Hello to all my loyal readers! (all three of you lol)
I'm very thankful to report that this week's entry is going to be much more light hearted than the first two posts here on thenewoldschool.blogspot.com, and not a week too soon! With all the negativity going down in the world of professional wrestling, I can finally just sit back and let my mouth loose again (although if you ask some people, I never keep it tight!).
Ok, onto my first topic of the day: Jim Ross. Recently, Jim Ross was fired as the head play by play man on Monday Night Raw. This caused quite an uproar amongst fans and insiders alike. I can certainly understand their frustrations with how Vince and Co. Have treated Ross over the years and especially the way they fired him. Not an appropriate fashion at all.
Jim Ross is one of the greatest wrestling commentators of all time. Period. No question. No arguing. It's just a fact. Ross certainly deserved a better send off than being fired on TV by Linda McMahon (btw, who in the hell is buying her as a heel???), and the reasons for his firing are ludicrous. (when was the last time you turned off a wrestling TV show because the announcers were ugly? I mean, if Mark Madden couldn't do it, no one could!)
With that being said...
I'm glad Jim Ross is gone. Not overjoyed, just glad. I've become really tired of Ross using the same announcing style and using the same catch phrases over and over again. Wrestlers aren't the only people in the industry who need a break sometimes. And unlike the wrestlers, JR had to be out there for 2, maybe three hours at a time non stop. That's a tough job. Keeping things fresh is going to be difficult while you're calling action every week, sometimes twice a week. Maybe a vacation away from the booth is just what Ross needs.
That brings me to his "replacement". I wrote it like that because at present time, he had not yet signed a WWE contract, but for the moment, the voice of RAW is, the voice of ECW, Joey Styles. For a few weeks, the announce team of Coach and Jerry Lawler was just not working. They did their best, which is all that can be asked, but it just felt a little flat. Now that Styles has been introduced, he has breathed new life into Raw broadcasts. Most of my friends know I'm not a huge Joey Styles fan, as I felt he often times could become annoying when calling ECW pay per views on his own. However, when having a partner to play off such as Cyrus or Joel "Insert dirty limerick here" Gertner, the results were usually golden. Joey has managed to come off as being passionate and knowledgeable, which is something I want in a wrestling announcer. That's why I like Mike Tenay so much and consider him the best in the business right now. The banter between Coach and Styles has been top notch, and King has even managed to throw in a good line or two.
So, is all this banter leading to some big point? No, it's just me rambling. It's my blog and I write what I want to! (Hmm, that sounds like a song I once knew) I like the team of Joey and Coach. I think they play well off each other and with a little time together, could become a great broadcast duo. As for the king, well I think maybe its time he take a little vacation too. But not permanently. Ross and King both have some great years of broadcasting left in them, but I truly feel that some time away from the booth would leave them refreshed and ready to roll when they come back. Maybe a rotating announce team would be a great way to keep things fresh. But as always, that's just me.
Onto my next topic: I wish to make a comment on women's wrestling and the women involved therein. I have been following women's wrestling for a number of years now because I find these women extremely intriguing, but none have captured my attention more than LuFisto.
I know, a lot of you are saying: "LuFis-what?", and that's ok. I know she's not as well known as Trish Stratus, Victoria or even Candice Michelle (and that last one is a crying shame), because she spends most of her time performing in the independents of her native Canada, as well as in Mexico and Japan, but believe me when I tell you that she's an amazing wrestler and a very nice person.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for women wrestlers. They have twice the hardships that us men do because they have always been seen as beneath us men in the sport of kings (and queens in this case). Although that's certainly not the case, the hardships of that stigma are very, very real. I first discovered LuFisto as Precious Lucy, where she was performing in mainly inter-gender matches across Ontario and Quebec. That alone was enough to make her stand out, but there was something else about LuFisto that completely blew me away.
You see, LuFisto has a nickname. She is known as "The First Lady of Hardcore". Please stop and read that line again. Now, one more time. Anyone who has watched professional wrestling since the days of ECW or even the WWE's "attitude" era can tell you what hardcore usually stands for. Blood, guts, extreme measures and tough tolls taken on the body through measures of inestimable pain. That style of wrestling is difficult to watch when scarred up men like Brother D-Von or the Bad Breed would put themselves through that. So imagine my surprise when I went to this woman's website to find a splash page featuring this gorgeous woman, covered in blood, and apparently loving every second of it! To say I was surprised was a bit of an understatement. I had to have more.
As I explored her site, I found out all kinds of information about her. What kind of training she had and under who, where she had been, what she had done, and the pictures!! Not only were there pictures of this incredibly beautiful woman in some amazing posed shots, and exciting action shots from in the ring, but also pictures of her at her hardcore best. I know, for some people reading this, you may think this woman is nuts (or better yet, what kind of freak would find that kind of behavior interesting?), but I'm here to tell you that LuFisto is a very intelligent, well spoken, and friendly woman who seems to have a true love for professional wrestling.
