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Submitted by Wevv Mang on Monday, January 1, 2007 at 7:11 PM EST
Ridin’ With The Bossman – Fifth Annual Bossman Awards Greetings! Welcome to the New Year tradition, the Bossman awards, now in our fifth year. Still great taste, with half the carbs. Well, some personal stuff first. Trip home was great, got stomach flu, but got to see all the old friends, and spend some time with the family. So, a good time. Apparently I didn't miss much wrestling, both in terms of shows and news. Been pretty quiet, but with a new year, and the expected full court press for Royal Rumble and Mania, I’m sure that will change. We got awards to get to, and not your usual run of the mill, everyday awards neither. No sir, these are awards are based more on the sports entertainment aspect of wrestling. That and personal preference. I make no qualms about that. So, as I looked back on 2006, as a whole year, it seemed to me to be a good year of wrestling. Sadly, no one thing caught fire, but over-all, a good year. We had some great matches on free TV, no truly horrible angles. Controversy was there, but it never really buried the shows, like in years past. There was Vince and God. And that one, well, folks blew it off when they heard about it in the rumors stage, and it was over and done. It only did damage to one PPV, not a whole brand or show. TNA made some big moves. This was the year of Sting, at least until Angle left WWE and went to TNA. TNA also got a new timeslot and a lot of support from Spike TV, and a big boost from UFC. TNA also made some news on it’s own, working angles with baseball stars. Russo came back and started writing for TNA as well. Yet the biggest news of 2006 happened off TV. Stephanie gave birth to the daughter of Triple H. That event garnered record traffic for the WWE website. Which is funny, because Shane has fathered two kids and it’s been mostly ignored. But Steph gives birth, and it’s headline news. Granted, it’s the child of Steph and a wrestler, but still. And folks think H doesn't have any company clout. But let’s save it for the awards shall we? And let’s start things off with: The Al Wilson Memorial Award – AKA Rookie Of the Year Saint Al Wilson, the Man Who Lived The Dream. He was just thrown on Television, became a regular and was killed by sex. Who doesn't want to go out that way? That’s why he’s Saint Al. This year, the winner is: Ken Kennedy There was the Spirit Squad, who were all rookies, and a few others came up, but they either got sent back down, or just faded into the background too quick to stand out. There are the chicks, who can be considered rookies, like Maria, and Candice, but come on. Smackdown needed new stars. Two stars were brought up, and promptly made a huge statement. Ken Kennedy caught fire right out of the box with his catchphrase, and Bobby just dominated in the ring. Now, Bobby is a main event player, and Kennedy has brought new life to the Undertaker. Both men have been given tremendous opportunities, and they took them, and made the most of them. Bobby still has to improve on the stick, which is his only drawback, and the only reason he didn't win this award. And he didn't loose by much. Reality Happens Vince and His Cell Phone Full Of Nude Photos. Of himself And You Are? – The Rise and Fall Of Amy Zidian Britney and K-Fed – K-Put Jimmy Garvin Hired and Quit In Case You Didn’t Know, Kanyon Is Gay Ric Flair - Man On Fire RVD – Little Naitch WWE Films Spawn Of H Wellness Program Winner: Ric Flair, Man On Fire It was actually closer than you may think. And man, so many to choose from. The Vince story, complete with tanning salon attendant groping, turned out to be completely false, but is still hysterical for the fact that it’s all TOO plausible. It’s Vince, he wrestled God for crying out loud as part of the fallout. Amy Zidian is amazing. She didn't know who Steph was. The more I learned about that story, the more amazed I am that Johnny Ace still has a job. He just seemed to have told that chick that he ran the company, and she believed him. And he wants to hire twenty more chicks. WWE hit a jackpot with the timing of bringing in K-Fed. Seriously, that could be a huge deal. But that will be 2007. Jimmy Garvin getting hired and quitting in a matter of days is funny. Kanyon has made plenty of noise on Howard Stern, and milked his fifteen minutes of fame for an extra twenty. It also put a spotlight on gays in