Random Thoughts 101

2006-04-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

I'll be honest, I don't have alot to say. The world of wrestling has been extremely ho hum as of late. There have been some things that have caught me off gaurd but nothing that has made me stand up and take notice. Nothing that got me excited.

Low Ki returned to TNA last night at Lockdown under the name of Senshi (uhhhh, yeah...*cough*) Christy Hemme made her debut but that was expected and Raven returned somewhat earlier than I expected but we all knew he would be back eventually.

On the fed side of things Backlash is coming up and the KOTR is progressing just as I had predicted (how sad), and there is a general feeling of lethargy in wrestling...

But there is one paticular news item I (and I'm sure many others) are interested in.

ECW! ECW! ECW! ECW!

Why waste my time writing about an organization that died 6 years ago? Well there is that nifty little pay per view coming up in June, but thats not the reason.

In case some of you don't know yet, ECW is back...for good! Aparently Vince McMahon has decided that ECW is valuable and profitable enough to start up again. In September Tommy Dreamer and Paul Heyman will begin booking ECW shows on the house circuit and pre - TV taping events. The idea is to have some old ECW stars from the past (apparently Sandman, Francine, and Balls Mahoney have all been sent contracts) with up and coming OVW talents(C.M Punk, Albright). Rumor has it that this NEW ECW will replace OVW as the WWE farm system.

So why aren't I ecstatic. I'll admit I'm not the biggest ECW fan, but I did really enjoy their work. I should be happy, but I'm cautious instead. It's great that ECW will be making a comeback, but just what kind of ECW will it be? It can't be the ECW of old, for a number of reasons

#1. It's not Paul Heyman's ECW, its WWE's ECW. I guess this can really be summed up in one word: Freedom. ECW was great because it was different. It gave WWE and WCW the finger and then laughed about it. With this ECW, Heyman will answer to Vince ans we all know its Vince's way or the highway.
This is going to stiffle the creativity we saw from ECW

#2. Out with the old, in with the....old? ECW was fresh and different. Now its nostalgia (sp?). Soon enough, people are going to get tired with ECW and once the novelty of ECW wears off, they ahd better hope to have something compelling enough to keep fans interested.

#3. The fans. ECW became huge with its rabid, cult like fan base. The truth is, some of those fans would rather spit on this WWE ECW than embrace it. It will be impossible to win over those fans because in their mind no matter what they do...its still Vince McMahon.

But, maybe I'm a cynic. Perhaps I've learned to anticipate the bad so that when it actually happens it softens the blow and makes it seem better than it actually is. Maybe this ECW will be a second coming and will capture our imaginations again. Hopefully it'll give me something to write about.

Well, I didn't start out with alot to say...So I guess they're off to a good start.

Class Dissmissed!

2006-04-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

wow, almost a full month of no postings...yeesh!!

I do have the time however so lets get right to it. Wrestlemania happend not thta long ago and my reaction has been good but not great. It felt more like a great pay perview and more like a below average Wrestlemania. Thats not a good thing. when the highlight of the evening for you was watching both HHH and John Cena make total fools of themselves, you know they dropped the ball somewhere...to their credit however they did the best they could. They lost Batista and Eddie who were huge integral parts of the Mania picture, so I'm sure that hit them hard. Overall, better than wrestlemania 9, but not better than Wrestlemania 8.

TNA is on Thursday nights starting this week. should be a good show with Samoa Joe v. Chris Daniels for the X Division Title and Sting making his selections for the lethal lockdown match. I'm calling it right now that Sting's team will consist of Sting, Ryno, Ron Killings, and AJ Styles.

So Randy Orton got suspended huh? Seems like WWE has a real problem with Orton. They like him as a performer and they've invested ALOT of time into him, but he just keeps pissing off (and maybe even on??) people backstage. So heres my question to all of you out there: Is Randy Orton worth the trouble he causes? Let me know what you think.

The King of the Ring is back!! I know my brother Jeff is dancing around the room. He loves the KOTR and although I'm sure he's dissapointed its not interbrand, hes happy nonetheless. In case you didn't know these are the brackets for the tournament:

Kurt Angle v. Randy Orton: Well I think we all know whats gonna happen here....

Matt Hardy v. Booker T: I would love to see Hardy take this one all the way and win, but my gut says that won't happen. However I do think Hardy will make it past Booker. Look for the Boogeyman to be involved somehow.

Chris Benoit v. Finlay: WOOHOO!! thank god! I don't even care who wins this match!!! It's gonna rock the house. For the sake of arguement I'll say Finlay will win this and Benoit will continue his feud with JBL.

Mark Henry v. Lashley: All in favor of this match raise your hand...I didn't think so. Lashley will win this thing.

So, if my predictions are correct, then the brackets should look like this:

Angle v. Hardy
Finlay v. Lashley

Hm, you know come to think of ti, that doesn't look right. I'd like to change my selection here. I think Booker will defeat Hardy...AND angle. I know , it sounds crazy, but I believe something will happen (Mark Henry maybe) and Booker will go to the finals and meet up with Lashley...Who will destroy him much to my dismay. So there you have it, my prediction for the 2006 king of the ring winner - Lashley...

...ugh...

Lets pray I'm wrong.

2006-03-18T13:28:00.000-08:00

Hello to all my readers;

Greetings from the cold area of Peterborough (the winds here are a bitch!)

Well folks, I'll be perfectly honest here in saying that I didn't really know what to write here today. There really has been a whole lot of the same ol same ol going around. So what I'm gonan do is tell you a story about a new friend I made here in Peterborough. His name is Jimmy. Lightshow Jimmy.

You see, a few years back I attended a WWE house show in Kingston Ontario. At the end of the show, John Cena brought a fan into the ring. A fan covered in lights and a cape and a chainmail headpiece. He had a blue beard and looked all the world like a smaller, more charismatic Scott Steiner. We all had a god time watching him and that was that. Never gave it another thought. Until a few weeks ago.

My roomate Grahm and a few of our friends were out at Chumleighs dvd and record store. The owner was there. 3 guesses as to who it was. Thats right, Lightshow Jimmy! I couldn't believe it. Once I figured out who it was we started talking about wrestling and I even mentioned that I did the Dux dance down the street earlier that day and made a couple of kids pop for me.

Since then I've come back many times to Chumleighs but not just to see what DVD's he's got in. I love talking to Jimmy as his demented love of over the top gimmicky wrestling matches my own. Jimmy has even gotten a few try outs with WWE as a manager and I sincerly hope they hire him one day. Watching him on the E would be a hoot.

Today I was talking to Jimmy and he informed me he had just purchased 40 lucha wrestling masks and was in the process of putting lights into each and everyone so they blink and light up. He said that he'd give me one because he knew that I'd actually walk arouind town in it.

Thats one piece of clothing I would proudly display downtown.

2006-03-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

Hello my faithful readers;

Back at it again from Pembroke Ontario (gotta love reading week!)

