tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103 2008-07-08T07:00:20Z Ring Posts is a Baltimore Sun blog about wrestling Movable Type 3.36 tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.112567 2008-07-08T06:58:17Z 2008-07-08T07:00:20Z

In the past couple weeks, WWE has tried to create some new stars while also freshening up some established ones. Last night on Raw, the spotlight was put on Kane, a former main-eventer who had become somewhat stale as a...

Kevin Eck In the past couple weeks, WWE has tried to create some new stars while also freshening up some established ones. Last night on Raw, the spotlight was put on Kane, a former main-eventer who had become somewhat stale as a mid-carder. As has been the case lately on Raw, something occurred that no one saw coming. After Kane was pinned by Batista in a fatal four-way to determine who would challenge world heavyweight champion CM Punk, he had a meltdown, assaulting ringside attendants and repeating the phrase, “Is he alive or dead?” Kane then grabbed Michael Cole and was preparing to chokeslam him. Jerry Lawler made the save, but he was quickly taken out by Kane, as the show abruptly went off the air several minutes earlier than usual. So, why did Kane snap? Who is he referring to when asking “is he alive or dead?” What does it all mean? We’ll all have to tune in next week to Raw to find out. I have to give WWE an “A” for effort as far as coming up with cliffhangers and bringing a sense of spontaneity to the show. A couple of strange segments added to the anything-can-happen vibe. A light stand fell down during an interview with Punk, and then a fan jumped in front of Batista backstage and mimicked Batista’s entrance pose before security chased after him. The basic idea is that the show is in a state of chaos with Vince McMahon out and no general manager. As for Kane, I think he is more effective as a heel (if indeed this is the start of a turn), but I’ve seen him go back and forth so many times that it’s hard for me to really get too worked up about it. I am intrigued, however, to see where this story line is going. Other thoughts on last night’s show: If the idea was to get fans to boo Kane while he was going on his rampage, attacking Cole had the opposite effect. When Lawler rescued Cole, it was “The King” who was booed. Come on, it’s not like Cole is Mike Adamle or anything. .. So it’s going to be Punk vs. Batista at The Great American Bash pay-per-view in two weeks. Perhaps this sets the stage for the rumored Batista heel turn. Speaking of Batista, has anyone beside me noticed that he has gotten a lot better in the ring over the past few months? Last night, he did a drop toe-hold, and a couple weeks ago he did a nice-looking leapfrog. … No one in wrestling has ever used the words “Excuse me” more effectively than Vickie Guerrero. Heck, no one outside of wrestling has either, except for maybe Steve Martin (if you’re too young to get that reference, ask your parents or do a Google search). She generates incredible heat and has become a way better performer – her horrible overacting at the end of Smackdown last Friday notwithstanding – than I could have ever imagined. … I like where they are going with the Shawn Michaels-Chris Jericho program, with Michaels telling Jericho that no matter how successful he becomes, Jericho will never be him. That makes sense from a continuity standpoint, as that was the basis for their match at WrestleMania XIX, which Michaels won. … The bit with John Cena and Cryme Tyme busting up JBL’s limo was kind of flat. Cena hasn’t been as entertaining on the mic lately as he usually is, partly because the scripted material he gets has been so lame. Enough with the “poopy” jokes already. WWE is practically begging people to boo him with that stuff. … Kelly Kelly is now on Raw and WWE didn’t even bother to try to come up with an explanation. Instead, it was just laughed off. If people can leave one show for another whenever they want, what is the point of the draft? Kelly Kelly, by the way, has greatly improved in the ring, which I didn’t think was possible based on how uncoordinated she appeared to be when she first started wrestling. tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.112079 2008-07-04T10:25:31Z 2008-07-08T06:27:13Z

Just when I think I’ve seen it all in pro wrestling, TNA comes up with something unprecedented. Robert Roode and James Storm are challenging for the TNA world tag-team title at the Victory Road pay-per-view on July 13, yet they...