wrestling, period. Steph got pregnant and the world soon knew about it. Baby Watch 2006 was on. When would Steph show up on TV? Didn’t take too long, but thankfully, Steph didn't stick around. She just drugged HBK and left. But when she gave birth, we knew it. Picture of said child made it to TV, but were used as part of an angle. WWE put out two movies this year. This prompted the theme for 2006 Wrestlemania. It also gave us a great shot of H, with his new theme song, sitting on a throne, trying to be Konan, I mean Conan. It also gave us our first national look at CM Punk. “See No Evil” did better than expected while “The Marine” did not. The Wellness Program is the WWE drug-testing program. It went into effect this year. Well technically the year before, but this year, we started seeing results. Right before a Smackdown PPV, several key wrestlers got suspended for heightened liver enzymes. Khali and Bobby Lashley notably. Masters has shrunk and others have grown. The program seems to strike out of the blue, as a person is there one week, and not the next. RVD also created quite a stir this year for his out of the ring antics. First, he and Sabu were busted for pot in Ohio. When Rob had not one, but TWO belts, one of them being the WWE Raw title and the other being the brand spanking new ECW title. Big mistake, but WWE kept most of it off TV. Then, RVD said no when it came to going to Iraq for the Tribute to the Troops show. But the man of the year, when it comes to reality stories is Ric Flair. He had a road rage incident that got made into a hilarious skit. Ric’s messy divorce caused all kinds of WWE backstage shenanigans, from punishment angles, to sympathy angles. Ric’s new wife got on TV. Photos were put up on the website of Ric’s wedding. We even got some good tidbits about the couple in the paper, like the fact that Ric no longer has Carolina Panthers tickets, and that it takes over $30 grand a month to live like a Flair. But Ric is a legend and a national celebrity. Don't believe me? Check this out: Ric Flair Imortalized Best Non-Wrestling Move Kurt Angle quits WWE joins TNA Austin Makes a Movie Bret Hart Has Left The Building Stacy Dances Away Winner: Bret Hart Has Left The Building Trish and Lita leaving showed what WWE really thinks of the chicks. Trish got to leave in a classy matter, simply because I think she thought out how she wanted to go. Lita I think left it in WWE’s hands, and well, you saw what happened. Neither of them is going to be easy to replace, but by God, WWE is going to try. Stacy got out early, and left to pursue a career in Hollywood, BEFORE rumors of Trish leaving. Yep, Stacy was the first. She saw the writing on the wall, as WWE was not happy that she was making a name for herself outside of wrestling, especially a name not being created by WWE. But the best Non-Wrestling move was done by Brett Hart. He agreed to do the Hall Of Fame. WWE put tons of pressure on him to show up at Wrestlemania. Brett simply booked a flight out early that day. He stood his ground and made it clear that he wanted no part of any potential wrestling angle. He showed up at the HOF, said his piece and then left. With his dignity intact. Match Of The Year Hulk Hogan vs Randy Orton, SummerSlam, August 20, 2006 Was it a legendary mat classic? No. Was it a highflying masterpiece? No. How could it be match of the year then? In my opinion, this was the single most important match of 2006. The fall out from this match influenced wrestling far more than any title change, and on all shows. How? Because it did something it wasn’t supposed to do. The wrestling was simple, pure old school. Nothing too flashy, but the emotional involvement from the fans was off the charts. It lifted them up, put them down, brought them in, sent them away, and was just a great match to watch and be a part of. Live or at home. I can't imagine what it must have been like live. It was the most electrifying match I had seen in a while. Twenty minutes of Hogan leading the crowd by the nose. And WWE wanted it to fail so badly, you could taste it. But it didn’t. Before the match, fans were polarized. I read so many negative comments about Hogan, it was like it was 1996 and 2002 all over again. But when Hogan walked through the curtain, it didn't matter. When it was over, the anti-Hogan movement started all over again. You see, it came out that well before this match that WWE wanted an HBK vs Hogan II, but Hogan said no. See, WWE wanted