DaveyBoy's Wrestling Menu - Raw Review, Hall Of Fame '06 + WM22 Main Event Truth
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 at 4:58 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #167

Welcome one and all to the 167th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

I can’t let this column go without mentioning the atrocity that occurred on LOP last week. Some columnist that goes by the title 'BC' blatantly ripped my ppv predictions topic off. I was even planning on doing a TNA predictions column the very next day. Sure, I had Ken Shamrock & Low-Ki as part of the card, but that’s not the point. In his column, BC claimed that I didn’t know him. How far from the truth can he be! You see, I am here to tell the world that BC is actually former WWE wrestler Brian Christopher. Now if I was the son of Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler, I wouldn’t advertise it either, but we don’t get to choose our parents BC. All I can say is that you will indeed be taking a trip back to 1997 when you hear from my legal representative shortly. You may know him… His name is Clarence Mason. ;-)

Another Velocity watch this week. A nice bout between Simon Dean & Super Crazy was very well complemented by the main event of MnM vs Paul London & Brian Kendrick. Why this tag-team match wasn’t on SmackDown is beyond me. It was well put together, told a nice story & was very entertaining. Seriously, if they built up London & Kendrick & made the fans care about them just a little, you would have a WrestleMania worthy match right there. Throw in The MexiCools & you may have even have a match that could steal the show!

And before I get into it, a reader of mine sent me a link of an interview that IGN recently conducted with Carlito. After writing my column about him (& his offensive repertoire) just 3 weeks ago (http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2006/articles/1140592647.php), it's great to hear that he has 100% backed up my thoughts with the following quote: I just like to surprise people. I haven't even come close to showing some of the things I can do, and that's why when I do something crazy like the flip, it surprises people, and I like that. Nobody thought I could do anything like that. I haven't even pulled out the best in my arsenal yet. I need to keep people guessing. There are a lot of moves I used to do back in Puerto Rico that I haven't showed people out here yet. People come up to me all the time and ask me when I'm going to go back to some of those moves, but I'm saving them. I'm bringing one or two out at a time, so just when you think you know everything Carlito can possibly do, I'll do one better.

So on that note where I very much proved myself correct, let's see what I can pull out of the hat today, shall we.....


APPETIZERS

WrestleMania 22 Main Event

I usually stick to my plans for my column topics, but occasionally feel the need to deviate & state what I believe to be some sort of injustice. I know I am just going to get accused of being the #1 member of the Randy Orton fan club after this topic, but that’s far from the truth & not the reason why I am writing this. This topic has emanated from a newspost that appeared on this very website in late February & has since been skewed by many people to read the way they want it to read. The title of the post was something similar to “Kurt Angle Displeased with WrestleMania 22 Main Event”. The following was basically what the post included:

A well-known wrestling newsletter reports that Kurt Angle was not pleased with WWE's decision to make his WM22 title defense a three-way match. Although Angle has no problem with Mysterio, he was looking forward to a classic one-on-one WrestleMania main-event and feels that the three way match greatly changes the dynamic. While a classic bout can be made of a triple threat match, the matches rely more on spots and create an inherent disadvantage for wrestlers looking to put on a memorable show.

For the sake of this topic, I am going to presume that this opinion is actually that of Kurt Angle. Although, whether it is or not is almost irrelevant. But let’s presume it is. I think it’s a rather clear opinion that is pretty easy to understand. That is, he thinks he could make a better match if it was a one on one bout. Now while I sort of agree with Angle theoretically, I actually disagree with it in this instance. I will attempt to explain why once I have got what I have to off my chest.

Where in the hell in that paragraph does it mention Kurt Angle’s preferred opponent? In fact, if anything it almost (but does not) imply that Angle would have preferred a singles match against Randy Orton (not Rey Mysterio). Remember that this Angle vs Orton (replacing Batista vs Orton) was the planned match-up from the beginning! But how many people, whether they be columnists, forum posters, or people that have emailed me, have completely skewed this opinion to read it the way they want it to. That is, Kurt Angle didn’t want Randy Orton in the SmackDown main event for WrestleMania!

Seriously, that’s just ridiculous. It’s like one degree of a separation. Let me mention a word at random & watch someone rubbish Randy Orton from that. Carpet… Randy Orton walked on carpet the other day & he sucks. Anyway, I think you get my point, so I won’t go on. If I did, I would probably get a million emails telling me why Orton does indeed suck. But that’s not even the issue here. The issue is that Kurt Angle’s opinion has nothing to do with Randy Orton, nor Rey Mysterio. It has to do with his feelings concerning triple threat matches as compared to singles matches.

