Wrestling 101: The Dorm Room - One Man's Opinion, Forget WCW vs WWE...
Submitted by Mike Matthews on Wednesday, April 23, 2003 at 12:09 AM EST



I'm back for another edition of "The Dorm Room" and I've been getting some
good feedback from everyone whose enjoying the column. It's well appreciated.


I would also like to thank those for the help with the King of the Ring
comments and the information of when it began. Everybody seemed to agree that
it's a mistake to drop the event altogether.


Whether it's baseball, basketball, or hockey, nothing beats a Game 7. Gotta
love the excitement.


Now onto the column and the issues at hand.



NEWS AND NOTES


-The WWE has done themselves a favor and released Jeff Hardy. I also think
they did Jeff a favor. He just didn't have the intensity he had a few years
ago. It's a good move for both parties to move on. I wonder how this will
affect Matt?


- I thought it was a solid effort last night. I enjoyed the Dudley's segment
and also loved The Rock and Goldberg last night. A pretty good RAW before a
Pay-Per-View. The main event was slow, and the finish was horrible. I can't
stand a no-decision in a title match. However, I was left with a little
excitement for the six man tag at Backlash. I originally didn't care but I
liked the storyline throughout the night and I'm interested to see where it
ends up. Let's just hope Jericho, Booker T., and HBK do the majority of the
wrestling. I'm hoping the Hurricane gets involved to further his push. More
on Backlash later on.

- I'm glad the WWE decided to go with Cena and not Benoit. Don't get me
wrong, I love Benoit, but he's proven himself to be main event calibur, so, I
don't mind seeing Cena get the win on Thursday. I would save Benoit vs.
Lesnar for SummerSlam.

- Nathan Jones continues to be terrible. In one of my earlier columns on the
message board, I wrote how hyping an unproven wrestler can backfire, just
look at Glacier. The WWE has invested in a worthless piece of muscle.

Let's move on, shall we.

TOPIC #1- ONE MAN'S OPINION OF BACKLASH

This Sunday should be an interesting night for the WWE. A couple of matches
look intriguing while one superstar has been given the chance to prove
himself. Rather than just give you predictions and a look at the show, I like
to book the entire show and give some of my ideas that I think would make the
show a success. Now, I'm taking the card as is right now, so if they add
anymore matches at tonight's tapings, oh well. Let's get on with it shall we.

Match #1: Los Guerreros vs. Team Angle, For the WWE Tag Team Titles
This match needs to be given time. It should provide a hot opener and get the
crowd ready to go for the rest of the night. Just put these guys out there
and let them go and the crowd should be hot. I would let them go for about
10-15 minutes and the finish would come with Shelton Benjamin moving out the
way of a Frog Splash and picking up the win on a wounded Eddie Guerrero.
After the match, a dejected Eddie Guerrero walks away from Chavo.

Backstage, Booker T. runs into HBK and Kevin Nash, and wonders if the three
can come together as a unit tonight. All three just look at each other, and
walk off.

Match #2: Big Show vs. Rey Mysterio
I don't see Mysterio putting up much of a fight. I'm not a fan of the Big
Show but it's just not realistic for him to lose to Mysterio. Rey will
provide the excitement to the match but will go down to The Show.

John Cena is shown in the locker room, getting prepared for the biggest night
of his life.

Match #3: Jazz vs. Trish, For the WWE Women's Title
Get this match over with. These women try and give an effort but it's just
not very good wrestling. It doesn't entertain me the least bit. Just have
Victoria interfere early, as well as Rodney Mack, since he's getting shoved
down our throats. Jazz walks out with the title.

Stephanie McMahon enters the office of Eric Bischoff to thank him. Bischoff
wonders why and Steph introduces him to the newest addition of the Smackdown
roster, Lita. Bischoff says he's sick and tired of these games, and sick of
seeing Stephanie every month, and sick of having to share Pay-Per-View time
with her. Bischoff storms off.

Before coming to the ring, Chief Morley tells the Dudley's to go get the
titles, and enjoy this night, because on RAW, they will drop the titles to
Morley and Storm.