Kevin Eck Just when I think I’ve seen it all in pro wrestling, TNA comes up with something unprecedented. Robert Roode and James Storm are challenging for the TNA world tag-team title at the Victory Road pay-per-view on July 13, yet they were defeated last night on Impact – twice. First they jobbed to The Motor City Machine Guns – a talented team with a so-so won-loss record as of late – and then were defeated by Kevin Nash and Samoa Joe, two guys who can’t get along and don’t trust each other. Oh, and three weeks ago, Roode and Storm also lost to LAX, the team they are wrestling at Victory Road. That’s three losses in less than a month for guys who are challenging for a title on pay-per-view. Yeah, that has to be a first. I guess it’s the TNA creative team’s way of being creative. When Roode and Storm lost to Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley, I figured maybe Beer Money Inc. – as Roode and Storm are now known – was going to win the title from LAX at the pay-per-view and then begin a program with TMCMG (it’s the only thing that would make sense). I liked how Roode and Storm got their heat back by whipping Sabin, Shelley and anybody else they could get their hands on with belts. That was a great heat-getting segment, so the loss didn’t seem so bad at that point. But having them get beaten a second time, especially to guys who didn’t want to work together, just made them look like a couple of losers. That’s not exactly how you build up challengers. For Roode and Storm to keep getting passionately jeered, they not only have to do bad things to the babyfaces, but they also have to win matches against them. The booking of Roode and Storm notwithstanding, there was a lot of good stuff on Impact. Here are some other thoughts on last night’s show: I’m getting into the Kevin Nash-Samoa Joe feud, but I’m starting to think that it’s Joe who is going to turn on Nash. I liked Joe better anyway when he was a no-nonsense heel who used to carry a towel stained with his opponent’s blood like it was a trophy. The trend of Joe being portrayed as a paranoid, hot-headed and – at times – incompetent jerk continued last night, while Nash again came across as cool and calm. When Jim Cornette asked Nash to team with Joe against Roode and Storm, he calmly accepted. When Cornette asked Joe to team with Nash, however, Joe became a screaming lunatic. It was also interesting that Cornette basically offered Nash a bribe, but he pulled rank on Joe and ordered him to do it. During the match, Joe mocked Nash’s mannerisms and flipped him off. If Nash does end up turning on Joe, he’ll be completely justified. … With Sting showing up in the rafters at the end of the show while Joe and Nash argued, it looks as if his role might be to play peacemaker. I think TNA is wise to bring in Sting for occasional appearances rather than having him as a regular attraction. … I thought it was great when Roode and Storm got in a couple shots on Don West with their belts, although that makes them babyfaces in my book. I’m betting that West knew it was coming, unlike in WWE, where Jim Ross probably would get whacked with a belt on live television with no idea he was going to be physically involved. … Roode and Storm also grabbed ring announcer David Penzer (formerly of WCW), tossed him in the ring and whipped him several times. I wouldn’t feel too sorry for Penzer, though. Trust me, he would endure far more punishment than that if it meant him getting some camera time (that's a little inside joke for some of my former WCW colleagues). … One last thought on Beer Money Inc.: Roode and Storm are a very good heel team, but their partnership almost seems like a step back for them. They both got over as singles wrestlers after breaking away from either a faction or a tag team, and now they are back in a team situation. As entertaining as Beer Money Inc. is, I hope they don’t team together too long. I still think Roode would make a good heel world champion if ever given the opportunity. … The first two Kurt Angle dating skits were pretty lame, but – as crude and silly as it was – the third one, in which his date had spastic colon, made me laugh. There has been talk that Angle will end up with a love interest, a role that reportedly was designed for Tammy “Sunny” Sytch, but apparently she no longer is being considered. … Team 3D has never been better. I have always thought they were just OK as babyfaces, but incredible as heels. Brother Ray destroyed A.J. Styles during their verbal confrontation to open the show. Brother Devon and Rhino also did some good mic work in that segment. … Karen Angle is not doing Styles any favors by wearing such high heels when standing next to him. Speaking of Karen, I didn’t find it at all believable when she started pushing around Angelina Love and Velvet Sky. That was right up there with William Shatner knocking out Jerry Lawler. ... It was irritating enough when LAX, Hector Guerrero and Salinas were all talking at the same time, but it was excruciating when they all talked over Storm’s promo. Guerrero is especially annoying on the mic, as it seems like he’s trying too hard to imitate his late brother, Eddie. He’d probably be better as a heel manager. … Moose and Roxxi had quite a brawl, which ended with Roxxi bleeding from the forehead. Just wondering: If Moose’s catch phrase is that she hates bimbos, why does she wrestle in matches called Bimbo Brawls? Doesn’t that make her a bimbo? And what happened to her alliance with The Beautiful People? It’s probably just as well that it was dropped, because it wasn’t a good fit. By the way, did you catch Roxxi’s t-shirt? It said “No Carpet, No Drapes.” I guess we’ll have to take her word for half of that equation. … This week’s “Rough Cuts” segment with Matt Morgan was the best one so far on him. You know Cornette, who was very high on Morgan in Ohio Valley Wrestling, loved taking a shot at WWE for giving Morgan a stuttering gimmick when he was put on Smackdown. … Taylor, who defeated Raisha Saeed to earn a title shot against Awesome Kong, looks like she has potential as a babyface. Hey, whatever happened to Cheerleader Melissa? … Alex Kozlov is fun to watch, but there’s one thing I don’t understand. When a wrestler charges at him and Kozlov puts out his hand in a “stop” gesture, why doesn’t the guy just run over him? tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.112026 2008-07-03T21:38:33Z 2008-07-03T21:47:43Z

Here is a transcript of Bret Hart’s speech from the Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday night. The speech was recorded by someone in attendance and I have obtained this transcribed version. I am working on getting the actual audio...

