The Whole F'n Schmo

WWE needs to cut Sin Cara loose

2013-08-20T10:24:00.001-07:00

Sin Cara (Courtesy Photo)

It's just not working out and I don't think it ever will. I am talking about the failed experiment that is Sin Cara wrestling under the World Wrestling Entertainment umbrella.

Monday night on Raw, Cara broke his finger about a minute into his match with World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio. The finger injury is the latest in a string of injuries and guffaws the Mexican luchador has endured during his two year WWE tenure.

Cara, formerly known as Mistico, arrived in the company to much fanfare in 2011 after establishing himself as arguably Mexico's biggest wrestling superstar. The bar was set high for him to live up to the hype that was precedent in Mexico.

He originally wowed fans with his unique aerial offense, but under the orange lights that he would wrestle under, were countless botched spots against opponents, whom he couldn't develop chemistry with, or they couldn't adjust to working with a guy of his unique style.

Cara was hit with a Wellness Policy violation three months after his debut, causing him to be suspended for 30 days. Knee injuries and concussions the past couple of years have derailed his run in WWE.

WWE has to face the music that their working agreement with Cara isn't, well, working. His ailments have caused WWE to alter its plans for him. At one point, it was rumored that he would be facing Antonio Cesaro for the Wrestlemania 29, but again, Cara's injuries halted those plans.

I realize the company pegged him to be the guy to replace Rey Mysterio as the top hispanic babyface in the company. While I understand Cara's appeal to children with his colorful masks and exciting lucha style, his inconsistency in staying healthy shows that WWE needs to cut its losses before he comes back and hurts himself again.

Shut up, sit down, and enjoy Daniel Bryan's story

2013-08-19T12:50:00.002-07:00

(Courtesy Photo)

In this day and age of information filtering out at a swift pace on the internet via social media and other channels, society is constantly in need of instant gratification. With that needs comes impatience.

Wrestling fans provided evidence of their neediness for instant gratification when it gave feedback over their disappointment of Daniel Bryan's WWE Championship reign lasting five minutes after an epic 25 minute match against John Cena. As Bryan was showered in cofetti and streamers with pyro going off in the background, his moment was crushed when Triple H, who was special referee for the WWE Title match, pedigreed Bryan, allowing Randy Orton to cash in his Money in the Bank contract and become the new champion.

Fans criticized WWE for taking away Bryan's moment. They felt last night was the night he would be cemented as WWE's new franchise player, establishing a title reign that would lead to four star main event matches as he has proven he can provide.

However, there were some who felt a bigger story can be told by having Bryan chase after Orton and conquer any roadblocks Triple H would throw at him en route to becoming WWE Champion again.

I have to agree the latter scenario makes better business sense for WWE. You have the fallen hero who finally won the big one, only for it to be taken away from him by the corporate exec and his chosen champion.

Wrestling promotions draw more money when the babyface chases after the heel champion. Jim Crockett Promotions drew a ton of money when babyface challengers like Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA, Nikita Koloff, Lex Luger, Sting, etc chased after heel NWA World Champion Ric Flair.

After the fans turned Stone Cold Steve Austin babyface at Wrestlemania 13 during the famous I Quit Match against Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin went through various obstacles before becoming WWE Champion at the following Wrestlemania. Once he became champion, it was off to the races for WWE. Live attendance, merchandise, pay-per-view buy rates and television ratings went up.

From dealing with the Hart Foundation to battling the neck injury sustained at the hands of Owen Hart at Summerslam 1997 to winning the Royal Rumble and dealing with Vince McMahon not wanting him to become WWE Champion, fans supported Austin every step of the way and cheered him on when he defeated Shawn Michaels for the title at Wrestlemania 14.

Fans will follow Bryan on his journey as he goes through every obstacle Triple H and Randy Orton put in his way to prevent him from winning the WWE Championship. When Bryan and Orton finally meet in a one-on-one matchup, fans will be on the edge of their seats when the man formerly known as "The American Dragon" has Orton in the Yes Lock, and with no one to help him out, Orton will have no choice but to tap out.

Bryan would get back the moment that was taken from him at Summerslam, and fans will rejoice in the fact that justice was served. When he becomes champion again, a new chapter will unfold in the Daniel Bryan story. Hopefully over the next several months, WWE can establish characters that will be ready to challege Bryan for the title.

Until then, let's enjoy chapter two of the Daniel Bryan story as we anticipate him getting back what's rightfully his, the WWE Championship.

Wrestling fans: If you want change, make it happen on your own dime, not someone else's

2013-08-08T14:37:00.003-07:00

Have you ever told someone that you did something, and they reply that you should have done it differently.

Maybe it was as simple as telling your parents you bought a 38-inch flat screen television at Target, and they tell you that you should have bought it a 40-inch much cheaper at Walmart instead. Or maybe the first car you purchased was a Mustang, and when you told family/friends you bought it, they tell you that it maybe would have been more economical to buy a Focus.

Somebody is always giving you advice on how to spend your hard earned money.

In wrestling fans cases, they tell wrestling promoters on a daily basis how to MAKE money.

Fans like to play arm chair quarterbacks and advise Vince McMahon (owner of WWE), Dixie Carter (President of TNA), and Sinclair Broadcasting Group (owners or ROH) on how they believe wrestling should be presented on television. They believe that their philosophy on pro wrestling is what will improve a company's profit line.

Wrestling fanatics like to get on their precious keyboards at home and tell each other that 'CM Punk is truly the best in the world. He should be the No. 1 guy in the company over John Cena' or 'Dolph Ziggler works his ass off; Vince McMahon should give him a lengthy world title run.'

Fans are playing with Monopoly money telling promoters that their favorite wrestler is going to "put an ass every 18 inches" and draw money for the company. Why should McMahon listen to fans who say Cena is too stale and needs to "turn heel" when he is the company's best merchandise seller.

Why should Mr. McMahon pay any mind to fans who didn't exude excitement over Rock vs. Cena II at Wrestlemania 29? After all, their first encounter the previous year led to Wrestlemania 28 being the most purchased 'Mania in history with 1.2 million buys.

Rock vs. Cena II wasn't as successful as their first meeting, falling short of expectations with 1,048,000 buys, but it still proved to be a financial success for WWE.

Die hards would have gotten "a chub" if Punk vs Daniel Bryan headlined Wrestlemania 29, but would it have translated with an orgasmic response from casual fans, leading to over a million buys for the biggest pay-per-view of the year? Debatable but unlikely.

For a promoter who is described as out of touch with his fans, McMahon seems to make a lot of money off of his vision of what a pro wrestling, or excuse me, sports entertainment company, should be.

TNA haters have been clamoring for the company to get rid of Hulk Hogan and other past established stars, feeling they take the shine away from their homegrown talents. When people drive down the highway and see a billboard advertisement with Hogan, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy and Sting on it, it grabs their attention because they are well-known to older fans who grew up watching those guys. It makes them want to check out this new product that they haven't heard of.

