Yes,...Yes,..I know I'm Overdue,..Read to the End...

Okay its been a while! Now that we got that out of the way, we can get down to some business as it regards to the state of professional wrestling. Well, I think we are in for some big entertainment going into the summer. First off, in WWE, they prove consistantly why they are at the top of the mountain and in my humble opinion are not going to be knocked off anytime soon. You see, the creative with WWE, builds storylines more along the traditional NWA formula that was used in the 1980's. Back then, the irony is that WWE did use that methodology as well, but had larger than life characters with limited in ring ability. (ie Hogan, Warrior...) Sooo, we had a Wrestlemania card with 12 matches all under 10 mins, with the exception of Steamboat, Savage,..etc,...you get my point. During the attitude era, the business went faster and in many respects built upon society's need for instant gratification. Fueds lasted maybe two payperviews if you were lucky...After the WCW buyout, we are now experiencing a return towards a more psychological build which will culminate at Wrestlemania. It makes sense considering that the road agents in WWE are guys like Fit Finley and Dean Malenko. The Raws are more and more entertaining and younger stars are starting to bloom,..(Sheamus,.Drew McIntyre, Kofi..to name a few...) The veterans on the other hand consistantly draw, Undertaker, Michaels, Triple H...while the summit guys are going strong, Orton, Cena. The match potential is amazing and with Edge returning and winning a very exiting Royal Rumble, it seems the formula is back! Here is the kicker...I think this positive programming from WWE (I didn't forget the Bret angle!)is all thanks to TNA making some waves...Yes, I too can't believe I just said that!

Well,..here comes an honest to God assessment of what I see in TNA. Remember that I do marketing as well, so I'm going to try to analize this while being as neutral as could possibly be. As my readership knows, in the past I have been harshly critical of TNA,..their 6 sided ring and their weird attempts and building a match with no psychology. So in the interests of fairness, I will say that I have been entertained. Yes,.TNA wrestling entertained me. Then again so did WCW. This, I feel is where the problem lies. Hogan, Bischoff, Nash, Hall, X-Pac/Syxx/kid/Waltman,..we've seen all these guys before. It was during a time when WCW hemoraged more money than the Titanic took in water. While it was nice as a nostalgia act,..I felt okay, now I've seen it, it was cool,.now what? Honestly Sean Morley,..aka Val f'n Venis! C'mon TNA brass! We can do better! Then the Jeff Hardy brainfart. This guy signs with TNA despite the fact that WWE solidified his main event persona and tried to find a classy way of letting him go so he could take care of his issues. Talk about screwing/biting the hand that feeds you! But then again, what does that say about TNA,.as a company?

Okay, here it comes,..conspiracy theory # 7042...especially within the wrestling industry! It would seem that I remember an episode of 'Hogan Knows Best'whereby, the Hulk signed a 20yr contract with WWE, in order to act as the Babe Ruth of Sports entertainment. Consequently, I've been paying attention and Hulk's Hulkamania logo looks very WWEesque. Do they not own the way the way the logo is written? Perhaps, Vince owns a piece of the company and sent Hogan to run it. It is possible because this would not be the first time. You see, WWE used to finance ECW back in the 1990s. Think about it,...Linda McMahon quits to run for the US Senate (Republican), then the company goes PG. Next Shane and shows up backstage at UFC,(which is indirectly linked to TNA...) and finally those freakin' Hulkamania logos! I smell a rat! Tell me what you think!

Peace.

TNA Nitro!!!

It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong,..well,..I was wrong. It would seem to me that TNA delivered with what was an incredible show, featuring above all the surprise return of Jeff Hardy. Oh yeah, IT also showcased Scott Hall(he showed up!) Sean Waltman (X-pac), Ric Flair (he needs money...),Eric Bischoff(he carries Hogan's luggage!) Shannon Moore, and ratings attractors Val Venis and Orlando Jordan (the guy who acted as Bradshaw's bitch, then jobbed himself to the 'returning' Ultimate Warrior last June.

Over at WWE, they countered with the return of Bret the Hitman Hart, and finally brought closure to the Montreal Survivor Series of 1997. Seeing Hart and Michaels hug, much less shake hands was probably woth the price of admission. Either way, it was a victory for TNA wrestling. You see, before last night, they were known as the guys who wrestled in a hexagon ring, lacked psychology and put together matches based on ill timed spot fests cultiminating with bodyslam finishers. Oh, well...Now they have life, but can they sustain it? That will be the question. Remember all that 'talent' translates into all those egos. Jeff Hardy, argually their biggest surprise lost his job at WWE over the wellness program. How does this reflect upon TNA?

The old adage is simply put,...'only time will tell.'

The Return of the Monday Night War,...errr,..sorta.

Okay, I admit I am intrigued and somewhat surprised that after more than 10years, Bret the Hitman Hart will make his triumphant return to WWE guest hosting RAW and hanging around for a potential Wrestlemania angle. If you check out WWE universe/optimusmastro you'll see my thoughts as to why I'm very exited about this reality. Raw should be amazing, think of the possibilities, you'll have potential confrontations between Hart/McMahon, Hart/Michaels, or better still Hart/Michaels/McMahon. Let's not forget the potential interplay between the Hart Dynasty and Bret,..oooohhhh, so many possibilities.

