Shooting from the Hip

Rumbling Royalty

2012-01-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

Greetings! Please, hold your applause. (silence) (crickets) (buzzards) Okay, now that that's over with, I am dedicating this column to a breakdown of the Royal Rumble this Sunday.

First off, the WWE did a very nice job with the Raw go home show last night. The best Raw yet in 2012. We saw Zach Ryder get his "back broken," we saw CM Punk further his storyline with both John Laurinaitis and Dolph Ziggler, and we saw and heard Chris Jericho speak, telling us the world would end this Sunday. I don't know about you guys, but I have emptied my bank account and given all my money to hobos. After all, Jericho wouldn't lie to us!

Seriously though. That comment by Jericho tells me that there is a lot more going on here than him simply winning the Royal Rumble. For this to work, it HAS to mean more. There must be a swerve here somewhere. And, who is "she?" I am hoping for answers at the Royal Rumble. Yes. I WANT to see this Pay Per View, which means the WWE is doing its job.

As far as Kane/Cena goes, there is only ONE scenario that could ruin this entire storyline. If Cena goes over clean. If that happens, then Kane is just another victim, just another villain that Superman has vanquished. However, I would like to see Cena win in a no contest. Cena just rages out, and beats Kane down so badly and so violently, that the ref stops the match. Kane is carted out laughing, screaming that Cena "finally gets it." If the WWE pulled off something like that, I'd seriously mark out.

CM Punk against Dolph Ziggler will be a classic. Both men can get it done in the ring, and Dolph has been a bright spot in the WWE. Hard worker with good mic skills, Ziggs has impressed me, and I see him holding a major title in 2012.

Just not this Sunday. Between the ending of Raw last night with Dolph getting over on Punk, and the huge deck stacked against Punk with Laurinaitis as referee and Vickie at ringside, I see CM Punk retaining here. Also, I think Ziggler will break away from Vickie before he wins a major title.

Daniel Bryan VS Big Show VS Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight title. Well, it's in a steel cage, which is a positive. However, Bryan will have his work cut out for him. Show and Henry do not possess the speed or agility of Daniel Bryan. These are not the ideal competitors for him. But, again, it's in a freakin' CAGE. I predict a good match. Bryan can carry any match, skill wise, and I think he'll retain. I must admit that Bryan is growing on me. As you all know, I've never been a huge Daniel Bryan fan. But, his skill in the ring and his new "tweener" persona has my interest. Therefore, I say he retains. And, I'd actually have no problem with that at all. Again, he's winning me over. Not easy to do.

As far as the Rumble itself, I'm a bit torn. We know that The Miz is number 1. However, this does NOT exclude him from winning. Miz has been on a huge down slope lately. In my opinion, he has dropped back to mid-card level. A Rumble win at number 1 is a HUGE push right back into the main event picture. Even a good showing, lasting for an hour, would help the Miz. It is possible he could go all the way.

Randy Orton? A lot of people are picking Orton. The thing is, he doesn't need it. Orton is already a star and way over. He can get in the title picture anytime. I don't think Orton will win it.

Dolph Ziggler. Yes. He COULD lose his title match an go on to win the Rumble. However, I think he'd be a better Money in the Bank winner, as has been mentioned before. But, I see him as a possibility.

Brodus Clay. Way too soon. We don't even know if his gimmick will get over yet.

Mick Foley. No way. But, Mick will do what he does best and what he should be doing, and he will put people over. Mick Foley is one of my favorites in the business, and I'm glad he is in the Royal Rumble.

Triple H. Yeah. I said it. Triple freaking H. Why not? I say the probability he will even BE in the Rumble is low, but you never know. I do not see him winning it if he participates. It looks like Trips and John Laurinaitis will be busy in a storyline, plus Triple H surely doesn't need it.

And, last but not least, it's time to put it out there. Chris Jericho. The IWC favorite. Possible. VERY possible. As I said earlier, this whole "world ending" thing stinks of something HUGE. Perhaps Jericho comes out at number 30, wins the Rumble, and uses that to further his evil plans. If you haven't figured out Jericho is a heel yet, well, there's no other way to say it, you're crazy.

In fact, I will go out on a limb and pick Jericho as the 2012 Royal Rumble winner. My original pick of number 1 to win it seems unlikely now. Of course, I could end up being proven wrong and looking like a total idiot.

It won't be the first time, and certainly not the last. With my luck, Hornswoggle will win it all and go on to become WWE champion. You think it can't happen? This is the WWE folks. ANYTHING can happen. Enjoy the ride.

Don_Bronx

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Funk and Fake Weed

2012-01-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, something very interesting happened in the WWE. The tag team titles changed hands at a house show. That's something you very, VERY rarely see now. Heck, you rarely see titles change hands on Raw or Smackdown. Last night on Raw, we also saw the United States championship change hands.

Now, I know why the tag titles changed hands. It was done because Evan Bourne has been suspended yet again for smoking fake marijuana. He just got back from one suspension, and now will be gone for another 60 days. I see this as the end of his WWE career. The company will never trust him again. It's a shame.

But, back to my original thought. Years ago when Madison Square Garden had a lot of house shows, I never attended. One of the main reasons was that, in my opinion, nothing interesting happened at house shows. I knew I wouldn't see a title change hands, nor would I see any storyline advancement. I'm willing to bet that a lot of people skip house shows for those very reasons.

Throwing the occasional swerve and making something important happen at a house show is a good thing. It also makes you money at the gate. You read a house show is in town, and you want to attend because perhaps something memorable will occur.

I understand that the WWE wants to stress the importance of its television shows, and I'm not saying something huge needs to happen at EVERY house show, but occasionally doing something like a title change or an injury angle on a non-televised show can bring more fans to house shows.

Switching gears, I want to comment further on two angles that I mentioned briefly last week. The current Chris Jericho angle, and the Brodus Clay angle.

So far, Jericho hasn't said a word, which bothered me at first. However, upon giving it more thought, I kind of see the plus side. Last night Jericho left his team mates hanging. That, my friends, is a heel gesture. I think finally the fans in attendance got it last night. So the question is, will Jericho talk before, during or after the Rumble? A lot of folks in the IWC have Jericho picked to win the Rumble. Not a bad pick at all. I can see Chris winning the Rumble, and then coming out the next night on Raw and say that he wants to challenge Punk for the title, assuming of course that Punk HAS the title after the Rumble. I'm going to give this gimmick a bit more time, but if Jericho doesn't talk by the Raw after the Royal Rumble, then the gimmick is in fact dumb.

Now, one moment please. (calls mamma) Okay. I'm back. We were lead to believe that Brodus Clay was going to debut as a monster. Well, if you consider a "Funkasaurus" a monster, you got it. My first reaction was, "WTF?" I thought it was dumb. The WWE is good at taking guys who should be killers, and turning them into comedy acts. They did it with the Big Show and even briefly with Kane. Yes, Kane. Remember Kane's "WAZZUP" when he teamed with the Dudleys? Yes, it was very brief, but it's still, in my opinion, a mistake to make a big guy into a clown.

However, this is something different. What was interesting about Brodus Clay's debut was that we weren't expecting it. The WWE surprised us, which is usually a good thing. Brodus seems to be having fun with the gimmick, and it's growing on me as well. I actually have his theme song as my ringtone. I'm willing to give it some time, and to see who they will have Clay feuding with.

Now, two things on Raw didn't make sense last night, both of them involving John Laurinaitis. Now, before you start sending me angry emails, yes, I KNOW wrestling hardly ever makes sense. But, hear me out. First, Laurinaitis blatantly admits he's going to screw CM Punk over when he referees Punk's match. How, even when it's a work, can he still be allowed to referee? If I work for the NFL as a ref, and I publicly say that I'm going to screw a team over next week, how long do you think I'll have my job? I know it's a work, but can't a work make sense?

Secondly, John Laurinaitis busting Mick Foley upside the head with the microphone. Um, wasn't the first thing Triple H said when he became COO is that, as an executive, he cannot put his hands on anyone?

I believe next week on Raw there have to be repercussions. Unless we're supposed to forget it, storyline-wise Triple H is still COO. I'd love to see him come out and punish Laurinaitis. If not, you create a catch 22.

Anyway, that's it for this week. Next week I'm going to try something new, and break down the Royal Rumble and the matches, and give my opinion and predictions. I KNOW you can't wait! (crickets)

Don_Bronx

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In My Humble Opinion...

2012-01-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

Everyone has their own opinion. On how to live life, what foods are good, what television shows are good and what is good or bad in wrestling. However, it seems in the world of the IWC, opinions often gets mistaken for fact. People think that their opinions are always right. Here's the problem. Opinions are neither right or wrong. 2+2=4 is a FACT. It's proven. TNA sucks is an opinion. What one person hates, another may love.

It is especially annoying when someone insults someone else because they have a difference of opinion. Our world is made up of all different people, with different views, different lifestyles, different preferences. But, it seems that in the IWC and in the world of Pro Wrestling, if you don't agree with the masses you are an idiot.

Let us take last Sunday's TNA Genesis as an example. I thoroughly enjoyed that Pay Per View. Yes, the finish to the main event was a bit weak, yet I think it was at the very least a B+ Pay Per View. The majority of the IWC would disagree.

I have already listened to radio shows and read blogs that have buried this Pay Per View. Now, I am not a hypocrite. Those who bury this show are entitled to their opinions. But, here's my question. Do you allow your opinion to be influenced by the majority? Is it cool to agree with the majority? I don't think so. I have analyzed my opinion, and have validated it in my own mind. Again, that doesn't make it right, but if I compare what I have seen on Genesis to what I have seen on Raw in the last 2 weeks, and add up the entertainment factor, in my opinion Genesis was superior.

Bully Ray VS Abyss in the Monster's Ball was match of the year thus far. Yes, I know the year isn't even two weeks old, but if you add up everything you've seen in the WWE in the last 11 days, and compare it to what you saw at Genesis, you have to give Genesis the thumbs up. At least, in my opinion.

Raw has been weird the last two weeks. Chris Jericho re-debuts, and doesn't say a word. Now, I understand what they are doing. Jericho is basically telling the crowd that they're idiots. You can see this a mile away. At some point, Jericho is going to attack some babyface, most likely CM Punk, and most likely at the Royal Rumble. However, will I have to sit through this same shtick every week until the Rumble? Lord, I hope not. Apparently, Jericho is tweaking his character a bit. That's fine, as long as I get a HUGE payoff after having to endure all of this. If it turns out to be something spectacular, like shocking me by revealing who "she" is, then my opinion will change. Right now, my opinion on the whole Jericho return is "YAWN."

Again, you may love it. That's your opinion, and I won't tell you you're wrong, because you're not. But, neither am I, because opinions are neither right NOR wrong.

I'll give you an example of how opinions can change. When I first saw the Brodus Clay debut, I was angry. I thought it was stupid and lame, and a waste of a potential huge buildup. Then, I watched it again, and laughed. I watched it yet again, and laughed even louder. I think this has potential. I have not seen much of Clay, but it looks like the big man can move. It also looks like either he has decided to make the most of this gimmick, or really is enjoying it. So, I'm keeping an open mind. If done right, this gimmick could be fun.

As I thought up the subject for this column, I also thought about how critical people can be about opinions in wrestling. One or two fans go against the grain, and the rest of the internet is hurling insults.

In my family, everyone loves tripe, which is intestines. My mom loves it and my uncles love it. When my Mom cooks it, I go to McDonalds for dinner. I think it's the most disgusting food on the planet. But, that's just my opinion. I don't tell my Mom she's an idiot for liking tripe.

Yet, in Pro Wrestling and in the IWC, if you go against the grain you can expect insults and personal attacks. I've given my opinion on Genesis on numerous websites, and most times I'm told I'm an idiot. Well, little Jimmy, what makes your opinion more relevant than mine? If you didn't like the Pay Per View, that's fine. But, did you REALLY not like it, or are you just jumping on the hate wagon to appear cool?

More of the Don's opinions. I like what they're doing with Kane. Kane cut a stellar promo Monday night, and going after those who Cena loves is awesome. Classic heel. I've always loved psychological heels, like Jake the Snake Roberts. Remember how he tormented the Warrior? Epic. A good, lunatic heel gets into the babyface's head. And, Kane is doing a fine job of messing with Cena. Some people don't like the fact that Kane is talking. Some don't like the fact that he's back to wearing a mask. That's fine. You're entitled to your opinion, and it is just as valid as mine.

The point I am trying to make is, don't down someone because they think differently than you do. Walk a mile in someone else's shoes for a change, and realize that when it comes to pro wrestling, we all think differently. No one is right or wrong. It's all a matter of taste.

To briefly switch gears, I want to address the whole Ultimate Warrior VS Kevin Nash Twitter/Facebook/Youtube war. Does it not seem like this popped out of nowhere? I mean, when was the last time you heard about heat between Warrior and Nash? Quite frankly, I find it very entertaining. Which is my point. Not to beat a dead horse, but in my OPINION this SCREAMS of work! Wrestlemania is fast approaching, and money talks. No matter how much heat there is between Warrior and the WWE, Nash is still technically with the WWE. Nash has never had a problem being controversial. Remember the crap he talked on Wade Barrett? In an interview on Wrestling News Live, Nash admitted he singled Barrett out because he thought he could make money with Barrett. Well, less than 4 months before Wrestlemania, this whole scenario starts. Things that make you go "hmmmm."

Well, that's it for this week. I have to go right now. I better call my Momma!

Don_Bronx

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A Night At The Circus

2012-01-03T18:39:00.001-08:00

First off, Happy New Year to everyone! Just in case the world ends, max out your credit cards and spit on your boss now! If the world doesn't end, there's always food stamps. You can pick up your applications at the Impact Zone.

Last night, I went to the circus. It was fun, (not really), and I was entertained for over two hours! (nose grows)

Pro wrestling originated at carnivals. It was an attraction. And, a popular one. Men became promoters, and slowly started territories that had ONLY wrestling. Even in the beginning, all the matches were scripted. The only difference is, back then if you told anyone, you'd be picking up your intestines in the parking lot. Kayfabe lasted a long time, until promoters, mainly, Vince McMahon, realized you could save certain sports related fees by branding it entertainment. This is, at least in part, how it happened. I've heard and read this many times, and have to believe there is some truth in it.

