DaveyBoy's Wrestling Menu - J Day Review, ECW Hour + Entrance Theme Poll Results
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at 1:18 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #177

Welcome one and all to the 177th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

Wow... what a week! It's fair to say that I received a record amount of emails over this past week & answering every single one of them was an effort that I am proud of. Hopefully, this column turns out ok, as I have felt like I have written about 30 columns in emails lately! But sincerely, thanks to everyone who emailed me & all of the 10,000 plus that took the time to read my column from last week.

Nothing much else to add. My Spurs have been booted out of the NBA playoffs. They battled their a$$es off to go back to back, but that wonderful playoff system which sees the best 2 teams in a conference matching up in the semi-finals didn't make it any easier. Oh well, they probably couldn't have gone all the way with the consecutive match-ups they had anyway. Great playoff series this year, by the way... Very entertaining!

But I'm here to talk about professional wrestling, so on with the show…..


APPETIZERS - ECW Hour

I haven't said all that much about the upcoming return of the ECW brand, as I personally am not hyping it up to be the savior of the WWE any time soon. As far as I'm concerned, it's replacing Velocity. So if it improves on Velocity, that's a good thing. And while that may sound like a throwaway comment, remember that I actually liked watching Velocity most weeks. I hope that isn't a disrespectful comment in any way, as I don't have the history of watching ECW in the past or going to their live events. So I'm certain that's a major reason for my thinking.

But what I did think was worth a stab in the dark today is to roughly book a prototypical ECW show lasting an hour. This isn't the be all & end all obviously, as storylines & booking will change from week to week. But it's a nice little overview of what this column-writer thinks should make up the returning brand's show. I think you will be able to tell that one of my main criteria is variety. While many will disagree with me, I feel the brand should attempt to attract as many viewers as possible, even if some parts of the show do not interest them.

So, the following is what I feel should approximately make up the ECW hour each week:

A HARDCORE MATCH: Pretty self-explanatory. This will be the main-event on most episodes, depending on who is involved. It could be a tag or singles match & would be as hardcore as the WWE allow it to be. For an example, the match could be Tommy Dreamer vs Mick Foley or Sabu vs The Sandman. Or any combination of wrestlers similar to those I have just mentioned.

A FASTER-PACED HARDCORE-TYPE MATCH: Basically as above, but not as hardcore, while involving younger & smaller wrestlers that can really turn the pace on. So in this match-up, we may be looking at performers such as Rob Van Dam, Kid Kash, Tajiri or maybe a TNA signing such as Sonjay Dutt or someone like that.

A CRUISERWEIGHT MATCH: This wouldn't be all that different from a WWE cruiserweight match, but it would hopefully unleash them a little further. I think that is a must in this setting. Again, we could be looking at a singles or tag match & again a TNA signing or 5 wouldn't hurt in this area. Not that I've ever seen The Naturals wrestle, but putting them up against The MexiCools in this type of match-up sounds damn good to me.

A TECHNICAL MATCH: One of the things that people forget is that ECW threw up quite a few excellent technical match-ups over the years. Depending on the opponent, one of the wrestlers in a couple of the above categories could be thrown in here as well. But probably the best example of a match-up in this area would be Jamie Noble vs a TNA signing such as Roderick Strong.

The above may sound a little restricting, but when you think that a wrestler such as Tajiri or Nunzio (who I didn't even mention) can fit into almost every category I named, then some clever mixing & matching can work wonders from week to week. Obviously, there would also be a promo or two by a wrestler (most probably) not taking part in that week's action, while no-one does backstage segments like the WWE. It may be a bit of a squeeze to fit all that into an hour (less commercials), but it's achievable. It would only take one of the matches lasting less than 5 minutes (for storyline purposes) & no super-long promos.