Kevin Eck crowd laughs] It was important for me to be here. It made me proud to know that I was coming here. Mike Chapman, yeah, I talked to him a couple of years ago. I talked for so long, and I learned so much about wrestling, championships, and Lou Thesz, and how the origin of wrestling started, it was like sitting under the learning tree, just sitting there listening to this guy, digesting, knowing this guy knows what he’s talking about. He’s not full of it. He’s not a B.S.-er. He knows what he’s talking about, he knows these people. He’s talked to Lou Thesz. He knows the history. He knows the transition from pro wrestling and amateur wrestling. “Now, I’m here because I was a pro wrestler. But I also know, I also know, what it’s like to hang a gold medal around my neck. I know what it’s like to wrestle a one-hour match. I know what it’s like to go full blast for that hour. And to lose, I know what it’s like to lose wrestling match by one point, I’ve been there too. I know what it’s like to snap on a knee brace. I know what it’s like to snap on a world title belt. I also know what it’s like to wrestle in front of 90,000, 100,000 people sometimes, just to have that kind of impact, and to make people — I remember wrestling the British Bulldog in Wembley Stadium, England, and make everybody in that 82,000 wrestling fans, they dismissed all their disbelief about wrestling, and wrestling for 35 minutes became real. It was real. “There’s an art to that. There’s a science to that. It’s hard work, it’s really hard work. [clears throat, silence for at least 20 seconds.] I don’t want to be too lecturous here. What is a hall of fame? To me, a hall of fame is a place where it’s important to speak the truth, to capture history. When someone tells you they’re holding Karl Gotch’s jockstrap, or whatever it is, there’s the real jockstrap. It had better be real. I think wrestling fans want the truth, and that’s kind of what my point is here. My father was all about wrestling. He loved wrestling. He dedicated his life to wrestling; it wasn’t just about amateur wrestling, it was about pro wrestling for the whole business. It was about feeding families and making something out of nothing. Wrestling used to mean — what I always tried to get people to remember about wrestling was the honor of being a pro wrestler. There’s something about that term, doing the honors for somebody, and knowing that there’s somebody that is going to be the champion, and going to be the guy that carries the load for everybody, and everybody is going to profit by the fact that he’s Lou Thesz, and he makes people believe that wrestling is real, that he’s a real champion. It’s not just the champion, there’s a whole team of wrestlers that make this whole show, make the whole story, it’s not just the cameraman and the referees and the people that let everybody in. It’s more than that. It’s people that dedicate their lives to wrestling. “I’ve watched wrestling, and been a part of wrestling, since I was 5 years old. I sold programs and made my first 10 cents on wrestling. It’s just something that I’ve had a passion for since I was born. I think it was my calling to be wrestler. If someone had told me when I was 16 years old that I would tour the world, be the champion, and be a hero to kids, and at the same time, to be here, amongst such great amateur wrestlers, the people who were heroes to me when I was 16 years old, people I had the deepest respect for. People like Danny Hodge. I knew all about Danny Hodge when I was 16, I appreciated Danny Hodge even though I’d never met him. But I knew all about him because I respected wrestling. I think my point is, I’m honored to be here. I know this isn’t my place to gripe about stuff, but I have a serious issue with people who write books about wrestling who don’t honor the truth. “And you, sir, you do not honor the truth of wrestling. Greg Oliver writes these books on wrestling and it’s all made up. It’s not the truth. It’s just baloney, you know. I wrote a book that took seven years, I gave everything I had to write about some of the deepest tragedies, the truth about my life as a wrestler. For someone like this that sits in the room with me to say that on his Web site that my truth is not the truth, it’s just wrong for me to be in the same room as these people. They don’t honor the truth of wrestling. “When you buy their books, I think you have to look at that and say these people are not telling the truth. They don’t know anything about wrestling. I’ve never seen them in the back. I’ve never seen them in the dressing room. I’ve never seen them at anything to do with wrestling. They don’t know anything at all about my business. They don’t know anything about me. They don’t have any respect for what I do or for anyone else. So I’m going to step aside now, and I just want to say that it’s not right for me to be in the same room as people who don’t do honor and justice to my profession. You either have a choice of leaving, or I will. [Silence. Someone says “get up” or “get out.”] “I speak the truth about wrestling and I take pride in what I do. [Applause starts slowly but picks up. Sound covers part of the speech.] ... How it was and how it was done, how it should be done. These guys over here, it makes me laugh that Greg Oliver here rated me behind Sky Low Low, as, I think the 13th-greatest Canadian wrestler. I have news for him — he’s wrong. Sky Low Low was a much better wrestler than me, but he was only half the man that I was. But anyway, my point is, you know, I take a lot of pride in what I do. It means a lot to me that people would come here and be part of this, because wrestling was important to me, and I hope it was important for you. But it’s important that people tell the truth. “When you write about wrestling, you talk about wrestling, especially when you’re among these kind of people, you owe it to tell the truth. If you want to come here and be a charlatan, well, you’re in the wrong place because this is a room filled with legends, and people that paid their dues in wrestling. We want the truth to be told about wrestling. Take your sorry-ass lies about wrestling and how you make it up, and save your books, because they’re not the truth. This is a room filled with truth. Thank you. [Applause] I’m talking to you, Greg Oliver. Either you go or I go. [Greg Oliver waves goodbye to Hart] Greg Oliver’s going to stay. I’m going to go to my room. [A few fans yell “We want Bret,” smattering of applause, then silence for 20 seconds. Someone says, “Thanks, Bret” and applause starts again.]” ]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.111981 2008-07-03T18:52:04Z 2008-07-03T20:38:25Z

The following is an e-mail I received last night from Bret Hart’s personal assistant, Marcy Engelstein, in regard to Hart’s remarks about wrestling journalist Greg Oliver during his speech at the Hall of Fame last Saturday. It is posted in...