When fans see an Austin Aries, AJ Styles, James Storm, Bobby Roode, etc on a billboard, people may not be a little curious but not too interested in checking out what TNA is.

When TNA let go of several talents weeks ago, including Jesse Sorenson who broke his neck on a pay-per-view in 2012 and hadn't wrestled since, the fan outcry was unbelievable. Fans went bonanza over some of the people released. Just like any other job, firings are part of everyday life. TNA, and WWE, are no different than McDonald's, Burger King, Ford, Toyota, Chase Bank and any other company that lets go of people on a daily basis. That is life and people move on from it.

Guys like Sorenson, DOC, Tara, Joey Ryan and Matt Morgan weren't moving the needle for TNA anyway.

Who are fans to tell wrestling companies how to spend and budget their dollars? If these fans were put in charge and kept every Tom, Dick, and Jane that they liked in the company, their expenses would outweigh their profit guaranteed.

Fans ideas may look and sound popular, but unless they are making strides to be on a national promotion's creative team or even starting their own company, their ideas on how wrestling is presented and which wrestlers should be featured is moot.

If promoters are making profit by sticking to what works for them and incorporating their ideas into their company, they have no reason to listen to fans and their ideas on how pro wrestling should be.

If fans want to enact change in wrestling, they need to spend their own money to make it happen instead of telling others how to spend and budget theirs. If they don't want to make those changes, they can continue buying tickets and be on the outside looking in and enjoy what they pay for.

It's going to take time for the Daniel Bryan Phenomenon to spread

2013-07-23T13:43:00.001-07:00

Daniel Bryan

If you are not feeling the Daniel Bryan frenzy that is seizing WWE programming then you truly don't have an appreciation for professional wrestling at its core.

At that core, professional wrestling is about entertainment and athleticism, displayed by hardworking talents in front of audiences on a weekly basis, regardless if it's at a small gym or Madison Square Garden.

Bryan may not wow people with a captivating physique and jaw-dropping size, but at 5 feet 10 inches and 210 pounds, he has amazed the WWE Universe with his spectacular athleticism and daft personality.

The uproarious chants of "YES"from fans all over the country have resonated through with WWE management, as they have given Bryan the position to challenge John Cena for the WWE Championship at Summerslam.

The company has been building Bryan up for months, and he has taken the proverbial football so to speak and ran with it. He may be the guy who can replace Cena as the No. 1 franchise player in the company.

While the die hard fans and the WWE Universe have given their 100 percent support to the wrestler known as the "American Dragon," the true question is can Bryan's popularity translate to non-wrestling fans. Can he draw viewers who are channel surfing onto Raw and make them watch the rest of the show? Can he draw huge crowds on a weekly basis at TV taping, pay-per-views, and house shows?

I checked out my Twitter feed last night and came across a conversation between ESPN Sportscenter anchor and wrestling fan Robert Flores and Austin American Statesman sports columnist Cedric Golden about this past Monday's Raw. Golden told Flores that he glanced at Raw while channel surfing. The segment he looked at was Daniel Bryan versus Ryback.

After checking out the match, Golden quipped "makes me miss the NWO days. This Bryan dude passes for a superstar nowadays?"

Golden shared the same thought that maybe other non-fans would have if they saw that the main event of a WWE Raw telecast featured a guy with medial height.

For every 10,000 fans who bellow out "YES," there's 100 people channel surfing at home longing for the days of Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Rock, and wondering how a guy who is the same size, and maybe just as nerdy, as Bill Gates is main eventing Raw.

It is up to WWE Creative to keep Bryan's momentum at an all time high. John Cena is not getting any younger, and other than CM Punk, have failed to establish wrestlers who can be on Cena's level. It's time for the creative team to sustain Bryan's momentum, and with time, the jaded non-fans who might want to give wrestling a chance will get behind him as well.

It's going to take time and effort for a mass audience to ride the Daniel Bryan Phenomenon Train. WCW used to have a marketing slogan called "Where The Big Boys Play."

It's going to take effort and patience from WWE to convince audiences that the big boys don't necessarily have to be big.

Ring Of Honor impresses in its San Antonio debut but raises concern

2013-06-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

I went on record after Ring Of Honor's debut Saturday in San Antonio and said the show was the best wrestling event i've ever attended. It was even better than Wrestlemania 25, the same event that produced the epic Undertaker-Shawn Michaels classic, which may go down as the greatest match in WWE history.

ROH didn't disappoint the fans in its debut, churning out top notch wrestling matches from beginning to end, bell to bell. From the tag team match featuring four Texas talents with Rudy Russo and AJ Summers versus Carson and Ricky Starks to the main event of Jay Briscoe successfully retaining his ROH World Title in a great match against Davey Richards, every wrestler brought their A-game.

It's just a shame that fans didn't give the wrestlers enough due, and instead, trolled them with "Test Of Strength" and other random chats. I get that the experience of a pro wrestling show is all about having fun, but it is also about appreciating the performers who bust their tails to put on excellent matches for your enjoyment.

When fans start putting themselves over at the expense of Richards, Eddie Edwards, Jay Lethal etc, it disrespects their hardwork in the ring.

But, I can look on the other side of the coin and see that the reason fans chant don't wrestlers' names is maybe because of lack of character development. Character development hasn't been ROH's forte over the past couple of years.

Who is Richards as a wrestler? Edwards? Lethal? ACH, eventhough I recommend Triple H to YouTube him and sign him to a contract after watching his best stuff, who is he as a personality?

It is difficult for ROH to develop its characters when it has one hour of television to work with, but it has been on syndicated television under the Sinclair umbrella for almost two years. Their booking has gotten better since Jim Cornette was relieved of his booking duties, but it still struggles to establish personalities who fans can get behind.

The company has to address this issue and let the talents' personalities branch out so fans can get behind them. Or else, the wrestlers will be busting their behinds only for the fans to make a mockery of their talents by trying to get themselves over.

Triple H concussion story should have gone to another WWE Superstar

2013-05-23T14:17:00.002-07:00

WWE produced a cliffhanger angle at the end of Monday Night Raw this week where Triple H could not continue his match with new Paul Heyman protégé Curtis Axel aka Michael McGuillicutty, son of Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig.

Triple H sat in between the timekeeper’s table and the announcer’s desk selling the war he went through with Brock Lesnar inside a steel cage at Extreme Rules.

The concussion angle was designed to give Triple H an out without having to job to Axel on his first night after being repackaged. Wrestling fans have debated online on whether “The Cerebral Assasin” should have put over Axel by having him take advantage of the injuries. Laying a major beatdown on a future hall of famer would have given Axel instant credibility with fans.

