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Submitted by Morpheus on Saturday, September 24, 2005 at 7:08 PM EST
 Volume Forty-Five – Carpe Diem 09/24/2005 Welcome, Dreamers, to the Forty-Fifth Edition of Enter The Dream Realm. I am Morpheus, Master of the Dreaming, and I will be your guide through this land of Nightmares and Dreamscapes. Holy fuckles, has it ever been a crazy week in the life of the Dream Master. Tuesday was my 2nd wedding anniversary, and I had a great time with the little Mrs., doing the presents, dinner, and movie thing. By the way, Cry_Wolf was a great flick, even if we did see it in the little ghetto theater in Port Jeff. Wednesday marked our 6 year anniversary since we started dating, so again, much fun was to be had. Then, it got into major crunch time at work, and I was wrapped up in data handling and meetings for the last two days of the week. Spending so much time away from the internet this week hasn’t given me much time to breathe, but I promise my responses to the feedback I have received for the last column will be going out in the immediate future, once I finish this column. The next few weeks are looking to be very busy as well, in the good sort of way. You all know that my usual posting day is Saturday, and for the next several weeks I have weddings to go to every Saturday! This means that there will likely be a week or two where I will have to miss posting a column, but with any luck I will be able to get one up on another day during the week. I do promise that you all will not go more than two weeks without hearing from me in some fashion; you can bank on that. Work is also picking up some speed again, and things are getting really heavy, which is how I like it. I’m one of those assholes that work best under pressure, so I say Bring It On, mother fuckers! Anyhow, enough banter, it’s time to get to it. Hopefully you will find this Forty-Fifth sojourn through the Dream Realm both enlightening and entertaining. So, without any further ado, let the Dreams begin!  - The shenanigans that ensued following Flair’s Intercontinental Title victory at Unforgiven were priceless and proved that Flair still has what it takes to be great outside of the ring. When he first loaded the girls into the limo and whipped out the bottle of pills, I thought he was going to be putting a dash of Rohypnol into their drinks, but it turned out to be an even funnier Viagra joke instead. Every time the camera went backstage to that limo, we were in for a treat. Until we saw his ass. That was brutal. - It shan’t be long now, fellow members of the One Warrior Nation! The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior DVD is slated for release this coming Tuesday, and I am psyched as all fuck for this thing to arrive. I pre-ordered my copy from WWE.com, so it’s coming with little gay Warrior bracelets as a free gift! I am thinking about burning the bracelets in effigy as I watch the WWE do the same to the Warrior’s illustrious career in this DVD, which will no doubt go down as the best DVD ever, and that’s including Showgirls! - Last week, there was a news item that told us of an idea presented to Vince McMahon about developing a character based on comedian Dave Chappelle. While Vince at first had no idea who they were talking about, upon viewing some footage he was said to be in favor of the idea. Mark my words, people. Three to six months from now, we are going to see Orlando Jordan coming out with braids and beads spouting “I’m Rick James, Bitch!” and calling Booker T “Darkness.” The comedy just writes itself. - They have really stacked the RAW Homecoming show with a slew of top stars from the present and past, but I must say that perhaps the oddest addition is the one I am most looking forward to: Koko B. Ware. At first I was thinking how strange it was that they chose to end the list of huge stars to be featured at the event with the name Koko B. Ware, but then I realized fuck that. I get to see the Birdman one more time! Ten bucks says he jobs to Rob Conway.  Carpe Diem Last Saturday night, Ring of Honor wrestling put on a show down here on Long Island, a mere 5 minutes from Stony Brook University where I work. When I first found out about this show, I was stoked. I haven’t been to a live wrestling event since the RAW taping the night after WrestleMania XI. Yes, that was the one where Psycho Sid powerbombed Shawn Michaels straight to hell. I have about 20 ROH DVD’s, have downloaded a lot of stellar matches from this promotion, and I have yet to see anything that was less than great come out of ROH. So, since it had been a decade since the last time I had seen any wrestling live and in person, me and my boy BC looked into the details of this show. They had put together an absolutely stacked card with a lot of my favorite ROH wrestlers on it, the capstone of which was the ROH World Title match that featured James Gibson (Jamie Noble) defending against American Dragon Bryan Danielson. News reports here on LOP had stated that Noble has re-signed with the WWE, so it was only a matter of time before he would drop the title to return to McMahon-Land. This night looked to be as good a night as any to do it, especially considering the fact that Am Drag has been one of ROH’s top performers since its inception. My anticipation for this event grew even greater, and I was really looking forward to seeing this go down first hand. I