C.S.

Vince Russo's new website posted a defense of Eric Young as TNA Champion. It's actually pretty good. Whether EY deserves the title is up to you, but this piece certainly makes me root for him.

I watched the Tag Teams episode of Countdown. It's probably old news by now, but that's not a show in my regular rotation. It was a pretty WWE-centric list - which I am okay with - except for the last and first picks (Freebirds and LOD, respectively). I was hoping teams that flopped in the WWE - like LOD and Steiners - wouldn't make the list at all. I honestly expecting #1 to be the Hart Foundation or something, just because they weren't #10-2. That snub surprises me. If this is a list of all-time great tag teams anywhere, I can understand LOD's placement. But other than Freebirds, this was a WWE list entirely - Rock 'N Sock, New Age Outlaws, etc. NWA purists will be driven crazy because there's no Midnight Express, Rock 'n Roll Express, etc. (but their imitators, The Rockers, are there - and I'm glad, because they're an underrated tag team that never really gets the credit it deserves). The "Demolition was a ripoff of LOD" talking point comes up again, and I've never agreed with it. Yeah, they both wore paint. So what? To me, that's like saying Sid was a Hogan clone because they were both blond and had artificial muscles. Maybe the creative genesis of Demotion was the WWE deciding they wanted their own LOD (if that's what happened at all), but the end result ended up being very different IMO. Usually, Jericho and Bryan can be counted on to embarrass themselves on these shows by coming across as assholes and/or idiots, but that was only mildly the case for Jericho on this episode and Bryan was fine for once. Overall, no one looked too bad this time around. No point taking a list like this at all seriously - especially if it was voted on by "the WWE Universe" - but it can't seem to decide whether it's honoring all-time great tag teams or just WWE-only teams, and it does a pretty bad job at both. Still, if you can turn off your brain, it's a reasonably entertaining way to waste an hour - as all of these Countdowns are.

The characters are different now (which wasn't really the case for a few years), but nothing else is: - The way the matches are worked are all the same. I'll exclude Extreme Rules from this, because the various stips allowed for more creativity. But every big match at this year's WrestleMania followed the same exact scenario: "intense" brawling, kicking out of finishers, etc. You know the "formula" I'm talking about, so I don't need to go into detail. I've defended the Cena/Wyatt feud, because - for better or worse - it's not the same cookie cutter match outline we always see. No matter what you may think of it, they're at least going way outside the box. - The promos, as someone mentioned, are pretty bland and homogenized 90% of the time - unless you get a character like Wyatt who seems to be doing his own thing. Not enough people fall into that category. To be fair though, it's definitely better now than it was a few years ago - both character- and promo-wise. There was a time where everything felt the same, and they're at least slowly breaking out of that bland mold now. Edit: I'm referring to the main WWE shows, not NXT. It all begins at NXT, but I get the sense that people have more freedom to experiment there - probably because they aren't nearly as micro-managed by Vince.

It was WCW. That should answer all your questions.

I also caught the Legends of Wrestling episode about Jerry Lawler and JYD. Awesome stuff, as usual - especially from Michael Hayes (discussing the famous feud where he "blinded" Dog) and Dusty (admitting to being an egomaniac who stole from Dog's act). Mike Graham comes across as an over-eager little brother/sad puppy dog on these things. I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but I really don't know why they picked him to be on the panel. He seems almost too shy/intimidated to really chime in, and when he does, everyone else ends up talking over him anyway. On that note, I read that crappy "Outside the Ring" book Hulk Hogan wrote and was surprised that he had nothing nice to say about Graham. In contrast, Graham always went out of his way to praise Hogan in public. It's kind of sad because I read that Graham approached TNA for work before he took his own life, and he was disheartened that they had no position for him. Apparently, his father told him he'd always have a place in wrestling because he was a member of the Graham family. I wonder if Hogan/Bischoff were in TNA by then? Really sad if Hogan screwed a distraught Graham out of a position in TNA, but that's all pure speculation on my part - I don't even know if the timeline matches up, or whether TNA bringing Graham in a backstage capacity would have even been a good idea (though it couldn't have been worse than some of the other clowns they've hired both behind-the-scenes and in front of the camera).

