DaveyBoy's Wrestling Menu - SSeries Review, Book Review + Another Crazy Prediction
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, November 17, 2004 at 11:18 PM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #108

Welcome one and all to the 108th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

Phew... Just made it!!! Almost didn't get this column posted on my usual day of Wednesday. I sort of had one of those 'couldn't be stuffed writing' weeks. But here I am still churning out the columns. Hopefully, this is up to standard.

On with the show.....


APPETIZERS - Maven & Chavo

MAVEN

I have to be honest & tell everyone that this section was initially going to be titled 'Maven Bragging' or something like that. When Snitsky took out Maven backstage at Survivor Series, I thought it was a definite that he was going to limp out during the main event & turn heel. When he did limp out, I would have put a fair bit of money on it.

But strangely, Maven didn't turn. Was it all just to set up some sort of interest in the next night on Raw? Or purely to start a Snitsky vs Maven feud? I really don't know. What I do know, was that this was the perfect opportunity for the WWE to do what I predicted way back at the end of August. That was, turn Maven heel & have him become the 4th member of Evolution. The set-up was there & was completely wasted.

While Maven's GM night on Raw was definitely a good show, the actual interest of fans in himself would have only increased marginally. It may consolidate a little with a face push of some sort, but the significance would most probably only be little & of a short-term nature. The bottom line is that he needs a heel turn. In fact, I would almost guarantee that a heel turn would generate above-average heat from most fans. Add him to Evolution, and the heat steps up even further.

I haven't given up on a Maven heel turn. It still could happen. A few heel characteristics popped up over this past week; The clothing, the condescending type of looks toward the crowd, the mean streak & the ladies man. So could the WWE be just trying to throw us off the track, so that when he does turn, it's a little more unpredictable than if he did so at Survivor Series or this past Raw? Possibly. But the opportunity was there and, in my opinion, should have been taken.

CHAVO

Now I remember receiving many emails claiming that I was crazy when I wrote that column predicting Maven would become the 4th member of Evolution. Hell, he wasn't even on television at the time. But I think it's fair to say that I was damn close with that prediction. So... It's time for another crazy prediction. Before I state it, I can only promise you all that I have not seen or heard this suggestion anywhere else. It's totally from the crazy mind of DaveyBoy. Also, please note that I have not seen this week's episode of SmackDown.

And I have chosen the word 'crazy' for a reason. Two weeks ago in my column, I suggested that the Chavo Guerrero face turn was practically a waste of time. Chavo does not play the face role well at all. While the turn has been booked & performed quite well up until this point, it will fizzle down soon enough & Chavo will once again turn heel, where he could actually contribute to the SmackDown midcard.

However, there has been one time in his career when Chavo has been over as a face. It was during a feud with his uncle Eddie in WCW. Chavo basically turned crazy. To me, crazy is basically a colloquial term given to someone with a problem of the mind... or brain. Problems that could result from a concussion!!! And maybe that concussion could have been suffered by a Shooting Star Press.

So Chavo states that an 'old friend' talked him into returning to the ring. My initial suspects were Eddy, Rey, Chavo Sr, or maybe even Paul London. I'd rule out Eddy & Rey now, as they would have been revealed going into Survivor Series, if it was them. Then the next week, Chavo is heard talking on the phone to the old friend saying "you can't tell me what to do". So I think London can be ruled out now. The suggestions seem to hint that we will be seeing a return from Chavo Sr. But I don't think so. He probably would have debuted in Texas if that was the case. Plus, the WWE probably wouldn't take the risk of re-hiring him, considering the circumstances surrounding his departure.

So who does DaveyBoy think is the old friend? Pepe. That's right, the wooden horse that Chavo had for a while in WCW (until it was burnt by Norman Smiley, from memory). This was one of those ideas that looked terrible on paper, but turned out to be very funny because Chavo surprisingly adapted to it well. So I say the WWE should rehash it. It's the only thing that will get Chavo over as a face & it fits into the concussion angle very well. If only Vince didn't have a distaste for old WCW ideas!!!


MAIN - Survivor Series 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] (G.A.Bash '04)
50-54: Mediocre & disappointing. [D] (EG: Taboo Tuesday '04)
55-59: Average. [C] (EG: Royal Rumble '04 & No Way Out '04)
60-64: Worth A Watch. [C+] (EG: Vengeance '04)
65-69: Good event that was worth the money. [B] (EG: No Mercy '04)
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+]

SPIKE DUDLEY defeated CHAVO GUERRERO, BILLY KIDMAN & REY MYSTERIO in a Fatal Fourway to Retain the Cruiserweight Title: Good choice as opener. Excellent non-stop pace made the 9 minute duration seem a fair bit longer. A little bit too much one on one action in a fourway for my liking, but it wasn't over the top. Very good spots which were booked & performed well, even if there was nothing we haven't seen before. Being critical, the storytelling could have been a little better & the booking of Spike retaining the title is questionable. But overall, an excellent example of how most ppvs should be opened; Fast-paced, entertaining action. Match Rating...8