MAIN - Judgment Day 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] (Armageddon '04)
50-54: Mediocre & disappointing. [D] (EG: Royal Rumble '06)
55-59: Average. [C] (EG: New Years Revolution '06)
60-64: Worth A Watch. [C+] (EG: Armageddon '05)
65-69: Good event that was worth the money. [B] (EG: Backlash '06)
70-74: Very good. [B+] (EG: No Way Out '06)
75-79: Make sure you add this ppv to your video or dvd collection. [A] (EG: ECW: One Night Stand)
80+ : Make sure that the video or dvd is locked in a safe & cannot be erased. Memorable. [A+]

PAUL LONDON & BRIAN KENDRICK defeated MnM to Win the WWE Tag-Team Championships: Correct choice as opener & an excellently structured match to get the best out of both of these talented teams. What I especially liked was that they didn't go too quickly into the predictable 'Kendrick in peril' routine. The first 7 minutes of the bout was very solid back & forth action which nicely mixed some decent spots with some good tag-team action. Double teaming & the usual heel shenanigans allowed MnM to eventually isolate Kendrick. Again, the booking was good, as it didn't last too long, was sufficiently entertaining & even included some good early false finishes. The lengthy finishing sequence also fitted in well as it included some nice back & forth stuff that constantly kept us guessing as to who would walk out with the titles. The pace of the face challengers would finally be too much & we had new tag-team champions at the 14 minute mark. Very solid & entertaining, although nothing too classic or memorable about it. Afterwards, Melina blames Mercury for the loss, seemingly resulting in the break-up of MnM when Nitro & Mercury go at it! Match Rating...7.5

CHRIS BENOIT defeated FINLAY: A nice "Benoit" chant from the live crowd kicks things off & the 2 combatants wisely allow it to fuel their intensity in the ring. The predictable rather methodical pace was employed throughout most of the bout, but I liked the story being told of Finlay having many technical counters of Benoit's moves. It's almost as if Benoit underestimated the Irishman & needed to step it up a notch to get back on top. He does with his unmatched physical intensity & Finlay plays off of it well. Benoit even tries to quicken the pace, but it's fair to say that he has lost a step, while Finlay isn't the best opponent to quicken the pace against. So back they go to a methodical dissection, with equal amounts of quality brawling thrown in for good measure. It isn't exactly edge of your seat stuff, but it's so well-performed that it's difficult not to get into. Finlay nicely gains sufficient heel heat, in order to have the fans salivating for a Benoit comeback. He eventually does & gets the win in a finishing sequence which appeared rushed & didn't play off the entire match as well as it should have, when Finlay immediately taps to the crossface at the 21 minute mark. That was probably 2 or 3 minutes overlong, but it was hard not to like the realism, power & intensity of this match of the night. Match Rating...8

JILLIAN HALL defeated MELINA: Johnny Nitro gets ejected before the match begins & the distraction allows Jillian to get the quick start with some nice aggressive wrestling. Melina eventually takes control with some rather pedestrian offense which seems to entirely consist of moves with her legs! Jillian thankfully regains control & actually moves around the ring very well, while seemingly having a decent repertoire of moves. Why she is not on Raw competing in the Women's Division is beyond me! The bout was also thankfully kept short at a little over 4 minutes in length, with Jillian emerging victorious, despite Melina holding on to the bottom rope while being pinned. Afterwards, Melina & Krystal go at it. Passable women's match. Match Rating...5

GREGORY HELMS defeated SUPER CRAZY to Retain the Cruiserweight Title: Frenetic & entertaining start to this bout as Helms has no answer for the pace & high-flying of the face challenger. The champ eventually slows the pace down to a crawl with some rather mundane offense (read: average & boring restholds). This annoys me to no end, because even at a slower pace, Helms has much more tricks in his bag than this! Even when Crazy made the predictable comeback, the crowd had been mostly lost & seemed not to be too interested. A strange & predominantly unsuccessful finishing sequence saw Helms struggle to pin Crazy until anti-climactically using the ropes for leverage to get the win at the 10 minute mark. Passable, but very disappointing. These 2 are capable of much better. Match Rating...5.5

MARK HENRY defeated KURT ANGLE by Countout: Henry clears the announce table before the match & then gets some decent heel heat on the mic. Angle doesn't waste any time beginning the match though, as he attacks before the bell. Complete with the word 'REVENGE' written on his mouthguard, Kurt does a good job in selling the storyline with his initial offense. Henry actually sells it well too, before grinding the match down to a halt by predictably targetting Angle's injured ribs. Thankfully, it doesn't last too long & Kurt strikes from nowhere with a DDT counter, a German Suplex & an Angle Slam! It's not enough for he win though & some ok back & forth action ensues. A teased announce table spot follows & the ringside brawl that eventually takes place, results in a disappointing countout victory to Henry at the 9 minute mark. Angle snaps afterwards & a chair attack is followed by an Ankle Lock & Angle Slam on the announce table. Nothing special, but better than it had any right to be. Angle is a maniac for putting himself through all of that if he is as injured as we think he is! Match Rating...6.5

