As I look at the calendar, I notice a couple very noteworthy events, so without any further ado...
Happy birthday to my brother, Shawn, as he turns 43. Shawn is the person most instrumental in getting me "hooked" on pro wrestling, as it was he who brought those Inside Wrestling & The Wrestler magazines home from school when I was 8 years old, and the fascination grew....and still hasn't ended. While we have certainly have had our share of ups & downs all these years,we are golden now, & having the chance to eat lunch with him & my wonderful sister in law, Cherie this week was one of those little things you take for granted when you're younger, but enjoy much more when you're older.
July 14 may be just another day for most of you, but in the world of professional wrestling, it is a pretty significant date, for on July 14,1984, the widely popular "World Championship Wrestling" television program on WTBS (TBS) switch affiliations, so to speak, from the Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW) "wing" of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) to World Wrestling Federation (WWF aka WWE).
The NWA, from 1948-1982, was a conglomerate of regional wrestling promoters that essentially "controlled" the wrestling business- being on the outs with the Alliance could affect a wrestlers ability to make a living, or could & would put a considerable squeeze on an "outlaw" promoter,making it difficult to secure top talent, quality venues,etc.
But by 1982, the Alliance was floundering, largely due to the incredible gains of the cable television business. You see, one time of day, every one of these promoters had virtually an "exclusive" on their region- they controlled what was on tv and when- so, if you wanted to watch wrestling matches, you had to watch theirs- plain & simple. There was no competition- you came to their events, or you went to no events. And if a "outlaw" came to town & got hot, the NWA members would send in talent from all over the country, to help their fellow member "win the war", so to speak.
Once cable started really penetrating most of the country, the local promoters started to struggle financially, due to the fact that most of their "own" weren't perceived by the younger newer fans as "superstars"- at least not the likes of a Tommy "Wildfire" Rich, probably wrestling's first superstar of the "Cable Era".
1984 was,with very little question, the most important year in the modern history of pro wrestling, due largely to the WWE machine & the moves Vince McMahon made that brought his organization to the very forefront of the mat game.
A little backstory : The NWA Georgia outfit was owned by a combination of Jim Barnett, Ole Anderson , & The Brisco Brothers, Jack & Jerry,& a few very small stakes partners ( 3% or less, mainly "town promoters) Barnett in particular was a lavish spender, & the GCW group was in financial trouble, despite doing huge business in more northern cities like Baltimore,Md ,Columbus & Cleveland,Ohio, Chrlestown,WV & Detroit. Enter Ole Anderson.
Ole was hired to be General Manager of GCW, & was given a minority stake in an outfit that he had both headlined & booked, on and off, since the mid 1970s. Ole's role included fixing the bottom line, which, due largely to Barnett's high cost lifestyle- limos,jets,fancy hotels,etc. was out of control.
Sometime in the middle of 1983, Ole fired Barnett. Now, Barnett couldn't be removed from ownership,mind you; but he could be removed from the day to day operations of GCW- and he was. Barnett, having spent his entire adult life in the wrestling business, reached out to Vince J McMahon, also known as "Vince SR". SR brought Barnett on board, although the day to day operations had already been taken over by Vince K McMahon, the same Vince we all know & love.
Meanwhile, back in Georgia, profits were not considerably stronger without the weight of Barnett's expensive tastes; there were other considerations, such as a much more shoestring talent base than fans were accustomed, & the heavy expenses of renting buildings such as The Omni in Atlanta, which was a costly venue, & a difficult one to fill given the talent at the time.
(Many trace the initial struggles of the GCW group to the closing of the old Atlanta City Auditorium, a 5,000 seater that cost only a few hundred dollars per night to rent. The Omni, a much more modern facility, held closer to 18,000, & as such, cost them much more)
The Brisco Brothers were not particularly happy with the lack of profit out of GCW, & approached Barnett with an idea: McMahon was starting to make his move, & the Brothers talked to Barnett about selling GCW to VKM. That sale included the very popular Saturday & Sunday night TBS tv shows, both showing at 6:05 pm.
VKM already had secured the USA Network as an exclusive, & was looking to grab every brass ring he could. But the TBS deal would also have to be okay'ed by the President of TBS himself, Ted Turner. However, this wasn't as big an issue as it could have been, since Barnett had been doing business with Turner for well over a decade, and the two were friends.
Now, I don't know the exact figures, but WWF purchased GCW, all its stock,& time slots, then immediately shut the entire outfit down, known only to The Briscos & Jim Barnett; Ole Anderson & a minority partner was completely left out of the loop- as in, The other three, alongside the other minority partners, had enough stock to sell without being blocked- not that Ole didn't try.
(A famous story from the time has Ole showing up for tv as scheduled, only to find the late Gorilla Monsoon & VKM in the TBS studio. VKM took Anderson aside & told him he should come to work for him, as in WWF. Ole, ever the diplomat, reportedly uttered the following phrase: "F--- you, Vince...AND your wife".)
When Freddie Miller, the late GCW "sidekick" announcer, introduced Vince at the top of the show on July 14,1984, TBS was flodded with phone calls & letters, asking where Gordon Solie ( legendary lead announcer) was, and why they were replaced. The support, particularly from the south, was so strong that Ted Turner gave a tv slot to the new Georgia group, Championship Wrestling from Georgia ( obviously, a spin on the old name) headed up by Ole Anderson.
The time slot was not strong ( 705 am Saturdays) but irregardless, it infuriated VKM, & it set the wheels into motion for bad blood between the McMahon & Turner camps for the next 17 years. VKM refused, after initially agreeing to do so, to record the matches for the show at the TBS studios, which was a condition Turner made on his end of deal; Instead, VKM just sent in tapes from all his other shows, slightly reformatted.