Well there are certainly a segment of fans that still enjoy seeing Triple H perform in the squared circle, I believe he did not need a major angle like this to write him off television for the time being. The match with Lesnar would have sufficed.

I believe the concussion angle should have been reserved for a superstar who’s needed to show vulnerability since his rise atop the WWE mountain. John Cena would have benefited from a concussion angle because he would have shown the vulnerability that fans have been clamoring for years, if not months.

Fans have been tired of “Super Cena” and the way he runs roughshod over opponents like they do not pose a challenge. Cena getting a concussion due to the Last Man Standing match with Ryback at Extreme Rules would have made Ryback a dominant monster who took out WWE’s No. 1 hero and WWE Champion.

The injury would give Cena an out to let him recuperate from nagging injuries while Ryback builds himself up as a heel WWE Champion taking on superstars like Randy Orton, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio. Maybe WWE would build up new faces while the leader of the Cenation takes a well-deserved break.

Triple H has nothing to gain with the concussion story, unlike Cena who could use that injury to elevate Ryback or another heel superstar.

But when you are an aging superstar in his last years as a wrestler and preparing to run the family business, any way to stay relevant helps your career.

Where did heel heat go?

2013-03-19T10:34:00.001-07:00

Where in the heck did heel heat go? Why aren't arenas scorching with anger when a (bad guy) antagonizes the fans?

In 2013, "Heat" has cooled down because the world has gone soft and hot button issues that are touched upon are considered too controversial to discuss.

I'm not condoning Bully Ray's actions after last Thursday's "Impact Wrestling" television in Chicago, Ill. The TNA World Heavyweight Champion repeatedly unleashed gay slurs at a fan in front of his family, calling him f*ggot.

In a world that empowers bigotry and discrimination, it was ill advised judgement on Ray's part to attack the fan in that fashion.

But in the confines of a wrestling ring where good vs. evil is prevalent, we have to separate Bully Ray, the performer, from Mark LoMonaco, the man.

Did the hateful slurs come from the mouth of Bully Ray, who positioned himself as the top heel in the company after defeating Jeff Hardy for the TNA World Title at Lockdown and aligning with Aces and Eights, or LoMonaco?

With wrestling being devoid of true heat seekers outside of CM Punk, Ray is trying to do his job as the top heel and top wrestler in the company by goading fans to loathe him with torrid passion that they would watch TNA every week to see who could dethrone him.

Fans have to realize that comments made to get you emotionally involved with professional wrestling's characters are just that: comments. They are words to make you cheer your favorite wrestlers until your lungs blow out and boo the very wrestlers you detest.

I know we live in a sensitive world, but fans should not judge wrestlers by the words they say to entertain you on a weekly basis.

Did Bully Ray go over the line? Yes but that's what bad guys do. They go step out of boundaries to draw people to buy tickets or to watch the next wrestling show.

That's heat and fans should bask in the emotion of professinal wrestling instead of alienating it.

The Whole F'n Schmo ep. 6- Aces and Eights takeover

2013-03-14T08:53:00.001-07:00

River City Wrestling Heavyweight Champion Michael Faith is a bully and a proud hater of the hispanic people. But "The Largeador" has to be given credit for running roughshod over the RCW roster for over a year. Arguably the most dominant wrestler in the promotion's history talked with me, while alongside his lady friend Kyra Myra, after his latest RCW Title defense against Sicodelico Jr. March 9. Whole F'n Schmo was also graced by the presence of Aces and Eights who hijacked the show to talk about their Lethal Lockdown match against Team TNA at TNA Lockdown March 10.

The Whole F'n Schmo ep. 5 TNA Lockdown Fan Interaction Special

2013-03-13T13:50:00.001-07:00

TNA Lockdown Fan Interaction was an awesome weekend. I had the opportunity to interview TNA superstars and personalities. The weekend included promising to buy beer and chicken, getting turned down for a date by a TNA Knockout and getting escorted out of the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk. Enjoy my experience during TNA Lockdown Fan Interaction.

TNA star looks to bring Jersey flavor to San Antonio

2013-03-01T13:47:00.001-08:00

TNA Star Robbie E

Total Nonstop Action wrestling star Robbie E has no qualms talking about himself. The
Robbie E you see on Spike TV every Thursday hamming out vocabulary such as "bro"
and "hamster" is who he really is in real life. Affliction style T-shirts and a Pauly D-like
hairstyle are what you see if you run into him on the streets.

"I'm from Jersey. I go to the beach, club, and tan. The gym is my life. The clothes you
see me wear are the clothes you will see me wear when I go out to dinner and when go to
the airport."

E's brazen ego allows him to claim he is the "greatest wrestler there is" when the
promotion casts luminary superstars such as, TNA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff
Hardy, "The Icon" Sting, Kurt Angle and Hulk Hogan. Having won the TNA X-Division and Television Championships in his 2 1-2 year stint in
the company, the arrogant wrestler from Seaside Heights, N.J. is not finished trying to
back up his ego.

He wants to be TNA's third Grand Slam champion, joining AJ Styles
and Samoa Joe on that exclusive list.

"I'm only 29 years old so the sky is the limit. The TNA World Heavyweight
Championship and Tag Team titles are in my future. I have only just begun."

Winning the Grand Slam would further elevate the company in his own eyes.

"I mean look at me. Who wouldn't want me as the face of their company?" E said.

E has the opportunity to continue cementing his name when he and the TNA stars invade
San Antonio March 10 for the TNA Lockdown pay-per-view at the Alamodome.

The annual event will host three steel cage matches main evented by TNA World Champion
Hardy defending his title against Bully Ray. The other steel cage matches include Team
TNA, captained by Sting, versus Team Aces & Eights, led by TNA Television Champion
Devon and Kurt Angle versus Wes Brisco of A & E.

"There's going to be crazy hardcore stuff going on this year. Who knows what Kurt
Angle is going to do this year? Impact Wrestling is an experience like no other. Every
match will be action packed and you get to see the hot Knockouts, and most importantly,
you get to see Robbie E," he said.

E looks forward to the Hardy-Ray matchup the most. Hardy and Ray are no strangers to
each other, having competed in classic tag team matches as part of the Hardy Boyz versus
Dudley Boyz rivalry in World Wrestling Entertainment.

"I feel Bully Ray has something up his sleeve. They have history unlike no other so to see
them lock horns inside a steel cage is huge," E said.

Fans also have the opportunity to meet the stars at its TNA Fan Interaction event at the
Crown Plaza Hotel Downtown March 9.

Before E was wrestling in front of thousands of fans for TNA, he was plying his trade in
independent promotions around the Northeast after being trained by Extreme
Championship Wrestling star and current TNA agent Simon Diamond. The independents
are shows where wrestlers prepare for the national spotlight by peforming in front of
small crowds in small arenas.

He received a tryout match with TNA Wrestling in July 2010 after wrestling for 10 years.
The company offered him a deal shortly after the tryout.

