Bleacher Report - Articles by Kevin Williams

Age Ain't Nothin' but a Number, but How Old Is Too Old to Wrestle?

Kevin Williams — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:26:22 -0400

"There is no age limit in the WWE."

These words were uttered by Jerry "The King" Lawler to "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan on a 2008 episode of Raw. Duggan had been contemplating retirement due to his advancing years, but was told that if he still felt the passion to wrestle, he should continue on.

As much as I am all for doing what you love, how old is too old to be wrestling?

At TNA's recent Hard Justice pay-per-view, wrestling legends Mick Foley and Kevin Nash faced off for TNA's Legends Championship.

Nash is 50 years old, while Foley is 44. I couldn't help but cringe as Nash and Foley hit each other with a multitude of weapons and proceeded to bleed.

Neither of these men have any business wrestling anymore. Foley has taken a crazy amount of bumps in his day. At this point in his life, Nash may be made of more metal than actual bone due to his numerous surgeries.

Older wrestlers have a variety of reasons why they continue to put their body on the line well into their 40s, 50s, and in some cases, 60s.

In some cases, wrestlers need the money. I'm sure many independent mainstays would have called it quits a long time ago had they had long careers in the WWE instead of wrestling their careers on the indy circuit.

A wrestler who spends his whole career wrestling in the indies will probably never make half the money of someone who wrestles just a few years in WWE.

This gap became more apparent to me when Scott D'Amore organized A Night of Appreciation for Sabu in 2004.

Sabu contracted a virus while nursing an injury and was unable to pay the outstanding medical fees by himself. It's no wonder he continues to wrestle on the independent circuit today at 44 years of age.

Anyone who has seen Sabu wrestle knows that he has also taken his fair share of bumps. From having his neck broken by Chris Benoit, to having his bicep torn open in a match with Terry Funk, where he proceeded to continue the match with his bicep duct taped together, by all means, Sabu's career should have been over about 10 years ago.

Whether you believe it is a sport or not, wrestlers have to endure more pain and a tougher schedule than any other athlete. There comes a time when a wrestler has taken so many bumps that their bodies will never really be back to 100 percent.

It is becoming more and more common for the older wrestlers to take extended breaks and work lighter schedules, but is this really enough?

Undertaker and Shawn Michaels put on a classic match at Wrestlemania 25 earlier this year at aged 44 and 43.

From the way they performed, no one would be able to tell that Undertaker's knees are quickly giving out on him, or that Michaels once had a back injury that kept him away from the ring for five years.

Soon after, both men took long breaks from the business, with Michaels only returning this past Monday, and with Undertaker yet to be seen. One has to wonder how much longer these two will hold up due to their age and mounting injuries.

Current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar was just 25 years old when he won his first WWE Championship. In an interview with ESPN, Lesnar said it was at this time that he was wrestling non-stop, and the injuries were piling up. It got to the point where he was taking Vicodin with Vodka to suppress the pain.

Imagine a 25-year-old man, built like Brock Lesnar, who has only been wrestling for a few years, going to such measures to reduce the pain felt from being on the road and taking bumps every night.

Then compare that to one of the elder statesmen who is nearing his mid-40s and probably has two to three times the amount of injuries that someone as young as Brock Lesnar had at the time.

Even if older wrestlers aren't nursing an incredible amount of injuries, there comes a time when it just becomes an embarrassing to see them in the ring.

Jimmy Snuka's performance at Wrestlemania 25 at age 65 was uninspiring, to say the least. Kevin Nash looks as though he needs a cane to aid him on his walk down the ramp at the iMPACT Zone. Mick Foley looks fairly winded after throwing a few punches.

Even Hulk Hogan, who was never that impressive in the ring to begin with, has looked that much worse in his more recent matches, and it doesn't take much to make him bleed naturally in his matches anymore.

Every wrestler's body has been through hell and back, but there are a select few who have managed to take good care of themselves. Dave "Fit" Finlay began his WWE career at the tender age of 47 after wrestling for many other promotions in the past, including WCW.

Currently at 51 years of age, Finlay can still do his fair share in the ring. He has competed in three Wrestlemanias, including to Money in the Bank matches, and is pretty agile for someone his age. I'm sure if Finlay wanted to, he could wrestle another two or three years.

Ricky Steamboat can also be credited as being an over the hill wrestler still capable of putting on good performances.

Steamboat has only wrestled a handful of matches after retiring in 1994. All of them have been in the year 2009, including one at Wrestlemania 25 where he almost stole the show at the age of 56.

I was a bit skeptical about Steamboat wrestling at Wrestlemania, because he looks a bit frail as opposed to other ex-wrestlers. He completely blew me away with the aerial ability that he exhibited, and I was compelled to watch some of his older matches after watching him at Wrestlemania.

It is becoming more and more common for wrestlers to receive the push of their careers after entering their mid-30s. Triple H is 40 years old, and yet he has won 13 World Championships, with his first coming just after he turned 30.

This means that Triple H averages 1.3 title reigns per year. With that kind of push, and the money that comes with it, it's easy to imagine why Triple H would want to wrestle into his mid-40s.

When it comes down to it, wrestlers continue their careers into the 40s and 50s for a variety of reasons, whether it is for the money, passion, or just the inability to walk away for good.

You have your Undertakers, Michaels, and Stings who can perform at a high level on any given night, despite their age working against them. Yet, you also have those who are doing more harm to their bodies than good.

In the end, it is up to each wrestler to decide when to finally call it a career.

Remembering the Irish Ironman: Shane Shamrock

Kevin Williams — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:11:16 -0400

When taking a glance at the independent wrestling scene in my home state of Maryland, you will be hard pressed to find any legitimate promotions other than Maryland Championship Wrestling.

Maryland Championship Wrestling held its first show on July 19, 1998, and has since become one of the leading independent promotions on the east coast of the United States.

Over the years, many wrestlers have graced the MCW ring. MCW has played host to legends such as Jerry "The King" Lawler, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, The Road Warriors, "Sensational" Sherri Martel, and Eddie Guerrero; journeymen such as Headbanger Mosh, Sabu, Jerry Lynn, Chris Kanyon, Sandman, and Raven.

Even some of today's wrestling stars such as Batista, Kevin Nash, Abyss, Christian Cage, and Team 3D have made their presence felt in MCW.

Just because some of the biggest names in wrestling have wrestled for MCW, doesn't mean that MCW hasn't produced its own talent.

One such standout was a local by the name of Brian Stephen Howser. Born on February 8, 1975 in Baltimore, Maryland, fans would come to know Howser as the "Irish Ironman" Shane Shamrock.

Shamrock began his wrestling career in 1997 making his way through various east coast independent promotions.

On July 19, 1998, Shamrock was on hand when MCW opened its doors to the public. He was one of six participants in the match that would determine the first ever MCW Light Heavyweight Champion.

Shamrock duked it out with Joey Matthews (Joey Mercury), Christian York, Mark Schrader, Quinn Nash, and Earl the Pearl, before locking in his signature Irish Cloverleaf to become the first MCW Light Heavyweight Champion.

The future looked bright for the high-flyer, but Shamrock's wrestling career and life were cut short on August 18, 1998. It is said that Shamrock got into an altercation with a police officer and was subsequently shot dead for reasons still unknown leaving behind his three children.

Although he died on August 18, Shamrock's official title reign ended on September 20, 1998. It was then that he was named Lifetime MCW Heavyweight Champion. Soon after, a new Cruiserweight Championship was introduced to replace the Light Heavyweight Championship which had been retired in honor of "The Irish Ironman".

In 1999, MCW would introduce the Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup. Six of the best Light Heavyweights from around the world compete for the chance to lift the cup made in honor of Shamrock.

Wrestlers such as Chris Sabin, Jerry Lynn, Christopher Daniels, Petey Williams, and Sonjay Dutt have all tried and failed to win the Memorial Cup. Eight men have succeeded in winning the cup:

1999: Christian York

2000: Qeenan Creed

2001: Joey Matthews

2002: Reckless Youth

2003: Christian York

2006: Ruckus

2007: Josh Daniels

2008: Derek Frazier

2009: Ryan McBride

In 2003, Maryland Championship Wrestling officially ceased operations, and gave the rights to host the Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup to Ring of Honor wrestling. ROH never actually went through with the tournament as planned due to MCW gaining the rights to the Memorial Cup back after a change in ownership in ROH in 2004.

MCW made its return in 2006, and continues to play host to the light heavyweight showcase known as the Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup, in honor of the promotions first local legend.