Well, I decided to take a little bit of this time to talk about Wrestlemania, the grand daddy of em all. This year looks more like a alcoholic step-daddy than a grand daddy (ok, piss poor analogy but its the best I could do today)

For the first time since it became available to me, I'm thinking about skipping Wrestlemania all together. There were some glimmers of hope (Rey v. Angle) but now that the fed has screwed that main event up, its gonna take one spectacular undercard for me to plunk down the money to watch this year.

So I started thinking what most fans think about this time : How would I book Wrestlemania? So comes our topic for this week! Before I give you my card, let me run down the card so far for the actual Wrestlemania...

Kurt Angle v. Rey Mysterio v. Randy Orton
John Cena v. HHH
Undertaker v. Mark Henry
Money in the bank: Shelton Benjamin v. Ric Flair v. RVD v. ? v. ? v. ?
Edge v. Mick Foley (Hardcore match)
Shawn Michaels v. Vince McMahon

Thats whats on tap this year so far. Pretty dissapointing if you ask me. Now, here is my Wrestlemania card and my reasons for booking each match.

Main Event: Kurt Angle v. Rey Mysterio: This one is a no-brainer. Rey won the Rumble, and gets his shot. Angle and Rey would put on one hell of a fight and not even need some dramatic storyline about Eddie Guerrerro to do it. The underdog challenger against the ferocious champion bent on being the best of all time. It really is this simple.

John Cena v. HHH v. Edge: Ah, now here is a 3 way dance I can get behind, and to make things interesting, I'd have it go elimination style. Edge had a shitty championship reign and deserved better. And I'm telling you, putting Edge in that match would take some of the heat off of Cena and put it back on where its suppose to be...you know, on the heels!!!

Undertaker v. JBL: Look, I know these guys haven't exactly had the most amazing matches in..well, ever, but at least its believable that JBL could defeat Undertaker. Not by much but by some.

Randy Orton v. Chavo Gurerro: I know on paper this may not seem like a Mania level match, but I disagree. If they are going to exploit Eddie's death, at least THIS makes sense. And with the run ins these two have had in each others matches, its a perfect set up. Chavo is so underutilized, if you gave these two and good chunk of time they could pull off a great match.

Money in the bank: Actually I have no problem with it so far, with one exception. Replace Ric Flair with Carlito. Thats a crime right there.

U.S championship: Chris Benoit v. Finlay: If you've seen their matches from WCW, you'll know why. Two tough as nails wrestlers going out there and just beating the hell out of each other for the belt. Sounds like $ to me.

Women's Championship: Trish v. Mickey James: Another no brainer.

Tag Team Streetfight Grudge Match: The MaMahons v. The Rockers: Oh c'mon, like none of you want to see this? The Rocker's Reunion was a huge success last year and people seem to like Marty Janetty. We know Vince and Shane can work...Just not great, which is why we throw the streetfight into play and you've got a match to be remebered.

Thats my card. Only 8 matches, but really, do we need a whole lot of matches to make Wrestlemania great? I don't think so. Feel free to post your own WM cards for this year and why you chose those matches.

Allright, finally, we have my website of the week. This week, I'm featuring www.thewrestlingfan.com this is one funny site and in addition to the great commentaries they have some of the funniest doctored pictures I've ever seen (check out the RVD rocket...Almost cried from laughing so hard)

thats it for me guys. Till next time...

CLASS DISMISSED!

2006-02-17T07:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome back my loyal readers!

Well Valentines Day was this past Tuesday so happy belated greeting card and chocolates day to all of you out there!

Christian Cage won the NWA World Championship this past Sunday. I'm very happy for him. He deserves it thats for sure.

To be honest, I really don't have anything insightful to say this week (yeah like I have anything insightful to say any other week!) so I'm just going to ramble on about what keeps popping into my head in the world of wrestling. Strap yourself in and come along for the ride...

Picked up a great DVD this week in Nevermore: The Best of Raven. Good work by the TNA DVD department here as they actually chronicle the first part of Raven's TNA career quite nicely in this 2 disc set. If your a fan of Raven or hardcore wrestling in general, its worth the 25 bucks for it.

No Way Out is happening this Sunday and it seems like WWE has roped me in once again. I'll most likely attend the evening's festivities for the undercard, particularly for the cruiserweight championship match of Helms v. Hotty v. Mexicools v. Funaki v. Nunzio v. Kidman v. London and the tag team champinship match of Matt Hardy and a mystery partner (rumored to be Animal ugh) against MNM. With the exception of Animal both those matches should be good. Plus the rest of the card doesn't look train wreck awful. If I do indeed decide to attend, I'll give you my review next Friday if I post.

Johnny Grunge of Public Enemy died yesterday. Sources say he died due to cmplications of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea, for those of you who don't know, is a condition affecting large, mostly overweight men where a person will actually stop breathing for a short period of time. Sometimes they stop breathing permanently. There is currently no cure for sleep apnea. I feel saddened by the loss of johnny Grunge but I take solice in the fact that it wasn't a drug reated death and that now he is at peace, reunited with tag team partner Ted Petty (a.k.a Rocco Rock), rocking the angels and putting the bad guys through stacked cloud tables in the sky.

To be honest, thats really all I have to say this week. I know its a little lackluster compared to my usual posts, but I feel thats really all I need to say today.

Until next time...

Class dismissed.

2006-02-07T06:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome to a special Tuesday edition of Random Thoughts 101. I am your host, The New Old School and today we have a very SPECIAL blog.

Nah, I'm just kidding. Same old shit, diferent day. lol.

So the rumble is now over and my pick won it!!! I'm happy for Rey Rey, but unfortunetly, I hear that he may not be in the main event come Wrestlemania. WWE is very high on Randy Orton right now and that means come NWO he might face Angle for the belt at Mania....*sigh*

With Mania quickly approaching, it means WWE will be announcing the next inductees into the HoF. Rumour has it that Eddie Guerrero is almost a lock to be inducted, with WWE trying very hard to get Bret Hart as well. Hart has been said to be not interested, but we'll see what happens. I'd like to hear who YOU think deserves to be in the HoF this year. Personally, I'd like to induct the British Bulldogs. With tag teams currently needing a desperate boost, I think it would be great to pay homage to one of the greatest tag teams of all time.

Rumour mills are turning out that now that Edge has dropped the WWE title, his Mania opponent will be...Mick Foley...All opposed? (Raises hand) Edge is being robbed in my opinion. This match could be good, but it won't be great, and thats a real shame.

The card for Against All Odds is shaping up and seems really good. I'd like to see this one...too bad I can't get ppv...dammit.

Watched Impact this Saturday. As usual it was great, but I noticed something I'm feeling very positive about. The X division has been long touted as the future of TNA, but the one major complaint against it was that no one knew who these guys were. Not that they wetren't names, but there was hardly anything to distinguish each other. However on Saturday I saw Austin Aries come out looking like Jesse Ventura on acid, Chris Sabin looked like he just walked out of the New Japan Dojo, and Sonjay Dutt came out with a side ways baseball cap taking his "playa fromt he himalaya" gimmick to another level. It really distinguished each of the wrestlers in this fantastic tag team match and hell the outrageous characters even gave Roderick Strong another dimension to his charcter as the straight, "messaiah of the backbreaker" the more I watch him, the more he reminds me of Arn Anderson.