Wrestling has always had a certain amount of gimmicks in it, certain non-wrestling segments that helped build up to an eventual match. However, the entertainment was built AROUND the wrestling, and used to put matches over. Normally, it consisted of two guys talking violent smack about each other on camera backstage, and occasionally jumping each other in the parking lot.

As the 80s came around, we began to see more colorful, over-the-top characters, and, above all, more non-wrestling aspects added. Matches began to get shorter to make room for more skits. As technology got better and cheaper, and special effects got better and cheaper, it was possible to do more things live. Like, have a man set himself on fire, or another guy shoot lightning from the ceilings. The matches continued to get shorter and fewer and further between to make room for complicated skits involving coffins, exploding limos, and, of course, celebrities! Who wants to see two grown men in underwear pretend to fight! I want the muppets, damnit!

Oh, wait. My ticket says this is a wrestling event. Did I make a mistake? (two hours later) NOPE! Exactly what I wanted! It had everything! Clowns, magicians, even a politician, celebrities, scantily clad women and jugglers! Oh, yeah. And I got to see two 3 minute matches with a couple of acrobats. Pretty cool!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news. In the WWE, wrestling is basically dead. It's not about wrestling anymore. I've fought my own brain long and hard, telling myself, "Self, Vince McMahon isn't REALLY serious about banning the word wrestling and calling it entertainment. In his heart, he cannot believe that." And, then I get a nose bleed from my brain laughing at me hysterically. Because if you enjoy a good match, they are few and far between.

Now, don't get me wrong. I like the occasional theatrics. Undertaker's entrance, the pyro, the backstage segments and the storylines. But, damn. Throw some wrestling in there! That's what made me a wrestling fan. Um, wrestling.

Also, what happened to the art of cutting a promo. I'll be honest. Most guys SUCK now. Most guys are so bland and unconvincing that it makes me sick. There are some good promo guys, but not nearly as many as there used to be. Randy Savage forcing you, WILLING YOU, to hear what he had to say. The power of it. Jake Roberts staring at you through your TV as if he was going to cut your throat. Ric Flair making your heart beat 140 times a minute with the sheer adrenaline and intensity of his words. Cactus Jack actually MAKING a smart wrestling fan, who knows it's a work, have a moment of weakness and say, "This isn't a work. This guy is freakin' insane!" Even Hulk Hogan, who could make any child love him. Vince McMahon, driving you into such a rage that you had to break something to get rid of your anger towards him.

Now, you have guys making idle threats, jokes and ramblings that make you hit fast forward on your DVRs. But, it doesn't matter! Because it's entertainment.

Here. I'll prove it! I will now provide the results from last night's Monday Night Raw.

1. Out walks the hero with chiseled jaw. He welcomes us and wishes us a Happy New Year! He talks about all his past and future heroic deeds! But, oh no! The Evil Fire Wizard interrupts the hero and says he will challenge him later tonight! Oh, my!

2. Two men wrestle for 4 minutes.

3. An expert gives a duck impersonation to a mumbling troll.

4. Another match! This time a clown with a snake on his arm fights Grease Man! Not bad!

5. Next up, Captain Mayonnaise! He shows his sandwich dressing powers by beating up Sergeant Crybaby! But, wait! Jimmy the Magnificent furthers the torture by hitting Sergeant Crybaby with a water bottle!

6. Prince Peroxide with the Banshee wrestles his arch nemesis, the No-Soap Knight! But, Prince Peroxide knocks him down and he can't get up by the time the zebra stomps his hoof 10 times! He steals No-Soap Knight's crown!

7. Yes! The scantily clad girls come out and pretend to fight while jiggling!

8. A strangely dressed clown comes out next! He spends 10 minutes making balloon animals and acting like a complete idiot.

9. Last, the Hero teams with the Giant and the Little Blue Twitter Bird to fight the Koolaid Man, Captain America and the Evil Fire Wizard! But, the Evil Fire Wizard doesn't show up, and the Hero prevails! But, now out comes the Evil Fire Wizard! He beats our Hero down and tries to kill the Little Blue Twitter Bird! But, the Hero prevails and saves him!

What will happen next week? Tune in and find out. Or, just slit your throat. No difference.

Don_Bronx

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Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T19:37:00.000-08:00

This is not a column, just a post I felt like making.

This is not my scheduled time to post, but I really wanted to use this forum to wish everyone a happy holiday.

I am currently listening to the Christmas Craptacular from last night, and am reflecting on how much fun I had participating in it. To JJ and Trey, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This is normally a hard time of year for me. I lost 3 people I loved very much in 3 years literally days before Christmas, so I have been lacking in the Christmas spirit as of late.

But, my affiliation with the SNS radio network in the last year has been wonderful, and my column on this site, http://www.headlocks2headlines.com, has been awesome!

So, I just wanted to take a moment to thank JJ, Trey, Sean, Crelly, Ty, Huhn Jo, Trent, Rod, Ashley, Andy Knowles and all the rest, for a fun year.

The friendships I have made are unbelievable.

To Andy Knowles, you are an inspiration. Overcoming obstacles and being strong are characteristics I appreciate.

To JJ, you are a fine example of what it means to work hard and fight for what you believe in. Thank you for your countless hours of dedication and tireless work. You're the kind of guy people look up to. No matter what obstacles are in your way, you plow over them and persevere.

To Trey, one of the things that hooked me on Wrestling News Live was the way you view the world. It sounds funny, but your opinions often echo my own. We're hardcore, and don't really give a damn, except when it matters. You're an Italian at heart!

Harmony, you're the toughest woman I know. My Mom still asks about you after the Facebook conversation we all had. Hard work and courage go a long way. And, you'll go far, because you are brave and tough as nails. I respect you greatly.

Crelly. Hmmm.... What to say about my boss? Not much really. I can't honestly think of anything to say about Chris. Other than the fact that he constantly maintains this website. Or, that he has been a massive success in booking interviews for the SNS Radio Network. I suppose I could mention how he stays up late to participate in shows, juggles college and work, and still manages to co-host. Maybe some of the lazy young spoiled brats I see on a daily basis could benefit from seeing what it means to be a hard working young man, even if he gets drunk once in awhile. :)

The Sensational Sequel. The guy who lives a military life like my Grandfather used to. Sean has been a great friend and one of the funniest guys I know. His ribs are the best on the network.

Midnightman. I spoke to this man for over an hour today, and it was my pleasure. If you ever need courage, look Mario up and you'll find it. This man made my Christmas, and talking to him was like talking to a brother. Midnightman is proof that God gives light to the brave.

Huhn Jo. Writer extraordinaire. My friend. My competitor! The guy whose column I read and think "Damn! How am I going to top that?" Much respect to you brother.

Trent. Keep it real youngster! You have your priorities in order, and you've been a great friend to me. Be smart, be strong.

To everyone on the SNS Radio Network, let Don_Bronx wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. All of you are special to me, and I just wanted to tell you all how I feel. God bless, and I will catch you in 2012.

Oh! And to JSK, you're not here now, but the laughter you have brought me through the archives is second to none. So, I raise my glass and say, "Peace, 420, kiss my ass, goodnight white people. I'm out." Happy Holidays!

Don_Bronx

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What Makes Sense, What Doesn't

2011-12-20T18:55:00.000-08:00

So, another year is fading. Old man 2011 is on life support, and little baby 2012 is about to be born. Let me just say, good riddance! 2011 for yours truly has sucked, and I'm glad it's over.

Now, what was I supposed to write about? (10 minute pause) Oh! Pro Wrestling! As the title implies, wrestling has done many things this year that haven't made sense. However, towards the end, they've done quite a few things that make sense. Take my hand. (washes hand) Okay. Take it now. Sorry. And, let's review a few story lines of 2011 and see what we get.

As far as not making sense, we've got a lot of ground to cover, but I don't intend on writing "War and Peace." I'm going to break down a few examples. First off, let's start with TNA. A lot of its booking doesn't make sense. Heels that should be faces, and faces that should be heels. Allowing over-the-hill talent and the talentless to be in charge. Too many chiefs, and not enough Indians.

Allowing Kurt Angle to beat Robert Roode at a PPV, and having James Storm beat Angle for the title on the next Impact made no sense. Then, putting that title on Roode a few weeks later made no sense. Roode should have just beat Kurt and it would have made sense.

Putting ratings second to PPV buy rates makes no sense. It's not like advertisers are coming out of the wood works to support a show with an average 1.1-1.3 rating. I'm not a big fan of ratings, but advertisers are. So, again, not too smart. And, not policing the Internet like the WWE and allowing 10,000 streams to broadcast during any given TNA PPV makes no sense.

Now, switching gears. This is not an anti-TNA column. Let the Don lift his gavel and pass judgement on the WWE for a few moments.

Announcing a Wrestlemania match one year before it's going to happen doesn't make sense. All this has done is minimize anything else John Cena could be doing, um, like maybe putting people over? I'm actually looking forward to this match, but announcing it only 5 or 6 months in advance would have been sufficient.

Michael Cole's continued announcer role makes no sense. His constant self-promotion and worked personal opinions are ruining MY ENJOYMENT OF MATCHES! Thank dear God for Sunday Night Showdown, so I can mute that troll and actually enjoy a show.

The Triple H storyline made no sense. Trips becomes COO, and a few months later is kicked out by a vote of "no confidence." "Dangerous work environment?" Really? REALLY? Yeah, and when Vince was ordering the families of every face kidnapped in the Attitude Era, that wasn't an "unsafe working environment." But, wait! There's more! Triple H is still COO, yet a temporary GM can overrule him! Brilliant! That storyline self-destructed.

And, speaking of the Raw GM, never revealing the identity of the anonymous GM made no sense. Months of storyline ruined. With that said, John Laryngitis being on TV makes no sense! Um, who is this guy? What has he done to deserve being on TV? His voice sounds like two crows attempting to have sex in a mattress filled with razor blades!

Oh, it keeps going! Kane coming back with a "full head of hair" makes no sense. Nor does wearing burn makeup under his mask make sense. Oh! We're supposed to forget about the last 4 or 5 years right? That Kane never existed!

Okay. (takes deep breath) Let's flip the script a little bit. TNA always has several storylines going on at once. If you don't like one, I bet one of the other four will get your attention. THAT makes sense. The WWE seems to just focus on one or two story lines, and the rest is filler. The Treydawg of Wrestling News Live made me think of this, so the credit goes to him. He's right. (he's also pretty good at recommending a good brand of beer)

Eventually putting the belt on Robert Roode was a good move. Roode is a TNA man all the way, and I think the company showing faith in him makes sense.

TNA has a lot of problems, but they're still in business. They don't give up, and I respect that. Try in 2012 guys. Try to find SOMETHING about TNA you like. I find it hard to believe that there is NOTHING worth watching in TNA. It's keeping wrestlers employed, and at least giving us a second option. People will say TNA isn't a second option. Other than Ring Of Honor, name me one.

On the WWE front, this sudden push of young talent is awesome! 2011 will be known as the youth moment of WWE. Look at our champions! CM Punk as WWE champ, Daniel Bryan as World champ, Ryder as US champ, Cody Rhodes as IC champ, and Air Boom as tag champs. A further note on Rhodes. The other night when he won, he kissed the IC title. YOU GO BOY! Make that title mean something! Cody has grown on me so much, and I'm proud of the kid. I hope his dad is, too. "OH MY GOODNESS!"

This is what the WWE should have done a lot sooner. They seem to be moving away from Cena, and that makes sense. It's time for him to start putting people over.

The WWE seems to be embracing the IWC a bit more. Good. Recognize our power. I know the Twitter stuff is a little annoying, but hey! For years they denied the IWC's existance. Well, we ain't going nowhere.

Letting guys hold titles for longer than a breath mint makes sense. Henry had a pretty good title run. Rhodes is having a good run. And, Ziggler did an awesome job as US champ. I see big things for him.

Well, the wrestling part is done. I have some things planned next week, so I might take the week off from this column. I suspect after 1/2/2012, I'll have a LOT to write about.

I'd like to take a moment to thank some people. When Ty contacted me about writing a column for this site, I was flattered. As a man who loves to write, the opportunity was amazing to me. And, so far, this column has been well received.

I'd like to thank first, the Treydawg and JJ Sexay. If it weren't for Wrestling News Live and the SNS Radio Network, this could not have happened. You two have inspired me more in the last year more than I can say. Your friendship and support has meant a lot to me. You guys are the greatest.

I'd like to thank the Power Andy Knowles, a man I couldn't have more respect for. Andy and I share certain problems in this world, and all I will say is I look up to him as an inspiration and proof that one man can do anything.

The Sensation Sequel Sean has proven to be a trusted friend and a hell of a guy. One of the best ribbers on the network.

Crelly, who ultimately has allowed me onto his site and has trusted me, is a young man with determination and talent. Any awards for interviews this network gets will be largly in part to Crelly. He juggles school, work, this site and helping the network. Maybe some of these lazy young punks I see should take notice.

I'd like to thank Ty for originally contacting me about writing a column. Ty's faith and trust in me has been awesome.

And, lastly, to the family, Acer, Trent, Ashley, ZMG, Midnightman, Rodriguez, Maize, Koncept, Big Mike, AnthonyFarley and all the rest, there are too many of you to list, thanks for putting up with my stupidity in chat. Hey, it's my gimmick. Also, a huge thanks to the king of archive listeners, Huhn Jo, for keeping me on my toes. You're a HELL of a writer, and it's a pleasure to be featured on the same site as you.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, whatever you celebrate, have a good one. If I cannot put out a column next week, thanks again everyone, and I'll catch you in 2012.

(kisses own ring and raises it in salute)

Don_Bronx

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Drop That Attitude Mister

2011-12-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

So, finally my cable company has fixed the Internet. Wonder if I'll get a refund. (laughs hysterically for 10 minutes)

Heels and babyfaces. The true wrestling fan knows the difference, but the lines are becoming blurred. In fact, the lines started becoming blurred when the fans decided to turn Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Rock face.