began contacting a bunch of friends about attending the show down here with me, and all together got a group of about 10 people who were on board and ready for a great night of wrestling here on the Godforsaken Island of Long. In the weeks leading up to the event, I found that I could score us all 2nd row seats for the event, putting us right up close for all the action, and my excitement grew even more. Then, over the next several days, people began backing out. Things came up in the real world that unfortunately prevented people from making the trip down to see the show. Soon, the group of ten had dwindled down to two, and eventually to just one. Me. I thought long and hard about the show, because I was really excited about seeing it, but I wasn’t very into the idea of having to go alone. I’ve never been a big fan of crowds, which is one of the main reasons that I always try to get groups of people together whenever I go to do something like this. Eventually, I succumbed to my mild case of agoraphobia and decided not to attend the show that I was looking so forward to. Later that night, I was talking to BC online from his humble abode in Central Florida, and he informed me that there had been a title change at the ROH show, and Danielson was in fact the new ROH World Champion. Needless to say I was kicking myself really hard over this one, and considered punching myself in the dick for my transgression of idiocy. There is definitely truth to the old adage that says that when opportunity knocks, you should not hesitate to answer. It knocked at my door, and I failed to answer it, and I found myself regretting it afterwards. My time as a wrestling fan should have taught me this lesson well, especially my tenure as an internet-savvy fan. How many times have we seen opportunity come knocking in the WWE, or TNA for that matter, only to see them fail to answer the call? I would venture to say that there have been quite a few. Just in the few years since I have begun watching wrestling again, I have seen many instances where the WWE have been presented with a golden opportunity to make something huge out of a particular circumstance, and they have simply failed to capitalize on it, no doubt regretting it in the long run. There are many instances to which I can refer that illustrate this point very well. For example, take the case of my favorite tag team in the history of wrestling, The BookDust. Here is a team that was getting more and more over with the fans with each passing week, and was really coming together as a very cohesive unit in the ring. Instead of giving them a good push at the tag titles and capitalizing on their growing popularity, they were put into an angle where they lost every major match and eventually broke up, giving Goldust an electrocution-induced form of Tourette’s before firing him, and pushing Booker T back into a losing streak in the midcard (which I will come back to). Then there are two ECW alums who could have done great things in the WWE, but were never really given the chance. First, there was Tazz, who entered the WWE with a great deal of fanfare and a massive reaction from the crowd. This man could easily have been a World Title contender on any given night, and had proven his worth as such in ECW for many years. While he did have a few Hardcore Title reigns and a Tag Title run with Spike Dudley, the only real opportunity he had to shine in the WWE was an ill-fated and prematurely-squashed feud with Steve Austin during the Alliance angle that the fans were chomping at the bit for, only to have it fizzle out into nothingness. He became a full-time announcer shortly thereafter, and never got the recognition he deserved. Second, we had Raven, who was also an ECW god that was never given a real shot in the WWE despite his immense popularity. Perhaps they were too caught up on the memory of Johnny Polo… Anyway, Raven was a staple of the doomed Hardcore Division in the WWE, winning that title 26 times while it was still in existence. Unfortunately, despite his near-iconic popularity with ECW fans and WWE fans alike, he was eventually on the losing end of a match that stipulated he could never again wrestle on RAW, and made Sunday Night Heat his new home for a time, before eventually being dropped by the WWE. TNA then made the mistake of following in the footsteps of the WWE and not capitalizing on Raven’s cult status and massive overness. That is, until recently, when he was finally given a run with the NWA World Title. Of course, then he lost it to JJJ at a house show, so it seems that Raven may be in limbo once again. There is another man who is very near and dear to my heart that was also given the shaft during his stint with the WWE. He was given a shitty gimmick as punishment, and managed to turn it around into one of the greatest gimmicks ever, garnering a huge amount of fan support in the process. That man was Perry Saturn. His punch-drunk schtick was some of the most classic comedic material I have ever seen in wrestling, or anywhere for that matter, and he really rose in popularity during this time. Unfortunately, instead of capitalizing on the burgeoning success of this gimmick, they had Raven put Moppy in the wood chipper, and Saturn was gone from the WWE shortly thereafter. Whenever I think back about wrestling from around that time, I find myself really missing Perry Saturn. They really did miss the boat with him. Eye Hart Yew, Pary!!