Turner then cut a deal with Cowboy Bill Watts, promoter of Mid South Wrestling. In a move largely done to embarass the McMahon camp, Turner cut a deal for a short run of Mid South tv shows, which, even outside of the usual wrestling time slot on TBS, slaughtered WWF in the ratings.
Watts & Turner were slated to into business together on what would end up becoming the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) but......
In under a year, WWE sold the TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions, which was initially just a member of the NWA, then later, during the expansion, became the NWA. Watts was the odd man out, & tried to expand on his own, but without the Turner financial backing, was about to go belly up, when the Crockett/ NWA ended up purchasing UWF from Watts, which ultimately, due to cost, spelled their doom.
However, Ted Turner once again came to the rescue, purchasing the NWA from The Crockett Family in late 1988, preserving a traditional strong ratings grabber, & renamed it World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which had previously just been the name of the tv show, not the promotion.
For a period of time, 1997-1998,WCW, led by a wrestling resurgence, fueled in no small part by a reborn Hulk Hogan, actually dominated WWE in every aspect of the business-PPV, live ticket revenue,merchandising, etc, until overspending & bad ideas ruin their show to the point of audience apathy & virtual bankruptcy.
The tradition ended in March 2001, when Time Warner purchased all of Turners tv networks, & the wrestling shows, which had long been preserved due to its strong ratings, were cancelled & the assets of the company sold- to Vince McMahon.
Until next time...
SSS
Friday, July 15, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Before I start, I want to alert you that it is entirely possible I'm talking about you. I don't believe in personal attacks, name calling, etc. I will not call you out by name, largely due to the fact that I don't believe anyone should do so, if you are not willing to allow a rebuttal- and since I'm not gonna offer anyone a rebuttal, I will keep names to myself- if it hits a nerve, it'll be because you KNOW I'm speaking about you specifically.
When I started in wrestling, all the way back in 1992, a few very important things about how this business operated were hammered into my head. One very notable thing was that every promoter offers you an opportunity, & if you want the phone to ring, so to speak, you have to make the most out those opportunities.
Making the most out of your opportunities is not strictly how you perform in the ring- that helps, but it isn't the most important thing. Listen, there are hundreds if not thousands of guys who are willing to do this, for largely little to no money, because they want to be there & will do anything it takes to be there.
Personally, I got into this not because I had any expectation to be a star ( glad that part played out as expected) or to get rich ( ditto) but because I had a love for this & wanted to be as good as I could, work as much as was feasible ( I already had a baby at home, & still needed to work my full time job) & earn the respect of the promoters & the boys with whom I shared locker rooms.
I made my share of mistakes, not only in the ring , but out of it: but if I made a commitment to a promoter, a man who was offering me an opportunity, I went to that town, no matter what type of day I had or what was going on in my life.
I found that, no matter my real life issues, that going to the shows & getting in the ring was like therapy- it was the only place on earth that nothing else mattered. I could forget that I was Shane Heimberger, father/parent/tax payer/slave to the grind, & just be Shane Shadows, wrestler.
I turned down bigger money offers from promoters to fulfill the dates I already commited to; I went when I could have worked overtime at my regular job, guaranteeing me much more money than I would make working Anytown,USA.
My second night in the business, I had to ride in the UHaul that the ring was being carried in, with my tag team partner, & a driver the promoter hired; and before we got in the truck, my trainer,Neil Superior, told us in no uncertain terms that we were not to discuss anything that might "smarten up" the driver. Try doing that for 10 roundtrip hours- my partner & I couldn't even talk about the only thing that bounded us- we barely knew each other.
It might seem really, really dumb to anyone who wasn't familiar with the culture, OUR culture, the wrestling culture...but to guys who didn't have the benefit of having 14 different promotions in their area or a choice, it was the way things were: someone else will take that spot if we don't....or we will never be back if we complain about the situations we invariably found ourselves in.
I would sometimes take a shot 200 miles away from home, then get offered one 45 miles from home- and I drove the 200 miles, because that was my first obligation and, in my mind, my ONLY obligation.
Looking back at almost 20 years of doing this, mostly weekends, & never as my full time living ( although I have made it into a profitable part time job) I can recall cancelling only one shot ( when I was convinced the guy wasn't going to pay anyway- and other friends who did go work that show confirmed my belief) & one family matter that forced me to leave the building before my match.
So imagine my consternation when I book young, green wrestlers for my events, decent guys in life best to my knowledge, who don't bother to make their agreed upon appearances. Not only do they not come, they never bother to call you, to apologize, to explain- NOTHING.
On top of that, you have guys who weeks after the fact contact you, asking if theres a open spot on the next card, ignoring the fact that he never bothered to pay enough respect to tell you why he didn't make the last one?! Then, after an intervention of sorts thru another talent, you offer him a SECOND shot, and he AGAIN doesn't show up, calls you to explain, ETC?!
Or how about a guy who you put over huge at one show, advertise for a month in the follow up cards main event, & then doesn't show up for said main event..again, with no call or courtesy to explain that there was a reason?
I'm not a total asshole ( opinions may vary here) & I realize that things do occur- life is hard, things happen- but seriously? Who raised you people? And furthermore, You don't deserve to be in my business, because you don't even UNDERSTAND my business. I'm not talking about how smart you are to it- you may be smarter or better than I- but at least I know enough & have enough respect for the business & other peoples offers of opportunity that I don't disregard it like refuse.
Sadly, if you're reading this, you will probably find some type of way to bury me or my promotion, we didn't pay enough, we didn't use you right, etc instead of facing the facts; Moreover, you likely won't lose any sleep over it, because there are 10 other promoters willing to use you, so why do you need lil ol SSS? But your lack of respect for my offers to do what you say you love, are disgusteing & disgraceful. I didn't call- you did. So, if you had no intention of coming, why did you bother?
And you're entitled to that opinion- you can think what you want about me, because I know that, whether I was the best worker on the card or the worst, I still showed up & honored my commitments. Can you say the same?
