We're getting the wrestling, but where's the entertainment?

Another month and another WWE pay per view passes by without a single memorable moment. When was the last time a championship changed hands on PPV (Wrestlemania, March), when was the last time we had a classic match (Royal Rumblem January), hell, when was the last time we even had a memorable promo?! I'm not saying they should follow TNA's example of hot-shotting the title around from one guy to another on a monthly basis, but doing something of interest would make the fans at least get some value for the money they spend to watch these shows. At the moment, Raw and Smackdown are pretty entertaining shows, but the PPVs are the shows that matter. These are the one's that people actually have to pay money for, so shouldn't they actually be half-way decent?!

Ok, so this month we had the return of HHH and Rey Mysterio and you could argue that that makes them more important, but what did they actually do that was so notable that it couldn't be done on TV? Answer nothing? HHH beat Booker, as expected and Mysterio beat Chavo - big deal! Add to that 3 championship matches where the only interesting thing that happened was that nothing interesting happened and that is supposed to be one of the big four shows of the year! At least when they book the ga-ga crap it is memorable, albeit in a bad way. However WWE right now is actually worse off creatively as it is boring. When it is bad, at least people still talk about it, I think most WWE fans would be hard pressed to even remember what happened at this show in a couple of weeks time and that is something WWE need to drastically redress if they are going to start getting their fans back into the product.

So how do they do this? Well, a surprise would be nice. How about, HHH doesn't win his first night back. How about John Cena loses to someone he should easily beat? How about someone, other than the chosen few (Cena, HHH, Lashley, Batista) get a title shot and actually win). Or simply, how about they give one of the young guys with talent, like CM Punk, a Matt Hardy or a Ken Kennedy the cahnce to run with the ball. Perhaps then, they can rbeak out of the current monotony that is the WWE product.

Vince is back

As the ratings drop then WWE return to what brought them to the dance and that means the return of Vinnie Mac. Raw was packed full of angles and sports entertainment garbage, not wrestling. On the plus side though, William Regal is General Manager on Raw which is a great use of his talent.

Unforgiven poster

The sight of HHH coming out dressed like Conan the Barbarian at Wrestlemania 22 is one of the funniest things i have ever seen. However it seems that someone in WWE's art department doesn't agree and it looks like they are giving the barbarian king another go - first he's the king of kings, then the bionic man, now he's Conan Jr! There really is nothing more that can be said about this!

Orton vs. Cena for Summerslam

It's been one of the 'dream matches' for WWE for years, and now they seem to have finally gone ahead and booked it (although I'm pretty sure it's not a first-time encounter). It's been 3 years since Orton was last main eventing a Summerslam and it's been a long journey for him (with many ups and downs along the way), however with business the way it is, then pulling the trigger on this big-time match can only be a good thing. It also means that Summerslam has a quality main event match which they can build around and should certainly provide a strong marquee match for the show - certainly better than Umaga vs. the Jackass crew which appears to have been scrubbed with rumours that Johnny Knoxville has pulled out of doing appearances for WWE.

WWE Great American Bash 2007

The more everything changes, the more it stays the same I guess! At a time when the business is under more scrutiny than ever before, I guess it make sense that John Cena, the articulate, polished performer is the company's figurehead (not the inarticulate, muscled up Bobby Lashley). However it does beg the question of just who the hell is ever going to beat Cena for the belt?! At least with Lashley it seemed like it might be at risk, however after another lacklustre Great Amercian Bash, the only thing that has changed is that a midget has won the Cruiserweight title - if only the title meant something so I could get annoyed about this, but I can't!

CM Punk does the Vans Warped tour

Proof, if ever it was needed, that CM Punk can be a huge crossover star for WWE. Working as a backstage reporter for Fuse TV covering the Vans Warped Tour, Punk gets to hang out with loads of punk bands, as well a interview one of his heros, Brian Baker from Minor Threat/Bad Religion.