Kevin Eck The following is an e-mail I received last night from Bret Hart’s personal assistant, Marcy Engelstein, in regard to Hart’s remarks about wrestling journalist Greg Oliver during his speech at the Hall of Fame last Saturday. It is posted in the comments section of the “More on the Bret Hart Hall of Fame Incident” blog post from Monday (along with my response), but I decided to post her comments here as well: “Bret did, in fact, make his comments during his formal acceptance speech, which was in the evening; the less formal version, for fans, was in the afternoon. Bret is not the least bit concerned with what ranking Greg Oliver gave him. Greg is entitled to his opinion, like anyone else. “For Bret to have been upset about how Oliver ranked him would have been petty, as some here have posted, but that is not, in fact, the case. Bret feels that Greg Oliver’s books often present the writer’s own opinion — (not just about Hart) as fact and that blurs the line of responsible journalism. Bret told me that recognizing Greg Oliver with an award provides him with a “credential” upon which other credentials can be built; a few years from now Greg would appear to have a ‘wall of credentials’ and would be called upon ( more often than he already is) as a wrestling expert by the mainstream press, like Dave Meltzer is now. And so, then someone who presents his own opinion as fact would have too much power to further distort an accurate account of the history of pro wrestling. Bret is passionate about a truthful account of pro wrestling being preserved for generations to come, no matter how he is portrayed, as long as it is factually accurate. “Bret’s perceived difference between Greg Oliver and those “like him” from Meltzer, for example, is that Oliver is in it for the wrong reason; recognition. During the afternoon event, while I was busy handling an autograph session where Bret and Roddy were signing, Greg Oliver gave me a copy of his latest book to give to Bret (The Heels), but then he said, ‘Oh wait, let me sign that for him before I give it to him ... ’ and he did. So, basically, Greg autographed his book for Bret. Bret feels there is some degree of audacity in that, as Greg is supposed to be the reporter, not the participant. Dave Meltzer, whose landmark publication is even named The Observer, defines himself as such, without the attached ego. He was a journalism major and has, over the years, displayed objectivity and detachment from outcome, which is lacking on Oliver’s reporting, and he, “... at least attempts to get it right...”, according to Bret. “Bret doesn’t have any problem at all with a deserving journalist being honored and inducted. He just felt that Stu would have been honored to be inducted into this particular hall of fame because it is rooted in amateur, not pro, footings and the past inductees are all distinguished and deserving people who had sacrificed much for the love of wrestling and for the business. He felt that Greg Oliver doesn’t fit that bill in that he hasn’t paid his dues and doesn’t report or write with objectivity. “I hear that Greg stated, on Wrestling Observer Live, to Bryan Alvarez, that I, myself, walked out of the banquet to tell Bret that he shouldn’t have said what he said. I didn’t hear this myself but was told this in an email from Mike Lano. In fact, I walked out only because it was such an unusually awkward moment that I wanted to see what, if anything, Bret might want from me. I’ll get back to that. Before I left, I saw that the first person to stand up and give Bret an ovation after Bret walked out was Harley Race. Next to stand to show his approval was Danny Hodge. Then other legends stood up, including Roddy. None of the wrestlers walked out and no fans walked out. I left a minute or so after Bret did. Bret asked me to get his notes, which he’d jotted down briefly just after sitting down at the head table (where seats had been reserved for Bret, Roddy and myself. (When we walked in, late I initially sat next to Bret but then I chose to sit with Harley and BJ instead so I could see better. Also, although I appreciated the compliment of my seat assignment, I’ve always preferred to be behind-the scenes and wasn’t comfortable being so visible at the head table.) “Bret’s notes were not about Greg Oliver, but pertained to his speech in general. He’d left them on the podium when he walked out. I didn’t want to parade up to the podium in front of everyone so I asked Mike Chapman, the Director of the Museum, to get the notes for me, which he did. While Mike waited for an opportune moment to go to the podium, I was standing just outside the door to the banquet room and one notable after another came out and expressed support to me for what Bret had said. As what they said to me was not in a public forum, I won’t betray their confidences by revealing their exact words and identities at this time. No doubt, some will call that a convenient excuse or whatever, but frankly I don’t care about that because the reason I’ve been around as long as I have is because I respect the honor of being trusted by these men; and I work hard and have paid my dues. One of them passionately expressed to me that there are no shortcuts in this business and that respect and honor have to be earned — and that Greg Oliver hadn’t done so, in his opinion. That sentiment was echoed over and over to me by iconic men throughout the rest of the evening — and not so much that it was directed at Greg specifically, but at the so-called ‘wrestling reporters’, especially internet-based ones, whose egos have diluted whatever objectivity they might have started out with because they seem to enjoy the pseudo-celebrity that comes with the internet a little too much. “Nowhere in this account have I expressed my own opinion of Greg Oliver; and I won’t. I’ve simply given you the facts of what happened. At CAC a couple of weeks ago, during his acceptance speech, Bret mentioned how he’d had the honor and privilege to watch and learn from Harley Race and Terry Funk (who were seated behind Bret, on the stage) when he was a kid. After Bret’s speech, while Bret was being mobbed at the side of the stage by the Japanese and European media, I watched as an emotional Terry Funk took the mic, ‘I speak for both myself and Harley.‘That kid grew up to do it so much better than we ever could. And we love him for it.’ Terry Funk’s supreme compliment carries more weight than how any reporter ranks Bret.” Marcy Engelstein Sr. Consulting Mgr. Bret Hart/ Hitman Productions NOTE FROM KEVIN ECK: I have obtained a transcribed version of Hart's speech that I will post later today. Also, in regard to her comment about Dave Meltzer that he “has, over the years, displayed objectivity and detachment from outcome,” I agree that he has when it comes to reporting a news story. As I have said before, I admire Meltzer and have tremendous respect for him as a journalist. However, Meltzer does express his opinion all the time — which he should do as an expert in his field — whether it’s about an angle or a wrestler’s workrate or any number of things. He was the one who introduced a star system for rating matches. On another issue, there seems to be some confusion in regard to the order of events at the Hall of Fame that day. Ms. Engelstein said that Hart “did, in fact, make his comments during his formal acceptance speech, which was in the evening; the less formal version, for fans, was in the afternoon.” It’s not that important in the big scheme of things, but the source who was at both events said that the formal ceremony was in the afternoon (that’s when the plaques were handed out) and the less formal one for fans was at night. What is not in dispute is that Hart’s comments about Oliver were at night. The source also indicated that Hart showed up 40 minutes late that afternoon and the order of the ceremony had to be changed as a result. tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.111690 2008-07-02T18:54:59Z 2008-07-02T19:00:22Z

CM Punk’s win over Edge for the world heavyweight title Monday has sparked a debate over whether he truly is world championship material. The situation reminded me of another guy who won the big gold belt and was deemed unworthy...

Kevin Eck CM Punk’s win over Edge for the world heavyweight title Monday has sparked a debate over whether he truly is world championship material. The situation reminded me of another guy who won the big gold belt and was deemed unworthy by a number of critics and fans – Ronnie Garvin. He defeated Ric Flair for the NWA world title in 1987 – a match that coincidentally has been available recently on WWE 24/7. I have seen Garvin referred to as one of – if not the worst – world champions of all time. Many consider it a travesty that a guy who was a mid-card attraction for a large part of his career was booked to defeat perhaps the greatest wrestler ever. I watched the match for the first time in years, and my thoughts on Garvin beating Flair for the belt are the same as they were 21 years ago: Garvin’s title win was believable and appropriate considering the story line and the matches they had together leading up to the title change. Flair and Garvin had some classic, hard-hitting matches in which they would chop the heck out of each other, sometimes for 60 minutes. Fans knew that Garvin wasn’t as big a star as Flair, but in the ring, it certainly appeared that Garvin was a lot tougher than the “Nature Boy" and basically had his number. The title change occurred in a steel cage match at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit that September. As the two were battling on the top rope, Garvin rammed Flair’s head into the cage twice, which led to Flair slipping and landing crotch-first on the rope. As a dazed Flair got back to his feet, Garvin, who was perched on the top rope like Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, hit a sunset flip for the victory. There was a huge pop for Garvin’s win. The actual reason for Garvin’s victory was that promoter Jim Crockett wanted Flair to regain the title at November’s Starrcade, the NWA’s biggest show of the year. He needed someone to be an interim champ for two months, and Garvin was the choice. As it turned out, Garvin slid right back to the mid-card after dropping the belt back to Flair. As for Punk, the jury is still out. He has gradually grown on me since coming to WWE, but I see him as more of an upper mid-card guy than a world champion. With that being said, however, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to give him a title run at this point. WWE needs to elevate some guys to freshen up the top tier, and Punk is a fine choice. One major difference between Punk and Garvin, however, is that Punk’s win was basically presented as a fluke (beating a guy in seconds who already was beaten down by someone else), while Garvin chased Flair for a while and came close numerous times before finally pulling the upset. tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.111540 2008-07-02T07:09:59Z 2008-07-02T07:12:48Z

WWE has to be encouraged by the 3.5 rating for Monday’s Raw, as it was the highest-rated Raw since the Ric Flair farewell episode three months ago. The ratings for Raw, which bottomed out at 2.9 on May 26, have...

