When speculating in the past about a potential Hardy Boyz feud, I wrote that the key to it working would largely hinge on whether Matt Hardy could cut a serious heel promo.

The moment of truth occurred last night on Smackdown. I wouldn’t say that Hardy hit a home run with his performance on the microphone, but I think it was a solid double off the wall. It was certainly a lot better than his promo a few years ago after returning to WWE for an angle with Edge and Lita.

Last night, Hardy explained why he attacked his brother Jeff at the Royal Rumble. The basic idea was that he was tired of being his brother’s keeper and was jealous of Jeff’s success and the fact that the fans cared more about Jeff than they did him. He blamed the fans for leaving him no choice but to do what he did, and he said that he no longer considered Jeff his brother. As to whether he was Jeff’s stalker, Matt said that “no one could prove” that he was.

Matt was booed, but he didn’t get anywhere near the mega-heat that Edge and Vickie Guerrero got later in the show. The fans genuinely like Matt, so it will take time for them to warm up to the idea of booing him. It’s very similar to the initial reaction Chris Jericho got after turning heel.

For the most part I thought the promo worked because Jeff really is the more successful and popular of the two. And Jeff has received a bigger push even though Matt has always been more responsible, dependable and dedicated. There is no real-life heat between the brothers, but deep down there probably is a part of Matt that is a little envious. When I asked Jeff in an interview last October if there is a friendly rivalry between them as far as their wrestling careers, he said: “I think with him more than me. I’m nowhere near as competitive as he is.”

Matt’s delivery on the mic has never been great, but it was good that he didn’t try to overcompensate by yelling or overacting. To make the promo more dramatic, WWE showed photos of the Hardys as kids and in happier times as adults. That was a nice touch. The somber music playing in the background was probably unnecessary, though.

I think the promo would have been a little stronger if Matt had given some specific examples that demonstrated his jealousy. He could have mentioned how he did not get a confetti celebration when he won the ECW title like Jeff did when he won the WWE title, as well as the fact that he was put in the opening match on the past two pay-per-views, while his brother wrestled in main events.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

There was little doubt that Triple H would win the triple threat match over The Great Khali and Vladimir Kozlov to earn a spot in the elimination chamber match at the No Way Out pay-per-view. I’m not sure why Khali was even in this match. He’s a comedy act now, not a serious world title contender. By the way, that sure was one horrible-looking Pedigree Khali took from Triple H. …

It’s great that MVP is winning matches again, but I was expecting a bigger payoff after all those months of losing. Having him end the losing streak by defeating The Big Show (with an assist from Triple H) in a last man standing match a couple weeks ago was fine, but the follow-up has been lacking. MVP never should have been eliminated so early in the Royal Rumble match for one thing, and then last night after beating Chavo Guerrero, he cut a pretty ordinary promo about getting his mojo back and going after the U.S. title. That’s it?

I thought his character would get more of a serious edge, perhaps even playing off his troubled past, but it looks like all we’re getting is a generic babyface turn. Hopefully after WrestleMania, MVP will get the big push that he deserves. …

Speaking of someone who deserves a push, what’s up with R-Truth? I’m not saying the guy should be headlining WrestleMania, but I think he’s worthy of being in the main-event mix. Instead of putting all the usual suspects in the elimination chamber match, why not give R-Truth an opportunity to get a rub like Kofi Kingston is getting on Raw? …

I’m still not sure where the Edge/Big Show story line is headed. Is Big Show turning again? If so, he’s Smackdown’s version of Kane. …

I have nothing against Umaga, but I think it was a bit overstated when Jim Ross said that he was making his “long-awaited return.” …

Since a recap of the Mickey Rourke-Chris Jericho angle was shown, I assume that means Rourke is still expected to be “in attendance” at WrestleMania.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (44)
        

Hopefully, we’re not in store for more lame skits with an impersonator on TNA Impact.

TNA’s latest attempt to attract mainstream publicity is to offer the position of chairman of The Main Event Mafia to ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. TNA made the announcement in a news release today.

Blagojevich, who was impeached by the Illinois House of Representatives yesterday, was arrested in December and charged with, among other things, conspiring to sell the senate seat vacated by Barack Obama.

This is the second time that TNA has tried to gain publicity by linking its name with a political figure. A week after the presidential election, TNA invited Sarah Palin to become an honorary member of The Beautiful People. Predictably, the Alaska governor and former vice-presidential candidate did not respond to TNA’s overture. Instead, a Palin impersonator (former WCW star Daffney) showed up on the scene for a series of skits that were a complete waste of time.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

I sure hope Smackdown is great tonight, because it hasn’t been a good week for wrestling programs up to this point.

First, we had Shane McMahon single-handedly destroy WWE’s top heel and his cohorts on Raw, followed by a lackluster ECW on Tuesday. That brought us to last night, when TNA Impact lowered the bar even further. I don’t remember ever seeing a worse episode of the show (and imagine the ground that covers).

The Main Event Mafia took over the show, with Kurt Angle directing from the back, Booker T. and Kevin Nash doing commentary, Scott Steiner doing the ring announcing and Sharmell handling backstage interviews. There are no words to truly describe how horrible this was, but I’ll give it a shot.

The concept of the show (actually just the first 75 minutes; mercifully, it didn’t last the whole two hours) was a rip-off from something the nWo did in 1996 (the year that Vince Russo is stuck in). It was universally panned back then, so of course TNA would think a rehash of a failed angle was a good idea. If you’re going to copy something, at least copy something that worked. Actually, why copy at all? How about the creative team getting creative and coming up with ...wait for it … an original idea!

That reminds me of a conversation I had with Russo when we both worked for WCW about eight years ago. I asked him about re-doing WWE angles in WCW (such as “blood” pouring from the ceiling onto wrestlers during the New Blood/Millionaires Club angle). He replied that the WWE angles he was ripping off were ones that he came up with when he worked for WWE. “You can’t steal from yourself,” he said. He also used to say things all the time like, “Booker T. is going to be our Rock. Scott Steiner is our Stone Cold. Midajah is our Sable.”

But I digress. Back to last night’s debacle.

The show seemed like it was done to entertain themselves rather than the audience. It came off like it written by a bunch of 12-year-olds who think it’s cool to say naughty words – such as repeatedly referring to women as “bitches” – and making remarks such as “pyro man, blow your load.” This material made Triple H’s fat jokes seem clever by comparison.

Except for one match, the wrestling wasn’t any good either. Of course, I couldn’t even enjoy the one decent match, because it saw Angle defeat LAX clean in a handicap match. Way to bury one of the best teams in wrestling. Who does Angle think he is, Shane McMahon? What made it even worse was that it was announced earlier in the show that Hernandez was going to get a rematch against TNA world champion Sting. What better way to build him up as a legitimate challenger than to have him lose a handicap match?

As bad as the show was, I probably could have tolerated it a little more if not for Booker T.’s commentary. Booker is almost always entertaining, but his nonstop blathering in a voice that was part Wolfman Jack, part Junkyard Dog, was beyond annoying. I was begging him to do the African accent. It was so bad that my wife, who isn’t a wrestling fan but at least will glance at it when it’s on, said she couldn’t take it anymore and left the room. I thought about following her, but I guess I’m a masochist.

The only time the commentary was bearable was when Booker wrestled and Steiner took his spot. Steiner was actually pretty funny. The only other positive of MEM’s takeover was Sharmell doing the interviews. She would be the best in the business at it if she decided to do it on a regular basis.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

At the end of the show there was a tight shot of Samoa Joe emerging from darkness. With tribal-looking paint on one side of his face and a close-cropped haircut, he looked into the camera and said, “Main Event Mafia, let me introduce you to the real Samoa Joe.” It’s a smart move to give Joe a makeover, because his character was in serious need of one. …

There was more tension between Angle and Sting, as Angle booked Sting to face Team 3-D in a handicap match. During the match, however, Angle interfered on Sting’s behalf. How’s that for logical booking? …

Speaking of logic, Jeff Jarrett and Samoa Joe have both been off television selling serious injuries, yet TNA aired a video of its recent European tour that showed the two of them wrestling. …

Jim Cornette’s character was further marginalized when the MEM just shoved him aside and took over. I don’t know why he’s even on the show anymore. What a waste of talent. …

When they were doing commentary, Nash called himself “Chet Lemon” and Booker referred to himself as “Black Snow.” Lemon was a major league outfielder in the ’70s and ’80s. I have no idea what Black Snow is supposed to mean. Since Nash’s alias was the name of a retired athlete, perhaps Booker’s was a play off of Jack Snow, who played in the NFL in the ’60s and ’70s. What any of this has to do with anything is anyone’s guess....

During a match when Earl Hebner was the referee, Nash remarked that “Earl did screw Bret.” Very witty. ...

I wouldn't be surprised if this show ends up doing well in the ratings (by TNA standards) just for the train wreck aspect of it. The powers that be will then probably pat themselves on their backs and thumb their noses at their critics. I have a feeling, however, that they won't be as happy when the buy rates for the next pay-per-view come in.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (46)
        

OK, now this is getting ridiculous.

WWE chairman Vince McMahon issued a statement to eonline.com that Mickey Rourke will indeed be appearing at WrestleMania 25 on April 5 in Houston. Last night, an Associated Press story quoted Rourke’s publicist as saying that the actor “will not be participating in WrestleMania.”

“I am pleased that Mickey Rourke will be in attendance at WrestleMania to support the WWE Superstars who support him and the film in which he stars, The Wrestler,” McMahon said in the statement.

For those keeping track, Rourke’s appearance at WrestleMania has now been on, off and on again within a span of five days.

The key words here might be “in attendance.” That could mean anything from Rourke wrestling Chris Jericho as originally planned, to simply him waving to the crowd from the front row. At this point I’m reluctant to even hazard a guess, but I have a feeling that Rourke will either appear as a special referee in a match involving Jericho or be in the corner of Jericho’s opponent.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

I caught up recently with “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels, whose face hasn’t been seen on TNA Impact for over a year. In a phone interview, Daniels, who attended The Wrestler premiere in Los Angeles last month, discussed the movie, his career and his thoughts on former TNA star Curry Man (wink, wink).

What were your impressions of The Wrestler?

Well, first of all, the first 30 minutes of the movie I had a hard time enjoying because I kept going, “Hey, I’ve been there. Hey, I’ve wrestled that guy. Hey, I know that person.” I think one of the things that I read someone said hit home: “It could have been called anything,” in terms of The Wrestler, or The Baseball Player of The Football Player, just the idea of a guy trying to keep his career going and that universal idea of trying to get your previous glory. I think it kind of transcended wrestling as whole, just that idea of doing the one thing that you like to do and when you realize that it’s time to hang it up or it’s not what it was when you were a younger man. That to me was pretty profound, and just the fact that I’m a wrestler, those are things that I know I’m going to have to look at with the harsh light of reality in a few years. I look at that all time, especially at 38, and I see that the guys that I consider my peers and the guys that I wrestle with, nine times out of 10 they’re younger than me. And sometimes many years younger than me. So I’m always looking at it in terms of how long am I going to be able to perform at a certain level. I’ve had this discussion with my wife. I’ve thought about where I want to be when I’m done falling down for a living, as I like to call it. This movie definitely put it into perspective – a sort of exaggerated perspective – but it makes you think about it. And my wife was in tears at the end of it, literally, because she said that she could see parts of my life in that movie, some of the sad parts of it. Just the idea of putting so much into this career and wondering what’s going to happen at the end of it.

Do you think it was realistic portrayal for the most part of what life is like for a wrestler at that stage of his career?

I think it was slightly exaggerated. At the premiere I was talking to Dallas Page about it, and one of the first things I said to him was, “What veteran who theoretically had been at WrestleMania or main-evented – because that’s how they’re portraying Mickey Rourke’s character [Randy “The Ram” Robinson] – would blade himself in a small independent wrestling show? I don’t think that’s exactly how it would go in a locker room that I’ve ever been in.” And the first thing out of his mouth was “Terry Funk.” I said, “OK. When you put it in that perspective, yeah, I guess I could see that.” But there’s a scene that they do at CZW with Necro Butcher where there’s some pretty hardcore stuff that he does, and I’m thinking to myself, “I don’t know if even Terry Funk would do that at this point.” But maybe I’m wrong. And I think part of that lends itself to the idea of how much did [Robinson] love this business that he was willing to do this basically on his own accord. There’s not a scene where they go, “You have to do this” or “We want you to do this.” It was pretty strong. I read a couple things before I watched the movie that said some of the stuff he does was pretty graphic, and it’s pretty graphic, especially the scene with Necro. It’s CZW, so if you’re familiar with CZW at all, you know what I mean.

I’ve heard that Mickey Rourke did a lot of his own stunts in the movie, and also bladed himself for real.

I don’t know if the whole scene with Necro is like that; it’s hard to tell. I know the one scene that I questioned early on – where he cuts himself – I know that was him. I think Ernest Miller [who plays Robinson’s in-ring rival] was the one who told me that he knew that was Mickey’s idea.

What impact, positive or negative, will The Wrestler have on the industry?

I think it has the possibility to do both. There are parts of it that are very negative as far as wrestling goes in the sense of how it treats its wrestlers. It sort of looks at it in terms of like it’s a dead end. Even if you’ve had the success that Mickey Rourke’s character had, you could end up the way he did. A lot of that also has to do with the choices the character made, but you may not see that delineation as you’re watching the movie. Especially if you’re not familiar with the world of wrestling as a whole, you could think, “Oh, is this what happens to all the wrestlers who are successful, they end up working behind a deli?” The positive to me is that I felt a kinship to Mickey Rourke’s character in the sense that I really love this business and I’ve sacrificed a lot to get to where I’m at and I probably will sacrifice more in the future. I think it shows how hard it is on us, our desire to give the crowd what they want and make them feel they got their money’s worth. It doesn’t make it look easy. It showed that it’s hard on us, not just physically but also mentally, the things that we give up with our families. It’s not an easy thing to go out and do what we do for a living. It drains on you. I think you definitely get a sense of that, so that to me was a positive because it validates it to people who might not know how hard this is. It shows them that this isn’t a cartoon.

No matter what, it has to be better for the industry than Ready to Rumble, right?

(laughs) Yeah, I would have to say so. But almost as good as No Holds Barred.

I still think it’s pretty amazing that a movie about pro wrestling and a guy playing a wrestler are getting nominated for awards.

I think that has a lot to do with Darren Aronofsky and Mickey Rourke. You can tell first of all that when Darren put this together, he really had a respect for the business as a whole. At the premiere, and I know he’s also said this in print, he said that he didn’t set out to make a movie that sot of glorified pro wrestling or that glorified the guys at the top or who used to be at the top. But the spotlight has been shown on how hard it has been for these guys to be pro wrestlers. He’s mentioned guys like Roddy Piper and Greg Valentine in the press as far as what they thought of the movie and how it sort of mirrored their experiences in the past and where they are now. I think the work that Darren put into it and the work that Mickey put into it, that’s where all the buzz is. These guys put a lot of effort into the movie. Mickey Rourke does a fantastic job. I had a chance to go up to him and tell him just how much I appreciated his work and what I thought of the movie, and he came back to me and said, “Hey, the stuff that you do as a wrestler, I have nothing but respect for.” That was another little validation to know that this guy who is a world famous actor who probably will go on to get an Oscar for this appreciated the stuff that I’ve done, that we as an industry have done. He knows now that it’s not just fun and games.

Let’s move on to your career. We haven’t seen Christopher Daniels on television since the Feast or Fired thing in 2007. So what has Christopher Daniels been up to?

I’ve being doing some stuff overseas. I got the opportunity to go to New Japan a couple of times. In October I was over for a pro wrestling expo. I’m always happy when I get a chance to go over to Japan just because I feel like, if I can have good matches with the Japanese and show them that at this point in my career I’m still willing to go out there and put it on the line, I feel like it’s a positive step in my career. As far as the states, I didn’t do as much this past year as I wanted to do, but it gave me a chance to recuperate from some nagging injuries that I had and to just kind of watch wrestling from the edge of the bubble rather than being deep in the thick of it.