Since finding her site, I have done my best to follow her career and keep up to date with where she has been and what she has done. As mentioned earlier, she has spent time traveling to Mexico and Japan, even recently squaring off against Japanese legend Aja Kong (For those of you who know, no explanation is needed, for those of you who don't, find some footage or at least find a copy of Survivor Series 1995 and watch her pretty much annihilate everyone on the opposing team). She still can wrestle the hardcore style, but tends to focus more on pure wrestling these days.
Recently, I wrote LuFisto, just to tell her what a big fan I am. I didn't expect a reply. She was a busy person, with lots to do, and besides, who has time to answer the e-mail of some adoring fan from Peterborough?
Apparently she did, because no less than 24 hours later, I had a reply from her in my mailbox, thanking me for taking the time to write her and for supporting her. She just came home from Japan. Her knees were hurting, and I'm sure the jet lag didn't make her feel any better, but she still took the time to write one of her fans.
I'm proud to be a wrestling fan, and I'm been prouder to be a fan of wrestlers like LuFisto, who's heart in the ring can certain;y match up with her heart outside the ring. Do yourself a favor and take the time to check out her website @ www.lufisto.com to see for yourself why I think she is the best woman's wrestler in the world. Period.
finally, I have one last little thing to say before I get to my quick hits. I want to talk about Nick "Eugene" Dinsmore's admission to having a drug problem, and WWE's new drug policy. There's not much I can say about the Eugene situation that I didn't say in last week's post. He's a perfect example of what a wrestler will sacrifice in order to "keep his spot". I sincerely hope he is able to overcome his problem and finds happiness. I truly enjoy watching him perform and was beyond reproach when I met him this summer.
As for the WWE's new drug policy, I want to applaud them for looking at the death of Eddie Guerrero as a wake up call and a reason to implement some change within their company. But I'm not applauding just yet. I truly hope that this venture by WWE is on the up and up, and that strict drug regulations WILL be enforced in WWE. Only time will tell for sure, but I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. This announcement has made me feel good about the business again.
Quick hits:
I'm very thankful to report that this week's entry is going to be much more light hearted than the first two posts here on thenewoldschool.blogspot.com, and not a week too soon! With all the negativity going down in the world of professional wrestling, I can finally just sit back and let my mouth loose again (although if you ask some people, I never keep it tight!).
Ok, onto my first topic of the day: Jim Ross. Recently, Jim Ross was fired as the head play by play man on Monday Night Raw. This caused quite an uproar amongst fans and insiders alike. I can certainly understand their frustrations with how Vince and Co. Have treated Ross over the years and especially the way they fired him. Not an appropriate fashion at all.
Jim Ross is one of the greatest wrestling commentators of all time. Period. No question. No arguing. It's just a fact. Ross certainly deserved a better send off than being fired on TV by Linda McMahon (btw, who in the hell is buying her as a heel???), and the reasons for his firing are ludicrous. (when was the last time you turned off a wrestling TV show because the announcers were ugly? I mean, if Mark Madden couldn't do it, no one could!)
With that being said...
I'm glad Jim Ross is gone. Not overjoyed, just glad. I've become really tired of Ross using the same announcing style and using the same catch phrases over and over again. Wrestlers aren't the only people in the industry who need a break sometimes. And unlike the wrestlers, JR had to be out there for 2, maybe three hours at a time non stop. That's a tough job. Keeping things fresh is going to be difficult while you're calling action every week, sometimes twice a week. Maybe a vacation away from the booth is just what Ross needs.
That brings me to his "replacement". I wrote it like that because at present time, he had not yet signed a WWE contract, but for the moment, the voice of RAW is, the voice of ECW, Joey Styles. For a few weeks, the announce team of Coach and Jerry Lawler was just not working. They did their best, which is all that can be asked, but it just felt a little flat. Now that Styles has been introduced, he has breathed new life into Raw broadcasts. Most of my friends know I'm not a huge Joey Styles fan, as I felt he often times could become annoying when calling ECW pay per views on his own. However, when having a partner to play off such as Cyrus or Joel "Insert dirty limerick here" Gertner, the results were usually golden. Joey has managed to come off as being passionate and knowledgeable, which is something I want in a wrestling announcer. That's why I like Mike Tenay so much and consider him the best in the business right now. The banter between Coach and Styles has been top notch, and King has even managed to throw in a good line or two.
So, is all this banter leading to some big point? No, it's just me rambling. It's my blog and I write what I want to! (Hmm, that sounds like a song I once knew) I like the team of Joey and Coach. I think they play well off each other and with a little time together, could become a great broadcast duo. As for the king, well I think maybe its time he take a little vacation too. But not permanently. Ross and King both have some great years of broadcasting left in them, but I truly feel that some time away from the booth would leave them refreshed and ready to roll when they come back. Maybe a rotating announce team would be a great way to keep things fresh. But as always, that's just me.
Onto my next topic: I wish to make a comment on women's wrestling and the women involved therein. I have been following women's wrestling for a number of years now because I find these women extremely intriguing, but none have captured my attention more than LuFisto.
