Live Notes From WWE RAW (5/25/2009)

I took advantage of the given opportunity to attend RAW tonight at Staples Center. I had good seats and enjoyed the night. Here are a few notes I thought I would mention.

- It seemed like a pretty loud crowd for the most part. Staples Center was definitely not sold out with very little wait time to get into the arena, lots of open parking, and a completely tarped off top sections. All the lower sections, however, were filled up and seemed sold out. I would guesstimate at least 8,000 people were in attendance, possibly more. They did a promotion all night long with Lillian Garcia announcing it during commercial breaks that if you took your RAW ticket stubs to the box office, you can buy tickets for SmackDown! at half price, which shows you had bad SmackDown! was doing with ticket sales. This offer was good only for tonight during the show and right after it.

- During the Santino Marella/Vickie Guerrero talking segment, a pretty big guy from the main floor seats was getting escorted out by three security guards (no idea why or what he did), who had to drag him out. He fought back and being so large it got ugly so the security guards had to defend himself and tackled him down. He ended up hitting his head (on the floor or on a seat, or on a step — again, no idea), and laid down for quite a while before he got up and walked off with the guards following behind. WWE did a good job of not showing any of this on camera, but they got lucky as Vickie Guerrero was on stage anyway, and they used close-ups of Santino that wouldn’t have gotten any of this.

- Only celebrity present was Michael Clark Duncan who got on Kiss Cam during one of the commercial breaks. He was pretty funny, as he showed a gum pack to the camera, opened it, took a gum in and then kissed his date.

- In case you haven’t seen it yet, matches taped for Superstars were Jack Swagger over Fit Finlay in a decent bout, and the Colons over Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas in the opening dark match with the help of Cryme Tyme which had A LOT of heat as the first bout of the night. The after-show main event was John Cena over The Miz in a long match where Miz got some offense in.

- Speaking of, without a doubt the two most over guys were John Cena and The Miz. The fans reacted very strongly to every Miz segment, and he was great in most everything he did. I’m not sure how much of this got on TV, but Miz cut a pretty long promo talking about the Cavs, LeBron James, and other anti-Laker topics which was over huge. Cena was the usual stuff. Batista got a loud ovation as one would expect. The Colons were really over as the first act out, but even later on when they came out for commentary, got a bigger ovation than anyone expected which probably explains Carlito’s good mood tonight.

- There really is nothing like watching Maryse. Few people seem to care about the divas these days which only shows how bad women’s wrestling has gotten here, but Maryse is something else. From the moment her music plays, to her strut down the ramp, to her facial expression, her hand gestures, hair flip, and constant giggle on her face, this woman breathes charisma. She blows most guys on the roster out of the water when it comes to presence, character, and charisma.

- The L.A. crowd had a lot of fun with the main event, pulling chants from Laker games such as “Defense!” and “We Want Tacos!” (If the Lakers win at home and score more than a 100 points while their opponent doesn’t get above 100, they give out free tacos to everyone). I’m not sure what this does with WWE in the bigger picture, but it probably served as a great way to hype up the NBA, so David Stern should thank Vince.

One of the All-Time Best Promos

Quick WWE Draft Picks Thoughts

1 — United States Champion MVP to Raw

This pick simply makes sense. MVP has run out of things to do on SmackDown! and needed a change of scenery. Bringing the US Championship on RAW might help him stand out at first, and if WWE plans on giving him any kind of push, it’d be smart to start things up by promoting his belt a bit. It really depends on which direction the booking goes in general, but if things remain the same, he’ll be stuck in the mid-card circuit.

2 — Big Show to Raw

I think this was just a swap for Kane. Both guys are at about the same pecking order, and there wasn’t much left at their old homes. It’ll be interesting to see how WWE plays up the Vickie Guerrero card with Big Show, now that the two are on the same brand, while Edge remains on SmackDown! in what’s almost the forgotten love triangle now. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Big Show involved in the main event picture from time to time, as both he and Kane are people WWE calls on in time of need.

3 — WWE Women’s Champion Melina to SmackDown

With the return of Gail Kim, and the progress of Michelle McCool, it seems that SmackDown! is the new place for women’s wrestling in WWE. I’m not sure what the company has on mind when it comes to this division, but I do know that they view the Women’s Championship as the “wrestlers’ belt,” and the Divas Championship as a prop. Melina moving was rumored over the weekend and is also a part of the company’s attempt to bring the SmackDown! Hispanic rating back up.

