Let me just state for the record that I believe Ric Flair is the greatest wrestler of all time. I also believe that Shawn Michaels is creeping his way up closer to 'Naitch', but that is for another blog at another time.
Within the business, wrestlers, promoters, announcers, almost the majority agree that Ric Flair is the clear cut #1. But to a lot of fans? He isn't even close. It used to bother me but...are they really to blame? In this blog entry I'm going to break down the reasons Why a fan would think Flair Isn't the greatest wrestler of all time. And their points are compelling to say the least.
Let’s think about the fans that got into wrestling around 1996-1998, the last boom period in the business. This is a perfect era being that time is responsible for many wrestling fans that are around today. Why wouldn't they believe Ric Flair is the greatest? Let’s see…
Past His Prime
In my opinion Ric Flair to this day can still perform on a high level...but his best days were way before 96-98. The Ric Flair, the doubters got to know, was a Ric Flair that wasn't close to the performer of the mid to late 80's. It's tough to judge a man's legacy just on the downfall of his career.
Matches Don't Age Well
Fans from the mid 90's up until today have seen almost everything. People crashing through tables, jumping off ladders, falling off Hell in a Cells, thrown off stages. Wrestling was taken to an entirely different and dangerous level during the Monday Night Wars, a pattern that continues today long after the Wars have been settled.
Simply put...the Flair classics don't hold up well to the casual fan. They are long technical marvels...but they are still long and technical. A Flair match in his heyday would easily last at least 45 minutes and more often than not they would do a Broadway (Broadway is a kayfabe term for one hour draw).
I personally love the matches and would take Flair vs. Sting, Steamboat, Funk, Luger, Ricky Morton, Dusty, for an hour over a lot of stuff we see today. With that being said...I haven't always been that way, so I can understand the fan not being able to appreciate or even enjoy any NWA matches from the 80's. Just think about it, the big payoff move during a Flair match would be a suplex or a hiptoss. Today it’s a Canadian Destroyer.
He's Old
Some fans have never seen a Ric Flair match where he wasn't in his mid 40's or older. To them he is just old. Just like the ‘past his prime’ point, fans can only judge a wrestler on what they have seen.
Awful Booking in WCW
Speaking of only seeing him from his mid 40's and older...the way he was booked in WCW from 1996 until its dying days was disgraceful. Honestly if a fan only saw Ric Flair during those 4-5 years...I don't blame them for not thinking he's the best.
It seemed WCW, mainly Bischoff, took pride in beating down Ric Flair without him ever getting his heat back. Countless PPVs and Nitro's ended with NWO killing the horsemen...and the next week nothing would come of it. Or how about Flair in the mental institution? How about Flair being buried in the desert for no reason? Or even better...tag teaming with his youngest son Reid before the kid was even in High School? Nice way to book a legend.
Out of Shape
Not a huge reason, but it was always easy to make fun of Flair because of his physical appearance towards the end of his career.
Didn't Wrestle Often On Free T.V
If you watch Nitro during its peak ratings period, Flair hardly ever wrestled. He was there for the great promo and official 9:45pm beat down at the hands of Hogan and his friends...but he didn't wrestle much on free TV. So if you didn't cough up the PPV cash, you didn't see Ric Flair wrestle. If you didn't see him wrestle at all its impossible to label him as the best.
But the biggest reason fans could possibly believe Ric Flair isn’t the very best?
During Flair’s glory years, WCW/NWA was never the clear #1. Ever since the origins of Hulkamania whether it was Ted Turner or Jim Crockett, they played second fiddle to the WWF while Flair was on top of his game. Even if you were a wrestling fan in the late 80’s chances are you tuned in to see what Vince McMahon was doing.
It boils down to this. If you were a fan of WCW/NWA while Flair was on top, you’ll think he was the greatest of all time. You would have lived through a career that developed in such a way that it revolutionized the business. Buddy Rogers can be credited for being the 1st heel, but Ric Flair popularized and perfected it.
But if you only watched Vince’s product and the only Nature Boy you know is from 1995 and on…I can’t blame you for thinking otherwise.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
You Know You Watch Too Much Wrestling...
The top indicators that YOU watch too much wrestling. Not in any particular order…
1. You start dreaming about it.
*Seriously, I probably have a wrestling related dream once every two-three months. The last one I actually got ribbed my JBL in the dream. That fat bastard.
2. Empty box = Table.
*If anytime you see a large empty box, and you’re dying to drop an elbow through it…you watch a lot of wrestling.
3. You think about blading when shaving.
* Thinking about it is ok, if you actually did it…you need help. Unless you find Dusty Rhodes and Steve Corino’s foreheads attractive.
