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Submitted by Wevv Mang on Monday, December 11, 2006 at 11:35 AM EST
Ridin’ With The Bossman – The Art Of Losing Greetings! Welcome to another edition of Ridin’ With The Bossman! The column that got Paul E sent home. Yep, Paul printed up the column, and it got mixed in with the booking plans he handed to Vince. Tough break man. Well, December is shaping up to be a heck of a month on the real life front. I take off for Vegas today (Monday) for a short stint with some old college buddies. Then, one week from Wednesday, I head back to the Great Midwest, and the City By The Lake for the Holidays with more friends and family. Loads of travel, and having traces of Gypsy blood (Hence my uncanny ability to see the future), that makes me happy. But before then, some endless mindless labor at work, to keep the place from falling apart in my two friggin day absence. But the good news is that there will be a job waiting for me when I get back. So, it’s all good. Extra money for my trips, and job security. I’m dead tired, but happy. And I finally get some time to relax. VEGAS BABY! Now, if there’s some snow when I go home, that will be sweet. I got emails to get through, some OA to do, and a skit. And for the record there will be a column next week, then a week off, as I get ready for the Fourth Annual Bossman Awards. The Awards that break away from the traditional awards show. A week off, with no cable, no computer, but a stack of Observers. Yeah, my family is low tech. But enough about me and my boring life. Let’s talk some wrestling. WWE TV – The Series Raw Recap Courtesy of Chad Matthews Cena is in the ring. Tangent Sorry, the fact that Cena opened the show instead of DX made me laugh. Why? Because the past couple of show with DX opening pulled a very surprising stat. The show had ZERO growth. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, the DX squashing of four, count em, four tag teams actually LOST rating. At the start of the show! That’s amazing, it really is. The start of the show nine times out of ten, shows growth, but DX drove them away, or made the viewers wait to until they were off TV to tune in. Oh, and ratings show that the DX skits later on in the show had ZERO growth as well. Way to go guys. Way to book yourselves. Really paying off. So yeah, they got yanked and Cena got the opening spot, since Cena apparently equals ratings. Cena Speaks, Part 2 Cena rips on Umaga and his inability to speak English. He then rips on Armando. Melina then comes out and brings up his match at New Years Revolution (YES! MORE PPV’S! I’ll have to mortgage my house, but hey! It’s worth it isn’t it? I mean the quality of the dozen PPV’s in the past three weeks has been off the charts! Whoops, I was holding the chart upside down…). Melina says that K-Fed is training with Nitro. Cena got her ready for the FU, when for some reason Chris Masters ran in, and got beaten up. Coachman showed up. Cena made fun of everyone, and we have a match tonight, well, not really, Cena will have his title on the line in the Masterlock Challenge. Ok, then. Kenny Lives! Edge and Orton are talking, and afraid of DX. Kenny makes it through their wall of security and wants to join their group. Edge and Orton say they have beaten DX. I forget when, but apparently, it’s true. They tell Kenny to go and prove his worth. Cade and Murdoch vs The Highlanders Well, an announcement was made about Piper’s health woes, and this match was dedicated to him. So, the Highlanders won. Maria vs Victoria Vicki has a checklist with Diva’s names on it. She beat the crap out of Maria. I’ll say this, Vicki play s a great psycho chick. She’s had lots of practice after all. Also, the announcers and Micki made mention of the brace Victoria wears. You know why she wears that brace? Going about two years back, maybe more, she blew out her knee. She meant to have surgery on it, but apparently never did. So, when handing out praise for working through a serious knee injury, don't leave Victoria off that list. Cryme Tyme Ed Gerwitz. How clever Brian. Too bad this skit wasn’t. I fast-forwarded through most of it, after the first song. Hope I didn't miss anything. But yeah, Gerwitz wanted to make sure people knew he wrote it. As if Cryme Tyme hitting on the old broad wasn’t enough. Thanks Brian. Maybe next time, you can just dance around in a thong. Afterwards, Todd Grisham was forcing himself to laugh like his job depended on it, and it probably did. Shelton got offended, and challenged Super Crazy. Shelton vs Crazy Short and Shelton won. Charlie Hass then showed up. Tangent So, we have another potential tag team re-uniting. Interesting. It’s