We all know that loser leaves stipulations and retirement stipulations never hold up, so is there any legal loophole that will allow “The Fallen Angel”` to return to TNA?

Well, I have been trying. It’s not like I walked away from TNA and haven’t called them back. I’ve been very adamant about trying to get back in. I don’t think there’s a legal thing that says I can’t be rehired, but I just haven’t yet. I guess it just goes to the point that so many people are trying to get into TNA these days, and I’m not sure of it’s going to happen for me or not. Fingers crossed.

After you left TNA, a masked wrestler from Japan showed up named Curry Man. Did you get a chance to see him? If so, what are your thoughts? Have you ever met him?

(laughs) I’ve talked with him briefly over the phone. I sort of helped get him in there. It was my recommendation. With the New Japan deal [with TNA] – I was still with New Japan before I got fired – they asked what guys would be good to bring over, and I told them Curry Man would be a good guy. I didn’t realize he was going to stay over as long as he did, though. I was hoping that I’d be able to meet him when I finally came back to TNA, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen now. I’ll have to meet him when I go to Japan again.

We will ever see the two of you as a tag team?

Well, you never say never. I wouldn’t mind tagging with him. I don’t know if I could dance that good, though. He might have to do all the funny moves and I’ll have to wrestle.

You’ve been with TNA pretty much since the beginning. Did you believe back in the early days in 2002 that the company would even be around in 2009, much less a solid No. 2 company?

I never thought that we were in danger of closing. For all the scuttlebutt in the first two or three years about TNA closing up shop, I never believed that. And that had nothing to do with my belief in the talent or my belief in the people behind the scenes. I just never felt like when I was there wrestling that the hammer could drop and I’d be out of a job again. As far as the level of success, any step that TNA took, it always felt like it was a small step, but it was a small step forward. I always felt like the smart thing that TNA did was that they never let their reach exceed their grasp, so to speak. They never tried to take on too much at one time. For as long as people were saying, “Oh, they need to be on a prime-time network, they need to be a two-hour show,” it seems like it took forever for us to finally get to that position, but in all honesty, we took that step when we felt we were ready for it. I don’t know exactly what went on behind the scenes, but the truth is that Spike came along at a good time for us, changing nights from Saturday to Thursday came at a good time, going from one hour to two hours came at a good time. It’s been a progression rather than a regression. As long as we keep doing that slow but steady build rather than trying to take a huge jump forward and maybe stumble, I think it’s to TNA’s benefit.

When you were in WCW in the dying days, I remember some vignettes with you wearing a hooded robe and talking to Vampiro, but it was dropped pretty quickly. Where was that thing headed?

They told me a couple different things. All I knew for certain was that it was supposed to be a play on the relationship between Darth Vader and The Emperor from the Star Wars movies. The idea was that I was going to be The Emperor to Vampiro’s Darth Vader. I don’t know exactly why it fell apart. I did what they wanted me to do. And then the next time I showed up, they said we weren’t doing it. So somebody didn’t like it or it didn’t come across the way they had planned. You can only do what they ask you to do. I don’t know what else to say about that one. I wish it had gotten a little bit more time to it. There were a couple of other ideas that I had heard that were sort of played off of it which never came to fruition.

You really had some bad luck in WCW with injuries and timing, didn’t you?

I was actually under contract twice with WCW. The first time was the thing with Vampiro. I was actually hired right before Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff came back. Kevin Sullivan had hired me at the beginning of 2000. I was doing my last tour of Japan when I found out that Kevin Sullivan had been fired and they were going to bring back Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff. So the night that they did the [the first show under Russo and Bischoff] in Denver was supposed to be my first night under Kevin Sullivan. But Vince didn’t know me at that point and Eric Bischoff didn’t know me at that point. It kind of got put on the back burner. And then when I finally came in they had the idea to do the thing with Vampiro. The second time, a year later, right after Sid broke his leg on television, they did the angle where me and Mike Modest were wrestling and they had Scott Steiner come in and “break our legs,” with the idea that he had broken Sid’s leg and that was going to be something that he went with. But I got injured [for real] in that match. I landed on my head – one of my favorite memories ever, and people still remember it to this day, which is awesome – and lost feeling in my arm for like six weeks. As I was recovering from that, WWE bought WCW and that was the end.

Ultimately, things worked out for you, though.

Yeah. The positives to my WCW career, despite the fact that I never actually got in the ring more than twice, is that I met some good friends and I met some people that helped me get to where I’m at today. Bob Ryder and Jeremy Borash are two people that have been very influential in the things that I have done with TNA. Those guys were there and put in good words for me. So if it wasn’t for WCW, I wouldn’t be here today.

Earlier you talked about how you have given thought to how many more years you can wrestle and what you’re going to do when you do hang it up. Do you have a time frame? And do you think you’d stay in the business, perhaps as a producer, or would you look to do something outside of wrestling?

I actually do want to stick around in wrestling in some way, shape or form. If I had my choice, I would like to get into the commentating side of it. I’ve done some stuff in the past with TNA and I feel like I could contribute to the product in that way. If I couldn’t do something on air, I’ve talked in the past about doing stuff behind the scenes as far as producing or what not. I do feel as if I have something to contribute to wrestling when I’m done falling down for a living, like I said. What I get a chance to do is still up in the air. I don’t have a timetable as far as like, “Oh, I’m going to retire in ‘X’ amount of years.” I’ve always said as long as it’s still fun I’m going to keep doing it. I’ve been extremely lucky in terms on injury. Very few injuries over the course of, this is the beginning of my 16th year. I know a lot of guys that have had a lot shorter careers and a lot more injuries, so I knock on wood every day. As long as I can keep doing it at a certain level, have fun and be safe and healthy, I’m going to keep doing it. When the day comes when I can’t do that, then I’ve got avenues that I can explore.

Photo 1: Ernest Miller (left), Christopher Daniels (center) and Diamond Dallas Page at The Wrestler premiere in Los Angeles last month.

Photo 2: Mickey Rourke (left) and Christopher Daniels at the premiere.

Photos courtesy of Marc Kruskol/MJK Public Relations

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Q&As
        

Stacy Keibler is teaming with Captain Morgan in a unique charity promotion at the Super Bowl this Sunday.

The rum company is calling for players on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals to do the “Captain’s pose” at some point during the game. Each time they do, Captain Morgan will donate $10,000 to charity ($5,000 to the player’s favorite charity and $5,000 to Keibler’s charity of choice), the former WWE diva and Rosedale native wrote in an e-mail this morning.

“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to support and help my charity, the John Waldhauser Foundation,” said Keibler, a former Ravens cheerleader. “This non-profit, Baltimore-based organization strives to assist families financially in order to cope with the overwhelming expenses associated with dealing with the battles of brain cancer."

For more information on the John Waldhauser Foundation, go to johnwaldhauserfoundation.com.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

It appears as if the Mickey Rourke-Chris Jericho match at WrestleMania 25 is off. Rourke’s publicist told The Associated Press last night that Rourke will not wrestle at the event in Houston an April 5 and that “he is focusing entirely on his acting career.”

If this is to be taken at face value, I would suspect that Rourke is giving in to pressure from the Hollywood community not to do the match for fear that it could hurt his chances of winning the Best Actor Oscar.

After The Wrestler star initially said that he was going to appear at WrestleMania earlier this week, I raised that very point in a conversation with Michael Sragow, The Baltimore Sun’s esteemed movie critic. On Monday, I wrote: “I have a feeling that the Motion Pictures Academy of Arts and Sciences is going to turn its nose up at Rourke’s decision to participate in a wrestling match, but I doubt that matters much to him. Rourke has always been a free spirit.” Apparently, even a rebel such as Rourke will conform when an Oscar is on the line.

Looking back at Rourke’s appearance with Jericho on Larry King Live Tuesday night, it did seem as if Rourke was backing out of the match. He said that he “put his foot in his mouth” when mentioning Jericho at the SAG awards and that he wouldn’t face Jericho in a wrestling match because “that’s [Jericho’s] world.” Jericho tried several times to goad Rourke, but the actor wouldn’t take the bait, which is why the segment to me kind of fell flat.

However, before we write this angle off and start speculating on what Jericho’s new role will be at WrestleMania, let’s not forget that this is pro wrestling, and things are not always as they seem.

Maybe Rourke really does think that appearing at WrestleMania will jeopardize his shot at an Oscar, and that’s why he had his publicist say that he won’t do it. Is it possible that he is just saying that for the benefit of academy voters? WrestleMania takes place six weeks after the Oscars, which would still give WWE plenty of time to build up the match, and Rourke wouldn’t have to worry about whether the voters will hold it against him.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if Rourke backing out of the match after his bold pronouncement that he wanted Jericho at WresteMania isn’t all part of the story line. It wouldn’t be the first time WWE worked the mainstream media to further an angle. I hate to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but like I said, when it comes to pro wrestling, it’s usually not out of line to question whether something – no matter how real it might seem – is a work.

The story line could go something like this: Jericho calls Rourke a coward for talking tough and then backing down. This goes on for several weeks, and then Roarke shows up out of nowhere to confront Jericho and they have a pull-apart brawl. Rourke then challenges Jericho to face him at WrestleMania.

Even better yet, what if Jericho and Rourke got into a shoving match at an Oscar after party? The publicity for WWE would be unprecedented. And the stuffy academy would really have something to turn their noses up at.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

If you didn’t catch Mickey Rourke and Chris Jericho on CNN’s Larry King Live last night, you didn’t really miss anything.

Jericho basically reiterated the points that he made in his promo on Raw Monday. Rourke was passive and didn’t have a whole lot to say except that he would be willing to take on Jericho in a boxing match or a bare knuckles fight but not a wrestling match.

It was weird to see Jericho, who has been on the show in the past out of character, appearing as his WWE heel persona. King chuckled a couple times during the verbal “confrontation” and obviously was in on the fact that they were working an angle (sometimes you never know with King).

As a huge Jericho mark and someone who thought Rourke was brilliant in The Wrestler, I’m looking forward to seeing how this angle develops, but so far there hasn’t been a whole lot to get excited about.

Part of the problem is that it got off to such an unimaginative start, with Rourke matter-of-factly saying in an interview at the SAG awards that he had been asked to do WrestleMania and he wanted a piece of Jericho. He might as well have said, “I’ve made a deal with WWE to do an angle in which I wrestle some guy named Chris Jericho at WrestleMania.”

What made big WrestleMania celebrity angles work in the past is that they came across as spontaneous and intense. Rourke’s contrived and uninspired red carpet speech and Jericho’s rebuttal don’t quite compare to Floyd Mayweather bloodying Big Show’s nose, Bam Bam Bigelow giving a hard shove to Lawrence Taylor, Steve Austin and Mike Tyson trying to get at each other in a wild pull-apart, and Mr. T and Hulk Hogan brawling with Roddy Piper, Paul Orndorff and a bunch of New York’s finest.

The good news is that there’s still about nine and a half weeks (how’s that for slipping in a Rourke reference) until WrestleMania, so there is plenty of time for Rourke and Jericho to ramp up the intensity. If and when they do, it should make for some great television.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

It was shocking when Randy Orton delivered a stiff kick to Mr. McMahon’s head last week on Raw. The dramatic act of violence further solidified Orton’s status as the hottest performer in wrestling.

Last night’s Raw was shocking in an entirely different way. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I watched Shane McMahon single-handedly beat up not just Orton, but also Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes. All the months and months of building up Orton as a killer heel were obliterated in a flurry of pathetic-looking punches by Shane O’Mac. I kept waiting for Orton to overpower him and for The Legacy to deliver a swift beat-down, but it never happened.

Not only did McMahon physically dominate the company’s top heel and his two charges, but he also KO’d some other wrestlers who were trying to hold him back, including Kofi Kingston, who earlier in the night qualified for next month’s elimination chamber match for the world heavyweight title.

If the show had gone on any longer, I think McMahon might have taken out the entire roster. Who does this guy think he is, Triple H?

Look, I have never agreed with those in the Internet wrestling community who constantly accuse the McMahons of pushing themselves at the expense of the wrestlers. I think Vince, Shane and Stephanie are all very good performers and I like when they’re involved in story lines. I also enjoy watching Shane wrestle and admire his fearlessness when it comes to doing high-risk maneuvers.

But Shane McMahon just should not be able to beat up Randy Orton one-on-one, much less one-on-three. As Steve Austin would say, that’s the bottom line. And speaking of "Stone Cold," I don’t think even he was ever booked as strong as Shane was last night.

Other thoughts on the show:

Excluding the Shane O’Mac attack, I enjoyed Raw. Orton once again was the star of the show. I loved his intensity when he got in Stephanie McMahon’s face and begged her to fire him. And hiding behind his lawyers and therapist to avoid being fired in the opening segment was a great heel move. It might have seemed out of character for Orton to “lawyer up,” but I’m betting WWE did it to discourage fans from cheering him, which has been happening. …

I was a little disappointed with the start to the Chris Jericho-Mickey Rourke WrestleMania program. Rourke’s comments about wanting a piece of Jericho during an interview at the SAG awards came out of left field and seemed contrived. Is that really the basis for the main event at WrestleMania? I can think of a number of better ways to kick off the angle. It’s surprising because WWE usually excels at doing celebrity angles, going all the way back to Cyndi Lauper and Mr. T in the ’80s, Lawrence Taylor and Mike Tyson in the ’90s and Floyd Mayweather last year. …

Jericho’s mentioning of Ric Flair during his promo on Rourke makes me think that “The Nature Boy” will be in Rourke’s corner for the match. …

John Cena and Shawn Michaels had another good match, although not at the level of their previous encounters. With Michaels failing to defeat Cena and costing JBL a spot in the elimination chamber match at the No Way Out pay-per-view, it will be interesting to see what happens between JBL and Michaels next week. …

I liked the spot in the Cena-Michaels match where Cena did the “You Can’t See Me” deal and Michaels caught him in a crossface. …

Kingston defeating Kane in the elimination chamber qualifying match was a nice surprise. It’s time for some fresh faces in these kinds of matches. And at this point, no one wants to see Kane competing for a world title shot. ...

Santino Marella had the line of the night. When he said that a champion like Beth Phoenix doesn’t take losing very well, Michael Cole pointed out that she wasn’t a champion anymore. “She is a champion person!” Marella replied. …

I wonder if Orton has the same therapist as Abyss? Perhaps they are seeing renowned pro wrestling psychologist Dr. Sidney M. Basil. And if you get that reference, you are as much of a wrestling nerd as I am.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (77)
        

I’m sure most people have heard by now that Mickey Rourke has said that he will be appearing at WrestleMania 25 on April 5, and the inference is that he will wrestling in a match. Last night on the red carpet at the SAG awards, the star of The Wrestler said that he was going to be in Houston for the pay-per-view event and he specifically mentioned wanting to get a piece of Chris Jericho.

Obviously, this is a major coup for WWE to have a potential Oscar-winning actor (the Academy Awards ceremony takes place on Feb. 22) stepping into the ring at the company’s marquee show. I think it’s bigger than Donald Trump’s involvement at WrestleMania 23 and certainly bigger than Floyd Mayweather’s match last year.

It’s somewhat surprising that WWE is doing a tie-in with The Wrestler since WWE chairman Vince McMahon reportedly hated the film, which paints a realistic portrait of pro wrestling on the independent level, warts and all. But after the film garnered Oscar nominations, McMahon apparently realized that an association with Rourke made good business sense. It’s funny, because after WWE aired a clip of The Wrestler on Smackdown Friday, I joked that Rourke should appear as his movie character at WrestleMania.

It goes without saying that this would be the biggest match of Jericho’s career if he does wrestle Rourke. Jericho is a smart choice for the role, not just because he plays his character so well and would do a great job of building up the match, but he also is talented enough in the ring that he likely could carry Rourke to a decent match.

I have a feeling that the Motion Pictures Academy of Arts and Sciences is going to turn its nose up at Rourke’s decision to participate in a wrestling match, but I doubt that matters much to him. Rourke has always been a free spirit, as evidenced by his decision to become a professional boxer in the early ’90s at the age of 40.

