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Submitted by Wevv Mang on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 3:35 AM EST 
Ridin’ With The Bossman – The Long Overdue Goodbye Greetings! Welcome to the final installment of Ridin’ With The Bossman! Yes, this is it. I know, I know, I said I was going to wrap up with Kane’s House The Last Ride, but, well, that isn't working out so well. I got some good jokes, but they’re becoming more dated each passing day, and well, I still got my outlines, and crib notes, but instead of trying to force them out, I’ll just put them on hold indefinitely. Nothing is worse than forced comedy. So, maybe, one of these days, I’ll post the rest in the columns forum. But for now, it’s past time to say goodbye and call it a night. I picture myself as the last guy at the party, who keeps saying he’s going to leave, and the hosts are too polite to throw me out. It’s not like that at all, but an analogy can be made. So, time to quit stalling and just wrap this wacky little piece of IWC history off to the retirement home. Where Ric Flair is waiting with coke and hookers. And those bitches charge by the hour, and Ric was never very good with his money. So, since these are the official last words I’ll write as a columnist, and so many months have gone by without a comment on wrestling, let’s start right there. The State Of Modern Wrestling TNA I watch every now and then, but read through recaps of the shows on a frequent basis. While the recaps frequently don’t do watching the show justice, in some cases, that’s a good thing. By that I mean, I’ve read descriptions of some skits that sounded like they were good and were given a positive vibe. Then I watched them, and man, whoever wrote that recap was downright, dirty, liar. LIAR! Then, on the flip side, I’ve read some description of TNA skits that were shall we say less than flattering, and by golly, those skits were good. Good solid comedy, even if they really didn't mean to be. So, the lesson is, people have different tastes in shows. But when it comes to TNA, you really don't have to worry about it. They’re all over the place. But I will say this. Fish market Street Fight? Genius. The name alone cracks me up. I only wish I could see it. But a quick search on Youtube just gives me reviews, and well, that’s the limit of my interest, to be honest. I can’t really comment on the angles, since I really have no clue what the fudge is going on. I also think I’m not alone in that. Angle is still there, so Booker, Nash, Joe and so on. Cornette makes cameos. Hector Guerrero is currently filling the Old Man On TV spot. Bullet Bob and Bob Backlund must be busy. Speaking of Kevin Nash, I gotta hand it to that guy. He’s been in the main event of TNA for over a year now. For a guy who really does nothing except show up and collect a paycheck, and a fat one at that, that’s an impressive accomplishment. He doesn't have to worry about having an actual match, since he’s not holding the title. He’s just there. For some reason. He’s made the jump from Angle to Joe fairly seamlessly. He truly is the Sneakiest Man In Wrestling. Kudos to you Big Kev. Kudos. H and Shawn must be so jealous. I’m sure Nash would love a job in WWE, but the big drawback there is that he would actually have to wrestle. While slipping H Russo’s playbook at WM may have earned Nash some brownie points, I doubt it was enough to have that nagging little stipulation removed from any contract WWE may offer in the future. You know, the part about wrestling. EVERYONE wrestles in WWE. The announcers, the GM’s, everyone gets in the ring eventually. Props do have to be given to TNA for two things. First, TNA has proven that chicks can be main eventers. The highest rated segments on TNA are the chicks. Russo was always good for one thing, and that’s for bringing in hot chicks. Now, eye candy is one thing, but for those with talent, it’s an opportunity to actually do something in the ring, and show off that talent. Awesome Kong and Gail Kim are great talents, and this angle has been going on for a long time, and its still drawing ratings. Maybe it’s Kong. Maybe it’s Kim. Maybe it’s the fact that if those two are on the screen, there’s going to be other chicks involved as well. For a while now, I’ve had a theory about chicks and wrestling. It goes like this. Guys flipping channels see a hot chick show up on their screen. They stop to watch. They may not know what’s going on, but two or more chicks brawling and looking good will at least capture their attention for a while. They may not stay once the match is over, but more than likely, they may stay for a couple of extra segments, if not the whole show, if it’s good enough. If not, the casual viewer will flip away, but, there’s a chance they’ll be back next week, even if it’s just a flip to see what’s going on during a commercial for their other show, stay for a few