4. You see a black man with long dreads, you automatically think of Booker T.
* Unless you’re actually a black man yourself…then I couldn’t answer what you think of.
5. Your wrestling DVD collection doubles or even triples your movie DVD collection.
6. You perform wrestling moves on other people…even when you aren’t wrestling them.
* Applying Sharp Shooters on girlfriends? Check. Piledriving brothers through empty boxes? Check. Chopping your friends followed by a WOOOOOOOOO…check. I even got in some Bret Hart body shots.
7. When you notice Barbed Wire on a fence you wonder what time of night you could come back…just to steal it for a wrestling match.
*Unless you are like my friend Rollz…who steals first and asks questions later.
8. You cut promos on people when angry…or even to the mirror by yourself.
9. Spray paint = NWO
10. When you shop at the hardware store you think about wrestling.
*Ladder? Hardyz. Fencing? Hell in a Cell. Staple gun? New Jack. Light bulbs? XPW. Sledge Hammers? Triple H. It’s wrestling heaven at Lowes!!
11. You try to lock on a figure four…during a real fight.
12. Whenever you're at a funeral, and the procession starts, you get chills and start to look for fog creeping down the isle.
13. If you have seriously considered swantoning off your roof into a snow bank in February.
*Don’t try leaves…they don’t break your fall. Believe me.
14. You want to add spikes to your hockey or football shoulder pads.
*Whhhaaaatttt aaaaa RUUUUSH.
15. You have attempted to build a wrestling ring…and failed…numerous times.
16. You went to Disney World and refused to ride Space Mountain because it made you feel gay.
17. You write a wrestling blog.
*Fuck off.
18. The only books you’ve ever read page for page in your life…are wrestling books.
*On that note, pick up the Jericho and Bret Hart books…AWESOME.
19. Your girlfriend can name a good portion of WWE wrestlers.
*Now if she can name TNA guys as well…you watch wayyyy too much wrestling.
20. You wonder if you could take a bump on thumbtacks.
21. You are reading this list!!!
1. You start dreaming about it.
*Seriously, I probably have a wrestling related dream once every two-three months. The last one I actually got ribbed my JBL in the dream. That fat bastard.
2. Empty box = Table.
*If anytime you see a large empty box, and you’re dying to drop an elbow through it…you watch a lot of wrestling.
3. You think about blading when shaving.
* Thinking about it is ok, if you actually did it…you need help. Unless you find Dusty Rhodes and Steve Corino’s foreheads attractive.
4. You see a black man with long dreads, you automatically think of Booker T.
* Unless you’re actually a black man yourself…then I couldn’t answer what you think of.
5. Your wrestling DVD collection doubles or even triples your movie DVD collection.
6. You perform wrestling moves on other people…even when you aren’t wrestling them.
* Applying Sharp Shooters on girlfriends? Check. Piledriving brothers through empty boxes? Check. Chopping your friends followed by a WOOOOOOOOO…check. I even got in some Bret Hart body shots.
7. When you notice Barbed Wire on a fence you wonder what time of night you could come back…just to steal it for a wrestling match.
*Unless you are like my friend Rollz…who steals first and asks questions later.
8. You cut promos on people when angry…or even to the mirror by yourself.
9. Spray paint = NWO
10. When you shop at the hardware store you think about wrestling.
*Ladder? Hardyz. Fencing? Hell in a Cell. Staple gun? New Jack. Light bulbs? XPW. Sledge Hammers? Triple H. It’s wrestling heaven at Lowes!!
11. You try to lock on a figure four…during a real fight.
12. Whenever you're at a funeral, and the procession starts, you get chills and start to look for fog creeping down the isle.
13. If you have seriously considered swantoning off your roof into a snow bank in February.
*Don’t try leaves…they don’t break your fall. Believe me.
14. You want to add spikes to your hockey or football shoulder pads.
*Whhhaaaatttt aaaaa RUUUUSH.
15. You have attempted to build a wrestling ring…and failed…numerous times.
16. You went to Disney World and refused to ride Space Mountain because it made you feel gay.
17. You write a wrestling blog.
*Fuck off.
18. The only books you’ve ever read page for page in your life…are wrestling books.
*On that note, pick up the Jericho and Bret Hart books…AWESOME.
19. Your girlfriend can name a good portion of WWE wrestlers.
*Now if she can name TNA guys as well…you watch wayyyy too much wrestling.
20. You wonder if you could take a bump on thumbtacks.
21. You are reading this list!!!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
WWE Fantasy Draft
I find the most exciting time of the year in WWE for a fan and even some of the wrestlers is the draft (when they actually hold it). Here is my take on what WWE should do at this years draft if they indeed decide to have one.