Johnny Nitro/John Morrison

I wish I knew why they decided to change Johnny Nitro's name to John Morrison, but I just can't figure it out. WWE has a long history of changing guys name when they come up from Developmental to the main roster (Prototype became John Cena, Leviathon became Batista), however Johnny Nitro seemed to be one of the few exceptions. However now that he is ECW champion, they have decided to change his name from Nitro, to Morrison. NOw, I'm all for reallism in wrestling, however isn't one of the important things in pro-wrestling to be larger than life?! Steve Austin never got anywhere until he was Stone Cold. Dwayne Johnson never got anywhere until he became the Rock, so why change Johnny Nitro (a perfectly acceptable name) to John Morrison?! It sounds like the singer from a bad Doors covers band. Let's just hope his match against CM Punk at this month's Great American Bash isn't a cheap imitation of their last match from Judgment Day.

Wrestling look-a-likes pt1

I was watching the men's final at wimbledon this afternoone and couldn't help wonder at how much chipmunk faced, perrennial runner-up, Rafael Nadal, looks remarkably like Smackdown's most over superstar, Matt Hardy. What do you think?

Wrestling witch hunt

The media's treatment of the Benoit tragedy has, inevitably, looked towards the more salacious elemtns of the story. However as facts begin to emerge, it is difficult to seprate the relevant ones from those intended to grab headlines. A case in point is this article from the Sun online . It claims that over 104 wrestlers have died in the last 10 years - sensational stuff. Now we all know that a higher than average percentage of wrestlers have died young, but is it really that high?

Well, let's look at the facts they claim. Of those 104 only [b]40[/b] were full-time workers in North American - that's less than half! However, they go on to claim that only a quarter have ever worked for WWE - so that's just over 20. Now, obviosuly this is an alarmingly high number, however is this just drug related deaths? Or just steroid deaths? No, this will have included accidents (like Owen Hart) and murders/suicides, like the Benoits. So when you look at those figures, are they actually any higher than other high profile sports or even Hollywood?

A tale of two TV shows

You would have thought, that with all the fuss that is going on in the media about steroids and the Benoit tragedy, that WWE would do their best to prove size does not matter in the WWE. But then you have Bobby Lashley win the Beat the Clock challenge on Raw and win a title match against John Cena at the Great American Bash. Of all the people they could have as their new main event superstar and they chose Lashley the muscle boy!!

The push of Lashley has been something of a strange one, as he the powers that be clearly see something in him as a future superstar. I first saw Lashley in OVW when Paul Heyman was booking it, however he often played second fiddle to the stronger workers like CM Punk, Brnet Labright, Ken Doane, Johnny Jeter and Aaron Stevens. However because he has the look of a WWE wrestler, he was brought up to the main roster with barely 6 months in developmental and in the subsequent 2 years he has been US Champ, ECW Champ and I would bet that by the end of the year he will be WWE Champ as well. As a result of this lightening quick elevation to the big time, I can't see why the fans won't turn on him in the same way that they turned on Cena. At least Cena had the rapping gimmick to back him up, but what has Lashley got?! He is hard-hitting but soft-spoken - big deal!! That doesn't mean he has a personality or will sell any pay-per-views. The only thing going for him in the eyes of many fans is that at least he is not John Cena, so perhaps that will keep him safe for a couple of months!

On the flipside though, ECW continues to focus on the CM Punk vs. Johnny Nitro feud and be a showcase for the young talent it has on it's roster. IN many ways it's like watching the aforementioned OVW shows of Paul Heyman from 2 years ago, and there is nothing at all wrong with that. After nearly a year, it seems WWE have finally worked out just what ECW should be (and the good news is, it's worth watching!!)

Summerslam poster

Is it just me, or wasn't Jackass popular like, 5 years ago?! Nothing like riding the wave of modern pop-culture! Hopefully this will be better than Jackass in TNA and Steve-o's legendary appearance on Raw that saw him get stiffed by Umaga - then again, maybe the latter wouldn't be too bad after all?!

A great looking poster though! Summerslam has the potential to be a really good show this year.

A week is a long time in wrestling...