seconds, and then flip back to their regularly scheduled program. Never underestimate the power of a hot chick on young male viewers. The problem seems to be the rest of the show, and well, not being a regular watcher, I can only offer the generic suggestions of building an angle, character development, and using common sense in the angles. Rephrase and elaborate on any of those segments, and you too can sound like a wrestling expert. Yet, for all the TNA bashing, there’s one undeniable fact, and that’s where the second acknowledgement of success comes in. TNA is still there. TNA has grown, and TNA has become marginally successful. I say marginally, because they’ve done very well in terms of ratings, and have turned the corner and are nearly, if not already, a profitable company. Which is amazing. TNA has found their niche, and it’s right around a 1.0 rating. While that may sound terrible, compared to WWE numbers, let me tell you something. There are plenty of cable shows that would kill for a 1.0 rating. In the aftermath of the writers strike, ratings are down all over the place. Being able to draw a rating, on any station, is a gift from God. And doing it week after week, with new programming (which means stocking up video libraries, which means specials for networks, if they need them to fill a void in programming, cheaply) is icing on the cake. TNA still has a way to go, but they haven't crashed and burned. Their biggest problem, in terms of business, is the exact same as WWE. Which is something I’ll cover in depth later. It’s not creative. That has always been an issue, for WWE as well as TNA. It’s growing the audience. Creative can be changed easily. Simply call up Russo and tell him he’s fired, and boom, creative will change. Get better? Who knows. Probably, but it all depends on who they replace him with, and if it’s Nash, well, it was nice knowing you TNA. One last final complaint for TNA. TNA has got to head west of the Mississippi. There are markets they could easily expand into, and thus grow their audience. California, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Nevada, all of those are prime markets for TNA, and could draw a decent house, and give the show more of a national feel, as opposed to a regional feel, at least in the arena. WWE I think the shows have been doing a good job, in terms of angles. No bullshit. Compared to four years ago? It’s like night and day. Angles have a start, progression, and this is where things start to break down, an ending. Granted, not all of them are winners, but at least the plot is there, for the most part. Guys have a reason to be fighting each other, and a motive, which is a big step up. Overall the product has been good, and entertaining. Hell, even H as champion has been decent. Sorry, it’s my bias. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop in the H reign. It hasn't happened yet. It may never happen. But I’m not afraid to admit that H has been a good champion so far. He’s wrestled, he hasn't overpowered everyone and anything, and the H man love and ass kissing has been kept in check. Well done H. Wow, I praised H, and I’m still alive and not throwing up. IT’S A MIRACLE! WWE as a company is still making money, and still a force on cable. That’s right. WWE is a televised force. The strength of force is open to debate, but here are the facts. WWE delivers a solid rating. Every week. Even on the holidays, where the rating for Raw, Smackdown, and ECW take a hit. Their ratings on those days are still strong, compared to the same holiday effect on other shows. There are exceptions to the holiday trend, but those are exactly that. Exceptions, not the norm. WWE makes money. Getting that money to their advertisers and host network is a problem, but it’s not just WWE’s problem. It’s the network’s problem as well. WWE has sponsors. That doesn't seem to be an issue. What does seem to be an issue is the quality of sponsors. Even that has improved in the past couple of years. I no longer have to sit through endless repetitions of Bod commercials. Although it was educational. If I’m ever interested in attracting a dude, I know what body spray to wear. WWE has international appeal. WWE keeps expanding into overseas markets. It’s not always a gold mine, but WWE does has international reach. That puts it on the same page as soccer, and other large sports franchises, and film studios. Not many networks in the US can make the same claim. Other than saying that can reach Mexico and Canada. As a company, WWE is doing just fine. As an entertainment vehicle, WWE could do better, but frankly, has nothing to complain about. Or more importantly, to be afraid of. Or do they? WWE Smackdown will be going to a new network this fall. When Raw was being shopped around, there were not that many takers, or interested parties. That, I think is part of the biggest problem facing WWE and wrestling in general today. And