BOOKER T defeated BOBBY LASHLEY to Become the 2006 King Of The Ring: A reserved & seemingly careful beginning to this bout kicked things off. Both men seemed to be feeling each other out, while Lashley almost completely used clotheslines as his sole source of offense. The match eventually kicked into a higher gear & provided satisfactory action, with Sharmell constantly getting involved every time Lashley took control. It seemed big Bobby could take the best Booker had to give, as he kicked out of both a bookend & an ax-kick. But he didn't have an answer for the interfering Finlay, as Booker got the pinfall at the 9 minute mark with a 2nd ax-kick. Not bad, but a little disappointing to me. Lashley didn't really capitalize on the improvement he has made of late & there just didn't seem to be a great dynamic between these 2 in the ring. Match Rating...6

THE GREAT KHALI defeated THE UNDERTAKER: Pretty much as expected. It began with Khali doing nothing but punches & Irish Whip type of moves only. It almost made Kane vs The Big Show look like a technical masterpiece! But to give both men some kudos, they did thankfully add some variety as the match went on. They also did a good job in somehow stretching the bout out to 8 minutes in length without making it seem too much of a chore. This got the crowd involved & had them pleading for an implausible 'Taker victory. Alas, it was not to be & you can almost classify this as a squash!!! This could have been worse, but please don't take my positive comments out of context. This wasn't exactly an entertaining, technical or brutal match. Quite the opposite in fact. Match Rating...3.5

REY MYSTERIO defeated JOHN BRADSHAW LAYFIELD to Retain the World HeavyWeight Title: A very good reaction from the live crowd greeted Rey to the ring. He initially uses it as motivation to stand up to the much larger JBL & surprise him with that much promoted underdog spirit. JBL eventually grounds Rey & takes control with his usual power-based offense. He also takes time to bust Rey open, taunt Rey's wife & mock Eddie Guerrero! This, along with his usual cocky attitude, gains JBL some serious heel heat & has the crowd begging for a Rey comeback. It does eventually come, but isn't exactly anything to write home about until Rey hits the 619. A referee bump stops him from getting the victory, but after kicking out of a powerbomb, a 2nd 619 & frog splash gets the job done after 16 minutes. Good enough story told & it resultantly got the live crowd involved sufficiently to make it seem like a main event. But personally, I'd like to see the WWE let Rey show off his amazing offense a little more than this. Especially against someone of JBL's wrestling style. Solid, if not as spectacular as it could have been. Match Rating...7

PPV RATING (49/80) = 61

Looking at the key, I have basically given the 2006 version of 'Judgment Day' a 'C+' grade & said that it was ‘worth a watch‘. I have no problem with that grade & comment, although it did just scrape into that region. Quite a strange ppv event actually, as I am left with the general feeling that it was better than expected. Yet, looking at the relatively disappointing main event, cruiserweight title match & King Of The Ring final, this ppv could have scored quite a bit higher. Definitely won't be a memorable event down the track, but as is the case on quite a few occasions with the SmackDown brand, they get the job done on the night. Of course, breaking up the best tag-team we've seen on the brand for practically the last 5 years, cannot be a plus for the near future!


DESSERT

'Best Entrance Theme' Poll Results

As you could probably tell from the introduction to this column, I received a record number of votes for this poll. 360 was the final number!!! I was overwhelmed by the range of responses too. For whatever reason, I was expecting a narrow range of responses. Maybe 25-30 in total. Man, was I wrong!!! What I got was 65 different entrance themes voted for!!! That's great, as the whole purpose of this poll was to get as many different tastes & opinions concerning music, themes & entrances posted on this very column.

Finally, I’m a little surprised at the final results. Many people asked me which theme I was alluding to when I stated that I thought there was an odds-on favorite to win the poll. Well, that favorite of mine was The Undertaker's "Graveyard Symphony". As the below results will prove, I was so wrong, it's almost embarrassing!