It always angers me when people in the sports and entertainment worlds get all up in arms when one of their own does anything in pro wrestling. You just have to laugh when they claim that guys such as Mike Tyson and Lawrence Taylor are disgracing themselves by working with WWE. Yeah, stepping into a WWE ring is much worse than a rape conviction, drug suspensions and arrests for offenses such as assault, DUI and failure to pay child support.

But I think McMahon actually thrives on that negativity, as it plays into his us-against-them mentality. And I’m sure he loves the free publicity as he laughs all the way to the bank.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)
        

Oh, brother! The Hardy Boyz feud is on.

All of the speculation about the identity of Jeff Hardy’s stalker appears to have ended when Matt Hardy smashed his brother over the head with a chair to cost him the WWE title against Edge last night at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

As anyone who regularly reads this blog knows, I have been advocating a feud between Matt and Jeff Hardy almost since the inception of Ring Posts. And despite Internet reports last month that Christian Cage would be revealed as Jeff’s stalker, I always thought it made more sense business-wise to be Matt.

There were subtle hints for weeks that Matt was going to turn on his brother, and Matt’s look of frustration and disappointment as he sat on the ring steps after losing to Jack Swagger last night clinched it for me. His failure fanned the flames of his jealousy over his brother’s success and pushed him over the edge.

The other dramatic moment on the show occurred when Shawn Michaels was contemplating what to do after the referee was incapacitated during the John Cena-JBL world heavyweight title match. Michaels’ actions were ambiguous, so story line will continue. Tonight’s Raw should be interesting to say the least.

As expected, the Royal Rumble match came down to Randy Orton and Triple H, with Orton winning, which was absolutely the right call.

Here is a match-by-match look at last night’s show:

Randy Orton won the 30-man Royal Rumble match: As it almost always is, the Rumble was entertaining, even if it was a bit predictable. The story was that Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes were watching the back of Orton throughout the match. The final four were the three Legacy members and Triple H. It was fairly obvious what was going to happen, as Triple H managed to eliminate DiBiase and Rhodes before falling prey to Orton. Orton is the most compelling figure in wrestling right now, so it made sense for WWE to continue to ride the wave with him. As for Triple H, he looked very strong in defeat – as he always does. (For more on the Rumble match, check below).

Edge defeated Jeff Hardy to win the WWE title: Not surprisingly, this was the best match of the night. Hardy’s face paint reminded me of Vampiro. Before the match began, Smackdown general manager Vickie Guerrero announced that it would be no disqualification, which pretty much guaranteed that Jeff’s stalker would be interfering. There was some great back-and-forth action, including one spot in which Edge went for a spear but Hardy turned it into a Twist of Fate. After Vickie interfered a couple times, Matt Hardy came down to neutralize her. To paraphrase what Michael Corleone said to his brother Fredo in The Godfather Part II, “I know it was you, Matt.” Matt handed Jeff a chair and then grabbed one for himself. Just as the Hardys were about to deliver a conchairto to Edge, Matt hit his brother over the head. The crowd gasped. As Matt stood there glaring down at his fallen brother, Edge had a shocked look on his face as he covered Jeff for the win while keeping an eye on Matt. Edge is now a seven-time world champion, which places him behind only 12-time champion Triple H – Edge’s likely opponent at WrestleMania 25 – for most WWE world title reigns among active wrestlers.

World heavyweight champion John Cena defeated JBL: It seemed as if the camera was focused on Shawn Michaels as much as it was on Cena and JBL. Michaels had a great stoic look on his face throughout the match. The action in the ring was OK, but I got the feeling that everyone just wanted to get to the part where Michaels was going to get involved. After a ref bump and Cena and JBL hitting simultaneous clotheslines, Michaels entered the ring and waited for them to get to their feet. He hit JBL with a super-kick, which brought a smile to Cena’s face. A few seconds later, that smile was wiped off by a super-kick. Michaels then put JBL on top of Cena and walked out. A second referee entered the ring and made the count, but Cena kicked out at two and went on to win with his finisher (which WWE apparently is no longer calling the FU).

ECW champion Jack Swagger defeated Matt Hardy: This was a solid match and a good clean win for Swagger, who seems as if he is destined for big things. It will be interesting to see where Swagger is positioned on the card when next year’s Royal Rumble takes place. At one point in the match, Swagger gave Hardy a hard shove off the second rope onto the floor. It looked so reckless that I wondered if it was a receipt for Hardy’s offense being a little stiff.

Melina defeated Beth Phoenix to win the WWE women’s title: This was the most surprising result of the night. Not only did I think Phoenix would retain the title, but I also expected Rosa Mendes to get involved, and she was nowhere to be found. There were a few rough spots during the match, but they improvised well in trying to cover them up. The most memorable spot was when Phoenix had a hold on the left leg of Melina, who was flat on her stomach, and Phoenix bent her leg so far that she was hitting Melina in the head with her own foot. I’m betting that every red-blooded male had the same thought when witnessing Melina’s extraordinary flexibility.

More thoughts on the Rumble match: The lone surprise entrant was Rob Van Dam. Well, it was a surprise unless you read the spoiler that was on all the wrestling Web sites yesterday. I haven’t heard anything about RVD coming back fulltime, so I think this was a one-shot deal. I found it quite interesting that RVD was eliminated by Chris Jericho. RVD and Jericho had a minor war of words right here in Ring Posts last year. … It was a good night for DiBiase and Rhodes, who are getting a rub by being associated with Orton. … Rey Mysterio was the first entrant and he lasted the longest – 49 minutes. There was some good action early between him and the second entrant, John Morrison. … The losing streak gimmick seems to have gotten MVP over as a babyface. The crowd chanted for him when he came out and they booed when he was the second man eliminated. If WWE is actually going to give MVP a push, he should have lasted a lot longer. … Carlito showed once again that he can really bring it when he wants to. … Vladimir Kozlov came out fourth and immediately started tossing wrestlers out of the ring. Right after I wrote “Kozlov is being booked as a monster” in my notebook, Triple H entered the ring and quickly disposed of him. I couldn’t believe that one. … At one point, CM Punk hit the GTS on Triple H, but instead of following up and throwing him over the top rope, Punk inexplicably let him lay there as he turned his attention elsewhere. … When Santino Marella started walking down the aisle, I told my wife that he would be eliminated as soon as he entered the ring. She was impressed with my clairvoyance, but I think we all called that one. … The second-quickest elimination was The Brian Kendrick. I didn’t like that at all.

Here is the order of entrance for the Royal Rumble (order of elimination in parentheses):

1. Rey Mysterio (T-19)
2. John Morrison (T-5)
3. Carlito (3)
4. MVP (2)
5. The Great Khali (1)
6. Vladimir Kozlov (4)
7. Triple H (29)
8. Randy Orton (winner)
9. JTG (7)
10. Ted DiBiase Jr. (27)
11. Chris Jericho (23)
12. Mike Knox (T-19)
13. The Miz (T-5)
14. Fit Finlay (21)
15. Cody Rhodes (28)
16. The Undertaker (26)
17. Goldust (8)
18. CM Punk (18)
19. Mark Henry (9)
20. Shelton Benjamin (10)
21. William Regal (11)
22. Kofi Kingston (12)
23. Kane (24)
24. R-Truth (17)
25. Rob Van Dam (22)
26. The Brian Kendrick (13)
27. Dolph Ziggler (14)
28. Santino Marella (15)
29. Hacksaw Jim Duggan (16)
30. The Big Show (25)

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (57)
        

After tonight’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, we’ll probably have a better idea of what some of the big matches at WrestleMania 25 are going to be. It’s always fun to try and predict what’s going to happen, so here are six matches that I think will be on the big show in Houston on April 5:

World heavyweight champion John Cena vs. Randy Orton: Orton wins the Royal Rumble to earn the title shot.

WWE champion Edge vs. Triple H: Edge defeats Jeff Hardy for the title tonight and Triple H wins the Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out. The Triple H-Vickie Guerrero feud continues, with her constantly stacking the deck in Edge’s favor.

Steve Austin vs. Chris Jericho: There has been a buzz about Austin returning to the ring at this show, which takes place the night after he is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. It’s just speculation, but I do think there is a chance of it happening, although I don’t believe the rumors about an Austin-Hulk Hogan match. Jericho has no logical opponent at this point, but he deserves to be involved in a high-profile singles match. No one has a higher profile than Austin. They could play off the fact that Austin was the referee when Jericho lost the world heavyweight title to Batista at Cyber Sunday, as well as the fact that Jericho has repeatedly bragged about the time he beat Austin and The Rock in the same night.

Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy or Christian: Most people think Jeff’s stalker is either his brother Matt or Christian (if he is indeed gone from TNA). Jeff will be seeking revenge at WrestleMania against whoever the stalker turns out to be.

The Undertaker vs. Vladimir Kozlov: It will be The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania against Kozlov’s undefeated streak in WWE. If this match does take place, I have a pretty good idea which streak will be ending.

Shawn Michaels vs. JBL: This match would have to have a stipulation involving money since the story line is based on Michaels having to work for JBL because he is in financial trouble. Here’s an idea: Make it a winner-take-all match. The winner gets his share and his opponent’s share of the sizable WrestleMania payoff. So either Michaels’ money problems would be over and he would be free of JBL, or he would have no choice but to continue working for him.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)
        

Predictions for tonight’s WWE pay-per-view:

30-man Royal Rumble match: Barring a swerve in which the victor ends up somehow losing his WrestleMania title shot at next month’s No Way Out pay-per-view, I only see two possible winners – Randy Orton or Triple H. Orton is the hotter wrestler right now, especially coming off the big angle with Mr. McMahon last Monday on Raw. Triple H already has a Rumble win (in 2002), while Orton is looking for his first. He’ll get it tonight.

WWE champion Jeff Hardy vs. Edge: I don’t believe Hardy will go to WrestleMania as the champion, so I think Edge wins the title with help from Hardy’s stalker. I wouldn’t be surprised if the stalker appears under a mask or in a disguise and his identity isn’t revealed tonight.

World heavyweight champion John Cena vs. JBL: This match is more about Shawn Michaels than it is the two competitors. Will Michaels interfere on JBL’s behalf and cost Cena the title, or will he finally stand up to his underhanded employer? I’m guessing that Michaels “does the right thing” and Cena retains the title. That will set up a Michaels-JBL match at WrestleMania.

ECW champion Jack Swagger vs. Matt Hardy: Swagger hasn’t lost a singles match yet (at least not on TV) and I think his record will remain unblemished after tonight. WWE seems to have Swagger on the fast track, so it wouldn’t make any sense to have him drop the belt so quickly after winning it. Plus, Hardy doesn’t need the title at this point, and he could be in a more high profile story line soon.

WWE women’s champion Beth Phoenix vs. Melina: Rosa Mendes figures to get involved, so the question is whether her interference helps Phoenix or backfires and costs “The Glamazon” the match. I don’t see any reason to take the belt off Phoenix and put it on Melina, so I think Phoenix retains.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

The rehabilitation of Vladimir Kozlov continued last night on Smackdown, as he picked up a pinfall win over Triple H. OK, it was in a handicap match with The Big Show as his partner, but still, anytime someone gets a 1-2-3 on “The Game” it’s newsworthy.

The victory, as well as the weekly videos of Kozlov training intensely, seem to indicate that WWE still has big plans for “The Moscow Mauler,” who at one point looked as if he was being groomed for the WWE title, or at least a high-profile title program with Triple H. His stock fell, however, after less-than-impressive performances against Triple H at the Survivor Series in November and on house shows.

I think WWE has made the right call in not giving up on Kozlov too soon. He has a menacing look and a unique style, and while he may never be a mega-star, he certainly seems capable of being in the top mix, similar to how Umaga and The Great Khali were booked in the past.

My guess is that WWE is trying to get Kozlov – who is billed on TV as being undefeated even though he has lost at house shows – ready for a match with The Undertaker at WrestleMania. If that is the case, I think WWE should have put Kozlov over a little stronger last night. I’m not suggesting that he should have scored a clean win over Triple H, but it would have made Kozlov look better if Big Show simply interfered rather than it being a two-on-one match.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

There was some good wrestling on the program. The three matches that stood out were: The Undertaker-Shelton Benjamin, John Morrison/The Miz-Carlito/Primo and Edge-Matt Hardy.

The tag match was probably the best of the three, mostly because it could have gone either way. The second Undertaker-Benjamin bout in three weeks was very good, but it was lacking in drama because we all knew Benjamin wasn’t going to win no matter how many near falls he got. Still, Benjamin getting in so much offense in two consecutive matches against The Undertaker increases his credibility. …

I enjoyed Jeff Hardy’s sit-down interview with Jim Ross. It definitely worked better in a studio than it would have in front of a live crowd. Hardy spoke well, but his promo at the end sounded more rehearsed than natural. By the way, since Hardy supposedly suffered burns during last week’s pyro accident, shouldn’t he have had on a bandage or at least a Band-Aid? All of these attacks and accidents and he doesn’t have a scratch on him. …

It was a little surprising to see WWE putting over The Wrestler on TV. The movie doesn’t exactly “put smiles on people’s faces,” which is the line that Vince McMahon – who reportedly hated the movie – often uses to describe his business whenever a scandal pops up. I suppose WWE figured it wasn’t a bad idea to be associated with The Wrestler once it received Oscar nominations. Hey, maybe they can get Mickey Rourke to appear as Randy “The Ram” Robinson at WrestleMana 25. …

It was good to see Maryse back on TV after suffering a dislocated kneecap at the end of last month. As far as her commentating last night, well, let’s just say that I enjoy watching her. …

I was disappointed that there was no follow-up on MVP ending his losing streak last week.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

It was obvious from the very first time that Matt Morgan and Abyss teamed together that Morgan was going to turn on him. The only question was when it would happen. The answer was last night on TNA Impact.

Even though the angle was predictable, I think a Morgan-Abyss feud could be interesting. I have always thought that Morgan had star potential, and how he handles himself in this program could go a long way in determining his future.

Morgan is probably better-suited to be a heel at this point, but I think he has a chance to eventually be the company’s top babyface. If not him, then who? Samoa Joe and A.J. Styles are accomplished wrestlers and they certainly have value, but I just don’t think they have that “it” factor as far as main-event level charisma and presence. Morgan doesn’t have it right now, either, but he has shown flashes of it.

Morgan’s turn was the best thing on the show. It wasn’t a can’t-miss episode, but there wasn’t anything that made you roll your eyes. In other words, no Sarah Palin skits.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

The one thing that I didn’t like about Morgan’s turn was all the unprotected chair shots to the head that Abyss took. To get the angle over, it needed to be violent and bloody, but there are ways to achieve that without repeatedly bashing someone’s skull. …

The tables match between Styles and Kurt Angle was far from their best match together, but it still was an entertaining TV main event. Angle plays the super-intense depraved heel as well as anyone. …

Where was The Front Line to make the save when Angle was destroying Styles after the match? It was explained why Mick Foley, Rhino and Team 3-D weren’t there, but what about Jay Lethal, Consequences Creed and Eric Young? I guess those three realized that they’d just be quickly disposed of by Angle despite a three-on-one advantage, so why bother. …

Speaking of Young, what is TNA doing with this guy? His character has finally evolved into a more serious one, but he was actually getting a better push when he played a simpleton. …

That was a nice beatdown on the Palin impersonator (aka Daffney) by The Beautiful People, who immediately got their edge back after all those bad skits. The Palin angle wouldn’t have been that bad if it hadn’t dragged on for so many weeks. As shallow and self-absorbed as Velvet Sky and Angelina Love are supposed to be, it was ludicrous to think that they didn’t know who won the election more than two months later. I suppose (hope) “Palin” will return as Daffney to seek retribution. …

I’m begging Petey Williams to lose the Scott Steiner look. Why would he still emulate the guy he’s seeking revenge on for attacking him? Plus, he looks ridiculous…

The four-way X Division title match between Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Sheik Abdul Bashir and Sonjay Dutt was a fun way to start the show. I wish TNA would decide on a direction for Shelley and Sabin already. They cut heel promos and then wrestle like babyfaces. …

The interview with Team 3-D via satellite from Japan came off a little cheesy, especially with the fake crowd noise at the beginning and the big Japanese flag in the background to “prove” that they really were in Japan and not in the back of Universal Studios somewhere. I thought it was odd for Brother Ray to equate winning the IWGP tag titles at the Tokyo Dome to winning a title at Madison Square Garden. Perhaps so, but since TNA doesn’t and probably never will have a show at the Garden, doesn’t that indicate that the company is minor league? …

I still think Crystal did a better job as the backstage interviewer, but Lauren has improved a lot. In fact, she’s pretty good – as long as she’s not asked to act too much. …

I wonder if Abdullah The Butcher is going to come to The Impact Zone and stick a fork in Morgan for referring to Abyss as “Abby?” That’s the nickname affectionately given to Mr. Butcher. Maybe Vince Russo is planning on doing a new segment called "Dear Abby" in which Abyss gives out advice.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

I conducted a phone interview yesterday with Rey Mysterio, who will be one of 30 participants competing in the Royal Rumble match at Sunday’s WWE pay-per-view.

