MikeCampbell

I wasn't thinking carbon monoxide specifically, but it was something along those lines. Before the murder/suicide thing really came out. It was just listed as the family was dead and Benoit said he wasn't making the show due to "family issues." I figured some kind of food poisoning or virus or something along those lines. Thinking about it, four years later, it sounds really silly and naive of me.

Billy Gunn just recently gave an interview where he apologized for all the HHH-shit talking. Claiming that he (Billy) wasn't ready to accept responsibility for his own shit and that he just turned around and blamed Hunter.

I know for a while they'd been using a bastardized block logo for legends material, but the old school RAW had the original block logo intact.

I haven't seen any singles matches between Negro Casas and El Hijo del Santo.

I expected Punk to be on RAW tonight, but I expected him to do something more. I was thinking they'd end the show with the Miz/Rey tournament final and Punk would somehow interfere and cause a non-finish and declare that he's the WWE Champion.

It wasn't a one-shot deal. Sabu had joined WCW in September of '95. He wrestled Alex Wright on an early episode of Nitro.

Loss, I'm really not that high on Misawa/Kobashi single matches either, but you definitely need to check out their 1/20/97 tc match yesterday! It's been a few years since I've watched it, but it's always been amongst the best single matches I've ever seen.

I don't entirely disagree with you here, Bix, but I'm curious as to what you think the right reason would have been. Both of the Outlaws' WM matches had some decent backstory to them. Gunn chasing the IC Title, as well as the overall issue with Shamrock. Dogg trying to win back the title that he hadn't actually lost. The RVD/Bigelow ECW angle you talked about is actually a good example of doing something like that right. I believe the PPV was scheduled for May, and the did the switch in early April. Even with ECW's TV in '98, there was still plenty of time to build up to the title match, and it did lead somewhere (at temporarily) with RVD being a total douche to Sabu about it and them not getting along for a spell (there is clearly dissension between them by Heatwave '98 in August). Come to think of it, Gunn's heel turn could have been based on him being jealous that Dogg bogarted the IC Title from him and kept it, while he got a cup of coffee as Hardcore Champion.

I'll go one better, Keith. Some of the biggest marks are the ones who are in the ring

NWA-TNA: Continuing the tradition of scummy wrestling promoters in the state of TN.

I'd say the title switch from Road Dogg to Val Venis is where things started getting ridiculous with constant title changes for little to no reason. - Shamrock was IC Champion and feuding with Billy Gunn as a holdover from the DX/Corporation feud of '98-'99. - Bill Gunn screws Shamrock out of the title at St Valentines Day Massacre as the ref, giving Venis the title. - Road Dogg is feuding with Bob Holly for the Hardcore Title, while Billy Gunn still wants the IC Title. - On an episode of Sunday Night Heat Venis pins Dogg in a tag match (Dogg/Gunn vs. Venis/Holly). - This leads to Dogg winning the title from Venis, and then Gunn winning the Hardcore Title from Holly, switching their matches at 'Mania, and throwing storyline sense out the window.

I only remember Albert's reign for the decent sized pop that Lance Storm got for winning the title from him. Scott Keith swears up and down that Albert/Kane when Albert won the strap is some really impressive ***3/4 match. Not that I'm putting any stock into what he says, just putting it out there. HHH as IC Champion in '01 was to help get over his "Two Man Power Trip" team with Austin, by virtue of them being tag champs as well as holding the top two singles titles. I would guess the point of Jeff Hardy's short first run would be for the Hardys to get one over on Austin/HHH (who they'd been feuding with), since the IC Title didn't really mean squat at that point. Not sure about Rikishi's cups of coffee with the title, but I'd wager it was a short term reward for him being so over at the time. Regarding the Road Dogg - Goldust - Godfather runs. It's Russo. Nuff said. Although, like Storm, Dogg retaining at 'Mania got a really nice pop.