Hogan to do the job, and Hogan said no. So, hues and cries of “How could he do that? Doesn't he respect the business? Yadda Yadda Yadda!” rose up. Loudly. Not a good situation for Hogan to walk into. Yet Hogan delivered. Orton delivered. Orton was just thrown out there, the angles were a mess, but Randy worked a solid match. Something could have been made out of it, but WWE couldn't admit that they were wrong. Put on third, this match drained the crowd so much, that the rest of the show didn't have nearly the emotional impact WWE was hoping for. Hogan got the last laugh, and showed why he truly is the smartest man in wrestling. Worst Angle Rey Mysterio 2006 Rey was the underdog, going for the gold for his dear, departed friend Eddie. That was the premise. Yet, along the way, he was constantly beaten on. He won the Royal Rumble 2006. He won the Big Belt at WM. Yet I have never seen some one booked to look so weak. The Eddie motive got old quick, being called disrespectful, disgusting, and prostituting Eddie’s legacy. Rey as champion was little better. Instead of being about beating the odds, and being a worthy champion, he was the fluke champion. From the beginning of the year to July, when Booker finally won the title off Rey in a mercy win, Rey was barely allowed to look strong. Was Rey a worthy champion? Yes, yes he was, but it seemed like WWE never really believed in him as champion. It always seemed to be about getting that Eddie pop. It never seemed to be about Rey as a person. Rey as a friend of Eddie, yes, but not Rey being able to win on his own. When he did win, the announcers made it seem like it never should have happened. The angle just seemed to be about how lucky Rey was, instead of being an angle that should have been about how Rey was overcoming the odds with heart and talent. Lucky is a good thing in cards and games of chance. Lucky is not what should be used to describe a champion. Defies All Logic PPV Bonanza ECW Not WWE Johnny Ace Still Employed DX – The Angle Night Of The Living Legends Winner: ECW Not WWE There were plenty of head scratching moments in 2006. These ones take the cake. The return of the old crufters is still in full swing, with WWE constantly dredging up some old guy, and throwing him on TV. It peaked with the tag team title run of Flair and Piper, but right beside him? Sgt Slaughter and Dusty Rhodes. The PPV glut that hit in November and December, where there was a PPV every week did little to help WWE, and in fact seemed to be the breaking point for many long time viewers. The shows just didn't live up to the expense. DX ran amok, crushing everyone for months, and left barren ground in their wake. Not even Vince survived. Johnny Ace still has a job, in spite of being a force to rehire old crufters and more chicks. Now, more chicks, not a bad thing, but eye candy just for eye candy and no plan, bad idea. Also, this year started raising a question. Just what exactly do road agents do? Get paid, but what else? But the winner is ECW being called a failure because fans don't know ECW is an WWE product. That’s just stupid. ECW got loaded up with C-Level talent and was expected to succeed. ECW is a show that makes WWE money. ECW was a success story for WWE broadcasting. Yet resentment over something that was not, but now is, and has been for years, Vince, Dunn, Steph, and H didn't come up with it, so it can't be good. Indeed, ECW had it’s detractors in the company, not because the idea wasn’t good, but because it was ECW. That my friends, just defies all logic. MVP Of 2006 I’m going to do something different this year. Each brand had their own MVP’s, that when the call came, they stepped up to the plate and carried their brand. I can't just pin it down to one single guy. MVP Of Raw Edge By far and away, the man who carried Raw was Edge. HBK and Cena had their moments, but the go to guy al year long has been Edge. Cena would not be where he is if it wasn’t for his feud with Edge. From the start of the year, to the helping get DX off the ground, to making sure that the DX has a chance. Edge is the man. Cena may be the biggest babyface of Raw, but Edge is the biggest heel and when the two meet, it’s solid. MVP Of Smackdown Booker T Finlay is a close second. Booker stepped up and broke out this year as a legitimate Main Eventer. Finlay and Booker kept the show going when the enzymes hit and Batista went down. Those two wrestled their asses off, and gave some great sports