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Submitted by BC on Wednesday, March 29, 2006 at 1:49 AM EST
Being something of a wrestling historian, I always got a kick out of wrestling trivia and figure I could make a decent enough one for people to enjoy. Plus, it gets me a notch in the column belt with rather minimal effort. I win, you win. The only victims are the children and... let's face it, it's just another disappointment they'll have to get used to. Here's how it goes. In honor of WrestleMania, I've tossed together 22 questions for your amusement. You get 'em all right, you're smart. You get 'em all wrong, you're dumb. The only prize here is self-respect, but it's a valuable prize at that. Before we get to that... WWE: Several readers have e-mailed me and debated me on my non-watching of WWE programming over the past year. I figure since so many seemingly intelligent folk are defending the show, and specifically SmackDown in particular, I decided to give it another chance to win me over. Actually, I decided a few weeks ago, but kept forgetting it had moved to Friday. This week, however, I did see it. Orton opened the show with an inoffensive promo. I thought the entrance ala Misterio was a rather neat touch. It's good to know WWE still realizes the devil's in the details. Orton's genericism was followed by one of the least entertaining battle royals I've ever seen that didn't involve all women or half NFL players. The highlights were the pirate guy (not Jean-Pierre Lafitte), Animal's promo (by default, really) and Tatanka, who I'm an eternal mark for. The winner, Lashley, won a spot in WM22's ladder match. After that, JBL had a short promo with some diva whose name I didn't catch, but she wasn't around since I tuned out. She's not bad looking though and, as far as promos go, JBL never seems to disappoint. Mark Henry, however, does. The show seemed based around promoting the casket match mostly, which isn't a good idea in my view. I'm not a Henry-hater by any means but... well, nobody likes this guy. The Finley/Misterio match was decent, which is my polite way of saying dull. I just wasn't interested in it, though I respect both guys and what they gave. The Orton run-in finish was a nice surprise at the end, but at over an hour in, I began getting antsy. The Booker T/Boogeyman contract signing didn't help matters, though I loved the fact that Sharmell will now be involved. She's got some genuine heat that'll help people get into the match at WM22. Chris Benoit and William Regal... that was the highlight of the night. Although it was a "made for TV" match, I really enjoyed it, including JBL's presence at ringside. I'm glad they kept it clean and gave Benoit a win going into 'Mania... something they obviously didn't have in mind for Misterio. With under fifteen minutes left, Mark Henry and Kurt Angle came out for the main event. That was enough for me. I can honestly say if I never saw either of these guys wrestle again, I'd be totally okay with it. I figured something better simply had to be on and I was right. Thanks to WWE's late start, the show ended around 11:30 (around 11:15 for me) so I managed to catch the weekend forecast. Hot diggity damn. WWE did manage to entertain me, or at least not repulse me, for the majority of the show though, but nothing I saw had me longing to order the PPV, much less watch next week. Still, there was a definite shift towards longer matches and in-ring action, which I really liked. I didn't find the matches terribly entertaining, but even the most mediocre WWE match is better than most of the other fluff they seem to fill the shows with. Four matches (three I watched) seem kind of lean for a two-hour show, but I'd consider this episode of WWE TV relatively action-packed. If you saw it, you probably enjoyed it. If not... Well, that's what happened on it. RoH vs. CZW: Bar none, this is the best angle going in wrestling today, albeit against rather lean competition. I really believed RoH would try to keep the story on CZW shows for the most part, but after this past weekend's Viking Hall double-header, that's obviously not the case. The CZW Invasion is alive and well in RoH and I can't wait to see Austin Aries' appearance in a CZW ring. For a bunch of guys who are supposed to be "the in-ring worker star guys", there's a lot of great promos being cut too. One thing I'm loving is the rub B.J. Whitmer's getting out of the deal. He's always seemed miscast to me in his RoH runs, from his stint as the sadistic member of The Prophecy to his teams with Dan Maff & Jimmy Jacobs, nothing he was doing seemed to really fit his character, or lack thereof. In the CZW war, he's stepped up to be the guy who's not afraid to stoop to CZW's level. He's like one of those monks. On the surface, it just seems like he's down to do a few chants, gather some water and pray all day... but in reality, he could probably kick your ass with some wicked kung-fu shit. The only real downside to it all is the differential in crowd support. The CZW fans seem open to accepting the RoH wrestlers in their house, while the RoHbots are anything but in return. For this reason, RoH HAS to "win" or at least come out ahead at the climax of this. It also has sort of exposed the companies in a different light. CZW, once believed to be pure garbage (and I say that lovingly) has evolved into a company that finds a place for any kind of performer. Meanwhile, RoH has become a haven for technical wrestlers and little else. In the end, it appears that despite RoH's vast advantage in credibility and mainstream