@21 Out of all the instances that I can recall where the WWE simply did not answer the call when opportunity came knocking, there are three men who stand out in my mind as perhaps the biggest blown opportunities, in part because they have been passed over multiple times. First, we have Booker T. This guy came into the WWE during the Invasion angle as the WCW Champion, and was an instant hit with the crowd. Whether playing the part of the face or the heel, he has always been able to get the crowd to react to him the way they are supposed to. Every time this man begins to pick up some momentum, the fans seemingly unite behind him, and every time he is summarily shut down by the WWE. He has been given a couple of good world title pushes since he got here, and every time the fan support has been huge, but every time he comes up short and gets pushed right back down the card. For a wrestler as talented as he is both in the ring and on the mic, this is a damn shame indeed. The second man of this unfortunate trinity is Rob Van Dam. When he came in during the Invasion angle, it was obviously clear to anyone who was paying attention that this man was arguably the most popular star on the roster. The fans would go absolutely apeshit every time RVD walked down to the ring, and with good reason. He was a unique performer that was always capable of putting on a hell of a show for the fans. He did end up getting a small world title push early on, but since then has been relegated mainly to the midcard. He has proven time and again that he is capable and worthy of a run with the World Title, yet he never seems to get the chance to shine in that capacity. It is astounding how many times he has been passed over by the WWE if for no other reason than the reactions of the live crowds whenever he appears before them. The third man of this triple threat is one who has tasted gold in the WWE, but not nearly as many times as he should, and that is Chris Jericho. Y2J did get a good solid push for a while in the final stages of the Alliance angle and the couple of months following, winning the WCW Championship from The Rock, and going on the become the first ever, and longest reigning, WWE Undisputed Champion in history. Unfortunately, the reign which was long-awaited and well-earned quickly turned sour when the focus of his championship feud was focused less on him and more on Stephanie McMahon. When he began his feud with HHH, things were all good until he was forced to take a backseat role to the marital feud between Steph and Hunter, and he eventually became nothing more than Steph’s bitch. He dropped the title at WrestleMania X8, lost the rematch when HHH pinned Stephanie, and was left off of the next month’s PPV card completely. Despite constant fan support, countless show-stealing performances, and mic skills that are almost unmatched by anyone EVER, Chris Jericho didn’t get another real world title shot until these last couple of months. Sure, during those years he had a few IC Title reigns and whatnot, but he was primarily used as a way to get new up-and-coming talent over rather than as a draw in his own right. Opportunity stared the WWE in the face withY2J on MANY occasions, and they just simply failed to respond to it. Now, with all of the negative examples I have given, one might think that I am completely bashing the WWE and saying that they never seize the opportunities that have been handed to them on a silver platter. That is simply not the case, and I would be an idiot if I tried to make that claim. There have been many instances over the years where the WWE have in fact heard the knock of opportunity and answered the call, leading to great success for the wrestlers in question and the company as a whole. Back in the 80’s, the WWF was presented with the opportunity to capitalize on someone that had the potential to be a huge megastar, and they did just that, giving birth to the phenomenon that is Hulk Hogan. I have never been able to stand the guy, but he certainly had the fan support necessary to become the next big thing, and the WWF recognized that and ran with it leading to great success for both the company and the Hulkster. In the 90’s, they saw this opportunity once again in the form of Stone Cold Steve Austin. They seized this opportunity and rode that cash cow all the way to the bank as they embarked upon the biggest economic boom in wrestling history thanks to the Texas Rattlesnake. During this time, they also capitalized on the opportunities presented to them in the form of Mankind and The Rock, both of whom became top draws in the company, The Rock especially, and led the company to great success. More recently, we have seen the WWE answer the call of opportunity and capitalize on the rewards for doing so in the form of their two current world champions. Few can dispute that John Cena was one of the most over guys on the roster, and thanks to the massive support of the fans, he was finally given his push into the spotlight and became WWE Champion. He has overcome impossible odds in that time, and is being booked as near invincible, and the fans are eating up every minute of it and buying all of his merchandise. Starting somewhere around Survivor Series, building through New Year’s Revolution, reaching a fever pitch at the Royal Rumble, and climaxing just after No Way Out, the WWE fans were absolutely clambering