4 — Matt Hardy to Raw

This might be their way out of the Jeff Hardy storyline, but it’s also a good move in my opinion. Matt might be onto something with this heel character, and the two needed to separate badly, as their storyline was a flop for the most part. I don’t see Matt getting anything out of his stay at RAW, but again depending on what direction they go in past Backlash, he might be called on!

5 — WWE Champion Triple H to Raw

This makes sense and had to happen as the Triple H vs. Randy Orton storyline is to be the main one on RAW for at least two more months. You didn’t think Triple H would stay on SmackDown!, did you?! Contrary to what many believe, I think that The Game is a better fit on RAW. The company (and this is mostly Triple H and Stephanie’s faults) just doesn’t do a good job of booking Triple H right.

6 — CM Punk to SmackDown

CM Punk’s title win last year and his hideous fall from the top afterwords was the big elephant in the room that WWE decided to avoid. Luckily, they addressed the issue, and I’m glad this pick happened. SmackDown! can use someone like Punk, and with Triple H gone, and Undertaker aging, there’s a need for fresh faces to push on Fridays.

7 — The Miz to Raw

I don’t like it one bit. It really wasn’t smart to break up the only good thing they have that’s close to a tag team. The bottom line is that unifying the belts was their way to signal they’re done with the division for the time being. (And they have been since 2001, to be honest.) Morrison should have gotten the push, and I feel that he will on ECW, unless he gets drafted to SmackDown! in the Supplementary draft. The latter scenario makes more sense. I wouldn’t want to be The Miz right now, as his days might be numbered. On the other hand, he showed some great charisma tonight in attacking his now former tag team partner. He’s lucky that they like him better.

8 — Kane to SmackDown

The trade-off for Big Show. Very reminiscent of Kane’s move to SmackDown! a few years ago. Let’s hope this one ends up better.

9 — Chris Jericho to SmackDown

It makes sense. With Triple H moving back to RAW, either Batista, Shawn Michaels, or Chris Jericho had to go as a way to match things up. To be honest, Chris Jericho is the best fit of the three, and he’s exactly what the brand needs. He’s also pretty much exhausted all his options for a feud on RAW since returning to WWE.

10 — Vladimir Kozlov to ECW

They do this every year. They give ECW the shaft on TV, and then stack the brand up in the supplementary draft. Well, I can’t say I’m surprised with this pick. Some people just never learn.

11 — WWE Diva’s Champion Maryse to Raw

This was the trade-off for Melina going to SmackDown!. Maryse is a great fit on RAW because her charisma is off the charts, and she comes off as one of the biggest stars on the show.

12 — Rey Mysterio to SmackDown

Essentially, this is the trade-off for MVP going to RAW, as the US and IC Championships are supposed to be on the same level. Mysterio’s move to SmackDown! was much needed. The brand needs to restore its popularity in Hispanic audience — a factor of its followers that helped them achieve great financial success in past years. Giving Carlito & Primo Colon a push was step 1 in the process. Drafting Mysterio and Melina was step 2. I don’t know what step 3 is, but I pray it’s the right move.

I doubt there will be any major moves at the Supplementary Draft on Wednesday. I do expect another high mid-carder to be moved. I think Christian going to SmackDown! is a smart move, but only if ECW can be given more talent to compensate. I think there’s no doubt that since returning, Christian has been one of the best in-ring performers on nightly basis. I wouldn’t be surprised to see ECW get a few names added, as pointed out. As far as the commentators go, I expect some shake-ups, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if they kept things as they are. Ross and Grisham makes no sense on SmackDown! and having Ross do color commentary is just degrading to me. I want to see Striker get a spot on RAW or SmackDown! (along Ross or Cole — can’t you just picture it?!), but I feel that Vince will get to him a whole lot more if that happens, and we won’t get the same great stuff Vince lets him get away with on ECW. I like Josh Matthews, besides the weird nosebleed tonight. Let’s see what happens!

We’ll have more on Wednesday!

Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

I never liked Shawn Michaels. Yep, I said it. He was harsh, cocky, and annoying in his prime. But you know what I hated most about him? Every time he got in the ring, he backed his big words up by finding a way to steal the show. His match was guaranteed to be good, and on most nights (read: when he wanted to), he had the power to determine whether or not his match would be the best on the show. That’s how good Shawn is.