Yes, the fans turned them. It wasn't a creative decision. It was simply fan reaction. If you're a wrestling company, you cannot ignore the reactions of the fans. Oh, wrestling companies will tell you otherwise, but that's BS. If a guy is over, he's over, and there's no denying it. I was privileged to be at Madison Square Garden when Triple H returned after he injured his quad the first time. This was a guy who left as a vicious heel, yet the Garden exploded with cheers when he walked down the ramp. My ears still ring from that day. It makes you wonder what the real ratio is when it comes to "smarts" versus "marks". Even though Trips was a heel when he left, the cheers proved that the fans could look past that, and appreciated his work ethic and in-ring talent.

Triple H didn't change his persona that much either. Same sledge hammer, same badass Clique member. But, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and even though he was a villian, those fans at the Garden knew how good he was, and were glad to see him come back.

So, what differentiates a heel from a face? A heel cheats, lies, jumps guys in the parking lot and cuts promos designed to anger the fans. Simple. Babyfaces? Not so simple. What defines a babyface has changed drastically over the years. Compare the Hulk Hogan of the 80s to Steve Austin. Faces need to change with the times. In the 80s, guys like the Rock and Austin would have been heels. No one wanted to cheer for a beer drinking, foul mouthed redneck, or a wise cracking, rude, condescending ass like the Rock.

Enter the 90s. The world changed. People were pissed off about their jobs, politics, you name it. Everyone wanted to punch their boss in the face. When Stone Cold actually did it, the fans loved him. He was blue collar and bad ass. He did what we all would have liked to do.

The Rock wasn't loved because he was the all American prayers and vitamins guy. He was loved because he was cool. As a teenager, I thought this bad ass, wisecracking brother was awesome! Now, I have a sense that the times are-a-changin' again.

Look at the reaction Cena has been getting. The goody-two-shoes gimmick is wearing thin. His fans are growing up, and are getting tired of the smarmy babyface. In my opinion, Cena will have to change his character at some point. I'm not saying he has to turn heel, but the fans are proving that what he's doing isn't working anymore. On the flip side, I think eventually a guy like the Miz will go over huge as a babyface. Why? Because he's bad ass. The 5 year old Cena fans are turning into teenagers. Rebellious. Angry. For them, the goody goody Superman gimmick is getting old. It's the same reason guys like Sheamus are getting over big time. Sheamus goes to the ring and kicks your ass and leaves. He doesn't care about sportsmanship or shaking hands after the match. Arrive. Kick ass. Leave. Proven formula.

Just seeing the reaction that the Rock still gets VS Cena shows you, without a doubt, that the fans are becoming attitude era again. A smiling Daniel Bryan or Cena or Evan Bourne doesn't cut it. The gangsta era may be coming back. Babyfaces will have to be more edgy and, well, heelish to get over. That's a formula Cena can't pick up on. If I walk up to you on the street and spit in your face, your reaction is to beat my ass. Cena's reaction is to ask, "Why did you do that? Huh? That wasn't very nice." YAWN. IT'S NOT HOW A REAL PERSON ACTS!

Look at the nWo. It started off as the most hated group in wrestling, but, a year later, all you saw were nWo shirts in the audience! Hall, Nash, and Hogan got over. Yes, they were heels. But, cheering a cool heel and booing a Barney-like babyface CAN be the norm. Depending on the times.

And times, they are a-changing. People are broke. The economy is bad. We have to worry about terrorism and crime. We don't want to cheer guys like Cena. And, the kids that still cheer him are getting less and less. Why? Because they're growing up.

The Attitude Era came because the fans demanded it. The WWE couldn't ignore how much the nWo was getting over. If Vince hadn't flipped the script, the WWE might not be here now. I sense that time is coming again. But, when you tweak a guy's character, let the fan reaction be your guide. One of TNA's many problems is that THEY want to TELL you who to cheer and boo for. We've got God booked for this month? Well, let's turn him heel! What? Everyone on the planet loves God? IT DOESN'T MATTER! TURN HIM HEEL! Satan signed a deal too? TURN HIM FACE! LET'S SWERVE THE FANS!

Um, no. Let the fans' reaction swerve the COMPANY. Put a guy out there, give him the mic, and see what kind of reaction he gets! Then, give the fans what they want. Now, I'm not just blaming TNA here. WWE is doing EXACTLY the same thing with John Cena. They're ignoring the fact that a smug, snot nosed egomaniac like Punk is getting cheered a thousand times more than Cena. Punk is being pushed because the fans are pushing him. At least the WWE is doing the right thing and putting him over.

In the end, I think the line between heels and faces needs to be blurred. And, the line dividing the two, as always, needs to be set by the fans. As a kid, I always cheered for the heels. Then again, I was a very disturbed child. Could you guess?

So, cheer for who you want to cheer and boo who you want to boo, by God. Don't let the companies sway your decision. Don't be a puppet. If you like Mark Henry, cheer him. If you hate Orton, boo him. You're spending the money, and have a right to like who you like and hate who you hate.

Well, that's it for this week. Thank goodness my Internet has stayed on for as long as it...(CONNECTION TIMED OUT)

Don_Bronx

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Over Staying Your Welcome

2011-12-06T17:54:00.000-08:00

This one might catch heat, but have I ever cared? I need to get this off my chest.

(starts playing Real American) The other day, Hulk Hogan, in his infinite wisdom, Tweeted the following:

“Taping again in Orlando,Garrett seems to have found the magic,I only hope it rubs off on some of the other numb skulls. HH”

Really Hulk? Really? This kid whose been around for the length of a 20 cent cup of coffee, storyline-wise, has found his magic? Um, what about AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Kaz and the rest of TNA? To make a comment like that is ridiculous. First off, why make it? What's the purpose? Perhaps it was a work. Hogan's rant about Robert Roode not being ready? Maybe that was a work too.

What does it matter? Why does ANYTHING Hogan says matter? His time is over. Been over for years. If it is a storyline, why bother? No one CARES what Hogan has to say. Everything he says does nothing but hurt TNA and its wrestlers. Hogan was brought to TNA to get the company over. The problem is, Hogan only cares about getting himself over. Oh, and of course Bischoff. Bosom buddies, life long pals!

Does anyone realize that the biggest time in Hogan's career was 20-3o years ago? Why does this man think that anything he says or does is relevant anymore? I'm tired of this over the hill wrestler constantly bogging down the business. I can't see two young stars wrestle in TNA, because we have to have a Hogan/Sting match. Who cares? This match was huge 20 years ago! Someone like Hogan should be doing nothing, NOTHING but putting over young talent on the mic. He should never set foot in a wrestling ring again. Wrestling fans have short memories. Hogan is going to be remembered as the old crippled guy who tried to wrestle, and the great things he did will be forgotten. Go away and shut up Hulk.

Ric Flair is, without a doubt, one of the top 5 talents in wrestling. Ever. He has had some of the best matches I have ever seen in my life. However, seeing him in the ring now is embarrasing. Flab and chest chops. Flair could be awesome, truly awesome in a managerial role. But, he should stay out of the damned ring! Ric can collect a paycheck just fine without lacing up a boot. He's not gold on the mic, he's diamond, and can get a broomstick over. That's exactly what he should be doing. I don't want to see him wrestle anymore. If I want to see Ric Flair wrestle, I'll load up my videos of Flair/Steamboat. Stick to the mic Ric.

Over the last few years, Undertaker has put on some phenomenal Wrestlemania matches. Taker is in my top ten. To get that gimmick over and keep it over for so long is amazing. 20 is a nice round number. I'd love to see Taker go 20-0 and then retire. Taker is a guy who is smart with his money, and I'm sure he's well off. He's given of himself more than anyone in the ring and the lockerroom, but it's not fair that this man not be able to walk someday. After 20, Taker should ride that Harley into the sunset.

In my opinion, Sting made a huge mistake not going to the WWE. Sting is one of the greatest. He was key to the success of WCW, and also the nWo. Sting has played the hero for so long, that he'll always be one of the beloved characters in the business.

He'll also have missed a huge opportunity. The WWE deserves Sting, and Sting deserves the WWE. Young fans who are not familiar with the Sting character would love it. And us older Sting fans will get to see some classics. Sting VS Taker. Sting VS Cena. Sting VS anyone! And, in the end when the Stinger is ready to retire, we're talking hall of fame, DVD sets, you name it! There's still time Sting! It's the right move.

Rey Mysterio is, in my opinion, the best little man in history. At 5' 6", it's laughable to think he could have ever became a wrestler. But Rey could get in there with the Hulk and cause trouble. As far back as WCW, you believed little Rey could beat anyone. You got behind the little guy who had no fear. Rey definitely belongs in the hall of fame.

But I fear for Rey. He's had so many knee surgeries that it's scary. Rey needs to retire. Not because the fans don't want to see him anymore. Not even because he can't still wrestle. But, there is no reason to cripple yourself for your fans or the business. Rey's a legend already. I want him to stay a healthy legend.

Please understand. Other than Hogan I'm not making fun of these guys in anyway. I just want to preserve their legacies. There's nothing more for them to do. The way Nash is being used is how it should be done. He's not wrestling too much, and the WWE isn't dedicating an over abundance of time to his storyline with HHH. It's limited, and older fans like myself can't wait to see the two best friends murder each other. But, HHH and Nash aren't being shoved down our throats. It's a side story, and this is what older wrestlers should be doing. Side stories and putting young talent over.

In closing, I want to completely change gears and address the people out there who crap on wrestling. The people who make fun of me for being a fan, and ask "How can you watch that ****?"

I am damn proud of Vince McMahon for one thing. Whether it's just to get the company over, or because Vince really cares, Vince honors our troops every year. I think it's the latter, and Vince is a true patriot. No one else, not the NFL, not the NBA actually flies into enemy territory every year, to either put on a show or just to mark out some young soldiers. No one dedicates a whole event just to them. That's why I'm a proud wrestling fan.

Whether you like him or not, John Cena has brought smiles to the faces of dying children, flying all over the country to visit with them, play a little Xbox, just do something to make their last days a little brighter. That's why I'm a wrestling fan.

And, when I make friends from God knows how many countries because of a few radio shows, that makes me proud to be a wrestling fan.

So, to all those who laugh at me, take a break from the ring this week and kiss my ass instead.

Don_Bronx

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How Do They Manage Without Them

2011-11-29T17:50:00.000-08:00

Managers. Where are they now? Where are the guys and gals who could make a mute wrestler go over like Niagra Falls? The guys who made you hate a wrestler by PROXY. The guys who were so over as heels that the hate you felt was passed on to anyone in their stable.

I remember back in the day, which was a Wednesday*, we had stables in wrestling. A group of, usually heels, managed by one person. The Heenan Family. The Hart Family. We had Mr. Fuji and Harley Race. Too many to count. One thing they've all had in common was the ability to get someone over. Okay. This young 350 pound beast can't talk on the mic but can snap necks in the ring? Put him with Heenan. Give him to Hart. And, the first day that guy was introduced by the manager to be a new stable member, BAM! Over like rover! Spat on, booed and hated. And, it didn't matter if you ever heard his voice. Because Jimmy Hart, the most annoying, irritating man on the planet, God bless his heart, was so hated and reviled, that you instantly hated this new guy because Jimmy liked him! See how it works, guys? Wrasslin' 101. And, Jimmy would cut the promo FOR him! The new guy would just stand there, spitting, snotting and grunting, and Jimmy made him look like a million bucks!

Why did they ever stop? Nowadays a young guy comes in, and while he may be a great wrestler, you give him a microphone and instantly the fans pull out razors and slash their wrists. In-ring talent is only half of the whole package. It is basically impossible for a wrestler to get fully over if he can't talk. So, you end up with this young guy who wrestles a five star match, but can't explain WHY he's wrestling it.

Having a manager also helped a guy learn this talent. You couldn't help but get better on the mic with Heenan talking crap by your side. And, if you remember, slowly the wrestler was allowed to talk, little by little, testing the waters. So, when the day came where he broke away from that stable, he had honed his verbal skills.

I have racked my brain trying to explain why they got rid of most managers. Maybe because now everything is rushed. Pushes are rushed. Rookies are rushed. So what? What better way to push a guy more quickly than have him come out with Fuji? "I don't know who the hell this kid is, but if Fuji likes him then I hate him!"

Now, I'm not saying at all that this formula always worked. Some guys just sucked so bad that Satan couldn't get them over. But, all in all it was very successful.

Look at Eric Bischoff. Like him or not, he helped get the nWo over. It would not have been the same without him. He was never said to be a manager exactly, but you new he was in charge. Managers even added flare to guys who were already over. The lovely, petite Ms. Elizabeth coming out with Randy Savage. Beauty and the beast. It worked. Then, Savage leaving her for Sherry and teaming up with Zeus! Brilliant! It got a mainstream babyface crazy heat as a heel. The Mega Powers exploding wouldn't have been the same without Liz. May she rest in peace. Sherry too.

Another thing that I believe killed the Survivor Series concept is the lack of managers with stables. You had the Heenan Family against 5 faces. Fuji's guys against 5 faces. It was so brilliant.

I understand that wrestling has changed. But, certain up and comers could really benefit from a mouthpiece. I think in the end, the huge push Ziggler is getting was helped in part by Vickie. We all make fun of her, but she's a great manager and a heat magnet. People will fall in love with Ziggler the day he piefaces her and leaves. Instant face push! I think Michael Cole has all the makings of a top, TOP heel manager. This guy has X-Pac heat! Get him off commentary and put him into the roll of a manager. Even guys like HHH could make great managers and start great stables.

TNA could break ground by bringing back managers and stables. You have people like Karen Jarrett with sick heel heat. She backs certain heels, but she's not a full-fledged manager.

In the end I miss stables and managers. This is a concept wrestling should try again. It would give new guys an instant spot. Because whether it's Fuji throwing salt in your eyes, Hart busting you over the head with a megaphone, or JJ $exay promising you free pizza and DVDs and then stabbing you in the back, having managers worked. And could again.

Now, I shall sit here patiently and wait for my pizza and DVD parcel to arrive. (one month later) Bastard.

Don_Bronx

*Credit: the Treydawg of WNL

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Random Thoughts

2011-11-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

Hey yo. (ties dew rag.) I thought this week I would just address some news items, and give my opinions on a few things going on in wrestling.