You’ve had some serious injuries in recent years, including multiple surgeries to repair your knee and biceps. How are you holding up physically at this point?

I feel like I need a tuneup (laughs). Before I had my biceps surgery, it was my knee. I would wake up limping every morning. Now, I wake up stiff from my right arm. If it’s not one thing it’s the other, but we’re still here pushing strong, man.

I know that you got into the business when you were about 14 or 15, so you're probably used to being one of the younger guys in the locker room. But now you’re one of the veterans. Do you see yourself as a mentor or teacher?

Yeah, and not so much because I want to establish it, but because the locker room gives me the opportunity to lead by example, to be a role model if you will. The new guys coming in, the up-and-coming superstars, stop me for a second and ask me certain things, so that’s when it kicks in and I realize, OK, I have been around for almost 20 years now, so it’s time to give advice and help out with the younger stars.

Guys such as yourself, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero were stealing the show on the undercard in WCW during a time when it looked like guys your size and style would never make it to the very top. Did you think it would ever be possible to achieve what all of you have?

I think in the back of our minds we knew there was an opportunity for us waiting, we just didn’t know where it was at or when it was going to happen. I think when Jericho made that first move and jumped over to WWE, he opened up the door for all of us, man. And right behind came Eddie and Dean Malenko, and then after that, they pretty much opened up the door for myself.

With the Royal Rumble coming up Sunday, I wanted to ask you about the one that you won in 2006. You were in the midst of the biggest push of your career – winning the Rumble and then going on to win the world title at WresteMania. But your close friend Eddie Guerrero had just died a couple months prior to the Rumble. What was it like from an emotional standpoint to be getting the big push at the same time you were mourning for Eddie, who, in the story line, was your inspiration?

It was a lot to carry, man. Eddie passed away in November, and the Rumble was in January. We had just finished up with a big bang with that whole story line with my son and my wife and Vickie, so it was very emotional. We had not gotten over the fact that Eddie had just left us. And then we had the story line of every time that I wrestled it would be for Eddie. That kind of gave me an inner strength and helped me push through on a daily basis every time I stepped into the ring. In addition to the fact that Eddie had left us, there was a big spot that he left for me to handle and take care of, which was the whole Latin community. There were only two Latin representatives at the time – Eddie and myself – and he left that spot sitting there. It was like he said, “Rey, you’ve got to take this and run with it.” So, there were so many things that I had to think of and process and cherish. It hurt a lot, but at the same time, I pushed through it and I believe Eddie was there every step of the way.

You mentioned Vickie. I know that you have known her for years. Are you surprised at how well she is pulling off her role on Smackdown?

Incredibly surprised. This is a Vickie that was very, very hidden deep down inside of her. Then again, I should say I’m not surprised because of the man she was married to. She’s done an incredible job.

You’ve had some good matches against Evan Bourne and also with him as a partner. What are your impressions of him?

He’s a great competitor. As far as an up-and-coming superstar, he’s definitely got it. I think he’s in the same boat as when I was trying out for WCW. There are guys that tell you, “You’ve got to take it easy, man. You can’t be doing all that crazy stuff. Pick out your high-flying moves; don’t do all of them at once.” And back then I would go, “Yeah, sure, thank you.” But then I’d turn around and say, “Hell no. I’m going to do everything I can. That’s the way I wrestle; that’s the way I do it.” Well, now I’ve learned my lesson. After five knee surgeries and three biceps surgeries, I’m like, “Man, I should have listened to them.” But when you’re hungry and you want to be successful and you were raised a certain way, it doesn’t matter who tells you to slow down. Sometimes you just have to learn the hard way, and that’s by getting injured. Evan Bourne is just like me. Hopefully, he can pick out his offensive moves, because he’s got so many and he’s so incredible to watch. I just hope he takes the advice of all of us who have been around a little bit longer and he can tone it down. That way he can last a lot longer.

You’ve worked against some big guys lately, such as Mike Knox, JBL and Kane, and they matches have all been believable and entertaining despite the size difference. Talk about the difference in your approach when you’re wrestling a big man such as Knox as opposed to a cruiserweight like Bourne.

With an Evan Bourne, you know it’s going to be a buildup match with somewhat nonstop action. With a bigger guy, it’s hard to keep that nonstop action going. It’s more chop, chop, chop the tree down – see how many times it’s going to take you to hit that tree for it to come down. That’s the type of psychology I go in there with. I have to work from the legs all the way up and kind of build my way up to the top of the head. There a lot of opportunities for myself to do high-flying maneuvers also, because there’s such a bigger target for me to take down. In a way it’s easy, but then again it’s hard.

Have you ever had an experience when a bigger guy didn’t want to sell for you?

No, I believe I haven’t. I’ve never had any prima donna attitude against me. It’s always been very respectful.

What are your thoughts on Sunday’s Royal Rumble?

I’m definitely looking forward to the Rumble match. I wasn’t in it the past two years. I won in 2006. In 2007, I was injured, and in 2008 I wrestled Edge. I’m very much looking forward to being in there again. Besides that, we have the John Cena versus JBL match, and I think that’s going to be a very interesting match. I want to see what’s going to happen with Shawn Michaels, if he’s being asked to interfere during that match or not. I want to see what he would do. And we also have Jeff Hardy wrestling Edge on the card.

With nearly 20 years in the business now and the injuries having piled up, have you given any thought to how many more years you want to wrestle and life after wrestling?

That is a really good question. I definitely don’t want to continue wrestling if I don’t have to. I don’t want to be the kind of wrestler that has to do it because he needs the money. I’m at the point right now that I’m doing it because I still enjoy it. But I don’t know, maybe in a year from now my passion might be gone, and I might lean more toward my family. I really can’t make a prediction right now, but what I can tell you is that I still have a lot of passion for this business. I always said when I was younger that I want to wrestle until I’m 40 or even in the 50s as long as I can still keep doing the same style of wrestling that I do. I wish I could predict if I could still go at the age of 40. I do feel beat up. I do have a lot of injuries that I’m carrying with me every time I step into the ring, but I think only God can judge at this point.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Q&As
        

In case you haven’t already read it elsewhere, the return of Mr. McMahon to Raw on Monday spiked the ratings. The show did a 3.9 (including a 4.1 for the second hour), which was up from last week’s 3.5 and is the best number Raw has done since the Ric Flair farewell episode did a 3.9 on March 31. Raw’s best rating in 2008 was a 4.0 on Feb. 18 (the night after the No Way Out pay-per-view).

The rating obviously is good news for WWE heading into the Royal Rumble pay-per-view Sunday. Plus, it was an entertaining show with a great final segment, so the odds are good that many of the additional viewers who don’t typically watch will continue to tune in. ...

Jim Ross posted the following on his blog concerning Randy Orton’s stiff kick to McMahon’s head on Raw: “Word has it the Chairman may have sustained a concussion [unconfirmed] but he did receive a cut either on or above his ear from RKO's boot laces.” I don’t know if Ross is “kayfabing” us or not, but based on the slow-motion replays of the incident, it wouldn’t surprise me if McMahon sustained some type of injury. ...

I was happy to see that The Wrestler picked up two Academy Award nominations this morning: Mickey Rourke for Best Actor and Marisa Tomei for Best Supporting Actress. I think both are well-deserved, especially Rourke, who has a good shot to win according to the experts. I was a little disappointed that the movie didn’t receive a Best Picture nomination, but I can’t really say it was better than the films that were nominated because I haven’t seen any of them. ...

I interviewed Rey Mysterio over the phone yesterday and will have the Q&A posted later today. I also will post an interview with Christopher Daniels, who talks about his career as well as his thoughts on The Wrestler, within the next few days. ...

For those who have asked, the weekly Ring Posts Live segment that I do on WNST 1570 AM (wnst.net) on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. will be returning Feb. 4. I’ll be doing it with a new host – Nestor Aparicio. Nestor and I have known each other since the seventh grade, and one of the main reasons we became friends was our mutual love of pro wrestling (another was our mutual love of seventh-grade girls).

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

When I first heard that there were plans to make a movie titled The Wrestler a little more than a year ago, I was skeptical to say the least. I thought Nicholas Cage, who was in talks at the time to star in the film, was miscast as a pro wrestler, and the plot came across as clichéd. More than anything, I just didn’t think Hollywood was capable of making a good movie about professional wrestling.

Obviously, I couldn’t have been more wrong. As I’m sure nearly everyone reading this knows, The Wrestler – starring Mickey Rourke, who landed the role after Cage bowed out – has received rave reviews, won Golden Globe awards and is expected to land some Oscar nominations when they are announced Thursday morning.

I finally saw the movie earlier this week, and you can add my name to the long list of people who were blown away by it. I’m no Roger Ebert, but I thought the script was terrific and director Darren Aronofsky did a great job of creating the realistically gritty world of lead character Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a broken-down wrestling has-been trying to adjust to life outside the ring after health problems force him to hang up the tights. What makes The Wrestler truly special, however, is Rourke’s brilliant performance as Randy. With all due respect to Cage, it just wouldn’t be the same movie without Rourke.

Some who have seen The Wrestler probably consider it to be a downer, but if I were to use one word to describe the movie, it would be “honest.” The wrestling industry is accurately portrayed as unforgiving, but I didn’t get the sense that it is a condemnation of the business. Nor does it glorify it.

The fact is that Randy’s life is typical of a number of down-on-their-luck, past-their-prime wrestlers with battered bodies and dysfunctional lives. Randy just can’t walk away – or, in his case, limp away – from the business even when it is painfully obvious that he should. The rush that he gets from the roar of the crowd is an addiction he can’t kick.

His life is a dichotomy in that he still has some level of fame – fans who will shell out money to get his autograph or have pictures taken with him – yet outside that bubble he is just another guy living in a trailer and taking orders for potato salad behind a deli counter. All the while, he hangs on to the delusion that he’s just one phone call away from getting another shot at the big time.

Of course, there are guys who do make successful adjustments to life after wrestling, and that is acknowledged in the movie in the form of Randy’s story line rival, The Ayatollah (played by former WCW star Ernest Miller), who runs a profitable used car business.

What I like most about the film is that viewers who aren’t fans will come away with a better understanding of what professional wrestlers put their bodies through in the name of entertainment. In graphic detail, The Wrestler demonstrates the distinct difference between the terms “scripted” and “fake.”

Here are some more observations I made about the film:

Any knowledgeable, longtime wrestling fan will be impressed with the authenticity and attention to detail. In the opening sequence, for example, the magazines that Randy appears in are all real wrestling magazines from the 1980s. The scenes that take place backstage at independent shows – with the exception of the one in which a steroid transaction takes place – are spot-on based on my experiences. As a side note, among the independent wrestlers shown in the background are Maryland Championship Wrestling’s Cobian and DJ Hyde. …

Randy’s estranged relationship with his daughter reminds me a lot of the scenes with Jake Roberts and his daughter in the documentary Beyond The Mat. Actually, there are a few similarities between Randy and Roberts. ...

There are some things about Randy’s plight that don’t totally add up for me. For one thing, he maintains a ripped physique, and I would think that a guy who was once a big star and still looks great would be at least a mid-carder in a major promotion. I certainly don’t think he would mutilate himself in barbaric weapons matches for little money in high school gyms, as Randy does. Also, while there are a few hints, it is never made clear why exactly Randy has fallen from grace. He certainly doesn’t come off as disruptive or unreliable. ...

I loved the scene in which Randy assaults his opponent with a fan’s artificial leg. Something like that actually happened at a WWE pay-per-view in 1996, when Shawn Michaels and Diesel beat each other with the artificial leg of the legendary Mad Dog Vachon, who was seated at ringside. ...

I think one thing missing from the movie was a scene that showed the contrast in lifestyles between those at Randy’s level and major stars in a big promotion. ...

If you’re a fan of ’80s metal music like I am, you’ll be thrilled with the soundtrack, which includes songs by Quiet Riot, Cinderella, Ratt, Guns N’ Roses and Accept among others.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

The final segment on Raw last night seemed as if it might never end. The show didn’t go off the air until 18 minutes past the hour, but as far as I’m concerned, it was time well spent. The compelling last scene effectively built anticipation for what figured to be a big payoff, and it didn’t disappoint.

I’m sure we all had preconceived notions about what would happen when Mr. McMahon returned to TV, but I never expected him to get kicked in the head by Randy Orton and carted off on a stretcher. I had bought into the idea that he was coming in to usurp his daughter’s authority. That would have been too obvious, though, and WWE has been doing a good job recently of being unpredictable without sacrificing logic.

It seemed as if the climax of the segment would be the confrontation between Chris Jericho and Stephanie McMahon. But then Orton’s music hit, and when you hear that, something interesting usually follows. Orton and Stephanie played off each other very well (here and earlier in the show), which should come as no surprise. Orton is at the top of his game, and Stephanie is a talented performer in her own right.

When Orton stared down Mr. McMahon after the WWE chairman threatened to fire him unless he apologized for insulting Stephanie, I figured Orton was going to hit an RKO on McMahon. In fact, the crowd was chanting for it. But Orton slapping McMahon, kicking him in the face and then delivering his deadly punt to the head had much more impact, no pun intended. The angle came across even better when replays showed that Orton’s blows were pretty stiff, especially the punt.

Stephanie hysterically running back into the ring to check on her father while Orton lurked in the background with a look on his face that said, “Uh-oh, I’m in big trouble,” added to the drama.

Where this story line is headed is anybody’s guess, but it wouldn’t totally surprise me if it is revealed down the line that Stephanie and Orton were actually working together to get her father out of the picture so that she could retain control of Raw. That would probably mean that Stephanie also was behind the “accident” that McMahon was involved in last June.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

If somebody would have told me a few months ago that John Cena would be defending the world heavyweight title against JBL on pay-per-view, I probably would have groaned. They have already faced each other a bunch of times, and JBL has suffered too many high-profile losses to warrant another title shot. But after the great segment with Cena, JBL and Shawn Michaels last night, I can’t wait to see what will happen in the Cena-JBL match at the Royal Rumble Sunday.

It’s interesting how this story line is making it hard for fans to be against Cena. They like Michaels, so they want him to do the right thing; and they hate JBL, so they don’t want him to get the title. That means they have to root for Cena to win. …

This is what I wrote last week after the second consecutive lame finish to a CM Punk-William Regal match: “One of these weeks we’re going to see a real match between CM Punk and William Regal, and I bet it will be worth the wait.” It was. After a lengthy buildup that began with a tournament to determine the No. 1 contender for Regal’s Intercontinental title, Punk winning the belt was a satisfying payoff. He and Regal have good chemistry in the ring and they like to work stiff with each other. I’m amazed that Punk didn’t break his neck on that suplex. …

Punk has now won the world heavyweight, ECW, Intercontinental and tag team titles. Perhaps the IC title will mean more now that someone of Punk’s caliber has it. …

The way the six-man battle royal ended, I’m wondering if Kane is supposed to be a babyface again. This guy turns so much that I’m beginning to think he likes change more than Barack Obama. And I still have idea where the Kane/Orton/Kelly Kelly angle is going, or if it is going at all. …

How about this for a shocker: Santino Marella was the first one eliminated in the battle royal. …
I like the idea of Dustin Rhodes confronting his half-brother Cody Rhodes about following Orton, but it was pretty funny to see Dustin in his Goldust getup speaking in a normal voice and trying to be serious. At least he didn’t have the wig on. …

I wish the creative team would find something better for Mickie James to do than just talk to Cody Rhodes backstage. …

Cryme Tyme beat John Morrison and The Miz way too easily. I don’t think it even went two minutes. Actually, most of the matches were short, yet the show still ran about 10 minutes longer than usual. …

I see WWE presented George Bush with a championship belt. What’s next, inducting Mike Adamle into the WWE Hall of Fame?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (51)
        

WWE has a feature up on its Web site in which it ranks the top 25 managers of all time. It reminded me that I had been intending to compile such a list for a while, ever since someone made a comment to me about how managers have become all but extinct.

