers took fans for a thrilling ride that included 13 near falls in the final six minutes. Steamboat won the title with a small package after George “The Animal” Steele, who was in Steamboat’s corner, pushed Savage off the top rope to thwart the “Macho Man’s” attempt to hit Steamboat with the ring bell.
The Honky Tonk Man vs. Ricky Steamboat (6/2/87): It still is the biggest upset in the history of the championship, as no one believed Honky Tonk Man even belonged in the same ring with someone as accomplished as Steamboat. The Elvis impersonator won the title after grabbing the rope to reverse a small package. At the time, Honky Tonk Man was considered by far to be the worst wrestler to win the title, but he went on to hold it for nearly 15 months, a record that still stands.
Bret Hart vs. “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig (SummerSlam, 8/26/91): This was Hart’s coming out party, as he won his first singles title in WWE after a very successful tag-team run with Jim Neidhart. When this match took place, Hennig was perhaps the best worker in the U.S., and Hart wasn’t far behind. Despite Hennig having a serious back injury, he and Hart put on a tremendous match that saw Hart kick out of Hennig’s finisher, The Perfectplex, before eventually getting the submission victory with The Sharpshooter.
Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper (WrestleMania VIII, 4/5/92): Piper, an established superstar making his only run as a singles champion in WWE, helped Hart get one step closer to superstar status by putting him over in this match-up of top babyfaces. The match built to a dramatic finish in which Piper contemplated hitting a bloody, defenseless Hart over the head with the ring bell, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Hart took advantage of Piper’s indecision and went on to grab the fall. The two embraced after the match and left the ring with their arms around each other.
Davey Boy Smith vs. Bret Hart (SummerSlam, 8/29/92): For the first time, a WWE pay-per-view took place outside the United States or Canada, as more than 80,000 fans filled Wembley Stadium in London. It also marked the first time that the Intercontinental title match was positioned as the main event over the WWE title match. The brothers-in-law engaged in a classic, which ended when “The British Bulldog” countered a sunset flip attempt and rolled up Hart to win the title and send the huge crowd into a frenzy.
Marty Jannetty vs. Shawn Michaels (5/17/93): Next to Honky Tonk Man’s victory over Ricky Steamboat, this is probably the second-biggest upset in the history of the title. Michaels was enjoying a seven-month reign when former Rockers partner Jannetty showed up out of the crowd during Raw and challenged him to an impromptu title match. Jannetty, who had been released by WWE a few months earlier, was considered the lesser star of the two, but he rose to the occasion and pinned his ex-partner in an exciting match.
Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels in a ladder match (WrestleMania X, 3/20/94): Ramon went into the match as the official champion, but Michaels also had an Intercontinental title belt in his possession, claiming that he never lost it in the ring (he had been stripped of the title, and Ramon then won the vacated title). On this night, Michaels and Ramon created the blueprint for future ladder matches, as they both found creative ways to make use of the ladder. Although it was Ramon who prevailed, Michaels’ inspired performance is what people most remember about the match.
Triple H vs. The Rock in a ladder match (SummerSlam, 8/30/98): Before they became multi-time world champions, natural rivals Triple H and The Rock battled over the Intercontinental title. Both of them were on the brink of superstardom at the time, and this match helped seal the deal. As great as the Ramon-Michaels ladder match was, this was one was even more entertaining and physically grueling. After 25 minutes of intense action, Triple H won the title after Chyna gave Rock a low blow.
Chyna vs. Jeff Jarrett in a good housekeeping match (No Mercy, 10/17/99): Chyna made history by becoming the only woman to hold the Intercontinental title, as she defeated Jarrett in this wild gimmick match. Jarrett had been going around smashing guitars over women’s heads and claiming that they belonged in the kitchen, so WWE came up with a good housekeeping match. It was a falls-count-anywhere bout that featured the use of objects such as an ironing board, frying pan, toilet seat and even the kitchen sink, as well as flour, eggs and milk. Chyna used Jarrett’s own guitar to knock him out and pick up the win.
Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Hardy (3/10/08): Jericho has held the title a record eight times, so I figured he had to have at least one of his matches on the list. His title-winning victory over Hardy on Raw was a shocker because Hardy had been one of the hottest wrestlers in WWE. It all made sense the next day when the news broke that Hardy had been suspended 60 days for a second violation of the company’s drug policy. Hardy did not leave with a whimper, however, as he and Jericho put on an outstanding, fast-paced match. Jericho won with The Codebreaker after Hardy missed a Swanton Bomb.
Wrestling fans probably most remember Terri Runnels as Marlena, the glamorous, cigar-smoking companion of then-husband Dustin “Goldust” Runnels. The former WWE diva, who left the company in 2004 to spend more time with her daughter, has now turned her attention to philanthropy. She has launched a national contest called Make The World Write, in which entrants are asked to write an essay detailing how they would make the world a better place. The winner will receive Runnels’ home in Gainesville, Fla., and $100,000 to apply to their idea.
I spoke with the former WWE diva about the contest and her wrestling career last week:
How did the Make The World Write contest originate? Was this something that you came up with? 
No, I cannot take credit for this. I was going to sell my home in Gainesville. … You know how depressed the market is right now. And so I heard about this lady doing this contest where she was giving away her home through an essay contest, and the entry fee was $200. Her minimum number was 6,000-something [entrants]. But her essay was about your favorite story about your pet. And while I have pets that I love dearly, I just felt like that was all about her and it didn’t help anyone else. So I thought, I’m going to do the same thing, but I’m going to change it to where it helps other people. I kind of copied her in doing the same exact idea: $200 entry fee; essay contest; my minimum is 5,000 [entrants]. But instead of writing about your pet or something silly like that, my thing is, how would you make the world a better place?