First off, kudos to the WWE for an awesome PPV. I have to give them credit. And, right now CM Punk is my favorite wrestler in the WWE, so seeing him win the title was awesome! I think Punk is going to hold that belt for awhile. I would love to see him keep it until Mania, but we'll have to wait and see.

However, with that being said, I have to criticize my boy on something he said in an interview. Punk basically said that the Rock being backstage lowered morale, and that he doesn't shake hands with anyone. He goes right from his limo to the locker room. Punk, I love ya, but let's get something straight. The Rock earned his stripes. He spent years building up his character and paying his dues. He's made the WWE millions. He has a right to act however he wants. He doesn't shake your hand. You extend yours. You say hello to him, and add a "sir" at the end of it. I'm also tired of hearing about how the Rock is never around and brings it via satellite. Well, how many guys in the business would take their ball and run too if offered a Hollywood deal. Punk is, compared to the Rock, well, a punk. When you've achieved what the Rock has achieved in pro wrestling, then come back and talk smack. Of course, this could all be a work.

Next up, I want to talk a bit about John Cena. (readership declines) Wait! Come back! Seriously. Here's my question. What exactly do you do with him until Mania? Who can he fued with? He's beaten every damn face in the company. The Miz and Truth angle is dead, and anything Cena has done in the last few months has been overshadowed by his Mania match with Rock. It's almost like that dreaded line a fired wrestler hears. "Sorry, we got nothing for ya."

Here's what Bronx would do. Cena hasn't had time off in awhile. Zach Ryder and Punk are picking up the merchandise slack. Storyline injure Cena. Have him off TV for like 3 months, and bring him back a month or two before Mania. Make sure to drive home the fact that he will be back by Mania so as not to anger ticket buyers. Show him on TV from his living room, talking about how he's fighting to get back. Towards the end, show him in the gym working out getting ready for the Rock. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and Cena needs some time off. As I said, what do they really have for him right now?

Apparently, not only will the Truth set you free, but it will get you high as well. If you haven't heard, R-Truth was suspended for a wellness violation. Man, there have been a lot of them. When Linda's about to run for Senate, put that joint down!

Personally, if it's just marijuana, I honestly don't see the problem. In any sport. Weed, I think, is safer than alcohol. That's just my opinion. But, I'm sure it's written into your contract what you can and can't do, and if you sign it and then violate it, sorry about your damn luck.

At first I was upset about them breaking up Awesome Truth, until I found out the real reason. Know what I'd love to see? You have Miz go back to singles for 30 days, and then bring back R-Truth as the face. NOT THE WHAT'S UP FACE! No. Tweak his heel persona only slightly. Don't make him insult the fans as much, but don't make him a rapping moron again either! Keep him as a tweener. He and Miz will have heat on each other, and I think it could be an interesting feud.

I'd like to take a minute to wish Sin Cara the best. He suffered a major injury at Survivor Series and may be out for up to a year. I'm not really a Sin Cara fan, but I don't like seeing anyone get hurt. That is the problem with high risks moves. If you get them right, they look awesome. But, if you botch, you can really get hurt. High risk moves should be limited, and few and far between.

Something else on my mind. Nash and HHH. First off, Nash looks like the TNA Nash's son! He looks freakin' great! Last night on Raw, Nash cut a great promo talking about HHH. Here's what I'm worried about. They're going to jump the gun. This match should be saved for Mania with HBK as the special referee. To finally see Nash VS HHH will be awesome if they do it right. A fantasy card for Mania?

HHH VS Nash, street fight, HBK as ref.
Rock VS Cena.
CM Punk VS Henry, title unification match.
Ziggler VS Zach Ryder
Taker VS either Chris Jericho or Mick Foley

Just my thoughts. And, no I didn't forget Daniel Bryan. I've beaten that dead horse a million times.

Thanks as always for reading, and may everyone in the USA have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Don't eat too much! Time to get back to the limo! (ignores extended hands and puts nose in air)

Don_Bronx

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Surviving The Series

2011-11-15T17:39:00.000-08:00

Yes. It's that time yet again. Time to stuff ourselves with turkey, burp, watch football and, of course, the WWE's Survivor Series. Or, maybe not. One of the "big 4 PPVs", the Survivor Series used to be a unique wrestling experience. You had groups of teams consisting, usually, of five faces and five heels. You also had a Thanksgiving themed PPV with food fights!

The classic Survivor Series formula worked because you had plenty of time to build up to it. Five guys would get together to form a team. Most of the time, the other five they went up against had individual rivalries with that team. A captain was chosen, usually a top face or heel, and they went at it. The buildup was generally good. Back before you had 750 PPVs a year, you had plenty of time to push a feud between ten people. You had time to tell the story. Now, not so much so. Now, we have only one classic Survivor Series match this Sunday, and the rest are all standard matches. We have Team Orton, consisting of Randy Orton, Mason Ryan, Sheamus, Kofi Kingston and Sin Cara, against Team Barrett, consisting of Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, Hunico and Dolph Ziggler.

The problem is, we don't have too much of a reason. We have a group of faces against a group of heels, but why exactly are they fighting? One of the captivating things about this type of match is that once a guy gets pinned, he is eliminated, and it becomes 4 on 5. Conceivably you can have a situation where it's 1 against 5. If you put that one guy over, you make him look like gold!

This was one of my favorite concepts of Survivor Series, but now this seems all overshadowed. Let me ask you something? How many people are really that excited to see Rock and Cena go up against Miz and Truth? I mean, Cena's been doing fine on his own! Why does he even NEED the Rock. The WWE has, in my opinion, had a lackluster buildup to this PPV, mainly because they feel that the Rock will sell it for sure. Hell, so far Wrestlemania 28 ticket sales have proven the Rock sells. Still. To sacrifice the classic format to push singles matches is, I think, a shame. Maybe I'm getting too old for this.

To change gears, I need to address a news story floating around this week. Gregory Iron is an independent wrestler with cerebral palsy, a devastating desease. However, he has overcome it, and, from what I hear, is a pretty damn good wrestler.

Here's my problem. He bills himself as the "Handicapped Hero." Now, I don't know this man, and I will not speak too ill of him, but I find that to be a bit offensive. As a handicapped person, I've spent all my life trying to get people to treat me just like anyone else. It is called advocacy. Too often the disabled are denied jobs they are perfectly capable of doing, because the wheelchair, the white cane, or the crutches make that employer instantly think that that person cannot perform at the same level as a non-disabled person.

Iron is now petitioning the WWE to allow him into the Royal Rumble. Why? Has he had a tryout? Has he gone through developmental? I know the Rumble consists of all kinds of characters. But, still. You have to pay your dues. Now, again, I don't want this to sound the wrong way. If he's a good wrestler, he should be hired only, ONLY because he IS A GOOD WRESTLER. He should be treated exactly like every other newcomer is treated. If he's that good, God bless him and give him his shot.

My problem is, I don't want a situation where someone like this is given a shot BECAUSE he's disabled. The name "Handicapped Hero" puts it right out there! Well, why put it out there at all? I'm not the "Legally Blind Computer Tech." Why? Because I wish to be recognized for my skills, and not pittied because I have a disability. Damnit, I may have to get close to the screen, but when I'm done, you're computer is humming smoothly. Hopefully, you forget how close I was to your screen, and realize how well your computer is now running. That's why I've had the same job at the same place for 11 years now.

And, what will the WWE do? Well, they'll do exactly what they did to Zach Gowen. Now, mind you, Zach's handicap is impossible to miss. As a one-legged wrestler, I was damn proud of that kid. But, Pro Wrestling did everything to keep exploiting that fact. They had Lesnar throw him down a flight of stairs to help get him over as a heel.

So they'll hire Iron, and have the heels cut a promo on him about his disability. They'll do every damn thing in their power to make you AWARE of it, rather than just simply bill this guy as a good wrestler. They do the same thing to JR, making fun of his face and his medical problems.

They did it with Eugene, who, although not really handicapped, was used as fodder for heels to pick on. If Iron can make it through a tryout, and get into the WWE on the merits of his wrestling skills, then God bless him. I am an instant fan. But if it's done through pity, or through the realization that he can be exploited, that sets back disability advocacy a LONG way. Let us see what happens.

I'm not taking digs at this man. I have a lot of respect for anyone with a disability who wants to work and better themselves. As long as it's for the right reasons.

Don_Bronx

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Internet Wrestling Critics

2011-11-08T17:44:00.000-08:00

For the last two weeks, my fellow columnist Huhn Jo has written his column about the IWC. (If you haven't read "Spoon-Fed Wrestling", check it out here. I'm not trying to copy Huhn Jo's topic. On the contrary. His writing was so captivating, that I wanted to give my take on his topic.

Huhn Jo gave his opinions on the IWC, and I'd like to summarize mine. So, is the IWC a good thing or a bad thing? It certainly has changed many people's views on wrestling. If you want intimate knowledge on the inner-workings of the business, you can find it now. Between news sites like this one, dirt sheet sites and social networking, it's not too hard to learn about how wrestling really works. And to bitch about it.

The IWC has turned many into "armchair bookers," or, people who think they can do a better job of writing, booking and blocking wrestling. I bet some of them can, too. But, with that being said, watching wrestling while having insider knowledge is almost like watching Wheel of Fortune. Many times I've gotten the answer to the puzzle long before the players on TV. My first though is, "You idiot! It's R**e P*d*i*g! Rice Pudding you fool!" Well, it's easy to say that when you're sitting comfortably at home, and not under bright lights with a live studio audience and your friends and family watching. The same thing could be said for Pro Wrestling. You can say "I'd do this or that" all you want, but basically no one in the IWC has true experience in the business. They don't have to deal with the backstage crap, the politics, the writers, the talent, etc. I think I could book wrestling if I tried, but at the end of the day, I really don't know. All the above mentioned items aren't covered in dirt sheets and news sites.

Another thing the internet has done is give the wrestling fan a forum to complain or praise. You can cuss out a superstar you don't like on their Twitter, or tell them it's your birthday and get a re-Tweet. I've talked to Mick Foley, Shawn Michaels and Dixie Carter, and getting a response is a mark out moment. I've also seen wrestlers abused, cursed at and even threatened by marks. There are two sides to every coin.

As a child, I never complained about wrestling. Shows and PPVs that I'd tear to shreds now I gladly accepted, because I didn't understand that there WAS an option to do things differently. Even after I learned wrestling was "fake" I still rarely complained. For one thing, I didn't know where to complain to! For another, I didn't think wrestling is as, well, customizable as it really is!

We know who to curse now when things don't go our way. For the longest, you cursed out Russo when TNA did something stupid. You cursed out Vince when the WWE did something stupid. At least, something YOU considered stupid and a 5 year old loved.

I have to agree with Eric Bischoff when he said there are these "ten percenters." Eric basically said that the 10% of people who do nothing but complain in the IWC are the loudest. I agree. Huhn Jo brought this up to. I don't get people who do nothing but bash TNA for 25 weeks straight. If, after 25 shows, you find nothing compelling about the company, just stop watching it! Simple and easy! Why put yourself through Hell every week?

I am also aghast at some of the people who say they WANT TNA to die. What a horrible sentiment! Because YOU don't like something it should vanish? I hate liver. Does that mean I should petition every supermarket in the country to stop selling liver? Of course not! I just don't eat it! Another thing these one brain celled organisms don't think about is the wrestlers. If TNA folded, do you think the WWE would hire everyone? Look at what happened when WCW went under. You're talking about a lot of wrestlers, many of them who only know wrestling, being out of jobs. That should drive home what a heartless sentiment that is. I just want TNA to get better and MAKE me want to watch it every week. The funny thing is, the people who pray for TNA to go under will be the FIRST ONES TO CRY! "There's no competition anymore! Vince is Darth Vader again! WAAAH!" Well, you got your wish kiddo.

Part of the IWC's emergence had to be wrestling breaking kayfab and basically TELLING us it's a work. It's entertainment! Well, once you admit that, it is no longer critiqued like a sport. It is critiqued the same way you criticize a bad episode of the Young and the Restless. Because you know it CAN be different, because it CAN be customized, you want it your way. Well, this ain't Burger King.

And remember, my fine reader, that if you're above the age of 18, pro wrestling really doesn't care what you think. As long as your kid begs you to buy t-shirts, wrestling is happy. TNA is a bit more adult driven, which is why I still watch. And, mostly, still enjoy at the very least SOME part of the show.

The IWC has spawned many positive things. Radio shows, news sites and fine columns like this one. So, it's not ALL bad. It's 90% cool. I'm not saying don't complain. Just don't be one of those 10% that ONLY complains. Smile. You'll live longer.

Don_Bronx

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Shooting From The Hip

2011-11-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

"Something To Prop You Up"

Over the last week, I've been thinking about something (besides beer and chicks.) Titles. Particularly, titles in Pro Wrestling. What they mean, what they meant, and what they can do for a wrestler.

Now, a lot of people call the titles props. Well, the ring in Lord of the Rings was a prop. But, what would that story have been without it? Midgets and Wizards walking around? The ring was the central theme, or even character of that whole saga. You see a guy with a crutch. That's a prop. But, you kick that crutch out from under him and he falls down and you get arrested. That prop meant something.

So did titles. A world heavyweight title change used to be a HUGE deal. It was infrequent, newsworthy, shocking. Now, world titles are passed around like a joint at a Hardy family reunion!

Here's the million dollar question. Does the title make the man or does the man make the title? Well, a little of both. Bruno Sammartino held a world title for 8 years. 8 YEARS! When he finally lost it, the crowd was "stunned into silence."

Right! Because that title meant something. Does anyone remember the emotion when Randy Savage won the world title at Wrestlemania IV? It brought tears to my eyes. When you make a title important in the eyes of the fans, then when it changes hands it is a big deal. Even mid-card titles can help elevate a wrestler. In fact, that's what they're meant to do. Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat put on the best match I have ever seen in my life at Wrestlemania III, and it was for the Intercontinental Title. In my opinion, it stole the show. Even though Andre/Hogan was awesome, while watching the main event I was still thinking about that match.