Managers – mostly of the heel variety – had been a staple of the business for decades, but their roles have gradually diminished since the late ’90s. When I think back to wrestling in the ’70s and ’80s, managers delivered some of the best promos and were involved in some of the most memorable angles.

Here’s my top 10. The list reflects my personal favorites and is not intended to be a definitive list of the greatest managers of all time. You can check out WWE’s list here. All I can say about WWE’s rankings is that any list that includes Frenchy Martin, Jason, James Dudley and Harvey Wippleman but not Jim Cornette and Paul E. Dangerously is highly suspect.

1. Capt. Lou Albano: I know that Bobby Heenan will probably be at the top of most people’s lists, but I grew up watching Albano and he is the first person that comes to mind when I think of great managers. With his wild eyes, ample belly, loud mouth and rubber band facial piercings, Albano truly was one of a kind, or as he would say, “often imitated but never duplicated.” Throughout the 1970s, Albano was the most hated man in the WWWF, and he transferred his heat to his charges. He usually ranted like a madman on his promos, but sometimes he would start off by speaking softly and intelligently and then suddenly begin yelling and screaming. Albano, a mediocre mid-card wrestler before he turned to managing, routinely interfered in his men’s matches and took his share of bumps. Anytime a babyface got his hands on Albano, it always drew a huge pop. Amazingly, he became a babyface in the mid-1980s and was a key figure in WWE’s rock and wrestling era.

2. Bobby Heenan: “The Brain” was the man you loved to hate. Thanks to his quick wit, he could make fans laugh while simultaneously getting them to jeer him. A former wrestler, Heenan was a tremendous bump-taker as a manager. He rose to prominence in the AWA, where he managed world champion Nick Bockwinkel, who won the title three times and held it for more than seven years between 1975 and 1984. Heenan, of course, is most known for his run in the WWF, where he managed a number of challengers to Hulk Hogan’s world title, including King Kong Bundy at WrestleMania 2 (1986) and Andre The Giant at WrestleMania III (1987).

3. Jim Cornette: He was – and still is – one of the best promo guys in the history of the business. Thanks in large part to the tennis racket-wielding Cornette, The Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton and later Eaton and Stan Lane) are regarded as one of wrestling’s greatest tag teams. All three wrestlers were accomplished workers, but it was Cornette’s antics and incredible gift of gab that really got the act over. Like Bobby Heenan, Cornette was able to entertain the fans while also getting under their skin so much that they would buy a ticket in the hopes of seeing him get his comeuppance.

4. The Grand Wizard: Unlike fellow 1970s-era WWF heel managers Lou Albano and Freddie Blassie, the diminutive Wizard never physically interfered in his men’s matches. He didn’t need to. His obnoxious promos and garish getup – which consisted of loud, mismatched jackets and pants, a turban and gaudy sunglasses –were more than enough to incite fans. During a period when heel world champions were rare in the WWWF, the Wizard managed two – Stan “The Man” Stasiak and Superstar Billy Graham. Before coming to work for Vince McMahon Sr. in the early ’70s, the Wizard had a successful stint in Detroit, where he managed The Sheik under the name Abdullah Farouk.

5. J.J. Dillon: He managed mostly mid-card heels until being paired with Tully Blanchard while working for Jim Crockett Promotions in the mid-1980s. That eventually led to Dillon becoming the manager of the infamous Four Horsemen – Blanchard, Ric Flair, Ole Anderson and Arn Anderson. Even though all four guys could cut great promos and didn’t need a mouthpiece, the cunning Dillon was a valuable member of the faction. He was the brains behind the brawn, always coming up with a devious plan to stay one step ahead of the babyfaces, but he also wasn’t above interfering in matches (his shoe was a deadly weapon). Dillon also managed the Horsemen when Lex Luger and Barry Windham part of the group.

6. Jimmy Hart: Just when it seemed that the motor-mouthed manager with the loud clothes and high-pitched voice couldn’t be any more annoying, he began carrying around a megaphone shortly after he signed with the WWF in the mid-1980s. The aptly named “Mouth of the South” used the prop as a foreign object to aid his men, and also to get on fans’ nerves with his constant chattering. Before coming to the WWF, Hart had a lengthy run in Memphis as the archrival of Jerry Lawler. Hart managed Andy Kaufman in the comedian’s infamous match against Lawler in 1982, and at various times, he served as the babyface manager of Hulk Hogan.

7. Paul E. Dangerously: He made a big impact in the business under his real name (Paul Heyman) as the promoter and creative force of ECW, but Dangerously first made his mark as a heel manager. The fast-talking Dangerously’s promo style was a combination of Jim Cornette (his longtime rival) and Roddy Piper. He worked as a manager in several territories in the late ’80s before getting national exposure with Jim Crockett Promotions. His most high-profile run was in WCW as the leader of The Dangerous Alliance, a heel stable that featured Rick Rude, “Stunning” Steve Austin, Arn Anderson, Larry Zbyszko, Bobby Eaton and Madusa. Using his real name in 2002, he served as the mouthpiece for Brock Lesnar, who went on to become WWE champion with Heyman by his side.

8. Paul Bearer/Percy Pringle: Before gaining fame as the ghoulish manager of The Undertaker, he was a manger in territories such as Texas and Florida as the blonde-haired Pringle. He managed Rick Rude when Rude was a rising star, as well as a young Steve Austin and Ultimate Warrior. Pringle, who worked as both a heel and a babyface during his run in Texas, could talk and had great bug-eyed facial expressions. Those mannerisms, as well as a high-pitched voice, served him well in his role as Bearer. He did most of the talking for The Undertaker throughout the ’90s and also feuded with “The Dead Man” at times. Bearer managed Kane and Mankind, as well.

9. Fred Blassie: The gravely voiced Blassie made the term “pencil-neck geek” famous. After a long and highly successful career as a wrestler, Blassie became a manager in the WWWF in the early ’70s. “The Hollywood Fashion Plate” was known for managing mostly foreign heels, wild men and turncoats, and he had a real knack for raising the ire of fans. Blassie always carried a cane, which often found its way into a babyface’s ribs or back. In 1979, he managed a big, blond newcomer by the name of Hulk Hogan, and he was the manager of The Iron Sheik when the Sheik ended Bob Backlund’s WWF title reign of nearly six years in 1983.

10. Sensational Sherri: She was the first woman to become a main-event level heel manager, as she walked down the aisle with the likes of Ric Flair, Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase and Shawn Michaels. Long before it was fashionable for women to take bumps from men, Sherri, an accomplished wrestler and a tough lady, was a bump-taking manager who got tossed around the ring by the likes of Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior. She is probably best remembered as Savage’s “queen” while he was doing his “Macho King” gimmick. Sherri also managed Harlem Heat (Booker T. and Stevie Ray) in WCW and had stints as a manager in the AWA and ECW.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (43)
        

Jeff Hardy has always been an explosive wrestler, but that description took on a whole new meaning last night on Smackdown.

As Hardy was making his entrance on the stage, the pyrotechnics went awry and he was engulfed in the crossfire. A shaken Hardy covered his face and was carried out on a stretcher.

The spot was very well done and I’m sure there were plenty of people in the arena who thought it was a legitimate accident. In fact, it looked so authentic that I wouldn’t be surprised if Hardy suffered some real damage.

I am really enjoying this “Who is stalking Jeff Hardy?” story line and can’t wait to see the payoff. I wonder if WWE creative team member and horror movie veteran Freddie Prinze has had anything to do with scripting it.

The other big news coming out of last night’s episode was that MVP won a match. Let me say that one more time: MVP WON A MATCH!!!

I still think the losing streak angle went on too long, but having MVP defeat Big Show in a last man standing match was a good way to end it. Because something was on the line that fans cared about (Triple H’s Royal Rumble spot), the match had drama and the fans were solidly behind MVP. Even though MVP needed an assist from Triple H to win, I think the fact that he stood toe-to-toe with The Big Show makes him look good.

The one aspect of the MVP angle that I didn’t like was that he seemed to be intimidated by Triple H. When Triple H told him to win or else, I wish MVP would have said: “Man, don’t threaten me. I’m going to win, but I’m doing it for me.” Instead, he meekly said, “I won’t let you down.”

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

As I was watching the Hardy pyro angle, I was reminded of a quote that Goldberg made several years ago in the coffee table book WWE Unscripted. Goldberg, whose splashy entrance featured him walking through pyro, said: “People ask me what it’s like to stand in the pyro when I come out on stage. It friggin’ hurts. Actually, it’s a lot of fun, but it can’t be real good for my health. … I get holes burned in my kneepads and trunks.”

If Triple H is so cerebral, why does he keep antagonizing Smackdown general manager Vickie Guerrero when she holds his fate in her hands? And speaking of Guerrero, why didn’t she just overrule Triple H when he tried to get her on a technicality regarding his interference in the Big Show-MVP match? What could he have done about it? ...

I’m sorry to see Victoria retire. She was one of the best workers in the women’s division, but for whatever reason, she had mainly been used as enhancement talent in recent years. I suppose it’s better to go out on your own terms than to be on the “future-endeavored” list. ...

I liked the match between R-Truth and The Brian Kendrick. Their entrances alone were more entertaining than some matches. By the way, did you see the guy wearing the Ed Reed jersey as R-Truth was making his way through the crowd? A Ravens fan in Omaha, Neb. Who knew? ...

The tag match pitting Matt Hardy and Finlay against Jack Swagger and Mark Henry was good. It made sense for Hardy to pin Swagger to set up their ECW title rematch. ...

No Kizarny for the second straight week. That doesn’t bode well for him. After all those weeks of vignettes, it appears that he has fallen out of favor after just one match on TV. Still, that’s better than Hade Vansen, who reportedly was slated to work a program with The Undertaker at WrestleMania but was released after his first vignette aired last month.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (39)
        

As evidenced by last night’s episode of TNA Impact, the feud between The Main Event Mafia and The Front Line is becoming a little less one-sided, but the original premise of the angle has gotten convoluted in the process.

When the story line began a few months ago, it appeared to be an old guard versus new guard scenario, pitting the veteran superstars of the MEM against the next generation of stars who had cut their teeth in TNA. A.J. Styles and Samoa Joe initially led the charge against the MEM with a group that included Eric Young, Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed.

It wasn’t working, however, because the heels were booked to be cool and calculating, while the babyfaces were booked to be incompetent. It didn’t help that the faces were charismatically challenged. To save the angle, Rhino and Team 3-D were brought into the mix, and the old-vs.-new premise has become nothing more than a basic heel faction vs. babyface faction story line.

There’s no doubt that their presence has made the story line more entertaining, but if the idea was to get the new guard over, then it has been counterproductive. Team 3-D and Rhino have been rejuvenated and they come across as stars, but no one else been elevated. In fact, the other Front Line guys may have had their characters weakened.

Last night’s episode was built around the return of Brother Ray, who, as usual, cut a great promo. He did so after power-bombing Kurt Angle through a table. The Front Line also got the last laugh when Styles defeated Scott Steiner (substituting for an injured Angle) in the main event with an assist from the returning Petey Williams.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

Because Team 3-D are such great heels, I was skeptical when they turned babyface, but Ray and Devon have been doing a fantastic job in their new roles. ..

During Team 3-D’s promo, they talked about doing something they had never done before – take a shot at becoming singles wrestlers. Did they forget about Rev. D-Von? And about Bubba doing his version of Dusty Rhodes’ flip, flop and fly? That experiment didn’t last very long. ...

The Sarah Palin skits have really dragged down The Beautiful People. The big payoff – Velvet Sky and Angelina Love having mud dropped on them – was pretty lame. I was hoping that the climax would include “Palin” being revealed as Daffney and that there was a reason for her participation in the plot, such as her seeking revenge for something Sky and Love had done to her in the past. Perhaps it will still happen. Hopefully, we haven’t seen the last of Daffney, because the women’s division definitely could use a talent such as her ...

Speaking of the women’s division, enough with the condescending references to “divas” already. TNA should concentrate on its own product and let go of its obsession with WWE. Anyway, since Gail Kim left TNA, the Divas might just be more entertaining than the Knockouts. ...

Did I actually see Sting putting the boots to Hernandez during the Main Event Mafia’s attack? That’s the first time I can remember Sting participating in the beat-downs since this story line began. ...

I was surprised that Matt Morgan and Abyss engaged in a pull-apart brawl. It seems too soon for Abyss to explode like that. Wasn’t he just talking about his “best friend Matt” last week? Plus, I figured the trusting Abyss wouldn't see it coming when Morgan turned on him. ...

So, let me get this straight: Lethal and Creed won the tag team belts in what was basically a handicap match last week, then they lose the titles right back to Beer Money three days later. What was the point? ...

Steiner nearly killed Hernandez and Styles on those belly-to-belly suplexes. It’s amazing that neither of them was seriously injured. ...

Roxxi stood out in the six-woman tag match and she also andled herself well on the microphone. I’m glad that she didn’t do her cursing gimmick. Hopefully, someone realized that it was hurting her character more than helping it. ...

Rhaka Kahn has a unique look – and the longest legs in wrestling since Stacy Keibler – but she needs to work on her selling. ...

Now that he and Steiner are no longer allies, shouldn’t Petey Williams abandon his “Little Petey Pump” look?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

I received a news release this morning from Kids Wish Network regarding John Cena’s recent meeting with a teen fighting cancer. I think it’s a story worth sharing.

WWE’s charity work has been well-documented, but Cena takes it to another level as far as being gracious with his time. He does so while taking on the most grueling schedule of anyone in the business. While Cena has been recognized for the numerous wishes he has granted to kids with life-threatening illnesses, I have been told by people in the industry that Cena truly does not seek the publicity and that much of what he does flies under the radar.

You can love his wrestling persona or hate it, but John Cena the person is someone for whom I have tremendous respect.

Here’s the release:

Kids Wish Network Helps Teen Fighting Cancer to Meet WWE Superstar, John Cena

Georgetown, Texas – The Kids Wish Network recently granted an exciting wish to a brave young man who has been fighting leukemia, by giving him the opportunity to meet his favorite WWE professional wrestler, John Cena.

Eighteen-year-old Anthony Thomison is a typical Texas teen in many ways, collecting football cards and trying never to miss a Dallas Cowboy’s game on TV. He also loves to play his Xbox and watch his favorite TV series, WWE’s Monday Night Raw.

Anthony’s favorite wrestler is John Cena, but the “Dr. of Thuganomics” is not just a WWE Superstar, he’s also a bona-fide rap artist and movie star who is very appreciative of his fans. This mountain of muscles with Hollywood connections is actually a gentle giant with a big heart, so with help from the Kids Wish Network, he was able to make Anthony’s dream a reality prior to WWE’s Monday Night Raw in New Orleans.

Anthony’s diagnosis of leukemia in November of 2007 put this high school student’s higher education plans and dreams temporarily on hold. Leukemia is a cancer of the blood that affects the body’s white blood cells, which would normally fight off bacteria and viruses. The disease causes abnormal white blood cells that divide out-of-control, often crowding the body’s oxygen-carrying red blood cells and the body’s platelets, which are responsible for clotting.

 Leukemia can lead to bruising, bleeding problems and tissue damage, or liver damage in Anthony’s case, and the threat of infection is always lurking. Anthony has had a tough year, even losing his hair after enduring months of chemotherapy to reduce the huge number of abnormal cells in his blood.

