It has been a week now just about since the biggest wrestling extravaganza of the year. And I have to say that I wasn't as impressed with it after I've seen it than I thought I would be going into it.
The opening match was one that I was interested in seeing. And should have been a great match. And then I sit down to enjoy a great start to a four hour show and see it end in roughly 18 seconds. What.the.hell.. This wasn't a good way to start. I like D Bryan as Booker would put it. And if they wanted him to drop the belt to Shamus then that was fine. I liked him before he became the 'Great White' back when that was actually an insult to him.
And things on the card didn't go a whole hell of a lot up from there. At least with the exception of the Hell in a Cell match. I need to see that one again. But, we did have three veterans working that match. And they all knew what they were doing. I found this one to be much more entertaining than last years. Which I would have to give the credit to Michaels for adding that level of uncertainty to the outcome. Although I was very very doubtful that Undertaker was ever going to lose this thing. Hopefully he will retire undefeated at Wrestlemania. Seeing I don't find anyone worthy of the rub, and with the pace of things these days it would be forgotten in weeks anyway. But if they must, I would love to see someone like Ziggler get it.
Anyway as the card wore on things didn't get much better. The Punk and Jericho match didn't thrill me either. And I know both men can work. Maybe it has something to do with the storyline. Which doesn't interest me at all. And the tag match was tossed to the dark. I've seen good womens matches, and most of them seem to be over in TNA / Impact these days. And The Rock and Cena didn't work well for me either. I was disappointed in Team Teddy losing, but maybe this will provide an opportunity to do something with Teddy. He is miles more interesting and likeable than Johnny Ace.
We get to RAW and Smackdown! and things for me just get worse. RAW was good with the Rocks promo and all downhill from there till we end with Lesnar. What anyone sees in him I will never know.
I've been watching the Wrestlemanias starting at #1 this past week. And it's going to take awhile. But so far I'm up to number six and they have all been much better than what I watch now. Maybe it's because I'm a product of the 80s and that's what I grew up with. But maybe they just did it better then. You know, they don't make things like they used to. A good example being this weeks ref reversing a decision on (Smackdown! was it??) over an incident he didn't even see.. I just saw two WM in a row where Jesse was complaining and praising the fact that the heels cheated well, and kept things hidden from the ref. And they didn't go around changing the decison for things they thought they saw.
I guess alot of this boils down to something I probably said before. Modern wrestling is now so totally shifted to the entertainment (WWE at least) that they don't even pretend to be a sport anymore. Or even act like there are rules and this is supposed to be an atletic competition. And it shows. From what I have been told I should be watching Ring of Honor. Or maybe I need to watch more Impact. But Impact has a lot of failings in other areas. But they do have some good talent.
I have quite a few WMs to get through, and it will be interesting if the decline hits your like a brick wall once I get past the Attitude Era into the PG era and rise of Cena. Maybe it's a gradual thing. Should be interesting to see..
Showing posts with label WWF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WWF. Show all posts
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Saturday, May 21, 2011
RIP Randy 'Macho Man' Savage
Sad news yesterday as a real Legend of Professional Wrestling has passed away. As has another piece of my childhood.
I can remember nights watching Saturday Nights Main Event, WWF Superstars and, of course the famous Wrestlemania match with Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat.
Macho Man was one of the best, and he seemed to have gotten out of the business with his health, and some security. I hadn't seen or heard much of him in years before his marriage last year. And his return to video games with the recently released WWE All Stars. And it would have been awesome to see him inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
So here's one for the Madness!
WWE Tribute Page
I can remember nights watching Saturday Nights Main Event, WWF Superstars and, of course the famous Wrestlemania match with Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat.
Macho Man was one of the best, and he seemed to have gotten out of the business with his health, and some security. I hadn't seen or heard much of him in years before his marriage last year. And his return to video games with the recently released WWE All Stars. And it would have been awesome to see him inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
So here's one for the Madness!
WWE Tribute Page
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Ted Dibiase: The Million Dollar Man
Just finished another wrestling biography book. This time for one of the greatest heels I remember growing up. The Million Dollar Man. Who can't remember the vignettes that the then WWF ran every week for him.
The kids at the pool, the kid dribbling the ball or the kid kissing his feet after a match (Which interestingly would grow up to become the whole F'N show Rob Van Dam)
Lots of great stories, but this book was more about his experiences and not as much about the business as previous books I have read.
It was a fantastic read, and I never knew what a huge star he was well before he ever came to the WWF in the late 80s. With no internet, or anything of the sort. It was impossible really to know.
He did make one comment, that I feel is the problem with the wrestling business today. And he touches on it, towards the end of the book. When he discusses his various attempts to stay in the business, but behind the scenes. And how so much had changed, and for lack of a better term passed him by while he was away.
And that comment was.. He always felt he was a Wrestler who Entertained. NOT an Entertainer who Wrestled.. I feel that says it all really..
And backed up by what I have read lately about how the WWE doesn't want it's people referred to as Professional Wrestlers.. Their Superstars and Divas. Sounds like someone is forgetting their roots.. And what got them there unfortunately.