I'm always looking for news and info about TNA, and now I have a site that caters to me. tnawrestlingnews.com is pretty self explanitory and gives you all the info you could want on Total Nonstop Action. check them out.

It should NOT be this difficult to find a copy of this month's Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

I have more to say, but not today. Gotta save soem for next time. Until then...

CLASS DISMISSED!

2006-01-28T06:51:00.000-08:00

Hello again my loyal readers!

This Sunday is the Royal Rumble, one of, if not THE WWE pay per view I look most forward to every year. The great thing about the rumble is that there is still SOME mystique left to it. YeahI know that mystique is usually quelched down to three or four guys now, but still its there. If you don't already I suggest you order this pay per view with LOTS of friends, as bets get thrown around like candy...Hmm, come to think of it, I've never really thrown candy. Let me try that one again. If you don't already I suggest youorder this pay per view with LOTS of friends, as bets get thrown around like snowballs. Ah, much better. As a last resort, plunk down the 14.99 and go watch it at a famous players theater.

I'll get to the Rumble match in a moment, but lets first talk about the undercard:

JBL v. The Boogeyman: Ok, everybody knows I'm a Boogeymark, but there is a reason he doesn't wrestle much and is put in squash matches. This will NOT be a squash match. This would make a great opener if only for the people who order the ppv late, and won't miss anything important. If not, then this is the match to go fetch your snacks during. As fora winner, I'm picking Boogeyman. He's on a roll lately and I think they'll continue it, although I'm stating here and now that should be Matt Hardy's spot against JBL.

Mickey James v. Ashley Special Ref - Trish Stratus: Should be an OK match. Ashley has made improvements since winning the diva search, and Mickey James can work(Not half as good as Alexis Laree can, but I digress). This should be a really interesting match if only for where they go with the storyline here. It looks as if they're turning Mickey Heel, instead of the original thought of turning Trish heel, I'm not sure if this is a good idea. Actually to be honest this whole thing stinks. I mean right now, we have a good balance of diva heels and faces...now I know most of them can't work worth shit, but still, were gonna end up with a situation like last year where you had Lita and Christy against the entire WWE diva roster. Oh well, just my griping. My prediction? Trish will count the fall on James giving Ashley the win, even though James' foot will be on the bottom rope. Trish will claim to have not seen it, and James will believe her because she is her idol, but it will build the tension some more.

Kurt Angle v. Mark Henry: All right, I know Smackdown is desperate for some competition but Mark Henry? Ok, I shouldn't rag on the guy, he actually has gotten alot better since his last run. So much so that I think this might be a good match. Remember, hes in there with Kurt Angle. Angle can prettymuch pull agreat match out of ANYONE, so it may still be worth it to watch. Angle is definetly going over here.

Edge v. John Cena: Next to the Rumble, this may be the toughest call to make. Expect this match to be at the least decent, as Edge and Cena are both that...decent. The toughpart is calling the winner. On one hand, it would be easy to say that Cena will get the win so they can have the big Cena v. Triple H showdown at Mania, but on the other hand, many people are impressed with Edge as champion and it would probably be a good move to keep the belt on him for a while. In this case, I'm gonan let my wishes overlook logic. Edgde will hold onto the belt.

All right, lets get right down to it. The Royal Rumble match. So, we all know how it goes. Who is gonna win the Royal Rumble? Well that depends on who you talk to. Right now, there seems to be 4 prevalient thoughts about who will win the rumble (surprise surprise). The first andmost obvious thought is that Triple H will win the Rumble. This would set up what everyone seems to think the money match for RAW would be at Wrestlemania: Triple H v. John Cena. He has some good chances. However, what I'm also hearing from people is that the returning RVD has some good chances to win too. It is most definetly a long shot, but wordis that RVD is going to get aHUGE push now thathe has returned. On the Smackdown side there are two prevailing thoughts: the first beign Randy Orton. The WWE really wants to push Randy and give him another chance to be a top player. This might be it. The other thought is Rey Mysterio. He has to be themost popular star on Smackdown now and since dedicating the rumble to the late Eddie Gurerro, many are wondering if a Mysterio/Angle match could headline WM22.

So who is going to win the Rumble? I don't know. I think the safe bet is Triple H, and your obvious longshots are Mysterio and RVD. Orton has a good chance, but you never know. I've already bet on Rey Mysterio to winit simply because when you've got the odds like this, the fun thing to do is bet on who you want to win, and I want Rey to win. In the "ironman" category, or the guy who will last the LONGEST in the rumble. This one is either going to go to RVD or Lashley. But I'm gonna say RVD. If they want to give him a push, this is the best way to do it without having him win the rumble.

Thats all for me this week. Until then,

CLASS DISMISSED!!!

2006-01-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been officially over a month since my last post....boy is my face red. YEESH! I'm ashamed and dissapointed with myself and all I can sk is for your forgiveness. That and maybe $3000 for wrestling traing? ...no? Well it was worth a try.

Happy 2006 everyone! The holidays were great to me this year (I got the new Bret Hart DVD, which in short is a MUST have for any fan of Bret Hart, or the era in which he wrestled. The matches alone are worth the 30 bucks you pay for it, so quit reading this and pick it up!)

I'm posting this a mere hours away from my trip to Toronto. Why am I going to Toronto? It's very simple my friends, I'm going to visit Rob Fuego's Squared Circle Wrestling Training School. I'm doing a porject for my Administration and Finance Course here at Fleming and I think they'd be a great choice (with their blood sweat and ears shows and the fact that they're only two hours away)...hey you know what? This sounds like a cheap plug for my site of the week! www.squaredcircletraining.com

Wanted to take some time out to write about the difficulty of coming up wth a successful gimmick in wrestling. Especially on the independant scene. Now, if you're lucky, you'll come up with a character tat clicks with an audience right away, but these days its not that easy. Most fans tend to forget that wrestling is in fact a show with CHARACTERS. Man, all you need to do is look at the Undertaker to see that over the top gimmicks can still get over...But I digress. It's a tough thing to come up with a good gimmick, so next time you see a guy dressed as a plumber come out to wrestle, give him the benefit of the doubt. It may have taken him a long time to come up wth that.

Well, I got to admit, I put on some Christmas weight this year, and I'm on a quest to drop it. So far, I've dropped five, so I'm off to a very good start in my opinion. Any advice from my readers?

That about does it for me. I'll post again soon. Until then...

CLASS DISMISSED!!!

2005-12-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays my loyal readers;

I'm gonna be honest, this one may be a quick one, as I've been extremely busy this past week with my final term tests and preparing to come home for Christmas holidays, but fear not my loyal readers, for Iwill not let you down and i will continue to give you all an update this week.

Before I get tomy main post, I want to voice my opinion about TNA's big announcment at Turning Point. TNA announced that they were signing Sting. I'm not very excited or impressed with this announcement, especially since it appears that they are throwing Sting into a program with Jeff Jarrett. Sting is old news. I have nothing but respect for him, but I think its time TNA really honestly gave a push to a fesh, new star, the way they did with AJ styles last year. Monty Brown perhaps?