After Anthony’s father, Mike, received a call from the Kids Wish Network a few months ago, he was given the opportunity to nominate his own deserving son for a wish. Mike soon received a response from his son’s wish coordinator, Vanessa, letting him know that Anthony would soon be granted his very own wish. There was nothing that this polite, genuine young man wanted more than “to meet John Cena in person and to shake his hand.”

The Kids Wish Network is a charitable organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses, and their wish funding specialist, Donna, was able to secure sponsors that made the family’s entire trip to New Orleans very memorable. Little did the Thomison family know that their personal “guardian angel,” Vanessa, had arranged for much more than a mere meeting with John Cena.

 The family was flown to New Orleans where they stayed at the Wyndham Riverfront New Orleans. The next day, the non-stop action of the WWE, via a ride from their hotel in a stretch limousine, awaited them. But before the match, Anthony got to meet with the very gracious John Cena at the New Orleans Arena.

Mike said Cena was very friendly and welcoming to his young fan, and Anthony’s nervousness at meeting his favorite star soon dissipated. Cena not only autographed a hat and a t-shirt for Anthony, but also chatted with him for quite a while. Anthony then presented Cena with a t-shirt and hat from the University of Texas, where he dreams of attending college someday soon.

“It was so fun!” said Anthony. Of his son’s reaction to meeting Cena, Mike exclaimed, “It was super! It was worth a million dollars to see how excited and happy Anthony was.”

The weekend offered a much needed break from the worry of recent hospital stays and doctor visits. After the excitement of the WWE, Vanessa was able to arrange for other fun outings in New Orleans, such as a taste of the city’s culture at Mardi Gras World, a surreal visit to the Musée Conti wax museum and a jazzy cruise on the Mighty Mississippi aboard the Steamboat Natchez.

According to Mike, the visit with John Cena and the family’s entire experience in New Orleans was more that just a fulfillment of his son’s wish. “We loved every minute we spent in New Orleans. Vanessa and all the Kids Wish Network staff are super people,” he said.

Mike continued, “It meant the world to Anthony, something he might not have gotten a chance to do otherwise, a dream come true.” The Kids Wish Network hopes that many other dreams come true for this special young man.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

After Jeff Hardy won the WWE title last month, I noted that he had been the biggest current star to have never had a run as world champion. A reader then posed the question: Who will be the next first-time world champion in WWE?

Here are six guys that I think have a shot (listed from most likely to least likely). Just to be clear, I only consider the WWE title (currently defended on Smackdown) and the world heavyweight title (currently defended on Raw) to be world championships. The ECW title does not merit that status.

Jack Swagger: The ECW title that he won from Matt Hardy earlier this week is merely a steppingstone for “The All-American American.” He hasn’t fully connected with the audience yet, but it’s just a matter of time. Swagger, 26, has the athletic background (he wrestled and played football at Oklahoma), a good look and – as his name suggests – a natural swagger. He does need to improve on the microphone. Swagger’s promos haven’t been bad, but they are not yet at a main event level.

Ted DiBiase Jr.: The odds are very good that he will accomplish something his tremendously talented father never did – winning a world championship. DiBiase, 26, has a lot going for him – a good look, natural ability in the ring, solid promo skills and a famous last name. The word is that key people in WWE are very high on DiBiase, so that means he will be given every opportunity to succeed.

MVP: This is what I wrote at the end of 2007: “Look for big things from MVP in 2008, perhaps even a world title reign.” Oh well, no one is right all the time. I might be crazy – or just too stubborn to admit that I was wrong – but I still think a world title could be in his future. The key will be how much the audience gets behind him once the losing streak angle reaches a climax, and what changes his character undergoes. MVP is 35, so the time to elevate him is now.

Mr. Kennedy: He was on the fast-track at one point, but injuries and bad timing have derailed his path to a world title. Kennedy, 32, has settled into an upper mid-card role, but it doesn’t have to be permanent. If he proves to WWE brass that he can stay healthy, Kennedy can still achieve his ultimate goal of being world champion. Obviously, the wrestling ability, promo skills and connection with the audience are already there.

John Morrison: When his partnership with The Miz runs its course, Morrison has a very promising singles career ahead of him. Morrison, 29, is perhaps the most innovative wrestler in WWE. Combine that with his good looks and charisma and you have a world championship caliber performer. He is a former Intercontinental and ECW champion, but fans see him as more of a legitimate threat now, especially after his show-stealing performance in the Money in the Bank ladder match at last year’s WrestleMania.

Matt Hardy: Despite never getting a major push as a singles wrestler and even being buried at times, Hardy, 34, has been a big star in the eyes of many fans for years. His recent reigns as U.S. champion and ECW champion have given him more credibility. If WWE pulls the trigger on a feud between Matt and his brother Jeff, it would be the biggest push of his career and might even result in a run as world champion.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (35)
        

I only had to see Jack Swagger a couple times to realize that he had the potential to be something special. Last night on ECW, he took the next step on his path to superstardom by defeating Matt Hardy for the ECW title just four months after making his television debut.

If you didn’t see the match, you missed a good one. Swagger and Hardy had a pay-per-view quality bout, and the 26-year-old new champion more than held up his end.

I fully expect Swagger to be on either Raw or Smackdown if there is another draft in June, following in the footsteps of previous ECW champs such as Bobby Lashley and CM Punk who were promoted to one of the two main shows. As for Hardy, dropping the belt now frees him up to engage in a feud with his brother, Jeff. Despite all the speculation that Christian Cage will be revealed as the person who attacked Jeff Hardy, I’m still holding on to my belief that it’s Matt.

A few other thoughts on last night’s show:

I’m sure Tommy Dreamer is a nice guy and I admire his passion for the business, but I’ve just never been all that entertained by him. When he came out in a suit to announce that he was going to retire if he doesn’t win the ECW title by the time his contract expires on June 6, well, let’s just say that I didn’t exactly get choked up at the the thought of not watching any more Dreamer matches. It will be a travesty if he ends up beating Swagger for the title. …

I’m always happy when Alicia Fox is on my television. The Boogeyman, not so much. Boogey was mildly entertaining as a novelty act at first, but I think it has run its course.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

As expected, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has been announced as the first member of the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame class. Who will join the “Texas Rattlesnake” on the podium in April? With the ceremony and WrestleMania 25 taking place in Houston, the class figures to be largely composed of wrestlers with ties to Texas. Here are some educated guesses:

Bill Watts: According to reports, the cowboy wrestler, promoter and executive will be announced as the second inductee. His impact on the business cannot be denied, but he is a polarizing figure. As a wrestler, he was a top star in several territories in the 1960s, including the WWWF, where he had a famous feud with world champion Bruno Sammartino. In the late ’70s and the ’80s, Watts was the promoter of Mid-South Wrestling (later renamed the Universal Wrestling Federation), which was known for its entertaining episodic weekly TV show. In the ’90s, Watts held high-ranking positions in both WCW and WWE, although his run in WCW was not a success and his WWE stint was short-lived. He was fired from WCW for reportedly making racial remarks.

The Von Erichs (Fritz, David, Kerry and Kevin): The famous wrestling family is known as much for its tragedies as it is for its successes — Kevin would be the only living inductee of the four. Patriarch Fritz was one of the top heels of the ’60s and wrestled in a number of NWA territories. He later became the owner of World Class Championship Wrestling, the Dallas-based promotion that was thriving in the early-to-mid ’80s. WCCW’s TV show was ground-breaking in terms of its slick production. Five of Fritz’s sons wrestled, and three of them made it big. David, Kerry and Kevin were treated like rock stars in Dallas, and they also made their mark in other parts of the country as well as outside the U.S. David was believed to be on his way to becoming NWA world champion before his death in 1984. Kerry ended up having a brief run as NWA world champ in 1984 and was WWF Intercontinental champion for three months in 1990.

The Freebirds (Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts): It would be fitting if The Freebirds and Von Erichs were inducted together, as they are almost always mentioned in the same sentence because of their legendary feud in WCCW in the ’80s. Hayes, the late Gordy and Roberts were as hated as the Von Erichs were loved. The Freebirds also were big box-office draws in Georgia and the Mid-South among other territories. They are often given credit for introducing entrance music into pro wrestling, as they initially came out to “Freebird” and then “Badstreet USA,” which was written and sung by Hayes. After his in-ring career ended, Hayes got into the creative side of the business and is currently the head writer on Smackdown. Gordy was also a big star in Japan.

Paul Boesch: His name may not be familiar to younger fans, but you can’t have a Hall of Fame ceremony take place in Houston and not induct the legendary promoter. Boesch, who died at 76 in 1989, was a wrestler and longtime wrestling commentator, but he made his biggest impact in the business as the promoter of the highly successful Houston territory in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. He had a working relationship with promoters from other territories and was known for bringing in top stars from other promotions to work shows in Houston. Boesch was briefly affiliated with WWE in the late ’80s.

Terry and Dory Funk Jr.: Jack and Jerry Brisco were inducted last year when the ceremony was in their home state of Florida, so it seems only right that their rivals, Texans Terry and Dory Funk, should be inducted in Houston. The Funks’ resume speaks for itself. Both brothers had reigns as NWA world champion, Dory from 1969 to 1973, and Terry from 1975 to 1977. Both Funks were legends in Japan and they wrestled in five decades, with Terry re-inventing himself in the ’90s as a hardcore wrestler in ECW. Dory and Jack Brisco engaged in a classic series of matches in the ’70s. Dory also had a stint as the booker for Florida Championship Wrestling, and he runs a wrestling school whose graduates include Kurt Angle among other top stars.

Wahoo McDaniel: The late McDaniel was a top star in a number of promotions from the late '60s through the mid-’80s, including the Houston territory. McDaniel, who also was a football star in the AFL, was a frequent challenger to the NWA world title, although he never won it. He engaged in a number of money-drawing feuds against wrestlers such as Ric Flair, Dory Funk Jr., Superstar Billy Graham, Greg Valentine, Roddy Piper and Ricky Steamboat. McDaniel had a reputation for being a legitimate tough guy and one of wrestling’s wildest characters outside the ring.

Ted DiBiase: Whether or not he gets inducted this year, DiBiase is a lock for the Hall of Fame at some point. DiBiase was a star in several NWA territories and in Japan, but he is best known for his run as “The Million Dollar Man” in WWE. He was one of the top heels in the business in the ’80s and early ’90s, and also is regarded as one of the top workers in his prime.

Ricky Steamboat: Like DiBiase, “The Dragon” is a lock for the Hall of Fame but this might not be his year. Steamboat is considered one of the best workers of his era (late ’70s to early ’90s) and one of the greatest babyfaces of all time. He was a star in both the NWA (and later WCW) and WWE. His rivalry with Ric Flair, which spanned three different decades, produced matches that are regarded as some of the best ever. Steamboat’s match with Randy Savage at WrestleMania III is one of the most critically acclaimed matches of the past 20 years.

Stan Hansen: “The Bad Man from Borger, Texas” perhaps is best known in the U.S. for breaking Bruno Sammartino’s neck in 1976 when Sammartino was WWWF champion. After challenging Bob Backlund for the title in 1981, Hansen never worked for WWE again. He went on to become the most popular American wrestler ever in Japan. Hansen held the AWA world title for six months in the mid-’80s and also had successful stints in Georgia and WCW.

Dick Murdoch: The native of Waxahachie, Texas first rose to prominence in the early ’70s as one half of The Texas Outlaws along with Dusty Rhodes. The late Murdoch, considered one of the top workers of his era, went on to become a singles star in territories all over the country, including Georgia, Mid-South, St. Louis and Jim Crockett Promotions. He went to WWE in 1984 and won the tag team title with Adrian Adonis. Perhaps Rhodes, who works for WWE, will put in a good word for his old partner.

Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson: Blanchard was born in San Antonio and was the star of his father Joe Blanchard’s Southwest Championship Wrestling promotion. He later became one of the original Four Horsemen (along with Ric Flair and Ole and Arn Anderson) with Jim Crockett Promotions in the mid-to-late ’80s. During that time, he formed a highly regarded tag team with Arn, and the duo later had a run in WWE. Arn also had success as a singles wrestler. He currently works as a producer for WWE.

Mr. T: Pete Rose and William “Refrigerator” Perry are both in the “celebrity wing” of the WWE Hall of Fame, but Mr. T is far more deserving than either of them. Without the A-Team star’s participation in the main event at the first WrestleMania in 1985, the show would not have been the huge success that it was. In fact, there might not have been any more WrestleManias, and WWE would have been in serious financial trouble because Vince McMahon risked everything he had on the show. It would have been fitting if Mr. T had been inducted in 2004 (instead of Rose) when WrestleMania XX was at Madison Square Garden, the site of the inaugural WrestleMania.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (41)
        

Last night’s Raw began with an attention-grabbing, well-executed angle and ended with a great match. What was in between was pretty good, too.

When Chris Jericho came out to confront Stephanie McMahon at the top of the show, I never imagined it would result in Stephanie firing Jericho. Both of them were terrific in the verbal confrontation, which not only got the show off to a good start, but it made you want to tune in next week to see what will happen. We all know Jericho isn’t really going anywhere, but it will be interesting to see how he gets his job back. Will it be as simple as the returning Mr. McMahon rehiring him?

On some episodes, the Jericho-Stephanie angle would be the best thing on the show. But not last night. Not when John Cena and Shawn Michaels are wrestling each other.

These two have had some classic matches – most notably a contest that went almost an hour last year on Raw in London and a meeting at WrestleMania 23 – and last night’s bout can be added to the list. Not only was it a heck of a match but it also advanced the JBL-Michaels story line.

Overall, the show was very entertaining, with a nice mix of wrestling action and angles.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

Steve Austin being announced as the first member of WWE’s 2009 Hall of Fame class was no surprise. It had been expected ever since it became official that Houston would host WrestleMania 25. Plus, an announcement about Austin being inducted was posted on wwe.com last Friday, although it appears that someone at the Web site jumped the gun. The item was removed after the wrestling sites picked up on it. …

It looked for a while as if Stephanie McMahon was a heel, but now it seems that she is either a babyface or a tweener. By the way, I said it last week but it bears repeating: Stephanie looks great. …

Did we really need video packages to remind us who Mr. McMahon is? At least the clips were entertaining, even if we have seen it all before. Watching a twenty-something McMahon as an announcer takes me back to my childhood. It amazes me that the fresh-faced guy in the yellow blazer holding the microphone is now an internationally known billionaire who owns the wrestling industry. …

When the McMahon highlights focused on his habit of firing people over the years, it was no coincidence that TNA stars Kurt Angle and Mick Foley were shown. It’s probably the closest TNA will ever come to being recognized on a WWE TV show. Eric Bischoff’s firing also was included. I have no doubt that the only reason McMahon hired Bischoff in the first place was so he could humiliate him on TV as much as possible. …

Did everyone see the Ted DiBiase Jr. swerve coming? I’ve written a couple times (including in last week’s Raw post) that DiBiase would remain in The Legacy upon his return. Manu and Sim Snuka have really been made to look like chumps the past few weeks. If they are to be taken seriously in a feud with DiBiase and Cody Rhodes, they better do something impressive next week. …

I’m a little confused by the Orton/Kane/Kelly Kelly story line. Since Kelly Kelly was the reason that Orton and Kane were wrestling each other, shouldn’t she have been shown watching the match on a monitor backstage? …

I’m not sure if the referee made a mistake when he made the three count on Kane or if it was the planned finish. I have a feeling it was the latter. …

One of these weeks we’re going to see a real match between CM Punk and William Regal, and I bet it will be worth the wait. Before the match last night, Punk kind of blew off Candice Michelle backstage. I don’t know if that was just a random scene or not. Michelle doesn’t have much of a role at this point, so maybe she will end up being aligned with Punk to counter Layla. …

Rey Mysterio and The Miz had a good, fast-paced match. Miz more than held up his end, which probably shouldn’t surprise me at this point. …

Were Rhodes and Mickie James really talking about the weather? More importantly, why was James talking to Rhodes at all? Aren’t babyfaces only allowed to mingle with other babyfaces?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (35)
        

Mr. Kennedy is the most recent WWE star to branch out into acting. He has a featured role in Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia, a direct-to-DVD movie that was released last week.

I conducted a phone interview with Kennedy last Friday to discuss the movie and his wrestling career.