When I started thinking about it, I thought, “What is the worst case scenario?” Somebody spends $200, which is less than they would spend on pay-per-views for wrestling throughout the year. But in doing that, they actually have to put pen to paper and think about what they would do to make the world a better place. As you and I both know, when you put pen to paper, you’re more likely to follow through with an idea than if you just sit and think about it. … If this works, I would love to do it annually, so people could look forward to this sort of thing every single year. I called my attorney and said, “Please make sure everything is on the up and up. I don’t want anything to be illegal.” Even though this is not a lottery of a raffle, when you think of it in terms of the odds, one in 5,000 people will win a home and $100,000 to put toward whatever their essay is about. And you can keep the home — you can live in it, you can rent it out, you can keep it as a vacation home, you can sell it, whatever you want to do. The winner doesn’t have to put 100 percent of the $100,000 toward whatever their essay was about. God forbid they had $25,000 in debt. I would love for them to take care of that and then put something toward something that would help other people.
You mentioned doing this contest annually. Obviously, you can’t give your house away every year. How would it work?
If this is a success, what I would love to do is purchase a home every year and do the exact same thing. Yes, I need to benefit my own family by paying off my home and then buying another property because we want to live in another state, but in the years to come, I would love to have a lower minimum and just have people look forward to it and be thinking for an entire year about how they want the world to be a better place. I think it’s a positive every way you look at it, whether it’s only this year or whether it’s an annual event.
Will you be judging the essays yourself?
I have a panel of judges who will give me their 10 finalists, and then from the finalists, I choose.
What are some other causes and charities that you’ve been involved in over the years?
From the moment I was in the business eons ago — which, I hate to say that because it tells everyone how old I am — that was the one thing that made me feel like I was doing something good. Even though I loved live TV and doing my job, when there was a child with the Make A Wish Foundation or when they said, “We need you to go to these children’s hospitals and visit these children,” that was heart-wrenching. To see 30 children who are either terminally ill and days away from death, or children who are battling cancer or a disease in which they might or might not make it, you leave there and you’re ripped apar, because I have a child and I can only fathom how it would feel for my child to be sitting in a hospital dying. The thing that made me feel so great about it was to know that I could give a smile or some tiny bright spot to that child or their family in their horrible situation.
There have been many things — The Make A Wish Foundation, the Boys and Girls Club. There’s something called Taylor Fit for Kids, which deals with helping our horrendous obesity issue in the United States right now. You can go on my Web site, which is www.theterrirunnels.com, and I encourage people to be involved in any of the things that I have been involved in, or if there are things that you are passionate about, just do something. I know this sounds silly, but to give $5, most people say my $5 won’t matter. But when you think about it, $5 times a million people — what if those million people all said that it doesn’t matter. Wow, we’ve just lost $5 million. On whatever level you can, try to help those around you. Start in your own home — treat the people that you live with with respect, dignity and love. Move from your own home to your neighborhood, to your community, to your county, to your city, to your state, and then it should move across the world. I’m on a soapbox! (laughs)
Before moving on to some questions about your wrestling career, is there anything else that you wanted to bring out about Make The World Write?
I’ve had people tell me lately, “I want to be a part of this contest but I’m scared because I got horrible grades in school in writing and my grammar’s not great.” I don’t want people to be frightened off by the word “essay” or “cover letter.” I want them to just think in terms of truly how they want to make the world a better place. Just put your ideas on a piece of paper. The cover letter, all that is is your name, address, phone number and e-mail address so that we can get in touch with you if you win.
You left WWE in 2004. What have you been up to the past four years?
My funny answer is sitting on the couch eating bon-bons. My honest answer is that I took about a year-and-half off to be mommy and not get on an airplane, just be able to take my daughter [Dakota] to school, fix her breakfast and lunch; no more live-in nannies. Mommy is mommy and that was it. … I’ve been working on a couple of books that have nothing to do with wrestling, but they have to do with being a mommy. One is a very anecdotal advice book and one is a photographically-driven book with very little text to it. A friend of mine owns a premium cigar company called Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, and I worked for him a little bit as his national marketing manager But it ended up where he had me flying out more than WWE, so I told him, “I cannot do this anymore.”
After that I bought a child developmental soccer program called SoccerTots, and I am in the process of selling that, not because I don’t believe in it 100 percent, but because I just do not enjoy running a business on a day-to-day level. I would highly recommend anyone buying into the franchise. The first [wrestling] appearance I did in eons was for my dear friend, Hermie Sadler [in Virginia]. There were two shows. His daughter is autistic, and it’s great to do anything that benefits the autismspeaks.org foundation. I actually did two shows.
At Hermie Sadler’s show, were you doing anything in the ring or was it a personal appearance?
I managed Jerry “The King” Lawler both nights. I did what I used to do as a manager: Ididn’t take a bump; just a little distraction here and there. It was a blast. And I went to my first NASCAR race. Hermie has been begging me for seven years to go to a race. I’m hooked. … I actually want to do a show called Racing 101, where I go behind the scenes, and for all the newbies like myself, I’m able to be their mouthpiece and ask the questions and have the questions answered like on Speed Channel, ESPN, whatever. So I’m working on that right now.
Will you be doing more independent shows in the future?
It’s something where I’m making choices. It depends on whether it’s a friend of mine or someone I’m doing a favor for, if it’s something that is worth my while and lucrative. I love going out and seeing the fans. That is something I’ve missed terribly. So that’s really cool to do again. In the next month and a half, I have several appearances, and that’s also on my Web site. It’s fun to be back out there and talk to people who respect and appreciate the business.
I know that Hermie Sadler has a relationship with TNA. Do you have any desire to work in TNA or perhaps return to WWE?
I would love to do something again, but my only thing is that I don’t want to wrestle. It would have to be in a hosting/managing/valet/interview capacity. I have no problems taking a bump. When I would get to TV and Vince [McMahon] would say, “OK, Big Show is going to goozle you and throw you and you’re going to land on someone in the second row,” I’d be like, “Awesome.” But if he would tell me, “Hey Terri, you’ve got a bikini paddle on the pole match with another girl,” nothing against the other girls, because I so respect them and what they’ve trained to do, but I just cannot stand having an actual wrestling match. It’s just not for me. I love the big bump. I was the first female to be slammed through a table by The Dudleys — loved that, was stoked. Granted, it didn’t feel well the day after or the day after that or the day after that, but I was still very excited to do that bump.
When you left WWE, I read that you requested your release. Are you on good terms with them?
Yes. It was a mutual meeting of the minds.