Until next time...
SSS
When I started in wrestling, all the way back in 1992, a few very important things about how this business operated were hammered into my head. One very notable thing was that every promoter offers you an opportunity, & if you want the phone to ring, so to speak, you have to make the most out those opportunities.
Making the most out of your opportunities is not strictly how you perform in the ring- that helps, but it isn't the most important thing. Listen, there are hundreds if not thousands of guys who are willing to do this, for largely little to no money, because they want to be there & will do anything it takes to be there.
Personally, I got into this not because I had any expectation to be a star ( glad that part played out as expected) or to get rich ( ditto) but because I had a love for this & wanted to be as good as I could, work as much as was feasible ( I already had a baby at home, & still needed to work my full time job) & earn the respect of the promoters & the boys with whom I shared locker rooms.
I made my share of mistakes, not only in the ring , but out of it: but if I made a commitment to a promoter, a man who was offering me an opportunity, I went to that town, no matter what type of day I had or what was going on in my life.
I found that, no matter my real life issues, that going to the shows & getting in the ring was like therapy- it was the only place on earth that nothing else mattered. I could forget that I was Shane Heimberger, father/parent/tax payer/slave to the grind, & just be Shane Shadows, wrestler.
I turned down bigger money offers from promoters to fulfill the dates I already commited to; I went when I could have worked overtime at my regular job, guaranteeing me much more money than I would make working Anytown,USA.
My second night in the business, I had to ride in the UHaul that the ring was being carried in, with my tag team partner, & a driver the promoter hired; and before we got in the truck, my trainer,Neil Superior, told us in no uncertain terms that we were not to discuss anything that might "smarten up" the driver. Try doing that for 10 roundtrip hours- my partner & I couldn't even talk about the only thing that bounded us- we barely knew each other.
It might seem really, really dumb to anyone who wasn't familiar with the culture, OUR culture, the wrestling culture...but to guys who didn't have the benefit of having 14 different promotions in their area or a choice, it was the way things were: someone else will take that spot if we don't....or we will never be back if we complain about the situations we invariably found ourselves in.
I would sometimes take a shot 200 miles away from home, then get offered one 45 miles from home- and I drove the 200 miles, because that was my first obligation and, in my mind, my ONLY obligation.
Looking back at almost 20 years of doing this, mostly weekends, & never as my full time living ( although I have made it into a profitable part time job) I can recall cancelling only one shot ( when I was convinced the guy wasn't going to pay anyway- and other friends who did go work that show confirmed my belief) & one family matter that forced me to leave the building before my match.
So imagine my consternation when I book young, green wrestlers for my events, decent guys in life best to my knowledge, who don't bother to make their agreed upon appearances. Not only do they not come, they never bother to call you, to apologize, to explain- NOTHING.
On top of that, you have guys who weeks after the fact contact you, asking if theres a open spot on the next card, ignoring the fact that he never bothered to pay enough respect to tell you why he didn't make the last one?! Then, after an intervention of sorts thru another talent, you offer him a SECOND shot, and he AGAIN doesn't show up, calls you to explain, ETC?!
Or how about a guy who you put over huge at one show, advertise for a month in the follow up cards main event, & then doesn't show up for said main event..again, with no call or courtesy to explain that there was a reason?
I'm not a total asshole ( opinions may vary here) & I realize that things do occur- life is hard, things happen- but seriously? Who raised you people? And furthermore, You don't deserve to be in my business, because you don't even UNDERSTAND my business. I'm not talking about how smart you are to it- you may be smarter or better than I- but at least I know enough & have enough respect for the business & other peoples offers of opportunity that I don't disregard it like refuse.
Sadly, if you're reading this, you will probably find some type of way to bury me or my promotion, we didn't pay enough, we didn't use you right, etc instead of facing the facts; Moreover, you likely won't lose any sleep over it, because there are 10 other promoters willing to use you, so why do you need lil ol SSS? But your lack of respect for my offers to do what you say you love, are disgusteing & disgraceful. I didn't call- you did. So, if you had no intention of coming, why did you bother?
And you're entitled to that opinion- you can think what you want about me, because I know that, whether I was the best worker on the card or the worst, I still showed up & honored my commitments. Can you say the same?
Until next time...
SSS
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
As both wrestlers & wrestling fans around the world continue to buzz this afternoon about CM Punk's "shoot" on RAW last night, I offer the question: WHAT IF....CM Punk stays, & John Cena becomes a heel?
Cena turning heel has been a subject broached by many, largely due to the reactions he gets on Tv & PPV. While Cena is huge source of merchandising income, due to his rabid popularity with kids, the PPV audience, is largely compromised of 25-40 year old males, to which he does not appeal.
Momentum is a huge thing in any form of entertainment, & wrestling even moreso- how many times has WWe failed to capitalize these past few years on a performer who had tremendous momentum? If you said alot, you would be understating it.
Failing to capitalize of such momentum, due to their own stubborness & narrow view of what a "top guy" should be, has cost the WWE millions in revenue these last several years ( something that Punk essentially pointed out last night)
but lets pretend for a moment that the next several weeks are done similiarly ( but not exactly) like the rise of Stone Cold Steve Austin in 1997- shows filled with Punk asserting his beliefs, while interviewers are asking questions of Cena, similiar to how celebs & politicians are hounded? How about an interview with Vince himself, with a photo of him & Cena posing together....at the gym together....fishing together...you get the point.
Cena would ultimately have to face the accusations front & center, "half heartedly" trying to convince us ( actually, his usual promo style would probably do fine- and if at all possible, " overscript" the overscripting- in other words, take the lame material provided for him, & amp it up, so it becomes obvious that hes trying "too hard" to convince us he isn't a puppet or kiss ass.