like the best tag teams of the past few years are coming back. Could it be that WWE is finally trying to revive the tag division? Masterlock Challenge For the World Title Cena wins. Lots of hijinks, from a ref bump to Armando running in, and Umaga making an appearance. We then had the huge pull apart, going on for about six or seven minutes. It got goofy. DX Speaks They’re serious now. Ric Flair is a legend, a legend that gets beaten up about every other week, but still, this is serious. Look at H’s serious face! So, yeah, it was too much, and now DX is going to take care of business. Tangent Question for Stat lovers. How many times, this year, has Ric Flair been beaten up? There was the Spirit Squad, Rated RKO, and Edge last January, in those classic Ric Flair skits (I’m the Nature Boy! WHOOO!). I know there have been others. My guess is six or seven times, this year alone. WWE 24/7 Jericho winning the Undisputed Title. Yep, those were great times. And shortly thereafter, Steph attached herself to Jericho and sucked the life right out of his momentum. Carlito vs Viscera Big Vis hit on Torrie, and Carlito came to her rescue. A match was born. Carlito beat up Vis, with Torrie at ringside. Well, it keeps going, so I guess that’s a plus. Cena And Armando, Best Buds Armando came to say that Cena couldn’t lay his hands on Umaga and vice versa. Cena then grabs Armando and gets all intense. Well done. Cena then says something to get Armando in trouble with Coach and we have a match for next week. Armando vs Cena. Good grief. Hardys and DX vs MNM and Rated RKO Yeah, an eight-man tag, to help DX take credit for the ratings spike the over-run does. Well, not bad, but not that great either. Kenny ran in and distracted H so that Matt Hardy could be pinned. End was Jeff, HBK, and Matt being laid out, and H standing over them. In other words, everyone BUT H was laid out. Well, an OK show, but nothing really stood out, or made an impression. One note from the Lance Cade match. Cade is now bigger than Murdoch. I remember Cade being the high flyer of the team. Not anymore. H is also really looking puffy. I don't think it’s roids, I think it’s more growth hormone, since they do have that drug testing policy in place you know, and there is no test for growth hormones. Still, it made me think of this little sketch. Rob Conway and Snitsky are going over their match in the locker room. Rob: Shoot me into the ropes, and I’ll come back with a clothesline, which you no-sell, and I’ll just bounce off you. Then – Triple H walks into the room. He’s carrying a gallon jug of water, with ‘GH” written in marker on the side. He takes a drink. Rob: Um, hi Hunter. The three men stare at each other, while H chugs from his jug. Finally, Rob speaks. Rob: So, Gene, after I bounce off you, I’ll head back into the topes, and try again, you swing. H: Laying out your match huh? Yeah, I thought I’d just stop by the locker room, to see how things are going. Rob: Uh, everything is fine. Nice to see you. So Gene – H:Yeah, just trying to bulk up on my physique. Add some more mass. You know, they say this supplement is called a date rape drug, and it’s supposed to knock you out, but the results are worth it. You know, gotta get my delts, and quads, and lats all defined. Silence. H takes another big drink from his jug. Rob: That’s nice. Gotta make sure you have the look, and for some one as high profile as you, it’s important. So Gene, you try and clock me, and I’ll duck and then – H: Yeah. Gotta do what you can, right? I just hope that I don’t pass out, and some one takes advantage of me, HA HA! You’re not a bunch of homos, right guys? Ha Ha! Ooooh! H puts a hand on his forehead, and sways. He then takes another huge drink. H: Wow, I think I drank too much. I’m going to pass out! H then staggers, and swoons. He falls face down across a table, his ass sticking out. But the jug lands safely upright. Rob and Gene stare at H. Seconds tick by, and then a loud snore is heard from H. Both men look at each other. Rob then motions that they should sneak into the hallway. As the door clicks shuts, H’s eyes pop open, and the snoring stops. H: Dammit…. Meanwhile: Test is pacing the hallways. He seems highly agitated. Trevor Murdoch walks up to him. Trevor: Test! What’s wrong? Test: Hey Trevor. Something weird has been going on, and I don't know who to talk to. Trevor: You can talk to me. That’s what I’m here for. Test: Trevor, something weird is going on! I’ve… Trevor: What is it? Test: (In a rush) I’m getting huge Trevor, and I don't know why! I mean look at me! I’m all huge and puffy! I haven't been taking anything, I swear it! I know I was hired back, and I don't want to screw this up! But