Just a couple of housekeeping points before we begin:

- I did merge some variations on themes. Probably the most controversial will be 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's original theme with his Disturbed theme. Similarly, Kane's, Benoit's, Batista's, Booker T's, Chris Jericho's & The Rock's variations (among others) were merged. Personally, I just don't see enough difference between themes. A case can be made for Austin's as being different, but it has the same beginning & tune for mine

- Some people asked me whether it was the theme, entrance or combination of both that was to be voted on. I purposefully left that up to the individual to decide upon. I think both was the popular method of thought.

- Finally, the major criteria that seemed to be used by readers was a combination of (a) crowd reaction, (b) fit for the character & (c) personal taste in music.

So without further adieu, here are the poll results to the question: Whose is the best ever entrance theme...??? I will list & briefly comment on the 14 entrance themes which recevied 10 votes or more, while only listing those themes that received less than 10 votes.

(1) - TRIPLE H (THE GAME BY MOTORHEAD) = 34 Votes: A clear winner of this poll. I thought it would be top 3, but it looks like a combination of the 3 criteria that most people used to vote made this the perfect answer to the poll question. Deserved win too, as it's not only a great song, but a perfect professional wrestling entrance theme.

(2) - 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin = 23: I don't think anyone that was a fan in the Attitude era of the WWE can forget some of the amazingly loud crowd reactions following the famous shattering glass. Whether it be the instrumental version, or the lyrical version by heavy metal group Disturbed, it was followed by a very good guitar riff. And it just seemed to fit the Stone Cold character almost perfectly.

(3) - Hulk Hogan (Real American) = 22: I genuinely did not expect this theme to poll so well. But it seems those who voted for it felt this was the theme that received the loudest crowd pop every time it began playing. Actually, while being very 80's, it's not that bad of a song.

(4) - DeGeneration X = 21: One of my personal favorites, I think this is one of the most imaginative entrance themes ever. The lyrics were near perfect for the stable, as was the atmosphere that was built up from the rather methodically paced beginning. Just to top it all off, the way the WWE cut back between live action, the TitanTron & crowd shots during the actual entrance was sheer genius, even if it was a little hard on the eyesight.

(5) - The Undertaker (Graveyard Symphony) = 18: This included my personal vote. I just think it is the best combination of everything. The atmosphere of the lights going out... The crowd reaction of the initial gong... The beautiful piece of music... The fit for the character... And finally, the actual entrance. Definitely polled less than I thought it would.

(6) - Edge (Metalingus by AlterBridge) = 17: Edge's current theme is arguably the best of the new wave of nu-metal / pop-rock entrance themes that the WWE has employed. I haven't actually heard the full track, but it sounds damn good to me & is nicely topped off by elements of previous Edge themes & a pyro.

(7) - Chris Jericho = 15: This was my surprise of the poll. I like the theme as much as the next person, but to call it the best ever is a real stretch for mine. Oh well, to each their own. I think a few people voted for this theme due to that one memorable moment when Jericho made his WWE debut. Man did the countdown theme have a serious effect in that situation!

(8) - Ric Flair = 14: Just a classic theme & one that, more often than not, perfectly fit the Nature Boy persona that Flair was portraying. It's definitely lasted the test of time.

(9T) - Gangrel / The Brood = 13: I am so glad that this entrance theme made the top 10. It was genuinely a very good one & I would have to think that it would have voted higher if Gangrel went on to become an upper midcarder or main eventer. Genuinely atmospheric, I love reliving this theme on an old PlayStation game that I have got.

(9T) - The Ultimate Warrior = 13: Arguably the theme that best fit a character. What better way to match a raving lunatic running around the ring at 100 miles an hour, than to have a theme with a beat almost as fast!?!?!? Really played a part in getting fans caught up in the excitement of The Warrior.

(11T) - Shawn Michaels = 12: There seems to be no in-between with "Sexy Boy" theme, as people either love it or hate it. It's aged a little as HBK's character has changed, but there is no doubting that it was the perfect theme for the heel character he played between 1991 & 1995.