When he made his return a few years ago from the supposed “career-ending” back injury, I started liking Shawn. The veteran mat-technician, who now seemed to have as his goal to always steal the show. He wasn’t as cocky or harsh. He was toned down. I don’t know if I buy into the “he was reborn” argument. I respect Shawn’s religious beliefs, I just don’t know how much of them we can attribute his changed character to. You see, Shawn made it his goal to steal the show when he came back. He was hungry to end his career on a much better note. He wanted to make more memories for his kids. He wanted to leave a bigger impact on the industry he couldn’t leave behind.

Think back of all the Shawn Michaels PPV matches you’ve seen since his return to the ring in 2002. How many bad ones can you think of? One? Two? What about his marquee matches, as in every main event he’s been on, and every match he’s been involved with that took place at a SummerSlam, Survivor Series, or WrestleMania. I like the WrestleMania Shawn. He buys into the “Mr. WrestleMania” gimmick more than Hogan buys into Hulkamania when he does his ridiculous interviews with his friend Bubba.

Last year at WrestleMania, Shawn had a unique role. His match was supposed to steal the show, and he wasn’t supposed to be the center of attention. I was a bit worried. The good thing here was that he was a part of Ric Flair’s retirement, and nobody could ever overshadow that. It makes sense that Ric and Shawn are the best of friends and respect each other so much. Really, aren’t they the same person in so many aspects of life? From the characters they play, to their cockiness and drive to the best (which is what made them two of the best ever), to the funny story Ric Flair tells of coming home after Nitro one night to find out his son’s new favorite wrestler is RAW’s Shawn Michaels. Shawn did his part at WrestleMania 24 and went his way. You see, the new HBK has been a company guy. He’s returned early from injury to help his brand out when all its stars went down with injuries. He’s been involved in edgy storylines for the last year (Chris Jericho, JBL) that he didn’t need to be a part of, and I can’t even remember and the thought of him as champion is almost non-existent.

There is no way HBK was going to WrestleMania 25 to be the company guy. There was only one thought in Shawn’s head, and you could see it a month ago. He was going to steal the show. He was going to be Mr. WrestleMania. He was going to have the most memorable match of the night, regardless what spot on the card he was in. He was given 31 minutes. He was given the third match down from top on the card. Most important of all, he was given the perfect opponent – The Undertaker.

These two guys can barely walk. Shawn’s knees are in such a bad shape, that retirement has been on his mind for a few months now, with every interviewer asking Shawn about the date of his final match. Undertaker didn’t go out WrestleMania weekend. He wasn’t at the Axxess tour, nor any of the other WWE venues. I’m not sure if he was at the Hall of Fame, in fact. What I do know is that he spent the entire weekend in his hotel room with ice packs attached to his legs. What I also hear is that he’s been doing this for a few years. Undertaker’s retirement has been pending for at least 5 years now. It gets postponed every year. He’s out of action due to a serious injury, or due to nagging pains, more and more every year. And with every year his match at WrestleMania gets better and better.

Nobody liked this card, heading into WrestleMania. But we all knew there was one match which was for sure going to be good and steal the show. That one match got the most time out of all, and rightfully so. It was the true main event — HBK vs. The Undertaker. A lot of people are arguing whether or not it’s the best WrestleMania match they’ve seen. I think it’s too early to say. I need another year to pass, and I need to see the match a couple of more times on DVD before I can make that call. It’s hard to forget Shawn’s ladder match with Razor Ramon. It’s hard to put this ahead of Austin and Bret, who defined an industry, and signified a new era in pro wrestling with their WrestleMania match. It’s even harder to put this ahead of Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar, who were one shooting star away from a perfect match. It’s even harder to put this ahead of Michaels and Angle at WrestleMania 21 — a match I saw live in Los Angeles and was sure is the best match I’ve ever seen. (The “live” aspect helps, but also notice how one name keeps appearing in this list of “best ‘Mania matches.”)