It's been a week now since the world of wrestling was turned on it's head by the Benoit family tragedy in Atlanta. As the days have passed, more and more details have come out and it has made it increasingly difficult to know how to react to this tragic event.

The 3 hour Raw that was shown this time last week has both added poinancy as well as a darker centre as fans come to terms with the fact that their hero was not what they seemed. As the tabloid press search for more and more lurid stories to fill their pages, the fans are searching for answers beyond the headlines that scream tales of steroid induced rage. Was it concussions? Was it infidelity? Was it Daniel's genetic condition Fragile X? We'll never know.

We all know deep down that our heros are not as pure and innocent as they may seem, they are real people afterll. However we seperate the real world from the world of wrestling and it helps us cope. But that is all well and good when it comes to someone failing a drug test, however how do you deal with a man killing his wife and sun and then himself? At least when Eddie died there was just cause and fans could honor his legacy, however with Benoit his in-ring legacy is now irrelevant as he will forever be known as the man who killed his wife and son (just as Owen Hart is 'the guy who died in the ring'). Looking back on one of the most glittering careers in wrestling, all of a sudden isn't so pleasurable and matches which were once must-sees become morbid curiositys featuring a man who no-one ever really knew what he was capable of until the end.

RIP Chris Benoit

So I wake up this morning, log on to WWE.com to check out the latest craziness is with Vince and his exploding limo and I am confronted with this. I see the words 'Murder', 'Suicide' and 'Chris Benoit' and think WWE have crossed the last line of good taste with this limo angle, but no, and it is real.

FUCKING HELL!!!

I'm still in shock, I cannot believe what has happened. Perhaps more than any wrestling tragedy this has yet to sink in. With Eddie it was a shock, but this is just mind-blowing. Not only have we lost one of the best wrestlers of all-time, but his children have lost their father, mother and brother in the worst possible circumstances. Whatever the reasons, this is a tragedy of the highest order and we can only imagine the worst about what led these tragic circumstances to occur. With all the silliness that WWE has put on TV over the last few weeks, this puts everything into context and I hope as a result they never do anything like that again. I look back at posts I wrote on web forums about 'what if Vince or someone on the roster actually died' and a chill runs down my spine. This was not what anyone wanted to read on a Tuesday morning after an episode of Raw.

The first-time I ever saw Chris Benoit wrestle was in 2000. He was feuding wiht Kurt Angle and Chirs Jericho. Jericho would call him Chris Ben-oit and Me Robotto and they had some of the best matches I have ever seen. At first I thought this was because of Jericho, but as I grew to get into wrestling I started to realize it was Benoit a much as Jericho. Their ladder match at the Rumble in 2001 is still one of my favourite matches of all-time and it amazes me to think what those 2 did in the ring despite being an after-though by WWE at the time.

I can still remember where I was when I saw Benoit win the title. Perhaps more than any moment in the time I have watched WWE TV I was on the edge of my seat. I didn't genuinely believe that he would win and was shouting at the TV for HHH to tap (even though I was watching on tape delay the next day). Seeing him in the ring with Eddie at the end brought a tear to my eye and the fact that both men are no longer with us makes this moment even more heartfelt.

Despite having written this out, I still cannot comprehend what has happened. Forget matches, tributes or anything else like that right now. Forget wrestling, this is a true and genuine tragedy.

RIP Chris Benoit. But also Nancy and Daniel.

WWE Backlash 2007

Good

Finally.... The Rock has come back, to Raw

This Monday saw the return of the Rock in one of the best surprises WWE has brought out in years. Showing just how much WWE has missed the great one over the past 3 years, he cut a promo giving his predictions on the winner of the battle of the billionaires. Unsurprisingly he sided with Trump. However it was very telling that he cut his promo from his home rather than in the ring, reminding the fans that this isn;t the return we have all been hoping for, but rather a cameo from a former wrestler, who is now a movie star.