Kevin Eck WWE has to be encouraged by the 3.5 rating for Monday’s Raw, as it was the highest-rated Raw since the Ric Flair farewell episode three months ago. The ratings for Raw, which bottomed out at 2.9 on May 26, have risen each of the past three weeks. I would attribute some of that to the million dollar giveaways. The first week that Vince McMahon handed out his money, the rating actually decreased from the previous week (3.1 to 3.0). But in Week 2 of McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania, the number shot up to 3.3. Last week’s three-hour draft special, which also featured the third and final round of the giveaways, did a 3.4, but that is somewhat deceiving. Typically, when WWE does a three-hour show, the rating for the first hour – because people are not used to tuning in at 8 p.m. – are on the low side. In the traditional 9-to-11 slot last week, Raw did a 3.7 off hours of 3.5 and 4.0 (the first hour did a 2.8 to bring down the overall rating). With CM Punk’s surprising world title victory on Monday, it will be interesting to see if the ratings continue to go up or at least hold steady. A few other notes: The fact that Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to defeat Edge – not Triple H – for the title certainly was not a shock. While I’m happy that WWE has decided to elevate a young guy such as Punk, I wish it wouldn’t have come at the expense of Edge. He is an outstanding performer, and he and Vickie Guerrero are generating a lot of heat from fans. At some point, hopefully Triple H’s WWE title belt be around Edge’s waist (perhaps after Edge's impending feud with The Undertaker). … Judging by his debut on ECW last night, I think Atlas Ortiz (who wrestled in WWE developmental as Atlas DaBone) has a good chance to get over. Here are three things I like about him: He is not lacking in charisma; he was announced as being from Paradise Valley, Ariz., which is where former WWE champion Superstar Billy Graham was billed from; and he has hair that is bigger than Carlito’s. … I like Mark Henry as the ECW champion. He isn’t the greatest worker or talker in the world, but he has improved over the years and he plays the role of a strongman/bully very well. tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.111268 2008-07-01T06:58:27Z 2008-07-01T07:47:15Z

CM Punk’s win over Edge for the world heavyweight title last night on Raw proved that WWE is serious about shaking things up and making it seem as if anything can happen on the show. The way Punk has been...

Kevin Eck CM Punk’s win over Edge for the world heavyweight title last night on Raw proved that WWE is serious about shaking things up and making it seem as if anything can happen on the show. The way Punk has been booked since winning the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV is one of wrestling’s greatest mysteries. I actually was starting to think that he was going to be the first guy to cash in a Money in the Bank contract and fail to win a world title. After all, he is just six weeks removed from suffering a clean loss to – of all people – The Miz. Nevertheless, WWE finally decided to pull the trigger and elevate Punk, injecting some much-needed new blood into the title picture. Winning the title the way he did – he hit his GTS finisher on a wounded Edge, who had just been destroyed by Batista – doesn’t exactly make Punk look like a deserving champ, but that was to be expected. When I wrote yesterday about the possibility of Punk cashing in his contract and defeating Edge, I said that “there would most likely have to be some kind of fluke element to Punk’s win.” It was a little odd to see a babyface win the title in such an opportunistic fashion, although it was fitting since Edge had won the title on two occasions in the same manner. I’m actually OK with the way Punk won because it makes him an underdog champion who has to prove that he’s worthy of the belt. He’s off to a good start, as he pinned JBL in his first title defense at the end of the show – although it wasn’t exactly a clean win, as John Cena and Cryme Tyme distracted JBL. If booked the right way, Punk could get over even more as an underdog who keeps proving people wrong than he would if he had captured the title in a straight one-on-one match-up. Despite Punk’s title win, I’m still not sure that the WWE decision-makers truly see him as championship material. Time will tell. Hopefully, Punk will be given a real opportunity to get over as champ and won’t be booked as a total fluke champion like Rey Mysterio was a couple years ago. If Punk is marketed correctly – some video packages and “Rough Cuts” style interviews would be good ideas – he could make wrestling seem cool again to teenagers. He has the tattoos and punk-rock attitude, and his wrestling style is influenced by MMA. Plus, with all the stories of steroids and drug-related deaths in wrestling over the past year, Punk, who practices a “Straight Edge” lifestyle (it’s not a gimmick), would be an excellent representative of the company. Other thoughts on last night’s show: The young bucks are taking over Raw. The brand’s four titleholders – Punk, Kofi Kingston, Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes – are all in their 20s. … As Batista was beating up Edge, I’ll bet that I wasn’t the only who figured out that Punk was coming out to cash in. Speaking of Batista, where does he fit it the mix now? Will he turn heel and challenge Punk? … When I saw Samoa Joe and CM Punk at a Ring of Honor show in Glen Burnie nearly five years ago, I never imagined that they both would be world champions for major companies. Looking back, I was – and still am – more impressed by Punk. … I wonder if it was hard for Jeff Hardy to watch Punk win the title. After all, it was Hardy who most likely was going to win the ladder match at WrestleMania and then cash in his contract and get a title run. When Hardy was suspended 60 days for violating the Wellness Policy last March, it opened the door for Punk. … It was nice that Jim Ross got the opportunity to give a farewell speech and bask in the fans’ cheers in Oklahoma. … It was weird at first to hear Michael Cole on Raw, but I think he did a good job – as he usually does. It’s a daunting task to follow someone of Ross’ stature and ability, and having his first Raw broadcast take place in Oklahoma probably didn’t make things any easier for Cole. I know the fans love J.R. – and rightfully so – but Cole doesn’t deserve to be booed. … Chris Jericho’s heel turn was well done and he is very good in the role, but he is having a hard time generating heat. It seems as if the fans don’t want to dislike him. He was practically begging the fans to boo him last night. … I didn’t like the finish of Jericho losing by DQ to Kingston for grabbing his tights during a pin attempt. In 35 years of watching wrestling, I don’t recall ever seeing that one. I suppose it gives Jericho more to whine about, but the problem is that he would be completely justified in complaining. … Cena tried to put over his match with Triple H at Night of Champions as one that will go down in history as a classic. It was a good match, but I wouldn’t go that far. … I liked the deal with JBL declaring martial law. It added to the chaotic, unpredictable vibe that Raw has recently established. … The “Priceless” entrance music for DiBiase and Rhodes might be worse than Randy Orton’s new music. Rhodes, by the way, was more convincing as a cocky, young heel last night than he ever was as a white-meat babyface. … I suppose WWE is trying to give Cryme Tyme a rub by aligning them with Cena. For that to work, they’re going to have to be portrayed as more than comic relief. tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.111231 2008-06-30T21:58:56Z 2008-06-30T22:02:24Z