look at me! LOOK AT ME! Test breaks down crying. Trevor puts a comforting arm on his shoulder. Test: And that’s not the worst part! I …I keep blacking out, and when I wake up, my ass hurts! Trevor: There, there, it must just be the stress of being back on the road. Here, drink this. Test: (Sniffle) Thanks Trevor. What is this? Trevor: Herbal Tea. Helps calm you down. Test: (Drinking it down in one gulp) BLARGH! Tastes awful! How can you….. Test swoons. Trevor catches him. Cade then walks in. Cade: Hey, Trevor, have you seen my GH? I – oh man, not again. Trevor: Shut up and help me carry him. I’ll get his pants off… ECW Recap courtesy of Eddie Martin Paul Speaks Paul cuts a very emotional, and great promo. But they were too separate things. The words Paul spoke were very powerful. But the emotion seemed out of place. The tears, the choking of words, well, it was one of sadness, and could have fit the promo, but seemed out of place. Still, some fine work, and Paul tried to make it work. Big Show has a rematch tonight. Tangent Well, Paul has been sent home, and may be completely done with ECW. No one seems to know the extent for sure. It seems that the horrible PPV was the last straw, and instead of blaming the people actually responsible, WWE management blamed Paul. Vince and Stephanie were the ones to tell him to go home. It’s no secret that Steph hates Paul. Apparently Michael Hayes was also pushing for Paul to be removed. Undoubtedly to save his own ass. Smackdown has been fantastic, and that may be due to Hayes distracting Steph and Vince with ECW. But now, well, with Heyman out of the way, they can take a look at Smackdown, and well, it may have worked short term, but long term, Hayes could be in trouble. Let us not forget who Smackdown has on their writing staff. CHRIS DEJOSEPHS! THE FUNNIEST GUY EVER, AND THE GREATEST WRITER OF ALL TIME! VINCE RUSSO? WHO’S THAT? CHRIS DEJOESEPHS IS THE GREATEST! CM Punk and RVD vs Holly and Test RVD and Punk dedicate the match to Sabu. Ha, that’s where WWE got the idea to dedicate the match to Piper. Because RVD had to go through channels, and bring it up before it happened. Not a bad match, but rather short. Holly seems to be running on fumes, and Test, well, Test is trying. I mean, really putting in an effort. He seems motivated. His work has been improving. That’s all I’ll say for now. But this match was the RVD and Punk show, and they showed off, and got the win. Well, they were about to when Heyman’s security forces ran in, and interfered, and then Sabu showed up, and the faces cleaned house. Sabu has his arm in a sling. Daviari vs Dreamer Dreamer gets the pin, and then Khali comes out, and wipes out Dreamer. Big Show Speaks Nice promo from Show. Good intensity, and I hope you get well soon. You’re my man, Big Show. Kelly Kelly vs Ariel Well, it was two hot chicks. Ariel looks like she has some moves. Thorn got banned from ringside. Some how, Kelly wins. Knoxx then comes down to the ring and begs forgiveness. Well put together segment. Kelly says she’ll take him back, and then Knoxx turns on her. Knoxx then lays out Kelly, and Tazz makes the save. I found it funny that Knoxx’s actions were seen as bad, when just the previous night, Cena about to beat up a woman got a cheer. Lashley vs Show Not bad. Show got to look like a monster, and standing next to Bobby, Lashley looked small. Lashley got to punch for most of his offense. Not good. But Show got to do some moves. Finish saw Lashley try and slam Show and it looked bad. They tried again, and Lashley almost totally botched it again. Well, Show is a big guy. I mean really big. Lashley got the win, and is still the ECW champion. Well, a less than stellar show, and with all the backstage shenanigans, it’s not surprising. Big Show is also taking some time off. And I’d like to say, thanks for everything Big Show. You worked your ass off, shouldered the responsibility and were a damn good champion. Get well soon. Looking forward to seeing you at Wrestlemania against Hogan. Smackdown Recap courtesy of Rudi Pavani Kennedy Speaks Good mic work from Kennedy. There’s a hearse parked at ringside. No Bossman in sight. But that means little, where Bossman is concerned. Kennedy wraps up, and then the hearse starts moving. Told you so. NO ONE IS DRIVING! Taker comes out, and the brawl, run away segment wraps up. Not bad. Not over the top, which is good. Effective is the word I’m looking for. London and Kendrick vs Regal and Dave Taylor Not bad, but Regal carried the load for his side. Some good back and forth, and the Hooligans got some nice spots in. End was lame, as the big giant flare went up for London and Kendrick break up and consequent feud. Regal