Well JR wasn't announced as the new GM of RAW...but then again, nobody was. I like this rotating GM idea. It'll keep me wanting to tune in to RAW every week. I must admit the last two weeks, raw has been on track. Still not up to the quality of Impact, but they seem to be getting back to the basics of wrestling stories, namely feuds and quests for titles.

Ok, time for my website of the week. This week's selection is www.ontarioindywrestling.com. I chose this wensite because they are currently holding voting for their year end awards, and Iencourage you to get out and vote. Believe it or not, these things might mean alotto a local wrestler looking for fan support. So if you don't know anything about Ontario Indy Wrestlers or feds, this site will give you plenty of info.

Well, I figured it out. After years of searching and meditating and consulting the world's greatest minds, I finally know for sure. I have solved one of earth's greatest mysteries. I know the TRUE identity of Santa Claus.

Thats right Virginia, Santa Claus IS real. And I have met the real guy. Not those phonies in the department store, or the ones you see on t.v. I have met the real flesh and blood Santa.

Wanna know an interesting fact? Santa doesn't live at the North Pole. Sure his workshop is there, but thats where he lives. He lives in New Jersey. Thats right, Santa Claus is a resident of the Garden State.

Another fact, Santa Claus doesn't have white hair. He has brown hair and simply dyes it white. He is a very jolly fellow though and truley lives to make his fans happy, both young and old.

And did you know that Santa doesn't hang out with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman drinking hot chocolate? No, he'd much rather pound back a few brews with his buddies Axl Rotten or Spike Dudley.

Thats right kids, Balls Mahoney is Santa Claus.

Don't believe me? Oh yee of little faith. Lets look at the facts shall we?

How many days a year does Santa work? 1, Christmas Day. What do you think he does the other 364 days a year for a living? Make toys? Thats what elves are for. And how do you expect him to pay those elves? And pay for materials for toys, food for Reindeer, etc etc. I'll tell you how: he wrestles. Santas got bills to pay too, you know.

Also, Balls is one of the most popular wrestlers on the independant circuit. Why do you think that is? Balls has a way to connect with the fans and give them what they want. He lets them chant when he punches his opponents with loud chats of BALLS!BALLS! BALLS!OHHHHHHHHHHH BALLS! and the crowd gladly sings along with his themesong of "Big Balls" by AC/DC. Isn't it possible that ol Saint balls learned these techniques from his years of bringing joy to children around the world?

Also, there have been obvious hints dropped to us for years by Mahoney that I never picke up on until recently. What about his finisher, the NUTCRACKER suite? C'mon, this is an obvious clever nod to his other job.

Finally, there was the time Vince McMahon hired Santa Mahoney to play Xanta Klaus, an obvious attempt to expose Balls as the jolly man in red (and usually covered in red from blood...coincedence?) and turn him into an evil villian that children hated instead of loved and embraced. This not only gives weight to my theory of Balls being Santa, but also has a direct correlation to my other theory of Vince McMahon's actually identity: the anti-Christ...mas. Whetherit be an Ebenezer Scrooge or a Grinch, Vinc McMahon may in factbe the embodiment of all things bad at Christmas. Or as he prefers to call it "Holiday Entertainment". Mahoney shortly left after his debut. Many believe its because the gimmick was ridiculous and would never work (as documented by wrestlecraphistorian, R.D Renolyds), but I think its because Balls knew he couldn't give in to such evil and walked out, refusing to take part in something so against his pure soul. I truley believe that.

And maybe thats what we all need to do: Believe. Believe that a jolly man swinging a steel chair learned how to do that from swinging a sack of toys over his shoulder. Believe that the spirit of Christmas CAN be embodied in the heart of a man who has a forehead like scabby mozzarella. Belief that Balls Mahoney IS Santa Claus!

So I'll leave you with a Christmas favorite...With a little twist...

You better not shout,
You better not cry,
You better not pout, I'm telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town!...
And if you've been naughty, all you may get for Christmas is your two front teeth and and extreme F'N headache!

until next week...

CLASS DISMISSED!

2005-12-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

Hello my loyal listeners;

Well, here I am and as promised I will be bringing you my year end wrestling awards. Some would say its a little early to be doing this, but to be honest I'm not exactly sure that I will be able to give my usual Friday updates whilst I'm away on Christmas vacation, so my theory is better premature than never....I think... Now, usually I hand out these awards by email to all my friends, but this way I don't have to think about subject matter and I'll find out who's really looking at this blog haha!

This week, I'm gonna try something a little different this week and give you all my quick hits and little thoughts BEFORE my main article. Just trying to spice things up a little around here.

Quick Hits

> Looks like Tajiri has parted ways with WWE on his own terms to spend time with his wife and write articles for Japanese newspapers. Another example of wrestlers leaving under their own terms. I'm starting to like this trend.

> Christy Hemmeis also on her way out the door. Too bad, because from what I hear she was making a real big effort to improve as a wrestler, which the WWE NEEDS right now, and with Mickey James or Trish turning heel soon, this may not be good. I hope she does well for herself.

> TNA presents Turning Point this Sunday, looks like a great card, I'm actually looking forward to every match on that card.

> So who is gonna be the new RAW GM? My money is on Jim Ross. Scoff if you want but remember anything can happen in WWE.

> ABC is putting together another season of "Dancing with the stars" touting a professional wrestler as being a participant. For the first little while, people speculated it was Shawn Michaels and swore he was featured in the commercials. Turns out it is Stacey Kiebler...So, who is this guy that looks like Shawn Michaels???

> Believe it or not, I'm looking forward to Orton v. Taker Hell in a Cell...I know, I'm surprised too...

> Chrissy, Chrissy, Chrissy...there are you happy now??? I mentioned you.

Ok then, It's time for my weekly website pick. For the last two weeks, I've promoted the websites of two Canadian Indy Wrestlers, but this week, I'm promoting a Canadian Indy Promotion. And I cannot begin to describe it. All you have to know is that if I ever formed my own wrestling promotion, it would probably end up looking like this. The strangest wrestling promotion I've ever seen. And I've never wanted to watch a show more!! Check out...and be warned...Inter Species Wrestling!! www.beyondthebarn.com

Alright, now its time for the meat and potatoes of this blog. My year end wrestling awards!!! Lets get right down to it.

Breakout Star of the Year: I wanted to give this award to the wrestler that has broken out of obscurity and really made an impact in the wrestling community. I have to give this award to Claudio Castagnoli. With those of you familliar with Ring of Honor wrestling, Claudio really needs no explanation. For those of you who don't follow Ring of Honor, let me bring you up to speed: Claudio slowly built a name for himself in ROH until starting a feud with ROH Pure Wrestling Champion Nigel McGuiness. Then he became a star. People really got behind Claudio and wanted to see him dethrone McGuiness. Now, although McGuiness has yet to be cleanly beat by Claudio, ALOT of ROH fans (including me) expect him to be the successor to the pure wrestling throne. I see big things in his future.