R.I.P "Irish Ironman" Shane Shamrock February 8, 1975-August 18, 1998

Wrestling With the Idea of Sting Feuding With Eight Opponents in Today's WWE

Kevin Williams — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:43:22 -0400

He is a six time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, three time NWA/TNA Heavyweight Champion, and among various other accolades, he is commonly referred to as "The Icon", a name only bestowed upon the elite. He is the man called Sting.

Sting will also go down as the most successful wrestler never to wrestle for Vince McMahon.

When asked what stopped him from joining the WWE after the Invasion angle, Sting responded by saying that a confrontation between The Rock and Booker T. where The Rock asked Booker who he was was enough for him to reject working for McMahon.

Sting feared his character would not be used properly, and rightfully so. It would have been sad to see a legend like Sting booked in similar fashion to Scott Steiner, Goldberg, DDP, and Booker T.

After watching a video in which Sting interviews Shawn Michaels, I wondered what a feud between the two would have been like. That also brought me to think about other potential opponents that Sting could have had if he had signed with the WWE instead of TNA.

So assuming that Sting had signed with McMahon in 2006 instead of TNA, and was still a member of the active roster, who would be suitable rivals for "The Stinger"?

My original intention was for a list of ten potential feuds that Sting could have had in the WWE this year, but found only eight superstars on the current roster that could perhaps realistically feud with Sting.

8. Kane

Kane is among the most evil and sadistic superstars in WWE history when he is playing the part of the heel. More often than not, Sting is the voice of reason in TNA. In a feud similar to the one Sting had with Abyss, Sting would try to get Kane to renounce his evil ways, leading to a few in-ring encounters between the two, with Sting emerging victorious in the end.

7. C. M. Punk

The new and improved C.M. Punk is a cheater, can't win a match (or a belt for that matter) fairly, plays mind games, and often attacks his opponents when they least expect it.

In TNA, just before joining the Main Event Mafia, Sting made his dislike for arrogant, young talent who don't recognize the legends that paved the way from them known. I think that C.M. Punk and Sting would have good in ring chemistry, and their promos against one another would fire to the feud.

6. Chris Jericho

As much as I like to be able to cheer for Chris Jericho, he is at his best when he is a heel.

Lately, his favorite thing to do is call everyone a hypocrite, so why not Sting too? He could question Sting's motives. Why does Sting continue to prolong his already successful career? One more shot at glory? Money?Does he want to hold the younger talent back?

Jericho has a tendency to make his on-screen rivalries so believable, that it seems as if he and his opponent have issues in real life, as seen with his feud with Shawn Michaels.

5. Edge

Sting is a devout Christian and I don't think Edge's actions would sit too well with Sting. Whether it's cheating, marrying a late wrestler's wife to gain control over the rest of the roster, or holding live sex celebrations with children in the audience.

Sting is a master at mind games, though second to The Undertaker, while Edge can be borderline schizophrenic at times. Sting would finally lure Edge to the ring after several face to face encounters and numerous mind games.

4. Triple H

Ric Flair has no business in a wrestling ring anymore, but his buddy Triple H can pick up where he left off. Although Flair and Sting's last encounter was a friendly one, in which Sting emerged victorious, Sting and Flair are sworn enemies in the wrestling world. It would be interesting to see how Flair's student would fare against his greatest rival.

In the end, I think the build-up leading to a match between the two would be good enough to outshine the actual match.

3. Randy Orton

Orton once prided himself on being the "Legend Killer", and Sting is as big as they come regarding legends. Any rivalry involving Orton also involves Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase, so Sting would be outnumbered. Even when outnumbered, Sting often finds a way to come out on top, and he is one legend that can't be killed by Orton or his minions.

Sting would probably lose the first couple of encounters due to interference from Rhodes and DiBiase, but would win when it mattered the most.

2. The Undertaker

The hype surrounding Undertaker against Sting would probably be equal to or greater than the hype surrounding Undertaker's Wrestlemania 25 match against Shawn Michaels. The Undertaker and Sting are both masters at toying with their opponents before actually fighting them, and one can only imagine what tactics these two legends would use against one another.

A match fit only for the granddaddy of them all, Wrestlemania, and because of that, Undertaker would edge out Sting in a closely fought encounter.

1. Shawn Michaels

Basically the inspiration for the writing of this article. Probably the greatest match that I'll never see. Another Wrestlemania worthy encounter. A rivalry between the two would be similar to Michaels-Undertaker rivalry. Weeks to months of build up, with only one match in the end.

Neither Sting nor Michaels is the heel, and their purpose is not to insult one another as much as it is to determine who the better wrestler is of the two.

The only match fitting for a rivalry as epic as this would be an iron man match. A great testament to both wrestlers would be ending the match in a draw as a show of respect to the skill, hard work, and dedication of both men.

Is Wrestling Having a Negative Influence on Your Life?

Kevin Williams — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 17:07:03 -0400

Wrestling fans tune in to WWE Raw, Smackdown, and TNA Impact, among other wrestling shows in order to see their favorite performers go to battle each week. For two hours fans, are sucked into the drama surrounding the superstars in the ring.

The only problem is that there are some fans that don't know how to separate the action on the TV screen from their everyday lives. Without further ado, here are ten indications that wrestling may be having a negative influence on your daily life.

10. You have an alias.

Most wrestlers perform under false names, and this has inspired you to assume a new identity. You demand that all of your friends, family members, classmates, co-workers, and random people you meet on the street call you by your new name: Seymour Butts.

You refuse to respond to anything other than this name, and you've had your birth name legally changed so that you can use this name everywhere you go.

9. You suffer from paranoia.

You are constantly looking over your shoulder thinking that you are going to get jumped by Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. You're afraid to open closet doors in fear that The Boogeyman is inside ready to sing you a nursery rhyme.

Whenever the lights go out, you anxiously exit the room in fear that Sabu, Sting, or The Undertaker will be standing behind you when the lights come back on.

8. You suffer from the Napoleon Complex.

You decided to finally stand up to your nemesis. The only problem is that he is over seven feet tall, while you are five and a half feet tall.

You watched the likes of Evan Bourne and Rey Mysterio take on Khali, Kane, Mike Knox, and The Big Show, and thought you could do it too. It is for this very reason that you are laying in a hospital bed.

7. There is only one way to solve disputes.

Long gone are the days when you tried to reason with those who argue with you. Nowadays you shut them up by getting you minions to beat them down for you, giving you the opportunity to deliver a punt to their skull.

The only reason you will avoid assault charges is because you claim to have "intermittent explosive disorder."

6. You expect a grand entrance everywhere you go.

Whether it be your school, work, bedroom, or the grocery store, you expect theme music to be played every time you walk through the door because you are that important.

You expect to receive a louder pop than Stone Cold Steve Austin, have pyro showering you on your way to the ring, and Lilian Garcia announcing your arrival.

In reality, you will get none of that. There may be music playing when you enter the grocery store, but when is there not? You will however manage to get a crowd pop equal to that of Shelton Benjamin.

5. You carry a belt over your shoulder.

Because you are the champion of the world, you took it upon yourself to have a belt made in your honor. You now have your own custom belt made of aluminum foil that was wrapped over a circular-cut piece of cardboard and glued onto the middle of the black belt you wore to church last Sunday.

Don't forget the spinning Hotwheel that was placed in the middle of the belt. Look at it this way, your belt is worth as much as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

4. You believe you have nine lives.

Like many other wrestling fans, The Undertaker is probably one of your favorite wrestlers, and you want to imitate everything he does.

I warn you though, before you lock yourself into a flaming casket, or agree to be buried alive just remember that wrestling is scripted and chances are that you won't come back like the Undertaker does.

3. Your favorite wrestlers are Rob Van Dam, Brian Kendrick, and Jeff Hardy.

If this is the case you are probably involved with illegal substances, some of which may cause you to sing R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly."

Just make sure that said substances are not present in your car the next time a police officer pulls you over, you are not falling asleep while performing at extended heights, and that your occupation does not drug test its employees.

2. You asked for a refund after seeing the most recent Superman movie.

You were expecting the Man of Steel to be played by non other than John Cena, and were deeply disappointed when that was not the case.

Instead of an hour and a half of Cena reciting his heroic phrases full of monosyllabic words such as, "The champ is here" or "You can't see me," you paid to see some guy who was simply pretending to be Superman.

1. You are failing geometry.

Anyone who has taken a geometry class knows that a postulate is used to prove that triangles are similar or congruent. Postulates include similarities by way of angle-side-angle, side-angle-side, side-side-side, and angle-angle among others.

Although you are fully aware of these postulates, you are failing because the answers to all your tests are Angle-Jarrett-Angle.