for Batista to turn on HHH and go after his World Heavyweight Championship. The WWE took their time with a slow build to it, and pulled the trigger at the perfect moment, unleashing the Animal and creating the phenomenon of Batista that still has fans going nuts and buying his shit. These past examples show that the WWE is capable of recognizing opportunity that is presented to it, and is capable of capitalizing on it to the benefit of everyone involved. These recent examples give some hope that they have learned the lessons of their past mistakes and are not doomed to repeat them. But then we look again and see yet another example of a missed opportunity staring us right in the face: Christian. Here is a guy that was working his way up the card and into main event status on his own merit. He was getting increasingly over with the fans as the weeks went by, even so far as getting more cheers than boos despite his heel status. He had set himself up perfectly for a title feud with John Cena come Draft Lottery time, and even had a great match with him and Jericho at Vengeance for the WWE Title. Then, the next week, he was drafted to SmackDown!, and lost matches for the next three weeks, losing his momentum and being pushed back down the card. Christian was a GOLDEN opportunity that was staring the WWE right in the face, and they looked right past it and pushed it aside. If they continue his depush and don’t jump on this opportunity soon, it will very likely be far too late. I have unfortunately had to learn that hard way that if you don’t answer the call when opportunity knocks, you will definitely turn out to regret it in the long run, because it rarely knocks twice. I won’t make that mistake again, and you can be damn sure that I’ll be sitting right up front come the next ROH show down here. I can only hope that the WWE learns from its past mistakes as well and prevents the same things from happening again. With Christian currently waiting for his day in the sun, a returning RVD, and the eventual return of Chris Jericho, the WWE has been and will be getting a few visits from their good friend Opportunity. They need to great that friend with a smile and welcome it with open arms, or they will likely find themselves regretting their decisions once again. When Opportunity presents itself, it is up to us to take it. Carpe Diem. Seize The Day. Big props to my boy BC for the idea behind this one. I took it in a bit of a different direction than we discussed originally, but the core is definitely still there. Much love, bro.  - Aside from the rampant rumors that Jose Canseco may be the “celebrity with huge cross-over appeal” who will be making an appearance at WrestleMania 22, there is also a lot of gossip suggesting that Eminem may be the guy instead, perhaps engaging John Cena in a Battle Rap. I fucking hate Eminem, always have, but I could be interested in something like this provided the gloves were off. Of course, that would also be assuming that Cena hasn’t forgotten how to rap by then. Remember when he used to actually do that? Me neither. - It looks like Maven is going to be one of the “stars” on the next Surreal Life. Maven is looking for a possible big break into the entertainment industry, and feels that this just might be it. Hey, it could very well be his big break; I mean, look what it did for Chyna! - Kevin Nash has verbally agreed to a one-year deal with TNA that arranges for more than 20 television/PPV appearances, and the final contract is expected to be drawn up and signed sometime next week. I really don’t need to embellish this one at all, as Nash spending lots of time on TNA TV is a Nightmare in and of itself. Big Daddy Cool, awesome. The Silver Fox, gruesome. - WWE.com has offered the Ultimate Warrior an Open Mic on a future edition of Byte This to respond to the forthcoming DVD trashing his career. I really hope this happens, and I really hope that it is truly an open mic with no edits and no censorship. This could very well be the biggest opportunity that Warrior has had to stick his foot in his mouth since the whole “Queering don’t make the world work” incident a few months back.  As you slowly return to consciousness, the last whisperings uttered from the lips of the Dream Master encourage you to check out three particularly outstanding columns in the forums: Yeknom – The Eyes #48: Youth Gone Wild Boss Foxx – The B.M.F. Show Special Episode 109: Evolution Vs. Intelligent Design Degenerate – Struggle For Power #10: Wrestling Cycles This brings to a close this Forty-Fifth Edition of Enter The Dream Realm. Any feedback you have, as always, would certainly be greatly appreciated and can be sent to me via email at morpheusreturns@optonline.net. I hope that those of you that haven’t yet will take the time to check out some of the great writers we have in the LOP Columns Forum. Until the next time we do this, sleep well, and I’ll see you in your Dreams! Contact Me! Email: morpheusreturns@optonline.net AIM: MorpheusLOP MSN: morpheusreturns@optonline.net Yahoo: MorpheusLOP Hit me up on MySpace! All the cool kids are doing it! PLUGS!  Click here to visit pt2’s Wrestling Fan’s Hall Of Fame!!! LOP Forums LOP Columns Forum - Go check out the Extreme Column Writing Tournament and vote on who you think should win each matchup! Ring Of Honor Wrestling Viva La Movie Bar! The Bar Forums
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