Most likely, the direction is already set- but imagine this: during the end of their upcoming bout, Cena wen tfor the FU- but Punk's foot nails the referee. Cena goes to help the ref, but Punk hits the GTS- still no ref. Punk helps the ref this time, Cena hits his move again,but Punk kicks out,and on the kick out, Cena lands on the ref.
The groggy ref is helped away, and the match continues....and a new ref is sent. During the ensuing chaos, where agents & officials are ringside, someone very important remains- Vince McMahon. Punk once again hits the GTS, but McMahon hits the ring, in an attempt to protect his "Boy"...Punk pops Vince, but Cena, groggy & obviously beaten, gets handed a weapon- by none other than Triple H.
Cena retains the title, while flanked by the men who represent his current boss & his future boss- VKM & Triple H.
Punk leaves as he siad he would, but ideally, the fans would create a huge stir, demanding his return, & his just due return match with Cena for the title- at Summerslam!
What you think? Throw the ideas ot here folks!
SSS
A second ref is ordered down to the ring- not by Vince, but
Cena turning heel has been a subject broached by many, largely due to the reactions he gets on Tv & PPV. While Cena is huge source of merchandising income, due to his rabid popularity with kids, the PPV audience, is largely compromised of 25-40 year old males, to which he does not appeal.
Momentum is a huge thing in any form of entertainment, & wrestling even moreso- how many times has WWe failed to capitalize these past few years on a performer who had tremendous momentum? If you said alot, you would be understating it.
Failing to capitalize of such momentum, due to their own stubborness & narrow view of what a "top guy" should be, has cost the WWE millions in revenue these last several years ( something that Punk essentially pointed out last night)
but lets pretend for a moment that the next several weeks are done similiarly ( but not exactly) like the rise of Stone Cold Steve Austin in 1997- shows filled with Punk asserting his beliefs, while interviewers are asking questions of Cena, similiar to how celebs & politicians are hounded? How about an interview with Vince himself, with a photo of him & Cena posing together....at the gym together....fishing together...you get the point.
Cena would ultimately have to face the accusations front & center, "half heartedly" trying to convince us ( actually, his usual promo style would probably do fine- and if at all possible, " overscript" the overscripting- in other words, take the lame material provided for him, & amp it up, so it becomes obvious that hes trying "too hard" to convince us he isn't a puppet or kiss ass.
Most likely, the direction is already set- but imagine this: during the end of their upcoming bout, Cena wen tfor the FU- but Punk's foot nails the referee. Cena goes to help the ref, but Punk hits the GTS- still no ref. Punk helps the ref this time, Cena hits his move again,but Punk kicks out,and on the kick out, Cena lands on the ref.
The groggy ref is helped away, and the match continues....and a new ref is sent. During the ensuing chaos, where agents & officials are ringside, someone very important remains- Vince McMahon. Punk once again hits the GTS, but McMahon hits the ring, in an attempt to protect his "Boy"...Punk pops Vince, but Cena, groggy & obviously beaten, gets handed a weapon- by none other than Triple H.
Cena retains the title, while flanked by the men who represent his current boss & his future boss- VKM & Triple H.
Punk leaves as he siad he would, but ideally, the fans would create a huge stir, demanding his return, & his just due return match with Cena for the title- at Summerslam!
What you think? Throw the ideas ot here folks!
SSS
A second ref is ordered down to the ring- not by Vince, but
I started my tuesday morning pretty much like I do every week- I got breakfast,came to work, & read the report from last nights RAW ( since I havent watched in nearly a month)....and the report was strong.
CM Punk, weeks away from leaving the WWE, cuts what was probably the best promo anyone has done on any national tv wrestling show in a decade, making references to A variety of people & subjects, all under the "he's shooting" & "this isnt supposed to happen" motto.
Punk has reportedly been unhappy for some time, & the intention, at least a few weeks ago, was for him to leave when his contract was due, which is in fact next month.
I have mixed feelings about the entire "shoot" interview style- all too often, they have nothing to do with business, & usually involve some red assed former WWE/TNA talent who takes a big shit on his former employer, talking about how underutilized he was, etc etc etc, all to get a crowd pop from the "hardcore" fans that are "smart" to how wrestling works.
These interviews usually take place in front a small but rabid crowd of so called "smart marks" who usually think they know & understand the wrestling business far more than they actually do...these particular fans, admittedly a very devout bunch, also usually delude themselves into thinking that every guy who they think is great should be on top in the big promotions, usually overlooking their lack of stature,charisma, or promo skills- things that are kinda important when your working for a promotion thats fanbase spreads the globe.
Worse yet, alot of these niche promotions will set up angles where they intentionally " go against the script", with the guys "shooting" while the promoter & his assistants run down the aisle screaming "they're shooting! they're shooting" like a bunch of petrified teenagers.
In reality, these fans, supposedly "smarter" than the alleged backwoods, toothless, redneck , & dumb fanbase of WWE,TNA, Etc fall victim more easily than the aforementioned- but in their own perverse way, they still think they don't- much like in days of past, when "maybe the undercard was fake, but that main event sure wasn't" mentality ruled the roost.
By the way, I'm not knocking anyone who "believes" what they are watching- thats the biggest element thats missing in wrestling now- and the more people believe, the more they pay, react, etc- which is what this business is built upon- I just take certain exception when a small group of fans looked down on the broader base of fans...while generally understanding it about the same, if not less.
The Punk promo, while obviously inside, & over the head of many, if not most, of the fans, does what angles & promos like these are supposed to do: create a stir, get people talking, & bring them back in.
Now, make no mistake: this interview was fully endorsed by Vince McMahon- but, thru the delivery & references, its designed to make you think its real ( and every indication is most of these are Punk's true feelings) & make you believe its really possible not only for Punk to win the title, but leave & never return-& taking the top prize with him as well.