Did your experience performing in WWE help you prepare for acting in a film?

Yeah, I think what we do in the ring isn’t a whole lot different from acting. We are an entertainment company. What I do in the ring is entertainment; it’s not an actual competition between two guys. We’re kind of improv actors I’d say. It was kind of a natural transition for me to go over into this movie. And it was an action film, so it really translated.

Did you do anything specifically to prepare for this role? And did you get any advice from guys like John Cena, Steve Austin and Kane, who have all starred in films?

Actually, I did talk to those guys just to find out what to expect. Just minor stuff like: Do I need to memorize the whole script? Things like that. As far as studying up, I read a pile of books on Navy SEALs. I went to the local Borders in my hometown and I bought up every Navy SEAL book that I could find. I read Lone Survivor, which is an excellent book by the way. Also, when I got down to Puerto Rico, Joe Manganiello, who plays the lead in the movie, actually had rented from Netflix a DVD about Navy SEALs that I think the Discovery Channel put out. ... Joe did a lot of research, too, so he was able to answer a lot of questions. We had a military technical adviser on the set who was able to help us with any questions. We also had a Navy SEAL come down who was one of Joe’s buddies.

You served in the Army, correct?

Yeah, I was in the Army Reserve for six years. That also helped out in a way because a lot of things in the military — there’s kind of like a universal language there.

I’m sure most people have seen clips from the movie on TV, but if you could tell people in a couple sentences why they should buy the DVD, what would you say?

It’s just a fun action movie — nothing more, nothing less. The first 10 minutes there’s a little character building, establishing the story line. Then after that it’s pretty much [all action].I think it’s pretty exciting. It’s got a nice little story line. There are some parts where you really think we’re not going to make it out. I like movies like Rambo and Commando and things like that, and I think this is kind of along those lines.

A good popcorn flick as they say, right?

Yeah. It’s not going to win Oscars. It’s not going to be Picture of the Year or anything like that, but it’s a fun movie if you’re in that type of mood.

This is technically not your first movie. What can you tell me about the independent movie Fighting the Still Life?

There was actually an independent wrestler named Sick Nick Mondo who wrestled for CZW and put that movie together. He went to film school in Minneapolis and that was his senior project. He knew that I was interested in that stuff. And from watching me perform on the independents, he thought that I had some skills and thought that I would be good in it, so he cast me as the villain in the movie. We filmed that in Minneapolis. We actually finished filming right before I signed my contract with WWE.

Is the movie out anywhere?

He had made another DVD about his life story and he got that one distributed. I know that he was looking to get it distributed through the same company, but I think things fell through.

Are you interested in doing more acting?

Yeah, I definitely am interested in acting and pursuing it a little more. I’m not ready to give up wrestling by any stretch of the imagination. I think that there are a lot of things I have left to do in the business that I haven’t accomplished yet, goals that I set forth from Day One. But acting is something that I’ve always wanted to do since I was a little kid, so this was kind of a dream come true.

You’ve had your share of injuries, the most recent being a dislocated shoulder. How are you doing physically and when will you be back in the ring?

I’m feeling pretty good. I’ve got almost full range of motion in my shoulder and it’s no longer painful to lift my arm over my head. It’s a little hard to get into the gym being on the road so much. The free time that I do get, I’m usually pretty tired, so it’s hard to be motivated. And I haven’t been able to spend too much time in a personal training studio to do the rehab. However, most of the stuff I can do on my own, and that’s what I’ve done. I do it in my hotel room every day — I do my stretches and my strengthening exercises for my rotator cuff, and I do get to the gym as much as I can. We’re looking at Feb. 28 as of right now to go back and see Dr. [James] Andrews, and hopefully he’ll give me the OK.

So it’s possible you could be back in time for WrestleMania [April 5]?

I’m crossing my fingers.

How frustrating has it been for you with all the injuries? It seemed like every time you were getting a nice push, an injury would occur.

It’s been extremely frustrating. I think you just have to keep your head up, though. What we do is not ballet and I’m not the only guy who has ever gotten injured in the wrestling business. It’s inevitable. You’re going to get hurt at some point or another. One of the injuries was just a blatant act of stupidity on my opponent’s part — that was my first injury. There are certain things that you just can’t do anything about. You know, I’ve heard all the “Oh, Kennedy’s injury prone” and all that stuff, but there are certain things that happen, and if you knew the whole story you wouldn’t necessarily think that. I’ve just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. But it is frustrating. I had the Money in the Bank and was on the way to becoming a world champion and then injury struck. And it’s just been one thing after the other, but I just keep my head up. I was told a long time ago that if you have talent you cannot be denied and eventually good things will happen.

You mentioned the first injury being your opponent’s fault. What happened?

I tore my lat. It was actually a 10-man tag. I was standing on the apron and the guy was supposed to come over and just give me a little forearm and I was just going to fall to the floor. Now, I’m standing on the apron, mind you, which is about two and a half feet off the floor, and he dropkicked me. He literally put his legs on my chest and leg-pressed me off the apron. I remember flying backward through the air. I felt like I was in The Matrix; I felt like I was in slow motion. I remember thinking to myself that I was going to hit my head on the guardrail because I knew I was going that far. As I turned to protect my head, my arm was kind of stretched out and I landed on my side. He hit me so hard that I flew past the mat on the side of the ring and hit the concrete and just tore my lat right off the bone.

Who was the guy who dropkicked you, or would you rather not say?

I’d rather not say. I don’t think it was an intentional thing. It was just a stupid decision. But, hey, things happen.

One of the things that helped you get over right off the bat was your ability to cut a good promo. How much of your gift of gab comes naturally, and how much have you had to work on developing your style on the mic?

I think it’s both. I think naturally I’ve always been gifted in that area. I’ve always entertained people. That’s been my deal since I was a little kid. Whether it was doing impersonations of people in my school, which is something that I was known for in high school, or getting the neighborhood kids together and putting on little plays or making little movies and stuff like that, it was just always something that I was interested in. As I got into the wrestling business, practice makes perfect. I was given a lot of opportunities to do promos. One of the first places that I worked for on the indies had a TV show and we would do promos every week, so I got introduced to the art of the promo right off the bat. I was able to watch myself and critique myself and listen to what other people thought.

Do you have a preference as far as working as a babyface or a heel?

It’s always easier to be a heel, I think. I love working babyface if it’s done right. I would say so far in the WWE I’ve definitely had more success and had more fun as a heel. I think it’s easier to get people to hate you. I talked to Vince McMahon when I first got into the company. He asked me if I preferred to be a babyface or a heel, and I said, “Well, it’s hard for a guy, no matter how good you are, to come into a company like the WWE and expect the fans to like you right off the bat.” Generally, there like, “Who’s this new guy? We hate you, no matter what.” [laughs] So I said, “I’d rather come in as a heel and get people to know who I am and win their respect in that way, and then it’s easier to turn babyface.”

If you could pick anyone, past or present, to work with that you haven’t already, who would it be?

I would love to get in the ring with Triple H. We’ve done it on a couple house shows, and we’ve had a couple tag matches together on TV, but not a whole lot of contact. He is the man right now and I’d really like to get in there with him.

Photo courtesy of wwe.com

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Q&As
        

It appears that the person who attacked Jeff Hardy at his hotel the night before the Survivor Series is at it again.

Last night’s episode of Smackdown opened with a somber Jim Ross and Tazz informing viewers that Hardy and his girlfriend Beth had been involved in a hit-and-run accident yesterday morning in Cameron, N.C. “Police footage” aired later in the show, as did a brief statement from Hardy, who said that he and Beth were sore but not seriously injured.

Just as it did with Hardy’s hotel incident in November, WWE attempted to blur the line between story line and real life. It was pretty obvious, though, that the “accident” was a work, especially because details about the angle had been on wrestling sites all week.

The burning question is: Who was driving the car that hit Hardy’s vehicle? And is it the same person who jumped Hardy from behind two months ago?

Most wrestling pundits believe it’s Christian Cage, whose TNA deal has expired and is thought to be returning to WWE. I’m a Christian fan, so I’ll be happy to see him come back, but if he is indeed the culprit instead of Matt Hardy, I really think WWE is missing out on a money angle.

Hey, maybe it will be revealed that there are two perpetrators – Christian and Matt. You know, just like in the Scream movies.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

I wrote last week that I was looking forward to a feud between Triple H and Vickie Guerrero, but I didn’t find the triple jeopardy angle all that compelling. I understand the point was to show that the deck was stacked against Triple H, but there wasn’t really anything at stake. I think it would have meant more if, for instance, Guerrero said that Triple H had to win all three matches or else he was out of the Royal Rumble. It would have made the last man standing match against The Big Show a lot more dramatic…

The Undertaker-Shelton Benjamin match was the highlight of the show. There was never any doubt as to who was going to win the match, but Benjamin looked very good in defeat. This was an example of how a strong showing in defeat against a top guy can do more to get a wrestler over than a win over a lesser star. I hope this leads to bigger things for Benjamin, who has had a number of false starts as far as getting a major push. ...

All things considered, MVP’s weekly humiliation wasn’t that bad. He didn’t have a match, so he couldn’t lose again. More importantly, he avoided having worms spit into his mouth after being jumped by The Boogeyman. …

I liked the Vladimir Kozlov training video. WWE obviously hasn’t given up on him as a potential main-eventer. Ultimately, the fans will decide.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (36)
        

I caught up with Stacy Keibler to get an update on her acting career. The Rosedale native and former WWE diva said she signed her third deal with ABC and has a small role on the upcoming series In the Motherhood.

Keibler plays a character on a show within the show. "The [main characters’] favorite show is a Sex and The City-type show called Stiletto Cupcakes, and I am one of them," Keibler said over the phone from Los Angeles. "Producers say the girls are going to be watching the show in each episode, and they may be doing some webisodes of Stiletto Cupcakes in the future."

In the Motherhood has been picked up for 13 episodes. Production resumes next month and the show is scheduled to begin airing in the spring, according to ABC’s Web site. In the meantime, Keibler said she is reading scripts and auditioning for pilots.

It’s not all work and no play, however. Last weekend, Keibler attended the Ravens’ wild-card victory over the Dolphins in Miami. Perhaps because she was all decked out in purple, the former Ravens cheerleader said she got a lot of heel heat from the Dolphins fans around her.

Luckily for them, she refrained from dishing out a few spinning heel kicks.

NOTE: Check back later today for my thoughts on last night's episode of Smackdown.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Mick Foley is one of the all-time best when it comes to cutting a strong promo to get an angle over. He did so for more than a decade in WWE and ECW, and last night on Impact he came through for TNA.

It wasn’t up there with some of his all-time classics, but Foley still did an effective job of hyping his return to the ring on Sunday at the Genesis pay-per-view. He acknowledged that age and injuries have taken a toll on him, but he also passionately reminded fans of just who he was. He capped off the promo with a great line: “I may not be as good as I once was, but for one night I’ll be as good as I ever was.”

Time will tell if the promo was enough to entice people to shell out $30 for yet another Foley comeback match (this time in a six-man tag). Then again, if the buy rate for Genesis does end up being above what TNA usually does (around 20,000 to 30,000 buys, according to The Wrestling Observer), it might be because of the Kurt Angle-Jeff Jarrett match more than Foley’s return.

Angle versus Jarrett has been booked as the real main event of the show, overshadowing the TNA world title match between Sting and Rhino. The question is whether viewers were turned off by the controversial referencing of Jarrett’s deceased wife and his three young daughters in the buildup. For me, it ruined what otherwise was a strong angle between two outstanding performers.

I think the angle would have been just as intense without the tasteless remarks. Rather than specifically bringing up Jarrett’s wife and talking about making his three daughters orphans, Angle could have said something like this: “When it comes to Jeff Jarrett, I don’t care about anything except destroying him and ruining his life. I have no sympathy for him whatsoever. I will show him no mercy and I will have no remorse.”

I think everyone would have been able to read between the lines.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

Angle continues to amaze me in the ring. It’s one thing to have good matches with other top workers, but Angle, despite all of his serious injuries over the years, is still able to get very good matches out of average workers. I didn’t expect a whole lot from his match with B.G. James, but Angle carried him to an entertaining main event match. …

Please tell me Robert Roode and James Storm are turning babyface. It’s not that I want them to turn; I think they are great heels. If they don’t, however, then the way they were booked last night makes absolutely no sense. Once again, the Rough Cuts segment made them come off as very likable guys. Roode, in particular, was totally out of character. I felt like I was watching the soft-spoken, humble guy who sat down for an interview with me at Universal Studios last year, not an obnoxiously rich, woman-abusing jerk.

In addition to the warm and fuzzy Rough Cuts spot, Roode and Storm were portrayed as gutsy and sympathetic when dropping the tag team title to Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed.

Speaking of the title change, the manner in which Lethal and Creed won the belts didn’t do them any favors as far as being credible champions. Not only did they basically wrestle a handicap match (Storm worked most of the way himself because Roode was selling a knee injury), but they still needed to KO Storm with a briefcase to gain the victory. …

Despite the gaps in logic, I have enjoyed the Sheik Abdul Bashir-Shane Sewell angle. Bashir has always played his character well, and Sewell has been a pleasant surprise in his role. TNA has done a great job of getting the fans to care about Sewell, a guy who has been around for years but never made a name for himself outside of Puerto Rico. …

It’s always good to see Jim Cornette on television. TNA booked him to look like a fool in the Bashir-Sewell story line, but Cornette is talented enough to make just about anything work. I wish TNA had more for him to do on camera since Mick Foley has basically replaced him as an authority figure. As I have said in the past, it would be awesome if Cornette joined the Main Event Mafia ala J.J. Dillon and the Four Horsemen. Even better, what about him managing The Motor City Machine Guns to give them a rub?…

I wish Alex Shelley and Eric Young would have been given more time instead of having to rush through their match. …

After having to sit through the Beautiful People/Sarah Palin skits week after week, there better be one heck of a payoff. At the very least I hope it results in Palin impersonator Shannon Spruill (formerly Daffney in WCW) getting a contract.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

The Maryland-based Eastern Wrestling Alliance is doing a ticket giveaway for Ring Posts readers for its show tomorrow night at Tall Cedars Hall in Parkville. The first five people to send an e-mail to ewainfo@publicist.com will receive a pair of tickets to the event along with a meet and greet with independent stars Ryan McBride, Teddy Stigma, Link Kory, Adam Carelle and tag team n.E.s.

Also, several members of the EWA will be participating in the Polar Bear Plunge later this month. Proceeds from the event benefit Special Olympics Maryland. The EWA will be accepting cash donations from fans for the cause.

The show tomorrow begins at 8 p.m. For more information on the EWA, go to ewamaryland.com.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

When I made my selections for the year-end awards, I knew I was going to get some heat for giving the nod to Shawn Michaels in three categories (for best wrestler, best feud and best match). Sure enough, I did receive some comments and e-mails – although not as many as I thought I’d get – from people who thought I went overboard in regard to Michaels and accused me of being an “HBK mark.”

As anyone who reads this blog knows, I have never hid the fact that I am a huge fan of Michaels as a performer. If that makes me an HBK mark then I’m guilty as charged. However, I did make an honest effort to select the top performer or performers in each category regardless of whether they were my personal favorites.

I truly believe Michaels is deserving of the three awards in question, so it would be disingenuous for me to have given one or two of them to someone else just to spread the honors around or to prove that I’m not biased.

I do think it’s funny that no one pointed out that I gave Tag Team of the Year to John Morrison and The Miz. Regular readers know that Miz has never been one of my favorites, but there’s no denying that he and Morrison were the best team. The truth is that I almost gave Most Improved to The Miz, too, but I think Kelly Kelly’s progress was more dramatic.

Back to Michaels. I wonder if the people who said that my picks were biased are actually the ones with the bias. Michaels certainly has his share of detractors. But can anyone really argue that the Michaels-Chris Jericho program wasn’t the Feud of the Year? As for Match of the Year, I wrote that Michaels-Ric Flair wasn’t the greatest as far as ring work (although it was good), but there is more to Match of the Year – in my opinion – than just the action. Emotion, historical significance and the magnitude of the show are also major factors. The Flair-Michaels match was by far the most memorable of 2008.