‘Taker and Shawn left it all in the ring at WrestleMania. From Undertaker’s bump that went all kinds of wrong after his jump over the ropes, to the amazing sequence of finishers and kick-outs. To me, this wasn’t a five-star wrestling mat classic. However, it was definitely a five-star performance. HBK and Undertaker this past Sunday were two masters of ring psychology; two old veterans with beat up bodies who are not used to having a bad match, and two guys who knew they were going to have the best match of the night and nothing less. They did something that’s missing in today’s pro wrestling world. They used their bodies to tell you a story. From the beginning to the end, they made you more and more interested. They made you sit in front of the TV, glued in. Their facial expressions changed with every minute. Their timing was perfect. Their movements were carefully calculated and practiced, and the one or two times they went wrong, the veteran ability prevailed, disguising the errors as something planned. You didn’t want the match to end. You didn’t believe that Shawn kicked out of the tombstone, delivered to him after a chokeslam and last ride, both of which he kicked out from. There was no way in hell you thought Undertaker was going to get up from the second Sweet Chin Music which hit him right in the face, and it him so hard that it left a boot impression on his cheek as his head went flying. Everybody knew, going into this bout, that Undertaker was winning. A few minutes in, nobody was sure. And if you’ve gotten the audience to that point, then just like Ricky Steamboat pointed out at the Hall of Fame, “we got them.”

As far as Mark Calaway and Michael Hickenbottom are concerned, there’s no doubt — they got us.

WrestleMania 25 Preview & Predictions

Later tonight, WWE will present the 25th edition of WrestleMania, their biggest show all year. Before writing my preview and predictions, I tried to sit down and think of all the events that got us to this point in time. I got nowhere. But I also got the introduction to my column.

You see, WWE changed their way of thinking completely this year when it came to building up the Showcase of the Immortals. Usually, by the time the No Way Out PPV ends in February, we have a pretty good idea of what the top matches at WrestleMania will look like. This has been the case for many years now. However, it wasn’t the case in 2009 for WrestleMania 25. Whether this new “you have to watch all the TV shows leading up to ‘Mania to find out what’s happening at the PPV” approach will work or not has become a popular debate online. I think this will cost the company quite a lot of money, as the slow build and constant change of plans made a lot of fans annoyed with storylines. To put it shortly, WWE failed to make us care this year, even when it comes to WrestleMania. That’s quite a statement!

1) Nicole Scherzinger sings America the Beautiful

Can I just share with everyone that this woman is incredibly hot?! Let’s hope she does a great job singing “America the Beautiful” because I’ve always enjoyed seeing this opening to WrestleMania!

Prediction: Eddie will be happy with the opening!

2) JBL vs. Rey Mysterio for IC Title

I feel bad for these guys. Both of them are great talents who deserve better. JBL was embarked on the painful quest of being HBK’s employer in one of those WWE-only storylines we’d rather forget now. (And isn’t it amazing most of us have already forgotten about it?) Rey has simply been lost in the shuffle since he was drafted to RAW. From what I hear he’s going back home to SmackDown! where he was great and helped the Hispanic rating of the show go through the roof. JBL promised to do something “historic” at WrestleMania. From what I understand, he’s to announce his retirement, and against that can only be something “historic” that I care about if he retires as the last Intercontinental Champion? We shall see. I expect JBL to give a full effort on this one, and Rey should be great. As long as they have some chemistry tonight, this will be okay.

Prediction: JBL

3) Money in the Bank Ladder Match

MITB is always one of the best matches at WrestleMania, since it’s been introduced. Sadly, this year few people will care going in. WWE did a terrible job building this bout up, as instead of telling the multiple layers of this story, they kept putting the participants on TV in situations where they looked silly and bad. Mark Henry and Kane going into this is a question mark. Predicting a winner would also be tough. At the end of the night, I still have the feeling MITB will be one of the top three matches on the show, and will still be good stuff thanks to the experienced guys in there (Christian, Punk, and Finlay), the great athletes (MVP, Benjamin, Kingston), and um… those other two.

Prediction: Christian

4) Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Steamboat & Roddy Piper & Jimmy Snuka.

So this is no longer a handicap match. It will now be a gauntlet match. What a disaster this amazing storyline turned out to be. Jericho’s work on the microphone setting this up was more than great, it was perfect. He said the right things to the right people at the right time in the right way. The legends did their part as much as they could but at the end we got a match that wasn’t originally planned and that could be disastrous unless Steamboat pulls a miracle. You see, the plan was to get Mickey Rourke vs. Jericho with Flair in Rourke’s corner, but Rourke’s manager nixed the idea. Then Rourke didn’t win the Oscar, and WWE got even more disappointed, as they realized he won’t mean much. He’s still appearing, but I doubt anyone cares. Piper & Snuka can’t move well due to health issues. We’ve heard Steamboat is in shape, and that supposedly will surprise a lot of people on Sunday. I hope so because Jericho deserves better.