The WWE and Their Misuse of the Swerve

Kevin Williams — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:27:00 -0400

Lately, before every WWE pay-per-view, the creative team must contemplate the age old question: To swerve, or not to swerve?

Earlier in the year, I wrote an article asking where the element of surprise in pro wrestling had gone. Since then, the WWE has given the fans a variety of "surprises." What the WWE needs to learn, though, is that there are two kinds of surprises: Good surprises and bad ones.

The purpose of the swerve is to shock the audience, but lately this technique has been overused and misused. Champions have been made to look weak, no one is able to hold a championship for more than a month or two, wrestlers have been pushed to the side, and the storylines have been all over the place.

It has gotten to the point where I think the creative team does this not because they want the fans to be genuinely shocked, but because they want to feel as if they are one step ahead of Internet wrestling fans. If this is the case, then it will be a long time before quality programming returns to the WWE.

One thing the writers need to realize is that the members of the Internet wrestling community don't fit into their target demographic.

Up until now, the WWE has focused their programming around younger kids, although that looks like that may be changing soon enough. I'm sure many of the little kids in the audience are not on the Internet looking for wrestling spoilers, which is why I feel that the constant swerving is unnecessary.

I believe that two superstars in particular have been the biggest victims of the WWE's desire to one-up the older, more informed wrestling fans. To me, Randy Orton and C.M. Punk have been made to look like mediocre champions.

Orton had so much momentum going into Wrestlemania, only to lose to Triple H, and then win the belt from him in a six man tag-team match at Backlash. He then lost the belt to Batista, who had to vacate the belt after suffering an injury. Orton would then win the belt back a week later.

On top of all this, it seems as if "The Viper" can't win a match without the interference of his minions, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase.

For lack of a better word, the WWE's handling of C.M. Punk's two World Heavyweight Championship reigns has been retarded.

He won the Money in the Bank for the second year straight at Wrestlemania 25. Instead of cashing it in for a sanctioned match against Edge or Jeff Hardy, Punk cashed in seconds after Hardy won his second championship in a ladder match against Edge.

This looked like a good way to build C.M. Punk up as probably the top heel in the company next to Orton. The only problem is that he lost the belt a month and a half later to Hardy.

I'm not the biggest Christian fan, but I also feel he may have been a victim of the WWE's obsession with being unpredictable.

A storyline involving him and Edge—and maybe the Hardys—looked imminent, but because of the constant rumors circling the Internet at the time nearing Christian's arrival, Christian was relegated to ECW...the "C" show. I'm not sure if Christian is a future WWE Champion, but he is definitely above the likes of ECW.

The swerve is good for wrestling when used properly and sparingly, but it shouldn't be used to insult the intelligence of your loyal fans. All the WWE has done this year is made their championship belts almost worthless, and stalled the progress of a few promising superstars.

If the WWE continues to alter their plans at the last minute in order to stay one step ahead of their more informed fans, then I fear that the days of meaningful championship reigns and quality programming will disappear from wrestling forever.

The WWE Championship: Who Is Randy Orton's Succesor?

Kevin Williams — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:40:06 -0400

In today's World Wrestling Entertainment, many of the title holders have to consider themselves lucky if they can hold on to their belts, especially the World Heavyweight Championship, for 50 days.

Both the WWE and World Heavyweight Championship belts change hands often enough that people like Triple H, Edge, and John Cena may all surpass Ric Flair's legendary sixteen world championships by the time the books close on their careers.

Current WWE Champion, Randy Orton, is quickly closing in on the first 50 days of his title reign, and though I don't believe that he will lose the belt in the next month or two, I do think that the WWE should start looking at the superstars in the Raw locker room that are best fitted to win the belt from Orton.

Since Summerslam of 2004, the combination of Triple H, Randy Orton, and John Cena have fought each other twenty-five times in a variety of matches. Quite frankly, I speak for most WWE fans when I say that no one wants to see Triple H or John Cena win the belt from Orton.

A rundown of the Raw superstars that I believe are most the most eligible candidates for WWE championship stardom is in order.

Although the possible disdain that many fans would have with John Cena and Triple H winning the belt from Orton was previously mentioned, arguments for them winning the belt will also be mentioned in this article.

1. Triple H

The main advantage that putting the belt back around Triple H's waist has is that a victory over Triple H can put just about any rising mid-carder over. If not for Triple H, Batista would not be the shining star that he is today, and the same could be said for Randy Orton.

After a lengthy feud with Orton, Triple H could feud with Big Show, and possibly make him into a credible champion once again, or he could put over someone like Jack Swagger in a lengthy feud.

2. John Cena

Call him Superman, criticize his in-ring ability, and boo him as you may, John Cena is the most marketable commodity in the WWE, and has been for a while.

To his credit, Cena hasn't held a belt since April, which may just be a record for him.

Other than marketability, with the right program, I think Cena is also capable of putting other wrestlers over, although not to the extent of Triple H.

The Miz has been on the rise lately, and maybe a continuation in the Cena/Miz feud, with The Miz eventually winning the belt, would catapult him to stardom.

There's also the possibility of Big Show finally beating Cena for the belt, although the WWE has dropped the ball on this one before, and this feud is more tired out than the Orton/Cena/HHH feud.

3. M.V.P.

Earlier in the year M.V.P. was getting pops from the crowd, he was the United States Champion, and everything seemed to be going in his favor. A feud with Orton seemed imminent after their first encounter on Raw.

This feud was not to be, and M.V.P. has hung around the mid-card for the year trying to regain his U.S. Championship.

With smart booking, (although this may be asking too much from the WWE right now) I think that M.V.P. can gain his momentum back and have a successful feud with Randy Orton that eventually leads to his first WWE Title.

An M.V.P. title reign brings a desperately needed fresh face to the WWE belt.

As much as the WWE has hinted a possible M.V.P. title reign, now is the time that they should be pushing him forward. M.V.P. is not as young as other talent, and I can't see him being a multi-time champion.

4. Mark Henry

Mark Henry has only recently turned face, and already he commands bigger pops than the likes of M.V.P. and Shelton Benjamin.

Since his arrival on Raw, Mark Henry has taken out the likes of Randy Orton and Chris Jericho.

I think Henry serves as a better short-term fix than a long-term champion.

With good booking, he could put on a half decent feud with The Big Show, in a "Battle of the Big Men" type rivalry. Then again, as recent trends show, WWE fans tend to favor the smaller wrestlers such as Evan Bourne, so a feud such as this may not be the best idea for WWE right now.

5. Batista

If not for his injury at Extreme Rules, Batista would probably still be the WWE Champion right now.

If the bookers are planning on giving Randy Orton a longer than average run with the belt, then Batista may be the most likely candidate to win the belt from Orton.

Like many of the other feuds on Raw, Batista versus Randy Orton is as over played as Lady Gaga's music. A one or two month feud between Orton and Batista is enough to push Batista back up to championship status. After that, Batista is free to feud with new competition.

6. Shawn Michaels

It is only a matter of time before Shawn Michaels returns to aid Triple H in the fight against Randy Orton and The Legacy.

I, for one, am all for an HBK and Orton feud. It is not over-used like many other WWE feuds, and I think that a lengthy feud between them could draw viewers.

Since Shawn Michaels returned to WWE after his five year hiatus, he has been champion one time. Michaels was the first ever winner of the Elimination Chamber match, and held on to the belt for a month after that.

Shawn Michaels winning the belt opens up a multitude of possible feuds and storylines. Perhaps Triple H could turn heel, and The Game and The Heartbreak Kid could feud all the way to Wrestlemania, in what could just be the retirement angle for Shawn Michaels.

7. Kofi Kingston

I don't even know how serious I am about this one, but I think Kofi is the dark horse of the group.

I see Kofi as being immensely over with the crowd, and he's also an exciting athlete to watch in the ring. One thing that the current U.S. Champion could use some work on is developing more of a personality.

For now, I don't think Kofi is much of a threat to Orton's current reign, but I do believe he will be a champion when Dolph Ziggler, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, and the like make it into the main event scene.

Other than Triple H and John Cena, the most realistic choice of all the candidates seems to be Batista, who I believe will be the one to dethrone Randy Orton. I personally would like for it to be Shawn Michaels because I feel that he is most deserving of everybody on this list. He hasn't held the belt in such a long time, and I think many fans would consider him as a different face holding the belt.

As is with all things in life, only time will tell who the next WWE Champion will be.

The Case Of the Missing Pop

Kevin Williams — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:29:58 -0400

In pro wrestling, the pop, not to be confused with a bottle of soda, is the reaction that the superstars get from the crowd through their entrances, interviews, and other actions.