Do you have a favorite angle that you were involved in during your time in WWE?
There was something that actually never came to fruition that I would love to have seen played out. I thought it would have been the greatest angle. Dustin and I were doing an angle with Brian Pillman where Brian won me for 30 days. What was going to happen at the end of the 30 days was that Dustin and I were going to do a big renewing of our vows at the pay-per-view. So I had the wedding dress and this whole thing, and the way it was to be, in the midst of the renewal of the vows the preacher would say, “Is there anyone here who thinks this union should not take place?” and Brian was going to come out and say, “Me.” He and Dustin were going to get into a melee. My big thing was that I really wanted one or both of them to have massive blood. I think that would have been perfect for the passion of the story. And at some point, instead of protecting Dustin, I was going to jump on top of Brian, getting blood all over my wedding dress so it was a very visual, very dramatic thing. And then I was going to say to Dustin, “In these 30 days, I fell in love with Brian and I have to leave you, I can’t remarry you, I can’t stay married to you, I have to go.” Then I was going to go with Brian.
As you know, the sad news, Brian passed away that day. That was actually on my birthday, which is so sad to me. That was the one angle that to this day I just wonder how great it would have been. We ended up going in another direction — with Luna and Dustin. The only other thing I really regretted was when we did the whole D-Lo Brown/Val Venis angle where I said I was pregnant, and I was thrown off the ring apron and fell and supposedly had a miscarriage. I fought that one tooth and nail with Vince Russo. And he was like, “Terri, you know it’s all an act.” I’m like, “I know Vince, but my daughter’s getting to the age know where she’s going to go to school and they’re going to say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know your mommy was having another baby’ or ‘your baby brother or sister died.’ That’s the kind of thing that I just thought went over the top and was too much for me.
After Dustin and his father , Dusty Rhodes, were reunited after being estranged, I remember they did some interviews together on TV in which they blamed their split on you. What was that like for you to see that on television?
I got very passionate about that because I loved Dustin with all my heart and still do. We talk often and have a great relationship. First of all, Dusty loves his son, but was not the greatest father. And I don’t blame that on him, I blame it more on the era that Dusty grew up in and the fact that Dusty was constantly on the road. Dusty’s way of showing love back then was to bring toys and gifts when he came through town, as opposed to spending quality time. He is an incredible father to [kids from his second marriage] and a supreme grandfather to Dakota. They text back and forth if they’re not calling back and forth constantly. I love and appreciate the grandfather he is to our child, but I’m sure if Dustin was being honest and not being prodded or trying to make a dramatic scene, he would say, “Terri has always been fair with me. She’s been a good mom. She’s been respectful of me. She loves me. And she never told me not to speak with my father.”
Those are issues that have been boiling since he was a child. I think that as they have gotten older they have worked on those, and that’s a great thing. But the last thing I would ever do is to say to Dustin, “Don’t speak to your father.” What I would say is, Dustin deserved better than he got. Dusty would give him a pat on the back at the bar after a match in front of everyone and say, “I love you, son,” but in private when it was just us, it was hard for him to say, “You know what, son? I am so proud of you,” or “you did a great job.” It was more for show. But I think Dusty’s changed a lot, so it makes me proud of Dusty. I think both of those gentleman know better than to say that it was me keeping them away. I wanted them to have a great relationship.
How much do you watch wrestling now, and what do you think of the current product?
I don’t watch that often. If Dustin calls Dakota and says, “Hey, I’m going to be on tonight and it’s going to be funny,” or “I want you to watch it,” we’ll tune in. The analogy that I have, and it’s been said by me time and time again, on wrestling and females is: If you make a cake and you have no icing on that cake — the cake are the men, the icing would be the females — it’s good and you enjoy it, but it’s bland. You need something more. If you have a cake and you have as much icing as you do cake, you just wanna go, “Yuck, that’s too much.” I think the mistake that Vince has made with the women in our industry is to go, “Well if one, or two or three women are great, then 12 should be awesome.” I think you have to have the majority be the males and the minority be the females and have that nice layer of icing, so that when you bite into the cake it’s just the perfect complement. Saying that, I give the new girls absolute credit in terms of being beautiful and being good workers. They’re working their butts off. I think all that’s awesome; I just think it’s a little bit much in terms of the ratio of men to women.
Handout photo
In the past couple weeks, WWE has tried to create some new stars while also freshening up some established ones. Last night on Raw, the spotlight was put on Kane, a former main-eventer who had become somewhat stale as a mid-carder.
As has been the case lately on Raw, something occurred that no one saw coming. After Kane was pinned by Batista in a fatal four-way to determine who would challenge world heavyweight champion CM Punk, he had a meltdown, assaulting ringside attendants and repeating the phrase, “Is he alive or dead?” Kane then grabbed Michael Cole and was preparing to chokeslam him. Jerry Lawler made the save, but he was quickly taken out by Kane, as the show abruptly went off the air several minutes earlier than usual.
So, why did Kane snap? Who is he referring to when asking “is he alive or dead?” What does it all mean? We’ll all have to tune in next week to Raw to find out. I have to give WWE an “A” for effort as far as coming up with cliffhangers and bringing a sense of spontaneity to the show.
A couple of strange segments added to the anything-can-happen vibe. A light stand fell down during an interview with Punk, and then a fan jumped in front of Batista backstage and mimicked Batista’s entrance pose before security chased after him. The basic idea is that the show is in a state of chaos with Vince McMahon out and no general manager.
As for Kane, I think he is more effective as a heel (if indeed this is the start of a turn), but I’ve seen him go back and forth so many times that it’s hard for me to really get too worked up about it. I am intrigued, however, to see where this story line is going.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
If the idea was to get fans to boo Kane while he was going on his rampage, attacking Cole had the opposite effect. When Lawler rescued Cole, it was “The King” who was booed. Come on, it’s not like Cole is Mike Adamle or anything. ..