I'm probably taking Legends House too seriously again, but I felt really bad for the wrestlers this week. It got to the point where it felt like they were being exploited. I know, I know...they're big boys who signed up for the show of their own free will and knew what they were getting into, but still. At least they ended up enjoying the ridiculous Chippendale's experience and felt good about doing it. Tony Atlas is either playing a character at this point or is legitimately out of tune with the world around him...maybe both. Not quite sure what Hacksaw is so angry about though. I have a feeling those two got together before the show and set up their own little angle. Actually, at the end, everyone seemed to be upset with Atlas. But nothing really happened on the show to indicate why. So, either it's poor editing or Tony Atlas farting in a limo is supposed to be reason enough. Meh. Really low stakes, bottom of the barrel "conflicts" here. Back to the "exploitation" comment I made at the beginning: I can't help but think that this whole thing really cheapens Roddy Piper and makes him look like far less of a star. You wouldn't catch Hogan, Rock, or Stone Cold doing something like this ever. Flair is the exception, maybe, just because he's probably desperate enough at this point. But no "real star" would ever willingly submit themselves to something this low rent. I guess all of these really must need the money. It's kind of heartbreaking. I'll do a separate post about Legends of Wrestling and Mike Graham...

I just read that. I've always loved Tough Enough, even if the chosen winners almost never work out - with Big Andy being especially disastrous, but picking that stiff Daniel Puder over The Miz in a previous season was another misfire (say what you want about Miz, but he was a top heel for a while and did headline WrestleMania, for better or worse). I just hope Stone Cold returns as the host, or at least someone as compelling. The bottom three concept was great. Even reaching out to Al Snow, who was great in an entirely different way, would be fun. Bill DeMott added something to the Al Snow seasons, but he was a completely unwatchable, unbearable, unlikeable bully during the Stone Cold season. I hated that DeMott called that poor Ryan kid "Skidmarks," etc. and later tried to justify it by saying it made the kid more memorable. That's pretty laughable, because DeMott never drew a dime or had a character that was worth a damn. You could argue that DeMott was misused during his career, and he probably was, but still... I always thought he was pretty good in the ring though, especially for a big man, so I can see why he'd be an effective trainer. However, I do remember Ziggler's younger brother and others exposing DeMott for being a bully, etc. No idea what's true and what isn't, but I can believe it. As for Legends House, it hasn't been great so far, but it's very serviceable and I do make time to watch it every week. With some refinements, and maybe a few younger "legends" added to the mix (Edge?), they might be on to something. Right now, it feels a bit too geriatric. I'd bet Blackman's Bounties will be one of the other reality shows. There was a whole list of proposed programs floating around a while back. May even be in this thread somewhere.

It's worked well in boxing. Don't really buy that argument. Completely different sport, scenario, and situation. Plus, they don't have a madman shouting nonsense through their headsets.

Three-man booths suck. That's a big reason why the commentary blows now. Far from the only or even main reason, but it is a reason. Before someone says a three-man team worked in WCW, no, it didn't.

My initial instinct was to say after 1996, because I wouldn't want to miss the Monday Night Wars, ECW, etc. However, after thinking about it some more, a lot of my childhood is rooted in what happened before 1996, and so much cool stuff happened then too - and there's so much more, pre-'96, that I still haven't seen. I went into this thinking I'd pick post-'96, but pre-'96 wins by a hair for me.

True. But Tough Enough still is totally unnecessary. The last winner really made an impact… And only Steve Ausin made it fun to watch. I am happy Tough Enough is coming back. I hope Austin is on board, even though I have to really question his decision-making skills for going with "Big Andy" (assuming the decision was really his to make) when it was obvious to everyone else - even at the time - that the guy was horrible. Stoked about the Clashes being added... Awesome news!

Attitude Era didn't suck. Neither did Mountie. I didn't like the forklift though, because it belonged in another time period. I probably wouldn't like Mountie today either. However, now that I'm hearing the forklift thing was a tribute to Bryan's dad, I think that's actually pretty cool (if true). Also, I forgot to mention the Wee-LC Match in my last post. Thought that was really fun and creative, down to the mini ladders and chairs, mini commentators, mini commentary table, etc. WWE thought of everything, and both Torito and Hornswoggle busted their asses out there. I still stand behind my opinion on both Cena/Bray matches: memorable, creative, outside the box, and did a great job in showing who both characters are. I loved them. Let every other match be "great wrestling matches" - these told a great story IMO. I hope Batista vs. Bryan is another false internet rumor, like "Bryan vs. Kane isn't the main event at Extreme Rules" that everyone jumped on despite a complete lack of evidence. Batista has lost the past two PPVs, including to Bryan at WM, and isn't a compelling opponent or character. He can be rebuilt, but shoving him down everyone's throats in another main event isn't the way to do it. Give Batista time to breathe and find his footing again. Even Kane would be a preferable opponent.