(11T) - The Sandman = 12: Nothing really needs to be added to the fact that Metallica's "Enter Sandman" is a great song. It was amazing to see the entire crowd singing along to every word of an entrance theme!

(13T) - Bret Hart = 10: Got the instant crowd reaction with the opening noise & then continued into a nice rhythm. A little overrated in my opinion & would have hardly received votes if it wasn't the entrance theme of a much loved & great wrestler. Did stand the test of time though.

(13T) - Kane = 10: This is a combination of votes from his original theme & his current theme by the group Finger Eleven. Fits the character well (whether he is a face or heel) & has the added bonus of an opening pyro that can't help but get everyone's attention!

(15) - 'The Million Dollar Man' Ted Dibiase = 8

(16T) - Triple H (My Time) = 6
(16T) - 'Mr Perfect' Curt Hennig = 6
(16T) - Rob Van Dam (One Of A Kind by Breaking Point) = 6
(16T) - Goldust = 6

(20T) - Demolition = 5
(20T) - Booker T = 5

(22T) - Triple H (King Of Kings by Motorhead) = 4
(22T) - The Undertaker (Ministry Of Darkness) = 4
(22T) - The Undertaker (Rollin by Limp Bizkit) = 4
(22T) - Kurt Angle = 4
(22T) - The Rock = 4

(27T) - The New Age Outlawz = 3
(27T) - The New World Order = 3
(27T) - Jake 'The Snake' Roberts = 3
(27T) - Batista = 3
(27T) - Eddie Guerrero = 3

(32T) - 'The Macho Man' Randy Savage = 2
(32T) - Rob Van Dam (Walk by Pantera) = 2
(32T) - Randy Orton = 2
(32T) - JBL = 2
(32T) - Razor Ramon = 2
(32T) - Bill Goldberg = 2
(32T) - CM Punk = 2
(32T) - Christian (Just Close My Eyes by Waterproof Blonde) = 2
(32T) - Christian (At Last You're On Your Own) = 2
(32T) - Evolution = 2
(32T) - DaveyBoy Smith / The British Bulldogs = 2
(32T) - Brock Lesnar = 2
(32T) - Chris Benoit = 2
(32T) - Tazz (WWE Theme) = 2
(32T) - Hulk Hogan (Voodoo Chile by Jimi Hendrix) = 2

(47T) - The Big Show = 1
(47T) - Maven = 1
(47T) - Shelton Benjamin = 1
(47T) - Ken Shamrock = 1
(47T) - The Junkyard Dog (Another One Bites The Dust by Queen) = 1
(47T) - Sting (Search & Destroy by Metallica) = 1
(47T) - Dude Love = 1
(47T) - Matt Hardy = 1
(47T) - The Hardy Boyz = 1
(47T) - Billy & Chuck = 1
(47T) - Owen Hart = 1
(47T) - The Road Warriors (Iron Man by Black Sabbath) = 1
(47T) - The Midnight Express = 1
(47T) - Chyna = 1
(47T) - John Cena = 1
(47T) - Christopher Daniels = 1
(47T) - Jushin Liger = 1
(47T) - The Honky Tonk Man = 1
(47T) - Doink The Clown = 1

So there are the complete poll results. Some that polled well were predictable, while others were a little more surprising. I hope you enjoyed reliving some great wrestling entrance themes from the past & present, and I fully apologize for whichever one gets stuck in your head for the next day or so. It's The New Age Outlawz theme that has seemingly been permanently playing in my head of late!


Ok, that about does it for edition #177 of 'The Wrestling Menu. I really hope you enjoyed what I feel was an interesting read this week. What did you think of 'Judgment Day' if you saw it? Were my ratings on the mark or not? How about my thoughts on ECW? And please feel free to share with me which entrance theme you thought polled higher and/or lower than you thought it would. You know that I will reply to all feedback. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com

Or alternately, if you are an LOPForums member, you may also leave feedback by clicking on the following link: http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=4889

Next Wednesday in 'The Wrestling Menu', I just don't think I will have sufficient time to write 3 column topics. So yes, I am heading back to the DVD Review well once more. I actually have 2 pre-written at the moment. One is longer than the other, so if I do have time to write about a specific topic, I will post the shorter one & include that extra bonus for you all. Either way, look out for it 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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