So it’s going to be Punk vs. Batista at The Great American Bash pay-per-view in two weeks. Perhaps this sets the stage for the rumored Batista heel turn. Speaking of Batista, has anyone beside me noticed that he has gotten a lot better in the ring over the past few months? Last night, he did a drop toe-hold, and a couple weeks ago he did a nice-looking leapfrog. …
No one in wrestling has ever used the words “Excuse me” more effectively than Vickie Guerrero. Heck, no one outside of wrestling has either, except for maybe Steve Martin (if you’re too young to get that reference, ask your parents or do a Google search). She generates incredible heat and has become a way better performer – her horrible overacting at the end of Smackdown last Friday notwithstanding – than I could have ever imagined. …
I like where they are going with the Shawn Michaels-Chris Jericho program, with Michaels telling Jericho that no matter how successful he becomes, Jericho will never be him. That makes sense from a continuity standpoint, as that was the basis for their match at WrestleMania XIX, which Michaels won. …
The bit with John Cena and Cryme Tyme busting up JBL’s limo was kind of flat. Cena hasn’t been as entertaining on the mic lately as he usually is, partly because the scripted material he gets has been so lame. Enough with the “poopy” jokes already. WWE is practically begging people to boo him with that stuff. …
Kelly Kelly is now on Raw and WWE didn’t even bother to try to come up with an explanation. Instead, it was just laughed off. If people can leave one show for another whenever they want, what is the point of the draft? Kelly Kelly, by the way, has greatly improved in the ring, which I didn’t think was possible based on how uncoordinated she appeared to be when she first started wrestling.
Just when I think I’ve seen it all in pro wrestling, TNA comes up with something unprecedented. Robert Roode and James Storm are challenging for the TNA world tag-team title at the Victory Road pay-per-view on July 13, yet they were defeated last night on Impact – twice.
First they jobbed to The Motor City Machine Guns – a talented team with a so-so won-loss record as of late – and then were defeated by Kevin Nash and Samoa Joe, two guys who can’t get along and don’t trust each other.
Oh, and three weeks ago, Roode and Storm also lost to LAX, the team they are wrestling at Victory Road.
That’s three losses in less than a month for guys who are challenging for a title on pay-per-view. Yeah, that has to be a first. I guess it’s the TNA creative team’s way of being creative.
When Roode and Storm lost to Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley, I figured maybe Beer Money Inc. – as Roode and Storm are now known – was going to win the title from LAX at the pay-per-view and then begin a program with TMCMG (it’s the only thing that would make sense). I liked how Roode and Storm got their heat back by whipping Sabin, Shelley and anybody else they could get their hands on with belts. That was a great heat-getting segment, so the loss didn’t seem so bad at that point.
But having them get beaten a second time, especially to guys who didn’t want to work together, just made them look like a couple of losers. That’s not exactly how you build up challengers. For Roode and Storm to keep getting passionately jeered, they not only have to do bad things to the babyfaces, but they also have to win matches against them.
The booking of Roode and Storm notwithstanding, there was a lot of good stuff on Impact. Here are some other thoughts on last night’s show:
I’m getting into the Kevin Nash-Samoa Joe feud, but I’m starting to think that it’s Joe who is going to turn on Nash. I liked Joe better anyway when he was a no-nonsense heel who used to carry a towel stained with his opponent’s blood like it was a trophy.
The trend of Joe being portrayed as a paranoid, hot-headed and – at times – incompetent jerk continued last night, while Nash again came across as cool and calm. When Jim Cornette asked Nash to team with Joe against Roode and Storm, he calmly accepted. When Cornette asked Joe to team with Nash, however, Joe became a screaming lunatic. It was also interesting that Cornette basically offered Nash a bribe, but he pulled rank on Joe and ordered him to do it. During the match, Joe mocked Nash’s mannerisms and flipped him off. If Nash does end up turning on Joe, he’ll be completely justified. …
With Sting showing up in the rafters at the end of the show while Joe and Nash argued, it looks as if his role might be to play peacemaker. I think TNA is wise to bring in Sting for occasional appearances rather than having him as a regular attraction. …
I thought it was great when Roode and Storm got in a couple shots on Don West with their belts, although that makes them babyfaces in my book. I’m betting that West knew it was coming, unlike in WWE, where Jim Ross probably would get whacked with a belt on live television with no idea he was going to be physically involved. …
Roode and Storm also grabbed ring announcer David Penzer (formerly of WCW), tossed him in the ring and whipped him several times. I wouldn’t feel too sorry for Penzer, though. Trust me, he would endure far more punishment than that if it meant him getting some camera time (that's a little inside joke for some of my former WCW colleagues). …
One last thought on Beer Money Inc.: Roode and Storm are a very good heel team, but their partnership almost seems like a step back for them. They both got over as singles wrestlers after breaking away from either a faction or a tag team, and now they are back in a team situation. As entertaining as Beer Money Inc. is, I hope they don’t team together too long. I still think Roode would make a good heel world champion if ever given the opportunity. …
The first two Kurt Angle dating skits were pretty lame, but – as crude and silly as it was – the third one, in which his date had spastic colon, made me laugh. There has been talk that Angle will end up with a love interest, a role that reportedly was designed for Tammy “Sunny” Sytch, but apparently she no longer is being considered. …
Team 3D has never been better. I have always thought they were just OK as babyfaces, but incredible as heels. Brother Ray destroyed A.J. Styles during their verbal confrontation to open the show. Brother Devon and Rhino also did some good mic work in that segment. …
Karen Angle is not doing Styles any favors by wearing such high heels when standing next to him. Speaking of Karen, I didn’t find it at all believable when she started pushing around Angelina Love and Velvet Sky. That was right up there with William Shatner knocking out Jerry Lawler. ...