I think I'm the only one on the entire internet who enjoyed both Cena/Bray matches. Are they the great "wrestling" matches these two are probably capable of having with each other? No, and I can understand disappointment if that's what you were expecting, but really, last month's WM match should have made it clear that that's not what they're doing. I thought both matches were very creative, out of the box, character-driven, and told great stories about who both men are and what they stand for. So, yeah, I liked them...sue me. I wasn't down on the Bryan/Kane feud either like most people, but the match itself had too many cheesy Attitude Era spots. (Forklift..WTF?) If they had eliminated that silliness and just focused on an angry Bryan beating the shit out of Kane, it would have been a lot more effective. Not a fan of the feud continuing either. There's no drama, because Kane isn't going to win, and it would be horrible if he does. I also liked Paige vs. Tamina. It was more intense than most "divas" matches. Tamina has a good look. I'm surprised she hasn't been pushed more, honestly. But yeah, this was definitely Paige's match. She's awesome. Evolution/Shield was a very fun garbage brawl, but I really hope no one goes crazy and exaggerates it as a "Match of the Year" affair. It wasn't. But it was enjoyable for what it was. I enjoyed the show overall. The Network has been worth the money and then some. On a completely random note, RockyRacoon War Damn Eagle from GA (wow, what a name!) from Wrestling Classics wondered if the Wyatt Kid, "Little Johnny," was the same child from the Cam Newton NFL commercial. I'm going to guess it probably was, because I read an article about Jameson (remember him?) a little while ago, and he mentioned that his son had done that commercial. Jameson article: http://www.wrestlecrap.com/rants/jameson-answers-the-count-of-10/ Cam Newton commercial: Looks like "Little Johnny," and the Jameson connection almost confirms it IMO. BTW, I missed the post-PPV press conference. I assumed it would be a complete waste of time. Apparently not. Hope there's a way to catch a replay of THAT on the Network. I can't remember if WWE archives the pre- and post-PPV stuff. I think so, and hope so.

Why not? If enough people are watching it (and I have no idea about any of the data), I could very well see it happening. Tough Enough is coming back, so anything's possible. I watched the Iron Sheik/Andre episode of Legends of Wrestling. I had actually seen it before, on DVD, and it's still probably the best episode they've ever done. For the most part, all they do is tell awesome road stories for an hour. I highly, highly recommend it. I wish every roundtable was as good as this one.

I watched the third episode of Legends House, and it was by far the weakest. The contrived games were the dullest part, and I didn't think the losing team had it that bad. When it was announced that the losers would have to ride in a 15-passenger van, I figured it would be cramped with other people as well, not just the Legends. The way I see it, 4-5 guys in a spacious van sounds pretty good to me. It's no limo, but it's still a fairly decent accommodation. Pat Patterson really came across as a whiny bitch this week. In retrospect, he's been that way every week. It's kind of funny though. I continue to feel sorry for Tony Atlas. He's trying so hard, and almost everyone is leaving him out. He's definitely the odd man, but he seems like a good guy. For God's sake, he even maintained a positive attitude about fucking penguins and rubber duckies. I also thought everyone was unfair to Jimmy Hart. The one bit where he spoke about himself in the third person was strange though. Then again, as the Gary Busey bit from the first week illustrated, these guys are trapped in their characters 24/7. A lot of this "drama" seems really minor. I'm surprised the show hasn't been more outrageous than it is. As it stands, it's been relatively tame so far. I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing. I'm not exactly encouraging more "scripting," but I am surprised that there has seemingly been so little. I fully expect the second season (if there is one) to have a lot more manufactured chaos. I never liked the idea of "reality" shows being so overly scripted, but after seeing Legends House kind of plod along without any real fireworks, I now understand why they are.