that will be my Final OAW subject. ROH You know, in the five and a half years of writing columns, I don’t think I’ve seen more than 2 minutes of any Ring Of Honor show or match for that matter. Does that make me less of a fan of wrestling? I don't think so. See, here’s my take on it. ROH is a very niche genre. While the folks who do watch the show may rave about the matches, the mere fact that this supposedly fantastic product hasn't grown says something about the product. It says that ROH is to wrestling what stinky cheese is to gourmet cuisine. It’s all fine and dandy that you can talk for ten minutes about the flavor and structural make up of said cheese, but the bottom line is, not many people are going to eat it, even after that lecture. Now, don't get me wrong. ROH is not stinky, and if you’ve been a reader for any length of time, you know my love of cheese is legendary. Cheese is a universal food, and every single country has some form of cheese, and it’s variety is a testament to creativeness and damn it, people just love cheese, and will do just about anything to make it. Maybe my decision to not watch any ROH is that I will be disappointed if I do. I’ve seen some ROH style matches in TNA, and the short-lived Wrestling X on MTV. Basically, from what I can assume, ROH has a bunch of spotfests and the great psychology to those matches, is to basically no sell death spots, and get up and do one of your own. As fast as you can. I don't like those matches. Now, ROH is probably nothing like that. But if I do watch an ROH show and it turns out to be like that, well, I’d rather keep the belief that there’s a high standard of wrestling out there, somewhere. Like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Or Candy Mountain. Now, for the rest of my reasoning for not watching ROH. I hate watching jumpy video of matches on a small box on my computer. It just not pleasant to me. Five, ten minutes, I can watch it, but more than that, and I’m off surfing the net for something else. It’s easily accessible true, but the format really does no favor to the product being offered. Bottom line, here are some facts about ROH ROH has a steady, dependable core group of fans that will sing the praises of their shows. They are self supporting. The source of income is from house shows and sales of DVD’s. It’s the same model they’ve followed for years, and it apparently still works. ROH does not have a national television outlet. I think they do have some local access TV, but no idea where or what time the show is on, or what kind of ratings they get. ROH does have a fairly strong web presence. Just YouTube ROH and you’ll find pages of stuff. Unlike WWE, ROH does not seem to mind their product being shared. In other words, ROH can rely on good word of mouth to get their product spread to new fans, and back it up with proof. Well, except to people like me, who can throw out excuses like not having enough time to watch the shows, and just aren’t that interested. But another fact is that ROH has grown very slowly. They’ve expanded house shows to the Midwest and even the west coast on occasion. But they have not gone in the red ink. Still, for such a hot product, you would think that some cable network would be interested in picking up ROH, since they seem to have all the pieces in place. A production studio (while not state of the art, it’s not stone age), loyal fans that will spread the word, web-presence, though more indirect than direct. In other words, “Official” ROH web advertising in practically non-existent, and their website is not really a paragon of web-savvy artifice. But they do have an edge, in the video on demand section, over other promotions of their size. While I did read somewhere that ROH wasn’t interested in expanding in order to stay true to their philosophy of wrestling, which sounds noble, I also read that there just weren’t any decent offer to be had when they did test the waters. International Japan is having trouble. Business has slowed down, and the groups are struggling. Japanese wrestling is a completely different animal from American. In Japan, it’s part of the national culture. But the interest faded, and the business sunk. There were money troubles that lead to the near collapse of one, and the loss of a television slot. My facts on this are spotty, so feel free to research as much as you like and correct me. But the gist of it is: Japanese groups are working together to support one another. MMA is not to blame for the decline of Japanese wrestling. Well, let me clarify, it’s not solely responsible. Early on, it was a large factor, but now, no. What’s that you say? It is? Not so, say I. Allow me to offer some evidence. Pride got sold. There was a scandal leading up to it, and UFC bought them, but do you really think that if was as simple as rebranding Pride, and getting back on TV, that UFC wouldn't do it? They sure as hell