Match #4: The Dudley Boyz vs. RVD and Kane, For the World Tag Team Titles
Should be a pretty good match. THey should of announced it earlier but this
is the WWE were talking about. Morley comes out and tries to distract RVD and
Kane. As Bubba sets up for a 3D, D'Von goes after Morley. Bubba gets hit with
the chokeslam. RVD and Kane retain the titles, and Bubba wonders what's up
with D'Von.

Backstage, Eddie and Chavo discuss their earlier loss, and Eddie tells Chavo
it's time to move on. Chavo doesn't know what he means. Eddie tells Chavo to
challenge for the cruiserweight title this Thursday on Smackdown, while Eddie
says that he's going for it all.

Match #5: Sean O'Haire vs. Rikishi
Why? I ask why is this a PPV match? O'Haire gets the win as Piper gets
involved. I guess.

Josh Matthews interviews Brock, and Lesnar tells Cena to get ready, cuz here
comes the pain.

Match #6: John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar, For the WWE Title
I'm begging that they don't let Brock demolish Cena. In order for us to
believe Cena is a main eventer, he's got to show something. In the middle of
the match Benoit shows up and just watches from ringside. The end of the
match sees Lesnar go for an F5, but Cena escapes and hits the DVD. Cena goes
for the cover, gets 2, and Benoit pulls the ref out of the ring. Benoit
knocks Cena out of the ring, and goes after Brock. Brock finally wins the
exchange and hits Benoit with an F5. Cena gets back in the ring to
clothesline Lesnar. Out of nowhere comes Eddie Guerrero and blasts Cena with
a steel chair and then leaves through the crowd. Lesnar would follow it up
with an F5 and pick up the win.

Triple H, Jericho, and Flair, are ready for the match, and say that the three
men across from them tonight, will never be the same.

Match #7: Jericho, Triple H, & Flair vs. Booker T., Nash, and HBK
It's not going to be the greatest match in history but hopefully the finish
is worth something the way they've been hyping the "choose your side"
storyline. Flair and Booker T are left in the ring as the other combatants
battle outside the ring. Nash tosses Jericho into the crowd and heads back to
the ring. Nash goes for Flair but he ducks and Nash gets Booker T. with the
big boot. HBK goes to the ring only for Nash to take him out. Nash goes
outside the ring to help Triple H. Hurricane hits the ring and nails Flair
with a drop kick from the top rope. Booker gets back to his feet and hits
Flair with the axe kick and picks up the win. HBK takes a leap over the top
rope and goes after Nash and Triple H. Eventually a bunch of officials come
out to break up a brawl between HBK and Nash.

Eddie Guerrero enters the locker room of Brock Lesnar and says since he wants
to be the best, he wants to BEAT the best. He wants Lesnar on Smackdown this
Thursday. Before Brock can accept Benoit hits the locker room and says he
should be the one to get the title shot. Brock says this Thursday, why don't
we have Benoit vs. Guerrero, with the winner becoming the number one
contender. Chris and Eddie agree and leave the locker room.

A big time hype video is shown for The Rock vs. Goldberg and the crowd begins
some huge Goldberg chants

Match #8: The Rock vs. Goldberg
This reminds me of Hogan vs. Rock a little bit. It's a match we never thought
we would see and that is something I'll always enjoy. I was never a big
Goldberg fan but it's been great to see him in the WWE. I hope they just let
these two perform and hopefully Goldy isn't too rusty. Goldberg eventually
gets the win after many near falls and The Rock is off to Hollywood which is
unfortunate for the fans. The show fades to black as Goldberg celebrates and
The Coach and Lawler wonder who he will go after next!

This would be a great show for me. As the title says, it's only one man's
look at Backlash. E-Mail me with some of your ideas that would make Backlash
a success in your mind.

TOPIC #2- FORGET WCW VS. WWE, GO WITH NEW VS. OLD

Coming off of Backlash, I'm wondering what direction the RAW brand will take.
There have been rumors of the WWE maybe going towards another WWE vs. WCW
storyline and I think that's a bad idea. What I would do is go with a "new
vs. old" and run with it. It would be another way for the WWE, and RAW, to
showcase some new talent that is on the roster. If you remember back in WCW,
they ran a "New Blood vs. Millionaire's Club" storyline and I think it would
of had a chance if that company wasn't dead already. It was too little too
late.