acceptance, CZW is actually the more versatile of the two shows. All right, once again... Here we go. QUESTION #1: At WrestleMania I in 1985, Vince McMahon secured the services of Muhammad Ali to serve as the guest outside referee for the Hulk Hogan & Mr. T./Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff main event. However, it wasn't the first time the two had done business. In 1976, several years before purchasing what would become the WWF, he promoted a fight between Ali and another person, which ended in a draw after 15 rounds. Name Ali's opponent in the fight and two promotions the man founded. QUESTION #2. WrestleMania II emanated from three locations: Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. The New York main event was a boxing match between Roddy Piper and Mr. T and featured three celebrity judges, one of which at one time had a bodyguard who would later become a WWE superstar. Name the future WWE superstar and the celebrity judge he once protected. QUESTION #3. WrestleMania III, featuring the epic main event between Andre The Giant and Hulk Hogan, emanated from the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987. On the undercard, "King" Harley Race defeated The Junk Yard Dog, giving Dog his third consecutive WrestleMania loss. Name three songs JYD used as entrance themes. QUESTION #4. At WrestleMania IV, a new WWF World Champion was crowned after a 14-man elimination tournament. New WWF World Tag Team Champions were also crowned when Demolition defeated Tito Santana and Rick Martel. Rick Martel never held a singles title in the WWF but reigned as AWA World Champion for nearly 18 months. The AWA was a Minnesota-based territory run by future WWE Hall Of Famer Verne Gagne. How many times did Verne Gagne hold the AWA World Title? QUESTION #5. WrestleMania V, like the previous year, took place in the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. The event marked Hulk Hogan's return to both the 'Mania main event and the WWF Title as he defeated MegaPowers partner Randy Savage. The match was about more than just the title though, as the two had also feuded when Savage took offense to Miss Elizabeth's "brotherly" relationship with Hogan. In which corner did Elizabeth stand for the match? QUESTION #6. WrestleMania VI: The Ultimate Challenge, saw WWF Intercontinental Champion The Ultimate Warrior defeat WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan to win the title in Toronto, Ontario. As a result, Warrior vacated the Intercontinental Title. How many other times was the I-C Title vacated? QUESTION #7. WrestleMania VII: SuperStars & Stripes Forever, took place on March 24th, 1991 from the Los Angeles Sports Arena. The event featured fourteen matches, including three title matches, a blindfold match, a "career" match, the debut of future 'Mania icon The Undertaker and the final appearance of 'Mania icon Andre The Giant. What was the original scheduled location for the event and why was the event relocated to the Sports Arena? QUESTION #8. WrestleMania VIII occurred in Indianapolis in 1992 and was the first 'Mania appearance for both Ric Flair and Sid, who separately competed in the double main event matches. It was also the WWF debut of "Precious" Paul Ellering, long-time manager of The Road Warriors. Shortly after joining Hawk and Animal's side, Ellering introduced a new manager for the duo, a ventriloquist dummy. Name the puppet and the former WWF Champion who briefly used a puppet by the same name years later. QUESTION #9. WrestleMania IX, widely regarded as the worst 'Mania of all-time, was held at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. It featured two WWF World Title matches, two Doinks and the two left feet of the incomparable Giant Gonzalez. Hulk Hogan walked away with the World Title, performing in his ninth straight 'Mania. What other wrestler, who got his second 'Mania win at the event, had also competed at the previous eight 'Manias? QUESTION #10. Madison Square Garden hosted WrestleMania X, the event dubbed "Ten Years In The Making". It was also the site of WrestleMania I and WrestleMania XX. Despite taking place in the same venue three times, there is no wrestler that performed at all three events. Name the three wrestlers who performed at two of the three MSG 'Manias. QUESTION #11. On April 2nd, 1995, Hartford, Connecticut hosted WrestleMania XI. In the main event, NFL legend Lawrence Taylor beat Bam Bam Bigelow. It was the final WrestleMania before the beginning of the "Monday Night War" between the WWF and WCW. Name four former members of WCW stable The Four Horsemen that appeared at 'Mania XI. QUESTION #12. Because it's main event lasted a full-hour, WrestleMania XII only featured six matches on the pay-per-view broadcast, with two matches on the free pre-show. In addition to the first 60-minute Iron Man match on WWF pay-per-view, the event also featured a six-man tag, a tag title match and the conclusion to several one-on-one rivalries engulfing the promotion at the time. Who was the only wrestler to win a one-on-one match at 'Mania XII but never win a singles world championship? QUESTION #13. WrestleMania XIII was held in 1997 at The Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, Illinois. The site also hosted a third of the second 'Mania and will host this year's event under it's new name, the Allstate Arena, tying it for the most 'Mania hosted with New York's Madison Square Garden. Which current world champion made his WWF debut in that same venue? QUESTION #14. WrestleMania XIV in Boston was a night of firsts. It was the