I spoke with someone who attended Saturday’s George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame banquet in Waterloo, Iowa, to get their account of what transpired when Bret Hart went off on wrestling journalist Greg Oliver, as there have been...

Kevin Eck Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Candadians, which was written by Oliver, who ranked Hart at No. 14 on the list of the greatest Canadian wrestlers ever] by name and referred to his ranking in the book. “He said writers had no business whatsoever being in a Hall of Fame with wrestlers. [Note: Oliver and writing partner Steven Johnson were not being inducted into the Hall of Fame; they were receiving the James Melby Memorial Award for wrestling journalism.] He said they had no business being in a room with him and it made him sick. He said, ‘Either you guys go, or I go.’ At that point, Steven Johnson and his wife left.” When Oliver did not leave, Hart did. Prior reports said that other wrestlers left with him, but the source said: “I don’t think wrestlers followed him, but some fans did.” The source speculated that in addition to Hart being upset at his ranking in Oliver’s book, he also might not have liked Oliver’s review of his autobiography. “It was surreal,” the source said. “It was so out of proportion to what the evening was about. It was not only inappropriate, but Bret was really on the edge. “The sad thing is that Jim Melby’s daughter came down from Minnesota to present the award, which meant a lot to her because it was named for her late father, and she was humiliated and embarrassed. And Greg’s elderly father was there sitting next to him the whole time.” The notion that a writer or critic is unqualified to write about a sport or an entertainment genre because “they never played the game” is narrow-minded. Being a journalist, of course I have strong feelings on the subject. But even if that is how Hart feels, he still could have expressed his opinion in a classier and more mature fashion. ]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.111046 2008-06-30T06:12:25Z 2008-06-30T06:15:31Z

Well, WWE is certainly keeping things interesting. After last Monday’s draft resulted in Smackdown having two world champions and Raw having none, I thought it was a foregone conclusion that either Edge or Triple H would be dethroned at last...

Kevin Eck WWE champion Triple H defeated John Cena: The result may have surprised me, but it certainly was no surprise that these two delivered an outstanding main event. Triple H finally got his win back after tapping out against Cena at WrestleMania 22 two years ago. World heavyweight champion Edge defeated Batista: Edge screwed Batista again in another entertaining match. The crowd loved Batista press-slamming Vickie Guerrero. Mark Henry defeated Kane and Big Show to win the ECW title: With Henry being the only wrestler in this match actually on the ECW roster, this one was predictable, but putting the belt on him is the right call. I don’t ever see Henry as the WWE or world heavyweight champion, but he certainly is worthy of the ECW title. Kofi Kingston defeated Chris Jericho to win the Intercontinental title: This was the second-biggest surprise of the night, although having Kingston win the title with an assist from Shawn Michaels does make a lot of sense. The main thing this result accomplishes is that it furthers the Jericho-Michaels feud and gets the Intercontinental title out of the mix. With such a strong personal issue between Jericho and Michaels, the title wasn’t a necessary element of the feud. The rumor was that Jeff Hardy was going to be Jericho’s opponent, and he would win the title with help from Michaels and take the title to Smackdown, but Kingston was the right choice. I originally thought he was better served staying on ECW, but putting the Intercontinental belt on him is a good sign, even though the title certainly doesn’t mean what it once did. Hopefully, Kingston won’t be portrayed as a fluke champion, as he was trapped in the Walls of Jericho before Michaels’ interference and also lost clean to JBL last Monday. U.S. champion Matt Hardy defeated Chavo Guerrero: As the biggest star on ECW, Hardy had to win clean in his first pay-per-view match since being drafted. Guerrero is a decent worker, but his character has become a bit stale. Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes defeated Hardcore Holly to win the world tag-team title: I figured out the Rhodes turn pretty early on in the story line – and I know I wasn’t alone in that regard – but I still liked the angle even though I suspected what was coming. With two young studs with famous bloodlines now holding the belts, hopefully more emphasis will be put on the tag-team division (what’s left of it). DiBiase carries himself well for someone so inexperienced, and I think Rhodes is going to get over better as a heel than he did as a babyface. WWE tag-team champions John Morrison and The Miz defeated Finlay and Hornswoggle: I can’t believe I’m this happy that The Miz won a match. The thought of Hornswoggle holding a title brought back bad memories of David Arquette and Vince Russo. WWE women’s champion Mickie James defeated Katie Lea Burchill: A solid win for James and another decision that I agree with. ]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.111010 2008-06-29T21:11:49Z 2008-06-29T21:16:49Z

Bret Hart proved once again that the biggest Bret Hart mark is Bret Hart. I know full well that fans of the “Hitman” will be offended by that statement, but the following story, as reported on wrestlingobserver.com, speaks for itself....