"(Being in a national promotion) is what every wrestler wants. The travel, having
wrestling be your only job, and getting fame when you are on television and getting
recognized when you are out in public was awesome the first day it happened and it is
just as awesome now," E said.

The brash wrestler was always confident he would earn a spot in a national promotion.

"I was never going to stop trying (to make it to a higher level). Some wrestlers give up
after a few years, but I said I would keep going until something happens," E said.

His hard work was not only rewarded with a TNA contract and titles but also the
opportunity to work with reality television stars. E has faced off with Jersey Shore's Angelina and JWoww on the TNA Impact Wrestling show. He even stepped into the ring against Ronnie from the hit MTV show.

"He was a hampster bro. He was half my size. He was a midget," E claimed.

E might have to put another "hampster" in his place at Lockdown.

He and his bouncer Big Robbie T aka Rob Terry have had miscommunication issues
stemming from Terry attempting to outshine him in a recent dance competition called
The Bro Off.

Their issues could culminate in a match March 10 at the Alamodome.

"He has been trying to out bro me and he don't know me because I am the No. 1 bro. He
has to realize that. I have had to put him in his place by smacking him around a little bit.
He knows the deal. I pay him to be my bouncer. The spotlight is on Robbie E not Robbie
T," E said.

You can purchase tickets for TNA Lockdown through http://www.ticketmaster.com or at
the Alamodome box office. You can catch Impact Wrestling on Spike TV every
Thursday at 8 ET/7 CT.

Follow me @WholeFnSchmo

The Whole F'n Schmo ep. 4- Interview with ECW icon Tommy Dreamer

2013-02-11T16:03:00.001-08:00

Extreme Championship Wrestling legend Tommy Dreamer has been slammed through tables, even flaming tables. He's been sliced open with a cheese grater, singapored caned where the sun don't shine and has received countless injuries throughout his career.

Known as the "Innovator of Violence," Dreamer can dish pain as good as he can receive it. Feb. 9 at the National Wrestling Alliance-Branded Outlaw Wrestling's Extreme Anniversary at Woodlawn Gym was just another day at the office for Dreamer.

The ECW icon went to war with NWA-BOW Heavyweight Champion Jax Dane. Chairs, singapore canes, and trash cans were aplenty during their epic battle.

As good as Dreamer brought the fight, Dane brought it better. On that night, "The Vanilla Godzilla" spinebustered Dreamer through a trash can to retain his title.

In defeat, the fans still chanted Dreamer's name and let him know how much his efforts were appreciated. After his epic war, Dreamer was gracious to give me an interview, even though he was feeling the aftereffects of his encounter with Dane.

The Innovator of Violence talks about his beginnings in ECW, turning down a contract from WCW, his appearances in both WWE and TNA these past few months, and what he has been up to lately. The dude even had the audacity to take over my show.

Following the success of Dreamer's appearance, NWA-BOW keeps rolling with a new show March 16 at Woodlawn Gym. The NWA World Heavyweight Champion Tokyo Monster Mahagas defends the world title at BOW for the first time. Also see Dane, The NWA World Tag Team Champions Kingz of the Underground, NWA/BOW Cruiserweight Champion Rudy Russo, and many more. Follow Branded Outlaw Wresting on Facebook and go to www.BRANDEDOUTLAWWRESTLING.com for details.

Follow me @TheWholeFnSchmo. Follow Dreamer @TheTommyDreamer

The Whole F'n Schmo ep. 3- Interview with Steve McEnroe

2013-02-05T15:49:00.001-08:00

Two things River City Wrestling star Steve McEnroe and tennis legend John McEnroe share are their last names and love to play to tennis. But the difference between them is John doesn't take beatings inside a wrestling ring from opponents bigger than him and going back for more. Steve is an RCW superstar on the rise, having earned the adulation of fans because of his resiliency to never give up and his athleticism and charisma. In January, McEnroe was beaten half to death by his adversary, RCW Champion "The Largeador" Michael Faith. With the fans chanting "McEnroe, McEnroe;" the man known as "Mac Attack" exacted some revenge, beating Faith in a non-title match at RCW's "It's Time 5." I had the opportunity to get to know "Mac Attack" a bit and talk about his upstart wrestling career and his goals in RCW and elsewhere.

Follow me @WholeFnSchmo

CM Punk's WWE Title reign is historic but not because of its longevity

2013-01-29T19:10:00.000-08:00

In professional wrestling, feuds are generally between two wrestlers, or in some cases two tag teams, who have a personal issue with each other.

Whether it's for a championship, pride, or just personal animosity, the feuds develop over the course of time and culminate in a big match at a pay-per-view.

After the grudges are settled, fans can debate about how great the rivalry was between the two singles wrestlers or teams and its placement of great feuds in wrestling history.

I think in this "modern era" of wrestling, fans don't realize that the best stories aren't usually just between two wrestlers.

The best stories usually involve multiple wrestlers, and sometimes, one central story can spawn multiple characters into the spotlight.

CM Punk's WWE Championship reign is not only historic because of the 434 days that he held it until losing to the Rock at the Royal Rumble Sunday. It's historic because his reign somewhat elevated new talent into the spotlight and kept established talent in the mix.

Punk feuded with Daniel Bryan and Kane during the summer. The three were involved in a love quarrel with AJ.

That feud spawned a rivalry between Bryan and Kane, leading to a match between Kane and Bryan at Summerslam, which Bryan won. The climax of the feud led both to taking anger management classes at the behest of AJ, who was Raw General Manager at the time, and being forced to tag with each other. Team Hell No was born and they are currently WWE Tag Team Champions.

At the Raw 1,000 show, the Rock came back and declared he would challenge the WWE Champions.

Bitter that a man who only competed in one match that year was getting a title opportunity, Punk shocked the world when he hit Rock with Go To Sleep, causing Jerry Lawler to declare that Punk turned his back on the WWE Universe.

Rock would not be seen til earlier this year, meanwhile, Punk defended the WWE Title against John Cena and Big Show at Summerslam and against Cena in a singles match at the Night of Champions in September.

After sneaking away with the title for two straight pay-per-views, it was believed a third match between Punk and Cena would be contested at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view in October.

It was revealed Cena was injured and was not healthy enough to compete at the pay-per-view. Looking for a replacement over enough to compete against Punk in a main event match, WWE decided to give Ryback the big match, as he was an undefeated monster at the time and a star on the rise.

Ryback had Punk beat at Hell in a Cell until referee Brad Maddox low blowed him, and Ryback's undefeated streak was ended flukishly.

A few weeks later, Mr. McMahon made a triple threat match for Survivor Series where Punk defended his title against Cena and Ryback.

Punk's title again was thought to be in jeopardy.

Enter the Shield!!