beginning of Steve Austin's first reign as WWF World Champion. It was the first time The Rock used his immortal "Smell what The Rock is cookin'" catchphrase. It was the night of WWF's first "dumpster match" between The New Age Outlaws and Mick Foley & Terry Funk. It was also the first time the WWF European and the WWF Light Heavyweight Titles were on the line at a WrestleMania. Name the four wrestlers who have held both of these championships? QUESTION #15. WrestleMania XV featured the first of three 'Mania matches between The Rock and Steve Austin, ending with Austin claiming his third WWF World Championship. It was also the first time at WrestleMania for a Hardcore Title match, a Big Show appearance and the first and to date only 'Mania "Hell In A Cell" match. Name all 14 wrestlers who have wrestled in a HIAC match. QUESTION #16. WrestleMania XVI, also known as WrestleMania 2000, occurred on April 2nd, 2000 from Anaheim's Arrowhead Pond, also the site of 'Mania XII. Triple H, who was soundly trounced by the Ultimate Warrior in seconds at 'Mania XII, emerged from the main event as only the third man to successfully retain the World Title at 'Mania and the first to do it as a heel. He defeated Mick Foley, The Big Show and The Rock in a four-way-dance. Name the competitors in 'Mania XVI's only one-on-one bout. QUESTION #17. WrestleMania XVII emanated from the Astrodome in Houston on April 1st, 2001, mere days after the WWF's purchase of WCW was finalized. Aside from the "gimmick battle royal", called by "Mean" Gene Okerlund and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Jim Ross and Paul Heyman handled the commentary for the event. Heyman was most famous for owning and operating Extreme Championship Wrestling in the '90s. Who founded ECW and what was it's name prior to becoming Extreme Championship Wrestling? QUESTION #18. At WrestleMania XVIII, Triple H successfully returned from major injury to capture the WWF Undisputed Title from Chris Jericho. On the undercard, The Rock defeated Hulk Hogan in Hogan's tenth 'Mania performance after a nine-year absence. The event was held in Toronto's SkyDome, also the site of WrestleMania VI. Name the three wrestlers who were at both of the Toronto WrestleManias. QUESTION #19. WrestleMania XIX, the first WrestleMania since the WWE brand extension, proudly boasted four main events. Triple H defeated Booker T to retain the World Heavyweight Title, The Rock defeated Steve Austin in their third 'Mania match in five years, Hulk Hogan bloodied and beat Vince McMahon in a match "twenty years in the making" and Brock Lesnar pinned Kurt Angle to emerge victorious in his WrestleMania debut. How many wrestlers competed in their first WrestleMania match at 'Mania XIX and for which one was it their only? QUESTION #20. WrestleMania XX had the tagline of "Where It All Begins Again" and was the third 'Mania to occur from the famous Madison Square Garden. Chris Benoit completed "the 18-year odyssey" by defeating Triple H and Shawn Michaels in the first 'Mania main event to end via submission and win the World Heavyweight Title. John Cena also went home with a new title after defeating The Big Show for the United States Title. How many wrestlers won their first recognized WWWF/WWF/WWE World Championship in Madison Square Garden? QUESTION #21. WrestleMania XXI featured the crowning of two new champions in WWE. Batista defeated Triple H to win the World Heavyweight Title while John Cena ended JBL's reign and captured his first WWE Title. However, this wasn't the first time that both RAW's World Heavyweight Title and SmackDown's WWE Title changed hands on the same night. Which pay-per-view event marked the first time both titles changed hands? QUESTION #22. WWE will present WrestleMania XXII on April 2nd from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. Eleven matches are currently scheduled to occur, in addition to performances by P.O.D. and Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child. The promotional theme for the event is "Big Time" by former Genesis member Peter Gabriel. What other WrestleMania used "Big Time" as a promotional theme? Want to know the answers? Patience, my children. I'll give you the answers you seek next week. Until then... go ahead and cheat and look 'em up, because I'll probably forget. Also, next week, I'm going to do a little investigative report into a recent controversial quote that appeared here on LOP. Is it WWE policy to mess with TNA in hiring practices? If anyone can get to the bottom of it... e-mail me, please. I got nothing. I'll probably be able to make fun of it though. There's still time to vote for which columnist you want gone from The Elimination Chamber, although the outcome's basically a forgone conclusion at this juncture. Also, I'll be returning to the You Be The Booker ring in April to reclaim my championship from Rich Warner Frost. Now, what you've really been waiting for... This week, we travel to the long lost nation of Eritrea and visit Asmara, a wonderful realm of beauty and mystery. It's hard to believe that just over a hundred years ago, Asmara was considered little more than a small cluster of villages and today... it's the capital. Just thinking of geopolitical evolution such as this makes me wonder what the world must look like on the eastern edge of Eritrea's highland plateau. Only those who've visited Asmara know... and they're certainly not going to spoil it's majesty for the rest of us. *NEW GALLERY* Must See New and Rare Photos of NATALYA NEIDHART!
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