RIP MIke Awesome

RIP Mike Awesome, you will be missed,

Rumble Recall: The Royal Rumble 2000

The Royal Rumble in 2000 was a watershed pay-per-view for me. As the first show to be broadcast as part of a deal between (the then) WWF and UK TV channel, Channel 4, it was the first live wrestling pay-per-view I was able to watch and I know I am not the only one for which this is true.

Held in Madison Square Garden, the Royal Rumble in 2000 came at a point where the WWF was at the peak of their Attitude-era success adn would herald a legendary run of pay-per-views that were both commercial and critical successes. With Steve Austin out getting back surgery and the Undertaker out injured as well, the end of 1999 saw the ascendancy of Triple H and the Rock to the very top of the company and continued the feud which these two had been engaged in on and off for the past 3 years. Triple H was in the middle of his storyline dominance of the WWF with on-screen (and later real-life) wife Stephanie MacMahon. Taking control of the WWF after dispatching daddy Vince at the previous month's Armageddon pay-per-view, the MacMahon-Helmsley faction turned their attentions to one of the company's other top babyfaces, Mick 'Mankind' Foley. Another rivalry from HHH's past that was to be re-kindled, it saw the bullying bosses sack Mankind only to have a 'superstar revolt' led by the Rock. With Austin gone, Rock would take his role as the company's lead babyface, and thanks to a moment of rare on-screen solidarity, Rock got Mick re-instated. Challenging HHH to a street fight at the Rumble, Foley claimed that Mankind could not get the job against the diabolical HHH, but that he knew a man who could. Removing the patented Mankind mask and the torn white shirt, it revealed a Cactus Jack t-shirt and Mick Foley had once again unleashed his most violent persona. Foley would go on to use this same reveal against Randy Orton and Edge in the following years, but neither of those would have the same impact that this moment did. The street fight that main evented the undercard of the Royal Rumble in 2000 was the kind of blood-soaked, hardcore brawling classic that would come to personify Mick Foley's career. Everything from chairs and tables to handcuffs and thumbtacks were used in this brutal encounter and would not only help to further seal Mick Foley's reputation as one of the top stars of that era, but also legitimise HHH as a bonafide main event heel.

The Rock on the other hand was engaged in a war of words with a 7 foot monster called the Big Show. These two former champions would be the focal point of Rumble match as the lou-mouth, arrogant Rock was looking over-come this monster who felt he had been unappreciated since his arrival in the WWF and deserved a run at the world title. With these two the

However, unlike other Rumble shows, this card was about much more than just the main event and the Rumble match. The show opened with the debut of ECW stuperstar Taz, facing the undefeated Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle. Angle would go on to dominate the WWE in the following years whereas for Tazz, this was probably the pinnacle of his WWF-run until he became an announcer. However on the evicdence of this match and the response Tazz gets from his hometown crowd you could be blamed for thinking their fortunes would be very different.

An bog-standard WWF bikini contest (famous only for Mae Young disrobing) and a lacklustre Intercontinental title match between Chris Jericho and Chyna would fill out the card alongside one of the forgotten classics of 2000. At the No Mercy pay-per-view, the Hardyz and Edge and Christian and made names for themselves in the first ever tag-team ladder match. At the Rumble then, it was time for the other legendary tag-team of that era to get in on the action as the Dudley Boyz challenged the Hardyz to a tag-team tables match (another WWF first). The Dudleyz were, perhaps, more succesful than any other of the ECW alumni during 2000 and matches like this were a large reason why. Leaving broken tables and borken bodies left, right and centre, this brusing encounter would go to lead into the first triangular ladder match at Wrestlemania and eventually the classic TLC matches later that year. However this match stands out above nearly all of thos for it's innovation, it's stiffness and it's daring insanity. Unlike later table matches where one table breaking would be enough to end the match, the Dudleyz and Hardyz smashed up tables offensively, defensively and sometimes, just for the hell of it. The final exclamation point of Jeff Hardy diving onto Bubba Ray Dudley from the balcony would seal Jeff's reputation as one of the most daring highflyers of his generation, but would also damn him to a life of crazy bumps and risks trying to emulate this great moment.