Mananger of the Year: Pretty self explanitory. Last year Scott D'Amore took home this honor but this year he didn't do enough with Team Canada to warrent a repeat. Managers are starting to make a comeback and I'm very happy about that. They're badly needed these days. This year had some stiff competition. In the end however, I have to give this years award to Sharmell Sullivan. Prince Nana was a close second but unfortunetly, didn't really lead the Embassay to do anything of note in ROH. Jimmy Hart lead the Naturals to their most successful run ever, but after he left TNA they kind of fizzled out. Sharmell started off as annoying...then parlayed then into a character that made you hate her. Now, Booker T is U.S champ and I have a reason to care about both of them again.

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year: After giving itsome consideration,I think the only choice I could possibly have is "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters. Although he isn't (and probably never will be) Ric Flair, he has improved emmensly, which is why he gets this award. Anyone watch Masters first tv match against Stevie Richards? Broken nose, elbow drop where he sits on his head? Not pretty. These days, he's pulling off main events that aren't bad. To me, thats a world of improvement.

Inspirational Wrestler of the Year: Chris Candido. For those of you who would proclaim I only gave this award because of Candidos post-humous parting let me tell you this: I knew many many months ago that I was gonna give Chris Candido this award. Candido has had problems in the past. Problems with drugs and alchohol. Many wrestlers fall into the same trap, but too many can't pull themselves out. Candido did. When he came back, he was a little pudgier, but he still had the heart. And it was evident. Wrestling in prelim matches, doing the job to guys not as talented as him, and never complaining. Even as the manager of the Naturals, his enthusiasm was infectious. Once getting back in the ring I felt good watching him, knowing he pulled himself out of that trap, and making himself someone again. No one since Eddie Guerrero has been more deserving.

Most Popular Wrestler of the Year: Rey Mysterio Jr. No one gets the pop Rey Rey does. No one. Not Batista, not AJ Styles, not even Ric Flair. People live to cheer this guy. People really connect with him and you want to believe in him. There is something about an underdog that makes you want him to win. Rey has that effect on people. Nobody has a bad thing to say about this guy, and neither do I.

Most Hated Wrestler of the Year: Lots of wrestlers are hated by fans. Few are loathed by fans. Even less are loathed by fans, insiders, wrestlers, radio show hosts, wirters, hot dog vendors, t-shirt sellers, ring crews, little old ladies and just about anyone outside of Nashville. Jeff Jarrett is such a wrestler. Need proof? Just listen. Everyone has the same complaints about Double J: gimmick is stale, style of wrestling is stale, nobody cares about him, not believable as champion, puts himself over too much, etc etc. But most importantly, listen to the fans. TNA has respectful fans. They appriciate wrestlers, heel and face, and this is eveident in theri sometimes annoying back and forth chants for whomever is in the ring. Not with Jarrett. He gets nothing but relentless boos. During a recent interview the fans were deafening with chants of "We want wrestling" and "Boring". For Christ sake, fans at least respect Triple H!!!

Comeback of the Year: This was by far and wide the most difficult choice for me to make. So many great comebacks were made this year including Matt Hardy's firing and return, James Gibson becoming ROH's MVP, hell even Hulk Hogan was in the running. But in the end this award had to go to a man who spent the last few years laid up in a hospital bed or trying to pay his medical bills. I've had a chance to meet this man and I'm truley honored to have done so. This man's comeback has come not only in the ring but outside it as for the first time, he has opened up to the fans and public, letting us see the man behind the character. If you don't know by now, I'm speaking of Sabu. Sabu came back late in the year, but he has also come back against the greatest odds, and has been a ball of fire ever since. No matter where he is, Sabu adds an element of intrigue to any show he's on. theres a reason for that. Sabu has stayed healthy since returning and in my mind, has solidified himself as an all time great in the business.

Feud of the Year: Another tough decision this year as there were a few great feuds this year. I feel a good feud should capture a fans imagination and keep a hold of it. There were a few good ones that did that this year: Batista v. Triple H, Aj Styles v. Christopher Daniels, even Randy Orton v. Undertaker. Before I announce the winner, I want to say that this feud was successful in capturing my attention for the entire year. Even though these two wrestled each other it seemed every single month and on every pay per view, I look forward to every match because I knew they would deliver something good. I also want to say that this feud took a strange turn during the summer that took it down a few notches, but its consistency and build up were fantastic. The way a feud should be. This years feud of the year is Rey Mysterio Jr. v. Eddie Guerrero. From Wrestlemaina 21 to Summerslam, this feud was interesting every week and Eddie was THE reason to watch Smackdown, just to see how he would interact with Rey.

Match of the Year: Once in a while you watch a match that makes you stand up and cheer it. Its so good that you actually lose yourself in the match and believe in it. You want the bad guy to lose and you want the good guy to win. You actually find yourself cheering on your couch. Matches that good come along only once in a while. Steamboat/Savage, Jericho/Michaels, and this one. Those with me that night watching TNA's No Surrender knew this was one of those matches just from my reaction. They knew, just like I knew, it was something special. No titles were on the line, it wasn't a fancy stipulation match, there was no backstory or build-up, it was just two men, fighting for respect. The way wrestling was intended. By far and wide, beyond a shadow of a doubt, my pick for match of the year goes to Chris Sabin v. Samoa Joe.

Woman of the Year: Dixie Carter! Ha ha! My swerve pick this year is for the TNA president. Lets face it, women'swrestling has taken a bit of a downturn this year. Sad, but true. So instead I chose a woman who made an impact on wrestling (pun totally intended). Dixie has served as president of TNA this year and has done a fantastic job of promoting, making deals, and breaking ground for TNA. Signing Christian Cage, getting Impact on Spike, and making great steps towards making TNA the best brand in Wrestling. Well deserved!

Tag Team of the Year: This became a two horse race for me: The Naturals or the team of BJ Whitmer and Jimmy Jacobs. The Naturals have had their most successful run ever this year. They held the NWA World Tag Team titles from May to October. Thats very impressive. Unfortunetly, between June and October they mosty competed in six man matches and rarely defended their belts. Although BJ and Jimmy held the ROH titles for a shorter period of time, their dominance was solidified by taking on any team, any time, any show. It seemed every ROH card had a Tag Team Title Defence, and usually,BJ and Jimmy coming out on top. Since those two personified what champions should be with their rigorous title defences, they get the edge and the award. Winners: BJ Whitmer and Jimmy Jacobs!

Wrestler of the Year: The Boogey Man! Ok, ok, I'm joking. To be honest, at the start of the year, I didn't like this guy at all. I didn't think he was worth all the hypeput behind him. However, I am happy to say I was wrong. He's proven himself time and time again this year by having pretty good matches. Not just that, but he was held the World Heavyweight Title since Wrestlemania. Of course I'm talking about Batista. He has been consistent, has gotten better as time has gone on, and I feel most importantly, been a well spoken and loyal representative for Smackdown and WWE in genral. In interviews hes been intelligent and eloquent, and when it comes to loyalty, no one can compare to a man tearing his lats and continueing to wrestle because the company needs him. Thjat speaks volumes to me. If you asked me in January, I would've said it'll never happen. Today, I'm glad I was wrong.