Many of you may be aware that Punk did this exact angle when he left Ring Of Honor (ROH) right before he signed with WWE- and for that crowd, it worked quite well- he won the title on his last night...allegedly never to return. However, he did return, lost the title, & went on to have a great run in WWE.
Wouldn't it be a huge breathe of fresh air if WWE played this out similiarly- with Punk winning the title? Can you imagine the exciting possibilities of spending the next 6 weeks, leading up to Summerslam, with WWE & Cena trying to woo Punk back for one last match? Its enough to make a booker salivate, & probably enough to bring some disenfranchised fans back into the fold. Would it work for you?
Until next time...
SSS
CM Punk, weeks away from leaving the WWE, cuts what was probably the best promo anyone has done on any national tv wrestling show in a decade, making references to A variety of people & subjects, all under the "he's shooting" & "this isnt supposed to happen" motto.
Punk has reportedly been unhappy for some time, & the intention, at least a few weeks ago, was for him to leave when his contract was due, which is in fact next month.
I have mixed feelings about the entire "shoot" interview style- all too often, they have nothing to do with business, & usually involve some red assed former WWE/TNA talent who takes a big shit on his former employer, talking about how underutilized he was, etc etc etc, all to get a crowd pop from the "hardcore" fans that are "smart" to how wrestling works.
These interviews usually take place in front a small but rabid crowd of so called "smart marks" who usually think they know & understand the wrestling business far more than they actually do...these particular fans, admittedly a very devout bunch, also usually delude themselves into thinking that every guy who they think is great should be on top in the big promotions, usually overlooking their lack of stature,charisma, or promo skills- things that are kinda important when your working for a promotion thats fanbase spreads the globe.
Worse yet, alot of these niche promotions will set up angles where they intentionally " go against the script", with the guys "shooting" while the promoter & his assistants run down the aisle screaming "they're shooting! they're shooting" like a bunch of petrified teenagers.
In reality, these fans, supposedly "smarter" than the alleged backwoods, toothless, redneck , & dumb fanbase of WWE,TNA, Etc fall victim more easily than the aforementioned- but in their own perverse way, they still think they don't- much like in days of past, when "maybe the undercard was fake, but that main event sure wasn't" mentality ruled the roost.
By the way, I'm not knocking anyone who "believes" what they are watching- thats the biggest element thats missing in wrestling now- and the more people believe, the more they pay, react, etc- which is what this business is built upon- I just take certain exception when a small group of fans looked down on the broader base of fans...while generally understanding it about the same, if not less.
The Punk promo, while obviously inside, & over the head of many, if not most, of the fans, does what angles & promos like these are supposed to do: create a stir, get people talking, & bring them back in.
Now, make no mistake: this interview was fully endorsed by Vince McMahon- but, thru the delivery & references, its designed to make you think its real ( and every indication is most of these are Punk's true feelings) & make you believe its really possible not only for Punk to win the title, but leave & never return-& taking the top prize with him as well.
Many of you may be aware that Punk did this exact angle when he left Ring Of Honor (ROH) right before he signed with WWE- and for that crowd, it worked quite well- he won the title on his last night...allegedly never to return. However, he did return, lost the title, & went on to have a great run in WWE.
Wouldn't it be a huge breathe of fresh air if WWE played this out similiarly- with Punk winning the title? Can you imagine the exciting possibilities of spending the next 6 weeks, leading up to Summerslam, with WWE & Cena trying to woo Punk back for one last match? Its enough to make a booker salivate, & probably enough to bring some disenfranchised fans back into the fold. Would it work for you?
Until next time...
SSS
Monday, June 27, 2011
When I was growing up, one of the more fasinating aspects of pro wrestling was tag team wrestling- I was always drawn to it, & I would dare say that I enjoyed tag team matches more than singles matches.
There was a point in time, from 1983-1990, that every promotion had 6-8,sometimes even more, tag teams on its roster, most of which had been together for several years, traveling together,staying together, switching offices together. In a very real sense, the duos were "married"- and ultimately, like many real marriages, they broke up in a spectacular fashion, with their "dirty laundry" aired out for the consumption of the viewing public.
Traditional tag team matches ( known in some circles as "Australian Tag Team " matches) is puportedly the brainchild of one Joseph "Toots" Mondt, an early 20th century wrestler who became a vital cog in the wheel that is professional wrestling. Mondt, an idea man, developed many of the essential concepts that remain in wrestling to this day, which in his time, meant that everything that was done during a match should create excitement ( highspots, double Dq's, & gimmick finishes and gimmick matches) as opposed to the slow,out of date plodding style of the early 20th century.
The idea was simple: if 2 wrestlers going at it excited you, just imagine how much excitement 4 wrestlers in the same match would create? Of course, 4 men tags eventually brought us 6 man tag matches, then 8 mans, 10 ,etc. How many of you remember the first WWE Survivor Series, when 5 TAG TEAMS faced 5 Tag Teams ? Thats right, a 20 man tag team bout!
Some of the biggest stars ever in the history of this business cut their teeth so to speak in tag teams- it helped them develop, helped them learn important aspects of working- and in some cases, it helped protect them & cover their limitations.
This is a variant of pro wrestling that almost literally has no limits; you can do them so many ways, for almost any occasion.
However, I'm sorry to say, the art form, for a variety of reasons, is dying. There are several obvious reasons, largely promoter (VKM) indifference, but lets cut thru the chase here: the young guys are not taught the art properly.
I'm not talking about guys being able to put together 2-3 complicated double team moves- while that does help, thats a lesser important element than the simple fact that, to make a tag team match work, two things must take place: 1) one guy on the Babyface team has to be willing to sacrifice himself to make his partner look strong, & 2) the heel team has to be exceptionally underhanded, and do so without getting"caught" by the referee.
In tag teams, you just can't be in the match for yourself; you have to be mindful of your partner as well, keeping both in the mix. Thats the part that makes creating quality tag teams so difficult- the mentality that you can only look out for yourself, & that you are the only one that matters.