started after Lashley and London went for the save, but Kendrick got there first. Or something like that. Regal and Taylor got the win in the confusion. Cena Speaks Great promo by Cena. He’s got intense down and knows how to use it. Cena has come a long way from last year. Batista Speaks Eh, not so good. Good wording, but Cena smoked him on intensity. Calm works, and there was no way Dave could match Cena, but it wouldn't have hurt to try, and be more smug than confident. I just think Batista might work better as a heel at some point. Ah, maybe WM, where Champion could face Champion… Batista vs Finlay Solid match. End was a cluster though. The Leprechaun showed up, and then Booker ran in, and well, Dave got the win. Booker and Finlay then beat down Batista. Jamie Knoble vs Jimmy Wang Solid match, just solid. Way too short though. The chick has learned the basics, and did a good job cheering on Jimmy from ringside. She needs something to make her stand out though. How about if Jimmy does some move, that knocks his opponent down, but he keeps his momentum going, and slides out of the ring, and does a little two step with her, then slides back in? That should work. Oh, and don't have him get clobbered getting back in. Yang actually wins the match. Kristal Interviews Benoit Is there anything this chick can't do? Benoit speaks, and then Vicki shows up, and guess what? Benoit is a woman beater. Even though the footage was clear that it was an accident, WWE is trying hard to push that Benoit did it on purpose. Seriously, all the announcers were accusing Benoit, except Cole, and even he was portrayed as having doubts. Vickie in a neck brace is not a pretty sight. Sylvan vs Benoit Quick squash match for Benoit. I mean, Benoit squashes Sylvan. Miz vs Scotty 2 Hotty Not bad. Miz is still pretty green, but he’s getting better, and his crowd reacting is not as bad as it once was. Guy is less annoying, but that’s like saying the ocean is not as wet as it once was. Not a bad match, and the Miz wins. Boogeyman then comes out, and Miz actually manages to escape the worms. Yeah, the Miz and Boogey is good booking, and I mean that. Kane Sings I love creepy Kane. The comedy just writes itself. Kennedy vs Kane Not bad. Pretty solid match. Good action. Kennedy tries to over power the monster, but Kane keeps getting the upper hand, End saw Kennedy look like he finally put Kane away, only for Kane to sit up. MVP ran in, and the bell was rung. Bah, another DQ ending, even if this one did fit. Just getting tired of them is all. There was a surprise twist though. As Ken and MVP were beating down Kane, we heard the BONG, and then the light went out, and Kane had vanished. Taker didn't show up. Just MVP and Ken in the ring. Nice. Smackdown is really rolling along. It’s taking the time to put the pieces together, and tell a story, both with angles and matches. Raw, on the other hand, just seems to be throwing stuff together. ECW? Well, who knows what’s going on. I feel for Chad. I do. I was there when Smackdown sucked, a couple of years ago, and the poor guy has to now watch and recap this. Hang in there Chad. Rudi, you’re one lucky guy. TNA PPV results And the weekly PPV’s continue. Here’s a quick breakdown. I have Impact! On tape, but haven't watched it yet. Not enough time. Turning Point Recap Info Courtesy of Matt Haggard Senshi won the battle Royal or whatever it was. Eric Young won the Swimsuit Challenge Big Dick Johnson asked where catering was. Now THAT is funny. Christopher Daniels retained the X-Division Championship AJ Styles beat Rhyno LAX beat AMW n the Flag match Abyss retained his NWA Championship over Christian and Sting Samoa Joe beats Kurt Angle Over-Analyzing Wrestling Today’s Topic: Losing Big When discussing the career of Stone Cold Steve Austin, a match stands out, arguably the one that truly “made” Austin. When Austin faced Brett Hart. In that match, Austin lost. The thing that was special about the loss, was the fact that even though Stone Cold did the job, he passed out from the Sharp Shooter, and didn't tap. So, he didn't really lose, technically speaking. In wrestling, as in most competitions, there are winners and losers. Except in wrestling, when you have a Last Man Standing Match and no one wins. Losing is a part of the sport. Just as much as winning. Yet pro wrestling is not really a sport. It’s an orchestrated exhibition. The athleticism, and skill, is real, but the outcome is predetermined, to give the best result possible and build for the next match. It is this leeway that can lend the most drama. Knowing who is going to win, and how, allows the promotion to set the stage for the next bout, to build the excitement, and