4 out of 5 stars
The kids at the pool, the kid dribbling the ball or the kid kissing his feet after a match (Which interestingly would grow up to become the whole F'N show Rob Van Dam)
Lots of great stories, but this book was more about his experiences and not as much about the business as previous books I have read.
It was a fantastic read, and I never knew what a huge star he was well before he ever came to the WWF in the late 80s. With no internet, or anything of the sort. It was impossible really to know.
He did make one comment, that I feel is the problem with the wrestling business today. And he touches on it, towards the end of the book. When he discusses his various attempts to stay in the business, but behind the scenes. And how so much had changed, and for lack of a better term passed him by while he was away.
And that comment was.. He always felt he was a Wrestler who Entertained. NOT an Entertainer who Wrestled.. I feel that says it all really..
And backed up by what I have read lately about how the WWE doesn't want it's people referred to as Professional Wrestlers.. Their Superstars and Divas. Sounds like someone is forgetting their roots.. And what got them there unfortunately.
4 out of 5 stars
Monday, September 13, 2010
The State of Professional Wrestling
It's been at least a year now or more since I decided to start watching Pro Wrestling again. Which these days pretty much means WWF(E) since I don't get TNA and haven't seen anything of ROH.
So after a years worth of Raw and Smackdown and WWE Vintage Collection. I would have to say, I wish that they would give 'Mean' Gene Okerlund a 3 hour show every week. The old vintage matches from the 80s and 90s are so much better than what we get from week and week out.
Now, I just recently went to a live house show of Smackdown back in the spring, and it was a great show. But when I watch the shows and the PPVs week in and month out. They are supposed to be part of a bigger picture.
These pictures are just mostly boring but serviceable. Now, I grew up with this stuff. I used to go to the Atlantic Grand Prix wrestling live shows when I was a small kid every time they passed through town. I watched it on TV religiously.
The thing that seems to strike me these days is that the WWE has re branded Pro Wrestling as Sports Entertainment. But they seem to have all but forgotten the SPORTS aspect of it.
When I watch the Vintage Collection stuff, that is the part that strikes me. We all know that it's always been about entertainment. It's a soap opera for males. But it was a SPORTS oriented soap. The ref wasn't just there to be part of the show. He was there to make sure that the matches were fair and followed the rules. Y'know the rules, the part that made it appear to be a real sporting contest and not the mostly scripted and choreographed show that it was, and still is.
This comes home a lot more with the vintage stuff because you get to see much of the shtick that they don't even bother with anymore. And now the ref just seems to hang around the ring, until one person or the other is done showboating some rediculous series of moves ( Cena and MVP come to mind, although I can see that harken back to the Rocks Peoples Elbow) and he's needed to make a three count and that's it.
Maybe it's just nostalgia since everything you grew up with is better than what's around now. Or maybe it's just like everything else, they just don't make things like they used to.
I will say one thing, I hope that TNA does well, and I get to see some of it on TV soon. WWE needs some competition. Some of the best years I remember watching was during the Monday Night Wars with Raw Vs Nitro. And that's been over for a very long time now.
So after a years worth of Raw and Smackdown and WWE Vintage Collection. I would have to say, I wish that they would give 'Mean' Gene Okerlund a 3 hour show every week. The old vintage matches from the 80s and 90s are so much better than what we get from week and week out.
Now, I just recently went to a live house show of Smackdown back in the spring, and it was a great show. But when I watch the shows and the PPVs week in and month out. They are supposed to be part of a bigger picture.
These pictures are just mostly boring but serviceable. Now, I grew up with this stuff. I used to go to the Atlantic Grand Prix wrestling live shows when I was a small kid every time they passed through town. I watched it on TV religiously.
The thing that seems to strike me these days is that the WWE has re branded Pro Wrestling as Sports Entertainment. But they seem to have all but forgotten the SPORTS aspect of it.
When I watch the Vintage Collection stuff, that is the part that strikes me. We all know that it's always been about entertainment. It's a soap opera for males. But it was a SPORTS oriented soap. The ref wasn't just there to be part of the show. He was there to make sure that the matches were fair and followed the rules. Y'know the rules, the part that made it appear to be a real sporting contest and not the mostly scripted and choreographed show that it was, and still is.
This comes home a lot more with the vintage stuff because you get to see much of the shtick that they don't even bother with anymore. And now the ref just seems to hang around the ring, until one person or the other is done showboating some rediculous series of moves ( Cena and MVP come to mind, although I can see that harken back to the Rocks Peoples Elbow) and he's needed to make a three count and that's it.
Maybe it's just nostalgia since everything you grew up with is better than what's around now. Or maybe it's just like everything else, they just don't make things like they used to.
I will say one thing, I hope that TNA does well, and I get to see some of it on TV soon. WWE needs some competition. Some of the best years I remember watching was during the Monday Night Wars with Raw Vs Nitro. And that's been over for a very long time now.
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