Here are a few things I think have devalued titles in wrestling. First and foremost, frequent title changes. The TNA title has changed 3 times in about a month. So, what value does that title have? Anyone can win it at anytime! The WWE is guilty of the same crap. Cena wins the title, Del Rio wins the title soon after, Cena wins the title back, and a month later, Del Rio wins it again! Christian holds the World Title for two days. TWO days! That's another problem. Interim champions. I hate the concept. We have wrestler A, and we want to put the title on Wrestler B. But, we don't want wrestler B to actually DEFEAT wrestler A. So, introduce wrestler C! He beats wrestler A on a fluke, and 20 minutes later, wrestler B defeats wrestler C to become the champion. Why? Why the HELL not just let wrestler B beat wrestler A. Wrestler A was your established champ. But, your new champ didn't beat him for that title. He beat jobber C, who held the title for a cup of coffee. I also get angry when a guy says he's a 1,205 time champion. Um, yeah, and 1,200 of those times you held the title for 6 hours! Ric Flair won his 16 titles over the course of what? 30 years? In my opinion, if John Cena goes over that amount it will not matter to me, and comparing him to Ric Flair is like comparing a gold brick to a used crack pipe you might find in a city gutter.

Another problem I have with the WWE is having two major championships. There is only ONE Superbowl champion. There is only ONE World Cup champion. Only ONE World Series champ. There should only be ONE world champion in your company. When the brand split happened, only one belt should have remained, with the champion competing on both shows.

Another abortion is superstar-specific belts. I've never agreed with that. Steve Austin should not have been given his own World Title. John Cena and Jeff Hardy shouldn't have either. You're taking the importance away from you championship and putting it on the superstar. No matter who holds that disgusting, ugly, horrid, sickening tin can pile of crap spinner belt, everyone thinks "John Cena." (vomits)

The midcard belts? Basically non-existent. Who cares about the US title? The last few champions haven't. They hardly defend it! It's just a shiny piece of metal around a guy's waist, like a fashion accessory. At least Cody Rhodes made an impact by debuting the "old" IC title and giving a speech about it. It helped you believe the title actually meant something to him.

And, that's another thing. Remember when a guy won a belt for the first time he would drop to his knees, crying, cradling the belt like it was a newborn baby? YES! It made you believe a lifelong dream had actually come true for him!

Bottom line is, I am not happy with the way the titles are utilized in wrestling, and I hope it changes. Mark Henry is a glimmer of hope. Let's see how long he holds that title.

I'll end with this. Remember when Triple H was the MONSTER heel world champion? How many times did he say that the title was the ONLY thing that mattered to him? Run someone over to keep it? Sure. Kick an old lady down a flight of stairs to retain it? Check. And, Triple H summed it up better than anyone else in history, and I'll paraphrase him. If you're not in this company to try and win this title, then what the HELL are you doing in the business! Trips was spot on.

Don't bother kissing the ring. It's just a prop.

Don_Bronx

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Shooting From The Hip (late again)

2011-10-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

Again, my apologies for publishing on Thursday again. Because of medical reasons, I had to delay it. I will be back on Tuesdays next week.

WARNING! The following column has a few weeks worth of TNA spoilers in it!

Money or ratings? Ratings or money? That is the question. Now, I do understand that high ratings produce money from advertisers. If I were an advertiser, I'd want to have my product on a highly rated show also. But, let's crunch some numbers. In 2010, WWE reported 5.9 million dollars in advertising revenue. Now, the WWE doesn't make it clear if that revenue came from their company advertising on TV, or from advertisers paying them. I'm assuming the latter. They then reported 70.2 million dollars in profit for Pay Per Views.

Now, if my assumption is correct, that is a HELL of a lot more money from Pay Per View sales. Now, I'm no genius, but that means I'd want to make my PPVs as important as possible, and use my television time to help build up to those lucrative PPVs and make fans interested in buying them. By the way, WWE also reported 104.6 million in 2010 for "Live Event' revenue. Now, I don't know if that includes ticket prices, merch or whatever combination of them. That number quite frankly surprised me.

Where is all of this leading to? TNA of course. Again, spoilers are-a-comin'. At Bound For Glory Robert Roode was the internet darling, the man who everyone expected to walk away with the TNA title. He didn't. Kurt Angle retained. Why? Three possible reasons.

1. To protect Kurt Angle, which is nonsense. Like Cena, Angle is over enough to not need it.
2. Because of Hulk Hogan's shoot/work comments about Robert Roode not being ready.
3. Hogan bitched that he wanted his face turn to be the most important thing on the PPV.

Okay, now children, pick which one makes the most sense. (Waits for hours.) RIGHT! None of them make any sense! Especially 2 and 3. Let me put this out there now. No matter how over you are, how popular or how many t-shirts you sell, no wrestler, and I mean NO active wrestler should EVER have any creative control over their character or ANY influence on ANY Pay Per View they appear in. Now, I'm not saying a talent can't make suggestions for their own characters. Key word, "suggestions." The final say should be with the bookers.

If Hulk Hogan is allowed ANY influence on any event, it should only be an event in which he does NOT appear. At all. You can either be an on-air talent, or you can be a backstage talent. If you're on-air, you should never be allowed to call shots.

That being said, one "week" after that, James Storm wins the TNA title. Okay. A home-grown TNA star. Pretty cool right? Um, no. Because you gave us a title change on a free event! Now, why should I plop down 45 bucks to order a Pay Per View, when the most captivating things happen on free TV! "Wanna order the PPV honey?" "Nah! They do more stuff on the free show. Let's just wait until Thursday!"

Bang! Revenue out the window! You're discouraging people from buying your PPV! Now, TNA isn't the only company that has done this? Remember when the WCW Nitro ratings started to slip? Well, the brilliant plan there was to have Hulk Hogan drop the strap to Bill Goldberg on a free Monday night show! A HUGE PPV match that everyone wanted to see, and Bischoff gave it away! Again, why order the next PPV?

Now, back to TNA. A "week" after this happens Robert Roode becomes the number 1 contender. The next "week" he wins the title from Storm! Okay, whipe the blood from your noses. Well, if the belt was already planned to go on Roode, then why not just have given it to him at BFG? Not only that, two, count 'em, TWO title changes on free TV! So, what's my incentive to buy the next PPV?

This booking made absolutely no sense. Oh! And did I mention they turn Roode heel? Yep! The guy everyone loved is now a bad guy! This also hurt James Storm, who will forever be known by those two dirty words. Transitional Champion.

TNA is working the fans TOO much. I'm not saying always give the fans what they want, but, also, don't go out of your way to over-work them. They turned Jeff Hardy, one of the biggest babyface draws in the WWE, heel. They turned Matt Morgan, a guy the size of the Empire State Building, who should have been going out and leaving faces crippled, into a good guy! What the hell for?

Bottom line is, if you keep messing with the fans' minds too much, they stop watching. Or, they just stop paying to watch. After all, with TNA the best things in life really ARE free.

My head hurts.

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Shooting From The Hip (late edition)

2011-10-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

(Author's note: Spoilers in this column)

Finally, the Don HAS COME BACK TO HEADLOCKS2HEADLINES.COM! (waits for the deafening sound of crickets to end)

Thank you. Oh, yes. I'm all hyped on post-op meds and ready to go! So, Bound For Glory.

BFG's highlight was meant to be the Hogan face turn. Make no mistake about it. Roode winning the title would have taken attention away from Hogan, hence Roode did not defeat Kurt Angle.

But, on tonight's episode of Impact, James Storm defeats Kurt Angle for the World Title. Explain something to me. Why should I pay 40+ dollars on a TNA Pay Per View when all the good stuff happens on free TV? Now, mind you, I have no problem with title changes occurring on free TV. But, a few days after a Pay Per View? It doesn't make sense!

Both WWE and TNA are guilty of this. Using a Pay Per View to make you want to tune in to the free show. No! The free show should build up to the PPV and make you want to spend your hard earned money! A title change on the Impact following your biggest PPV of the year is just dumb. What incentive does that give your fans to plop down money, much needed money for a PPV? None! "I'll just wait until Impact."

TNA is using the internet and the mainstream media a lot. Hogan saying that Bobby Roode isn't ready for the title via such a public forum is insane! And, if the title outcome from BFG is because of Hogan's comments, than that is insane as well. Hulk Hogan should have NO influence in TNA booking. None. No on-air talent should be able to influence the outcome of major Pay Per Views or matches. In the dying days of WCW, this was one of the factors that helped speed its demise. I'm not saying it was the ONLY factor, mind you, but it sure didn't help.

As far as I'm concerned, Hogan has proven himself to be a man who thinks whatever company he works in should revolve around him. He uses his influence as the money maker of the 80s to persuade promoters and owners to listen to him. Well, guess what? The 80s are 30 YEARS AGO! Hogan is holding on to the fame and fortune he achieved in his day, and trying to use it to influence TNA. And, it's working!

Now, I have no problems with James Strorm winning the TNA world title. Congrats to him. He's a hard worker, and a guy who has put up with a lot of backstage crap over the course of many years. But, again, a title change on a free show rather than a Pay Per View is dumb. It makes the people, all 5 of them, who payed for BFG feel like idiots! My last word on TNA. Dixie needs to step up and take the power away from guys like Hogan and Bischoff. No one cares about them anymore. I do give Hogan credit for toughing it out at BFG. But, the show shouldn't have been about his face turn. It should have been about Roode winning the title. Hogan needs to close his Twitter account and just go away.

Now, on to the WWE. Nonsensical? Me thinks so! You fire JR last week, and then John Laurinaitis comes out and says because he's gotten hateful Tweets, he's reinstating JR, not as an announcer, but to compete in a match! First off. John Laurinaitis has about as much on-air charisma as the needle they shoved in my eye Monday. He's boring, sickening, unbelievable and a terrible actor. Bottom line, he sucks like a vacuum cleaner plugged into a nuclear power plant. So, again, JR is put into a match. JR doesn't belong in a wrestling ring. His health is not the best, and even with talented wrestlers in there, the chance of him getting hurt is high. But, alas, we were spoon fed this like a child screaming not to take his medicine.

We were also "entertained" by the bowel movement of the WWE, Michael Cole, stepping into the ring again! If there's nothing more sickening, horrible and disgusting than hearing Cole on commentary, it's seeing him in the ring. Cole is a cancer in WWE. No matter how good it gets, that tumor still interferes with everything. What was the point of having Jesus, whoops, I mean Cena and Del Rio fight it out with announcers as their partners? And, worst of all, Cena VS Del Rio in a Last Man Standing Match at the next PPV? Who honestly thinks the WWE will let Cena stay down for 10? Raise of hands. (tunes in bionic eye) NO ONE! So, what do we do? Put the title on Cena yet again? Cause the Don to vomit in his Cheerios? Make fans over the age of 3 sick? Sure! Because it's the WWE/Cena/Vince program! Let's put the title back on Cena! Let's allow a guy who sounds like a bullfrog with tonsillitis be the GM! Let's steal your money!

Before we dump on TNA, (which I've done), don't forget to squat and grunt on the WWE product as well. Ratings are down across the board, and buy rates are down. Damn shame. And, to John Cena, I really CAN'T see you right now bitch, so ha ha! Where are my eye meds?

Don_Bronx

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Shooting From The Hip

2011-10-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

So, here we are again. Less than 24 hours removed from Monday Night Raw. Less than 24 hours from seeing good ol' JR humiliated in his home town yet again.

I just don't get it! I've been ticked off since last night, and I'm going to use this forum to vent. Why does Vince McMahon seem to love humiliating JR every chance he gets? Jim Ross is, without a doubt, one of the most beloved characters in wrestling. What's not to love about the friendly, portly old redneck who has battled through sickness, has been crapped on by WCW and who endures, silently, constant abuse? Here's the deal. In my opinion, Jim Ross is the best wrestling announcer ever. Period. Now, I know some people will disagree with that. That's fine. I think he's awesome.

Besides seeing Ross get fired, we had to endure Michael Cole laughing about it. Now, I've never made my opinion on Cole clear in this column, and it's time to do so. What words can I use to describe Michael Cole? "Used feminine hygiene product" comes to mind. Also abnoxious, boring, untalented, vile, useless, effeminate, annoying, sickening and disgusting. I would have loved to see some drunken fan hop the guardrail last night and just break Cole's freaking jaw. I wonder how much crap he'd talk while drinking his Happy Meals through a straw for a few weeks?

A lot of people will just say Cole is doing his job. No he's not. Bobby Heenan did his job. So did Jesse Ventura. A heel commentator is not supposed to detract from the in-ring talent. They are supposed to put talent over. Cole does nothing but put himself over. The whole Wrestlemania fiasco, seeing this little creep climb into a ring and embarrass the business, was a damn shame. Listening to him down wrestlers, the entire female division and the fans in general is a disgrace. But, no. Let's get rid of JR and keep this loser. JR should go to TNA. I think he could cetainly benefit that company. He has a great wrestling mind, and, if given the book, I think he'd be an awesome addition to that company.

As far as HHH being "fired" as COO, once again, too soon. It's been only a little over a month or two since he took the job, and already we've switched gears yet again. There's just not enough time to let things sink in. Watching Raw is like watching a roller coaster or a 3 hour movie condensed to 10 seconds.

This is basically the opposite of what TNA is doing. I have to give TNA props. They've made Bound For Glory a huge deal for months, and they are doing a good job of making me interested in the Pay Per View. It's been an old-school slow burn, and I like it. It gives you a chance to build feuds so that when these guys actually get in the ring at BFG, you care. There is a rumor going around that Ted Turner has invested in TNA. Uh oh! Imagine another one of those calls at 2AM to Standford. "Hey Vince! I'm in the wrasslin' business. Again!" If this rumor is true, it could be huge. Ted Turner actually does care about pro wrestling. He admitted that when he first started out, wrestling kept his channel alive. This could breath new life and new money into TNA.

Switching back to the WWE, John Cena is no longer the top merchandise seller, and I think I know why. Cena's character has been huge for about 6 years now. In those 6 years, kids are growing up. When I was a kid, I was a Hulkamaniac. Of course! What kid wasn't? But, as I grew up, Hogan just got lamer and lamer. As a teenager and a young man, I could relate more to the NWO and DX. They were cool. CM Punk is cool. He's the loudmouth badass that older kids can relate to. In a couple years when these kids get their first cars, I'll bet they'll be using a Cena shirt to wax them.