Creating the idea that one member of the team is willing to sacrifice himself for the "greater good" was best evidenced by none other than Ole & Gene Anderson, The Minnesota Wrecking Crew, one of the dominant tag teams of the 1970s.
The Andersons were a menacing pair, mean, ornery & nasty to the bone. They made clear their only intentions were to be the top tag team in wrestling- which meant they were after the NWA World Tag Team titles, which they held numerous times over the period of 1970-1981.
Both were bruisers, but Ole was the talker- historically,a better heel promo you will have a hard time finding. One particular interview, during a series of matches vs the tandem of Paul Jones & Wahoo McDaniel, illustrated the "all for one" motto. During the finishing sequence of one particular match, a clip was shown where Ole grabbed Jones by the head, and rammed Jones' head into Genes, knocking Gene unconcious to the floor- it also knocked Jones out, allowing Ole to score the pinfall to regain their title belts.
Ole referred to it as the "Supreme Sacrifice"; Ole, with Gene by his side, explained that they expected the other to, if necessary, sacrifice the other, if it meant obtaining their goals of victory & championship glory- and they suceeded.
I couldn't imagine anyone contemporary tag teams doing such a spot, much less such an interview....it may have been a different time, but the principle remains the same: the team comes first, not the individual.
Until next time...
SSS
There was a point in time, from 1983-1990, that every promotion had 6-8,sometimes even more, tag teams on its roster, most of which had been together for several years, traveling together,staying together, switching offices together. In a very real sense, the duos were "married"- and ultimately, like many real marriages, they broke up in a spectacular fashion, with their "dirty laundry" aired out for the consumption of the viewing public.
Traditional tag team matches ( known in some circles as "Australian Tag Team " matches) is puportedly the brainchild of one Joseph "Toots" Mondt, an early 20th century wrestler who became a vital cog in the wheel that is professional wrestling. Mondt, an idea man, developed many of the essential concepts that remain in wrestling to this day, which in his time, meant that everything that was done during a match should create excitement ( highspots, double Dq's, & gimmick finishes and gimmick matches) as opposed to the slow,out of date plodding style of the early 20th century.
The idea was simple: if 2 wrestlers going at it excited you, just imagine how much excitement 4 wrestlers in the same match would create? Of course, 4 men tags eventually brought us 6 man tag matches, then 8 mans, 10 ,etc. How many of you remember the first WWE Survivor Series, when 5 TAG TEAMS faced 5 Tag Teams ? Thats right, a 20 man tag team bout!
Some of the biggest stars ever in the history of this business cut their teeth so to speak in tag teams- it helped them develop, helped them learn important aspects of working- and in some cases, it helped protect them & cover their limitations.
This is a variant of pro wrestling that almost literally has no limits; you can do them so many ways, for almost any occasion.
However, I'm sorry to say, the art form, for a variety of reasons, is dying. There are several obvious reasons, largely promoter (VKM) indifference, but lets cut thru the chase here: the young guys are not taught the art properly.
I'm not talking about guys being able to put together 2-3 complicated double team moves- while that does help, thats a lesser important element than the simple fact that, to make a tag team match work, two things must take place: 1) one guy on the Babyface team has to be willing to sacrifice himself to make his partner look strong, & 2) the heel team has to be exceptionally underhanded, and do so without getting"caught" by the referee.
In tag teams, you just can't be in the match for yourself; you have to be mindful of your partner as well, keeping both in the mix. Thats the part that makes creating quality tag teams so difficult- the mentality that you can only look out for yourself, & that you are the only one that matters.
Creating the idea that one member of the team is willing to sacrifice himself for the "greater good" was best evidenced by none other than Ole & Gene Anderson, The Minnesota Wrecking Crew, one of the dominant tag teams of the 1970s.
The Andersons were a menacing pair, mean, ornery & nasty to the bone. They made clear their only intentions were to be the top tag team in wrestling- which meant they were after the NWA World Tag Team titles, which they held numerous times over the period of 1970-1981.
Both were bruisers, but Ole was the talker- historically,a better heel promo you will have a hard time finding. One particular interview, during a series of matches vs the tandem of Paul Jones & Wahoo McDaniel, illustrated the "all for one" motto. During the finishing sequence of one particular match, a clip was shown where Ole grabbed Jones by the head, and rammed Jones' head into Genes, knocking Gene unconcious to the floor- it also knocked Jones out, allowing Ole to score the pinfall to regain their title belts.
Ole referred to it as the "Supreme Sacrifice"; Ole, with Gene by his side, explained that they expected the other to, if necessary, sacrifice the other, if it meant obtaining their goals of victory & championship glory- and they suceeded.
I couldn't imagine anyone contemporary tag teams doing such a spot, much less such an interview....it may have been a different time, but the principle remains the same: the team comes first, not the individual.
Until next time...
SSS
Thursday, June 16, 2011
TNA had a ppv this past sunday...WWE has one this sunday...I haven't watched either of their programs in weeks...Didn't watch the former, safe bet that I won't be watching the latter.
I got to thinking a few minutes ago that some of you might be interested in how to "build an angle" that draws people into the building; now, keep in mind, that drawing money for an independent wrestling outfit is far different than a major national company to do so- That in mind, I want to revisit a angle that played out in CPW during 2007-2008: Leslie Leatherman vs. myself, Sexy Shane Shadows.
What we had here, for wrestling fans of the Keyser-Romney-Moorefield, Wv were two totally opposite wrestlers: LL was a big powerful brute, akin the the "old school" brawlers of yesteryear. Myself, while not small by any means, comparatively smaller, but the face of the franchise, if you will, in this case the perrenial crowd favorite, a real throwback babyface that tried to represent the people on every occasion.