Prediction: The Legends

5) John Morrison & The Miz vs. Carlito & Primo Colon for the tag title unification in a Lumberjack Match

I’ve enjoyed this storyline from the start. I really do wish these four had some time on RAW, but maybe keeping them off the show worked out for the better because they truly got to shine on ECW and SmackDown!. It was going to be a great match until they made it a Lumberjack cluster, but it is what it is. The Bellas are the key here!

Prediction: Miz & Morrison

6) Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy Extreme rules match

I just don’t think this feud will ever work. It can, but it won’t. The people love Matt and Jeff too much to care for this match. They should have gone with the original plan, which was using Christian in Matt’s spot. The holes in logic are too large to overcome here, and ultimately the people will not like seeing Matt vs. Jeff in my opinion. I’m not sure who wins this, as the program will probably continue post WrestleMania.

Prediction: Matt Hardy

7) Kid Rock short concert

Remember when Kid Rock appeared on RAW in 2001? That’s when he mattered…

25 Divas Battle Royal

Word is Santino Marella and Mae Young are in. That’s a horrible move, and I hope they protect Mae well. The thought of her in the ring is scary. Well, I hope this turns out well!

Prediction: Santino or Mae

9) Edge vs. John Cena vs. Big Show for the World title

Very irritating feud. Not because it’s yet another program I don’t care about, but it’s because they had something great the night Cena revealed the love affair. All four involved were great. Then they dropped the ball once again. The winner here and in the WWE Title match will probably be determined based on who ends up where after the draft, but if this match isn’t going last, I have the feeling we might not see a Cena win.

Prediction: Edge

10) Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker

The only match people are interested in seeing that should go on last, but won’t for several reasons. I didn’t like the direction they took with the weird HBK videos, and the Undertaker character that cuts serious promos and is neither a Dead Man nor a Bad Ass, but a weird combination of the two. The bottom line is that you have two guys people love, and two characters everyone cares about, thus we are interested. It will definitely be a good match.

Prediction: The Undertaker

11) HHH vs. Randy Orton for WWE Championship – No DQs or Count-outs

In today’s day and age, it is very rare to witness a memorable moment on a WWE TV show. A moment that will be remembered years from today — maybe because a star is made; maybe because a great creative twist took place; or maybe because a feud for the ages was set. These moments are memorable for a reason — they really are very rare! A few weeks ago on RAW, a memorable moment took place when Randy Orton kicked Vince McMahon in the head. Orton, who had shined before, truly stood out this time. He became a star. He was connecting with the audience on a whole new level. He was become something WWE has lacked for years — a new, unique, creative persona that makes people care and brings interest to the show.

I think this magic was all lost when Shane McMahon was introduced into the storyline. When Stephanie was added to the mix, we got some of the heat back. When Triple H came in, it once again peaked, though not in the same way. Sadly, the follow-up of the two chasing each other in cartoonish segments was really bad. I know these two will have a great match because they can both work great, especially with each other. It will be a good match, and hopefully fans will find some reasons to get into it! If this match goes last, I’d presume Triple H wins. The idea here is to build towards a 6-way (Vince/Shane/Hunter vs. Legacy) at Backlash with Triple H coming to RAW off the Draft. We then go to singles matches again and end eventually with a double turn of Orton going face and Triple H going heel. If they decide to stay with Orton as heel, they’ll need to get Stephanie’s assistant, as she turns on Hunter. It’s so simple, it can’t be messed up, right?!

Prediction: Triple H

This looks like a decent card on paper. It will be an action-packed show with MITB, HBK/Undertaker, and Triple H/Orton being all great matches. If given the right amount of time and booking, Matt vs. Jeff also has the potential to be very good.

Let’s have a good WrestleMania tomorrow!

Guess Who Shaved!

And guess who doesn’t want to discuss what he’s up to these days and what a guy’s balls look like when on steroids…

Yes, you guessed right…

Chris Jericho Fights With Fans

This has been quite an insane weekend with so many stories developing! Of course for pro wrestling fans, the leading story has to deal with Chris Jericho getting into an altercation with a few fans after a show in Victoria, BC. For full coverage of the situation, I advise that you visit TBLWrestling.com, of course!