His thoughts on coming in as a "French sympathizer" and later being given the Con Man gimmick? What would he have done with his character if given the chance?

Isn't Meltzer's bias the reason it took so long for Bob to get into the WON HOF? Meltz is certainly entitled to his likes and dislikes, but his lack of objectivity in this instance is pretty glaring - out of character, almost. But maybe it's a case of him being more passionate - both positively and negatively - about wrestlers and wrestling in his younger years. For example, I don't think he'd call a wrestler something like "Anabolic Warrior" today.

Corino was one of the highlights - if not the highlight - of ECW in its final years. WWE really missed the boat not picking up this guy at the time. He could have been - dare I say it - a modern Piper. By that, I mean undersized heel who could talk massive shit but was credible in the ring.

I had become a fan only a few months before - first the WWF and then WCW. This was the first "great" match I ever saw, and it cemented me as a fan for life. WCW eventually airing classic matches for a few weeks on (I think) Worldwide continued that along, and so did renting old WWF PPVs. The WCW Worldwide (?) stuff was peculiar to me at the time, because it was a complete Flair-fest - even though Flair was in the WWF at that time. Who knows why WCW did half the things they did, but in that case, I'm glad they did it. Michael Hayes was one of the hosts, and I remember him being adamant that they should air the best stuff, "even if those people are no longer in WCW."

No "mark" actually thought this when I was a kid. Me and my friends all strongly suspected Flair was winning, but the Piper "dare to dream" stuff right before the Rumble did sway me a bit. However, as soon as I saw Piper in the I-C Title match at the PPV, I knew right then and there he had no chance of winning the Rumble and it was going to be Flair's night. The WWF had always been incredibly predictable, and this Rumble - as awesome as it was (best Rumble ever IMO) - was no different in that regard. Agreed. It never made sense to me. Hogan looked like a spoiled, whiny bitch to me for doing that to Sid, even back then. It was such an odd piece of booking.

Tremendous debut angle for Nailz, but he peaked right then and there. Anyone remember him coming in for one shot as "The Convict" or "The Prisoner" (or something like that) to face Sting on a WCW PPV? What the hell was that about?

Yeah, Atlas is trying way too hard...poor guy. Duggan's friendship with Piper is a nice surprise, but Ol' Hacksaw really gets on my nerves otherwise. Maybe that will change as the show progresses. I hope so, because I always liked him as a character/personality.

My observations from Legends House (mostly Episode 2 but some Episode 1 as well): - Piper has demons. Nothing surprising there. But it was still sad and depressing to see last week. I was happy to see him bounce back this week. - Is it just me or does Hacksaw Duggan come across as the most unlikeable, irritating prick in the house? His argument with Tony Atlas the week before was ridiculous, and his obnoxious laugh makes my skin crawl. I'm surprised, because he always seemed like such a nice, genuine, humble guy. (This is "reality" TV, I know, I know...) - My heart honestly goes out to poor Tony Atlas. He just tries too hard. We all know people like that. Would I want to live with him? Probably not. But that's true of most of the people on Legends House (and most people in general). I'm glad he got a "win" at the end by cooking delicious chicken for everyone. (I can't believe how ridiculous that sentence sounds, LOL.) - Hillbilly Jim seems like the nicest guy in the world. Something has to give there. But when his inevitable outburst/conflict happens, I don't think it will change my general opinion of him. - The games and celebrity encounters seem really contrived, as Gene said. The show would be better without that crap. Still, some of the reactions to the whole polo deal were funny - especially Tony Atlas's when he thought they were getting on "them horses." Gene shouting "he took my gimmick!" was also amusing. - On that note, the Gary Busey encounter from last week is especially interesting, because the wrestlers are trapped in their gimmicks even on this show. They're all called - and call each other - by their wrestling names.

Exactly how I feel. There's a mustache craze sweeping the nation???

Not really. Flamingo was being pushed as the hot new heel in the Light Heavyweight division, whereas Hayes was already far past his expiry date by that point. He's a legend now in retrospect, but he wasn't really considered one then. Edit: D'OH! I misread Zbyszko as Hayes somehow. Yeah, weird match, but Larry had even less of a push by then. He was the 5th wheel of the Dangerous Alliance.