We had a backstory: LL won the CPW title from me when he worked over my injured knee ( courtesy of a match with WWE Hall of Famer Greg "The Hammer" Valentine earlier in the day) &, during an ill advised bodyslam attempt, the knee buckled and ended my championship reign.
At this point, LL had held the CPW for over a year, but recently lost to Jake Davis, his former partner in The Highwaymen tag team. A year long build up to their break up lead to a series of matches that were known in the area for their brutality & lack of control...referees were injured in consecutive return bouts. Enter SSS.
I was "Appointed" special guest referee for what was slated to be the final bout in the series-special referees, when used properly, can & usually do lead to the next programs....and this time, we were gonna create two new top programs for CPW- Jake Davis vs. Griffen, the big monster, & SSS vs. LL.
After my officiating lead to Davis successfully defending the title, a series of events unfolded which lead to the four aforementioned competitors in a "Anything Goes" tag team match, Texas Tornado style, which meant their would be no tags required & all weapons were allowed.
This was a particularly tough match, which ended when LL gave me not one, not two, but THREE piledrivers on a metal chair, causing me to get carried away on a stretcher & potentially ending my wrestling days.
I sat out the following event, which was to be a Four Way match for the title with the three aforementioned; I didn't even make an appearance, & the local fans were told that I was likely finished- they had seen the last of me, of which Leatherman gloated.
WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy "Booogie Woogie Man" Valiant made an appearance at the following show, not to wrestle, not the referee, but to talk about what had happened to me & why it was so close to his heart.
See, Valiant explained to the CPW fans, that when he was a younger man, wrestling out west, he used this particular piledriver & permenantly injured another wrestler, and he had lived in regret with it ever since. Not only that, SSS was a close friend , & he wanted the chance to tell LL how he felt.
Leatherman enetered the ring, full of the type of pride only a man that hunts for thrills can have; cocky,boastful, proud of his achievements. LL then told Boogie that, as a child, he was a big admirere of His, but...that he wasn't a child anymore & that, unless Jim wanted hurt, perhaps he should mind his own business....Valiant basically told everyone that he "said his peace" & tried to walk away...until Leatherman tried to assault him, to which Boogie responded with several haymakers that brought the crowd to its feet, until LL cut him off & went for the killing blow: the piledriver.
As LL got the Hall of Famer in position for the dreaded move, the same move that severely injured SSS two months before, a collective sound of horror hit the room..then, unexpectedly, & wearing street clothes, SSS hit the ring, saving Valiant, & we traded punches to each others head that can still be felt to this day.
The locker rooms emptied, referees were thrown across the hardwood floors, but this thing was not yet over- and as I told the crowd in Keyser that night, it had only just begun.
I thought Valiant was a key aspect to getting this over as a serious issue: known for being joival & comical in all his appearances, Valiant's low tone conveyed what serious business this issue was: he told us, convincingly, that the piledriver used to be banned in 18 states. He wasn't there to play this night.
Part Two coming soon...
Until next time
SSS
I got to thinking a few minutes ago that some of you might be interested in how to "build an angle" that draws people into the building; now, keep in mind, that drawing money for an independent wrestling outfit is far different than a major national company to do so- That in mind, I want to revisit a angle that played out in CPW during 2007-2008: Leslie Leatherman vs. myself, Sexy Shane Shadows.
What we had here, for wrestling fans of the Keyser-Romney-Moorefield, Wv were two totally opposite wrestlers: LL was a big powerful brute, akin the the "old school" brawlers of yesteryear. Myself, while not small by any means, comparatively smaller, but the face of the franchise, if you will, in this case the perrenial crowd favorite, a real throwback babyface that tried to represent the people on every occasion.
We had a backstory: LL won the CPW title from me when he worked over my injured knee ( courtesy of a match with WWE Hall of Famer Greg "The Hammer" Valentine earlier in the day) &, during an ill advised bodyslam attempt, the knee buckled and ended my championship reign.
At this point, LL had held the CPW for over a year, but recently lost to Jake Davis, his former partner in The Highwaymen tag team. A year long build up to their break up lead to a series of matches that were known in the area for their brutality & lack of control...referees were injured in consecutive return bouts. Enter SSS.
I was "Appointed" special guest referee for what was slated to be the final bout in the series-special referees, when used properly, can & usually do lead to the next programs....and this time, we were gonna create two new top programs for CPW- Jake Davis vs. Griffen, the big monster, & SSS vs. LL.
After my officiating lead to Davis successfully defending the title, a series of events unfolded which lead to the four aforementioned competitors in a "Anything Goes" tag team match, Texas Tornado style, which meant their would be no tags required & all weapons were allowed.
This was a particularly tough match, which ended when LL gave me not one, not two, but THREE piledrivers on a metal chair, causing me to get carried away on a stretcher & potentially ending my wrestling days.
I sat out the following event, which was to be a Four Way match for the title with the three aforementioned; I didn't even make an appearance, & the local fans were told that I was likely finished- they had seen the last of me, of which Leatherman gloated.
WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy "Booogie Woogie Man" Valiant made an appearance at the following show, not to wrestle, not the referee, but to talk about what had happened to me & why it was so close to his heart.
See, Valiant explained to the CPW fans, that when he was a younger man, wrestling out west, he used this particular piledriver & permenantly injured another wrestler, and he had lived in regret with it ever since. Not only that, SSS was a close friend , & he wanted the chance to tell LL how he felt.
Leatherman enetered the ring, full of the type of pride only a man that hunts for thrills can have; cocky,boastful, proud of his achievements. LL then told Boogie that, as a child, he was a big admirere of His, but...that he wasn't a child anymore & that, unless Jim wanted hurt, perhaps he should mind his own business....Valiant basically told everyone that he "said his peace" & tried to walk away...until Leatherman tried to assault him, to which Boogie responded with several haymakers that brought the crowd to its feet, until LL cut him off & went for the killing blow: the piledriver.