Cena needs to evolve his character. The same old thing can't work forever. I could see Cena as a heel, but in the PG era, I don't think it would work as well. If we were still in the Attitude Era where heels could be off the charts, it might have worked. I'm sure the Cena/Rock Wrestlemania match will be huge. Cena has shown he is capable of evolving. He sure as hell has evolved as a wrestler. I think he's 10 times better now than he used to be in the ring, and, like him or not, I have to give him props for improving. Having a few matches with HBK surely didn't hurt either!

It's hard to imagine where the WWE is going having Johny Ace as the interim GM. Key word interim. With rumors of Foley coming back to the WWE, I could see him in that role again. Mick was, in my opinion, hilarious as the goofy GM, and in the PG era it would work perfectly. You could keep him there until a little before Wrestlemania, and then perhaps have him take on Undertaker for the streak. Foley has a lot of wins over Taker as Mankind, and both guys respect each other. If Mick is in shape, I can go to see the two of them lock horns one more time.

Well, that's it for this week. It's lunch time. I'm meeting Michael Cole, and we're going to drink our Big Macs together. Peace

Don_Bronx

Author's note: There will be no Shooting From The Hip published on October 18th because I will be having surgery the day before. I am hoping I will be able to resume writing in time for the October 25th edition. Perhaps I will do a special Sunday night after Bound For Glory.

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Shooting From The Hip

2011-10-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

Selective Memory

Before starting today's topic, I'd like to give a brief opinion on Hell In A Cell from last Sunday.

I personally, graded the PPV as a B+. Although HIAC matches are nowhere near as brutal as they used to be, I still thought the PPV was okay, with the exception of Kelly Kelly VS Beth Phoenix.

Kelly Kelly can't wrestle. Period. She is nowhere on the level of Beth or Natalya. I'm not saying to fire the girl. Heck, Trish Stratus is a prime example of a sub-par worker who blossomed into one of the best ever. I say send Kelly Kelly back to developmental, and train her a bit more. I think anyone can improve, and she deserves a chance.

I honestly don't know why the fans at the PPV were so displeased with the Sin Cara match. I actually thought it was a decent match. I'm getting the impression that the storyline is what has the crowd flat for this fued. It happened to quickly, and should have been built up longer. Where do you go from here? I have an idea. Ultimately, there will be a mask VS mask match between the two, with the loser being forced to unmask and drop the Sin Cara gimmick. Only way that will work is for blue Cara to go over, and then, perhaps, continuing the feud with Huniko.

Mark Henry retains the belt. Yes! I love how they're pushing Henry right now. I can forsee him holding that belt until Wrestlemania.

I still think CM Punk should have won the title, but I'm willing to give Alberto another shot. Anyone but Cena!

As far as the title of this column goes, I'd like to address how wrestling treats us all like Alzheimer's patients. Why does wrestling think they can always run a story which contradicts another story a few months or years back? Right now, HHH is being called a hypocrite by some for "firing" Miz and Truth because they hit a referee. How many times has a referee been abused in the past? Even faces have been known to get angry and waffle a ref. I know in some storylines the offender was "fined", but I can't remember anyone being "fired" for hitting a ref.

I agree HHH's CHARACTER is being a hypocrite. HHH was jumping guys in the back and taking out refs while the Miz was still at home dreaming of pro wrestling. But, again, we're supposed to forget that.

While I liked the ending of last night's Raw, it still, in my opinion, has its problems. A vote of confidence? When Vince was screwing over every face in the company during the Attitude Era, no one ever rebelled against him. The one time it happened was after he "fired" Stone Cold on a PPV where Austin was refereeing the Kane/Taker match. The next night on Raw, we started off with all the wrestlers angry in the ring, staging a protest. One promo by Vince, and they slank back to the locker room with their tails between their legs. Again, we're supposed to forget the Attitude Era. It never happened.

We're also supposed to forget the Nexus. It was okay for the Nexus to come out and beat down everyone, every week. Not one member got fired or suspended. Miz and Truth do the same thing and get fired?

I understand why the WWE does this in some cases. It's like watching your favorite TV show, and something happens in season 4 that totally contradicts what happened in season 3. Star Trek was great with that kind of stuff. Sometimes revealing history can actually help. When Punk first left commentary after healing up and started attacking Randy Orton, he played a video package explaining exactly why he was doing it, just in case the fans forgot, which, I am sure, some of them did. I thought that was brilliant and I'd like to see more of it.

And, finally, I'd like to switch gears one more time, and talk briefly about John Morrison. I hate to see that he's obviously being buried. It's a shame because I always thought Morrison could be a great star. It seems like he's made his own bed however. All the stuff that went down with Melina, and now he's put a shoot out on the internet talking crap about Raw, HHH and creative. I hope that this is a work, and he's not dumb enough to have really done this. Perhaps this is the start of a push, or the end of a WWE career. We'll have to wait and see.

So, until next week, thanks for reading, as always. (there was something I had to do) Oh! Publish the column! But, of course, I forgot. Thanks, WWE creative!

Don_Bronx

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Shooting From The Hip

2011-09-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

Future

We all look to the future. Where are we going? When will we get there? Will prison time be involved? Every person thinks about it, and I've been thinking about the future of some of our WWE superstars. How will they be pushed? Will they be pushed, and what will their roles be in the company?

I am limiting this to WWE superstars. I'm obviously not going to cover every wrestler in the company, (I've got a family, damnit), but I am going to look at some of the guys who I think are relevant. Let's start from the top.

1. John Cena

Cena's role is obvious. He's on the top of the world right now, and it looks like he may beat Ric Flair's world title record. (vomits) Anyhow, I predict Cena will continue to be booked on top of the world until he either gets hurt, stops selling merchandise, or, for whatever reason, quits. But, as Cena gets older, how will he be used. He should be used the way Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair were used. To push new talent. Cena has been given a wonderful gift. Anyone who beats him clean can be instantly propelled. I can see Cena in that role someday, as the veteran who helps out younger talent.

2. Mark Henry

Seems only appropriate to move on to the next champ. I don't honestly think Henry has too much time left. He's been in the game 15 years, and is finally getting a push. Henry should keep that title until Wrestlemania 28, being an unstoppable beast, until he's finally vanquished on the grandest stage of them all. Again, he can be used to put someone over big time before he rides off. Daniel Bryan perhaps? And, speaking of Daniel Bryan...

3. Daniel Bryan

See how I did that? That's right there is a segway! Here comes the heat. I do not see Daniel Bryan as lasting too long in the WWE. I just don't. He is, without a doubt, a fantastic wrestler, but I compare him to Shelton Benjamin. Again, a great wrestler, but there was just something missing. I enjoy seeing both men in the ring, but WWE requires mic skills or a manager. I, unfortunately, see Bryan either losing that briefcase before Mania, or being the first person to cash it in and lose. Maybe I am wrong, and a gimmick change will help, but I doubt it.

4. The Miz

Well, Miz has already proven he can hold a WWE title and get people's attention. He's a company guy, and his mic skills are great. I can foresee a huge babyface turn for the Miz in the future, and I think his future is very bright. He has improved as a wrestler over the last two years, and we all know Vince loves work ethic and company guys. If you think Miz's first WWE title was his last, you're sadly mistaken.

5. R-Truth

If I were writing this a year ago, I'd have put Truth on the future endeavored list. But, I am pleasantly surprised at how damn good a heel he is! His crazy gimmick works very well, and he has surprisingly good mic skills when acting as a heel. His in-ring work is good as well. I see Truth as a long-term mid-carder. I could see a possible IC title or US title run in his future, and hanging out with the Miz is helping to put him over.

6. Randy Orton

Basically, see John Cena. Orton is a company guy, and he ain't going nowhere. Short and sweet, he'll have several title runs, and, in his later years, be used to put younger talent over. He's already a main-eventer, and he'll stay that way for the forseeable future. His mic skills need work, but his in-ring talent is unquestionable.

7. The Undertaker

Taker will go 20-0 and then retire. I do not see the streak ending.

8. Kane

One of my favorites. Talented yet a bit underutilized. Kane will help put guys over until he retires. And, I don't think that is too far off. Kane seems unselfish and very smart. I can see him putting guys over for a bit, and then taking a backstage role in the company. He's certainly qualified.

9. Dolph Ziggler

Decent mic skills and definite in-ring talent, I think Dolph is going places. The one thing he has against him is his name. I don't know what one celled organism in creative came up with that name, but they should be fired. Or, better yet shot. If Ziggs can overcome the name barrier and be allowed to shine on the mic, I think he can get over as a top heel with a possible title run in the future.

10. Sin Cara

I'm only referring to the original. Future Endeavored, for sure. Look, he's exciting in the ring, but he cannot speak English and therefore cannot cut promos. He was rushed into the WWE without going through developmental or taught the language, and his botches are obvious to anyone. Perhaps being one of HHH's picks will help, but I still think it will be "come to terms" time, and sooner than later.

11. Zack Ryder

I honestly don't know why he has not been pushed sooner. Ryder is gold on Youtube, and that can translate to television. Decent in-ring skills and a great promo, I don't know what the company's problem with him is. I would hope he is used as an upper-mid-carder. Probably never a World champ, but I could definitely see him carrying a mid-card belt.

12. Cody Rhodes

Cody's crazy disfigured gimmick seems to work well for him, but I don't see him going above mid-card. He doesn't have his dad's mic skills, but he can draw heat. I actually see him holding that IC belt for awhile. Cody could be used like the Honkey Tonk Man, and keep that belt so when he finally loses it, the title gets some prestige.

13. Ted Dibiase Jr.

More than anything, what hurt Ted was being handed his father's gimmick. Meet the kid, same as his Pop. Becoming fodder for Cody Rhodes didn't help him either. Decent in the ring, but he doesn't have his old man's skill on the mic. His name may keep employed, but, sadly, unless creative comes up with something, I don't see him going much further than he is now.

14. CM Punk

Punk is gold in every single way. Best stick jockey in the business right now, and very good in the ring, Punk has titles in his future. He has other things going for him as well. Don't be surprised to see a 50 year old Punk doing color commentary in the future. Punk is my favorite right now, and I see him winning that title many, many times. Kudos to my boy HHH for making him look like a billion bucks at the last Pay Per View too. If Trips sees it in him, then it's there.

15. Sheamus

With a unique look and ever improving mic skills, Sheamus is one of my favorites. Fella. I saw the babyface turn a mile away! A guy who makes you sell for him and who doesn't take crap. A legitimate badass in every way, I see the big Irishman as a multiple time title holder with a bright future. HHH likes him, and so do I. He may be the guy to finally topple Mark Henry.

16. Vince McMahon

I know. I know. Crazy right? What will happen to Vince McMahon? His television exposure has been lessened over the years. Hell, the guy is in his 60s! I see Vince being in charge until the day he dies. All I have heard about this man tells me that there is a fire within him that will never be extinguished, except by death. Unless old age makes him so infirm that his family forces a takeover, as long as Vince CAN call the shots, he WILL call the shots. Some of his decisions are great. Some are bad. But, you can never, ever take away from what he has done, to both help wrestling and to hurt it. Without a doubt, he will go down in history as the greatest wrestling promoter ever. And, yeah, he deserves that.

Well, that's it. I figure I'll end this at 16. Keep in mind that the above is just my opinion. Most likely I will be wrong on most fronts, because I've never worked for the WWE, nor have I ever booked. If I left someone out, or you think some of my predictions or opinions are insane, that's fine. The ring stays shiny none the less.

Don_Bronx

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Shooting From The Hip

2011-09-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

Why So Serious?

Well, another WWE Pay Per View has come and gone, and we're left with two new champs on Raw and Smackdown. On the Smackdown side, we have Mark Henry as the new Heavyweight champion, and on Raw we've got, hmmm. Who could it be?

Oh, yeah! John Cena. Again. While we wait for these cuts on my wrists to heal, I want to talk a bit about this Pay Per View and the aftermath.

As far as Mark Henry is concerned, good for him! It's great to see hard work pay off, and Henry has been working his behind off the last few months. I know some people didn't like the match he had with Orton, but Henry is a big man. He has a certain style, and I think Orton did a fine job making them both look good. I'm also very happy that Henry went over clean. I also like the fact that now Henry has a lot of potential challengers. Orton, Sheamus, Kane and Big Show, just to name a few. I can see a lengthy title run for the big man. Just let him keep being an unstoppable squash machine.

On the other front, we have Cena winning the title again. I have an idea for the WWE. Why don't you just get rid of the WWE title, and tattoo it on Cena's waist? It would save you some money on name plates, and make for captivating television if he loses the title. Can you imagine Punk carving that tattoo off Cena with no anesthetic? Brilliant! As much as I hate seeing this happen again, I have to confess that, to me, Del Rio was not a believable champion. (waits for heat) Hey, just my opinion, and this is MY column. I like Del Rio's gimmick, but it seems like it's really a few gimmicks mixed together. JBL+Eddie=Del Rio. Yes, there will be a test later.

So, I don't really have a problem with him dropping the title. But, couldn't it have been to someone else? How about Sheamus? With this new "Super Show" concept, why couldn't Sheamus compete for the WWE title? I don't even get angry anymore. Acceptance is peace, and Cena will have that title, most of the time, until he retires. I'm not going to worry about it anymore. I will laugh though, to the point where I'm cast in the next Batman movie as the Joker, if Cena ever gets injured and needs to be out for a few months. Now, don't take that the wrong way. I won't laugh because a man got injured. I don't want to see any wrestler get hurt and not be able to earn a living. What I mean is, I will laugh watching WWE creative try to get themselves out of a corner they've painted themselves in by just pushing one guy for the last 6 years.

I don't honestly know what to think about the Divas situation. You've pushed Beth and Nattie as these monsters, yet every time they go near Kelly Kelly, it's like a Godzilla death scene. Everyone sing along with me! "I'm a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world..." Yes, I like that song.

In the main event, we saw HHH go over. I am so sick and tired of HHH never putting over young talent! I mean, HHH has won on every Pay Per View he's been a part of! All he does is squash young talent because he's married to the bosses daughter! It's not right!