As the years progress, it seems as if superstars get less and less reaction from the audience.

WWE programming usually garners upwards of 10,000 and even 15,000 audience members, and yet many times, it sounds as if there are only a couple hundred people in attendance.

It seems as if the only superstars who receive more than an average amount of heat from the crowd are Triple H, Undertaker, John Cena, Edge, Randy Orton, and Jeff Hardy, among a few others. Even the reactions for these superstars pale in comparison to that of mid-carders of the Attitude Era.

In my opinion, the main reasoning behind the lack of a pop towards many of the wrestlers is the ability they lack to make us care about them.

Guys like Mike Knox and Vladmir Kozlov are monster heels, but when they make their way to the ring, the crowd seems to be indifferent. It's one thing to be able to illicit cheers from the audience, but how hard is it to at least get booed? If you can't do that as a heel, then you are in the wrong business.

Another reason why pops are becoming less and less is because, as many wrestling fans will remind you, we're basically being served the same angles that were given to us in the nineties. How often can one superstar break into another one's house?

How many times do you expect fans to sit through a brother versus brother rivalry?

As a wrestling fan, I know how hard it is to get excited about some of the superstars and angles that we see week in and week out, but we may as well make the most of it.

It has gotten to the point where the fans are so unresponsive to some of the action going on that it seems as if the WWE is using "canned" heat more. It is painfully obvious that many of the cheers heard throughout WWE programming are recorded, especially when you hear chanting on TV, and yet the crowd is sitting still.

The majority of the wrestlers nowadays are less charismatic than the superstars many of us grew up watching.

I remember when guys like Road Dogg and Billy Gunn could get the loudest pop of the night just by doing their routine entrance skit. The reception that John Cena gets when his music hits doesn't even compare to the pandemonium that would erupt when the fans heard the glass shattering at the beginning of Stone Cold Steve Austin's entrance music.

Although the writers and many of the wrestlers do a bad job of making the audience care about what is happening in the ring, I think we as fans can also play our part in fixing the deteriorating state of the pop.

We should cheer or boo whenever possible, even if it is for guys like Mike Knox. It shows the wrestlers how much we appreciate the sacrifices that they make for our entertainment, and it also enhances our viewing experience. I'd rather give a half-assed reaction to a guy like Festus than sit in silence all night.

The Ideal Wrestling Promotion

Kevin Williams — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:16:53 -0400

Since the demise of ECW and WCW, wrestling has garnered many complaints from its fans.

The lack of serious competition, good storylines, and effort from the creative teams gives fans a plethora of complaints in about the wrestling world.

Many are tired of "untalented" guys like John Cena constantly holding championship gold. Some want TNA to put more effort into their storylines, along with dedicating more of the show to actual wrestling, instead of the usual thirty or so minutes.

A handful want women's wrestling and tag team wrestling to become a main priority. A good majority of fans want the WWE to get rid of the current TV-PG rating, and just about all of us want to see the young guys pushed to the top.

Although WWE and TNA will seldom make decisions based on their fans, It would be fun to see how others perceive the "ideal" wrestling promotion.

Hereabouts are the factors that I believe would make for the ideal wrestling promotion.

First off, you can't have wrestling without wrestlers. In the ideal promotion, mat skills would be a requirement.

No matter how tall, heavy, or genetically gifted you are, there is no place for you if you can't brawl, grapple, and be somewhat technically sound. There is no using the same five moves, in the same order, every show.

Despite having to have a good amount of skill in the ring, the top wrestlers would have to have that superstar look. Current wrestlers who fit this mold would be Randy Orton and Triple H.

Women have been a staple in wrestling for many years now. There is nothing wrong with looking pretty, but in the ideal promotion, they too would be required to actually know how to wrestle.

Women wrestlers would be referred to as women wrestlers, not Divas or Knockouts. The same amount of effort would be given to their storylines, and they would always be assured at least one spot in pay-per-views.

Current women wrestlers who fit into my ideal promotion are Mickie James and Angelina Love.

Tag teams were once abundant in the late nineties and early two thousands, however, tag team wrestling for the most part has fallen off of the map, especially in the WWE. A tag team has to have chemistry.

Two wrestlers who have worked together for a while and have the will and desire to reach the pinnacle of tag team wrestling. Anywhere between five to six actively competing tag teams makes for good competition and adds prestige to the belts.

Current tag teams that have a place in the ideal promotion are, Team 3D, Beer Money Inc., The Colons, The World's Greatest Tag Team, and DH Smith and Tyson Kidd.

What would the soap opera known as professional wrestling be without storylines? I like good storylines as much as the next wrestling fan, but sometimes the storlines and gimmicks are too much for fans to handle.

Angles where dead wrestlers are being exploited, paternity tests are involved, and two wrestlers have a live sex celebration are unnecessary in the world of wrestling.

Although fans like to see creativity in the storylines, there is such thing as being just a little bit too creative when it comes to writing a wrestling show.

In my promotion, storylines would be used for the progression of feuds and the development of characters, but nothing overly dramatic would occur. The focus would be on the actual wrestling.

Last, but not least, a big issue in wrestling today seems to be the battle between the youth and the elder statesmen behind the scenes.

In TNA, the older wrestlers, for example, the fifty-year old Sting, are the ones holding the World Championship while the younger, and for the most part, more talented, wrestlers are anxiously waiting in line for their turn to hold some gold.

Ideally, an equal amount of veterans and younger wrestlers who are ready to be pushed to the main event should be in the World Title scene.

WWE has the right idea with wrestlers such as Edge and Jeff Hardy competing for the belt, however, it is never long before a guy like Triple H is back in the title picture.

On the other hand, TNA likes to keep their belt on older guys instead of the younger talent who built the company and the ones who are more likely to still be around in 10 years.

More wrestling than talking, a legitimate women's and tag team division, equality between veterans and up-and-coming stars, and believable storylines all mixed together make for my ideal wrestling promotion.

Although we my never see what we believe to be the ideal promotion, it doesn't hurt to imagine.

Sizing Up the Prestige of the WWE and TNA Tag Team Titles

Kevin Williams — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:37:15 -0400

Over the years, numerous tag teams have made names for themselves in a "sport" dominated by singles competitors. There once was a time when tag teams were so abundant in the WWE that many good teams missed out on a chance to hold a tag team championship.

Gone are the days of the Dudley Boyz (Team 3D), Edge and Christian, the Hardy Boyz, T&A, the Holly Cousins, and the other tag teams that many of us became accustomed to watching in the early 2000's.

In today's WWE, it seems as if tag team wrestling is becoming less and less of a priority.

The effort was made to revamp the tag team division with the feud between the Colons and The Miz and John Morrison, but it seems as though tag team wrestling has taken a back seat to singles wrestling once again.

However, TNA, the WWE's competiton (and I use that term loosely), boasts a legitimate tag team division. Beer Money Inc., the Motor City Machine Guns, Lethal Consequences, British Invasion, No Limit, and LAX (although they remain inactive) are all looking to take the tag team belts from Team 3D.

Sure, they may not have as many tag teams as WWE did in the early 2000's, but every one one of these teams are contenders, and the fact that they are all legitimate tag teams helps to strengthen the division.

On the other hand, the WWE's tag team division consists of the Colons, Cryme Tyme, and to a lesser extent, Priceless, who have shied away from the division to do Randy Orton's bidding for him.

Now, onto the big question. After taking a look at the tag team picture in both WWE and TNA, which company's tag team titles are more prestigious at the current time?

From a historical standpoint, the answer is WWE without question. From the standpoint of a wrestling fan in the year 2009, this may or may not be a difficult question to answer.

At Wrestlemania 25, WWE unified the tag team belts in a match between World Tag Team Champions, The Miz and John Morrison, and WWE Tag Team Champions, Carlito and Primo Colon. With two belts to their names, the Colons would surely bring the WWE tag team division back to dominance.

Since Wrestlemania, this has not been the case. More often than not, Carlito and Primo wrestle in singles matches. When they do wrestle together, they are usually against make-shift tag teams, as seen on last week's edition of Raw, where they faced Goldust and Brian Kendrick.

Carlito and Primo are the tag team champs, and yet they are really the only tag team on Raw. Priceless are more than capable of having a good feud with the Colon's, but are stuck in their position as lackeys.

Even if the Unified Tag Team Championship was to be cross-branded, the only tag team on SmackDown is Cryme Tyme, and it seems as if they would rather host Diva Dance-Offs.

Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas have been together a lot lately, but I'm not sure if other wrestling fans would consider them a legitimate tag team just yet.