It was irritating enough when LAX, Hector Guerrero and Salinas were all talking at the same time, but it was excruciating when they all talked over Storm’s promo. Guerrero is especially annoying on the mic, as it seems like he’s trying too hard to imitate his late brother, Eddie. He’d probably be better as a heel manager. …
Moose and Roxxi had quite a brawl, which ended with Roxxi bleeding from the forehead. Just wondering: If Moose’s catch phrase is that she hates bimbos, why does she wrestle in matches called Bimbo Brawls? Doesn’t that make her a bimbo? And what happened to her alliance with The Beautiful People? It’s probably just as well that it was dropped, because it wasn’t a good fit. By the way, did you catch Roxxi’s t-shirt? It said “No Carpet, No Drapes.” I guess we’ll have to take her word for half of that equation. …
This week’s “Rough Cuts” segment with Matt Morgan was the best one so far on him. You know Cornette, who was very high on Morgan in Ohio Valley Wrestling, loved taking a shot at WWE for giving Morgan a stuttering gimmick when he was put on Smackdown. …
Taylor, who defeated Raisha Saeed to earn a title shot against Awesome Kong, looks like she has potential as a babyface. Hey, whatever happened to Cheerleader Melissa? …
Alex Kozlov is fun to watch, but there’s one thing I don’t understand. When a wrestler charges at him and Kozlov puts out his hand in a “stop” gesture, why doesn’t the guy just run over him?
Here is a transcript of Bret Hart’s speech from the Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday night. The speech was recorded by someone in attendance and I have obtained this transcribed version. I am working on getting the actual audio of the speech. The person who passed along this transcript told me that it was more inflammatory in person than it seems in print. The comments regarding wrestling writers, specifically Greg Oliver, are in bold:
“... The one wrestling hall of fame that captures what he was all about. I look around this room here, and there’s a lot of emotion to me. I’m going to try to stay calm and say what I have to say here. I have some very important things that I want to talk about. I see some really important people in my life and in the wrestling world in the audience here. I see Butch Goering, coming all the way out here from California. Talking to Butch, he worked for my father in the ’60s. He knows what it’s like traveling the roads back then, working for my father. Sometimes it was a thousand miles a day wrestling for wrestling fans just when they started, sort of understood wrestling from television. It was a very unique time, and it was the time when Lou Thesz was just sort of establishing a whole new understanding of wrestling through television. Lou Thesz, what a champion, he was always such a great champion, and he earned that right. You look at Red Baron [Baron von Raschke]. I know my father talked a lot about legends in wrestling, but he always talked about Baron Von Raschke all the time. He was a very, very accomplished NCAA wrestler that got into pro wrestling and was respected by every wrestler that ever worked with him. Whatever the finish was, whatever happened in his matches, he was a legend amongst the wrestlers and the fans.
“I see Bob Leonard, who worked for my father for years taking pictures of wrestlers, capturing and documenting, letting people realize the real art of wrestling, and just to capture the pictures of these young athletes dropkicking and head scissors and wrestling holds, making that magic in still pictures. I think Bob Leonard is a very, very important part of my business. Harley Race, I don’t even know how you start. Harley Race to me is the epitome of pro wrestling. He is not only a great wrestler, I don’t know anyone who would want to mess with Harley in wrestling, the fighting or brawling, the real, that moment of man versus man, to know it. Harley Race, he can do whatever he wants to do with anybody he wants, anytime he wants.
"Then there’s Saito here. I know that he wrestled in Japan, a well-accomplished amateur wrestler, got into pro wrestling, paid his dues for hanging with wrestlers that made mistakes that he wasn’t even a part of, sacrificed to come all the way from Japan to be here. I look at Danny Hodge, he’s one of the most, one of the greatest wrestlers in pro wrestling or amateur wrestling there’s ever been. To be in this room with Danny Hodge is a big, big honor to me. I look at Roddy Piper. I could name a lot of wrestlers that helped me in wrestling, gave me advice — Harley Race — but I don’t think anybody did more for me or helped me more, and helped me make those decisions to get me to where I was than Roddy Piper. To come here, he had to fight cancer, and to be part of this tonight, is just that much more special. It’s my understanding and belief that Roddy Piper came here for the sole reason just to hang out with me, to be part of this event, because it was important to me. That means a lot. I came all the way from Rome to be here.
“I flew in, and it was important from watching the news over in Italy, seeing the flood problems here, and knowing that I would be here in a few days. It would have been a lot easier to shoot home to Calgary and not worry about the floods — I’m not a good swimmer. [crowd laughs] It was important for me to be here. It made me proud to know that I was coming here. Mike Chapman, yeah, I talked to him a couple of years ago. I talked for so long, and I learned so much about wrestling, championships, and Lou Thesz, and how the origin of wrestling started, it was like sitting under the learning tree, just sitting there listening to this guy, digesting, knowing this guy knows what he’s talking about. He’s not full of it. He’s not a B.S.-er. He knows what he’s talking about, he knows these people. He’s talked to Lou Thesz. He knows the history. He knows the transition from pro wrestling and amateur wrestling.
“Now, I’m here because I was a pro wrestler. But I also know, I also know, what it’s like to hang a gold medal around my neck. I know what it’s like to wrestle a one-hour match. I know what it’s like to go full blast for that hour. And to lose, I know what it’s like to lose wrestling match by one point, I’ve been there too. I know what it’s like to snap on a knee brace. I know what it’s like to snap on a world title belt. I also know what it’s like to wrestle in front of 90,000, 100,000 people sometimes, just to have that kind of impact, and to make people — I remember wrestling the British Bulldog in Wembley Stadium, England, and make everybody in that 82,000 wrestling fans, they dismissed all their disbelief about wrestling, and wrestling for 35 minutes became real. It was real.
“There’s an art to that. There’s a science to that. It’s hard work, it’s really hard work. [clears throat, silence for at least 20 seconds.] I don’t want to be too lecturous here. What is a hall of fame? To me, a hall of fame is a place where it’s important to speak the truth, to capture history. When someone tells you they’re holding Karl Gotch’s jockstrap, or whatever it is, there’s the real jockstrap. It had better be real. I think wrestling fans want the truth, and that’s kind of what my point is here. My father was all about wrestling. He loved wrestling. He dedicated his life to wrestling; it wasn’t just about amateur wrestling, it was about pro wrestling for the whole business. It was about feeding families and making something out of nothing. Wrestling used to mean — what I always tried to get people to remember about wrestling was the honor of being a pro wrestler. There’s something about that term, doing the honors for somebody, and knowing that there’s somebody that is going to be the champion, and going to be the guy that carries the load for everybody, and everybody is going to profit by the fact that he’s Lou Thesz, and he makes people believe that wrestling is real, that he’s a real champion. It’s not just the champion, there’s a whole team of wrestlers that make this whole show, make the whole story, it’s not just the cameraman and the referees and the people that let everybody in. It’s more than that. It’s people that dedicate their lives to wrestling.