So if the same performer participated in the Feud of the Year and the Match of the Year, how could I not choose him as Wrestler of the Year? He also had an entertaining program with Batista, and his angle with JBL that began at the end of the year has been compelling.

The bottom line is that the awards merely represent my opinion. I certainly don’t expect everyone to agree with me. I just want to make it clear that I tried to base my picks on an informed opinion, not a biased one.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

For those of you who have asked why I haven’t done the Ring Posts Live segment on The Rob Long Show the past three Wednesdays, it is because of a combination of the holidays and the Ravens’ playoff run.

Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve both fell on Wednesdays, and the station’s local programming was abbreviated. We didn’t do the segment today because the powers that be at the station believe — and rightfully so — that all people in Baltimore want to listen to or talk about right now are the boys in purple and black. I don’t expect to be back on until after the Ravens have played their last game (which I hope is on Feb. 1). ...

Speaking of Ravens talk, as much as I love the team, pro wrestling is never far from my mind. Here a couple recent examples:

After the Ravens’ win over the Dolphins on Sunday, Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason said teammate Ed Reed was “1 percent man, 99 percent amazing. It's no longer half-man, half-amazing.” That statement immediately made me think of MVP, who used to refer to himself as “half-man, half-amazing.” Now, of course, MVP is more like 1 percent man, 99 percent abysmal.

Ever since the Ravens’ wild-card victory, a major topic on sports talk radio — and in The Baltimore Sun — has been the perception that the national media have not shown the team the proper respect. While driving in the car recently, the “R” word was repeated on one radio show ad nauseam, and every time I heard it I echoed the word in a deep voice a la Booker T during the Main Event Mafia angle on TNA Impact. I did the same thing later at home, and my wife gave me a strange look. “Do you get why I said it like that?” I asked. “No, but it’s probably some wrestling thing,” she replied. ...

I thought the Jack Swagger-Finlay match last night on ECW dragged a little at times but was good overall as far as establishing Swagger as a legitimate contender for Matt Hardy’s ECW title. Finlay is doing a great job in his role as the respected veteran who gives the young guys a rub as well as an eduction on how to work. ... I also enjoyed the Hardy-Mark Henry match, but it’s time for these two to go their separate ways. The problem is that the ECW roster lacks depth, so you get the same guys working against each other on top. ... Everything I have read about Alicia Fox’s wrestling ability was basically that she didn’t have any. I don’t know if she has improved or if she just had a good night, but I didn’t think she was bad against Katie Lea Burchill. Honestly, as long as she does her dance routine before her match, I really don’t care whether she knows a wristlock from a wristwatch.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

There are some pretty intriguing story lines on Raw right now, and Randy Orton is involved in several of them.

The JBL/Shawn Michaels saga remains the main angle on Raw, and last night Orton, John Cena and Chris Jericho were brought into it. The Orton/Legacy story line also is heating up, and Orton is part of the Kane/Kelly Kelly angle as well.

Orton continues to be the most compelling man in sports entertainment, and even though he was all over last night’s show, it never felt like he was being overexposed. Whether he was cutting a promo in the ring, engaging in a backstage segment or wrestling, Orton had my full attention.

I’m curious as to how Orton will be booked in the coming months. Even though he’s a fantastic heel, he seems ripe for a babyface turn. If Cena versus Orton is the Raw main event at WrestleMania 25 (and I think it will be), it will be interesting to see how the crowd reacts. It would be huge if WWE pulled off a double turn ala Steve Austin-Bret Hart, but I seriously doubt that a Cena heel turn is even being considered.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

Speaking of intriguing story lines, it was announced that Vince McMahon – who hasn’t been on television in more than six months – will be returning to Raw in two weeks. Just in case anyone has forgotten, the last time we saw the WWE chairman, part of the set collapsed on him. I think the time is about right for him to come back. …

The wrestling action was good, especially the tag team match pitting John Morrison and The Miz against Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston. …

The main event – Michaels and Cena against Orton and Jericho – was entertaining and had a nice dose of drama, as the question was whether Michaels would attack Cena per JBL’s instructions. I’m a little surprised that Michaels didn’t “accidentally” superkick Cena, but in retrospect, Michaels not doing it was the right call. It reinforced that Michaels is a conflicted babyface and not merely JBL’s puppet. I’m looking forward to next week’s Michaels-Cena match (with JBL in Michaels’ corner). …

The opening segment in which Orton and Jericho faced off with Michaels and JBL over last week’s controversial four-way elimination match got the show off to a good start. Michaels got a fair amount of boos, but some cheers as well. …

Sim Snuka being booted out of The Legacy – if he was ever actually in it – was a surprising twist. With both Snuka and Manu out of the group, I’m guessing they form a babyface tag team to go against Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. (when he returns). …

Kane is wrestling Orton next week in the next chapter of the angle with Kelly Kelly. I’m interested to see where this is headed. I have a feeling that Orton will talk his way out of this match and Kane will continue to stalk Kelly Kelly until some babyface comes to her rescue. …

The CM Punk-William Regal match for the Intercontinental title was a letdown after all the time that was spent building it up. It didn’t even go five minutes and had a cheap DQ finish. At least there is going to be a rematch. …

The Kelly Kelly-Jillian Hall match wasn’t bad at all. Jillian was very aggressive and Double K showed a lot of fire in her comeback. I liked Kelly Kelly’s new finisher in which she jumped on Hall’s back and hit a guillotine legdrop. …

The moratorium on shooting Stephanie McMahon below the waist was lifted. She looked great, which came as no surprise to me because she looked great when I saw her backstage last month when Raw was at Verizon Center in Washington. I assume the lack of a full body shot prior to last night was because she was self conscious about her weight when she first returned to TV.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (39)
        

A pet peeve of one of my colleagues at The Baltimore Sun is how the word “irony” is often misused. The running joke in the office is that every time we think something is ironic, he’ll shoot us down and say that it does not fit the definition (and hilarity ensues).

I think I have him this time, however. On Smackdown last night, an authority figure versus rebel angle between Smackdown general manager Vickie Guerrero and Triple H began to heat up. Now, considering who Triple H is married to and how much power he wields backstage, the fact that he is the one getting screwed over by a female in charge (who is married to a big star on the show) has to be ironic. I’m willing to bet that some of the boys in the locker room see the irony in it.

Whether it’s ironic or not, and even though angles with heel authority figures abusing their power have been done to death, I’m looking forward to more interaction between Triple H and Guerrero. It wouldn’t surprise me if this is building to a Triple H-Edge match at WrestleMania 25.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

It was a pretty average episode overall. The main event between the Hardys and Edge and The Big Show wasn’t bad. I wonder if Big Show walking out on Edge is the start of a babyface turn? If it is, that means Show will have turned four times in a year. …

OK, be honest: How many of you Googled “Vickie Guerrero nude?” If you really have to see Vickie in the buff, click here. …

Kizarny’s debut was OK, if not spectacular. His finisher (a double underhook into a DDT) was pretty cool. …

When MVP finally has had enough of the taunting and he attacks Mr. Kennedy, won’t he be justified? By the way, did you know Mr. Kennedy’s movie comes out on DVD Tuesday? …
Shelton Benjamin’s promo was perhaps the best one he has done. That being said, it still wasn’t anything special. …

I know that Vladimir Kozlov is a monster heel and all, but I’m still surprised that Hurricane Helms didn’t get in a little more offense. …

Maria and Eve Torres must not have many friends in the locker room since no one came out to make the save last week or this week when Michelle McCool brutalized them. I guess the Bella Twins were busy with Carlito and Primo. …

What happened to Festus’ infatuation with Maria? …

I hardly ever fast forward through any wrestling program, but I admit that my finger was on the button during The Great Khali and Finlay versus Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins match.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

First, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and say thank you for making Ring Posts one of the most popular blogs on baltimoresun.com.

Here are my selections for the best of 2008 in eight categories. I welcome your comments and encourage you to send along your picks.

WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: SHAWN MICHAELS

For most of 2008, it looked as if Edge was a lock for this award. Randy Orton and Chris Jericho also had strong years. Edge and Orton both missed some time, however, and Jericho didn’t really get on a roll until the second half of the year. From January to December, it was Michaels who turned in one extraordinary performance after another, both in the ring and on the microphone. A decade after entering into a four-year retirement, Michaels, who turned 43 last July, proved that he’s still “The Showstopper.” Technically, Michaels didn’t wrestle in many main events last year, but in the eyes of many fans, his pay-per-view matches with Ric Flair, Jericho and Batista were the real main events of the respective shows. On a couple pay-per-views, he didn’t even wrestle and he still nearly stole the show with his promos. As the year came to a close, Michaels began an angle with JBL that is somewhat far-fetched, but he has succeeded thus far in making it compelling.

MATCH OF THE YEAR: SHAWN MICHAELS VS. RIC FLAIR (WrestleMania XXIV, March 30, Orlando, Fla.)

A legend of Flair’s magnitude deserved a grand sendoff into retirement, and that’s exactly what he got under the bright lights of WrestleMania. For Michaels, it was yet another WrestleMania moment to add to his spectacular resume. From a technical standpoint, it was far from either man's greatest match, and it wasn’t even the best-worked match on the card. But the emotion of it being what most believed was Flair’s final match, and Michaels’ conflicted feelings over possibly ending his idol’s career, made it something truly special. The finish will go down as one of the most memorable moments in wrestling history: A dazed Flair, with tears in his eyes, struggled to his feet and gestured to Michaels to bring it on; Michaels, with a remorseful look on his face, said, “I love you. I’m sorry,” and then hit Sweet Chin Music for the win. Flair received a standing ovation and was serenaded with a “Thank you, Ric” chant as he made his way to the back, putting an exclamation point at the end of a career that began in 1972.

FEUD OF THE YEAR: SHAWN MICHAELS VS. CHRIS JERICHO

These two incredibly talented and savvy veterans brought out the best in each other in a program that had a very realistic feel and featured outstanding matches and promos. What really turned this feud from a good one into a great one was the heated segment that took place at SummerSlam, when Michaels, with wife Rebecca at his side, announced his retirement. The best verbal exchange of the year then occurred when Jericho demanded that Michaels tell his wife and kids that he won’t be able to wrestle anymore because of Jericho, and Michaels responded that Jericho needs to tell his wife and kids that their daddy will never be Shawn Michaels. Jericho tried to sucker-punch Michaels, but Michaels ducked and Jericho connected with a stiff punch to Rebecca Michaels’ face that resulted in a swollen and bloody lip. Michaels and Jericho wrestled each other on four pay-per-views: At Judgment Day, Michaels won clean in match before Jericho’s heel turn had been completed; in a bloody match at The Great American Bash, Jericho won in a UFC-style finish; in an unsanctioned match at Unforgiven, the referee stopped the match and awarded it to Michaels because a battered Jericho was no longer able to defend himself; and in a ladder match for the world heavyweight title at No Mercy, newly crowned champion Jericho prevailed, breaking a tooth in the process.

TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR: JOHN MORRISON AND THE MIZ

A strong case can be made for Beer Money Inc. (Robert Roode and James Storm), but that team wasn’t formed until the summer. Morrison and Miz, conversely, were partners for the entire year. Morrison is clearly the more talented wrestler of the two, but Miz improved throughout the year and the duo eventually became a well-honed act. Morrison and Miz won the WWE tag team title in November 2007 and held it until July. A few weeks ago, they won the world tag team title. As evidence of how much Morrison and Miz’s stock has risen in the company, they regularly appear on Raw, WWE’s flagship show, even though they are officially members of the ECW roster.

WOMAN OF THE YEAR: AWESOME KONG

Kong is a throwback to an era in women’s wrestling when having a glamorous look and a bikini model’s build weren’t a prerequisite. Since coming to TNA in the fall of 2007, Kong has been very convincing in her role as a monster heel. In January, Kong defeated archrival Gail Kim to become the second TNA women’s champion. The Kong-Kim program was by far the best in women’s wrestling over the past year. Kong held the title until July and then regained it in October. At the Sacrifice pay-per-view in May, Kong got a chance to mix it up with men, as she teamed with B.G. James in a tournament to crown new TNA world tag team champions. Looking ahead to 2009, the biggest challenge facing Kong is a lack of competition in TNA.

NON-WRESTLER OF THE YEAR (awarded to the best manager/authority figure): VICKIE GUERRERO

If I were giving an award for Heel of the Year, Guerrero would be the winner. She has so much heat that the mere mention of her name at an arena draws loud boos. Guerrero’s ability to incite a crowd is as surprising as it is effective. She did not have much presence and appeared tentative when she first became a regular character on Smackdown a couple years ago, but she found her footing as a performer after being paired with Edge toward the end of 2007. Guerrero’s facial expressions and her delivery on promos have become top notch. And who would have ever thought that “excuse me” would become the most over catch phrase of the year?

MOST IMPROVED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: KELLY KELLY

Kelly Kelly was the very definition of eye candy when she debuted as an exhibitionist on the first episode of ECW in 2006 and later became a member of Extreme Expose, a dance troupe reminiscent of WCW’s Nitro Girls. Dancing and serving as a valet seemed to be all that she was capable of doing. On the rare occasions that she was involved in a match (usually a tag match), Kelly Kelly appeared as if she had no business being in the ring. She kept at it, however, and by the summer it was apparent that she had made strides as a wrestler. While she still is just a serviceable worker at best, Double K has come a long way and even had some pretty good matches last year. If she continues to improve, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her get a title run at some point, a notion that was unfathomable when 2008 began.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR (awarded to the wrestler who made the biggest impact in his or her national debut): EVAN BOURNE

Kofi Kingston and Ted DiBiase Jr. were both impressive and Vladimir Kozlov received the biggest push, but the newcomer who immediately got over was Bourne. He did so thanks to his breathtaking Shooting Star Press and assortment of other acrobatic moves. After appearing on ECW for a few months, Bourne, who had been wrestling on the independent scene since 2000 (mostly under the name Matt Sydal), gained wider exposure when he formed an outstanding tag team with Rey Mysterio on Raw in September. The following month, he and Mysterio wrestled against each other on Raw in a terrific match. At the Cyber Sunday pay-per-view, Bourne was a landslide winner in voting to determine the challenger for Matt Hardy’s ECW title. Unfortunately, Bourne suffered torn ligaments in his ankle a couple days after that match, putting a premature end to his year. If Bourne can improve his promo skills, he has major star potential.

For the 2007 awards, click here.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

I was talking with my wife yesterday about TNA Impact being a “Best of 2008” episode last night. “Yeah, it’s going to be a 15-minute show,” I said. OK, it was a lame joke, but she laughed.

All kidding aside, the special New Year’s edition of Impact was highly entertaining. If you missed it – and especially if you didn’t see any TNA pay-per-views last year – you definitely should check out the replay (Saturday, 9 a.m.).

This wasn’t a typical year-end recap show consisting of TV matches that everyone has already seen. Of the four 2008 matches that were shown, three were from pay-per-views. All of the matches were outstanding – Jeff Jarrett vs. Kurt Angle (Bound for Glory), Samoa Joe vs. Angle (Lockdown), Awesome Kong vs. Gail Kim (Impact) and Sting vs. A.J. Styles (Turning Point). A first-run match that was billed as the first TNA title match of 2009 – tag-team champs Beer Money Inc. versus LAX – was very good as well.

I certainly can’t argue with any of the choices for the matches that aired, although it would have been nice to have gotten in an X Division match, perhaps at the expense of the tag match.

I thought it was a nice touch to have commentary from the participants interspersed throughout the matches. That wasn’t possible for the women’s match, of course, because Kim left for WWE and Kong doesn’t speak (they had commentary from other TNA women wrestlers instead). Angle was especially good on commentary, although I could have done without yet another disrespectful remark about Jarrett’s deceased wife.

Beyond the great matches, what made the show so enjoyable was that it was a departure from the usual bad comedy skits and illogical booking. Some of the sillier moments of the past year – “Stone Cold” Shark Boy, Styles “marrying” Karen Angle, etc. – did show up in a video package of 2008 highlights, but the overall tone of the program reminded me a lot the excellent Global Impact show of a year ago.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)