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Submitted by Wevv Mang on Sunday, February 26, 2006 at 9:29 PM EST
Ridin’ With The Bossman – The Booker T Factor Greetings! Welcome to another edition of Ridin’ With The Bossman! The manifesto for revolution in the Philippines. In case you missed it, there’s been some “unrest” in the Philippines, where WWE is scheduled to have two shows Friday and Saturday. Here’s part of what the AP press had to say: Arroyo, who has survived two coup tries and numerous other crises during five tumultuous years in power, imposed a state of emergency Friday after the military's top brass announced they had stymied a plot by disgruntled troops to join demonstrations called to demand the president resign. The president has said the declaration was needed to prevent a breakdown in law and order. But imposing it was a dangerous move in a country still sensitive to threats to democracy long after Marcos' strongman rule. The Filipino people ousted a dictator once, we can overthrow another tyrant again," said the militant Workers' Party. The government canceled commemorations of the "people power" anniversary. Shortly after Arroyo declared the state of emergency, riot police quickly used force to disperse two protests. They arrested 25 people, including political commentator Randy David, a respected professor who has asked Arroyo to resign. The military has played major roles in two "people power" revolts and has a recent history of restiveness, so Arroyo also ordered a security clampdown, with military camps barricaded to keep troops from joining demonstrations. Military chiefs said that they backed Arroyo and that they had eased the threat of a coup, but hadn't wiped it out completely. Former Education Secretary Florencio Abad urged people to resist what he called growing repression of basic rights. "My fear is this is going to isolate this government further and it will force ... Arroyo to rely more and more on extreme reactionary elements of (the) military," Abad said. ? That ain’t good. Now there was a link floating around from some Philipino newspapers about the Raw event, and apparently they made it out OK. But man, that’s a scary situation. It’s not a war, and in a way, that’s worse. It’s rioting. Where any large gathering of people can turn into chaos at any time, for no reason. So, if you want to read about how much Philipinos love Snitsky, you can click these two links, which I am blatantly giving credit to Meltzer and the Wrestling Observer newsite for providing. Snitsky Loves Pizza Nice JR mention. He don’t work there no more. And click this one for fun. Crazy ain't it? Just for comparison’s sake, here’s ticket prices for the Rolling Stones tour. Holy fuck! $9,000 for front row floor seats at the LA Forum! DAMN! That really puts things in perspective. I mean, you could FLY to another city, and stay for a week and see a Stones concert. LA isn’t the only place they’re playing. Oh, and Stu, thanks for the offer man. I’m sure it would shock WWE to see a “Got Sandwich?” sign overseas. Well, let’s talk some TV shall we? WWE TV – The Series No Way Out Recap Info provided by Carl Walsh I didn’t see the PPV, but I did see the recap. Here’s what you need to know. - Sugar Shane Helms won, still Cruiserweight Champion - Matt Hardy’s mystery partner was Tatanka. - Benoit beat Booker T, is now US Champion - Randy Orton beat Rey Mysterio - Angle beat Undertaker So, that’s the PPV in a nutshell. Some big surprises, not the least of them Undertaker actually doing the job. Te abrupt end of the Mysterio-Orton angle is a surprise as well, as they still had so much more they could do to bury the memory of Eddie. But then again, if you’re going to put him in the Hall Of Fame, maybe disgracing his contributions is not such a good idea. Bradshaw beating Lashley is not a surprise, and I think it was the right thing to do. Lashley has a bright future. Batista made an appearance, and said he is going to take back his World Title. Nicely done. Still, no regrets on missing the show. Raw Recap info provided by Carl Walsh We start things off with a recap from last week. Ashley vs Victoria vs Maria vs Mickie vs Candice vs Torrie Wow, all the chicks, well, almost all the chicks. Trish comes out to stand at ringside. I’ve been noticing that