Marty

It's surreal, but not all surprising if you realize what Abby's been up to these days. Abby owns a restaurant in Atlanta, and is reportedly courteous, kind, and accomodating to the customers. A real gentleman.

It just struck me now, but if this plan is a go, we not only know who's going over in the MITB2 match at WrestleMania, but how he'll use it (right to a title shot), and why he'll use it.

I credit that to him being completely different than everyone else. Yeah, it's taken a really over-the-top, nutty, cartoonish gimmick for that to happen, but the Boogeyman is a lesson on how being different can work, albeit in this case, likely the short term.

I need one of those applause emoticons for Loss right now. I've been enjoying Smackdown for the very same reasons he has stated here, and I don't think I could come close to describing them as well as he has. Well done, Loss!

I watched WrestleMania XII tonight, and to be totally frank, the Iron Man match is one that's actually aging better with me each time I watch it. Many have knocked Michaels for attacking Hart's shoulder and Hart for going for chinlocks and headlocks on Michaels, but the way I look at it, both guys were doing a fine job of the "best defense is a good offense" gameplan. For instance, Hart's chinlocks were similar to JBL's side headlocks on Eddie Guerrero at JD04, in a sense that Hart was trying to wear the quick Michaels down. OTOH, Michaels' work on the shoulder of Hart is to prevent Hart from grappling moves over the course of the match, something that Hart excels over Michaels with. Of course, there's still many issues with selling in this match and all, but all that "boring" work is something I mark out for more and more when I watch it, because I still understand what they're doing. Among anything else that's been discussed many a time, I'd call this around **** or so, but, for the time being, no higher than that.

Not to sound like a WWE apologist, but don't forget guys, Detroit didn't even get the show on TV last night. It may be one market, but it's one fairly large market. Not sure how much of a decrease that is (compared to what the rating would be if they had it), but I imagine it's somewhat significant.

The working times aren't exactly thrilling either. I think I remember JR saying in an interview years back that he had THREE days off per month. Total. For the record, he had each Saturday off, unless a pay-per-view was the following day. I can't imagine working that much, especially in a position as thankless as that.

Not to nitpick, but no, it isn't. This Is Your Life Rock did an 8.4. Austin-Undertaker from 6/28/99 did a 9.5.

Can I get a "Holy demotion, Batman!" with regards to Jim Ross?

I was glad Benoit didn't join in at the end. He's my hero and I don't like to see my hero drink. That was one of the good things about the show. Also keep in mind that they have that 12hr restriction of alcohol rule before matches now. I didn't mean drinking necessarily, but to maybe just get a crowd pop and that's that. Like I said, they're on NBC, let the mainstream audience know who Benoit is and all that, that he's facing JBL at WrestleMania, etc. They're obviously using this show to build to Mania, it makes sense if they give Benoit a bit more time than to be Austin's difference maker.

I'm with both CRZ and Coffey. Very good show with the purpose of getting the mainstream audience in tune of what's going on in the company. Sort of had that ECW One Night Stand feel to it; no great matches or anything, but solid, top-to-bottom show. Beer drinking segment was surprisingly good. Only disappointment was no Benoit participating in the celebration at the end. But, this is the most I've enjoyed Austin in at least 3 years. JBL was fantastic!

1988 NWA: This year, for obvious reasons, kind of represents a transition year of Jim Crockett Promotions to WCW, but it was still a fun year. My personal favourite Horsemen group was this year (Flair, Windham, Blanchard, Anderson) and while it was great, it was the third different incarnation of the group (after the original and Flair, Luger, Blanchard, Anderson). Different new stars began to emerge, like Sting, and the inaugural Clash being here in a way was foreshadowing for monthly PPVs that would come many years afterwards, due to the Clash being a mega event in its own right. This was my first year of seeing any NWA through the Pro Wrestling Plus TV show, so it was fairly new to me at the time, even if I'd read about it in magazines. I don't know if I liked it better than the WWF at the time as a fan, but considering I grew up in WWF territory in Eastern Ontario, it was a great alternative, something that we as fans need today. 1992 WWF: This has been mentioned many times by other posters, but this was an unfortunate year for the company, because the in-ring product was fun, but the finances, needless to say, were not. I grew up a Bret Hart fan, and still being a mark at the time, was thrilled to see him win the Championship, something at the time I actually compared to the Blue Jays winning the World Series about a month later. Every card this year seemed to have at least one memorable match, and even though the change was not yet imminent, signs of change were evident with Hulk Hogan being gone for much of the year. It's too bad it was such a lousy year fiscally for the company, because it stands as one of my favourite time periods for the WWF. 1996 ECW: I think I remember Rick Scaia writing an article many years ago about this being a turning point year for ECW, and it might very well have been, as they almost got PPV that year. I do know that this is probably one of my least favourite years of the company, with Benoit, Malenko, and Guerrero already being gone, and lucha libre on its last legs in the company early in the year. After that, aside from Jericho's stint in the company, and the odd other wrestler like 2 Cold Scorpio in there, it really felt like a castoff promotion, where Shane Douglas ruled supreme, which is why I don't look back at this year with much fondness. The early couple of months were fun, as ECW was still busting out some fun stuff involving Rey Jr., including the match with Juvi on 3/9 (if I recall correctly). But really, the really good ones were cleaned out by August, and it was a sign of other ones like Raven the year after leaving for greener pastures. It feels like a miracle that they lasted as long as they did, but it was a case of the popularity of the garbage style too, something the Big Two would adopt a couple of years later too.