entertainment as well. MVP Of ECW Rob Van Dam RVD was the guy who was and still is the face of ECW. Even with his pot bust and losing the title, the show wouldn't be the same without him. He keeps plugging ECW and fighting for the show, both on TV and behind the scenes, and every once in a while on the net or in interviews. Paul Heyman may be the mouthpiece and creative director, but Rob is the heart. Big Show stepped up and was a credible champion after the Ohio incident, but it was always about Rob. MVP Of TNA Christopher “Fallen Angel” Daniels Many would say that Samoa Joe should be the MVP. He certainly is one of the most talked about. I haven't followed TNA closely this year, so maybe he should be. But for some reason, when I was thinking of who to name for TNA, Samoa Joe just didn't seem to fit. For a guy who has limited knowledge of the TNA product, one name I hear about as having outstanding matches, Daniels came up. Sting was the big name, but he didn't deliver. I’d love to give the award to Christian, but again, he seemed to fall short. Angle? Too soon to tell. Getting Angle got TNA a lot of press, but other than that, eh. Daniels is the guy for a couple of reasons. Daniels works in ROH. Daniels works all over the world. He’s an ambassador for TNA. His work is outstanding. He can speak. I did see his promo against LAX, and he has skills. Daniels has been there from the beginning. After Nash was brought in to kill, excuse me, save the X division, and Sabin tanked, the belt was given to Daniels. Why? Because he’s good. He brings credibility to the title. And it just seems to me that in all the hub-bub about Samoa Joe being the next big thing, Daniels gets overlooked for his contributions. Well, as a potential regular viewer, I’d like to give some credit to a man who seems to be flying under the radar. Christopher Daniels, thanks man. You are my MVP. If you were to leave, I think TNA would have a bigger problem filling your boots than they realize. The Sandwich Award An award given to those who got handed some form of punishment, or put into something aimed at only amusing a select few, but it turns out far better than expected. Cryme Tyme Jimmy Wang Yang Spirit Squad Kane Winner: Jimmy Wang Yang Cryme Tyme and Spirit Squad were basically jokey gimmicks. Male cheerleaders? Stereotype blacks? Each succeeded in their own way, but not on a level to warrant an award, and Spirit Squad was never the same after DX got through with them. Kane was given an angle based on his movie character. He liked to rip out eyeballs. But the comedy was too great, though never intended. May 19th became a running gag, and did help Kane, but not the movie. Jimmy on the other hand, has made a great comeback. His size is the only thing holding him back. Finally, I know that Jimmy can speak. His wrestling skills are solid, and his gimmick is pure gold, all he needs is more time. Sadly, he was saddled with Amy Zidian, the WWE employee who didn't know who Stephanie McMahon was. That hurt him. While the angle seems to be a joke, Jimmy pulls it off. Jimmy Yang could be the sleeper of 2007. Best TV Show UFC Ultimate Fighter For the second straight year, UFC wins this award. Two of the biggest PPV’s were UFC shows, and they got that way due to the Ultimate Fighter show. They beat Wreslemania but hundred of thousands of buys. UFC may not be pulling in WWE ratings, but the fact that they can get fans to buy their PPV’s shows that they have a far more dedicated fanbase. Not only is UFC helping themselves, but they’re helping TNA. WWE has had some problems. The ratings are lower going into this year than they were last year. Smackdown is growing, but they were off the air for a number of weeks while the CW was being rolled out. Aside from ratings numbers, the UFC reality show delivers where WWE does not. Squabbles in the house are resolved with a real fight. There is a winner and a loser and no ref bumps or other sports entertainment hijinks. Well, maybe some, but not as obviously as WWE. UFC also seems to be generating more cross-over appeal than wrestling. Make no mistake, WWE was better this year than in previous years. But WWE also had the feeling of being in a holding pattern for most of 2006. Understandable, since the head creative writer took time off to give birth. Smackdown has done extremely well recently, putting out some great shows. Raw has been on the verge of a break-out season, but never seems to quite get there. ECW started