would. Of, it not them, then whoever bought the company. The simple fact is, the demand is not there any longer. Mexico is doing fine. But it’s a pretty much closed market. Meaning, if you’re not with one group or the other, you’re not going to do business, unless you’re big enough to say fuck off to those two groups. Basically, if you're not WWE, you’re not going to do well. Italy has cooled off, and the trend has moved to Spain. Russia, you wanna know something? In all my years of scouring the net haphazardly, I have never heard of a Russian wrestling organization. Or of a company going to Russia to perform. Recently, that is. I always figured WWE would head there on one of their European tours, but I don't think they have. But there is a Russian wrestling organizations. Independent Wrestling Federation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Wrestling_Federation_(Russia) In other words, it’s a completely untapped market. Again, these are haphazard, half remembered facts, and speculation. Research your hearts out. But there is a common thread between the overall decline of wrestling, which faces every organization. And that sounds like a good lead in to… Over-Analyzing Wrestling The Final Topic: The Universal Threat Not that long ago, wrestling was a booming business. In the states, wrestling exploded onto the scene. Record ratings, record profits, and practically overnight, wrestling became a cultural phenomenon. Again. Just like in the glory days in the infancy of pro-wrestling, wrestling became a hot fad. In Japan, wrestling went to unheard of heights. In fact, a case could be made that a slight change in wrestling style and presentation was the catalyst for the renewal of wrestling. Ideas from Japan flowed back to the states and was adapted to some degree to the American culture and voila, wrestling took off. The specific cause of this revival is hard to pin down. It could be said that it was the change from professional wrestling to Sports Entertainment. It could be argued that the right people came along at the right time. The second coming of Hogan as it were. Or it could be simpler than that. Wrestling re-invented itself. A change from the days of yore. Faster new moves, a new attitude, and a different presentation of the product overall. IN other words, wrestling changed the public’s perception of what it was. It was no longer kiddie stuff. It was now in your face. Wrestling grew up to the age of the kids who grew up watching Hogan, and the like. It dealt with adult topics. It stopped being a show about guys in tights rolling around in a ring, and instead became… a show. Period. Wrestling still had characters. It still had the most integral part of wrestling, the wrestling itself. But it also had something else. A sleaze factor off the charts. To be fair, it was no worse than some of what was being presented on other TV shows at the time. In fact, there was not that much to truly get offended about. Not like, sure, but actually get pissed and write to your congressman? No, not really. But it had enough to offend plenty of people’s sensitivity. After a while the shock at seeing something you once knew act so uncharacteristically wore off. All that was left was seeing stuff that really didn't appeal to people at large, and a chunk of those that did learned to be able to ignore the sports entertainment hijinks and just enjoy the wrestling itself. Which hasn't slipped, in my opinion, but actually gotten better. The newfound notoriety came with a price. Increased scrutiny, and the dirty little secrets of wrestling were once again exposed. Only this time, it wasn’t just an attempt to stop one thing, steroids, but the whole of it. Early wrestling deaths. Blame for inspiring violent crimes. Degrading to women. You name it; some one has probably accused wrestling for it. Hell, they even had necrophilia, which still makes me shake my head to this day. Seriously, who the hell thought that was a good idea? Do they still have a job? Why? Back to the point, wrestling has never had a good image to start with, and the era of Attitude didn’t do a damn thing to change that. In fact, it did everything it could to live up to those preconceived notions. And that, my friends is the biggest obstacle facing wrestling today. While the Attitude Era was good for business, not just for WWE, but also for wrestling in general, it turned out to be a short-term gain. Trying to top itself week after week for shock factor, it burned itself out. There simply came a point where you couldn't shock the audience anymore. All you could do was tip them over the edge of not caring about wrestling, and make them leave and not come back. Now, instead of fans spreading the word about what a great show it was, you had a growing number of people talking about how stupid wrestling is. A growing number of people who had more than just casual experience. There is no factor