I just don’t understand how we can have a situation like this develop in 2009. WWE often times refers to Canada as Bizarro Land on their shows, but that’s usually when the Canadian crowds (especially Toronto) don’t react the way Vince wants them to. Well the incident of Saturday will not help Canadian fans! When will people learn that when you go to a wrestling event, you can yell whatever the heck you want. You can chant, clap, boo, and verbally yell at the wrestlers as much as you want. You paid your ticket. That’s why they want you there, in fact! To react to their spectacle. You may never under any circumstance reach out and create contact with wrestlers! That’s just the dumbest thing you can do. Imagine all the crazy fans we’ve seen storming the ring. Now picture being the wrestler inside who has no idea you’re coming. What is he to think? Why are you there? Are you drunk/high? What’s your next move? They don’t know the answer to any of those questions. The only logical thing they can do is hurt you first and not risk their own safety. How can you blame them?

And that’s talking about a wrestling show. There should be no comment as to how you should handle wrestlers AFTER THE SHOW as they’re leaving the arena, which is what happened with Jericho. Now you’re no longer a fan. You no longer paid for a ticket, and you no longer have the right to act a certain way around pro wrestlers. They’re citizens, just like you! How the hell do you come up with the idea of going in front of Jericho’s vehicle, banging on it with your bare arms, him trying to come out of the car, and you shutting the door on him? What do you really think he’s going to do??? Does he know you, why you’re there, or what you’re doing this for?! Then the cries begin. He punched a woman! Did you not see that woman spit on him, him spit on her in return, and her running at him as she was about to spear him into his car?! What would you do?! I would definitely defend myself whether it’s a man or woman. Of course, a few fans caught punches they didn’t deserve. But you know what? They shouldn’t have been there in the first place! You have no business going in front of Jericho’s car and yelling at him after the show is done. I support Chris entirely, and I hope this mess doesn’t affect him. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him before, and he was a very nice guy. I also know quite a few people who’ve taken a picture with him, or have gotten his autograph just seeing him on the street, and he has never been rude to any of them. When Chris Jericho strikes the “innocent fans” I can assure you they’re not so innocent! Welcome to Bizarro Land!

Jim Wilson Dies at 67

I’ve watched professional wrestling for a long time. I was shocked one day, shortly after I got Internet access for the first time in my life, to go on-line and type in “pro wrestling” into a search engine and see so many results. After about a week or two of reading through thousands of pages, I was exposed to professional wrestling like never before. I found out what a “blade job” was. I now knew how wrestlers bleed during their matches. I learned about backstage talk, political games in wrestling, and a whole lot more that goes on behind the scenes. If I wanted to, I was even able to read about what will happen on the next show because there were these things called “spoilers.” That was in the very late 1990s when the boom of the Internet hit us all for the first time.

However, by far the most intriguing things I learned “about the business” came from a book my friend, TBLWrestling.com columnist Trevor Hunnicutt, let me borrow and read. The book was CHOKEHOLD: Pro Wrestling’s Real Mayhem Outside the Ring. It was written by a guy named Jim Wilson, a name that I knew very little about initially.

Jim Wilson was a former University of Georgia All-American football player. He talks about his football career in the book, reminiscing about his college days. He went on to play for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL. He was introduced to pro wrestling in the off-seasons and made good money working matches. The Falcons didn’t appreciate his “wrestling” at one point in time, and he was eventually sent to Los Angeles. Eventually he started wrestling full-time. His career went down the drain, when he went to Australia in the 1970s to work for Jim Barnett, a gay promoter who made an advance on him. When Wilson refused to sleep with his boss, he was blackmailed and couldn’t find work as a result for years. His bitterness about wrestling and life turned him into one of the most prominent men with a good cause in pro wrestling’s recent history, as he tried hard to unionize wrestlers. His appearance in 1985 on ABC’s 20/20 is historic and groundbreaking, exposing the wrestlers’ lifestyle and backstage struggle. He went on to form strikes and protests against promoters that blackmailed him (Barnett especially), and talked to other wrestlers about forming a union. In the book, he discusses selling out to the cause for money, trying again, and shares stories of other wrestlers who have suffered with the business in other ways. I never did finish the last chapter of the book, and there was probably a reason for it. I couldn’t take more knowledge at the time. I remember being skeptical about reading the book, but on Trevor’s recommendation, I did so and I’m glad.

CHOKEHOLD, which every wrestling fan should read, exposed the business to me like the Internet couldn’t. The book is a negative portrayal of the industry, and is quite controversial, as was Wilson. It follows the history of the National Wrestling Alliance, as well as that of Wilson’s own career. It ends with Vince McMahon’s now infamous government trial. While it explained things to me I already knew from the Internet, it also told me things I didn’t want to know. It exposed the life of a wrestler, and how wrestlers were often times pawns used by promoters. It was obvious that Wilson was bitter. I also knew from reading The Wrestling Observer Newsletter and other historical sources that he exaggerated a couple of times in the book. It really doesn’t matter. There’s no such thing as an honest pro wrestling book. There’s no such thing as an honest pro wrestler, or an honest pro wrestling promoter. The book tells you what professional wrestling really is like outside the ring, and it’s captivating. It is definitely one of the most important books ever written about professional wrestling.

