DaveyBoy's Wrestling Menu - No Way Out Review, Eddie G & 'Your Favorite PPV' Poll
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 2:42 PM EST




THE WRESTLING MENU #77

Welcome one and all to the 77th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

'Crazy', 'Idiot' & 'Locos'. That's just some of the words that I got labelled with due to my prediction last week of Brock Lesnar emerging from 'No Way Out' with his title intact. Well, what can I say!?!?!? Maybe I am just a little crazy. My reasoning was that I thought the WWE would throw us a curve-ball on the way to WrestleMania 20, because everything else that has been rumored has turned out true. But if there is a curve-ball to be thrown, it's still to come. Hey, I never said I was always correct!!! Mind you, all my other predictions were spot on.

But I must be doing something right, as just 2 weeks after edition #74 of The Wrestling Menu reached an all-time high with approximately 6,600 hits, last week's column surpassed that (keep in mind that the hit counter was down for over a day from Monday night onwards). Like any DJ likes to say, "The hits just keep on coming". I'm truly flattered & thank all those loyal readers that I have around the world.

Let's see how #77 goes down. On with the show...


APPETIZERS - Main Event Eddie?

I briefly mentioned something in last weeks predictions column that I feel is worth touching on. The line I stated was "Make no mistake, this is a test to the reaction that Eddie gets as a main eventer". By no means is this the first time that the WWE have done this. In fact, they did it with 2 wrestlers last year; Chris Benoit at The Royal Rumble & John Cena at Backlash.

Cena's match with Lesnar wasn't quite up to scratch & I think it's actually a fair call that he hasn't main evented a pay-per-view since. His age & experience, together with the quality of that match (which wasn't that bad, by the way) simply told the WWE that it was too soon for so much to be invested in Cena. But don't worry, he is improving & his time will come.

With Benoit however, it was a completely different story. He genuinely received a standing ovation after his Royal Rumble loss against Kurt Angle. I was almost sure that a push was finally coming his way. But it wasn't to be & he was basically put into filler tag-team matches from then on. Could the rewards be coming for Benoit more than 12 months later at WrestleMania 20!?!?!? We can only hope so.

But I hope that the WWE consider a couple of extraordinary factors when it comes to Eddie Guerrero's main event test. Firstly, and most importantly, his test was in a match where there was only 3 weeks worth of build-up. As we all know, the quality of a feud often has a major say in the quality of a match. Eddie & Brock really didn't have the necessary time to maximize the effectiveness of their feud. It wasn't even as if the feud was hinted at, prior to the January-29 episode of SmackDown, as Eddie was completely involved in a feud with Chavo at the time.

Another factor to keep in mind is that Eddie has obviously been asked (or maybe chosen) to tweak his character coming into this feud. Not so much that he is playing a face, because he has done that before, but because he is playing the intense face. The slightly crazy face, who gives the impression that he will dig deep into his latino heat & do anything to (as he put it) overcome the obstacles placed in front of him. While Eddie is a true professional & I'm confident he can adjust quickly enough for his character to be extremely effective, I think that it may need a while longer for everything to fall into place as best as possible. When this occurs, I do believe we have a genuine main-eventer on our hands.

So, I really hope that the WWE keep these things in mind & treat Eddie Guerrero's ppv main event test a little different to the ones that have come before him. Don't be fooled that because the WWE went with an Eddie win at 'No Way Out', that it immediately means they will effectively push him in the coming months.

As newsposts have stated, Lesnar vs Guerrero was the only real selling point for this pay-per-view. So if the buyrates come in stupendously low, the WWE could very well place a high proportion of the blame on Eddie. No matter what the buyrates, I just hope the WWE keeps those couple of things I mentioned in mind. Because if they don't, they could waste a golden opportunity with a guy who can get the job done both in & out of the ring.

Finally, congratulations on the victory, Eddie. It's well deserved after all the years you have put into the business. Hopefully, the WWE can repay you in the best possible way; Keeping you as a main-eventer for many years to come.