I know, a lot of you are saying: "LuFis-what?", and that's ok. I know she's not as well known as Trish Stratus, Victoria or even Candice Michelle (and that last one is a crying shame), because she spends most of her time performing in the independents of her native Canada, as well as in Mexico and Japan, but believe me when I tell you that she's an amazing wrestler and a very nice person.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for women wrestlers. They have twice the hardships that us men do because they have always been seen as beneath us men in the sport of kings (and queens in this case). Although that's certainly not the case, the hardships of that stigma are very, very real. I first discovered LuFisto as Precious Lucy, where she was performing in mainly inter-gender matches across Ontario and Quebec. That alone was enough to make her stand out, but there was something else about LuFisto that completely blew me away.
You see, LuFisto has a nickname. She is known as "The First Lady of Hardcore". Please stop and read that line again. Now, one more time. Anyone who has watched professional wrestling since the days of ECW or even the WWE's "attitude" era can tell you what hardcore usually stands for. Blood, guts, extreme measures and tough tolls taken on the body through measures of inestimable pain. That style of wrestling is difficult to watch when scarred up men like Brother D-Von or the Bad Breed would put themselves through that. So imagine my surprise when I went to this woman's website to find a splash page featuring this gorgeous woman, covered in blood, and apparently loving every second of it! To say I was surprised was a bit of an understatement. I had to have more.
As I explored her site, I found out all kinds of information about her. What kind of training she had and under who, where she had been, what she had done, and the pictures!! Not only were there pictures of this incredibly beautiful woman in some amazing posed shots, and exciting action shots from in the ring, but also pictures of her at her hardcore best. I know, for some people reading this, you may think this woman is nuts (or better yet, what kind of freak would find that kind of behavior interesting?), but I'm here to tell you that LuFisto is a very intelligent, well spoken, and friendly woman who seems to have a true love for professional wrestling.
Since finding her site, I have done my best to follow her career and keep up to date with where she has been and what she has done. As mentioned earlier, she has spent time traveling to Mexico and Japan, even recently squaring off against Japanese legend Aja Kong (For those of you who know, no explanation is needed, for those of you who don't, find some footage or at least find a copy of Survivor Series 1995 and watch her pretty much annihilate everyone on the opposing team). She still can wrestle the hardcore style, but tends to focus more on pure wrestling these days.
Recently, I wrote LuFisto, just to tell her what a big fan I am. I didn't expect a reply. She was a busy person, with lots to do, and besides, who has time to answer the e-mail of some adoring fan from Peterborough?
Apparently she did, because no less than 24 hours later, I had a reply from her in my mailbox, thanking me for taking the time to write her and for supporting her. She just came home from Japan. Her knees were hurting, and I'm sure the jet lag didn't make her feel any better, but she still took the time to write one of her fans.
I'm proud to be a wrestling fan, and I'm been prouder to be a fan of wrestlers like LuFisto, who's heart in the ring can certain;y match up with her heart outside the ring. Do yourself a favor and take the time to check out her website @ www.lufisto.com to see for yourself why I think she is the best woman's wrestler in the world. Period.
finally, I have one last little thing to say before I get to my quick hits. I want to talk about Nick "Eugene" Dinsmore's admission to having a drug problem, and WWE's new drug policy. There's not much I can say about the Eugene situation that I didn't say in last week's post. He's a perfect example of what a wrestler will sacrifice in order to "keep his spot". I sincerely hope he is able to overcome his problem and finds happiness. I truly enjoy watching him perform and was beyond reproach when I met him this summer.
As for the WWE's new drug policy, I want to applaud them for looking at the death of Eddie Guerrero as a wake up call and a reason to implement some change within their company. But I'm not applauding just yet. I truly hope that this venture by WWE is on the up and up, and that strict drug regulations WILL be enforced in WWE. Only time will tell for sure, but I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. This announcement has made me feel good about the business again.
Quick hits:
- Impact this Saturday was a solid show, and Turning Point is shaping up to be a pretty good ppv.
- Speaking of TNA, they're getting Fritz of Between the Ropes Radio to do some audio work with them. I think this is a great idea as I'm a loyal listener of Between the Ropes and it's a very entertaining and well put together radio program that I recommend you all check out @ www.betweentheropes.com
- Batista has been working through his torn pec injury. More and more I am learning how wrong I was about "The Animal" as I feel he truly has stepped up as World Champion and is a representative who remains eloquent, intelligent, and humble. As long as he doesn't suffer a fall form grace, I will remember him as a fantastic representative for WWE.
- OHHHHH, OH ABYSS!... What? I love that guy.
That's it for me.
CLASS DISMISSED!!!
posted by newoldschool at 8:08 AM
2 Comments:
OH ABYSS....OH, OH, OH.......SHAZAM!!!!!!!
Awwww, it's so cute. You have a crush. (sorry, just had to bug ya there.....I'm goin to check out Lu's site now tho)
shut up already LOL
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