more harmful to your product than a jilted, former fan. They can pick apart what could be said to be a solid show, and blow open cracks in story and logic beyond repair. Add to the factor peer pressure to hate the show, and you got a lot of momentum. Against wrestling. WWE and WCW felt the benefit of what a positive fan movement could do. Once they started pissing off the fans, they soon felt the opposite effect. WCW went under. WWE was smart with their money, and stayed afloat, since they managed to keep their fans happier than WCW. But WWE wasn’t immune. WWE survived because they were the only game in town. Wrestling junkies needed their fix, and WWE was the only one who could provide it like they wanted it. On Monday Night, in Prime time. That’s to WWE’s credit. WWE survived the “Wrestling Sucks!” years, and made money doing it. That’s impressive as hell. Now, the cycle of shit has passed. For the most part. There will always be some, no matter what WWE does. Not everything is going to be well received. The WWE product has gotten a lot better. The sports entertainment crap of previous years has been phased out. Women are treated better. The “shock for the sake of being shocking” philosophy has taken a back seat. WWE is still making money, and still in business and baring a catastrophe, will be for years to come. Yet WWE is not without some problems. Specifically, WWE is having a hard time growing their audience. Also, WWE is having a hard time selling their product to the world outside of their fans. Advertisers. WWE also seems to be in danger of having limited options in finding a network home. Smackdown is leaving the CW. This fall, Smackdown will be on a new network, named My Network. Haven't heard of it? Not too surprising. MyNetwork is made up of the stations that didn't get merged into the new CW network, known as the WB. It’s also made up of lesser Fox affiliates. Fox owns the network, by the way. Now, there is a back story to the CW. Smackdown was the darling of the WB network, drawing among the highest ratings for any of it’s shows. But, it cost a pretty penny to produce, and since Smackdown never took a week off, it racked up. Other network shows have a down time. Smackdown, nay, wrestling itself, doesn’t take a week off. Ever. While launching this new network, there was a gap of time between when the network went off the air, and when it came back on. A gap of several weeks. During that time, Smackdown was on the air, in some places, and with varying times. The ratings took a massive hit. In fact, all the network shows for the CW took a hit. Some huge, some minor, but overall, the ratings for the network went down. Not a good debut. Since then, the ratings for the CW have slowly declined, as a whole. SO did the rest of TV land, thanks to the writers strike, but for a young network like CW, basically on it’s last chance already, it’s not a good thing. Few of the new shows made it, and those that did get good press, haven't really produced anything for the network. Top Model may be the top show, but it’s nothing to write home about. Smackdown also lost ratings, but the decline has been slow and gradual. Part of it could be said to be due to a lack of attention from WWE itself. Top Smackdown stars re-appear on Raw first, and once their welcome back pop is over, get sent back to Smackdown. So, there are rumors of CW getting the plug pulled on it, just so you, the reader, know. But, back to the story at hand. A decision was made earlier this year to pull the plug on Smackdown. Hey, Smackdown ain't cheap, but it ain't the most expensive show on the network. However, cutting costs is what CW seems to be about right now, and that money could go into making a new show, a CW original, that stands a chance of making the network some profits. Profits that won't be shared. Who knows, maybe the second coming of Desmond Pfieffer or Homeboys From Outer Space is what America is really looking for. So, WWE went looking. A network show that can draw on a weak network shouldn't be hard to find a home right? Wrong. It came down to WGN and MyNetwork. Two stations with a lot of reach and no real presence to speak of, looking to make an impact. WWE went with MyNetwork, which turns out to be a smart move. There’s the Fox connection, and also, there will be no doubt that if ratings do pick up, it will be because of WWE. But the fact is, MyNetowrk could vanish in a heartbeat if things go south. What’s even more interesting is that later, much later, it became known that CBS is going to put WXC or WEC, I don't know which, a MMA show, on their network TV. CBS. MMA. In primetime. So, in essence, no big network show was interested in picking up a show with audience. Not a large audience, but again, compared to what the rest of the network was drawing, it looks pretty big, and on a real network, who knows what that rating could have grown to. Now, some may be thinking