Now while I agree theoretically with Kurt on his opinion, I do feel that the WWE have done the correct thing by making the SmackDown main-event for WrestleMania 22 a triple-threat match. While I’m sure that Angle would love the challenge of putting together a classic match against either Mysterio or Orton, I think there are enough doubts with both singles match-ups to suggest having the 3 of them all in the bout would be a safer & better option. While many people would crave a ppv bout between Angle & Mysterio, there are still doubts as to whether an essentially face vs face match including a new main-eventer would (a) sell & (b) come off successfully on the night. While the Angle vs Orton match is also unproven & we wouldn’t want a repeat of the Angle vs Cena matches from late last year!

Yet, I believe that throwing the 3 of them together in the same match adds up to an almost perfect equation. The dynamic seems just right to me. You have a heel, a face & someone practically playing the neutral role (Angle). Furthermore, you have a technical submissions wrestler, a high flier & a more standard old-school type of professional wrestler. I like the mix. Granted, if not booked correctly, it could become an awkward hotch-potch. But of late, I have actually been rather impressed as to how the WWE have booked their more important matches. This is especially the case on SmackDown, as was proven by the quality of the ‘No Way Out’ pay-per view.

On top of all this, I like the way this match has been set up. It probably hasn’t been moved along as fast as it could have been (mainly due to the fantastic 2 match series between Kurt Angle & The Undertaker), but the base is very much there & there are still a couple of weeks to really kick the storyline into gear. While arguments can be made that the WWE have gone over the top with Rey’s “Eddie” push, Rey winning the Rumble & then losing his title shot at ‘No Way Out’ & Angle’s interesting ‘competitive’ character, I really believe it can all come together near perfectly. The ingredients are there & now it’s up to the WWE to use them appropriately.

What we are left with in my opinion, is an interesting main-event that will be entertaining on the night. Furthermore, it has the potential to be a genuine high quality match that rates above 9 out of 10. But for whatever reason, I have this sense of anticipation about the match. I can’t wait to see how it plays out. Because despite many claiming that Orton will win the title, I am not so sure. Angle may be the safest bet to hold the title for now. Then again, the story of Rey winning the World HeavyWeight Title may be too good for the WWE to refuse. I seriously cannot wait & this deserves to be the WrestleMania 22 main-event (although the WWE may be hesitant if Orton is booked to win the match).


MAIN - Raw Review

Since I have given a fair bit of time to SmackDown over the past couple of weeks, it's well & truly time to now put the microscope on Raw.

- To remind us of a poor episode of Raw last week, we get an overlong recap of Shawn Michaels kissing Vince's a$$, getting drugged & losing to both Shane & Vince McMahon. But that's not enough to get this feud over, as we need to spend even more time listening to the McMahons & watching mediocre sports-entertainment. HBK gets drug tested (wonder where Vince got that idea from) in the ring & it ends up with his piss all over Vince & Shane. Not overly funny & hardly adds anything to the upcoming matches involving HBK & both McMahons.

- It's time for our monthly Trish vs Victoria match next & it's watchable as per usual. But without any real build-up, this has practically no significance. Oh yeah, Trish wins following interference by Torrie Wilson. Later, Torrie gets attacked by someone backstage. The fans are silent & it's not because they're shocked. Gee, I wonder who the attacker could be? I'll give you a clue; She shares a name with a famous mouse.

- Hey, it's Cowboy Troy!!! Man, first Cyndi Lauper, then Mike Tyson & now this guy. Who the f**k is he? And no, I don't really want to know!

- Edge vs Goldust is our next match. Although most of the attention is focused on Cowboy Todd on commentary. Edge wins (because Goldust never does on Raw), grabs the mic & runs down Cowboy Carl. He then shows us a couple of very good movie trailers, that were entertaining, put Edge over well & somehow hyped his WrestleMania 22 hardcore match with Mick Foley successfully.

- Did Coach just say that John Cena vs Triple H was one of the most anticipated main-events in WrestleMania history? Goodness me, the spirit of Tony Schiavone is back with us!

- Verne Gagne is announced as the newest inductee into the Hall Of Fame. See the 'Dessert' section of this column for my brief thoughts on this.

- Newsflash: Cowboy Tex will not be inducted into the Hall Of Fame this year.

- It's contract signing time. Let's see if John Cena & Triple H can reverse the trend of 20 boring contract signings in a row! Actually, following the strangely booked face-off between these 2 from a couple of weeks ago, I was a little interested to see how the WWE would handle this. Triple H plays cocky throughout, while Cena plays intense. That's a good move, as I feel his intensity is under-rated. It all seems to work to plan, as the Texas crowd gets behind the face champ.