If they do make a permanent comeback, it will only benefit the tag team division.

The only viable option I see is to feud David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd against Carlito and Primo. Not only could this make for a good, lengthy feud, but DH and Tyson could get over with the WWE audience in the process.

As of now, the tag team belts are more of a fashion accessory for Carlito and Primo, and I don't see a tag team currently in WWE that is ready to take the belts from them just yet.

If there is one thing I think TNA should receive credit for, it is their management of the tag team division. There may not be an over abundance of tag teams, but there are enough to argue over who should hold the belts next.

Separate cases can be made for Lethal Consequences, Beer Money Inc., No Limit, and the British Invasion to be the ones to dethrone Team 3D, one of the three greatest tag teams of all-time. Despite the talent of each of these teams, most fans will agree that it is Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin's time to reach the pinnacle of tag team wrestling.

The TNA Tag Team Championship is defended more often than the WWE Unified Tag Team Championship, and TNA uses fewer make-shift tag teams. Usually belts move from team to team in TNA.

For example, Beer Money lost the belts to Team 3D instead of to the random pairing of Homicide and Suicide.

The sad fact about a lot of WWE's tag teams are that a lot of them are wrestlers with no chemistry together, and I would not have been surprised if Brian Kendrick and Goldust had won the titles last Monday on Raw.

When it comes to the "battle" between WWE and TNA, WWE wins in almost all aspects, including star power, storylines, and quality of programming.

If there is one area where TNA has the leverage, it is in the tag team department. Tag team wrestling as a whole may not be what it used to, but TNA has done a better job with their tag team division than the WWE as of late.

Maybe the WWE will take tag team wrestling more seriously in the latter part of 2009. The tag team division is very fixable, and I doubt that it would take more than a few months to get it back on its feet.

If WWE plans on re-establishing a serious tag team division in the near future remains to be seen. With that said, the TNA Tag Team Championship is the one and only title in TNA that is currently more prestigious than its WWE counterpart.

CM Punk Is Mr. Money in the Bank...Deal With It

Kevin Williams — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:53:29 -0400

I haven't written on Bleacher Report in over two months simply because nothing in the wrestling world has inspired me to do so. I do check the wrestling section frequently, and from what I'm seeing just about everyone hated Wrestlemania and everyone's least favorite part of the night was CM Punk winning the Money in the Bank for the second year in a row.

Complain as you might, the fact in the matter is that Phil Brooks climbed the ladder and grabbed that briefcase to earn himself a title shot, and like the title says, we are all just going to have to deal with it.

Those in the wrestling section who know me know that I am a CM Punk fan, but I was as shocked as anyone to see him win the briefcase for the second year in a row.

Most people agree that the Money in the Bank match is one of those matches, similar to the King of the Ring, where the winner is a young talent that is about to get a big push from the creative team.

With that said, for Punk to win it two years running seems absurd seeing as he held on to some kind of gold for most of the past year.

After recovering from the shock and happiness (he is my favorite wrestler after all), it started to make sense. After such a huge push Randy Orton would surely walk out with the WWE title in the main event and somewhere down the road he would feud with CM Punk.

He did cost Punk the title after all, and their rivalry has been left somewhat unfinished.

The only problem with this is that Triple H defeated Randy Orton last night, so that feud for the most part is either on hold or not in the creative team's plans.

As upset as most of the wrestling community may be, one thing that I have learned in my many years as a wrestling fan is that you're just going to have to put up with what WWE gives you.

No matter what we, the fans, think, we really have no say in the WWE's decision making. If the fans say one thing, then WWE is surely going to take another route.

We all assumed that Christian's return meant the the re-ignition of the Hardy Boys versus Edge and Christian feud. Instead, since wrestling fans kept going on about it, we got Matt Hardy versus Jeff Hardy, and Edge and Christian have yet to acknowledge eachother's existence on-screen.

I'm sure many assumed Christian was going to win Money in the Bank and feud with Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship. That is probably the exact reason why the WWE went another route and chose CM Punk to win it instead.

Many then bring up the question: why not give it to Shelton Benjamin or Kane? These are the same people that say that Shelton isn't championship material because he isn't great on the mic, or that Kane's character has lost all credibility after the loss of his mask, and other questionable storylines.

Those people will probably admit that all that is true, but at least they paid their dues. Anyone who thinks that CM Punk hasn't paid his dues has never heard of Ring of Honor wrestling.

CM Punk was already well known before he made his debut WWE debut in 2006, as you can tell by the reception he got in his first match, many fans already knew him.

Just because wasn't stuck in a WWE farm territory his whole career doesn't mean he hasn't "paid his dues."

As stated earlier, I am as surprised as anyone that something like the Money in the Bank could be given to any superstar more than one time, but even Edge didn't face this kind of backlash when he took Mr. Kennedy's briefcase from him to hold the MITB for the second time.

Kennedy was injured, but he still had over half a year to recover and cash in his title shot.

The good news for those who are not too high on CM Punk is that this may just be his last chance at the big time in WWE. If he doesn't go over really big by Wrestlemania 26, then we might just see Vince and the creative team give up on him.

Then again, it is also his chance to become World Champion once more, and carry the WWE on his shoulders. As far as I'm concerned, the WWE owes CM Punk this much after the way his last World Title run went.

Who knows? If not for the constant gossip and spoilers in the wrestling community, maybe Christian would be Mr. Money in the Bank. I feel that the wrestling community is its own worst enemy because of situations like this.

As for CM Punk holding the Money in the Bank briefcase, there is nothing anyone can do about it, so i suggest those who remain bitter build a bridge and get over it.

Think You Have What It Takes To Be A Wrestling Booker?

Kevin Williams — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:13:34 -0500

Extreme Warfare Revenge. I'm sure many, if not all of you are asking what does EWR have to do with becoming a wrestling booker. The answer is both everything...and nothing. EWR puts you in the position of booker for the company of your choosing (and there are many to choose from).For anyone who decides to check this game out, chances are you'll enjoy the amount of power it gives you in the wrestling world. Despite the amount of fun you are sure to have, chances are that all your success will remain on the computer, and never reach a real world wrestling promotion. Of the many possibilities in EWR, here is a brief on just what it has to offer.

Begin Slideshow

Where is the Element of Surprise in Pro Wrestling?

Kevin Williams — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:42:18 -0500

Remember when, just a few years ago, us wrestling fans tuned in to wrestling week after week to see the what the writers could come up with next?

Back then, to me anyway, wrestling was as unpredictable as the lottery.

In this day in age we have wrestling insider sites that give us the full details on what to expect in the coming weeks and months of WWE and TNA television. Just a few years back, these sites were not as common, and more often than not, you had to wait until Raw, Nitro, Smackdown, etc. to see what would really take place.

Scott Hall debuting in WCW, and then later bringing Kevin Nash to the WCW audience, then proceeding to form the NWO with Hulk Hogan pretty much took just about every wrestling fan by surprise.

Today, any wrestling fan can visit and insider website and it will tell you something along the lines of "Christian Cage Set to Sign with WWE," and then proceed to tell you a number of storylines that he may be involved in.

With sources like these, it's hard for the creative teams to keep fans on edge. Online sources are by no means the only reason for the surprise element being eliminated from wrestling for the most part.

The WWE and TNA creative teams have shown a lack of creativity recently when it comes to creating storylines. Jeff Hardy and his fiancee involved in a mysterious hit-and-run? This storyline sounds oddly familiar (who ran over Stone Cold).

From what I gather from a few websites, including fellow writers here on Bleacher Report, this is supposedly a way for Christian to re-debut in the WWE. Apparently he ran into Hardy and his fiancee as basically a mercenary for Edge. Christian as Edge's lackey? What is surprising about that.

I think it would actually be interesting this time around if it was really Rikishi who had ran into Hardy. It sets up a storyline where Rikishi admits that he either has a bad case of road rage, or that he needs a person over the age of twenty-one sitting in the passenger seat at all times until he learns how to spot pedestrians walking in a parking garage and how to master the three second space cushion.

It is currently the year 2009, so yes, I would expect wrestling to be different from how it was in 1998-2001. Back then, there was actual competition going on. Every show had to be a quality show. If you dropped the ball on one show, you could see your ratings plummet in a heart beat, which would likely spell the end of your time a top the wrestling ladder.

When talking to a friend who had moved four years ago, i asked him if he still watched wrestling. He said no because "it got predictable after a while." I think ninety percent of wrestling fans will agree with that statement. The other ten percent probably just began watching wrestling, or are eight years old.

Although it may be hard to come up with new material, fans shouldn't be tuning out because you are making your product too predictable.