The Shield made its debut at Survivor Series, powerbombing Ryback through the announce table after Ryback nailed Cena with Shellshock. Punk picked up the scrapps and made it to one full year as champion, having defeated Alberto Del Rio for the WWE Championship at the previous Survivor Series.

It was debated whether the Shield was in Punk and manager Paul Heyman's back pocket.

The evidence was clearly there. The Shield said they were out to cure injustice by attacking WWE Superstars.

They never touched Punk.

The Shield helped Punk retain the WWE Title over Ryback in their awaited Tables, Ladders, and Chair match on Jan. 7.

A week before the Rumble, the Shield attacked the Rock, leaving him vulnerable and for Punk to have the advantage in their match.

The Shield allegedy attacked the Rock during the match with Punk at the Rumble when the lights were out due to McMahon saying a week earlier if they interfered, Punk would be stripped of the title.

It was revealed on Monday's Raw during Paul Heyman's performance review that Heyman and Punk were colluding with the Shield and Maddox the whole time.

Before McMahon could say those two magic words "you're fired," to Heyman, Brock Lesnar made his return after quitting WWE in August and gave McMahon the F-5.

The Lesnar assault on McMahon more than likely lead to Triple H coming back to avenge his father-in-law and his loss to Lesnar at Summerslam.

Punk's title reign may be significant due to the class of greats he is associated with because of his long title reign. It's historic to be mentioned alongside Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund, Pedro Morales and Hulk Hogan for longest WWE Championship reigns in history.

But it's even more impressive that Punk's reign led to Team Hell No being formed,the rise of Ryback, the debuts of Brad Maddox and the Shield, the Rock winning his eighth WWE Championship more than 10 years after his last reign, and Brock Lesnar coming back.

And nobody remotely thought about this feat.

Follow me @WholeFnSchmo

The Whole F'n Schmo ep.2- Interview with River City Wrestling Superstar Ann Dromeda

2013-01-13T18:38:00.001-08:00

I recently conducted an interview with San Antonio promotion River City Wrestling superstar, the exotic, vibrant Ann Dromeda.

He talks about his tenure as a wrestler and his goals for RCW in 2013.

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Interview with Chavo Guerrero Sr.

2012-12-11T12:54:00.001-08:00

Interview with Chavo Guerrero Sr.

2012-12-11T12:48:00.003-08:00

Here is my first video interview in the Attitude Adjustment era.

I interviewed wrestling legend Chavo Guerrero Sr. aka Chavo Classic, father of Chavo Guerrero and brother of World Wrestling Entertainment hall of famer Eddie Guerrero.

Classic accompanied his son Chavo to the ring during River City Wrestling's "Texas Explosion VII" event at the Good Shepherd Activity Center Dec. 8. His son Chavo teamed with his Total Nonstop Action Tag Team Champion partner "Super-Mex" Hernandez and Homicide to take on the RCW Heavyweight Champion Michael Faith, Joey Spector, and Coach Michael Patrick.

Chavo talks about the historic Guerrero legacy in Texas, his wrestling career, and I think he mentions he has a book coming out.

CM Punk: The last of a dying breed in wrestling

2012-09-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

It's proven that wrestlers and even athletes in the general sports world who draw the ire of fans can bring said fans back next time a wrestling/sporting event comes back to town.

They are known as the "heels."

The greatest heels have had that innate ability to draw the fans' thirst to see them get their behinds handed to the next time a wrestling event returns to their town.

Rowdy Roddy Piper had that ability to make fans hate him with a passion with the hope of seeing him get what his. The Nature Boy Ric Flair ditto. A who's who of the greatest villains in professional wrestling history from the late Goregous George to even WWE owner Vince McMahon have had the skill that made fans spend their hard earned money to see their heroes upend the villains.

One of the complaints about the state of professional wrestling today are that there is a shortage of villains who draw that ire of the fans that the bad guys of yesteryear were able to do.

On this past edition of Monday Night Raw, we saw CM Punk take the torch of yesterday's villains and continue the tradition that those before him did by becoming a despicable heel who fans would pay to see lose the WWE Championship.

His alliance with Paul Heyman certainly helps because anytime Heyman speaks on a microphone, fans clamor for him to shut up or for someone to shut him up.

After Punk verbally blasting referee Brad Maddox for not seeing his foot on the rope as he counted the 123 to give John Cena the victory in last week's tag team match, the Second City Saint got into a war of words with both Mick Foley and Cena throughout the show to cement himself as a vile heel.

His way of disrespecting fans and rivals after clamoring for respect of his own makes fans see him as a hypocrite who wants the fans to adore him, but yet, doesn't reciprocate appreciation back makes Punk a bullish heel.

Punk may be the one heel who has gotten 90% of the fans in attendance at WWE live events clamoring for Cena to beat him for the WWE Championship.

The title "Best In The World" may be subject to debate from fans, but if Punk's skill as a vile heel gets Cena over as a babyface then the subject may not be that debatable.

Punk proved Monday night with his disrespect of Foley and belittlement of Cena that he is the torchbearer for a lost tradition in professional wrestling.

He's the one great heel in WWE with the skill to rile up fans and make them want to see someone give him his comeuppance.

Whether it's Cena or a potential new foe like Ryback, who stared down Punk at the end of Monday's Raw after the WWE Champ attacked Foley in the back stage area, fans will want to get behind that person and cheer them on to dethrone Punk.

The art of being a great heel has been lost over the years in wrestling, and Punk has found the lost art and made it into a masterpiece skill.

It's a skill the WWE roster should study the next time Punk speaks on the microphone and draws the ire of fans.

For it's those heat seeking skills that could help them be draw money in a lost-art business.

Follow me @LuchaLoco210

An alliance that could lead to CM Punk... turning back babyface?

2012-09-06T14:14:00.001-07:00

The biggest story coming out of Monday Night Raw, surprisingly, didn't crash the World Wide Web like I thought it would.

During the John Cena-Alberto Del Rio Falls Count Anywhere match, CM Punk returned after saying he was taking a personal leave earlier in the night and costed Cena the match by driving him head first onto the hood of his town car.

As Raw was about to fade to black, Paul Heyman stuck his head out of the window and revealed himself to be Punk's driver.

With the reveal of a Punk-Heyman alliance, I was surprised servers around the country crashed after tweeting and chatting about the possibilities the internet wrestling community's two favorite wrestling darling could create.

It is speculated that the Punk-Heyman alliance could lead to a faction of well-known independent wrestlers like Claudio Castognoli, who is WWE U.S Champion Antonio Cesaro, Chris Hero aka Kassius Ohno in WWE developmental, and Tyler Black, who currently reigns as NXT Champion while going by the name Seth Rollins.

While it would be a cool idea to witness a Punk-led group of wrestlers dominate the landscape, my crystal ball says that plan is not in the works.