about Saturday Night Main Event as a reason for networks to shun wrestling. They may be right. There’s two main factors to consider though, and part of relies on knowledge of the wrestling audience. First, and foremost, Saturday Night Main Events in recent years have sucked. The shows were pretty much just thrown out there. Second, wrestling fans knew this. The fans know that anything of real consequence will happen on Raw first, and Smackdown second. If anything did happen on SME, they would know about it on Raw first, and THEN get another chance to find out on Smackdown if they took a bathroom break while watching Raw. The same holds true for ECW today. So, there really was no point in watching SME. Or ECW now, for that matter. If you missed it, you’ll see it again if you tune into the two main shows. Now, back to the point at hand. Networks don't want wrestling if they don't really need it. The question then is, why not? It all has to do with the image of wrestling. Wrestling is seen as low-brow entertainment. To advertisers, people who watch wrestling have no money to buy their products. To networks, the ratings may be high, and when it comes to ratings a lot can be overlooked. But the stigma of being the station that carries wrestling is the main deterrent. The flashback to the days when protest groups wrote to networks and more importantly, their sponsors, and told them to not be associated with wrestling is still fresh. Mainly because their campaign worked. In the Attitude Era, WWE lost a lot of sponsors. That spooked a lot of networks. Badly. Wrestling got vindicated, but only partially. In large part, due to the passion of wrestling fans and Mick Foley. The bad image of wrestling still remains however. Wrestling has done little to change it. The death of Benoit has only reinforced the image. WWE went on the offensive, which was the wrong thing to do. Instead of attempting to sympathize, they attacked. Worse, lies were told. Those lies were quickly exposed, but WWE only pretended they never said anything. Which reinforces the sleazy image. It’s the old carny mentality I guess. While wrestling may be fake, it’s only fake in the same way that other shows are fake. That’s right. CSI is fake. Sorry to burst your bubble. But the only people who don't know who committed the crime, and how, on those shows are: A) The characters on the show B) You, the audience. The producers, actors, stagehands, extras, sound guys, caterers, all know who did it. It’s the keep the fans in the dark, about everything, that seems to keep causing WWE harm. The fans are smarter. Even the casual fans or new fans can learn enough about wrestling to spot the basic flaws. That Internet sure is grand. Old crufters should get down on their knees and thank God for it. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to enjoy the second coming of their popularity. Not as good as the days of old, when they were actually on TV, but still, it’s better than nothing. That is what has to change. Meaning the carny mentality. It’s time to move fully out of the bingo halls and into the world of corporate business. Image is just as important as profitability. Especially in show business. Now, let me clarify something before I go much further. Show business is a business first. Image can be overlooked as long as the company is making money. Once the company stops making money, then it’s time to cut and run. Not just show business, but all businesses. The problem on the networks part is that they can't seem to attract advertisers to wrestling, and make money. That’s the image problem. No money, no interest. It’s that image problem that WWE, as the face of wrestling really needs to address. It’s not the product itself, at least not anymore. WWE needs to reinvent itself to the public. Now, WWE has started aiming at kids again. That’s a two edged sword. While it will create a new generation of fans, it’s not addressing the current image problem. It’s going to be a while until those kids are of an age to truly start spending money on wrestling, as in going to shows, and buying merchandise and talking up the show in general, hence bringing in more viewers. So, how would WWE go about a radical image change? I’ll be honest. I don’t know. There’s the ever-popular marketing campaign, doing things like buying commercials and ad space in newspapers. Web advertising as well. But the reach is limited. Print ads raise awareness, but in terms of getting people to watch, it’s tough, especially with an old show, like wrestling, where people already have an opinion of the show. Radio doesn't pack quite the same punch as actually seeing the show, and giving people something to talk about. TV, good luck. WWE can advertise on their own network, but if no one is watching the network, well, rather pointless, wouldn't you say? Public appearance might work, like if Cena could get on Oprah. Charity work. I’m