Remember when you couldn't miss an episode of RAW back in 1999? Every episode was different from the one that came before it. In today's wrestling, you could probably stop watching three weeks at a time, tune in the fourth week, and find yourself in the same spot that you were in a month ago.

As the days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, and months turn into years, how much longer do the "creative" staffs of the wrestling industry believe that we will tune in to see the same thing over and over again. If we wanted repetition, we'd be better off watching Saved by the Bell re-runs.

Remember when The Rock surprisingly came to the aid of Eugene? Kane's first unmasking, only to be revealed as The Undertaker in Kane's costume? The simultaneous telecast of Raw and Nitro where, according to Hurricane Helms, not even the wrestlers had a clue of what was going on?

What about Mick Foley falling off of the top of the Hell in the Cell through the announcer table? I don't think many wrestling fans could have told you that events like these would happen.

How often in Sting going to win the TNA Championship at Bound for Glory? How many times will John Cena be given the World/WWE Championship. How long will we have to sit through seeing Triple H being pushed above all others? How predictable is Undertaker winning at Wrestlemania (I actually don't have much of a problem with this one)?

Is it too much to ask to be surprised just a little more often?

Trsih Stratus one night return on the Raw before Christmas was a genuine shock. I expected John Cena's partner to be the likes of Kelly Kelly or another Raw diva. Instead we saw Trish for the first time in two years, and she looked okay for someone who hadn't wrestled in the WWE in about two years.

Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed winning the TNA Tag Team Titles weren't so much of a shock as they were a pleasant change. If I had to bet on it, I would have told you that Robert Roode was playing possum, and that he would magically be healed and succeed in attacking Jay Lethal out of nowhere to retain the titles with James Storm.

Tops on my list of unpleasant swerves is Randy Orton being Kelly Kelly's boyfriend. This storyline could have set up a decent upper mid-card feud between CM Punk and Kane, but instead pits Kane against Orton, both of whom are heels. Their match will probably be a one-off, and the storyline will be put to rest. WWE can then pretend as if it never existed. They do it all the time anyway.

Wrestling has obviously hit a stale point for many. I know that I'm caught inbetween, I will stick with wrestling for as long as I can, but how long can I watch the same episode with a different cast week after week, month after month, year after year. For wrestling I have one question:

Where is the element of surprise?

The Recipe For Getting Over

Kevin Williams — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:11:39 -0500

Probably the most unpredictable aspect of wrestling is determining who gets over with the fans and who gets booed every week, not because they generate any real heat, but because the fans just don't like you.

When Steve Austin was fired from WCW, who knew that he would become the face of the Attitude Era after signing on with Vince McMahon? Who knew that the third-generation superstar who once garnered "Die Rocky Die" chants would go on to become one of the most beloved stars in the history of wrestling?

To be "over," the fans have to buy into what you are selling them. Some wrestlers get over and some don't.

There are many factors that play a part in which wrestler gets over and which wrestler fails to connect with the crowd. Some performers can get over just by having an unprecedented amount of charisma, good wrestling ability, or by scoring a pinfall over a main eventer. Others need a combination of these factors to get over with the crowd.

There are certain ingredients that must go into the pot in order for someone to get over. Some wrestlers only need one ingredient, while others could use a whole casserole. A look at the ingredients that go into the big pot of getting over, or improving your popularity, is in order.

Moveset

Every wrestler has a unique arsenal. Wrestlers have some grapples that they prefer to use over others, submission maneuvers to make their opponents submit, and a gameplan; whether it is to utilize a high flying offense, focus on a specific body part of an opponent, or to cheat. Depending on what you do with your moveset, the fans can warm up to you, or they can ignore you all together.

Case in point, performers like Snitzky and Mike Knox. They are not very marketable to begin with, and their movesets do not help them one bit. They use the same boring moves match after match on wrestlers half their size. You will seldom see anything innovative from guys like Snitzky and Mike Knox.

On the other hand, Evan Bourne would be nowhere if it wasn't for his moveset. He's not talented on the mic and he's not one of the bigger guys in the locker room, but ECW fans immediately fell in love with Bourne after seeing what he can do in the ring.

We've all seen the shooting star press numerous times from Billy Kidman, but somehow, the move became exciting again when Bourne brought it back to the WWE. Who else can get that high on the shooting star?

Finishing Move

An extension on the moveset category. This however, is a separate ingredient because a wrestler can have a nice finishing move but a terrible moveset (or vice-versa) and still get over.

In the 1980s, a simple move such as the DDT could signal the end of the match and excite the crowd. In today's wrestling, this is not the case. Sure wrestlers such as Edge use a variation of a DDT as a finisher, but the fans expect to see more out of a finishing move, and your finisher can help in getting you over quicker, or make the road that much longer.

Petey Williams wouldn't be as well known as he is without the Canadian Destroyer as a finisher. He is a good wrestler, but he doesn't have the greatest moveset, and many fans would agree that it is a waste of time to sit and watch a match where Petey wins via a move other than the Destroyer.

Charisma and Microphone Skill

Few wrestlers can make it without a decent amount of charisma and at least some talent on the microphone. If the wrestler can't entertain the fans, then he is in the wrong business.

Time and again there, there have been wrestlers who could have made it, but just couldn't entertain the fans.

The recently released Kenny Dykstra was decent in the ring, and really had a future ahead of him. However, after the male cheerleader gimmick, he became really stale. At this stage in his career, Kenny can't cut a promo to save his life.

He was definitely brought onto the big time a little too soon, and could have done with more OVW training. Maybe once Kenny has developed a little more in the ring, as well as on the mic, and is able to make fans truly care about him, he can have another run in the WWE.

When it comes to charisma and microphone skills, no one is quite on the level of The Rock. When he smiled and waved to the fans as he made his way to the ring, fans booed him mercilessly.

Then one day, Rocky decided to insult other wrestlers as well as the fans. Instead of garnering heel heat, The Rock became one of the most beloved wrestlers ever to step foot in a WWE ring. Fans began to cheer him. The Rock's millions and millions of haters soon became his millions and millions of fans.

Winning Streak

Starting a newcomer off on a winning streak is a good way to get him over with the fans. Anyone who wins over and over again should be taken seriously, This is not always the case, however.

Umaga won many matches before finally losing his first match in WWE, and yet he is not completely over with the fans. Umaga gets booed because fans are tired of him and his inability to say a sentence in English, not because he is a good heel.

Goldberg, on the other hand, won 157 straight matches before finally falling to Kevin Nash at Starrcade. The fans actually bought into Goldberg's win streak, and he became a leading player in WCW between 1998-2001.

Connections

Sometimes connections in the back will help get you over. If Vince takes a liking to you, then chances are you have a better chance of getting over than most others in the back.

Triple H is a great performer, and is over without Stephanie McMahon's help, but do you think he would have as many championships if he wasn't married to Stephanie? He would be a champion regardless, but having Stephanie ensures that he is always in the title picture, or close to it.

Storyline

Sometimes a wrestler just happens to be a part of a good storyline to get over.

Fans didn't really begin to warm up to Batista until he won the Royal Rumble. This lead to the two remaining Evolution members, Triple H and Ric Flair, turning on Batista, and Batista has gone on to become one of the most popular wrestlers today.

The same situation happened in Evolution when Batista, Flair, and Triple H turned on Randy Orton once he became champion. Randy is also immensely popular today.

Triple H

Being involved in storyline with Triple H is one of the more successful ways to get over. If a competitor can hold his own against "the Game," then he will be over with the fans in no time.

Seldom does a wrestler go back into obscurity after beating Triple H (with the exception of Shelton Benjamin who seems to have fallen off a bit).

Gimmick

If you don't have a gimmick, character, or edge about yourself, then you are wasting your time. Fans will warm up to a unique and credible gimmick in no time.

Kevin Thorn got no fan reaction during his time in ECW because everyone had already seen the vampire gimmick with Gangrel, the Undertaker gimmick, and even Thorn's previous Mordecai gimmick. The supernatural gimmick in wrestling nowadays is somewhat stale, with the exception of the Undertaker.

Kane debuted in 1997 as the brother of the Undertaker. He no-sold his opponents, and was given the nickname of "the Big Red Machine/Monster". Glen Jacobs, who had failed on many previous gimmicks before, was finally over with the WWE crowd. Although he remains in the WWE to this day, he was a major player in the late 1990s.

There are many other ways to get over as a wrestler. This is by no means a complete list of all of the many ways to get over. It is a small sample of the factors that go in to making or breaking your career as a professional wrestler.