If I were writing WWE television, this is how I would book the Punk-Heyman alliance to lead back to Punk turning back babyface come Wrestlemania 29.

I would have Punk challenge to Cena to waive any right to a WWE Championship rematch if Punk returns at Night of Champions next Sunday.

Punk retains the title under nefarious means in Cena's hometown of Boston.

Cena would not accept how Punk won so he would try to goad Punk into giving him another rematch.

A week later, while Cena again tries to get Punk to give him his rematch, Heyman comes out on behalf of Punk and tells Cena that Punk will give him his rematch on one condition: he has to beat an opponent of his choosing at the next pay-per-view who happens to be another Heyman client, Brock Lesnar.

Cena and Lesnar would collide in a rematch from their epic match at Extreme Rules at the October pay-per-view.

Towards the end of the match, with Cena making another improbable comeback to overcome Lesnar, Punk interferes and costs Cena his one last opportunity to get a rematch for the company's prestigious prize. The pay-per-view ends with Cena and Lesnar standing over Cena with Heyman looking on.

After two weeks of brutal beatdowns from the WWE's newest dominant force, Cena calls on the one guy who can help him out against his biggest foes at Survivor Series: the Rock.

I would have Punk pin the Rock at Survivor Series to set up their eventual showdown at the Royal Rumble.

Rock would go on to beat Punk at the Rumble, ending Punk's 14 month reign as WWE Champion.

Punk would enter the Royal Rumble match later on the night, realizing an opportunity to get back wrestling's greatest prize.

With a final four of Cena, Punk, Lesnar, and Randy Orton, I would have Lesnar eliminate Punk on purpose, setting off Punk on why his ally would rob him of a chance of the WWE title.

In the WWE Championship match At Elimination Chamber, Punk and Lesnar's problems come to ahead as Lesnar eliminates Punk once again from trying to reclaim his WWE Championship. Punk gets furious and hits Lesnar with a steel chair, allowing the Rock to retain his title.

The disintegration leads to a Wrestlemania showdown between Punk and Lesnar, with Punk going in as the babyface fed up with Lesnar screwing him over reclaiming the WWE Championship.

This is not necessarily how it will go down come Wrestlemania 29, but only one can hope the new storyline with Punk and Heyman can be best in the world.

Follow me @LuchaLoco210

WWE Summerslam: The Perfect Storm produced scattered showers

2012-08-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

As the summer's hottest pay-per-view, WWE Summerslam provided very little sizzle to the paying customers last night.

While there wasn't a bad match on the card, most of the matches ranged from decent to good effort. In other words, save the $50 for the replay, and I wouldn't necessarily recommend the DVD, but I would suggest borrowing it from a friend.

Here's my thoughts on each match:

Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar: Both combatants put on a subpar match that wasn't on the level of the brutality of John Cena-Lesnar at Extreme Rules in April. The four-month rivalry culminated in with a subpar match that saw both wrestlers grapple, punch, and kick. The match lacked intensity for what was supposed to be a personal grudge match. The right guy won, as Lesnar needed the win after losing to Cena a month after returning from an eight-year hiatus to pursue football and mixed martial arts. Lesnar made Triple H tap out to the Kimura, breaking his arm in the process. After fans seranaded Triple H with "You Tapped Out" chants, "The Game" told the fans he was sorry and indicated he was retiring. We shall see tonight on Raw which direction both men go.

WWE Championship Triple Threat match-CM Punk vs. John Cena vs. The Big Show- The match was restarted by Raw General Manager AJ Lee after both Cena and Punk made Big Show tap out to their respective submission moves. Cena gave Big Show the Attitude Adjustment only for Punk throw Cena out of the ring to pin a fallen Show to retain the WWE title. The match was fine save for the predictable restart by Lee. With no logical challengers in place, I see Punk vs. Cena at Night of Champions in a few weeks, but Punk will probably retain to prolong his reign for an eventual showdown with the Rock at Royal Rumble.

World Heavyweight Championship-Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio- Nothing that we haven't see from these two, but both put on a decent match. The finish came when the referee attempted to eject Del Rio's ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez, out of the ring, only for him to overthrow his shoe to Sheamus to knock Del Rio out. Sheamus connected with the Irish Curse and defeated Del Rio, who had his foot on the rope before Sheamus knocked it off in time, for the second straight pay-per-view. There feud will continue, but I think it will end on Smackdown so Sheamus can possibly move on to a new challenger, and i'm guessing it will be Brock Lesnar.

Daniel Bryan vs. Kane- Bryan going over Kane via schoolboy roll up was the right call, as Bryan is picking up steam as a heel, and Kane winning doesn't do anything for him. Kane attempted to chase Bryan backstage, but ran into Josh Matthews who attempted to interview him. Matthews efforts were rewarded with serious whiplash, as Kane threw the small announcer like a rag doll.

WWE Tag Team Championship- Kofi Kingston and R-Truth vs. The Primetime Players- Kofi and Truth retained their titles, but if there was going to be a title change last night, the tag belts should have changed hands. I see money in the Primetime Players as a top act, even after their manager AW was fired last week. I think the Players are being punished for their departed manager's inappropriate joke about Kobe Bryant's rape case last month. Hopefully WWE sees the Players being money players, no pun intended of course, in the near future and gives them the tag belts.

WWE Intercontinental Championship- Miz vs. Rey Mysterio- Miz retained his title after delivering Skull Crushing Finale to Mysterio in a tightly contested matchup. I get a feeling that Mysterio is going to get pushed down the card and be used to elevate younger talent while Miz will defend the Intercontinental Title against a plethora of challengers to enhance the once-prestigious champioship, held by greats such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Rock, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and the Mountie. Ok the Mountie wasn't great so sue me.

Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler- I didn't see this match, as we originally went to Buffalo Wild Wings only to find out they are no longer showing WWE pay-per-views. Me and my friends decided to hit to Fatso's, and the match finished before we got there. Anyway, I think Ziggler should have gone over as Jericho is expected to finish with WWE tonight on Raw to tour with his band Fozzy. Jericho could have told the crowd after defeat that he needed to re-evaluate his goals and see if wrestling was still in him after losing to Ziggler. In the process, it would have made Ziggler a bigger star for deflating one of wrestling and WWE's greatest superstars. I expect Ziggler to do something tonight to get his heat back, and when Jericho comes back, I expect their feud to pick up steam.

Follow me @LuchaLoco210 for wrestling tweets every now and then.

My prediction for Lesnar-HHH: The Perfect Storm

2012-08-16T14:38:00.001-07:00

The Brock Lesnar-Triple H bout at Summerslam Sunday won't be your good ol' fashion wrestling match.

It will be a match for the ages and will feature a culture clash of sorts.

It will be the 13-time world champion and a man who represents one of the greatest eras in WWE history, the Attitude Era, in Triple H vs. a wrecking machine who has won championships in the NCAA, the WWE, and the UFC- Brock Lesnar.