*Please note that my goal in this draft is to even out the talent on Raw and Smackdown…which obviously hasn’t been the goal for WWE in quite some time. Here is my way to balance out the talent scale while creating some new and fresh storylines.
First up is the red headed step child of WWE…lets take a look at what I would do with ECW.
Biggest thing that jumps out to me is their lack of a big name. Kane was a big name but honestly he’s been lost in the WWE shuffle since he took off his mask and his psycho persona lost steam. They really never replaced the departure of Kurt Angle and Benoit from the brand.
My idea has been and still is to give Mick Foley his last run on ECW. He can be a heel or a face, the fans still respond, he can cut one hell of a promo, and I’m sure he can pull a couple of matches out of his ass for one last go around. He has the roots, he has the following, and he could be a great asset for the small ECW roster.
I would also give ECW two veterans, Finlay and Val Venis. Finlay can be a real advantage for ECW because like Foley he can play heel or face, and Finlay is one hell of a talent. If they want to put this Hornswoggle deal behind him, or just get Hornswoggle out of the spotlight…have them start fresh on ECW. As for Val Venis, I don’t know who he pissed off…but they have done nothing with the poor guy since he was Chief Morley during the Eric Bischoff regime. Repackage the poor bastard and have him compete on ECW.
So to ECW send over Mick Foley, Finlay and newly gimmicked Val Venis. If I could sign someone I would also resign The Sandman and put him on ECW. The crowd likes him and he is an ECW original. Let the man work!
Next on my draft sketch is strengthening Smackdown. It has basically become the minor leagues for Raw but I want to change that. They need A LOT of help and I do that by giving them… Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, The Big Show, Umaga and Jeff Hardy once he drops the crack pipe.
HBK has basically feuded with everybody there is to fight with on Raw. Put him on Smackdown, let him carry out this Batista deal…mix it up with MVP and Edge. Same with Chris Jericho who’s already wasting away on Raw in such short time. He’ll never be Triple H or John Cena, let him and HBK be the top faces on Smackdown.
As for Umaga and The Big Show they can help fill out the upper mid card. I know Vince would love to pair Umaga with The Great Khali to form an unstoppable tag team…and Big Show will do the same thing on either show. May as well give Smackdown some support. Besides with Umaga…hasn’t he been useless on Raw for a while now? I can only see so many squash matches that lead to nothing.
The only reason I put Jeff Hardy on Smackdown is so he can try to recapture what he had before the suspension in a less pressured environment. Smackdown is taped, the ratings are lower…let him get his feet wet before throwing him onto Raw once again.
Now that I have bolstered up the Smackdown Roster…who does Raw end up getting? First I want to replace Shawn Michaels with The Undertaker. Just like HBK, Taker has basically feuded with everybody on Smackdown…time for some fresh faces. Besides, The Undertaker is going to retire any year now…let him go out on the #1 show.
Since I depleted the Raw roster pretty bad I also want to boost them up with Rey Mysterio, C.M Punk, and Matt Hardy. Rey has never been on Raw, so it’s bound to create some new storylines. Matt Hardy could finally get a big push because for Matt it’s now or never when it comes to main eventing. Put him in a storyline with Kennedy and if that works well see what he can do against Orton. And if I had the checkbook out while signing Sandman, I would get RVD back and put him right back on Raw. You want to make the I-C title important again? You have Rey, C.M Punk, Kennedy, and Carlito/Santino compete over it.
So let’s review who is getting what.
ECW- Val Venis, Mick Foley, Finlay, and sign The Sandman
Smackdown- HBK, Y2J, The Big Show, Umaga, and Jeff Hardy (until healthy…enough)
Raw- The Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, C.M Punk, Matt Hardy, and sign Rob Van Damn.
*Please note that my goal in this draft is to even out the talent on Raw and Smackdown…which obviously hasn’t been the goal for WWE in quite some time. Here is my way to balance out the talent scale while creating some new and fresh storylines.
First up is the red headed step child of WWE…lets take a look at what I would do with ECW.
Biggest thing that jumps out to me is their lack of a big name. Kane was a big name but honestly he’s been lost in the WWE shuffle since he took off his mask and his psycho persona lost steam. They really never replaced the departure of Kurt Angle and Benoit from the brand.
My idea has been and still is to give Mick Foley his last run on ECW. He can be a heel or a face, the fans still respond, he can cut one hell of a promo, and I’m sure he can pull a couple of matches out of his ass for one last go around. He has the roots, he has the following, and he could be a great asset for the small ECW roster.
I would also give ECW two veterans, Finlay and Val Venis. Finlay can be a real advantage for ECW because like Foley he can play heel or face, and Finlay is one hell of a talent. If they want to put this Hornswoggle deal behind him, or just get Hornswoggle out of the spotlight…have them start fresh on ECW. As for Val Venis, I don’t know who he pissed off…but they have done nothing with the poor guy since he was Chief Morley during the Eric Bischoff regime. Repackage the poor bastard and have him compete on ECW.