If you get a chance, look at this video, which features Jim Wilson and Thunderbolt Patterson trying to be realistic in what will seem to you as a surreal world. Watch all five parts (further links are on there), think about how pathetic all of this is now, and realize what battle Jim Wilson was fighting. Then ask yourself, is today’s pro wrestling world any different?

Jim Wilson lost a battle with cancer this past Monday night, and left us at age 67. I extend my condolences to his family and close friends, as well as to all his fans. He is, to me, a key figure in the history of professional wrestling.

Possibly the Worst RAW in a While

Perhaps one of the only reasons I still watch RAW every Monday is because it’s become a habit. I’m one of those viewers who have been around for a while and haven’t missed a RAW on a Monday in years because they’ve made it a part of their schedule. It’s convenient to do so. It’s on Monday night at 9 PM — a day and time during which most people are at home anyway. Usually when RAW is good, I am quite excited to update TBLWrestling.com with a RAW-related top story, check around the Internet to see what other think of the show, and the likes. I might even write about the show if I have the proper time, or reflect on it, or think about future storylines, etc. Then there are the days when the show is not so great, or even bad. I usually just update TBLWrestling.com in this case, look around the ‘net to see if I’m the only person who thought the show was horrible, and go to bed.

This past Monday night was very different. For the first time in years, I was actually angry after the show went off the air. Yes. Angry. How does someone get angry from a television show? How silly is that?

I’ve seen plenty of bad RAW shows in the decade and a half I’ve spent watching this show. I have never seen a show so horribly booked and so pointlessly stupid as the one this past Monday night. Nothing about this show made sense. Nothing about this show was right. It was so bad, that by the end of it, you felt betrayed. Like when your favorite sports team trades their best player because the owner wants to cash-in while the player is in his prime.

There really isn’t a whole lot going on these days with WWE. There’s nothing new, or exciting. We are seeing recycled programs over and over again, and the people on top have been the same names that were there years ago. There are no new stars, no new stories, and no new characters to get excited about or even care about. The ONLY thing WWE had going for them in the past couple of months was Randy Orton. Since his return last year from injury, it was obvious that he was coming into his own when it comes to the character he portrays. A cocky, brash individual who over the course of a few months because a legitimate bad-ass to the point a few people were actually cheering him. And that was the red button. How dare we disrespect the McMahons’ booking?!

The writers simply forgot what’s important in pro wrestling. It’s to get a response. To get people talking. To get people going so that they tune in and watch the show and buy the PPV. Randy Orton was developing a character, that I assure you plenty of people would have loved to watch and buy PPVs for. Not anymore. After this past Monday night, Randy Orton is a joke. A borderline bad-ass, who needed lawyers, a therapist, and Legacy to hide behind when the all-mighty McMahons confronted him. If that’s not enough, this cocky heel who was destroying everything in his way, got beat up on national television by a 39-year-old man with gray hair, who was so out of shape that 30 seconds into his “attack” on Legacy and Orton, he couldn’t even lift up his arms for the horrible punches he was throwing. So we once again found out who the true bad-ass was in this company. It’s every person whose last name is McMahon. Because you know, the previous night The Legacy composed three of the final four wrestlers left in the Rumble. We knew Triple H (the fourth one) was going to throw Cody and Ted around, and a lot of people have a problem with him doing that. It’s still not that bad. Triple H is a wrestler. He’s a former multi-time champion, and whether you like him or hate him, he’s a pivotal part of the shows, and has been for years. Shane McMahon isn’t. He’s a joke! How can we possibly believe that Shane can do the same things Triple H couldn’t do? Triple H couldn’t eliminate all three guys at the Rumble, but Shane could just beat the crap out of them? Are you kidding me?! Oh and by the way, also punch out Kofi Kingston and make the entire locker room back up like a bunch of gutless bastards because he’s Shane all mighty.