a lot lately. Just about all the shows have a match where some one comes out to stand and watch a match and that’s all they do. Well, this time I could care less, as hot chicks equals Wevvy’s attention. Match itself was not a technical masterpiece, and was sloppy as hell at times, but it entertained, and the Playboy feud is in full swing. Ashley apparently broke her leg after a bad landing coming over the top rope. Man, that sucks. Candace had something to say at the end, and I think it was “I’m hot” but I’m not sure. Trish was about to speak, and then, Edge came out. -It’s been what? Months since Trish has returned? And she never gets to say anything. Come on, let Trish speak. Edge Speaks Edge talks tough, and now, it’s no longer Mickie who’s nuts, but Edge as well. He blames Foley for doing something, I’m not sure what. Making the count? Eh. It’s some goofy reason, with a lot of energy behind it. But Edge challenges Foley to a match at SummerSlam. Oh wait, Wrestleania, but it could be SummerSlame, since there is a LONG TIME TO GO STILL. But tonight, Edge will beat the piss out of Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Hacksaw comes out and Edge does indeed, beat the crap out of Hacksaw. Big Show Speaks. RVD Speaks, H Speaks It was a running theme for the main event. Each guy got to look at some one off camera and speak to them. Who? No idea. But the speeches were solid. Only H had the presence of mind to tilt his head a bit to include the viewers at home. He even turned his head fully, under the guise of flipping his hair, but it was something that formed a connection with the viewers, who were undoubtedly wondering ‘Who is he talking to”. -What’s funnier, is that there was a commercial right after RVD’s spot, which had a similar looking backdrop. This was a commercial for some one who had suffered serous head trauma, and it blended right into the segment. Hilarious. Kane vs Masters Not a bad match. Kane picks up the win, but Masters has his revenge with slapping the Masterlock on Kane. And before Kane can break it, though he did a great job of teasing it, Masters throws him to the floor. Nice. Shelton vs Flair Solid match. Shelton wins, and finally, the IC Title is back on TV. Well, this week. Spirit Squad vs HBK HBK gets to beat up four people. Spirit Squad showed they have some good moves, but it wasn’t enough. HBK wins by DQ. Four people. Lost. And then Marty Jannety returns and makes the post during the post match beat down. OK. Carlito vs Jobber Great segment. Really good. Carlito beats up the jobber, all the while talking on the mic about how he’s going to win Money In The Bank. Damn straight this guy should win. Yeah, a real eye opener for Carlito fence sitters. He’s ready. Vince Marty gets a chance to join the Kiss My Ass Club. Nice. Big Show vs H vs RVD H wins, as just about everyone thought he would. Still, a solid match. Nice work folks. Decent show. Lots of good building, and some not so good building. Fair amount of wrestling. But there is one thing I would like to comment on in the OAW. Nothing serious, but just some thoughts. Smackdown Recap info provided by Chad Matthews Randy Orton Speaks He says “I told you so” and then Chavo ATTCKS! YES! Chavo has jumped from Raw to Smackdown! It’s happening in three-week cycles now folks. Unification cannot be stopped. Chavo gets carted off while saying “You forgot about ME!”. Actually, the end was much better than the middle and beginning. Go get ‘em Chavo. MNM vs Matt Hardy and Tatanka Man, poor Matt Hardy. Tatanka didn’t look horrible, and did look good at some points, likes once or twice. Still it’s Tatanka. The only reason he’s on TV is because needs more people to put into this year’s Hall of Fame. Oh, and MNM win, by a fluke. How’s that for protecting your tag team champions? Regal and Burchill Regal says that Paul is embarrassing himself and Regal by pretending to be a pirate, without actually doing anything piratey. Like saying “Arrggghhh, matey!” or even “Avast ye land lubber!”