Thats all for me this week guys! Happy Holidays...

CLASS DISMISSED!!!

2005-12-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

Good....morning? Afternoon? Night?....Lets just said good week to all!

To be honest, I don't have a specific thing to rant about this week, so I'll just rant about whatever pops into my head about this last week. And you'll enjoy it....Enjoy it damm you!

Well first off, I want to say something about the whole Randy Orton angle on Smackdown where he used the Eddie Guerrero lowrider to smash the Smackdown set and burn the Undertaker alive. Alot of people found this disrespectful, but I'm not so sure I agree with them. Did the angle come off as such? Yes it did, but I think deep down this could be one of those times where people honestly thought it wouldn't be perceived as disrespectful, just part of the show. Which is exactly how I reacted to it. I didn't find it disrespectful at all. The Rey Mysterio v. Big Show match was touted as the tribute to Eddie, not the lowrider. Sure it was an item that people associated with Eddie, but to be honest, it was more part of the set than anything. I do understand why people feel it was disrespectful to use that lowrider as a way to further along an angle. Maybe WWE should have used a different vehicle. In retrospect, that probably would've been a good idea, but who knows? I guess only Eddie Guerrero would've been able to tell us whether he would've disrespectful or not.

That does however segway into my next topic, which is what happend at Survivor Series this past Sunday. In case you can't guess what I'm referring to, Vince McMahon, in what I can only assume (and hope to God) was an attempt to be funny, calling John Cena the n word. Now I know there are many people out there that found it funny and will argue that it was an attempt by Vince to look hip, but in failing, made it comical. I understand what they were trying to do with it. I just don't agree with doing it. Even when used in a slang way (for instance, bigger would be bigga), this is a disrespectful and hateful word. Just because it is used commonly in speech by mainstream stars and is featured in alot of movies, doesn't make it right. I hate the n word. I hate it when white people use it, and I hate it when black people use it. I hate it when white people use it for obvious reasons, but I hate it when black people use it too, because regardless of what context it is being used in today, it was a term of hatred made by the white people to hurt blacks. To use this word in a daily rotation of vocabulary amongst blacks is disrespectful and hurtful towards not just the black community, but the black community that suffered the indignity of having that word used against them. Now some people may call me a hypocrite for saying that this was disrespectful and the lowrider angle wasn't. To them I say the difference between the lowrider angle and what Vince said was that the people behind the Vince sketch had KNOW what they were doing was disrespectful. As always, these are just my opinions, but if you got something to say, you know where the comment button is!

Hm, I guess I did end up going off on a rant there huh? Well, nothing like the status quo.

As we get closer to the end of the year, I've had some time to reflect on the end of the year(I'm sure this has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I've been studying Erikson's theory of Integrity v. Dispair in Human Growth and Development Class...What? I'm not going to explain it to you. Go look it up. What have you got better to do? You're reading my blog so that should be an indication right there!). And of course my thoughts turn to...WRESTLING!(You'd think you people would've learned by now) Now, as some people know, I have many copies of Pro Wrestling Illustrated. A huge stack in fact, and every year they have voting for their achievement awards, which include the obligatory cayegories as wrestler of the year, tag team of the year, match of the year etc etc etc. I love these things. I'm a complete sucker for them. I fill them out, I mail them in, I don't care if my vote is a long shot, I believe in the system dammit! So, to tantalize and tease you folks, I'm going to provide you with a preview of next week's entry. Next week I will have my own awards ceremony where the winners shall receive...my undying respect and admiration...Who knows, someone might give a damm! In addition, I'll list off my favorite wrestling memories of 2005. I think many of you will be surprised with what I have to say.

Ok, now last week I posted about Lufisto's official website (www.lufisto.com in case some of you didn't read last weeks entry to which I say SHAME ON YOU!) and guess what? I've found another one! If any of you have followed the Ontario independant wrestling scene, you may have heard the name "Completely" Cody Steele. Cody is one of the top indy prospects in Ontario and has had some great success in NSP, BCW, and even WWE. At least he did. You see, Cody Steele is no longer Cody Steele, the clean cut, everyday indy wrestler. No, now he is Cody Deaner, local yokel white trash thug! This transformation is a complete 180 and to be honest, I didn't even know they were the same person until I came across his site. The site isn't the best looking I've ever seen, but I encourage you to check out his website and read about his decision to transform himself. Cody has been established as Cody Steele for a number of years now, and to turn around and completely change your character takes ALOT of balls. I respect and admire that. He's rolling the dice and I sincerley hope he succeeds. He's a tremendous wrestler. So check out his site at www.codysteele.cjb.net and show some support! You know, maybe I'll start making this a weekly feature here! What do you guys think? Let me know!

Quick Hits:
-This Saturday TNA Impact has a great card lined up with Petey Williams v. Chris Sabin v. Alex Shelly v. Austin Aries. This is the stuff dreams are made of.

-Also this Saturday, Raven takes on a mystery opponent in a "Clockwork Orange house of fun" match. That would be enough for me to watch, but now we have the added bonus of Raven facing a mystery opponent chosen by Larry Zybysko. So, my question is, WHO will be Raven's mystery opponent? I'm going to go out on a crazy limb right now and say that Raven's opponent will be New Jack.

-Did you know that Batista is 40??? I hope I look that good at 40!!!

till next week...

CLASS DISSMISSED!!!

2005-11-25T08:08:00.000-08:00

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:

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!!!

2005-11-18T11:34:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin? That's one of the questions I've needed to ask myself all week. Where do I begin to write abut Eddie Guerrero.

Most of you who know me know what happened. Last Sunday, Eduardo Gori Guerrero was found deceased in his Minneapolis hotel room by his nephew Chavo Guerrero Jr. He was only 38 years old.

Even that doesn't seem like the right place to start. That seems like a disservice to Eddie. To be fair to Eddie, I'd have to start when he was born, document his life so we could see what he had accomplished, lost, and rebuilt to gain fame as one of the greatest wrestlers the world has ever seen...And what he had accomplished, lost, and rebuilt to gain the respect, admiration and genuine love of every soul he touched, which from what I hear, is every person he met.

I didn't know Eddie Guerrero on a personal level. He wasn't a friend, or an acquaintance. I had never even met Eddie at an autograph session or at a wrestling show. I never got the chance to watch him wrestle live or even be in his presence, but Eddie Guerrero reached out and touched me. He grabbed me and made me a part of his world. I didn't know him on a one on one level, but part of me believes I DID know Eddie Guerrero, because the fans were a part of his life too. They were a part of his family, and every time he went out to perform, he gave the fans everything. People have commented that wrestling was Eddie's passion in life, and you didn't need to be a friend to see that. There was a reason I would look forward to watching whatever show Eddie was on, because no matter what else was on that show, Eddie would deliver. And he would make you believe. Eddie had that quality that few wrestlers ever posses. That unmistakable ability to suspend reality and make people forget that what's inside that ring isn't "real"...