SHELTON BENJAMIN defeated CHRISTIAN to Retain the InterContinental Title: At different stages of these 2 guys' careers, I have been critical of them. But there was almost nothing to be critical of here in this tremendous bout. What looked like a good feud on paper was booked & performed very well in this 13 minute match. Excellent storytelling, very good psychology, a more than sufficient pace, a few new moves & enough near falls to make anyone happy. The match of the night, and quite possibly the midcard match of the year, should propel Benjamin & solidify Christian in the upper midcard. Kudos to everyone involved. Match Rating...9

EDDIE GUERRERO, ROB VAN DAM, JOHN CENA & THE BIG SHOW defeated KURT ANGLE, LUTHER REIGNS, MARK JINDRAK & CARLITO CARIBBEAN COOL: Only RVD was eliminated from the face team. Except for a prolonged period where Eddie played the face in peril, the faces pretty much dominated this 15 minute match. Carlito never took part in the match & Cena did almost as little. As short & relatively unexciting as the match was, it fit the style of the classic 4 on 4 format to a large extent. Angle was great, while Reigns & Jindrak tried. If anything, this match suffered due to the unfortunate timing of Carlito's shoulder injury, but once they announced Cena's return, the match had to go ahead as planned. The rating is a little nice, but I felt this was still a decently entertaining old-style elimination match. Match Rating...7

THE UNDERTAKER defeated HEIDENREICH: Way better than anyone could have expected. A very slow opening, but the match gathered steam as Heidenreich felt a little more comfortable in the ring. Fortunately, he didn't do anything too badly, while 'Taker was his usual self. Decent big man match which did a good job of storytelling, by actually making us believe that Heidenreich was some sort of a chance to win, with some well-performed near falls. At 16 minutes in length though, there is no doubt that this was 5-7 minutes too long. Kudos should also be given to Tazz, Cole, Heyman & the referee, who did the little things to make the match look better than what it probably was. Match Rating...5

TRISH STRATUS defeated LITA by Disqualification to Retain the Women's Title: I'm tempted to completely leave this match out of the PPV rating. The match itself only lasted 1 minute & all up (including entrances) only 5 minutes was used up. It's sort of a shame as the intensity here was probably the greatest ever seen in a women's match. Furthermore, you could just see a character change in Lita developing. Obviously though, this was totally a storyline match & that should be considered. Somehow, Lita comes out a stronger face & Trish a stronger heel, because of this (for want of a better word) match. So it was effective in a few ways. How do you rate a match like this!?!?!? Match Rating...5

JOHN BRADSHAW LAYFIELD defeated BOOKER T to Retain the WWE Championship: Inconsistent bout that looked really ordinary at some stages, yet excellent at others. Good intensity to begin with, but fairly quickly became a plodding mish-mash of a nothing match. That was until Booker found another gear, got the crowd involved, and genuinely looked like a main eventer. Ref bumps & run-ins meant the finish was overbooked, but at least it kept up the excitement all the way through to the ending at the 15 minute mark. No classic, but I really liked the stronger points of this match. Let's hope Booker can get his title win next month. Match Rating...7

RANDY ORTON, CHRIS JERICHO, MAVEN & CHRIS BENOIT defeated TRIPLE H, EDGE, GENE SNITSKY & BATISTA: Orton's push continues as he was the sole survivor here, pinning Edge & Triple H with an RKO each at the end. Predominantly entertaining, despite some questionable booking. I get the feeling there may be a bigger picture though, so it's definitely forgivable to some extent. Plus, those eliminated early in this 24 minute match, were made to look strong just before their eliminations. Could have been better in so many ways, but at the end of the day, it was sufficiently intriguing, intense, well-performed & entertaining. Match Rating...7

PPV RATING (48/70) = 69

Looking at the key, I have given Survivor Series a 'B' grade & have said that it was a 'Good event that was worth the money'. Right on, if I do say so myself. I actually cannot believe that this ppv has come in for a bit of a hammering around the internet. But I believe that some of that displeasure may have been due to some questionable results, rather than the matches themselves. Yes, JBL & Spike are still champs. Yes, the 'Taker match went way too long & the women's match never really eventuated. Yes, Orton's push gets bigger by the day. However, the matches were all quite good. The 2 openers were both excellent, while both 4 on 4 elimination matches were fairly well put together. Definitely an event which could have been better, but was still fairly good. In my opinion, this is indeed a contender for pay-per-view of the year.


DESSERT - Book Review

Hollywood Hulk Hogan

I know this isn't the most timely review ever, but I do believe books are one thing that don't necessarily have to be enjoyed as they come out. In fact, I really don't see the point of paying top dollar for a new hardback when the reading can be over with fairly quickly & the reusable value low. I'd much rather wait for the discounted paperback versions, and let's be honest, wrestling books tend to get discounted by some stores quite quickly.