help talent become more than what they were when they went into the match. For example, Bobby Lashley just won the ECW championship. He overcame the odds in the Extreme Elimination Chamber. To help cement the impression that he is a true champion, he had a rematch against the former champion. The reason for this, was so that the impression of Bobby winning was not just a fluke. That he “deserved” to be the champion. He won his rematch. Now, the stage is set for the rest of the men in the Chamber to clamor for title shots, while allowing Big Show to take some time off. Many reasons or excuses can be laid out for Big Show, upon his return, to challenge for a title shot. The harsh environment of the chamber depleted him. The brutality weakened him. In essence, the manner of his losing can be used to build up his rematch. And there it is. Losing can be, if used correctly, just as big a tool to create a star, as winning. It’s all in the manner of the loss. A few years ago, Rey Mysterio faced Kevin Nash. He got squashed. But one move stood out. Rey Mysterio being hurled like a javelin. That move made people take notice of Rey, and didn't end his career, but could be said to elevate it. People like underdogs. Those wrestlers or teams who aren't supposed to win. I guess it’s human nature. Folks want the “Little Guy” to stick it to the “Big Guy”. While expectations are high that the underdog will win, there is a reality factor that kicks in, that says that it’s not going to happen. But they hope for a good fight. It’s been tried in wrestling for decades, but rarely does it actually happen. The Jeff Hardy vs Undertaker scenarios, where the battle it too lop sided to overcome the reality. Still, a gutsy battle against incredible odds can be effective, even if victory is not achieved. It’s about respect in those cases. The underdog forces respect from the big dog. Making a star isn't just about winning. It’s been said countless times how folks hope that “so and so” does well in the Rumble. They don't expect the guy to win, but at least make a good showing. The same thing happens in regular matches sometimes. Like when a guy steps into the ring with a person receiving a big push. They may not expect him to win, but at least put on a great match, that lets both guys look good. Showing some weakness can add to a characters image. Just steamrolling over everyone does no one any favors, as it’s a rare talent that can pull off the unstoppable monster. Goldberg was a long time ago, and a once is a generation fluke that WCW lucked into. I'd even go so far as to say that the win streak was secondary to the overall impression that Goldberg the character had. Icing on the cake so to speak. To wrap this up, the handling of a loss can be just as important as the handling of a win. Overprotecting a loss is just as bad as minimizing a win, sometimes more. Just think back over all those Undertaker loses, and how Taker may have done the job, but the guy who won, and needed the help that a win over Taker would bring them, suffered for it. Heck, just think back over the H matches the past couple of years. In fact, the more I think about it, the more impressed I am with the handling of the Kennedy vs Kane match. MVP and Kennedy were protected, as were Kane and Undertaker. MVP and Kennedy have momentum going into their matches. There was a run in, but instead of Taker just coming out and beating up both men, there was…nothing. Leaving the viewer to think about it, and wonder what was going to happen. Making them think about the chances for both men. Making them think they had a chance. That’s solid planning, that is. And that’s it for today. I must apologize before I go. I still have last weeks email to get to. I’m sorry, but this has been a hectic week, and well, I am literally out the door. I’ll get to them, and this weeks as well, I promise. Your patience is appreciated. Now, quick plugs and that’s a wrap. VEGAS BABY! GO BEARS! I’ll soon have money riding on you, so don't let me down! QUICK PLUGS! LOP FORUMS New and Improved! The latest Sports, Entertainment news! What are you waiting for? LOP COLUMNS FORUM THE MOVIE BAR! Great place for reviews of DVD's, Music, and special video clips. Your one stop review spot. THE PROJECT LIVES! A creative site for creative people. Be sure to check out the forums! The Rose Reports A great site for politcal news links. LOP'S PWA E-FED. Best E-Fed on the net. Period. That's all for this week. Thanks for Readin' and Thanks For Ridin' Wevv Mang mrwevv@mac.com - PLEASE LABEL ALL EMAIL AS FEEDBACK. THANK YOU. *NEW GALLERY* WOW!! Brand New Karen Angle Photos! THE HOTTEST YET!
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