Also, in Canada, it's on the Rogers system, but not the Rogers cable pack, just their digital cable system, which a) everyone does not have and everyone doesn't have access to, such as many rural areas.

God damn, I feel horrible for Vickie Guerrero. Sounds like the lady has no choice, but to take part in these angles due to her and her family's situation. Throw in the emotional strain she's likely still having, and I can't imagine how she's feeling these days. Quite often, I've seen people turn to the worst direction to get by with these things, and I'm at least thankful that hasn't happened to her, but still, damn.

If that happens, it'll make this feud almost a carbon copy of the Foley-Orton feud. Another thing: If Marty Jannetty didn't have a job with the company and had to kiss Vince's ass for it, how come he got his own theme music and entrance video?

Anybody else notice Jannetty trying not to laugh during the "climatic" part of the Kiss My Ass segment? Funny stuff.

Watching Smackdown last night made me realize how great of an actor by wrestling's standards Rey Jr. has become. During his segment with Teddy Long, when Long says, "I can't take away from the WrestleMania main event, but I *can* add to it!" Rey's eyes light up like a kid on Christmas Day getting the present he wanted. Great little babyface moment. For a guy with a mask on, Rey Jr. has some of the best facials in wrestling today.

Danny is still w/ the company. He's still on the Raw Superstars page. Don't Doug Basham & Rob Conway help train in OVW? That may (hopefully) keep them employed. My bad. I only checked out the Smackdown page. Completely forgot that Danny went to RAW.

Danny Basham got released the last time they had a large number of roster cuts. Doug's still around.

Nope, you must be thinking of Royal Rumble 91.

On top of that, she was just as much a factor and a part of the aftermatch of Warrior-Savage at WM7 as Savage and Liz were, and many of us look back at that moment as one of WrestleMania's greatest. Is DiBiase still in the hospital or in a recovery stage? If so, Shawn should be the one inducting her. He can even share the "Sherri stiffing the hell out of his opponents" stories at the ceremony. Although, I wonder if Shawn will even be at the ceremony, if Bret will be there.

I can definitely see Sherri getting in. She speaks positively about here entire wrestling experience, and as last year showed, is willing to show up the odd time to get an angle over. I'd bet my chips on her getting in.

Considering that he can make a loss seem like not that big of a deal (for all the wrong reasons), I'll go the former, unless the next to last match is promoted just as strongly and the match is just as well laid out as the main. If it's something like last year's Cena-JBL match, I have a hunch that Helmsley would rather lose in a long title match, just to say that he can work a "true" main event. Also, in spite of the losses, the guy's been the most consistent fixture in the WM main event (or last match) since 2000. Look at the list. 2000: HHH, Rock, Foley, Show 2001: Austin, Rock 2002: HHH, Jericho 2003: Angle, Lesnar 2004: HHH, Benoit, HBK 2005: HHH, Batista 4 out of the last 6 years have been HHH there, and the last two have been him losing. I wouldn't rule out a third straight loss, because it also means a third straight main event for him, something no one else in the company will touch these days.

He's lost two consecutive title matches at Wrestlemania. I think they're going to try to do some type of double turn, but that's just a guess. That's going to be nearly impossible to pull off if that's their goal. Considering that Hunter wants to prove himself as a better heel against Cena that what Angle was, I'm actually doubting that a double-turn will happen.

Hmmm...a champion who makes *any* match with any opponent seem interesting. Who does that remind you of?