Loss

Five matches, with no guys that really have the stuff to go long. I sense a disaster, especially if Funk/Sabu/Douglas are dumb enough to try to go 60 minutes again.

Did you know Hulk Hogan went to WCW and Bret Hart became champ? I'll stop there.

This is the best thing EVAR~!

I can't believe they haven't reached out to Raven to work the ECW PPV. Or maybe they have.

From Mike Johnson at 1Bob: It's already been speculated that it may just be a work to put over his current storyline, but that will be very sad if it is indeed true.

Preview: I suspect we're going to get at least one turn tonight -- either Lita or Chris Jericho. I'm inclined to think it's Lita, and they'll continue foreshadowing Jericho's turn. I can't see them running two turns in one night without it seeming like overkill. And that's assuming the current plan is to turn Jericho heel. Putting Flair over would be the dumbest thing they could possibly do right now, but then again, Christian rarely wins, and they're trying to purposely devalue him before he heads to Smackdown, which is the most defeatist and illogical thing they've done in some time, considering they plan on running him on top.

Vote for the wrestler that you think had the better career in WWE (whether you base that on impact or match quality is your decision), from 1985 to 2005. Voting will end tomorrow morning at the latest. Please give the wrestler's name first and any explanation thereafter. Thanks. PLEASE ONLY VOTE IF YOU ARE CHANGING YOUR VOTE FROM THE PREVIOUS MATCH BETWEEN THESE TWO. THANK YOU.

Vote for the wrestler that you think had the better career in WWE (whether you base that on impact or match quality is your decision), from 1985 to 2005. Voting will end tomorrow morning at the latest. Please give the wrestler's name first and any explanation thereafter. Thanks.

Vote for the wrestler that you think had the better career in WWE (whether you base that on impact or match quality is your decision), from 1985 to 2005. Voting will end tomorrow morning at the latest. Please give the wrestler's name first and any explanation thereafter. Thanks.

Vote for the wrestler that you think had the better career in WWE (whether you base that on impact or match quality is your decision), from 1985 to 2005. Voting will end tomorrow morning at the latest. Please give the wrestler's name first and any explanation thereafter. Thanks.

Vote for the wrestler that you think had the better career in WWE (whether you base that on impact or match quality is your decision), from 1985 to 2005. Voting will end tomorrow morning at the latest. Please give the wrestler's name first and any explanation thereafter. Thanks.

Vote for the wrestler that you think had the better career in WWE (whether you base that on impact or match quality is your decision), from 1985 to 2005. Voting will end tomorrow morning at the latest. Please give the wrestler's name first and any explanation thereafter. Thanks.

Vote for the wrestler that you think had the better career in WWE (whether you base that on impact or match quality is your decision), from 1985 to 2005. Voting will end tomorrow morning at the latest. Please give the wrestler's name first and any explanation thereafter. Thanks.

Vote for the wrestler that you think had the better career in WWE (whether you base that on impact or match quality is your decision), from 1985 to 2005. Voting will end tomorrow morning at the latest. Please give the wrestler's name first and any explanation thereafter. Thanks.

Vote for the wrestler that you think had the better career in WWE (whether you base that on impact or match quality is your decision), from 1985 to 2005. Voting will end tomorrow morning at the latest. Please give the wrestler's name first and any explanation thereafter. Thanks.

Great write-up! I'm so glad you're digging this stuff. I can't wait to dive into all of it myself. Do you agree with me now when I said the perfect American wrestling promotion would have a Mid-South booking style and an All Japan wrestling style? I think Mid South was so much better than any other territory in its time period -- better than the WWF because of the match quality and the emphasis on logic and credibility; better than the NWA because the heels actually got their comeuppance when it was time for the faces to go over; better than the AWA because they actually tried to make people care about the wrestlers as people. The only flaw they really had was Watts' tendency to always push big guys, but *everyone* was expected to work hard out there, so you had guys like Kamala and Dusty Rhodes having good matches on his shows because he wouldn't settle for less ... and if there was demand for a small guy to be pushed, be it Ricky Morton or Eddie Gilbert, he at least ran with it. So yeah, I love Mid South. It's the standard I compare all other wrestling to, at least in terms of how a company should be run.

Well, Jarrett came through and dropped the title to Styles, but from the match descriptions I'm reading, it seems like he may have been upset and opted not to put him over huge. Styles won the title after Ortiz decked him, and Monty Brown's interference backfired. Nonetheless, if the goal is for the Carters to slowly take away the pull of the Jarretts and take full control of the company, now they have the opportunity to do so.

I used to hate matches always starting in headlocks, but the more footage I watch, the more sense it makes. And yeah, there are all sorts of things one can do with a side headlock to make it fun and interesting. Check out Jumbo/Kawada from 10/24/91 in AJPW for an even better example of this. Also, I'll be talking about Benoit/Guerrero from NJ 06/11/96 soon, which sees Benoit use the sleeper in the most fun way I've ever seen a sleeper used. It's awesome. It's easy to tell the difference between a chinlock being used as a resthold and a chinlock being used to further the match, or at least it is for me. In Benoit/Scorpio from SuperBrawl III, for example, the entire match is built around it, because it's the only way Benoit can control Scorp at all. When a heel uses it to build up sympathy for a face who may not be getting the best crowd reaction, it's appropriate. When it slows what was otherwise strong momentum and pacing out of whack, it's obvious it's a resthold.

I love this match! I'm wondering if the no-DQ match you mentioned is the same one I have. Is DiBiase wearing a green shirt? Are they dressed in the first match like they're having a bunkhouse match? If so, I've seen that one. If not, I don't think I have. Great review! I can't wait to get this stuff.