out hot, but now, deathclock time. UFC put out an entertaining show, that brought viewers to the PPV, and also helped grow the brand. Will the UFC fad continue, or will it fade. 2007 will decide, as many more MMA groups appear to be making a run at UFC. Particularly Showtime, which is going to develop a mixed martial arts show. Kiss Of Death Award Undertaker Triple H The Great Khali Test Winner: Triple H Not even close this year. Undertaker was barely there for most of the year. Khali has been limited as well. Test just sucks, but people survive his matches and promos. Triple H did more than enough to make up for them. Where to start? How about the beginning of the year. John Cena was the chosen one. He was going to keep the belt no matter what. Fans were sick to death of him too. But then he faced Edge and got a new lease on life. Once Cena was reborn, the belt was yanked off Edge, given back to Cena, and then H stepped in. And undid everything Edge had done in terms of rejuvenating Cena. It was bad. Cena was buried. But wouldn't stay buried. But it was close. Edge had to be brought back in to save it. As a consolation, H brought back the DX angle. And they promptly buried Vince, after months of Vince losing to HBK. Vince was strong going in, but DX allowed him to get no measure of revenge. Shane came back, and that didn't help. Spirit Squad was brought in. Five guys. They had made name for themselves, and were tag team champions. So, Vince, Shane, and the Tag Team Champion Spirit Squad all got buried in one match. 2 vs 7. And the two won. Easily. Then Smackdown stars got brought in. Still 2 vs 5 or more. Two guys won again. And they kept burying their competition in promos. Lots of promos. Lots of unfunny promos. Vince, vanished. Shane, gone. Spirit Squad, broken up. Smackdown, ratings dropped as well. DX on ECW? DX won. Hell, Big Show was jobbing for them before they ever showed up on ECW. DX has run right over everyone, and anyone. And with H in the drivers seat for planning, and executing this angle, he gets the blame. The body count is currently at 5. Can they break it for 2007? Wait and see. Sleeper of 2007 Carlito Carlito has not had a good year in 2006. Always on the fringes, but never really in the spotlight. His in-ring work has really shone, and his mic work has been excellent, but his angles have been less than stellar. However, Carlito hasn't lost much ground, but seems to be holding his own. That is why I pick Carlito for Sleeper of 2007. All he needs is one big angle, one good run, and I think he’ll explode onto the scene, perhaps almost as much as Edge has. Best Angle/Gimmick Rated R Superstar Edge Edge tweaked his gimmick before 2006, but it only really took off at the beginning of this year. Edge’s gimmick is that he’s an arrogant bastard, who feel unappreciated. And it’s part shoot. Edge has gotten the short end of the WWE creative stick. He was a solid champion, and got it taken away from him. Instead of holding him down, Edge used it as a motive for a year long hunt for gold. It came up in his feud with Mick Foley. It’s the basis for his current feud with DX. Edge has used his gimmick for more than one feud in other words, and those feuds have been some of the most entertaining of the year. The Bossman Award An award given to a performer who creates something excellent in spite of the odds stacked against them Mark Henry Big Show Edge John Cena Booker T Ken Kennedy Winner: Big Show It was hard to narrow the field down to just those few. It seemed like everyone stepped up at one time or another. Mark Henry came back and folks crapped on him. But Mark put forth his best effort and it paid off. He was the first guy to not run away from the Undertaker and that made their confrontation seem unique. He took big bumps and looked like a real threat. John Cena worked his ass off this year. He was used to help launch ECW and took brutal beatings to make it work. His in ring skills have improved greatly. He’s better off than he was last year. Cena has had a tremendous amount of pressure put on him, and he’s thriving in it. Cena is a true superstar. Booker T stepped up when Smackdown needed him most. The Rey Mysterio experiment was a disaster, and not due to Rey at all. Rey got no support from management or the writers. Something needed to be done and Booker took charge and made the summer better than it had any reason to. He even carried it into the fall and winter. King Booker is a classic