These two workhorses are sure to put on a match for the ages, and i've loved the feud that's been brewing since Lesnar broke HHH's arm the night after the Extreme Rules pay-per-view.

This is how I see the four-month feud culminating Sunday in Los Angeles.

Lesnar dominates HHH for the first half of the match in the same manner he manhandled John Cena in his return match since leaving WWE eight years ago.

HHH makes the proverbial comeback, and the sledgehammer comes into play. As Triple uses his might to utilize it, Lesnar stops him and punishes him with more brutality until Shawn Michaels makes a surprise return after Lesnar broke his arm on Monday.

When Lesnar has "the Game" in his submission, the Kimura, Michaels stops the match on behalf of his buddy so no further damage is caused.

Lesnar is once again established as a dominant beast after losing to Cena at Extreme Rules and being gone for four months.

Since the WWE Championship picture will be occupied with, more than likely, CM Punk and John Cena until the Rock makes his return at the Royal Rumble, I see Lesnar going after Sheamus' world heavyweight title after Summerslam.

With no credible challengers lined up for Sheamus, I see no bigger challenge to give Sheamus and the world title credibility than WWE's ultimate monster.

The story they can tell is Sheamus has taken out Triple H before, so why doesn't Lesnar try taking out someone who is younger and hungrier to make his mark in WWE history.

While it may not be an ideal matchup like Lensar vs. Punk, Lesnar vs. Randy Orton, or Lesnar vs. the Undertaker, Sheamus and Lesnar have the potential to put on an entertaining feud that could produce a few quality bouts.

My prediction for how Lesnar-Triple H is booked is just that- a prediction, but i'm sure the match will be one that fans will be talking about the day after Summerslam.

Follow me on Twitter @LuchaLoco210

WWE's Superstars stepping up?

2012-08-13T11:06:00.002-07:00

I had the pleasure of going to WWE Raw 1,002 last week at the AT&T Center here in San Antonio, and it was one of the best shows i've been to awhile.

But it's not because I witnessed a "match of the year" candidate or a moment that will stand the test of time in WWE annals.

I had a blast watching some of the WWE Superstars find their groove and get over with the WWE Universe.

For the past couple of year, every time i've gone to see a WWE show with my father, we always discuss whether we enjoy the the show and why or why not.

Every time we've had this discussion, it begins the same way on my dad's part: "It was ok, but the matches were too short, and the wrestlers of today don't have any charisma."

I always want to diss my pop's comments because he really doesn't watch wrestling other than when passing by the living room or when a big star returns like the Rock or Stone Cold Steve Austin.

But i've kinda agreed with him on his comments about the lack of charismatic stars that have entertained us on WWE television.

Ever since the end of the Attitude Era, very few WWE Superstars have stepped up to that main event level to lead WWE into a new era save for John Cena, Randy Orton, and recently, CM Punk.

But as I enjoyed Raw live last Monday, I realized that quite a few talents have stepped up their game recently and are finding their groove.

Daniel Bryan has been getting quite the crowd following ever since winning the World Heavyweight Title in December of last year and then losing it in 18 seconds at Wrestlemania 28 in April.

The Yes chants have had WWE live audiences breath life into live shows be it Raw, Smackdown, and pay-per-views. After Bryan's engagement to AJ went south, Bryan has embraced No chants to distance himself from being cheered by the WWE Universe.

For a guy who wasn't pegged to be a main eventer because of his lack of charisma, Bryan has found his stride thanks to his overzealous character and his ability to have great matches with everyone from Punk to Cena.

Dolph Ziggler has really stepped up his game to another level in his current feud with former Undisputed WWE Champion Chris Jericho. Ziggler has the ring skills and the mic ability to cement himself full time into the main event scene after his feud with Jericho presumably concludes at Summerslam.

Ziggler just needs a few more credible wins after that rivalry is done, and I see him being a guy who can carry WWE into a new era of superstardom.

There are also quite a few who have been given chances for superstardom, but for whatever reason, WWE hasn't put their full investment into them.

Alberto Del Rio, Miz, and oddly, Zack Ryder have been given or found characters that the WWE Universe would love (Ryder) or hate (Del Rio, Miz). Those three superstars are still able to generate favorable or unfavorable crowd reactions despite the company's hesitation to give them sustained pushes. With the right backing, those three are one good push from reaching the upper echelon of superstardom.

Even the Primetime Players, who have been on television for over three months, found their groove under manager AW. With AW's recent firing due to a poorly timed Kobe Bryant joke, I hope the charismatic tag team doesn't get lost in the shuffle as they have the tools to be a terrific pair in the tag division.

One up and comer who has gotten my attention lately and has the tools to be a big time player is Damien Sandow. The self-proclaimed "martyr" of the WWE has elicited jeered responses from the WWE Universe due to his "I'm better and smarter than you" attitude, but he also has an aggressive ring style that could lead him to the next level.

Little by little, piece by piece, the superstars of WWE, present and up and coming, are finding their stride, and the superstars I mentioned could lead to WWE to new heights just like its predecessors did.

Follow me @LuchaLoco210

Respect for the fans

2012-06-21T12:39:00.002-07:00

There are two types of fans: the casual fans who love WWE or TNA and your "smart marks"-fans who love all types of wrestling, ranging from independents here in the United States to international companies. The common denominator they share is their love for the products they watch put money in the pockets of the wrestling companies, and in turn, the wrestlers who work for those companies. I get a little irked when wrestlers blantantly disrespect fans, telling them they are better and smarter than the fans by calling them "smarks", which means smart marks or smart wrestling fans. Case in point, Kevin Nash said on Twitter Tuesday after teasing he would be on WWE Raw the night before that social media "is his PS3. Thanks for playing along tonight. I'll always be relevant due to my IQ." The tweet was in response to many fans who believe Kevin Nash doesn't have a place in the national wrestling spotlight anymore. Bottom line is, no matter who you are in the wrestling business, bottom of the card to main event, the wrestling fans should never be disrespected by the people that they spend their time supporting every week through television viewership and merchandise, pay-per-view, and ticket purchases. The fans are the reason wrestlers like John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk, and the very "inquisitive" Kevin Nash have the luxuries they do. It's because of "us," the paying wrestling customer. So next time Nash, or even, Eric Bischoff, TNA executive, who has been notorious for utlizing the internet to bash wrestling fans, or again, "internet marks" for being in the low percentile of wrestling fans who comprise its makeup, they should think that it's those "10 percent" smart fans who are responsible for them earning a living in a business where very few aspiring athletes can make it. Wrestling fans should never, ever, be disrespected by their heroes. And those heroes should remember that there are fans out there who hail them as such on a daily basis.

