A new XFL?

A new XFL?

I thought about something today: when Vince McMahon launched the XFL, it tanked. Why?

Because Vince tried his own spin on it, and he no longer has a clue what works.

At the time, I thought he'd now choose to focus on his wrestling product, which had suffered from neglect.

With ECW though he's shown he can no longer do that well.

Apparently the triple threat match with Lashley, RVD and Test went off so badly last month that Vinnie promised the show would never be live again. Then he showed up on the program, and the rating dove again.

I think Vinnie has forgotten how to make good product anymore, so this will also tank.

Has it been a week of wrestling yet?

Has it been a week of wrestling yet?

Deuce and Domino haven't tried for the Smackdown! tag titles yet, but they got to face the champs already. With the only other current team Steve Regal and David Taylor, it's understandable; they have nothing else to do.

Vince McMahon saying the old ECW sucked is almost funny, when it's followed by a title match with Test against champ Bobby Lashley for the third time. Wrestling Society X is actually more like ECW WAS anyway.

Cartoon characters are back

Cartoon characters are back

A new tag team debuted on Smackdown! this evening: Deuce and Bigelow. Two guys who came out in a red convertible, dressed like 1950s era leather jacket punks. They added some mild Andrew Dice Clay mannerisms, and brought out a valet named Cheri - a buxom blonde with her hair in a ponytail, with roller skates on her shoes, and acting like one of the old skating waitresses of the era.

The audience were booing them long before they got to the ring, before we knew if they were supposed to be faces or heels. Why the booed was I suspect because the characters were lame caricatures.

Years ago, before the Attitude Era, Vince McMahon came on TV to say he wouldn't insult the audience's intelligence with cartoon characters. Someone should remind him about that, because they are still an insult. Two wrestlers who seemed talented in the ring have now been ruined.

Back once more

Back once more

It has been nearly a year since I last posted anything here... the reason is simple: WWE has simply been stinking up the airwaves for ages, ruining my interest in their product.

I mean: you had two great ECW pay per views in a row, so what does Vince do? Relaunches ECW and makes it a pathetic joke, an insult to what it was... and manages to make its third PPV the worst show in recent history.

WWE has become so bad that so far Christian and Kurt Angle left, both heading to TNA instead. Well, so did Tyson Tomko, so they haven't only lost talents... but they already gave the fed Rhino ("Bore!". I haven't forgotten that), The Dudleys, Little Spike, spastic redhead Christy Hemme, Gail Kim... the fed so far hasn't booked them their best, but that's still a lot of talent.

The Big Show has left, citing injury... and in Vince's infinite 'wisdom', he dismissed Paul Heyman from ECW completely... the last nail in its coffin.

I'd like the product to be worth talking about, instead of me always complaining... I hope that happens soon.

RIP Johnny Grunge

This happened a few days ago: Johnny Grunge, half of one of hardcore wrestling's legendary tag-teams The Public Enemy died due to sleep apnea.

His partner Rocco Rock (Ted Petty) died in 2002, now they're together.

TPE were innovators of the hardcore style, and were also proof that a wrestler didn't have to look like a chiseled bodybuilder to do feats of acrobatics. The team were both hefty, and seeing big guys do somersault planchas was incredible to see.

Sadly that weight led to his death. Sleep apnea is a condition of being overweight, as the fat cuts off access to oxygen. The victim passes out, and in his case just didn't wake up.

Tags: Johnny Grunge, Rocco Rock, The Public Enemy.

Smackdown! - February 3, 2006

This is my first post this month.

I saw Friday Night Smackdown! Thursday night on a Canadian digital channel, but I didn't want to spoil it for my American readers.

Overall the show offered a lot of wrestling (including the return of the "they aren't heavyweights, so we won't treat them as important" Juniors, no Boogeyman, and the start of a real feud between JBL and Bobby Lashley), most of it (the ones that didn't involve Fit Finlay, Randy Orton or Mark Henry), but I think one thing will stand out overall: the tasteless comments Randy Orton made about Eddie Guerrero.

Yes, he's a heel, and he's supposed tol say bad things. This bad however is just tasteless.

I'm hoping their match at No Way Out won't result in Orton getting the Wrestlemania shot would kill most fan interest.

RAW - Jan. 22, 2006

Well, there was a lot of good stuff here (having Ric Flair perform in his hometown, the match between Shawn Michaels and Shelton Benjamin given time to develop), some really bad stuff (Chris F. Masters in that same main event match with Flair), and some downright pointless/strange stuff (give it up Vince. You aren't entertaining and you make no sense!), but this show also failed on one specific point:

It failed to make me want to see the Royal Rumble.

It isn't worth me wading through the toxic cloud of cigarette smoke at a bar, and I don't have the funds to order it... too many sucky matches for my taste.

Tags: Ric Flair, WWE RAW, Shawn Michaels, Shelton Benjamin, Vince McMahon.