MAIN - No Way Out Review

For those that cannot recall my previous PPV review columns, this is the key, that explains what the final PPV Rating means:

<50: Ask for a refund for not only your money, but also your time. [F]
50-54: Mediocre & disappointing. [D] (EG: Armageddon '03)
55-59: Average. [C] (EG: Royal Rumble '04)
60-64: Worth A Watch. [C+] (EG: SummerSlam '03)
65-69: Good event that was worth the money. [B] (EG: SurvivorSeries '03)
70-74: Very good. [B+] (EG: WrestleMania 19)
75-79: Make sure you add this ppv to your video or dvd collection. [A] (EG: SummerSlam '02)
80+ : Make sure that the video or dvd is locked in a safe & cannot be erased. Memorable. [A+]

SCOTTY 2 HOTTY & RIKISHI defeated THE BASHAM BROTHERS & SHANIQUA to Retain the WWE Tag-Team Championships: Good 8 minute opener which was better than what I was expecting. It was a decent mix of entertainment & wrestling actually. Nothing too fancy or technical, but The Bashams are coming along nicely, while the champs will suffice for at least another month or so. Match Rating...6

JAMIE NOBLE defeated NIDIA while blind-folded: Terrible... absolutely terrible. Nothing was especially funny & not too much really happened. The only positive was the result & the fact that Nidia could still actually wrestle with her... ummm, how shall I put this... extra size!!! A waste of 5 minutes & good promotional video. Match Rating...3

CHARLIE HAAS & SHELTON BENJAMIN defeated BRADSHAW & FAAROOQ: Awkward mix of styles, where there was just way too much psychology attempted for a 7 minute match. I don't think I will be the only one stating that Bradshaw & selling an injury, just don't go together in the same sentence. The worst thing about all the submission holds (which weren't actually terrible themselves), was that they resulted in nothing, and the abrupt ending could have occurred without either of the arm injuries. The WGTT still look top-notch in spurts, but this match was pretty bad. Match Rating...4

GOLDBERG / HEYMAN / LESNAR Segment: At 8 minutes in length, this was long enough to earn a segment rating in the overall 'PPV Rating'. The initial talking from Heyman was way too repetitive & pretty much rehashed what had already been said on previous television shows. But the confrontation between Goldberg & Lesnar afterwards was good, as was Heyman's carry-on during it. Segment Rating...5

HARDCORE HOLLY defeated RHYNO: Ten minute match which didn't get the crowd excited at all. I can't say I was too enthralled either. Hell, the WWE even crossed over for almost a minute of Spanish commentary during the bout!!! I still say that Holly plays the worst face character I have ever seen!!! While the bout almost defined average, there were actually a few decent moments of wrestling. But all that was undone by the terribly booked ending. After Rhyno gave Holly a huge spinebuster & then a gore, Holly crawled back in the ring & almost immediately hit his Alabama Slam for the victory. Match Rating...4

CHAVO GUERRERO JR defeated REY MYSTERIO to Win the Cruiserweight Title: Holy cow... 17 minutes given to a cruiserweight match!!! And was it worth it? Hell yeah!!! These 2 guys have to be given huge props, for not only having a great match, but also for the intensity they brought to what has only been a 3 week feud. The match was really good, and proof that when given time, even the censored WWE version of the cruiserweight division is vital to the company's success. I really liked the mix of mat & high-flying wrestling shown here. But a memo to Chavo; Leave the top-rope gutbuster to Dean Malenko, as yours looked awkward & messy. Match Rating...8

KURT ANGLE defeated JOHN CENA & THE BIG SHOW in a Triple Threat Match, to Become the #1 Contender for the WWE Championship: Really tough match to rate because it looked like it was more there for fun, rather than the importance placed on becoming #1 contender. That was partially due to the lack of unpredictability, as Angle was going to win, no matter what the result of the main event. It was actually a strangely booked & paced match (possibly due to Cena's & Show's injuries), and I struggled to get into the first 5 or 6 minutes. Following that, it was just a cavalcade of finishing moves one after the other. It almost got too ridiculous, but like I said, it was also quite fun to watch. I thought it would settle down afterwards, but then came the rather abrupt ending at the 12 minute mark. Match Rating...6

EDDIE GUERRERO defeated BROCK LESNAR to Win the WWE Championship: Superb 30 minute match. Lesnar was super impressive & really rose to the occasion, especially with his agility. While Eddie was his usual excellent self, as well as not showing any signs of discomfort against a much larger opponent. Some may not have liked the numerous submission moves used by each wrestler, but I thought they were definitely necessary, and did not slow the bout down too much. I was very much involved in the match from start to finish. Furthermore, the Goldberg interference was kept short & sweet, without effecting the outcome entirely. I also loved the terrific ending, where Eddie countered Brock's F-5 into a huge DDT & then followed it up with a frog splash. Match Rating...9

PPV RATING (45/80) = 56

Looking at the key, I have basically given the 2004 version of 'No Way Out' a 'C' grade & said that it was 'average'. Overall, I have to go along with that comment, because the undercard was just too ordinary & mediocre. But it's one of those pay-per-views that you come away from & don't mind that you have paid your money to see. While the opener & triple threat matches will be forgotten in a few months time, they were fun to watch. On top of that, the cruiserweight title match & the main event were both very good. The rest was horrendous, and should not be ignored when the WWE think about how to make a SmackDown a better overall product.