I had the pleasure of reading this book while I was on vacation & the first thing that sticks out about it is it's easiness to read. The book is almost too easy to read, to be honest. That can sometimes be a good thing, but sometimes is a bad thing. It was somewhere in between here. The paperback version I had was 453 pages long & had 70 chapters. Don't let the page length fool you though. The print was large & many pages had pictures (pretty ordinary & repetitive ones). It was more like reading a 250-300 page book & I got through it in less than 10 hours in total!!!

The first few paragraphs are the usual 'growing up' stories. Hogan's childhood was quite interesting & the book relays it well. He talks about growing up in Tampa, his family, his bowling, baseballing & guitar playing exploits. He mentions that he was pretty fat & was never a ladies man. He states that he was always a wrestling fan & when he chanced upon meeting some wrestlers at a gym, while trying to lose weight, he had to quit college & give it a go.

Hogan mentions how his trainer, Hiro Matsuda, broke a bone in his leg during an early training session, but he still was able to overcome this & become a wrestler. His first match was a 20 minute time limit draw against B Brian Blair. Not long after though, he quit wrestling as there was not enough money coming in. He helped run a gym & club instead. However, he could not resist the temptation of getting back into it when 'Superstar' Billy Graham offered Hogan & Ed Leslie (Brutus Beefcake) a job in the Pensacola/Alabama territory.

Hogan got the 'Hulk' nickname after inadvertently showing up Lou Ferrigno on a talk show & he started to make a name for himself on the independent circuit. Unfortunately, he still wasn't happy with the money (& the fast-paced lifestyle), so he worked on the docks. That is, until Terry Funk called him & told him that Vince McMahon Sr wanted to see him in New York. Hogan took a job with the WWF & started as a heel managed by 'Classy' Freddy Blassie. Things were going well there & he even became big in a few short tours of Japan.

Then a big turning point came when Sylvester Stallone offered Hogan a part in Rocky 3. Hogan accepted the part, but Vince Sr did not agree & stated that Hogan "would never work for him again". Hogan filmed the movie & went to wrestle in AWA, where he was being cheered as a heel. Hogan became a huge star in the AWA, but owner Verne Gagne wanted more & more unreasonable things. So when Vince McMahon Jr offered him a 10 year contract, Hogan was back in New York.

Hogan goes on to tell entertaining stories about Vince, Bob Backlund, Andre The Giant, Jesse Ventura & Harley Race. Furthermore, he talks about the WrestleMania era & what it meant for professional wrestling. Some of the stories involving Mr T are absolutely hilarious to read. It's scary that WrestleMania almost never went ahead because of Mr T. Possibly the best parts of the whole book though are all of Hogan's reminiscing about Andre The Giant. He especially goes into detail around WrestleMania 3.

Hogan then goes on to talk about the phenomena that he was, various movies such as No Holds Barred, Gremlins 2, Suburban Commando & Mr Nanny. He also speaks on the "Rock 'n' Wrestling" cartoon where his voice was done by Brad Garrett from 'Everybody Loves Raymond'. From here, he continues to speak on such superstars as Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior, Sgt Slaughter & Ric Flair. He obviously speaks about steroids & the case against Vince McMahon. That case sure did put a strain on what was previously a strong relationship between the two. This uncoincidentally leads into Hogan's last years with the WWF, where Vince was always looking for the next star to replace Hogan.

From here, Hogan went into television with his show 'Thunder In Paradise'. It was filmed at DisneyWorld, which is where WCW also filmed their tv shows at the time. This is where Flair asked him to join their ranks, and he eventually agreed. From here, Hogan discusses his ongoing problems with Jesse Ventura & his early face days in WCW. Obviously, the 1996 heel turn is discussed in good detail. He goes on to talk about people such as Ted Turner, Eric Bischoff, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Vince Russo, George Foreman, Dennis Rodman, Jay Leno, Karl Malone, Bill Goldberg & Bret Hart. Toward the end of the book, he gives his opinions on what sunk WCW, his many injuries, his WCW contracts & his return to Vince McMahon & the WWE.

Overall, the book is an enjoyable & easy read. Hogan does not go into huge detail about many things & that does become annoying at times. You just know there is more under the surface than what the book tells. Hogan himself, comes off a little bit too much like a know-it-all, as sometimes you get the feeling that he tries to claim credit for every successful thing that the WWE & WCW did (except for The Undertaker). Where the book does succeed is when Hogan seems to enjoy telling us about something. The stories concerning Andre, Mr T & Dennis Rodman for example. Furthermore, he does tell us what he was making in WCW, which you have to read to believe. Even if you hate reading, this book is so easy to get through, that I would recommend it. But it's content is unfortunately nowhere near up to the standards of other wrestling books.


Ok, that's about it for edition #108 of 'The Wrestling Menu'. I hope it was an interesting read. I am really interested as to what you thought of Survivor Series. Furthermore, do you think we could see the crazy return of Pepe!?!?!? As per usual, I will reply to all feedback. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com

Next Wednesday in 'The Wrestling Menu', I will revisit my 'Rookie Rankings' from the previous 2 years, and also look forward to the future of the 2004 rookies. The crop doesn't look as good this year!!! Look out for what is bound to be an argument-raising 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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