. No, he gives Regal a bomb, and goes Boom. Oh, and Regal is apparently sexy and some one backstage has a crush on him Boogeyman vs The Just Fired Dicks Yep, Boogey mania is hitting an all time low for this Boogey Fan. It’s just not the same. The worms are old news. Where’s the goofy ass crazy promos? I mean, everyone else is getting these intense and wacky promos, but not the guy who needs them? Wackiness is what the guy is all about. Well, that and worms, apparently. Oh, and Boogey wins. Wrestling is the last thing this guy should be doing on a frequent basis. Teddy and Rey Eddie Guerrero is going into the Hall Of Fame. Rey is happy. But sad that he let Eddie down. That he lost. That he now represents the fact that winning the Royal Rumble now means absolutely nothing. Rey apologized for being the victim of absolutely horrible booking and worse writing. But then Teddy appeared and made everything mean even less, by saying that Rey will face Angle and Orton at Wrestlemania for the Title, and since I don’t think Orton is going to win the belt off Angle any time soon, and that Rey certainly isn’t going to win the belt off Angle any time soon, that Angle will stay champion until WM. YAY! Because Vince woke up today and thought “Hey, we’ve been raping Eddie’s legacy since a week after he died and maybe fans are tired of it. I know, we’ll put him in the Hall of Fame!”. The some one asked Vince “ What about Rey?“ and Vince replied “Who?” - On a positive note, in FIVE WEEKS, THIRTY-FIVE DAYS, there will be a good match for WM. Krystal Speaks She says she’s a hot chick. Jillian came out and said she’s a hot chick. Clothing was removed, and everything was good. Greggy Helms vs Psychosis Good match. Started out slow, but picked up near the end, and ended with a sudden pinfall. Still the bookers seem to be gaining confidence with the cruisers and seem to be granting them more leeway in what they are allowed to do in the ring. More highflying and more crazy moves, and less reliance on punchy-punchy-kick. In other words, the cruisers are moving towards what folks always thought the division SHOULD be, as opposed to what the division actually WAS. Smaller guys copying larger guys moves. Small means fast. Anyhoo, its shaping up. JBL, Fit Finley, and Randy Orton vs Rey, Benoit, and Lashley Solid match. Good stuff top to bottom. I’m amazed that Finlay keeps nailing guys with the ring apron. It’s a tough spot to do, and after all the broken legs from getting caught on the apron, I thought they wouldn’t allow it. But he keeps being spot on. Fit Finlay is a solid wrestler as well. Good stiff technical. One note, JBL broke his hand in the match, I think when it got trapped behind the ring steps and Benoit kicked them. JBL had surgery this week, and placed the blame on Benoit for the incident. Rey got the pin. Well that was Smackdown, and it was pretty good. Definitely trying to find it’s footing, but still some solid angles, chugging away nicely. Yep, WWE is trying to line up their ducks for the big show, Wrestlemania. And Saturday Night Main Event, which will be a joint show, surprise, surprise. Still, 35 days to go for the one, and 20 for the other. TNA Impact Recap courtesy of BC,- who also writes a column called Volume One I missed Impact this Saturday. So all I'm going off of is recaps and plan to tape the Monday replay. Did you know that Christian got the big belt? I did. That makes me happy. Good for him, and I have full confidence he can carry that belt with style. That being said, Bangkok- HAHAHA! Oh, that’s hilarious. Nice one! Viewing Party – Is it of a Gail Kim Sex tape? I sure hope so. I’d actually BUY that one. On second thought, I think she’s still dating a Basham, so I’d probably not buy it, but I would download it. Ron Killings Speaks -And Raps! Get Rowdy Yo! Get ROWDY!! Wait, wait wait. Slutty maid outfit? SHARKBOY! Now I‘m really pissed I missed this show. And that the fate of my watching this show rests in the hands of Spike. Torrents, here I come. - Look TNA, you’re building an angle around a 65-year-old guy. With guys trying to act street. Bullet Bob Armstrong? Come on. Let Homicide run him off the road and set his car on fire. THEN you have an angle. Gail and Jackie share a “moment”. Oh, and there’s some good wrestling on the show too. So be sure to check it out Monday at Midnight or is it 11PM? It could even be 1 AM, I don’t know, but I’m going to make an effort to find out. Not Kane’s House The crowd is still on their feet, giving Brett Hart a standing ovation as he makes his way backstage. Tears are in his eyes, and he clutches the