- Before H & Cena come to blows, Kane & The Big Show come out to exact revenge for last week, but they are attacked by Carlito & Chris Masters. This basically sets up our 6 man main event for the night. As good a way to do it as any I suppose.

- Next up is a cage match between HBK & all 5 members of The Spirit Squad. Check that, as Nick Mitchell must not have learnt how to wrestle as yet! He can do an annoying backwards walk though, so he gets to be on tv! Pretty much a nothing match, although Ken Doane did show us his athleticism once more with a huge missed top-rope legdrop. Can someone please take a "Free Kenny" sign to the next episode of Raw?

- While you're at it, take a "Jail Cowboy Dan" sign as well.

- Oh yeah, the cage match... Just as HBK is about to escape & beat 4 1/2 men, Shane McMahon interferes & busts him wide open. He then follows up with the always impressive Van Terminator to prove that he hasn't lost much of his step. Those final couple of minutes did more for the SNME streetfight than the entire 20 minute segment at the start of the show, plus whatever time was wasted on the feud last week!

- Shelton Benjamin vs Rob Van Dam for the InterContinental Title is up next & I am looking forward to it, as it's most likely a preview of what will be an extended feud some time after WrestleMania. Benjamin gets some mic time & I have to pronounce that he is still struggling. Flair gets some commentary time & I have to pronounce that he should never be let back onto the announce table again, as he was just terrible. Meanwhile, the match was ok, but a little messy with both men looking like they were holding back. Nice ending though with a RVD & Flair miscommunication, which sets up the 'Mania ladder match rather well.

- Main event time now & the entrances go on & on through the commercial break! Entertaining match which used all 6 men well. The faces win by DQ when Carlito & Masters take chairs to their opponents. Then, in a nice touch, Kane & TBS scare the tag title challengers to the back, leaving H & Cena alone in the ring. As Trips had avoided the champ earlier in the bout, the build-up was good here. But it took an unexpected (positive) turn when Randy Orton comes through the crowd & RKOs Cena to further the main event for Saturday's NBC special.


I know I sounded very sarcastic & negative during that review, but that's just the way I like reviewing the television shows... Especially when they are not all that high in quality! This was actually an improvement over last week's episode, but still very much disappointed me, as I was really expecting the WWE to bounce back with a high this week. What we got was merely average. Nothing to really note wrestling-wise on this week's episode, while the entertainment value was only just there as well. More importantly, the build-up to the Raw side of things concerning WrestleMania 22 was only ok, when it should in fact be full steam ahead. Right now, Raw has a lot of catching up to do compared to SmackDown. Hopefully, the WWE have something up their sleeve this Saturday for the NBC special. I have a feeling they might, because this episode of Raw was just too pedestrian for my liking.

NOTE: I'm fairly certain we won't get to see Saturday Night's Main Event down here in Australia, so don't expect any sort of review of it, nor many comments regarding it, from me.


DESSERT - Hall Of Fame

Over the past few weeks, most columnists have had their say about the WWE Hall Of Fame. Despite not having a great deal to add, I may as well add in my 5 cents worth. I think the over-riding conclusion is that I believe it to be a good thing. It’s a method of acknowledging the greats of the past & those inducted should feel privileged & honored to be in such company.

However, there are obvious deficiencies for detractors to point out. And to be honest, they’re hard to argue with. These are things such as the order of inductees, the method of choosing the inductees, the way the WWE may use the Hall Of Famers for other purposes & whether or not it's a pro wrestling Hall of Fame or a WWE Hall of Fame. But I strongly believe that at the end of the day, the WWE has the industries best interests at heart. I think what made me think this way was watching the 2004 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony DVD (which I reviewed 2 weeks ago) & just viewing how professionally put together it was. Furthermore, it was absent of storylines, interrupting McMahons or any other ridiculous thing that would have downplayed the night’s importance. There seemed to be genuine respect all throughout the theater.

While I think there is a very good argument to suggest the WWE have not inducted the greats of the past in the correct order, I actually empathize with them & believe they are doing the correct thing by practically going with a formula. This is due to them thinking long-term with their Hall Of Fame. I believe they don’t want a down year or 2 concerning big name inductees, because that would probably mean less interest & a possible postponement for a few years.

So what is this formula I speak of? I won’t get into the numbers inducted each year, but I will base it on 5 inductees per year. Basically, the formula is (a) one huge name, (b) then a semi-huge name, (c) then a much loved favorite, followed by (d) someone from before the 1980’s that left their mark on the industry. Inductee (e) will usually be the controversial floater that divides opinion. I almost feel the WWE have to go this route, as having 5 huge stars inducted one year & 5 older stars or controversial floaters the next year would not be a wise thing to experiment with.