“I’ve watched wrestling, and been a part of wrestling, since I was 5 years old. I sold programs and made my first 10 cents on wrestling. It’s just something that I’ve had a passion for since I was born. I think it was my calling to be wrestler. If someone had told me when I was 16 years old that I would tour the world, be the champion, and be a hero to kids, and at the same time, to be here, amongst such great amateur wrestlers, the people who were heroes to me when I was 16 years old, people I had the deepest respect for. People like Danny Hodge. I knew all about Danny Hodge when I was 16, I appreciated Danny Hodge even though I’d never met him. But I knew all about him because I respected wrestling. I think my point is, I’m honored to be here. I know this isn’t my place to gripe about stuff, but I have a serious issue with people who write books about wrestling who don’t honor the truth.
“And you, sir, you do not honor the truth of wrestling. Greg Oliver writes these books on wrestling and it’s all made up. It’s not the truth. It’s just baloney, you know. I wrote a book that took seven years, I gave everything I had to write about some of the deepest tragedies, the truth about my life as a wrestler. For someone like this that sits in the room with me to say that on his Web site that my truth is not the truth, it’s just wrong for me to be in the same room as these people. They don’t honor the truth of wrestling.
“When you buy their books, I think you have to look at that and say these people are not telling the truth. They don’t know anything about wrestling. I’ve never seen them in the back. I’ve never seen them in the dressing room. I’ve never seen them at anything to do with wrestling. They don’t know anything at all about my business. They don’t know anything about me. They don’t have any respect for what I do or for anyone else. So I’m going to step aside now, and I just want to say that it’s not right for me to be in the same room as people who don’t do honor and justice to my profession. You either have a choice of leaving, or I will. [Silence. Someone says “get up” or “get out.”]
“I speak the truth about wrestling and I take pride in what I do. [Applause starts slowly but picks up. Sound covers part of the speech.] ... How it was and how it was done, how it should be done. These guys over here, it makes me laugh that Greg Oliver here rated me behind Sky Low Low, as, I think the 13th-greatest Canadian wrestler. I have news for him — he’s wrong. Sky Low Low was a much better wrestler than me, but he was only half the man that I was. But anyway, my point is, you know, I take a lot of pride in what I do. It means a lot to me that people would come here and be part of this, because wrestling was important to me, and I hope it was important for you. But it’s important that people tell the truth.
“When you write about wrestling, you talk about wrestling, especially when you’re among these kind of people, you owe it to tell the truth. If you want to come here and be a charlatan, well, you’re in the wrong place because this is a room filled with legends, and people that paid their dues in wrestling. We want the truth to be told about wrestling. Take your sorry-ass lies about wrestling and how you make it up, and save your books, because they’re not the truth. This is a room filled with truth. Thank you.
[Applause] I’m talking to you, Greg Oliver. Either you go or I go. [Greg Oliver waves goodbye to Hart] Greg Oliver’s going to stay. I’m going to go to my room. [A few fans yell “We want Bret,” smattering of applause, then silence for 20 seconds. Someone says, “Thanks, Bret” and applause starts again.]”
The following is an e-mail I received last night from Bret Hart’s personal assistant, Marcy Engelstein, in regard to Hart’s remarks about wrestling journalist Greg Oliver during his speech at the Hall of Fame last Saturday. It is posted in the comments section of the “More on the Bret Hart Hall of Fame Incident” blog post from Monday (along with my response), but I decided to post her comments here as well:
“Bret did, in fact, make his comments during his formal acceptance speech, which was in the evening; the less formal version, for fans, was in the afternoon. Bret is not the least bit concerned with what ranking Greg Oliver gave him. Greg is entitled to his opinion, like anyone else.
“For Bret to have been upset about how Oliver ranked him would have been petty, as some here have posted, but that is not, in fact, the case. Bret feels that Greg Oliver’s books often present the writer’s own opinion — (not just about Hart) as fact and that blurs the line of responsible journalism. Bret told me that recognizing Greg Oliver with an award provides him with a “credential” upon which other credentials can be built; a few years from now Greg would appear to have a ‘wall of credentials’ and would be called upon ( more often than he already is) as a wrestling expert by the mainstream press, like Dave Meltzer is now. And so, then someone who presents his own opinion as fact would have too much power to further distort an accurate account of the history of pro wrestling. Bret is passionate about a truthful account of pro wrestling being preserved for generations to come, no matter how he is portrayed, as long as it is factually accurate.
“Bret’s perceived difference between Greg Oliver and those “like him” from Meltzer, for example, is that Oliver is in it for the wrong reason; recognition. During the afternoon event, while I was busy handling an autograph session where Bret and Roddy were signing, Greg Oliver gave me a copy of his latest book to give to Bret (The Heels), but then he said, ‘Oh wait, let me sign that for him before I give it to him ... ’ and he did. So, basically, Greg autographed his book for Bret. Bret feels there is some degree of audacity in that, as Greg is supposed to be the reporter, not the participant. Dave Meltzer, whose landmark publication is even named The Observer, defines himself as such, without the attached ego. He was a journalism major and has, over the years, displayed objectivity and detachment from outcome, which is lacking on Oliver’s reporting, and he, “... at least attempts to get it right...”, according to Bret.
“Bret doesn’t have any problem at all with a deserving journalist being honored and inducted. He just felt that Stu would have been honored to be inducted into this particular hall of fame because it is rooted in amateur, not pro, footings and the past inductees are all distinguished and deserving people who had sacrificed much for the love of wrestling and for the business. He felt that Greg Oliver doesn’t fit that bill in that he hasn’t paid his dues and doesn’t report or write with objectivity.