Hall Of Fame plaque tightly. But a sense of peace hangs around him. As he reaches the wings, a group of techs is waiting, along with some big names. Kevin Dunn: That was amazing Brett! I’m so glad you decided to come! Brett: Thanks! You know, I had my misgivings, but I’m really happy to finally put this behind me. Kevin: So are we Brett. Are you sure you don’t want to take part in ‘Mania? WE have a great idea- Brett: No thanks. Look, I appreciate this chance you’ve given me, but I really don’t feel comfortable taking part- Brett keeps speaking, while Kevin nods and smiles. With one hand out of sight of Brett, he makes a signal. Suddenly, a faint “Phoomp!” is heard and an innocent production assistant standing next to Brett sprouts a dart from her neck. The hapless assistant crumples to the ground. From the darkness, a voice is heard. Vince: DAMMIT JOHNNY! YOU MISSED! CAN’T YOU DO ANYTHING RIGHT? Johnny: These blowguns isn’t easy to work you know! Brett: What was that? Something just flew by my ear! And what happened to her? Did I just hear Vince? Kevin: You must be imagining things. Listen Brett, we really, really, really want you to be at Wrestlemania. Would you at least sit at ringside? Brett: No Kev. I just want to go back to my hotel room and think about things. It’s been a very emotional night for me and – URK! A dart is suddenly embedded in Bret’s shoulder. He looks Kevin Dunn in the eye and a question forms on his lips, but he collapses before saying a word. LATER Bret wakes up in a strange place, propped up in a chair. It’s dark and hazy, but there is plenty of noise. He can’t make out any words, but it sounds like a large mob is nearby. Suddenly, a voice comes over a loudspeaker. Voice: Please Welcome BRET HART!!! A spotlight stabs out of the darkness and hits Bret. Bret instinctively shades his eyes, but he can do nothing about the roar of the crowd. Bret: What the? A large arm circles Bret Hart’s shoulders and steadies him. Vince: Smile and Wave to the people Bret! Smile and Wave! Bret: Where am I? Through the fog of Bret’s clarity returns. Bret is at Wrestlemania. And Vince is hugging him. Bret: NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! Bret wakes up in his bed, sweat streaming form his brow, and the lingering scream in his throat. Cinzia: Bret – a honey, you ah OK? Bret: yes dear. Just a nightmare. Cinzia: Oh that’s a too bad! You wanta I a make a you some a spaghetti and a meatballs? Maybe a nice rigatoni? Bret: No thanks dear. I’ll just go back to sleep. Cinzia: Bret, a dahling, have a you given any a thought to a taking a part in a Vince’s great angle? I ah heard he a going to a bring a back Sunny for it! Bret: What the? Bret flicks on the bed side night light and sees that his lovely wife is actually Vince McMahon in a wig. Bret: NOOOOOOO!!!! Bret wakes up again. His heart is pounding and he’s drenched in sweat. He quickly turns on the light, and wakes up his wife. Who rolls over with a groan. Bret gets out of bed and checks underneath it. He sits back on the bed and cradles his head in his hands. Bret: Just a dream! That’s all it was, just a dream.. From the hallway leading to Bret’s bedroom, a group of figures quietly backs away. One of them starts to move to the bedroom door, but a quick grab of the arm stops him. Creature: No Boogey! Not now! Our master commands us to be away! There will be another day! Yes, and another night! You’re going to get him, but not now…. The End…or is it? Over-Analyzing Wrestling Today’s Topic: Talking To The Fans I had a request from a reader asking me to clarify my comments on Booker T’s announcing abilities. He said he couldn’t stand Booker T in the booth and wondered what I liked about him. Which does bring up a minor grumble from the some net fans about the state of the announcing on WWE. It’s a sentiment that I echo. The Raw announcing team has not been good, but on the flip side, they haven’t really been horrible either. Joey Styles has been neutered, and I can remember back to ECW One Night Stand when he was truly excellent. I also recall his first few appearances on Raw, and he was good then. But right now, the announcers are stepping all over each other and creating a mire that is hard to escape from. Coach is spouting lines that would work better coming from Joey and Joey is