Walk That Aisle: The Importance Of Music In Wrestling

Kevin Williams — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:48:17 -0500

Can you imagine what a bore wrestling would be without flashy entrances, theme music, and pyro. Imagine if every wrestler walked straight down the aisle to no music. They wouldn't get half the crowd reaction that they get now, and wrestling would be some what of a bore without the wrestler entrances to get the crowd, and even the wrestlers themselves hyped up.

Gorgeous George is credited as the first wrestler to truly utilize entrance music during the 1940s and 1950s. Back then, his theme music was "Pomp and Circumstance" (the graduation song). This song has since been more famously used by "Macho Man" Randy Savage, and a remixed version is even used today by "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal.

Since Gorgeous George's time, wrestling theme music, and entrances as a whole have evolved. Nowadays, wrestlers have unique theme music that only they can be identified with.

Any wrestling fan knows that "My Time is Now" is John Cena's theme music that he performed himself. If Shawn Michaels were to one day make his way to the ring to a tune other than "Sexy Boy," I would be willing to bet that he would lose a significant chunk of his fanbase. Okay, maybe not, but it definitely wouldn't feel the same.

Some wrestlers change their music as often as women change shoes. Williams Regal usually switches to more peaceful English melodies, but somehow he always returns to the menacing theme that he currently uses.

Even Triple H has gone through his share of entrance music; although he has stuck with his "The Game" music, by Motörhead, for a while now. One would never believe that Triple H once used to enter the ring to symphony music during his "Connecticut Blueblood" days. He has had songs performed by the Chris Warren Band and Run-DMC, however, he seems to prefer Motörhead above all others.

If Triple H makes his way to the ring more than one time during a show, don't be surprised if he uses two different Motörhead songs in the same night.

The most famous composer of wrestler theme music is, without a doubt, James A. Johnston. Responsible for the theme songs of The Rock along with hundreds of other wrestlers. Over the years, famous musicians have decided to join in on the fun of composing theme songs for wrestlers.

The Undertaker, of all people, once had theme music by Limp Bizkit ("Rollin'") and Kid Rock ("American Bad Ass"). Batista makes his way down the aisle to "I Walk Alone" by Joey Scott of Saliva. Rey Mysterio currently uses P.O.D.'s version of "Booyaka 619", and even Rob Zombie performed Edge's old theme, "Never Gonna Stop."

My favorite wrestler, CM Punk, currently uses Killswitch Engage's "This Fire Burns." This theme fits him, but I prefer his theme in the independents, "Miseria Cantare" by AFI. It's not often that your favorite wrestler uses music from your favorite band.

All this music would be nothing without entrances to go along with them.

Ric Flair has walked down many aisles over his thirty-five plus years as a wrestler. For as long as I've been alive, unless he was coming out with a faction, Flair has always walked down in an elegant robe to the same symphonic tune and pyro, depending on the occasion.

His days with the WWE are over, but Gangrel had one of the more memorable entrances. With the TV screen filtered red, Gangrel would rise from his platform, encircled by flames, and make his way down the ramp with a goblet in hand.

He would reach the ring stairs, then take a sip from his goblet, and spit a mist of "blood", similar to Triple H spitting water during his entrance. Gangrel also had one of the better theme songs during his time with the company.

This man never once had pyro in his entrance, and yet, once the fans heard his voice in the beginning of his theme song, the loudest pop of the night would occur. The Rock, would walk down to his energetic theme, and once he hit the ring, he would raise a fist to his millions and millions. The presence of The Rock in wrestling today would overshadow all others, including Triple H.

Entrances are also a great way to make a first impression. The most memorable debut in my opinion was Chris Jericho's. On August 9, 1999, the clock that had appeared on the titantron for weeks finally completed its countdown, and after a brief light show, WCW's Chris Jericho said for the first time, "Welcome to Raw is Jericho."

To this day, Raw is still Jericho. Jericho's return in 2007 actually ranks as second on my list of entrances to mark a wrestler's debut, or in his case, return.

There are also the classic entrances done only on special occasions. Videos of Shawn Michaels' entrance at Wrestlemania via a cable and his usual flashy entrance attire can still be seen. More recently John Cena has been known to make quite an entrance at Wrestlemania.

There was his gangster themed entrance three years ago in which OVW talent, and future World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk, was part of the entrance as one of the men in suits that drove Cena's car. Then there was Cena drifting into Ford Field in Detroit the year after.

What would wrestling be without theme music and flashy entrances? Crowds would not be as excited for matches, and there would be nothing to indicate the arrival of your favorite wrestler other than an announcer's voice. Music and unique entrances are a major part of pro wrestling, and wrestling would not be the same without them.

A Few Words From The Wrestling Fan: TNA Originals Walking on Glass

Kevin Williams — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:50:45 -0500

I have many topics that I want to write about, but none that are worthy of a whole article. Because of this, I have started A Few Words from the Wrestling Fan. This is my way of letting out everything in one article. As you can tell from the title, the main feature in this article will be about the TNA Originals.

Main Event Mafia

Before I can even get started with the TNA Originals, I have to comment on the Main Event Mafia. I don't know how TNA sees their way out of this one. I don't know about other wrestling fans but I prefer the Mafia to the Originals.

They Mafia seem to get a better response from the crowd in the Impact Zone each night, they're more entertaining, and they definitely cut better promos. Not to mention, middle aged never looked so good. The black suits, Sting's shades, and the Italian Mafia theme music, how can you not root for these guys? It is going to take some good booking to get the Originals over the Main Event Mafia.

TNA Originals

My first problem with the TNA originals is the wrestlers that form the faction. If it was up to me, the Originals would consist of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Jay Lethal, Petey Williams, Lance Hoyt, Christy Hemme, the Motor City Machine Guns, and Christopher Daniels. This is definitely the best time for TNA to re-introduce the Fallen Angel to the TNA audience.

Since this is not the case, the TNA Originals should at least rid themselves of their lousy gimmicks. When you see all these men in the ring it looks as if they have gathered together for a masquerade ball. Maple Leaf Muscle has been spared once for looking like Big Poppa Pump, but I don't think he will be so lucky next time.

Styles, Joe, and company definitely need to build an edge to themselves. As far as I am concerned, they are a bunch of whining babies talking about how they put TNA on the map. Stop whining and go out there and prove that you are the future and you have what it takes to elevate TNA to the next level.

This respect storyline can go either way. They Originals might just get extremely over with the crowd. Then again, there's also the possibility that the fans back Kevin Nash, Sting, Scott Steiner, Kurt Angle, and Booker T. instead. The young guys in TNA truly are walking on glass and they ought to be careful not to cut their feet along the way.

AJ and Mick Foley

These two men spent a few minutes in the ring. Sting also decided to join in on the fun, though he stayed at the entrance ramp. It wasn't the most entertaining segment in my opinion, however, I did find a couple of interesting parts.

One, on a previous edition of Impact, Sting said he hadn't spoken to Mick Foley in over a decade. Then he went and called Mick Foley a good friend. If I haven't spoken to someone in over a decade, then they definitely are no good friend of mine. What kind of friend neglects to pick up the phone and call every once in a while, or send a Christmas card?

Two, Foley noted that between him AJ Styles, one was happy about the election result and the other was not. My guess is for AJ.

The Bella Twins

As I finished the above paragraph, the Bella Twins have finally been exposed. This went on way too long. As if fans didn't already know that there wasn't a fairy under the ring that could magically rejuvenate Brie Bella. Now Carlito and Primo can each have a Bella to themselves.

Batista's Title Run

It's a good thing the WWE has a sense of humor. Whether it was to keep Batista happy or not, his title run was a waste of time. It's pretty obvious that Jericho is going to drop the belt to John Cena in Cena's hometown at Survivor Series. Instead, why not keep the belt on Batista, and then have the "dream match" part two. Cena wins in his hometown and all's well that ends well.

Bret "the Hitman" Haas

I would definitely like to point out that I saw this one coming. I knew it was only a matter of time before they put Bret Haas on TV. There's only so many more wrestlers whose name sounds similar to Haas, so I look forward to see how far WWE takes this Charlie Haas character.

It's a relief that I have finally gotten some of these thoughts out. I would appreciate comments from readers. If feedback is positive then I may decide to continue to make articles like these.

Back To the Future: A Look a Decade Ahead

Kevin Williams — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:45:23 -0400

I recently (as in yesterday) wrote an article on the past decade in the wrestling world. Reading that article again inspired me to go on a ride in a time machine and see what the wrestling world is like in ten years.

Back from my trip, I am here to report to everyone here in the wrestling community what I saw.

In all seriousness, this is just my personal prediction, and I know not everyone will agree with my interpretation of the "future."