But it IS real. It is very real, and if this death doesn't prove to the world how real and concrete the world of pro wrestling is, then there truly is no way that the rest of those outside the business will ever respect the sport of kings. Eddie died of a massive heart failure. Was it from drugs? Thankfully no, but they were an obvious factor in the wearing down of the vessels that eventually gave up last Sunday. Eddie died from putting his heart through too much. That in itself was almost ironic way for Eddie to pass on. After listening to what everyone had to say about Eddie, it is obvious that not only did Eddie work his heart hard when in the gym, but he worked it hard around all he knew, giving a piece of it to every person who lives he touched. He worked his heart to death. Somehow I find that very fitting.

What can I possibly say that hasn't already been said? There isn't anything. But I want to share some thoughts with you, because I have read a lot this week and thought even more.

Is Eddie's death a wake up call? Should it be? Wrestlers lead very hard lives. They travel almost everyday, living out of a suitcase with no one but themselves to turn to. Or something. A bottle maybe? What does it contain? Pills? Booze? Does it matter?

So many wrestlers turn to these crutches as a way to cope with their lives. How bad is the wrestling industry that too many of it's performers need these things just to get by in their daily lives? Maybe its time we stopped pointing the finger at just the wrestlers and saying what a shame he did this to himself. Maybe we should look at the wrestling industry and say "What did you expect?" These guys have no one, they have no stability, they are under constant pressure to succeed, get bigger, stronger, better, and unlike everyone else in the world, do it without rest. Wrestlers will work through injuries that desperately need medical attention. Why? Fear. Fear of losing their place, their "spot" in the company. How perverse and sick and twisted is that? Although I don't believe it will ever happen, and I know they don't like to hear it, maybe it's time someone (and those someone's know who they are) took a long look at the way business is run and say "Things need to change. Maybe we ARE pushing our guys a little too hard." It sickens me to think that some of the men and women I look up to and admire the most would have such a lack of self respect that they would put their own health aside to save their spot. Does anyone not think of those around them? What effect these things can have on their families? I guess not, because it keeps happening. Every year, we hear about more and more wrestlers dying much too young. Is is fair that I feel I have to give up a family to follow my dreams of being a professional wrestler, because I'm AFRAID of putting them through all kinds of hurt and pain of not having their father and husband around? It shouldn't be this way.

But what can be done? Is it naive to think that this blog will change the way the wrestling industry is run? Of course it is. I still love wrestling, and I still want to be a wrestler, but I'm making a promise now that I will NEVER lose my self respect or my health over wrestling. Those who know me, who really truly know me (and YOU know who YOU are) know that wrestling is by and far the most important thing in the world to me. But I refuse to go to the ends that some wrestlers go to, just to be a big star. Eddie Guererro has taught me so many things, and I've learned even more so from his death. Eddie did not become a star over night. He worked for years before becoming the top man in wrestling history, and he showed me that he did something much much more important all those years. Before he was somebody, Eddie was just a guy who wrestled. He loved, he lived, he made friends, and he touched lives. I can't remember but two maybe three people who mentioned how great a wrestler Eddie was. Everyone else mentioned what kind of person Eddie was. Even though Eddie was one of the greatest wrestlers ever, all people could talk about was how wonderful a man he was. He showed me what was more important. So maybe my pledge to myself won't change the industry. But maybe it'll change one mind, and they too, will choose self respect over the business, and they will inspire someone else, who will inspire someone else, until finally, we have wrestlers who believe in the power of SELF instead of the power of promoters.

Finally, Eddie taught me that it is important to cherish what we have. Eddie lost everything, then crawled back to the top. He found God, and his respect once again. The second time around, he refused to let go. Did Eddie die before his time? Maybe he did, but something tells me that although there are things Eddie would've liked to accomplished, he did accomplish everything he needed to do before his passing. I like to think he died a happy man.

Which leads me to the point. Whether you are a wrestling fan or not, don't let Eddie Guerrero's death be in vain. You don't need to change the world, just savor yours. Be happy for what you have, and if there is something you need to do in your life, don't put it off until tomorrow, go out and grab it now because you never know how much time you have.

Most importantly, tell people you love them. Never pass up an opportunity to tell them, either. Tell them EVERY time you see them, and mean it. Eddie taught me that there is NOTHING more important in this life than the image of the man you leave behind, because once you go, that is all people have left of you. Go out and make a difference in SOMEONE's life. You may already have and not know, so make sure that if someone has touched your life, TELL THEM! They may be gone tomorrow.

To everyone I have met,

and who has changed my life in some way,

too numerous to mention by name,

know that all you have done has shaped me into the man I am.

I love you.

class dismissed.

2005-11-11T14:27:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is folks! My first ever blogpost. I've been meaning to do this for a while as a throwback to my old commentaries on www.newoldschool.50g.com, but as we all know, although it is still active, that site's progress had crashed and burned years ago. Feel free to check it out for a laugh and see what I was like back in 2003. Discretion is advised.

For the most part, I'll be posting about the random thoughts and ideas that come into my head. What I'm thinking about, what I'm doing, what I'm interested in. So 99% of these will be about professional wrestling. Just thought I'd warn you.

Now before I get onto my quick thoughts this week, I want to talk about today.

Today is a special day. For you see, today is Rememberence Day. I know most people don't get excited about today and truth be told, I even forgot about it until my mom called me this morning and asked me if I had the day off from school because of it.

WARNING! ADAM IS ABOUT TO RANT! YOU MAY SCROLL DOWN IF YOU WISH. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

You see, there was a time when people would have the day off from work and school to reflect and remember what all the men and women of my country sacrificed and had to go through for my freedom. I'm writing this blog today because of them. I know that seems trivial and trite but its those little, simple things that we take for granted. We can choose where we worship, what we eat, what we do. I've said it before, but I truley believe Canada is the greatest country on earth. I'm proud to be Canadian. We have so much freedom and we're given so much, and alot of that has to do with those who braved against the wars for us, both home and abroad.

I attended a memorial service today at Fleming where there were three veterns. I can remember going to school at St.Pats in Cobalt as a youngster and witnessing row after row of veterns sitting there, remembering. The hard fact of the matter is, these men and women are dying. Their time is almost up. In a way I'm sad, but grateful, and yet worried also.

Firstly, I'm sad but grateful. It is sad to know that these men and women are leaving and that future generations may never hear their fascinating stories, or know the true horror of what it was like in those trenches or having to wait while a loved one was over seas. However, this also makes me happy. My mother never served in the army. My dad or step dad never put i military service or went off across the globe to risk their lives for me. That makes me happy. I'm glad that there hasn't been a war since WWII in which all who could go, did go. We have a choice now. I respect and admire those in the military. They do things I couldn't do on my best day. They are a vital and important part of our country and our country would not be as great without them. I'm glad those people made the CHOICE to protect us. I'm 21. I could be over in Iraq. I'm not though, because of what happened less than 100 years ago. I never had to worry about losing my mom or dad or anyone else who loved me because they had to go fight some great evil in another country. Today, we are PEACEKEEPERS, and I think that alone shows what we as Canadians have learned from these awful wars. We are dedicated to keeping the peace, makign the world safe. I hope I never have to sit at a ceremony and see row after row of men and women who had to suffer, sacrifice, and give up themselves for my freedom again.