Over on the Hulk Hogan show which is essentially what TNA should be renamed(that or WCW: the Sequel) we can look for them to pull out all the stops, perhaps the hinted return of Scott Hall and X-Pac, RVD, maybe even Mr. Kennedy,.(err Anderson...)Will TNA win the ratings? Highly unlikely, but what boggles the mind even further is why they would put on a show which would divide the audience? WCW already tried this technique, and frankly it reaks of marketing stupidity! Why not put on an Impact show on a different night and be unincumbered, at least as far as pro wrestling is concerned. It doesn't make sense,.plain and simple! I for one as a fan would watch both shows if they were on different nights, but I guess that's too much of a smart move for Hogan-Bischoff and their ilk.

Oh well,..have a happy monday,..see you on the other side of the ratings!

Peace.

BRET HART RETURNS!!!!! Signs short term WWE deal!

All I can say is wow! So all the marks for total crappy wrestling (TNA) with their geriatric poster boy Hulk Hogan can go suck a lemon. Vincent Kennedy McMahon pulled it off yet again! The return of the best there is, was, and ever will be! So far it is a short term deal that expires after Wrestlemania,..so stay tuned! WWE rules!

Surviver Series Review

Well,...this past weekend was the annual Surviver Series, the one PPV whereby back in the day, every match was contested by either teams of 4 or 5 eliminations style tag team matches. Needless to say it has since amended itself, which in a way makes sense. Back in the 1980s, the WWE(WWF) style was characterized by short matches put on by bodybuilders and cartoon characters. The matches were kept short for the simple reason that guys like Ultimate Warrior were not exactly known for their mat skills or 'Catch as Catch can' style. As it stands today, there are still the traditional matches, (usually two) and in my opinion they served as launching pads for two new careers, namely Sheamus and Drew McEntire. (is that how you spell it?)

Undertaker took on Big Show and Chris Jericho and retained, which still puzzles me. Why does 'Taker need a belt? He's already over, and only works part-time. A side note,..Surviver Series 1990 is where 'Taker made his debut. John Cena retained in his match with both Shawn Michaels and Triple H. Shawn shocked everyone by superkicking Triple H from the onset thereby setting a tone for the match, which was really great.

In all, wrestling is starting to get good again, which is a good thing. From both the wrestling perspective as well as the entertainment one, so it'll satisfy both ends of the spectrum. (BTW, Hogan ratings in TNA sucked! Too funny!)

My Personal Top Five Wrestlers,....(of all time!!!!)

In following the theme from my other blog, I would like to contribute my two cents of who I feel should be the top five wrestlers of all time. Of course this takes into account many factors, not just marketability, but also ability and ring psychology.

Sooo, without further adue,..

1. Ric Flair. Is there really a doubt? This guy had it all, charisma, ability, you name it. Ric Flair had a match in 2003 with Kevin Nash and made him look good! Now that takes talent.

2. Hulk Hogan. Yes, yes, I know, he can't wrestle. Nevertheless, Hogan got by on charisma alone with limited ability. People who say outright that he had no talent forget his matches in Japan. Don't get me wrong, he's not Ricky Steamboat but...

3. Undertaker. Often called the 'madonna' of pro wrestling because of is ability to constantly change his image thereby keeping it fresh. He pulls out his big moves (spots) once or twice a year and they mean something. Reduced to competing part-time, but well worth it, if only for his elaborate entrances.

4. Shawn Michaels. What can you say? The Icon. The Showstopper. The Main Event. Blends a mexican style, with american storytelling. Definetely earned his nicknames.

5. Steve Austin. The guy who drove WWE(f) back to the top beating out merchandising sales rivaled by Hulk Hogan. After he got injured in 1997, still managed to amplify his character by using a believable brawling style. And that's the bottom line, cause I said so!

There you have it. Disagree with me? Fine. But show me your list and we'll compare!

See ya!

Hogan hinting at Austin,...Macho Man...

So in yet another post on TNA wrestling, I will need to cover the recent rumors of Hulk Hogan on Bubba the love sponge telling people that Austin and Macho might be on their way to TNA. Here is my two cents. As far as Austin is concerned, that is highly unlikely to say the least. Steve Austin had an amazing send-off with last year's HOF, but then again Ric Flair did too the year before. Wow it truly is amazing how the human capacity for money can make anybody do anything. Stone Cold is finished wrestling and I doubt that he would have any desire to continue a career in TNA with all his injuries. As far as Macho Man is concerned,..doesn't he have heat with Hogan? I mean along with his age of 93 years (sarcasm)what can he bring to the table? I used to criticize TNA's wrestling style,..now, I don't know. Haven't we all seen this stuff before? What about Samoa Joe?, AJ Styles? or Eric Young? I guess eventually they'll end up with Vince. I hope so.