stretching, I know, but it’s all I can think of right now to do. But mostly, the message has to be main selling point. That WWE is not the sleazy organization people may think it is. Even if it is. Give folks a nice mental picture of WWE, so that when they hear wrestling, they don't immediately think of Kane humping a dead chick or Benoit killing his kids, or roid rage. Stuff like that. Give folks an image to counter the negative. I read that Tribute to the Troops will be broadcast on NBC this year. That’s a great opportunity, if WWE can restrain themselves from making it seem like it’s about WWE having an ulterior motive and an agenda. I know, but it’s harder than it looks. The image of WWE needs to change, and not just cosmetically. The media is already on guard against WWE, partly due to WWE themselves, and partly due to the muck dredging nature of the media. But they are the voice of reason to many folks. In spite of evidence to the contrary. Why? Image and tradition. See how that works? So, I’ll wrap things up with one of my favorite comparisons. Once upon a time, there was a sport that was seen as low-brow. The people who watched this sport, and it was hardly called a sport at the time, were seen as drunken hillbillies, and white trash. Then an amazing thing happened. A huge marketing campaign happened after a network decided to make an effort to put this sport over. Ads were everywhere. News organizations picked up on the story, and it became news. People started publicly admitting that they liked and watched the sport. Snazzy new ads came out, with state of the art graphics and the ads made the sport seem more glorious than it was, by a long shot, and the casual fan tuned in. The sport grew and grew, and became a national phenomenon. What was that sport? NASCAR. While the luster may have faded, it hasn't faded away completely. NASCAR is bigger than it ever was. And those ads? Yeah, cars driving up walls and through futuristic settings? You ever see that in an actual race? Hell no. All you’ll see is cars driving in a circle. But you know what? It worked. And worked well. Image. Perception. A little slight of hand. And Presto. An old sport is new again. And making a lot of money and not hurting for sponsors. At All. Well, that’s a wrap. I would like to thank Calvin for everything. It’s been a hell of a ride man, and as a boss, I couldn't ask for a better one. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to spread my madness on the mainpage and help corrupt generations of wrestling fans. I would like to thank Davey Boy. You are the man, and always been a great co-worker and offered support when I needed it. Thanks man, and keep up the great work. I would also like to thank Tito, for being the inspiration and more than once, the driving factor in my columns. If it wasn’t for Tito, I never would have started writing, let alone have come to LOP in the first place. Tito, no joke, you rule. Thank you goes to Random, for being a true writer, and innovator. No matter what anyone says, you’re cool. And sorry about letting the cat out of the bag about your real name all those years ago. My sincerest apologies Mr. Andrew Martin. Get well soon, and may you find work again someday. I would also like to take this time to say thank you to the WWE interns. I’m glad you liked my stuff enough to pass it on to your bosses, but you’re still rat bastards for selling me out on my YouTube Video, RWTB TV - Death Of Mr. McMahon. You couldn't have waited 24 hours? Fuckers. I would also like to take this opportunity to say, I am now available for hire, WWE. To my former fellow mainpage writers, Hustle, Romans, Aisce, Degenerate, I would like to say, who are you people? No, seriously, your work speaks for itself and it says you’re outstanding. Keep up the good work. Or I’ll send Bossman around. He’s got free time now. Al, you still work here? Sheepster – I pass the comedy torch to you. Like you need it. Pt2 – Can I crash on your sofa while I find a retirement home of my own? To the forums people who occasionally stop by the mainpage, well, nothing really, I’ll still be posting there. You poor bastards. To critics of days gone by, HA! I outlasted each and every one of you! Goofy Wevv and his silly columns! Wevv and his lack of detailed wrestling trivia knowledge! Wevv and his bad grammar and speling mistakes! Five years! SUCK IT! YOU BASTARDS! Now I can retire. LINKS! Lop Forums LPW – Best E-Fed On The Net. Period. LOP Columns Forum – The Next Generation of Writers. Thanks For Reading and thanks for Ridin’. You, the reader, are the sole reason I kept writing for all these years. If I've brought you half the pleasure reading my work, as I did writing it, it was time well spent. It's been one hell of a ride. Pun fully intended. Please label all feedback as FEEDBACK. My email address is mrwevv@mac.com . Thank you.
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