Not to mention that we saw this feud years ago. Only it was Linda McMahon playing Vince back then, and it was Kane playing Randy Orton. So there you go. Instead of having Randy Orton become the new megastar of pro wrestling by the end of 2009, we probably have to sit through him getting pushed in fire dumpsters, electrocuting Shane’s testicles, and God knows what else.

This feud needs to end at No Way Out. I’m not joking. They’ve already done major damage to Orton, and they’ve pissed far too many people off.

I don’t have the patience to write my thoughts on the rest of the show, but the booking there was just as bad. See “booking three-minute matches as Elimination Chamber qualifiers, tag team championships matches, and the like.”

Royal Rumble 2009 PPV Preview

There are two WWE PPV events in the year that I always order, no matter what. One of them, is of course WrestleMania. While those who know me well are aware of my inexplicable love for the SummerSlam PPV, the other PPV event I must watch every year is actually the Royal Rumble.

The concept of the Rumble has always intrigued me, even during the times when the event was watered down and not done in its full potential.

First and foremost, the Royal Rumble match itself is special because we only see it once a year. In today’s world of professional wrestling even championship belts don’t mean as much. Stipulations for title matches are an old story, and companies like TNA tend to overdo them until they are beaten to death. The fact of the matter is that in today’s pro wrestling world, the only real protected tradition that still feels special is the Royal Rumble match.

What makes the Rumble match great is its plethora of subplots to be on the lookout for. We’ve seen plenty over the years. We’ve had situations of Brother vs. Brother (Hardy vs. Hardy to be more specific). We’ve seen alliances and tag teams break up for a night because this match truly is “every man for himself.” We’ve seen amazing performances such as wrestlers lasting for a long time (Rey Mysterio, Shawn Michaels, Kane to name a few), feuds reborn, different brands colliding, changes of rules, exciting finishes, double winners, big spots… Quite frankly, the Rumble match is one of my favorite matches! Thus the Royal Rumble PPV is my second favorite PPV of the year!

2009 Royal Rumble Preview & Predictions

1) The Royal Rumble Match
Well we do know one thing. It’s going to be good! WWE chose to put its main players in the Rumble this year, as guys like Triple H, The Undertaker, Big Show, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and CM Punk are all in the match. A prediction here is pretty much impossible. I would go with a RAW wrestler, as from what I understand the SmackDown! WrestleMania challenger is to be determined at No Way Out. But you know how planning goes in WWE these days. This will change 24048 times before Sunday.

2) World Heavyweight Championship Match — JBL with Shawn Michaels vs. John Cena (champion)
Here’s the deal — the JBL/Michaels storyline has been horrible. It defied all logic, made no sense for the most part, and really isn’t something that we should care for. However, JBL and HBK are two of the best speakers in the company and Michaels is by far the best actor in wrestling today, and their amazing selling of this on the mic has gotten people to care. They sold it well. If JBL wins, we’re headed to a JBL/HBK match at WrestleMania, which I don’t want to see. If Cena wins, sadly, we might be headed to the same match at ‘Mania but not for the title.

3) WWE Heavyweight Championship — Edge vs. Jeff Hardy (champion)
Poor Jeff Hardy. They just have no faith in him. He’s slowly becoming the CM Punk of SmackDown!, where there’s always a sketchy storyline surrounding him, even when he’s champion. I hope these two tear the house down, and trust me, they can do it. They know each other more than well. I would predict an Edge win here with an interference from Christian, as the plan with all these “accidents” is for a Christian/Hardy storyline leading to WrestleMania.

4) ECW Heavyweight Championship — Matt Hardy vs. Jack Swagger (champion)
I really like Swagger. I think he has managed to find his place in ECW and has successfully developed a character to be on the look-out for. It’ll be interesting to see what they do here, but with Tommy Dreamer’s promise to retire by June if he doesn’t win the title, I would assume they need a heel champion for a Dreamer feud, so I’d go with Swagger.

5) WWE Women’s Championship — Melina vs. Beth Phoenix (champion)
Is it just me or is there no way this match ends without a title change caused by an outside interference from Santino and Rosa? Of course, followed on RAW by the big plan revelation that Santino and Rosa are together… Or is that too TNA-ish? I have the feeling we’ll have a title switch here, one way or another.

This doesn’t look like all that on paper, but I expect a lot of time will go to the Rumble match as all the big names are in it. Cena/JBL has the potential to be bad, but on the other hand Edge and Hardy could be very good. I suggest getting the show!

Eddie T. has been a columnist for TBLWrestling.com since 2002. You may read his personal blog — filled with more content — by clicking here!