Overall verdict: A+
"One of the best Rumble shows of all-time from a period where WWF was at the peak of it's success. A must-see tables match and an amazing street fight help fill out a card that perhaps personififed everything that was great about wrestling in the late-90s."

WWE's invincible babyfaces

It's the day after WWE's New Year's Revolution and inevitably all the chatter in the IWC is all about the HHH's quad tear that is looking set to have him sitting on the sidelines until the scond half of 2007. However in my mind that is not the big story coming out of NYR 2006. What I want to know is why the hell did none of the heels manage to win?! Based on results alone, the top heels on Raw are now Chris Masters and Kenny Dykstra which means Raw is in a lot more trouble than losing the Game for a month or two.


Unlike last year, where the buzz around Edge winning the title after cashing in his Money in the Bank title shot was all about how WWE could think on the fly and come up with something genuinely unexpected that could make even the most cynical fans get over-excited, this year's show was all about keeping the status quo. Unfortunately that status quo involves the chosen one's (HHH, Shawn Michaels and John Cena) remaining strong at the expense of [debatably] other more deserving talent. Their defeats of Randy Orton, Edge and Umaga means that the top 3 heels on the brand all suffered big-time losses at the hands of the increasingly dominant babyfaces. When Edge and Orton got one over on DX before Christmas and the 40 year-old pranksters were finally given opponents who stood a chance to winning against them (unlike the Spirit Squad or the Macmahon's) and it looked like we might for an interesting feud which could carry these 4 men up until Mania if they wanted it to. However last night the now serious DX didn't even worry about pinning them, they just beat them to living hell. Now, call me an old fart, but isn't that what the heels should be doing ahead of the big-time babyface comeback? One beating does not make a feud but one hell of a beating sure ends one. To cap it all off, DX don't even bother pinning them and inflicting the ultimate humiliation of taking away their tag team titles? Why? Because they don't mean a damn thing no matter who holds them. Don't believe me then check out the lack of interest in the tag team turmoil and the non-pushing of Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin and it should make abundantly clear just how tag teams are view in WWE.


Which brings us to Umaga, who prior to last night was one of the most interesting characters on Raw for the simple fact that he was actually allowed to get some heat! Eeven it wasn't always the most logical (like his beat down on Jeff Hardy) at least he was being lined up for something. Unfortunately this moment was at New Year's Revolution and with one swift roll-up that has now gone and another character has been steam-rollered by super-champ and we have yet another meaningless title match with no real buzz behind it. Unfortunately I don't think this is going to the last we see of this feud but as is so often the case in wrestling today once the first match is out the way neither WWE or TNA give the fans a reason to care about what happens next as what happens in the first place wasn't particularly interesting or original and they wander why the ratings are dropping. I'm not saying Umaga should have won but surely there are more interesting finishes than having Cena roll-up the Samoan Bulldozer and have him get off scot-free. But then again, if Umaga really is WWE's attempt at copying Samoa Joe in TNA then it should only be inevitable that his undefeated streak ended with a whimper rather than a bang.

WWE Armageddon

And so ends the five weeks of five consecutive wrestling pay per views. They've varied from good (TNA Genesis and Turning Point) to OK (Survivor Series) to the downright awful (December to Dismember) so it can hardly be a surprise that expectations were low for Armageddon. Holding a show so close to Chrsitmas was always going to be a problem, however adding to that the lacklustre state of WWE creative that won't allow a brand to plan any further ahead than the next pay-per-view (even if that show is for another brand) and you can't help but be sceptical. The line-up ahead of the show was also far from fantastic and showed just how the Smackdown brand is aching for star power that they had to draft in John Cena to help boost the buyrate. However in the end, it was an unanounced surprise match that most people will remember this show for and one that, if they had anounced it ahead of the show would more likely have generated some actual interest in the show, but I guess that isn't WWE's way in 2006.