So let’s take a look at the formula as it pertains to this year’s inductees:

(a) Bret Hart: The obvious big star is made even bigger by the controversy surrounding his exit from the WWE in November 1997. While it did happen to ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper last year (thus ruining my formula a little), I’m glad that Bret was inducted separately from Hulk Hogan. Not because of their tenuous working & personal relationship, but because it’s pretty much a given that everyone would be overshadowed by the Hulkster. As I mentioned briefly in a column a few weeks ago, I am very glad that Bret has accepted the induction invitation & hope that the night goes off very smoothly for this worthy inductee.

(b) Eddie Guerrero: While some could actually argue his worthiness of being inducted into the Hall Of Fame, especially at this early stage, I have to side with the WWE here & say that the timing is too good to refuse. I wouldn’t have been too sour if they waited until next year, but I can see why they have chosen to do it now. This would especially be the case if Rey Mysterio is booked to win the World HeavyWeight Title the following night. Bottom line though is that, in my opinion, Eddie’s career achievements are worthy of his place in the Hall Of Fame.

(c) ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund: The much loved favorite of this year’s list, I think this is a very good pick. Along with the likes of Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan & Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura, Okerlund is not only be a favorite among crowds, but he is a worthy recipient of this honor. We sometimes underestimate the work of the non-wrestlers in this industry, but it’s arguable that the successful employees are just as important to what we see each week than the wrestlers themselves. ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund was undoubtedly successful.

(d) Verne Gagne: I can't say that I know a great deal about Gagne (not until the AWA DVD comes out anyway), but it's fair to say that as the man behind the AWA, he had a fair impact on the professional wrestling industry. As long as you count this as a wrestling hall of fame & not a WWE hall of fame (which I think is fair enough), then this is an induction out of left field that makes sense. I'm unsure how Hulk Hogan will feel being in the same room as him though, as Gagne once (allegedly) offered $100,000 to The Iron Sheik to break Hogan's leg!

(e) ‘Sensational’ Sherri Martel: Fellow columnist Mr Tito wrote a very good column a couple of weeks back concerning female influences in the WWE over the years. I feel that he successfully argued that Sherri has not been the #1 female influence & is probably getting inducted a little too early. But he never stated that he felt she shouldn’t be inducted (quite the opposite the way I viewed his column actually). I would definitely place Sherri at least the equal of Sunny & Sable myself, although I (like Tito) would have preferred Ms Elizabeth got the nod this year. Looking into the WWE minds, maybe they didn’t want 2 late inductees in the same year (although it’s happened previously), or maybe they would rather some more water pass under the bridge following her controversial death.

Anyway, back to Sherri, I was always a fan of hers. She generated genuine heel heat & was never backwards in coming forwards. Furthermore, she never took a backseat, even when managing big names such as Randy Savage & Shawn Michaels. As for influences that have followed in her footsteps, it’s arguable that the best manager in the WWE today has taken a few pages out of Sensational Sherri’s book. And that is Melina.

So that’s it for the 2006 Hall of Fame class at this stage. There will probably be another name or two added in the coming weeks. If so, I will attempt to remember to briefly state my thoughts in the introductions to my upcoming columns. No matter what the number of inductees is, I hope the induction ceremony held the night before WrestleMania 22 is successful & held with the amount of respect that was clear to see back in 2004.


Ok, that brings to a close edition #167 of 'The Wrestling Menu. I hope you enjoyed it. What did you think of Raw this week...??? Is that brand up to the quality of SmackDown heading into WrestleMania 22...??? And what should be the main-event of WrestleMania...??? Did I hit the nail on the head with the match that I feel should close the show...??? And finally, do you have any opinions on the Hall of Fame...??? So many discussion topics, so little time to discuss them. If you feel strongly on any one of the above matters, you know where I am, so email away. You know that I will reply to all feedback as timely as possible. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com

Even better, if you are an LOPForums member, I would appreciate you leaving feedback there, by clicking on the following link: http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=4889

Next Wednesday in 'The Wrestling Menu', I think I have a bit of a special treat for you all. Then again, some may feel it's exactly the opposite. I have a DVD Review for you! But hang on a tick, this isn't any old DVD Review. It's one of the newer releases, it's very timely & it's been ranked by some good judges as the best wrestling DVD ever! So look out for my review of the Bret Hart DVD 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.


DaveyBoy's Wrestling Menu. 2002-2006

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*NEW GALLERY* AMAZING Recent Pix of Candice Michelle Soaking Herself for Diggnation! WOW!

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