As LL got the Hall of Famer in position for the dreaded move, the same move that severely injured SSS two months before, a collective sound of horror hit the room..then, unexpectedly, & wearing street clothes, SSS hit the ring, saving Valiant, & we traded punches to each others head that can still be felt to this day.
The locker rooms emptied, referees were thrown across the hardwood floors, but this thing was not yet over- and as I told the crowd in Keyser that night, it had only just begun.
I thought Valiant was a key aspect to getting this over as a serious issue: known for being joival & comical in all his appearances, Valiant's low tone conveyed what serious business this issue was: he told us, convincingly, that the piledriver used to be banned in 18 states. He wasn't there to play this night.
Part Two coming soon...
Until next time
SSS
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Did the right guy win Tough Enough last night?
Tough Enough, of course, is the WWE sponsored reality show, where contestants of varying degrees of wrestling skill, charisma & personality vie for the opportunity to win a WWE contract.
I watched every episode, and it became pretty obvious about 4 weeks ago that Andy Leavine, this seasons winner, was being groomed for the spot...and why? Well, because he's a legit 6'5, that why.
In terms of overall talent, ring performance & personality, runner up Luke Robinson was far & away the better choice- however, they most likely saved Luke Robinson's future career by not giving him the nod.
RObinson is the kind of personality that people instantly hate- and I don't think its a work at all. By putting Robinson in the developmental program, where they can help him mature & hopefully make him understand the unwritten codes of wrestling, they may be guaranteeing him a healthy career.
Leavine, on the other hand, will get numerous opportunities, regardless of his overall lack of charisma, due to his size. When all else fails, you can bet the house Vince McMahon will choose the big guy over the smaller guy ( Robinson is 6'0) regardless of potential & quality of performance.
I wouldn't go so far as to say Leavine was an unworthy winner, but based on the grading scale they claimed to be following, he wasn't a slam dunk choice.
*********************************************
Tough Enough's finale lead into RAW last night, which provided us a 20 minute segment that proved my theory that there just isn't very much heart & soul in todays professional wrestling.
Of course, I used the term "Professional wrestling", however the powers that be, aka Vince Mcmahon, prefere the term "sports entertainment", which I guess means that they use wrestling matches as a background for stupid skits, over written material, & lame jokes.
This is such a broken record- I truly don't like to criticize everything that goes on, but seriously.....R
Truth seceding from WWE? Was this an idea for a n angle, or just some silly piece designed to make this months top challenger for the WWE title less credible than he already was? If that was the goal, then by God, they finally accomplished something.
*************************************************************
Two different times over the weekend, the topic of a few shows I did for the Semi legendary Savoldi wrestling family was brought up, so, since theres only so many times one can write about WWE & TNA's bad tv shows, I offer you this "gem", coming to you directly from 1993....
First, a little background: The Savoldis were a family of small statured, loud talking Italians that promoted wrestling in various smaller towns in the Northeast, later Florida, and even later were involved in the IWA booking office in Puerto Rico.
Angelo Savoldi was a veteran wrestler who, while the WWF was principally owned by Vincent J McMahon ( father of Vince K McMahon) was a minority owner ( 2-5%) of the office.
After VKM bought out all the partners in his fathers organization ( Savoldi,Gorilla Monsoon, Phil Zacko, Arnold Skaaland ) S
Tough Enough, of course, is the WWE sponsored reality show, where contestants of varying degrees of wrestling skill, charisma & personality vie for the opportunity to win a WWE contract.
I watched every episode, and it became pretty obvious about 4 weeks ago that Andy Leavine, this seasons winner, was being groomed for the spot...and why? Well, because he's a legit 6'5, that why.
In terms of overall talent, ring performance & personality, runner up Luke Robinson was far & away the better choice- however, they most likely saved Luke Robinson's future career by not giving him the nod.
RObinson is the kind of personality that people instantly hate- and I don't think its a work at all. By putting Robinson in the developmental program, where they can help him mature & hopefully make him understand the unwritten codes of wrestling, they may be guaranteeing him a healthy career.
Leavine, on the other hand, will get numerous opportunities, regardless of his overall lack of charisma, due to his size. When all else fails, you can bet the house Vince McMahon will choose the big guy over the smaller guy ( Robinson is 6'0) regardless of potential & quality of performance.
I wouldn't go so far as to say Leavine was an unworthy winner, but based on the grading scale they claimed to be following, he wasn't a slam dunk choice.
*********************************************
Tough Enough's finale lead into RAW last night, which provided us a 20 minute segment that proved my theory that there just isn't very much heart & soul in todays professional wrestling.
Of course, I used the term "Professional wrestling", however the powers that be, aka Vince Mcmahon, prefere the term "sports entertainment", which I guess means that they use wrestling matches as a background for stupid skits, over written material, & lame jokes.
This is such a broken record- I truly don't like to criticize everything that goes on, but seriously.....R
Truth seceding from WWE? Was this an idea for a n angle, or just some silly piece designed to make this months top challenger for the WWE title less credible than he already was? If that was the goal, then by God, they finally accomplished something.
*************************************************************
Two different times over the weekend, the topic of a few shows I did for the Semi legendary Savoldi wrestling family was brought up, so, since theres only so many times one can write about WWE & TNA's bad tv shows, I offer you this "gem", coming to you directly from 1993....
First, a little background: The Savoldis were a family of small statured, loud talking Italians that promoted wrestling in various smaller towns in the Northeast, later Florida, and even later were involved in the IWA booking office in Puerto Rico.
Angelo Savoldi was a veteran wrestler who, while the WWF was principally owned by Vincent J McMahon ( father of Vince K McMahon) was a minority owner ( 2-5%) of the office.
After VKM bought out all the partners in his fathers organization ( Savoldi,Gorilla Monsoon, Phil Zacko, Arnold Skaaland ) S
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