stepping on King’s lines, and King is just kinda there. Not really doing anything. On Smackdown, Tazz and Cole are good, but have problems actually calling the matches. Way too much sports entertainment makes it’s way into the play calling. Which leads into what I liked about Booker T calling the match. Booker was watching the match. He was paying attention. He had energy. He called the moves, and gave a reason for why they hurt. From personal experience no less. Booker was just a fan, watching a good match, and telling his friends, the viewers about what was going on. He worked in his angle, but his focus was the match. That type of enthusiasm is what Joey Styles used to have when calling a match. Back in the glory days of ECW, and what new fans got to see on One Night Stand. A guy who actually liked wrestling, and could talk about it. Now, it seems that zingers and angle enhancement comments are all that happens. It’s no longer about what is happening right in front of the announcers, but all the stuff backstage, and what’s coming up next, and isn’t H the greatest thing alive today? Sorry, that last part slipped out from habit. That’s where it all started. Kissing H’s ass. Now, they spread it around, but it’s not actually helping anything, just watering down everything. That’s why I liked Booker when he was announcing. He was having fun, and it came through in his commentary. He had good delivery, and he knew what he was talking about, even if he got the wrong words, it didn’t matter to me, because I was right there with him and knew what he was trying to say. Booker T made a connection with this fan and viewer. Now Coach, well, Coach ain't that good on announcing. As a character he’s solid. But three guys in the booth are too much. I haven’t paid that much attention to TNA, but I do think that Mike Tenay is damn good, and the other goofs get blown away by him. That’s how you manage a three-man booth. One guy just flat out calls the action and the other two chime in with comments. Occasionally. Not constantly. Eh, I need to watch more TNA to give a more accurate account. Tenay could be buried in Don “ I’ve been drinkin’ since 8 o’clock this morning! WHOOO!” West. Back to the point, even though Booker was the third man in the booth, he handled most of the action and he and Tazz had some good dialog. Both wrestlers watching a good match. Cole had to but in and try to push an angle, and that was the drawback. Cole can speak, but man, he just sounds like a shill. Like a baseball announcer trying to make a guy standing there doing nothing sound exciting, by throwing out stats left and right. So, that’s why I liked Booker. He had personality and a pulse. That’s almost it for today. Just a few thoughts that weren’t strong enough to make an OAW out of. Yet. ECW II – One Night Only Again The announcement has been made. At a house show no less. Paul E set foot in an honest to goodness WWE ring and told the masses. ECW is coming back. And what exactly are they going to do to top the first one? The novelty is still strong, but it’s not what it was. Will it be more WWE than before? Also, why announce it at a house show? That is an interesting question. But the news got out. It spread. Many thought it might be coming, but there it was and boy, it made an impact. Good thing Paul E is down in development. A Bigger Announcement Drug Testing. It’s about to happen. You may have noticed changes in some of your favorite wrestlers. A little smaller, a little less ripped, whatever. And a major announcement is going to be made at Raw tomorrow night. Everyone has to be there. Smackdown as well. So, this is it folks. Either it’s to announce the beginning of the drug testing or it could be to make every single wrestler pay homage to the Unborn Child Of Steph and H Who Will Rule the WORLD! I’m sure the net will be buzzing Tuesday morning. Some people do sleep you know. And that wraps it up. QUICK PLUGS! LOP Forums! LOP Columns Forum The PWA, best E-Fed on the net, period. DVD Fanatic, the Ultimate DVD Resource Feeling Creative? Check out The Project. They're looking for submissions. Until next Time, Thanks For Readin’ and Thanks For Ridin’ Wevv Mang mrwevv@mac.com *NEW GALLERY* Hot Photos of Shawn Michaels' Wife Rebecca!!
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