“I hear that Greg stated, on Wrestling Observer Live, to Bryan Alvarez, that I, myself, walked out of the banquet to tell Bret that he shouldn’t have said what he said. I didn’t hear this myself but was told this in an email from Mike Lano. In fact, I walked out only because it was such an unusually awkward moment that I wanted to see what, if anything, Bret might want from me. I’ll get back to that. Before I left, I saw that the first person to stand up and give Bret an ovation after Bret walked out was Harley Race. Next to stand to show his approval was Danny Hodge. Then other legends stood up, including Roddy. None of the wrestlers walked out and no fans walked out. I left a minute or so after Bret did. Bret asked me to get his notes, which he’d jotted down briefly just after sitting down at the head table (where seats had been reserved for Bret, Roddy and myself. (When we walked in, late I initially sat next to Bret but then I chose to sit with Harley and BJ instead so I could see better. Also, although I appreciated the compliment of my seat assignment, I’ve always preferred to be behind-the scenes and wasn’t comfortable being so visible at the head table.)
“Bret’s notes were not about Greg Oliver, but pertained to his speech in general. He’d left them on the podium when he walked out. I didn’t want to parade up to the podium in front of everyone so I asked Mike Chapman, the Director of the Museum, to get the notes for me, which he did. While Mike waited for an opportune moment to go to the podium, I was standing just outside the door to the banquet room and one notable after another came out and expressed support to me for what Bret had said. As what they said to me was not in a public forum, I won’t betray their confidences by revealing their exact words and identities at this time. No doubt, some will call that a convenient excuse or whatever, but frankly I don’t care about that because the reason I’ve been around as long as I have is because I respect the honor of being trusted by these men; and I work hard and have paid my dues. One of them passionately expressed to me that there are no shortcuts in this business and that respect and honor have to be earned — and that Greg Oliver hadn’t done so, in his opinion. That sentiment was echoed over and over to me by iconic men throughout the rest of the evening — and not so much that it was directed at Greg specifically, but at the so-called ‘wrestling reporters’, especially internet-based ones, whose egos have diluted whatever objectivity they might have started out with because they seem to enjoy the pseudo-celebrity that comes with the internet a little too much.
“Nowhere in this account have I expressed my own opinion of Greg Oliver; and I won’t. I’ve simply given you the facts of what happened. At CAC a couple of weeks ago, during his acceptance speech, Bret mentioned how he’d had the honor and privilege to watch and learn from Harley Race and Terry Funk (who were seated behind Bret, on the stage) when he was a kid. After Bret’s speech, while Bret was being mobbed at the side of the stage by the Japanese and European media, I watched as an emotional Terry Funk took the mic, ‘I speak for both myself and Harley.‘That kid grew up to do it so much better than we ever could. And we love him for it.’ Terry Funk’s supreme compliment carries more weight than how any reporter ranks Bret.”
Marcy Engelstein Sr. Consulting Mgr.
Bret Hart/ Hitman Productions
NOTE FROM KEVIN ECK: I have obtained a transcribed version of Hart's speech that I will post later today.
Also, in regard to her comment about Dave Meltzer that he “has, over the years, displayed objectivity and detachment from outcome,” I agree that he has when it comes to reporting a news story. As I have said before, I admire Meltzer and have tremendous respect for him as a journalist. However, Meltzer does express his opinion all the time — which he should do as an expert in his field — whether it’s about an angle or a wrestler’s workrate or any number of things. He was the one who introduced a star system for rating matches.
On another issue, there seems to be some confusion in regard to the order of events at the Hall of Fame that day. Ms. Engelstein said that Hart “did, in fact, make his comments during his formal acceptance speech, which was in the evening; the less formal version, for fans, was in the afternoon.” It’s not that important in the big scheme of things, but the source who was at both events said that the formal ceremony was in the afternoon (that’s when the plaques were handed out) and the less formal one for fans was at night. What is not in dispute is that Hart’s comments about Oliver were at night.
The source also indicated that Hart showed up 40 minutes late that afternoon and the order of the ceremony had to be changed as a result.
CM Punk’s win over Edge for the world heavyweight title Monday has sparked a debate over whether he truly is world championship material. The situation reminded me of another guy who won the big gold belt and was deemed unworthy by a number of critics and fans – Ronnie Garvin.
He defeated Ric Flair for the NWA world title in 1987 – a match that coincidentally has been available recently on WWE 24/7. I have seen Garvin referred to as one of – if not the worst – world champions of all time. Many consider it a travesty that a guy who was a mid-card attraction for a large part of his career was booked to defeat perhaps the greatest wrestler ever.
I watched the match for the first time in years, and my thoughts on Garvin beating Flair for the belt are the same as they were 21 years ago: Garvin’s title win was believable and appropriate considering the story line and the matches they had together leading up to the title change. Flair and Garvin had some classic, hard-hitting matches in which they would chop the heck out of each other, sometimes for 60 minutes. Fans knew that Garvin wasn’t as big a star as Flair, but in the ring, it certainly appeared that Garvin was a lot tougher than the “Nature Boy" and basically had his number.
The title change occurred in a steel cage match at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit that September. As the two were battling on the top rope, Garvin rammed Flair’s head into the cage twice, which led to Flair slipping and landing crotch-first on the rope. As a dazed Flair got back to his feet, Garvin, who was perched on the top rope like Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, hit a sunset flip for the victory. There was a huge pop for Garvin’s win.
The actual reason for Garvin’s victory was that promoter Jim Crockett wanted Flair to regain the title at November’s Starrcade, the NWA’s biggest show of the year. He needed someone to be an interim champ for two months, and Garvin was the choice. As it turned out, Garvin slid right back to the mid-card after dropping the belt back to Flair.
As for Punk, the jury is still out. He has gradually grown on me since coming to WWE, but I see him as more of an upper mid-card guy than a world champion. With that being said, however, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to give him a title run at this point. WWE needs to elevate some guys to freshen up the top tier, and Punk is a fine choice.
One major difference between Punk and Garvin, however, is that Punk’s win was basically presented as a fluke (beating a guy in seconds who already was beaten down by someone else), while Garvin chased Flair for a while and came close numerous times before finally pulling the upset.
WWE has to be encouraged by the 3.5 rating for Monday’s Raw, as it was the highest-rated Raw since the Ric Flair farewell episode three months ago.