And yet I worry. In a school of hundreds, maybe one hundred stopped for the ceremony. Does it make those people bad people? No. It doesn't make me better than them either. It just make me think. It used to be we'd celebrate Rememberence Day by staying at home with loved ones and reflecting on what happend so long ago. Today, we go to school and work and offer two minutes of silence and if were lucky, time to go to a service. What about tomorrow? Will there come a day where we don't celebrate? Will there be a time when we don't REMEMBER Rememberence Day at all? Those who forget the mistakes of the past, are bound to repeat them. I read that quote and think about Iraq. How so many people were ready to barge into war. How so many were ready to begin the killing, the bloodshed, the loss of life. Maybe I should be more worried about things coming around full circle. Maybe I should worry about my great grandchildren talking to my son or daughter about what it was like for them to serve in the war against the new axis of evil. Maybe I should worry about them writing a journal like this.

The fact of the matter is, right now, things are good. We're free. But our freedom had a price. We should never forget that today is all about that price that we didn't need to pay. Nobody shoved a gun into my hand and said fight. Nobody forced me into a plane, dropped me into a trench, and told me to risk my life everyday so that people could walk by my memorial service years from now and not care. Wear my poppy? I haven't even been asked to do that much. I don't have to attend my service, I don't have to pay attention to the two minutes of silence. I don't have to do any of that. The ONLY thing I'm asked to do today is remember. And this morning, I couldn't even do that.

I hope you didn't forget today. But if you did, let this be a lesson. Let this be a reminder to you that it is very easy to forget, so that we should always keep in our minds why we are here. And what it took to get us this far. I would like to ask that today, whatever you choose to do, think about how things may have been different had we not had those people to fight for us. To die for us. How might your life be different if we still were fighting today?

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place;

and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing,

fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead.

Short days ago We lived,

felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved,

and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, onto my thoughts on the world around me this week:

TNA's Genesis is this weekend and the card is shaping up to be somewhat of a sleeper payperview. The main really doesn't intruige me as much as the undercard does, with the the six man tag match of Dudleys (I mean team 3d, want to be careful here, with all the suing WWE is doing on fansites now, blogs may be next!) and Rhino against Double J and AMW being something I wouldn't get too excited over.

The ppv's saving grace will come in the form of the one year rematch from vicory road of Petey Williams against AJ Styles for the X title, and the Elimination X match pitting team Sabin, Bentley, Dutt and Aries against team Daniels, Joe, Shelly and Strong. This one will be the show stealer. Abyss v. Sabu no dq will offer up a good ammount of violence while Monty Brown v. Jeff Hardy will be the first step towards Monty's eventual capturing of the NWA world title. Tea Canada v 3LK will be nothing new, but as always TNA's tag division will offer you enough that you will actually give a damm about the outcome. And of course we can't forget the big surprise...

Which brings me to topic #2: Jay Reso. Christian, Christian Cage, Captain Charism, however you know him, is now finished with WWE. He is almost a lock to be TNA's big surprise this sunday night. Now, rumour has it that Christian left because of his lack of push and low ball contract offer. Rumour has it that Chris Benoit is being offered a simillar low ball contract. It will be interesting to see what happens. My prediction? Benoit will stay on. He's very loyal to the WWE and is happy with where he is in the company. As much as people hate to admit it, Chris Benoit's career has already peaked, and he's in the downturn of his career, at least as WWE is concerned. What I think will come down to it is Benoit's fire for wrestling. If he still wants to accomplish more and continue to challenge himself, hopefully he'll have saved his money and can take offers from Japan, where he mentioned he may work again. If he's ready to slow down or even retire in the near future, he 'll want to sign with WWE again and slowly wind down his career helping new stars become main eventers and eventually becoming a road agent like his friend Dean Malenko. Of course as always these are just my opinions.

So what abut TNA? How would Chris Benoit fare if he headed to Orlando? I think it would be hard to argue that apon arrival Benit would become TNA's top dog. He epitomizes everything that TNA has come to represent. Hard hitting, in your face, no nonsense wrestling. A run as NWA World Champion could almost be garunteed for him. However, would that offer a challenge for the rabid wolverine? Possibly. I'm sure Benoit has wondered what kind of match he could have with AJ Styles, Petey Wiliams, Christopher Daniels or Samoa Joe. Plus, theres always the idea of a relaxed schedule to allow him more time with his family. I'm sure he'd pick up a few indy shows here and there (ROH would be shitting themselves to book matches of Benoit v. American Dragon. I can't blame them.) but he could let his body, especially his neck, get some rest. This question will be answered shortly when Benoit makes his decision.

This leads me to my final topic for this entry (and I'm sure some of you are happy to see it end) : In the last month or two we have seen both Chris Jericho and Christian choose to leave WWE. Jericho has left to pursue Fozzy and Christian left because of low money. Now talks of Benoit leaving are running wild. This leads me to think a few things. First of all, what kind of trouble could the world of professional wrestling be in if the WWE is starting to pay their wrestlers so little that they would rather try their luck with a much smaller company and wrk independants? And what does it say about the WWE when one of their top stars for the last five years is so burnt out on the company tht he chooses to not only leave the company but WRESTLING altogether to tour with a small metal band? Jericho said he may return but the fact that he left altogether paints a scary picture.

Or does it? Is it that the biggest wrestling company and therefore all of wrestling is collapsing? Or is it that the biggest company in wrestling has gotten SO big that it has lost touch with the common fan? I tend to believe the second choice. Independant wrestling is making a comeback. attendance for the most part is up all over north america and thanks to the cult followings of TNA and ROH, people are willing to pay money to see guys like Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels. No longer do promoters have to wait for a WWE star to leave the company to get a large crowd, no do they have to bring in a legend in the hopes that nostalgia is still alive withing their wrestling community. Groups like ROH and TNA allow their wrestlers to do indy shows because they know it means more exposure for their company. Do I think this means the territory days of the 60s and 70s are coming back? No. But as they say in the wrestling business, never say never..

Qucik Hits

Bret Hart's DVD comes out soon. n the fence abut this one, but will probably pick it up because its Bret. I predict this one will get into the hot top 3 selling wwe dvd's of all time.
Batista and Edge are both out with injuries right now. Christian just left, Benoit might be on the way out. WWE looks like the Titanic more and more. Think thats what TITAN sports stood for???
Word is, TNA is thinking about replacing Scott D'Amore as head booker with Jeff Jarrett...My opinion....BAD IDEA!!!!
Finally, TNA's primetime special only scored a 0.9 rating, which is about the same rating they get for impact on saturdays @ 11. Does this mean tNA has failed? Nope. Just that their not quite ready for primetime yet. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day, and it took WWE nearly 40 years to become the biggest and only game in town.

Thats all for me. Till next week,

CLASS DISMISSED!!!