One giant step forward, two steps backward for wrestling

2012-05-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

Just when I think wrestling takes a giant leap forward, I think of ways it takes two steps backwards. With the return of the Rock, and recently, Brock Lesnar, WWE has seen a mild swing in pay-per-view buys as Wrestlemania 28, headlined by Rock vs John Cena, reached 1.3 million buys. Mania'28 became the highest grossing WWE ppv in history. Extreme Rules, which featured a brutal Cena vs Lesnar Extreme Rules, a street fight for the WWE Championship between CM Punk vs Chris Jericho and a 2 out of 3 falls World Heavyweight Championship match between Daniel Bryan and Sheamus, was arguably the best ppv of the year so far, eclipsing Wrestlemania even. When you think of the roll WWE is on and the potential upswing in business the returns of the Rock and Lesnar could bring, I think of an "old school" issue that plagues the wrestling business. One that's on another wrestling hemisphere so to speak. Nothing screams "political manuevering" more than the current push of Garret Bischoff, son of TNA and former WCW executive Eric, on IMPACT Wrestling. It's no secret in wrestling that sons of promoters have always been given pushes in the family business. Greg Gagne, son of AWA promoter Verne, the Von Erich boys, son of Fritz, in WCCW, and even the Hart boys were featured attractions in father Stu's Stampede Wrestling promotion in Canada. The difference between them and Garrett Bischoff is they had the talent to go with their push. Bischoff hasn't shown any of that during his time on IMPACT Wrestling. No charisma, no personality, and no wrestling skills equals a company going back to a tradition that is frowned upon. It's another case of a promoter forcing the promotion to give his son airtime because of his position of power. "He's a very very talented kid. I told him from the beginning, look you are going to have to be better than the next guy because people are going to be so much more critical of you than they would anybody there," TNA president Dixie Carter said. "And I think because of that, it's a really difficult position to be in, and I respect his guts because it does take a lot-quite honestly-to be able to face that and all these critics. "But the kid's got talent, he really really does. Just like others, he's been cycled into a solid storyline, and there's ebbs and flows to kind of keep people in the limelight. But he's no different than a Crimson who's on a great winning streak or a Magnus." Umm no!! With Cowboy James Storm, who is arguably the best interview and potentially TNA's next big star, AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, Matt Morgan and Austin Aries on its roster, there is no way Garrett deserves the push he's getting. That is one of the many problems of TNA. They let egos and bad management get in the way of good business decisions. TNA has a roster that is potentially the best of any company right now, even the big gorilla WWE. But when you're taking an old-school approach and pushing a son of a promoter who doesn't have an iota of talent then you're company will always be taking two steps backwards.

ECW: Let it go and let it die

2012-04-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

Paul Heyman, former ECW owner, may not be dead yet, but after the trainwreck Extreme Reunion show Saturday, a roll over may due upon eventual burial. Last Saturday's show was another attempt to rekindle the spirit of ECW by bringing back the stars of yesteryear; it was also a show designed to start a new promotion that would be a spinoff of the Philadelphia-based promotion. Instead of ushering a new era, it became a wake for a promotion that died 11 years ago. Advertised talents didn't make the show, those that did show didn't perform, and the booking of the show was horrendous. Sabu, one of ECW's biggest stars, was found unresponsive in his hotel room the day before the show and was in the hospital for evaluation. Justin Credible, former ECW champion, was found slumped over and asleep. Those who found him believed he was in bad shape and asked him to leave the building. An advertised match between Raven and Pitbull Gary Wolfe didn't exactly take place, as a new group of Raven's minions attacked Wolfe and Raven did absolutely nothing. Not even Sandman's entrance with the famed "Enter Sandman" theme could save the treck of a show. Fans were chanting "refund" and "please save this show" during the Jerry Lynn vs Devon Storm match, which was orginally advertised as Lynn vs Credible. That match saved what was little of the show before then. What was orginally advertised as Sabu vs Shane Douglas turned into 2 Cold Scorpio vs Douglas. Fans who paid to see Sabu were not pleased that they didn't get what they paid for walked out during the match. Before the match, when fans were chanting "f**k you Shane" during his promo, Douglas told the fans "You don't work me, I work you." Meaning I don't give a damn what you want because I have your money already. That was a slap to the face of every ECW fan that supported the promotion through its seven-year existence from 1994-2001. Last Saturday's train wreck was proof that the ECW legacy needs to be buried. No more reunion shows, tribute shows, what have you because the promotion is dead and gone. It's not 1995 anymore, and the wrestling business, whether good or bad since, has moved on. The wrestlers that made ECW what it was have either have gone on to WWE or TNA, have retired or sadly have passed. While ECW revolutionized wrestling with its hardcore, grit style of wrestling and its introduction of talent that went on to fame elsewhere, its legacy just needs to let be. As much as WWE, and recently TNA have been criticized for bastardizing the name of ECW, this past Saturday's show went to the 'Extreme', pun intended, of further destroying it. For the sake of the future of the wrestling business, please I ask anybody who's thinkin of the next ECW reunion show to move on, let it go, and find the next promotion that could revolutionize the business. If there's one out there.

Time for the wrestling business to let Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan go

2012-04-13T08:34:00.007-07:00

Over 25 years ago, Hulk Hogan vs Ric Flair was the ideal dream matchup that everyone wanted to see. Hogan was the biggest star in the WWF at the time and Ric Flair the biggest star of the NWA.

Wrestling fans salivated at the thought of two of wrestling's biggest stars clashing in a titanic matchup.

Today, fans are salivating at the thought of them leaving Wrestling for good.

Hogan and Flair have overstayed their welcome in the wrestling.

Ever since Hogan and Flair arrived in TNA Wrestling in January 2010, the ratings for the IMPACT Wrestling show have failed to garner ratings above a 1.5.

While other issues could be attributed to TNA failing to achieve high ratings, it has been evident that the aura of seeing Hogan and Flair live in person or at home on television has worn off. While both can still get good pops at live shows, the two legends can't elevate a wrestling product to new heights like they did back in the day

Both legends are playing caricatures of themselves, as Flair manages current TNA wrestler Gunner and Hogan is playing the general manager of IMPACT.

Both wrestled in a tag team match on the first Monday night edition of IMPACT when TNA attempted to go head to head with WWE. It was both's first match on a national stage in awhile, but the show only garnered a 1.0 rating.

It was sad to watch them wrestle then and it is sad to watch them now be a shell of their former selves. I would like to remember them for their glory from year's past and not the sadness of seeing them overstay their welcome.

TNA has a wealth of young stars who they should be building around. James Storm, Bobby Roode, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and Matt Morgan are wrestlers TNA should focus on. Even established talents like the newly reinvigorated Jeff Hardy is a talent TNA should think about giving another chance to if he's able to remain clean from his demons.

But it has been clear for years that Hogan and Flair cannot draw eyes to a wrestling product anymore.

What they can draw though is embarrassing, sad attention to themselves.