Kevin Eck Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Candadians, in which he ranked Hart at No. 14 on the list of the greatest Canadian wrestlers ever. Apparently, Hart was offended at not being higher on the list. Unfortunately, this latest incident is consistent with Hart’s reputation among his peers for taking himself too seriously. When Hart and Shawn Michaels were shooting on each other on Raw during the height of their feud, Michaels called Bret “Mark Man,” and basically said that Hart really believes he is the greatest of all time and doesn’t quite comprehend that winners and losers are predetermined, and who is and isn’t pushed to the top is often decided by politics as much as wrestling ability. The fact is that Hart’s wrestling skills are indisputable. When I listed the top 10 all-around performers that I have ever personally seen, Hart was No. 7 (I guess that puts me on his “bad list,” too, since he wasn’t No. 1 and archrival Michaels was). Anyone who knows anything about this business knows that Hart has had an outstanding career, so he should be above such nonsense and not be so insecure. Hart’s actions were inappropriate and petty, especially on a night when he was there to accept an honor for his father. ]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.110969 2008-06-29T07:16:22Z 2008-06-29T07:22:08Z

Predictions for tonight’s WWE pay-per-view: WWE champion Triple H vs. John Cena: The draft last Monday added a lot more intrigue to the two world title matchups. With both champions currently on Smackdown and both challengers now on Raw, obviously...

Kevin Eck WWE champion Triple H vs. John Cena: The draft last Monday added a lot more intrigue to the two world title matchups. With both champions currently on Smackdown and both challengers now on Raw, obviously one of the titles is changing hands. I’m guessing it’s time to put the belt back on Cena and have Triple H chase the world title on Smackdown. World heavyweight champion Edge vs. Batista: If I’m right about Cena beating Triple H, then Edge somehow will cheat his way to another victory. ECW champion Kane vs. Big Show vs. Mark Henry: Since Henry is the only one of the three who is officially on the ECW roster, I’ll go with him. The belt will help him get over, while Kane and Big Show already are established stars and don’t need it. U.S. champion Matt Hardy vs. Chavo Guerrero: It wouldn’t make much sense to have Hardy lose here after he fought so long and hard to win the title from MVP. Plus, as the new top star on ECW, Hardy needs to be kept strong, so he’ll get the win in what figures to be a good match. World tag-team champions Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase Jr. and mystery partner: I’ve been saying all along that Rhodes will be the mystery partner. I think he’ll turn on Holly and help DiBiase win the title, and then DiBiase will choose him to be the co-holder. If it isn’t Rhodes, my other guess is former TNA star Chris Harris, who has yet to debut on television, but I really think it’s Rhodes. WWE tag-team champions John Morrison and The Miz vs. Finlay and Hornswoggle: I’m certainly no fan of The Miz, but he and Morrison have had a seven-month reign and defeated teams like the Hardys and Kane and CM Punk, so it would be a travesty if they lost to a midget. I know WWE already treats the tag title as a joke, but I’m holding out hope that it won’t become a complete laughingstock, as Hornswoggle as one-half of the tag-team champions would be worse than Judy Bagwell (I think she was tougher than Buff). Morrison and Miz will retain (I hope). WWE women’s champion Mickie James vs. Katie Lea Burchill: Burchill has two pinfall victories over James on TV, which leads me to believe James will win tonight. I like Burchill’s character, but I don’t see any reason to take the belt off James at this point. Note: A match involving Intercontinental champion Chris Jericho has not been advertised on television or on WWE’s Web site. ]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.110937 2008-06-28T20:24:00Z 2008-06-28T20:25:54Z

Judging by last night’s episode of Smackdown, it looks as if there is going to be another reason to say, “Thank God it’s Friday.” And if you are one of those people who only watch Raw, well, WWE is trying...

Kevin Eck blog and exactly what I would expect from him. Having Triple H open the show with a promo was predictable but it was the right call. I did think his opening remarks about Vince McMahon’s “accident” were a little weird, however, as he was making light of it after we saw him being very concerned at the end of Raw. Edge interrupting Triple H’s promo planted the seed for the inevitable feud between them. I can only imagine what Triple H’s peers will be thinking as they watch him participate in a story line in which his opponent tries to hold him down by abusing a personal relationship with the boss. Oh, the irony. A few other thoughts on last night’s show: Edge and Matt Hardy had a very good match that was laid out perfectly. Edge as the world champion has the same quality that Ric Flair in his prime had when he carried the belt, which is the ability to make his opponent look like a million bucks before pulling out the win in the end. … Vladimir Kozlov is getting over as a monster heel. When the time comes for him to work programs with the top guys, I think it would greatly benefit him to have a heel manager to cut the promos. … I couldn’t get too choked up about Rey Mysterio’s “final” Smackdown appearance. I can still see him every Monday, and with the relaxed “rules” regarding talent appearing on shows other than their own, I’m guessing he’ll be back on Smackdown soon enough. … It’s always good to see Maryse win a match. Then again, it’s always good to see Maryse. ]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.110851 2008-06-27T20:09:25Z 2008-06-27T20:15:28Z

Here is the transcribed version of the brief interview I conducted with former WWE star Jake “The Snake” Roberts last week at the Eastern Wrestling Alliance show in Parkville. There are so many wrestling autobiographies out there now, but I...