So to ECW send over Mick Foley, Finlay and newly gimmicked Val Venis. If I could sign someone I would also resign The Sandman and put him on ECW. The crowd likes him and he is an ECW original. Let the man work!
Next on my draft sketch is strengthening Smackdown. It has basically become the minor leagues for Raw but I want to change that. They need A LOT of help and I do that by giving them… Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, The Big Show, Umaga and Jeff Hardy once he drops the crack pipe.
HBK has basically feuded with everybody there is to fight with on Raw. Put him on Smackdown, let him carry out this Batista deal…mix it up with MVP and Edge. Same with Chris Jericho who’s already wasting away on Raw in such short time. He’ll never be Triple H or John Cena, let him and HBK be the top faces on Smackdown.
As for Umaga and The Big Show they can help fill out the upper mid card. I know Vince would love to pair Umaga with The Great Khali to form an unstoppable tag team…and Big Show will do the same thing on either show. May as well give Smackdown some support. Besides with Umaga…hasn’t he been useless on Raw for a while now? I can only see so many squash matches that lead to nothing.
The only reason I put Jeff Hardy on Smackdown is so he can try to recapture what he had before the suspension in a less pressured environment. Smackdown is taped, the ratings are lower…let him get his feet wet before throwing him onto Raw once again.
Now that I have bolstered up the Smackdown Roster…who does Raw end up getting? First I want to replace Shawn Michaels with The Undertaker. Just like HBK, Taker has basically feuded with everybody on Smackdown…time for some fresh faces. Besides, The Undertaker is going to retire any year now…let him go out on the #1 show.
Since I depleted the Raw roster pretty bad I also want to boost them up with Rey Mysterio, C.M Punk, and Matt Hardy. Rey has never been on Raw, so it’s bound to create some new storylines. Matt Hardy could finally get a big push because for Matt it’s now or never when it comes to main eventing. Put him in a storyline with Kennedy and if that works well see what he can do against Orton. And if I had the checkbook out while signing Sandman, I would get RVD back and put him right back on Raw. You want to make the I-C title important again? You have Rey, C.M Punk, Kennedy, and Carlito/Santino compete over it.
So let’s review who is getting what.
ECW- Val Venis, Mick Foley, Finlay, and sign The Sandman
Smackdown- HBK, Y2J, The Big Show, Umaga, and Jeff Hardy (until healthy…enough)
Raw- The Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, C.M Punk, Matt Hardy, and sign Rob Van Damn.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
The Retro Reel
I have finally decided to make good use of my ever expanding Wrestling DVD Library and take a closer look at the matches some of us may have forgotten. In the Retro Reel, I will review matches that for some reason or another… we have decided not to keep in mind.
They wrestled for Eddie...
Monday Night Raw 11/14/05
Eddie Guererro Tribute Show
Shawn Michaels vs. Rey Mysterio
Back-story
After the passing of former World Champion Eddie Guerrero, WWE decided to dedicate an entire episode of Monday Night Raw to ‘Latino Heat’. The show didn’t showcase any storylines or on camera feuds which made this inter-brand ‘face’ vs. ‘face’ match possible.
Why it was forgotten?
Obviously the death of Eddie Guerrero overshadowed any contests the WWE wrestlers put on for the night. When it comes to the Eddie situation most wrestling fans think about where they were when they first heard the news, or the first person they called. Not Monday night.
Why it should be remembered?
This match holds a special spot in my memory because one of my dream matches that I thought WWE could still pull off was Shawn Michaels vs. Eddie Guerrero. Imagine that? Whenever I think of how awesome that program could have been, it naturally brings me back to this match.
For the contest itself, it was far from a technical classic. 10-11 minutes tops but it was the only time these two men ever competed one on one in the ring. Rey Mysterio vs. Shawn Michaels could be a money match on a pay per view, we got to see it for free in dedication to their fallen friend.
Although the match wasn’t a classic, it was an intriguing match up. It may be the only time in recent memory (or ever) where Shawn Michaels isn’t the smaller competitor, or the fastest in the match. You can actually notice Shawn trying to slow down the pace of the match in order to benefit himself…which is never the case. Good psychology.
It wasn’t the usual Rey spot fest match, and it wasn’t a usual Shawn Michaels match either. They met somewhere in the middle and had themselves a very nice bout. I would love to see them in a storyline somewhere down the road, in a pay per view payoff, with about 15-17 minutes to tear down the house. Hopefully this match not only served as a wonderful tribute to Eddie, but a hint of what could be done in the future.
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