The 4 team ladder match that the fans were given as a 'reward' for battling through all these shows was such a refreshing breath of fresh air that it could well be set to gate crash many peoples match of the year lists. The tag title match between London/Kendrick and Regal/Taylor looked to be match of the night on paper, however the addition of a ladder and the Hardy Boyz and MNM made this a real throwback to the year 2000 when Edge, Christian, the Hardyz and the Dudleyz were having innovative match after innovative match. If anything, this match really reminded you just what is missing from WWE in 2006 - excitement, danger and all out insane action!! This fact could not be emphasised more than by Joey Matthews mangled face after the botched ladder spot, that reminds fans that this is still dangerous and although unfortunate, gave this match an element of reallism that has been missing from so many other contrived gimmick matches where people are supposed to believe implausible injuries.

The abundance of gimmick matches in the Monday Night Wars has certainly devalued the significance of many match stipulations, however the lacklustre quality of many of those matches also helped. This 8-way ladder match though, reminded fans that, if done right, these kind of matches can be just as exhilrating and exciting as they used to be and, at the end of the day, most hardcore wrestling fans want to see high-paced athletic action, not bad comedy skits and tasteless angles.. This match was built fantastically around getting over all the participants in it and did a great job and no-one came out of this match any worse off for losing and that is what great wrestling is all about. London and Kendrick got the deserved win and proved that they are capable of hanging with more established teams. The MNM and Hardyz reunions, which were supposed to last for only a few shows, have given WWE a breath of fresh air and really proved that tag teams can be relevant in 2006. But let's not forget Regal and Taylor, who's roles were perfect as the whiley veterans who attempted to thwart the high-flying youngsters. In many ways, these two should have been the weak link that showed up the ludicrous nature of these kind of matches, but instead they were the glue that held the match together as the youngsters went from spot to spot. The bit where they threw the ladders out of the ring because they didn;t want to get involved in that kind of match was a really nice touch, while the moment when they were apprehensive about finally having to climb the ladder really gave the match some personality, and dare is say it, some depth.

Quite simply put, in this one match you had more emotion and drama than WWE have managed in 6 months of TV and pay per views. After this, the rest of the card was of secondary importance, but fortunately it was far from poor. Although nothing was as spectacular as the ladder match there were some fun wrestling matches (Helms vs. Wang and Benoit vs. Guerrero) and a very good Undertaker vs. Ken Kennedy match that will have definitely sent the fans home happy. The main event of Booker and Finlay vs. Cena and Batista was a filer match at best with none of the participants really clicking, but when you have had a phenomenal match on the undercard you can forgive a lot, even this average main event, as you have more than got your money's worth from the show. Let's just hope WWE acknowledge the fans response to these 4 teams and we don't see them return to mid-card purgatory when the new year begins.

Overall verdict: C+ for th show, A+ for the ladder match
"An above average show that seemed doomed to failure before it started, however it was rescued by 6 young athletes giving 150% and 2 whiley veterans knowing how to put a great match together. Worth getting hold of for the ladder match, but the rest of the card is far from poor and this is probably one of the better top-to-bottom shows WWE has put on this year."

The Hardyz vs. MNM

Is it just me, but could this end up being one of WWE's feuds and/or matches of the year. From seeing the clips of Raw and ECW last night, this is beginning to look like a real money feud and I hope this doesn't just fizzle out after the ECW PPV. All 4 men involved in this match are so much better off as part of a tag division where they can shine, rather than being lost in the mix on their respective shows. These are the kind of teams that a division can be built around, whether that is on Raw or on Smackdown and in a way it reminds of 1999/2000 when you had Edge and Christian feuding with the Hardyz. Add in the Highlanders, London & Kendrick, Regal & Taylor you have the makings of an awesome tag division, capable of having some really fun matches. If not all 4 men (but more likely Mercury and Matt Hardy) could well end up in the same limbo that Carlito, Super Crazy, Charlie Haas and Chris Masters are in.

Let's just hope that WWE are keeping one eye on TNA and seeing how awesome their tag division has been for the last 6 months and maybe decide to copy them, because I think I am getting more excited about this match than I am for the Extreme Elimination Chamber and I don't think I'm the only one!