character. Fit Finlay was a midcarder who got over by sheer talent and determination. His matches are solid, every time. For a guy who barely speaks, his presence is bigger than it should be. Edge, what can I say about Edge that I haven't already gushed over the guy for? Edge was undoubtedly the biggest superstar of 2006. Cena owes a lot to Edge. Hell, everyone Edge has worked with owes Edge. Every time Edge was given a shot, Edge delivered, and made more of it than should have been possible. But I awarded the Bossman to Big Show. Why? Because Big Show did more than anyone and got half the credit for it. Big Show put his body on the line. He did the Mark Henry big spots. He did the scary Edge spots. He got beaten as badly as Cena did on numerous occasions. But everyone did it first, so it went mostly unnoticed. Big Show was the go to guy of 2006. Khali goes down? Big Show steps in and does the Punjab Prison match for him against Taker. Sabu needs to be made, Cena goes first, and then Big Show does the jobs. Rob gets busted for pot? Big Show goes to ECW. Cena needs to beat a credible opponent? Big Show steps in and gives it his all, and lays down, no problem. Because it was the right thing to do for the business. Because some one had to do it. Big Show did it. And Big Show paid the price with his body. But he still made sure to do the right thing on his way out. He did the job for Lashley. Big Show put his best effort into making his angles seem special. Hopefully, Big Show will make it back for 2007. Rest could be the best thing for him. He’s had a brutal schedule, almost as rough as Cena’s. Showing up on Raw, working ECW, A PPV here, a PPV there, crossing over to Smackdown. Big Show put some mileage on this year. Best wishes to you Big Guy, and get your ass to Hollywood as soon as possible. That’s it for today. I think I got everything. I know I left out a lot of TNA events. The reason for that is simple. I didn't watch much TNA this year. It’s only recently that I’ve tried to keep up. So, instead of just trying to fake it, I skipped it. But with the progress TNA has been making, next year’s awards could look a lot different. Here’s my Glimpse Of Hope Award from last year. Glimpse Of Hope Award TNA The company that just won’t die. Even more than ECW, which still lives on in the hearts of it’s fans, TNA has made tremendous strides in 2005. It got a network deal and made some friends in the broadcasting business. It made some mistakes too, but it’s still plugging along. Gaining momentum. It made a key acquisition in Sting. It picked up some talent that wants to make an Impact in the Dudley Boys and Christian. But they just can’t get over the Jarrett factor. Jerry made a power play by going to Vince. It succeeded in scaring TNA, and they got back in power. But the fact is, Dixie, the TNA Babe got that meeting with Spike. It wasn’t anything the Jarretts did that got them on the Sports News scene with the Chicago White Sox players. It isn’t the Jarretts who the fans come to see. I’ll even go so far as to say that it’s the Jarretts that are keeping Spike TV from making a stronger commitment. Like I said earlier, Spike is trying to help. They want TNA to succeed. It would be the sweetest kick to the McMahon grapefruits to see TNA succeed on Spike. Vince tired to play hardball, not realizing that he had a weak hand. The McMahon’s are too wrapped up in their insular world. Same thing for this year. Here’s hoping that TNA can actually put it’s act together and finally compete with Vince. I think it would be best for both shows. And that’s a wrap. I’ll be back next week with the regular column. Happy New Year Everyone! Quick Plugs! LOP Forums Sports news! E-feds! Insulting strangers! Raging Politcal Debates! Video Game Discussion! Movie Talk! Oh, and Wrestling! Plenty of Wrestling! Sign Up Today! LOP Column’s Forum Wrestling columns and discussion. The Movie Bar! Movie news and clips! The Project Home of excellent writing, a forum for intelligent discussion about todays events. Social discussions as well. For example, there’s an article up by Marm about 50 mistakes women make while having sex. You might want to check that out… The PWA Best E-Fed on the net. Period. That's all for today. Thanks For Readin' And Thanks For Ridin' Please label all feedback as "FEEDBACK". Thank you. Email mrwevv@mac.com *NEW GALLERY* Candice Michelle's Head Up Maria's Dress! WOW!
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