Kevin Eck There are so many wrestling autobiographies out there now, but I would think your story would be as interesting as any of them. Are you working on a book? I just couldn’t come up with a book deal, because these book people are [odd]. Instead of having people who don’t know me take what I say and write it the way they want to, I think what I’m going to do is put it on video and sell it on the Internet in installments. The people that buy the installments and survive the first 10 or 12 chapters, they may get a couple chapters free. I got a lot to tell. It’s going to be very unusual, because it’s going to be about me. [Publishing companies] always say, “We may have to enhance this and enhance that.” What do they mean by enhance? They’re changing the facts. I’m not about bull. It’ll be the truth. How many independent shows are you doing these days? One or two a week. Going out in front of people always feels good. It’s sad that in reality, you cannot go out there and do the same things you could do 25 years ago – and neither do I wish to. … I’ll never retire. It’s my passion. I hope to die in that ring. I know that you were involved on the creative side of the business at one time in WWE. Is that something you would like to do again either in WWE or TNA? I would love to. I just don’t know if that’s possible. I have a tremendous amount to give yet. How I’m going to give it, I don’t know. Because I’m not sure at this stage of my sobriety if I would be strong enough to accept the changes and the enhancements that they would put on what I write. I have a real hard time not calling a spade a spade. If I think you’re changing something I’ve done into [garbage], I take it personally. Why? Because it’s my baby. Power in the hand of an idiot is not a good thing, and there are a lot of idiots out there writing television. This is kind of a philosophical question. Many of your peers have died within the past decade. As self-destructive as your lifestyle has been, why do you think you’re still here? I think that a lot of guys died because they gave up on life. They gave up because their dream had been taken away – their notoriety, their ability to provide for their families, their love. I’m not a quitter. I used to get horribly angry at God. I was like, “What’s wrong, I’m not good enough for you to take?” I mean there’s Curt [Hennig], Bossman, Hawk. The list goes on and on. They’re all men I love. It’s not fair when you feel like you’ve been left behind. It ripped my guts out when Sherri Martel went. Sherri and I were lovers – 33 years ago. I remember being at her funeral and I said something that upset some people. I said, ‘Sherri, I thought we were good friends, but you weren’t. Good friends don’t leave friends behind.” I’m still here because God wants me to be here. I’m still here because Vince McMahon helped me to still be here. When you wrestled Steve Austin at the King of the Ring pay-per-view in 1996 and he cut the famous “Austin 3:16 promo” after the match, did you have any idea that he was going to become as big as he did? Truth be known, Vince McMahon said that Steve Austin would never be anything more than second or third match. I said, “No, that’s your next megastar.” He said, “No way.” I said, “Watch.” God, I hate being right. You know, they had Austin 3:16, but they missed the boat. What happened to Austin’s 10 commandments? Thou shalt not kill unless thou are [ticked off]. Thou shalt honor thy mother and father unless they’re [jerks]. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife unless she’s really hot. Thou shalt not steal unless you want it. I enjoyed helping guys like Steve Austin get there. Helping Ted DiBiase get there. Helping The Road Warriors get there. Helping Undertaker get there. Helping Rick Martel get there. Helping Shawn Michaels get there – OK, I was wrong on one. Uh-oh, guess I wore the wrong shirt (I had on a Shawn Michaels shirt). (Laughs) They have those in men’s sizes? I thought you were wearing it for heat. To watch video of Roberts talking about how he credits Vince McMahon with saving his life, click here . ]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.110698 2008-06-27T06:59:30Z 2008-06-27T07:12:25Z

I’m not sure what the end result of the Samoa Joe-Kevin Nash story line is going to be, but if the payoff is that Nash turns on him, I don’t think Joe is going to be a very sympathetic figure....

Kevin Eck I’m not sure what the end result of the Samoa Joe-Kevin Nash story line is going to be, but if the payoff is that Nash turns on him, I don’t think Joe is going to be a very sympathetic figure. On recent episodes of TNA Impact, Joe has come across as paranoid and quick-tempered, while Nash has been the voice of reason and the more likable of the two. On last night’s show, Joe was booked to look like an incompetent. In a backstage segment prior to Nash’s match against Booker T., Joe made sarcastic remarks to Nash about his gimpy knees and lack of preparation. Nash then went out and basically dominated the match, which made Joe’s comments look silly. During the match, Joe – who was seated at ringside – was further embarrassed. First, Booker outsmarted him and whacked him with a chair, and then when Joe recovered and went after Booker, he accidentally kicked Nash in the face. This would all make perfect sense if the idea is for Joe to turn heel on Nash. But if the idea is for Joe to remain the top babyface in the company, then the TNA creative team sure isn’t doing him any favors. Other thoughts on last night’s show: Booker T. has officially replaced Christian Cage as the most entertaining performer in TNA. Wearing a gaudy red robe with a leopard-print collar while sitting in his refurbished dressing room, Booker cut a tremendous promo that was both funny and serious. He delivered the line of the night after Jeremy Borash pointed to a picture on the wall of Booker and Muhammad Ali and asked, “Is that The Greatest?” Booker: “Yes, and the other guy is Muhammad Ali.” … During his promo, Booker remarked that ratings and buy rates have been on the rise because of him. He didn’t say that. Tell me he did not just say that. ... Brother Ray promised before his match with Cage that he was going to deliver something that we had never seen before. It turned out to be a powerbomb on Cage through a glass table. Well, I’ve never seen it before. The glass shattering all over the place and the blood-stained towel on Cage’s back made this work. … I don't understand why Kurt Angle is so upset that his wife might have fooled around with A.J. Styles. Didn't Angle used to encourage her to "do favors" for Styles in the men's room whenever he wanted to keep Styles in line? ... TNA is doing a good job of providing an interesting back story to the Gail Kim-Angelina Love feud. … Awesome Kong had some difficulty getting the “fan” named Danielle up for the Awesome Bomb and she didn’t seem too pleased about it. It looks as if TNA has created a new star in Taylor, the girl who pushed Kong on last week’s show and was back last night for a post-match pull-apart. … During a backstage interview with “Black Machismo” Jay Lethal and SoCal Val, Lethal started off in his “Macho” voice, but then slipped into his normal voice after Val said that they should hold off on the wedding. I think Lethal should just stay in character the whole time. … I’m not impressed so far with Sonjay Dutt as a heel. He definitely needs to work on his delivery in his promos. … For some reason, TNA has decided to pull back on ODB’s push. I can’t believe she jobbed to Moose (formerly known as Mickie Knuckles) in a hardcore match. I also can’t believe that Moose kicked out after taking a couple shots to the head with a shovel. The match was referred to as a Bimbo Brawl. Who in the world came up with that ridiculous name? Probably the same person who came up with Moose. tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/sports/wrestling/blog//103.110594 2008-06-26T18:51:50Z 2008-06-26T19:01:50Z

Here is a video excerpt from an interview I conducted with former WWE star Jake “The Snake” Roberts last week at the Eastern Wrestling Alliance show in Parkville. In the clip, Roberts talks about taking Vince McMahon up on the...

Kevin Eck ]]>