Okay. Not really. HHH made Punk look like a million bucks. Punk kicked out of two pedigrees, something I've never seen before. Yes, the main even was a cluster****, but I think it came off well and helped Punk look strong. So, all the Internet hate on the Tripster needs to end. He's done more than his fair share of putting guys over, and I'm tired of hearing the same crap from the IWC.

It should be interesting to see where this storyline goes, especially since, in the next two months, we have about 23 Pay Per Views. Holds up sign after paying for them. (will write wrestling column for food)

Now, a little TNA. It appears as if Hogan and Bischoff, who, yes, are surgically attached to one another, may be gone from TNA once their contracts are up in October. Everyone is saying this will be the death of TNA. I don't think so. What do Hogan and Bischoff really do for TNA? Other than filming them backstage talking crap, what else have they accomplished there?

I'm not privy to the backstage workings of TNA. I don't even think God is privy to that info, but I don't believe for one second, no matter what they say, that Eric and Hogan weren't at least partially in charge of booking and writing. Now, I will give TNA a pass for one thing, and that is that they didn't know Hogan would need such extensive surgery when they signed him. He wasn't there for a long time, and whatever story they had for him kind of got derailed.

What I will not give TNA a pass for is once again announcing a possible match, before making sure that said match could happen. Hogan/Sting is apparently a bust right now. Hogan can't wrestle. He's been told by doctors he can't wrestle. So, why would you even announce that match? Did they expect to have a 20 minute stare down on a Pay Per View?

It's a shame, because I'm watching TNA less and less. Actually, I'm watching wrestling less and less. I look more forward to listening to wrestling radio on show nights than watching the wrestling itself. I guess I'm just getting old. You can only mark out for so long. WWE doesn't care if I live or die. I have no children to buy merchandise for, so I'm dead to them. The Muppets on Raw prove that.

TNA? It seems like they just don't care. Period. So, where does that leave the older wrestling fan without children? I'll tell you where. It leaves them sitting in front of a computer all depressed writing a wrestling column. Nice job Pro Wrestling. Nice job.

Don_Bronx

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Shooting From The Hip

2011-09-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Turn Up The Radio

This week's column will not be about wrestling. Yes, I know this is a wrestling column, but I want to talk about something often overlooked especially by the "casual" fan. Wrestling radio.

Besides being the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, 9/11 was the birthday of a guy who, unfortunately, I never had the chance to meet. Jody Kinard, or JSK as he liked to be called, was the original host and co-founder of Wrestling News Live, my favorite show, along with the Treydawg. Two fans decided, over 15 years ago, to put on a pair of headsets and talk wrestling. Non-kayfab wrestling. Not a worked 900 number you could call to get "news" and be marked out. It was, and still is, an innovation.

Wrestling fans who wanted the inside scoop on the business had no home. You had WWF magazine, which presented worked news, and WCW's 900 number, also a work. You could subscribe to a dirt sheet and get the kind of info you wanted, but you yourself still had no voice, no place to vent.

Wrestling radio changed that. The success of Wrestling News Live and other shows like it finally gave fans a place to hook up with other fans and talk about their passion. From all the hard work Trey and JSK did, other shows were spawned. All these shows, in my opinion, helped form the IWC. If it weren't for wrestling radio, there would be no IWC, at least not in the form it's in now.

Having a place for like-minded fans to gather and chat is a wonderful thing, and something the wrestling companies have ignored.

One thing that everyone needs to realize is that the people who put on these shows for us do it without being paid. They do it because, like us, they are fans. Guys who take hours out of their days, their home life and family life to entertain us. I have never done a radio show, but I've heard about all the prep that is involved. The editing. The maintenance of streams and chat rooms and websites. It's not easy, I'm sure.

One of my regrets is that I didn't find wrestling radio sooner. I started listening to a show in 2009 until it went off the air. I had no clue Wrestling News Live existed. In early 2010, I found the show via a news site that I frequent. I was hooked after the first episode. I laughed and was amazed how far superior a show it was than the one I was listening to. I haven't missed one archive, and I've listened to the old archives with JSK and Trey.

As I said earlier, I regret not getting into this sooner, as I would have loved to have spoken to JSK in person. He was knowledgeable, kind-hearted and hilarious. The JSK-isms HAVE to crack you up. "Christmas isn't just celebrated by everyone in the world, but the whole planet too!" ???? LOL! However, the one thing that stood out to me about JSK more than anything else was bravery. Listening to this very, very sick man crack jokes, interact with the fans, and laugh at possibly being blown away in a tornado was something that amazed me. I don't think I could be that brave. It's funny, because I've got eye surgery next month, and besides thinking of my loved ones to find courage, I also find myself thinking about JSK. If he wasn't afraid, then, by God, I won't be either. Just bring it!

Getting back to wrestling radio. You have to also be impressed with how friendly you can get with other listeners. Since I started listening to the SNS Radio Network, I have, literally, made friends from all over the world. We get in the chat room and go absolutely crazy and, mostly, have a good time.

It angers me to no end when these wrestling companies refuse to let their talent be interviewed on Internet radio. I think I know why. You ever watch a wrestler on a popular talk show or terrestrial radio show? The hosts have no CLUE about the business. To them, it's just another celebrity on their show. These companies know the Internet wrestling radio host will call a talent out, and ask them questions that reveal inside info on the business. So, to the depths of blue Hell with those fans! Let's just cater to the marks and not allow our talent on Internet radio. Stupid. Offensive. Wrong.

What other genre is so impactful on its fans? Fans like Mario Midnightman, who I know won't mind me saying this, who has called in and said that wrestling radio, or, more specifically, Wrestling News Live has kept him going and given him the will to live. Can any terrestrial radio hosts or TV hosts say that about a fan? Even last night was a prime example. For the first time since I can remember, there was no Wrestling News Live because JJ, the show's cohost and producer, was sick. No one in the chat room got angry. NO ONE. All everyone cared about was JJ. And, I'm sure I speak for all the listeners when I say get well soon, brother.

In closing, thank you to JJ, Trey, Andy Knowles, Chris Kelly, Sean, Nem and everyone on the SNS Radio Network for all you do. And, if you're a wrestling radio host from another network who stumbled upon this column, thank you very much as well for doing what you do. At the end of the day, it's the only genre the true fan has. And, happy belated birthday to JSK up there in heaven. Thank you for being a pioneer.

Peace, 420, kiss my ass, goodnight white people. I'm out.

Don_Bronx

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Shooting From The Hip

2011-09-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

First off, I am going to take the advice of The Power Andy Knowles and end the numbering system as of this week. When the Power talks, you listen. You have no choice.

So, once again another wrestler has been pulled over for driving under the influence. I'm not going to get into the Kurt Angle situation too heavily, because I've discussed this before, and you all know how I feel about this matter. It doesn't set a very good example for a guy who wants to represent us in the Olympics. Now, a lot of people are saying that this is a TNA issue, and I've thrown some of my witty jabs at TNA as well. However, the truth is that in life we are all responsible for our own actions. When an NFL player gets in trouble, no one blames the NFL. That being said, we can't ignore the fact that the last few times this has happened, it has happened to a TNA wrestler. TNA needs to set a precedence here and severely punish ANYONE who gives the company a black eye. I gave them Kudos for firing Matt Hardy. This is the second time this has happened to Kurt Angle. A suspension is in order, if not a firing. You have to send a message that this will not be tolerated if you work for TNA. I hope Kurt gets his act together. Guess we'll just wait and see.

Now, moving across the pond, let's talk some WWE. Um, guys, you're rushing again! Last night we saw HHH fire Kevin Nash. Now, I have a few problems with the whole Nash/Punk/HHH storyline. First off, adding a stipulation saying HHH will resign as COO if he loses is a bad idea. HHH has been in this role barely a month. I can't see them killing it this soon. I also can't see HHH going over Punk cleanly. Therefore, my prediction is that HHH goes over via interference from someone. That's the only way I can see this work unless they plan on having HHH leave this new role already. Again, rush rush.

They rushed the whole angle with CM Punk leaving the company. He was back in 2 weeks. They rushed the whole angle of Cena being fired by Barrett as well. This company just needs to slow down. Another issue I have with this angle is you have two of the smartest guys in the company right now, HHH and Punk, not being able to see that John Laurinaitis is doing some shady things. I mean, last night HHH fires Nash, and 30 seconds later we see him getting in a car with Laurinaitis. I mean, really? If I fire a guy, and 30 seconds later I see him getting in a car all buddy buddy with one of my current employees, I'm going to question that. I guess we'll just wait and see, but it seems to make HHH look like a moron for not being able to see this.

I read with great interest the article on Ric Flair written by Shane Ryan. If you have not had a chance to read this, check it out. It talks about Ric Flair's money and personal troubles over the years, and seems to have been pieced together from various sources including Ric's autobiography. I'd like to address something that's been going on in the wrestling business for years.

A long time ago, Jesse Ventura tried to get the wrestlers to unionize. He got ratted out, and was gone. A wrestler's union is the last thing Vince McMahon wants. Hell, he won't even acknowledge these guys as employees. I can see both sides of the coin, but here's my problem. I have a huge issue with actors, athletes and celebrities, who make 5 million a year and spend 5 million a year. Yes, a pension for wrestlers would be nice, but they have this new fangled thing in the banks now. It's called, hold on while I google it, oh! A savings account! See, what you do is, when you get paid, you take some money and put it in this account, and they save it for you! What a concept!

Here's the deal. I get paid every week. I'm not rich. I struggle sometimes, but my bills are paid. There is no reason at all to buy 34 cars and 10 houses just because you can! There is no reason to run up a 10,000 dollar hotel bill just because you can! We see this all the time, like on the sickening show "Cribs". Now, I know all wrestlers don't get paid the way Ric Flair has throughout his life. But, if you work in the WWE, you have to be getting competitive pay. There is no reason why these guys can't take it upon themselves to save for a rainy day. There's no excuse that after 15 years as a main eventer, you're broke. It's complete insanity.

I do not feel sorry for Ric Flair in the least. I read in another column which will remain nameless where it was said people should lay off Ric Flair for all the years of entertainment and sacrifice he has provided. Um, last time I checked we PAID to be entertained! We bought tickets to see Ric Flair, and bought Pay Per Views to see Ric Flair. We bought Flair merchandise. So, the fans give just as much as the wrestlers give. I don't have a (supposedly) 165 IQ, but even I can see that.

Now, Ric wants to sue over this column. A column written using publicly available data. After all, drinks to buy, landlords to stiff.

That's it for this week. I don't know when I'll be writing a column again, because they are turning off my internet today. I Shouldn't have bought that 40th car! Just kidding.

Don_Bronx

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"Shooting from the Hip" #5 by Tony Mirabella

2011-09-01T12:10:00.001-07:00

So, last night we got a “supershow” on Monday Night Raw, which featured superstars from Smackdown. We got to see matches that we’re not used to seeing, and storylines involving inter-mixing of both brands.

I enjoyed Raw last night, simply because I’m not a regular Smackdown viewer, and it was nice to see these guys. I have nothing against Smackdown, I’m just a creature of habit, and don’t usually catch it.

One thing everyone needs to know is my view on the brand split. Hate it. Have hated it since day one. Now, I realize why it was done. It makes sense from the standpoint of spreading out your talent. If you have 4 or 5 top guys, it makes sense to have some of them exclusive to one show or another. It also makes sense from the standpoint of time. Having all your top guys on both shows means you have to block those shows so everyone gets a chance to shine. 2 hours isn’t a lot of time to do that.

However, and this is just my opinion, the WWE doesn’t have nearly the talent it had when the brand split first happened. Back then, you had Austin, the Rock, HHH and Shawn Michaels, just to name a few. Now, sadly, other than Cena, Punk and Orton, what break out stars do you have? Mixing or merging the brands makes sense now.

Also, I’ve never been a fan of having two separate world titles. It makes no sense. There should be one world champion representing the entire company. It devalues the world title by having two separate champions. Can you imagine how much the Superbowl would be devalued if two teams could hold claim to being the Superbowl champs?

And, getting back to what I was saying earlier, TV viewers are creatures of habit. A WWE fan who watches Raw does not necessarily watch Smackdown, and vice versa. That means you are limiting the exposure of certain talents on one brand or the other. It also means that some matches we may want to see simply don’t happen because of brand exclusivity.

I thought it was cool last night seeing Sheamus run in to backup Cena. Seeing Randy Orton on Raw was also a treat. And, who else marked out for the Sin Cara mood lighting on Raw? Show of hands? Let’s see, 1….. Okay. Bad example. When I want to see two men, barely dressed, throwing each other around in a darkly lit room, I’ll rent some gay porn.

Bottom line is, Raw had a lot of mark out moments last night, and it was all because of the Smackdown guys being there. I’m looking forward to the Smackdown supershow tonight, again, because I know I’ll get to see guys from both brands. The brand split should be ended, and both titles consolidated. End of story. Take a vote on WWE.com and ask the fans what they think?

Now, to switch gears for a moment. I’d like to talk about the HHH and Punk storyline. I’ve got two words for you, and they aren’t “suck it.” TOO FAST! What I mean by that is, why do we have Punk ready to fight HHH at Night of Champions? Why would HHH, who just became COO, get in the ring again so soon? It should be Punk VS Kevin Nash, with Nash putting Punk over. That’s the only reason Nash should be there. To put younger talent over. HHH vs Punk should have had a slow build to it. What’s the rush with WWE storylines these days? We, as fans, do have patience, and if a storyline is well done we don’t mind a slow burn over several months.

After Night of Champions, what do you do with CM Punk? If this match does happen, Punk HAS to go over. Either that, or HHH has to win via interference from Nash or someone. If HHH beats Punk cleanly, it will totally devalue the push he’s been given.

But what do I know? I’m just a stupid fan. At the end of the day, I don’t want to see HHH just become Vince McMahon version 2.0. The Game has always had a unique personality, and it should be retained.

That’s it for this week. Tune in next time where this entire column will be presented in mood lighting. After all, if you think this column sucks, maybe the dark lighting will just cover up all my mistakes. Seems to work for Sin Cara. Don’t worry though. A strobe light will illuminate the ring for your kissing pleasure.