The ratings for Raw, which bottomed out at 2.9 on May 26, have risen each of the past three weeks. I would attribute some of that to the million dollar giveaways. The first week that Vince McMahon handed out his money, the rating actually decreased from the previous week (3.1 to 3.0). But in Week 2 of McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania, the number shot up to 3.3.
Last week’s three-hour draft special, which also featured the third and final round of the giveaways, did a 3.4, but that is somewhat deceiving. Typically, when WWE does a three-hour show, the rating for the first hour – because people are not used to tuning in at 8 p.m. – are on the low side. In the traditional 9-to-11 slot last week, Raw did a 3.7 off hours of 3.5 and 4.0 (the first hour did a 2.8 to bring down the overall rating).
With CM Punk’s surprising world title victory on Monday, it will be interesting to see if the ratings continue to go up or at least hold steady.
A few other notes:
The fact that Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to defeat Edge – not Triple H – for the title certainly was not a shock. While I’m happy that WWE has decided to elevate a young guy such as Punk, I wish it wouldn’t have come at the expense of Edge. He is an outstanding performer, and he and Vickie Guerrero are generating a lot of heat from fans. At some point, hopefully Triple H’s WWE title belt be around Edge’s waist (perhaps after Edge's impending feud with The Undertaker). …
Judging by his debut on ECW last night, I think Atlas Ortiz (who wrestled in WWE developmental as Atlas DaBone) has a good chance to get over. Here are three things I like about him: He is not lacking in charisma; he was announced as being from Paradise Valley, Ariz., which is where former WWE champion Superstar Billy Graham was billed from; and he has hair that is bigger than Carlito’s. …
I like Mark Henry as the ECW champion. He isn’t the greatest worker or talker in the world, but he has improved over the years and he plays the role of a strongman/bully very well.
CM Punk’s win over Edge for the world heavyweight title last night on Raw proved that WWE is serious about shaking things up and making it seem as if anything can happen on the show.
The way Punk has been booked since winning the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV is one of wrestling’s greatest mysteries. I actually was starting to think that he was going to be the first guy to cash in a Money in the Bank contract and fail to win a world title. After all, he is just six weeks removed from suffering a clean loss to – of all people – The Miz. Nevertheless, WWE finally decided to pull the trigger and elevate Punk, injecting some much-needed new blood into the title picture.
Winning the title the way he did – he hit his GTS finisher on a wounded Edge, who had just been destroyed by Batista – doesn’t exactly make Punk look like a deserving champ, but that was to be expected. When I wrote yesterday about the possibility of Punk cashing in his contract and defeating Edge, I said that “there would most likely have to be some kind of fluke element to Punk’s win.”
It was a little odd to see a babyface win the title in such an opportunistic fashion, although it was fitting since Edge had won the title on two occasions in the same manner. I’m actually OK with the way Punk won because it makes him an underdog champion who has to prove that he’s worthy of the belt. He’s off to a good start, as he pinned JBL in his first title defense at the end of the show – although it wasn’t exactly a clean win, as John Cena and Cryme Tyme distracted JBL.
If booked the right way, Punk could get over even more as an underdog who keeps proving people wrong than he would if he had captured the title in a straight one-on-one match-up.
Despite Punk’s title win, I’m still not sure that the WWE decision-makers truly see him as championship material. Time will tell. Hopefully, Punk will be given a real opportunity to get over as champ and won’t be booked as a total fluke champion like Rey Mysterio was a couple years ago.
If Punk is marketed correctly – some video packages and “Rough Cuts” style interviews would be good ideas – he could make wrestling seem cool again to teenagers. He has the tattoos and punk-rock attitude, and his wrestling style is influenced by MMA. Plus, with all the stories of steroids and drug-related deaths in wrestling over the past year, Punk, who practices a “Straight Edge” lifestyle (it’s not a gimmick), would be an excellent representative of the company.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
The young bucks are taking over Raw. The brand’s four titleholders – Punk, Kofi Kingston, Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes – are all in their 20s. …
As Batista was beating up Edge, I’ll bet that I wasn’t the only who figured out that Punk was coming out to cash in. Speaking of Batista, where does he fit it the mix now? Will he turn heel and challenge Punk? …
When I saw Samoa Joe and CM Punk at a Ring of Honor show in Glen Burnie nearly five years ago, I never imagined that they both would be world champions for major companies. Looking back, I was – and still am – more impressed by Punk. …
I wonder if it was hard for Jeff Hardy to watch Punk win the title. After all, it was Hardy who most likely was going to win the ladder match at WrestleMania and then cash in his contract and get a title run. When Hardy was suspended 60 days for violating the Wellness Policy last March, it opened the door for Punk. …
It was nice that Jim Ross got the opportunity to give a farewell speech and bask in the fans’ cheers in Oklahoma. …
It was weird at first to hear Michael Cole on Raw, but I think he did a good job – as he usually does. It’s a daunting task to follow someone of Ross’ stature and ability, and having his first Raw broadcast take place in Oklahoma probably didn’t make things any easier for Cole. I know the fans love J.R. – and rightfully so – but Cole doesn’t deserve to be booed. …
Chris Jericho’s heel turn was well done and he is very good in the role, but he is having a hard time generating heat. It seems as if the fans don’t want to dislike him. He was practically begging the fans to boo him last night. …
I didn’t like the finish of Jericho losing by DQ to Kingston for grabbing his tights during a pin attempt. In 35 years of watching wrestling, I don’t recall ever seeing that one. I suppose it gives Jericho more to whine about, but the problem is that he would be completely justified in complaining. …
Cena tried to put over his match with Triple H at Night of Champions as one that will go down in history as a classic. It was a good match, but I wouldn’t go that far. …
I liked the deal with JBL declaring martial law. It added to the chaotic, unpredictable vibe that Raw has recently established. …
The “Priceless” entrance music for DiBiase and Rhodes might be worse than Randy Orton’s new music. Rhodes, by the way, was more convincing as a cocky, young heel last night than he ever was as a white-meat babyface. …
I suppose WWE is trying to give Cryme Tyme a rub by aligning them with Cena. For that to work, they’re going to have to be portrayed as more than comic relief.
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