DESSERT

Favorite PPV Poll

If you recall my column last week, I reviewed the 1996 King Of The Ring pay-per-view as part of my ongoing 1990's Review series. Amongst other things, I stated that it was quite possibly the most under-rated ppv that I have ever seen, and right up there with my favorite events of all time. If you didn't get a chance to read that column, you may do so by clicking on the following link: http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2004/articles/1076527117.php

This got me thinking as to what actually is my favorite pay-per-view of all time. Please note the use of the word "favorite", as I feel that is different to using the word "best". I feel that using the word "best" pretty much limits the field to WrestleMania's when it comes to the WWE (WrestleMania's 3, 10, 14 & 17 specifically). It also possibly limits the WCW field to Starrcade's, although my knowledge of 1980's WCW is quite limited for me to know exactly.

No, the word "favorite" can have a personal connotation. It also transcends the overall quality of the card. You may really have liked 3 matches on the card, but absolutely hated all the rest. Or maybe, as an extreme example, one match stands out so much that it makes you really like that ppv. For example; Hulk Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 6. Or maybe you were at the pay-per-view & that made a very good card all the more better.

Anyway, I've had a think about it & I have narrowed my favorites down to 5. In chronological order, they are:

- WrestleMania 3: With it's attendance, this event proved to me that professional wrestling had a large audience. Great mix of entertainment & wrestling, with 2 truly memorable matches (Hogan vs Andre & Steamboat vs Savage).

- SummerSlam 1992: With it's attendance, this event proved to me that the WWF was truly a worldwide phenomenon. The atmosphere at Wembley Stadium on that day would have been something to bottle. Includes my favorite match of all time (Bret Hart vs Davey Boy Smith).

- King Of The Ring 1996: As explained last week, this was a very good & under-rated pay-per-view, which had an excellent mix of matches, angles & promos. I should also state that it was the first ppv I viewed for a few years.

- WrestleMania 17: Just an event and a half!!! It had it all. It was extremely exciting & was really a top-notch show in every sense of the word. The perfect prototype for future WrestleManias.

- SummerSlam 2002: In a year where the quality of everything in the WWE was extremely indifferent, the WWE went back to the basics at this event & it worked a treat. Every match is at least worth a watch. Also included the amazing & unbelievable return of my favorite wrestler of all time; HBK.

Now, as you can see with those choices, they all have a touch of personal choice to them. Hell, if you recall my 'Ranking The WrestleManias' column last March, I actually stated that WrestleMania 10 was the best WrestleMania ever. Yet, that didn't make my favorite list, even though 2 others did. So that's a good example of what I mean when using the "favorite".

You also may be thinking that I chose 5 WWE pay-per-views. I am definitely not excluding WCW (or ECW & NWA/TNA for that matter) from this poll. I have definitely seen my fair share of WCW ppv's. It's just that I don't have one that really sticks out in my opinion... One which I could describe as my favorite. But then again, I have only seen limited WCW prior to 1996, so maybe a few late 80's WCW ppv's will figure heavily.

Anyway, if I had to get off the fence, I'd have to choose King Of The Ring '96 as my favorite pay-per-view of all time (just ahead of WrestleMania 17 & SummerSlam '92). It just brings back so many memories, and viewing it last month made me appreciate the perfect mix of wrestling, entertainment & promos which the WWE achieved on the night. So now it's.....

Voting Time

What is your favorite pay-per-view of all time...???


On that note, that's all I have for edition #77 of 'The Wrestling Menu. I hope you enjoyed it. Please don't hesitate to let me know what you thought of my views on Eddie Guerrero main eventing, as well as whether or not you agreed on all my match reviews from 'No Way Out'. But whether you comment on them or not, please vote in my favorite match poll. It will be interesting to see some of the choices & which ppv tops the poll. I have always replied to all feedback & I will attempt to continue that streak this week. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com

Next Wednesday in 'The Wrestling Menu', I will obviously have the results of my favorite match poll. Along with that, I may return to a topic that I intermittently use; The Oz Perspective. I saw something at the recent Australian Open tennis tournament which sort of reminded me of what happens in professional wrestling quite often. I think it's an interesting comparison. Look out for that column same Wednesday time & same LOP channel next week. Until then, this is DaveyBoy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.













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