I was just thinking about it in the vein of HHH seemingly latching himself onto something that's popular with the fans, more or less because of a throwaway comment. Eugene saying HHH was his favorite wrestler was just supposed to be for Rocky to give him that shocked look. The fact that we have a 12 page thread about the Punk promo, and the fact that Punk's two segments on RAW two weeks later were the big ratings spikes for the show, clearly mean people are interested in Punk after that promo. But the 'doofus son in law" was just a quick shot and the bigger picture was Punk more or less trashing the company he's leaving.

I'm probably reading too much into it, but I just thought of something. Does anyone remember that promo between Eugene and Rock from Summer 2004 when Eugene said HHH was his favorite wrestler and suddenly he's part of Evolution and working a program with HHH? I'm wondering if Punk's "doofus son in law" comment is going to bite him in the ass in that regard, leading to HHH burying Punk if/when he comes back.

I don't think it's any more ridiculous and silly than having Tony Schivone and Jim Ross refer to the WCW Executive VP as "Cowboy" Bill Watts.

The exact opposite, actually. During a deposition (IIRC) it was discovered that Hodgson had made the same sort of accusations at another past employer, and that a judge called him a "habitual liar." His lawyer resigned right then and there, and even apologized to McDevit on his way out the door.

That's hilarious. Especially considering how great this Mark Henry heel push is going. I'm actually a bit bummed that Christian won the strap, because I was hoping that after the feuds with Show and Christian, that Orton and Henry would feud for the strap.

Punk already more or less buried the Cena is fired stipulation in the RAW promo last week. Not to mention that Cena has been all but established as the third wheel in this angle anyway. Also, my buddy texted me (I work Sundays so I didn't get to watch) that Sin Cara looked to have gotten hurt.

I'd recommend the main event of the first Chikara show, blanking on the date but I wanna say it's May 02. Punk/Cabana/Hero vs. Quack/Reckless/Montoya.

It's hospital food, so I very much doubt that. I don't know if it's *true* or not, but that's what Kevin said in the '03 shoot, unless my memory is off.

According to Kevin, both in his RF shoot and in lesser detail on the Triumph and Tragedy DVD: Kerry hurt his foot in a motocycle accident. He was taken to a hospital where a bunch of micro surgery was done to fix it. Kerry got up and went to get a cheesebuger and undid all of the sugery, at which point the foot was just amputated. It came to light a couple years later during an AWA match between Kerry and Col. DeBeers, when Debeers pulled off his boot and Kerry's prosthetic was still inside the boot.

The more I've thought about this, the more I realize that 2002-05 yearbooks are gong to be very Eddie Guerrero-heavy in regards to the WWE content. Here's what I got for 2002. Eddie vs. Super Crazy from the first ROH show Eddie's return to RAW where he attacks RVD Eddie vs RVD from Backlash and Judgment Day Eddie/Red vs. SAT from the 3rd ROH show Eddie and Austin at the karoke bar Eddie vs. RVD from the RAW in Edmonton in the ladder match. If possible, the orignal airing that shows the fan running in. The three Edge/Guerrero matches (Summerslam, Unforgiven, TV match) Pretty much anything from the Smackdown six period, Los Guerreros vs. Edge/Kidman (although I'm not positive if this was 02 or early 03)

The only worthwhile thing from King of the Ring 2002, the Rock/Booker T/Goldust promo.

Mad Dog, check out the Mutoh/Hashimoto G1 Final from 1995. One of the best NJPW matches of the 1990's. As already mentioned, Mutoh was great in the '96 G1 too. He had a killer match with Kazuo Yamazaki on the opening night.

I'd agree that All Japan sucked from the split in 2000 until early to mid 2003 or so. But Mutoh and Kojima jumping actually caused them to do well financially, with a long string of sellouts. Would anyone consider Jumbo Tsuruta from 1993 and afterward to be a fall from grace? The former top man, and one of the greatest of all time, regulated to the opening match comedy with Rusher Kimura, Haruka Eigen, etc.?