Don_Bronx
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"Shooting from the Hip" #4 by Tony Mirabella

2011-09-01T12:09:00.002-07:00

(Sigh) Matthew, Matthew, Matthew. In case you’re wondering what the Hell I’m talking about, last Tuesday Matt Hardy was arrested after he ran his car into a tree. Authorities are saying he was not drunk; however he appeared to “have taken some type of impairing substance.” If you look at Hardy’s mugshot, you can see he’s got one eye in China and the other in Saint Louis.

Now, we have learned he has been fired by TNA Impact Wrestling. Good for them! It’s about time Dixie Carter got wise and actually fired someone who would be nothing but a detriment to her company. I need to make something brutally clear to everyone who is reading this. I have absolutely NO tolerance for people who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of ANY drug, including alcohol. In 2010, 10,839 people were killed in the United States because of drunk driving. I cannot find any statistics on how many people were killed or hurt by drivers impaired by other substances. The bottom line is Matt Hardy could have killed someone. He could have killed me. He could have killed you. He could have taken the life of a child. Luckily, all he hit was a tree and his zonked-out head.

What really floors me about this senseless bastard is that after all this went down, Matt was on the internet conveying how wonderful an experience almost dying can be. And I quote,

"It was the most amazing thing I've every experience, I felt like I'd just received the blood of an angel flowing inside me-I know this sounds crazy! Due to these, I only have urges to help people. And miraculously, all my vices are gone."

Perhaps your vices are gone because you know you might be joining your brother in a game of Drop the Soap soon. Is this idiotic revelation not a testament to how messed up this guy is? A few years ago, while in a car with my Mom and Uncle, we almost got killed by an ambulance which decided to cross into the opposing lane of traffic. We literally came feet from a head on collision with a much bigger vehicle. Later that night, I was happy to be alive. I didn’t hit the internet and talk about how wonderful it was watching the Grim Reaper masturbate on the side of the road as I almost died.

I feel very strongly about this. If you are caught driving under the influence, you should be charged with attempted murder, period. Your license should be taken forever, and you should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Everyone says Matt and Jeff need help. Here’s the deal. No drug addict can be helped unless they want to be helped. Help is out there for them. The WWE has offered rehab to any of its current or past stars that need it. Needing it and wanting it are two completely different things.

Now, I know there is, has been, and always will be drug problems in wrestling. But the Hardys have taken it to the next level. If it’s not Jeff staggering to the ring, it’s Matt wrapping his car around a tree like a Taco Bell burrito. I want to reiterate. He could have killed someone! Now, I’m not a prude. I understand some wrestlers work 300+ days a year. If a guy wants to go back to his hotel room after a show, and light a joint or drink a few beers to unwind, I don’t have an issue with it. But, stay in your hotel room! Don’t put other people’s lives in danger!

Reading this story really ticked me off, especially hearing this idiot describe a nearly fatal car accident as an enlightening experience. Matt is done with wrestling. He’s burned his bridges, most likely by slamming into their support beams with his car. The WWE isn’t going to take him back after the crap he pulled there, and Impact Wrestling would be fools to ever look at this guy again. I have no sympathy for him and he deserves whatever he gets.

Wrestling needs to take a strong stance on this. If you put innocent people at risk, you should be blacklisted from the business. Then again, the Hardys have no problem putting people at risk. Jeff didn’t care if he paralyzed Sting botching a move while high, so why should I think his brother would feel any different about possibly killing a family on their way home from the movies.

And, let me just say this. I know Matt and Jeff like to call people out on the internet. I’m not a hard man to find. If you have a problem with anything I said, just bring it! But, please, take a cab.

And, to my readers, be safe, be alert, be careful. The more of you there are out there, the more lip marks the ring has on it!

Don-Bronx
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"Shooting From the Hip" #3 by Tony Mirabella

2011-09-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

Ah, summer! The birds chirping, the beaches being packed, the heart attack victims from the 1500 degree heat, and, of course, the “Biggest Party Of The Summer,” WWE SummerSlam!

On last night’s Monday Night Raw, we saw another shoot-style exchange between John Cena and CM Punk. As I’ve said in a previous column, I like the shoot-style that the WWE and, especially, Punk seem to be implementing.

Watching the contract signing last night, I found myself wondering who got the better of whom between Cena and Punk. Punk’s promo skills are never in doubt, but I’m pleasantly surprised to see how well Cena is handing himself. His promo skills have definitely improved over the last year or so, and I like the fact that he’s able to seem more real.

Here’s the thing. Cena said something very relevant last night when he told Punk that he NEEDS to win at SummerSlam, or he’ll just be a one hit wonder. Let the Don get this out right now. I agree 100%! In my opinion, this entire CM Punk storyline will have been a waste if Punk doesn’t go over. Cena started out as champion, and if Cena goes over then we’re right back to where we started! Punk is over like crazy. Cena doesn’t NEED the belt right now. In fact, I don’t think he needs it at WrestleMania against the Rock either. But, there’s plenty of time to put the title back on Cena, if they insist on going in that direction.

Also, I firmly believe that one of the many reason’s the WWE has pushed Cena to Neptune is because of merchandise. Well, I saw a HELL of a lot of CM Punk shirts in the crowd last night. Believe me, Punk as champ will sell merch. Let’s just hope WWE does this the right way.

Now, a question to the millions, AND MILLIONS, of Don’s fans. Why the hell did they put Money In The Bank on Del Rio? This guy has done more jobs than a temp agency worker. His momentum is... Well, he doesn’t have any momentum. Now, a lot of people say that that briefcase is a get out of jail free card. It can instantly turn a jobber into a champion. But, will anyone out there believe Del Rio as WWE champion? I won’t.

Let me bring up the SummerSlam card from WWE.com. (Waits 4 hours for advertisements to end.) Okay, I’m back. One match I am actually looking quite forward to is Sheamus vs. Mark Henry. I think Sheamus can potentially be a great babyface. If he can take down Mark Henry, who has been steamrolling over everyone lately, it might just push him into that full blown face I know he can be.

Christian vs. Orton for the 4,000,212th time. Hopefully the last. Picking this one isn’t easy, because we don’t yet know what Christian’s big bombshell is going to be.

My last thoughts are about HHH. Wait, that didn’t sound right. I do NOT think about HHH in my spare time. Seriously, I’m starting to see some heelish tendencies by him. I’m praying that we don’t see him screw someone over at SummerSlam. What’s the point of replacing Vince McMahon with HHH, if HHH is just going to start acting the same way? Anyone else see John Laryngitis as HHH’s new Patterson and Brisco? Too soon, WWE! Stop rushing damn storylines! HHH should NOT be refereeing this match at SummerSlam. It’s a screwjob just waiting to happen, and it’s too damn soon.

In the end, I’m looking forward to the summer ending festivities. Hopefully, all goes well and all ends well, but with the WWE, you never know. And, knowing is half the battle. The other half is shooting people with a big gun.

Don_Bronx
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"Shooting From the Hip" #2 by Tony Mirabella

2011-09-01T12:08:00.002-07:00

I’ve decided this week to try my hand at tackling TNA. Its strong points, its week points, and its possible future. Also, the never-ending hate towards the company by the IWC.

Now, a lot of people seem to wonder why if WCW could compete with the WWE, why can’t TNA. I’m going to simplify this with a list.

Reasons why TNA hasn’t grown that are NOT the company’s fault:

- TNA has never had the massive financial backing that WCW had, via Ted Turner.
- TNA existed for years with no big television deal.
- Even after getting a TV deal, they were picked up by Spike, a network not nearly as widely available as Turner’s networks.
- The new no-compete clauses imposed by the WWE severely limits the impact that wrestlers jumping ship to TNA have. 60 days of watching WWE programming and not seeing a wrestler on TV makes the fans forget about that wrestler. By the time they get to TNA, that “former WWE wrestler” is nowhere near as big a deal as Lex Luger, Hall, and Nash showing up in WCW literally days after leaving the WWE.
- Lastly, WCW made its move when the WWE was hurting from the steroid trials and going through a period of decline. TNA’s television deal came at a time when the WWE was going strong, and fans had no reason, in their minds, to try another product.

Reasons why TNA hasn’t taken off that ARE the company’s fault:

- Firstly, without a doubt, lack of advertising! When the only venue you are advertising on is the same station your show is playing on, how do you expect to get new viewers?
- A very poor management structure. As Trey and JJ of Wrestling News Live have said numerous times, “too many chiefs, not enough Indians.” You need one person, or a well established group of people who have the final say in storylines and booking, rather than everything having to go through 10 guys.
- Not giving the fans what they want, but rather giving them what you think they SHOULD want. Making heels out of established TNA babyfaces and vice versa.
- Having every show at the same arena with the same crowd. TNA should have been on the road from day one, exposing itself to different demographics and locations.
- Failure to police Pay Per View streams. I have literally seen thousands of people watching a TNA PPV stream. These are thousands of people who are not paying for your product.
- Allowing superstars to have creative control of their own characters. This is one of the many things that helped kill WCW.
- Allowing troubled superstars like Jeff and Matt Hardy into your company.

I could go on, but I don’t want to make this too long-winded. Let me say that I’ve been a TNA supporter for a long time, and still am. I generally enjoy Impact Wrestling, and will keep watching. I don’t know if this company can ever be hugely successful in the long run, but I hope so, because competition is good for the business and, if you’re a wrestler, it’s damn hard to find good paying work as it is.

And, here’s my final short list.

Friendly Advice for the IWC:

- If you watch a product for 20 weeks in a row and in that time can find nothing to do but complain, STOP WATCHING IT! Would you go to a restaurant with crappy food more than twice?
- Don’t complain about a Pay Per View you didn’t pay for!
- Don’t base all your opinions of the product on spoilers. It’s never the same as actually watching the show. For example, Sea Captain gets obsessed with killing whale. Whale kills him at the end. Now, write me a review of Moby Dick.
- Don’t criticize TNA for the in-ring talent. TNA has some of the best wrestlers in the world working for them. Yes, the writing and storylines are often bad, but when the bell rings, you can honestly say those guys and gals bust their asses every week.
- Realize that, in the end, if TNA should fall, the wrestling world will have a HUGE gap to fill. Many people will be out of work, and we’ll be stuck with basically nothing, but WWE.

When it comes to TNA, I’ve seen better, but I’ve also seen much worse. Their ratings haven’t gone up, but they haven’t tanked either, which means there is a loyal, dedicated fan base out there that watches every week. I criticize both companies when they deserve it. At the end of the day, sit down with some popcorn on Thursday nights and just try going with it. Or not. Unlike kissing the ring, watching TNA is totally optional.

Don_Bronx
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"Shooting From the Hip" #1 by Tony Mirabella

2011-09-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

Okay. So, this is my first time doing this “column” thing. Be gentle. Or, be rough. The Don can handle it!

I've been watching Raw and lately have been entertained. This shoot-style is very appealing to me. As a 33-year old wrestling fan, I’m very partial to this style, going back to WCW.

Eric Bischoff bringing in Hall and Nash, and calling them by their real names was revolutionary. I was much younger then, and more of a mark, but this ground breaking event actually had people scratching their heads. Was this an era of WCW/WWF cooperation, or were we seeing the beginnings of a wrestling war? “Smarts” all over the world began giving their opinions, including the very young IWC, which I am proud to consider myself a member.

Even the precursor, the proverbial “first shot in the Monday Night Wars,” which saw Lex Luger jump ship to WCW within days of leaving WWF started getting fans thinking about what goes on behind closed doors in the wrestling industry. There is no doubt in my mind that the Monday Night Wars gave birth to the IWC. We, as a community, owe our very existence to it. The “Montreal Screwjob,” which gave birth to the Mr. McMahon character, surely saved the WWF.

Even the Attitude Era helped evolve the “shoot style.” Guys with idiotic, fake-as-hell gimmicks like HHH, Rock and Stone Cold were allowed to evolve their characters into something we could relate to. No one cared about the Ringmaster. But, a blue-collar guy getting over on his rich boss? Everyone could relate to that! No one cared about a preppy, snobby Helmsley. But, HHH, joining with DX and then later crippling guys with sledge hammers? Hell yeah! Rocky going around smiling like an idiot? (yawn) But, the Rock kicking ass and throwing around catch phrases rules!

Let’s look at WCW’s death. Everyone wants to blame Bischoff, Russo, AOL, Hogan, OJ Simpson and everyone else. Well, maybe, just maybe what killed WCW was stupid crap like the “finger poke of doom.” Maybe it was putting the world title, held by men like Ric Flair and Sting, around the waist of an actor who had never wrestled a match in his life! Or, could it have been Hogan wrestling a fat talk show host like Jay Leno? A LOT of things helped kill WCW. And, descending from a touch of realism to madness could have been the nail in the coffin.

My point is, (you knew I’d get to it eventually,) is that making it more real, making it make more sense, seems to work! And, now, we have this whole CM Punk/John Cena/Vince McMahon scenario. Is Punk leaving? Has he signed an agreement? How much of that promo was a shoot? I don’t know. I DON’T KNOW! And, I love it! Not knowing! Something being pitched as such a shoot that I’m not 100% sure what the hell is going to happen. I’m looking forward to the MITB Pay Per View! I want to see it! You’ve sold me on it, and that’s what you should be doing every month.

Get the pattern, WWE? Stop insulting our intelligence. Give us something that screams of realism. John Cena seemed real to me for the first time, talking to Vince without yelling, without the gimmicks, just talking to him man to man. And, Cena willing to throw down that belt for his principles? Brilliant! This was the first time I’ve actually said, “Hell yeah, Cena! You go!” Yeah, I marked out for Cena.

In the end there aren’t just Little Jimmys out there. There are some Big Jimmys. Intelligent fans who like being thrown a swerve. Could the tides in the WWE be changing? Could HHH and Steph be giving a lot more input now? HHH is an Attitude Era junkie. So is Steph. Maybe WWE is switching those fan bases again, and coming back to what brought them to the dance. The old-ass 33 year olds like me.

And, remember. Kissing the ring isn’t an option, it’s a requirement!

Don_Bronx
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