Let's just say the WWE puts Nash and Triple H back together at Backlash. I
would, and I cringe when I say this, have those two dominate the next couple
of RAW's and maybe even taking out HBK one week, Booker T. another week. They
also have Flair on their side, and maybe the WWE gets smart and makes Steiner
a heel. He can't wrestle, but his character is a born heel. So for two weeks
Nash and Triple H pick apart the WWE, and form a dominant group. Then, we go
back to the well.

At the end of a future RAW, Vince McMahon makes an appearance. Bischoff would
quickly come to the ring and ask what the hell Vince is doing. Vince informs
Bischoff that the reason he hasn't been able to make RAW into the best show,
possible, is because he's letting the inmates run the asylum. Vince would
tell Eric he received a phone call from a "friend" and he had an idea that
would turn RAW around. Vince thought this "friend" had a great idea that
would help RAW become an unpredictable, exciting, non-stop ride for the fans.
Vince invited that "friend" to RAW to tell Eric Bischoff his idea. After a
pause, the glass shatters and none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin returns
to WWE TV. After babbling Austin tells Eric to go back to his office, and
read a little note that Austin left for him. Bischoff runs back to his
office to find a FedEx package on his desk. He opens it and it reads "From
the NEW GM to the OLD, YOU'RE FIRED!!! Sincerely, Steve Austin, RAW GM"
Bischoff is left in shock as Austin goes crazy in the ring. Austin promises
to turn RAW around starting with Triple H.

Helmsley and crew would hit the ring and tell Austin it's THEIR show but
Austin surprises them, and informs Triple H that at Judgment Day, he will put
the title on the line against....Goldberg! Austin then tells Triple H that
he's been informed that there's a couple of people in the back that want a
piece of Nash, Steiner, and Triple H. HBK would come out followed by The
Hurricane and Goldust. HBK would go on a whole speech about how the fans are
sick of seeing the same faces every week. It would basically be a retirement
speech from HBK.

After the whole speech the locker room could start to empty. Maven, Booker T,
RVD, Kane, and others empty out. HBK tells Triple H that these men are going
to lift RAW to new heights thanks to a GM who will actually give them an
oppurtunity. HBK will be the one to provide the guidance and if Triple H
thinks he can run all over everyone, he needs to think again because these
guys are the "Next Generation" and their gonna kick your ass! Goldberg would
then come out and HBK would hand him a mic, and Goldy would inform Triple H
that he better hold onto that title tonight, because he won't have it much
longer, and apparently, there's a lot of new blood ready to take his spot. In
other words, Triple H, "You're NEXT!"

RAW could end right there and they could build on this storyline in a big
way. You could have all these youngsters go after Triple H. You could have
RVD and Kane gunning for him since he basically destroyed their careers. This
one big segment could put RAW in the right direction. You have Austin coming
in as your GM. You have a storyline beginning with HBK being a counselor for
the younger stars, and the stars looking to become big. You have these guys
gunning to take out Triple H and his crew. You also can setup Triple H vs.
Goldberg even though it's a bit rushed. I don't think the WWE does enough of
this. Take a bunch of storylines, and throw them into one big time segment.
It keeps the crowd on it's seat wondering what's going to happen next, and
you grab their attention with everything at once. If it's done right, I think
it would be a huge storyline for the RAW brand. As it goes on, you could have
Triple H bring Bischoff back as a consultant or something like that. You
could have comedy segments with The Dudley's getting back at Chief Morley. It
could all lead to a very exciting time for the RAW brand. Maybe it's just me,
but I'll keep up the hope that things will turn around.

Once again, that's just one man's opinion. I guess that's all for this week.
I didn't really attack anything this week that may have went down, but it's
playoff time, so I've been watching nothing but basketball and hockey. I love
this time of year.

As always, feel free to send any questions, comments, and especially your
ideas, to WFed22CEO@aol.com and I look forward from hearing from you.

Oh, and yes, Calvin ended up kicking my ass in Fantasy Baseball. Luckily for
me, since getting my assed kick is becoming a weekly occurence, it's only
April.

The Flyers are in Round 2, and I'm in complete shock. Allen Iverson is one of
the best, I don't care what anyone says about his image. Thank you.

Here's hopin' the WWE pulls a fast one and gives Cena a title run. Goodnight
all.








*NEW GALLERY* The Hardy Boys X-Mas PARTY with TNA/WWE Stars! Must See!!

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