Total Nonstop Action (if they still exist)

TNA has recovered after a backlash from their fans. They have regained a solid fanbase after many tuned out nine years previously because they pushed the likes of Sting and Kurt Angle over A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels. They are not quite at the WCW level, but they are enough now that the WWE now has to put on good programming each and every week or their fans may just tune in to the alternative.

The real X-Division has returned, although they will never be as they were when they first burst on to the scene. The TNA Knockouts are still on top of women's wrestling, although Awesome Kong, Taylor Wilde, and the Beautiful People have long since departed.

Vince Russo's days as a writer are definitely over, and TNA has learned to book better matches, and hire the right talent, instead of yesterday's news.

Jeff Jarrett prefers to run TNA behind the scenes now, but even at an advanced age (for a wrestler) he is not afraid to step in to the ring every now and then to silence his critics in the locker room.

Some past champions include: A.J. Styles, Robert Roode, and James Storm.

TNA's status is solid. Give them another five years and I see them competing with WWE on a major level. However, one wrong move, and TNA could cease to exist.

World Wrestling Entertainment

For the most part, Vince is gone, and Shane, Stephanie, and Triple H are the major authority figures in the WWE.

ECW has ceased to exist, and we are back to just Raw and Smackdown. Both provide solid programming, but also have their off nights.

The Undertaker has long since retired, but returned to Wrestlemania every year for a few years to improve his record to 20-0.

Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes are only in their early to mid thirties, and they are the faces of the WWE. DiBiase is still heel, although now, Rhodes is a babyface and is now feuding with his former partner for the WWE title.

Kelly Kelly improved dramatically in the ring and went on to become a Stratus-esque Women's Champion, and in her early thirties, she now serves as a manager and occasional wrestler.

Some past champions include: CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Carlito, Ted DiBiase, Jeff Hardy

For now, WWE is as strong as it's ever been, but are occasionally looking over their shoulders as TNA continues to creep up on them.

The Good

Many others were given the chance to be champions in their respective promotions.

The amount of cartoonish gimmicks in both promotions has slimmed down.

TNA has long since abandoned the Impact Zone, and are able to draw medium sized crowds.

Honor is brought back to the Tag Team and Mid-Card belts in WWE.

TNA has added another mid-card belt, similar to the Intercontinental belt.

A battle between both promotions can start at any moment.

WWE is no longer geared towards children.

The Bad

Both promotions still put on some questionable programming at times.

TNA's purchasing of WWE leftovers only ceases three years ago.

Some wrestlers just don't know when to hang it up, and are having situations similar to that of Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan.

These are basically your only two choices for nationally broadcasted wrestling.

The WWE Hall of Fame is still far from legitimate.

The Ugly

Triple H, being in the position he is in, remained a championship contender until he was 45 years old, and is a 19 time world champion. Now he is helping to run the company, and if you can't get in good with him, then you can forget about having a WWE career.

A Decade In Retrospect and The Evolution Of a Wrestling Fan

Kevin Williams — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:09:59 -0400

The first wrestling match that I can remember seeing included Chris Jericho, Rikishi, Chyna, and The Kat. This was ten years ago. I was only five years old at the time so I can't remember who won this match or how these wrestlers even fit into this match.

I must have been exposed to wrestling many times before this, but those four are the first people to come to mind when I think about my first memory of wrestling.

Over the years, wrestling and I have had our good times and our bad times. The second incarnation of D-X made me laugh when I was younger, but then again there was also a time when wrestling got so stale that I gave it up completely for four or five months.

If I'm not mistaken, at the time, the main heel faction on Smackdown included Nathan Jones, Matt Morgan, Big Show, and Paul Heyman, and Kurt Angle was the General Manager. Raw wasn't much better either. I tuned out shortly after Goldberg began losing to the likes of Batista (at the time he wasn't that big a deal).

Despite wrestling's shortcomings, and the state of the industry now, I still tune in to watch it. It's not the same excitement I had when I was younger though. Back when I was about seven, missing wrestling was the first of the seven deadly sins. Now, it isn't much of a big deal to miss a show or two. That's what the internet is for.

After my hiatus from wrestling in the fifth grade, I became interested again.

Without Eddie Guerrero, I would not be writing this article. The minute I saw that they had put the belt on him, I was hooked again. Finally someone new holding the belt. So thanks to Eddie for getting me back into wrestling, and may he rest in peace.

Though I was once again a wrestling fan, it wasn't the same as before. At first I watched what happened on TV, and accepted it for the way it was. When I was younger, no one could convince me that Undertaker and Kane were not really brothers. In my eyes, that made you public enemy number one.

When i regained interest however, I began digging back into the depths of wrestling history. I wanted to know its roots, why things happened the way they did, and why superstars would randomly disappear from televison.

I must have spent 85 to 90 percent of my 11-13 years on the computer trying to find out more about the history and the behind-the-scenes going ons of the wrestling industry.

So much goes into becoming successful in the wrestling business. How were Vince McMahon, Eric Bischoff, Paul Heyman, and other promoters supposed to know who would become a big star and who would become a big flop. I mean, Stone Cold Steve Austin will go down as one of the elites in the wrestling business.

This is the same "Stunning" Steve Austin that was fired by Eric Bischoff over the phone, and told that he did not have what it takes to be successful in wrestling. The select few who the fans will remember long after their wrestling days are over is as much a mystery as how the 1930s and 1940s would have been like if Hitler had been accepted into that art school.

When I look back, you will never be able to convince that things used to be different. The WWE had a major competitor, Kurt Angle had hair, Goldust was in shape, the Hardy Boyz were managed by Terri Runnels, Kane wore a mask, and the tag team division was taken seriously.

Who could forget the time when Stone Cold sprayed The Rock and the McMahons with a hose full of beer? And then, a few years later, Kurt Angle would return the favor to Austin and enter the arena in a milk truck only to douse Stone Cold and the WCW/ECW Alliance.

In my opinion, the most talented person ever to pick up a microphone was at large during these days. The only place you can see him now is on the big screen, but there was once a time when The Rock was everybody's favorite wrestler. He was good in the ring, had charisma on top of charisma, and could do just about anything on the mic. You could probably write an encyclopedia on The Rock's insults and catchphrases.

So, wrestling has been a source of memorable moments throughout my 15 (almost 16) years of existence.

The most memorable experience for me though came on a December night in 2000. As a surprise, my aunt took my cousins, sister, and me to see Starrcade 2000. We didn't know where we were until we were in our seats. This was also the last WCW Starccade, so I feel honored to have been able to attend.

Although I was only eight at the time, I still remember most of what happened that night. The things I did forget can be seen in a twenty-three part video on Youtube anyway. That night I saw my third favorite wrestler of all time, Kevin Nash, I saw DDP, Terry Funk, Rey Mysterio (unmasked), Ric Flair, Goldberg, Scott Steiner, Lex Luger, Sid Vicious, and so many more wrestlers.

There is nothing like a live pay-per-view. The pyro forces you to jump out of your seat, the entrance music blazes through the arena, you have fans screaming all around you, and it seems as though anything can happen. That night, Mike Awesome sent Bam Bam Bigelow through the top of an ambulance.

It's weird how one day I was sitting in the crowd watching these two fight one another, and now they are both deceased. May they also both rest in peace, and I thank them for putting on an entertaining ambulance match at Starrcade.

Big Sexy and DDP won the tag team titles that night. I got to see Nash pull the straps down and deliver the jackknife in person. At the end of the night, Scott Steiner walked out as champion.

Not my first choice, but an entertaining night nonetheless. The only people missing that night were Sting, Booker T., Hulk Hogan, and my favorite wrestler of all time, Bret Hart. During my extensive research of wrestling though, I have since found out why each of those wrestlers weren't there.

Currently, I am getting ready for the day, that is soon to come, when the bulk of wrestlers that I grew up with will (for the most part) walk off in to the sunset. Guys like Undertaker, Sting, Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, and Triple H, surely don't have that much time left, but there is a new generation that is ready to break through.

As these superstars begin to depart, we will witness the ascension of Ted DiBiase Jr., Cody Rhodes, Evan Bourne, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, and many others.

Wrestling, for the most part, has given me ten good years, and I look forward to another ten great ones in the future.

TNA's Elder Statesmen: The Positives and The Negatives

Kevin Williams — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 10:26:21 -0400

TNA Wrestling, once said to be the alternative to the WWE, is now seen by many fans as the promotion making a lame attempt to be WWE.

TNA used to push talent such as AJ Styles, Monty, Brown, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, Raven, Low Ki, etc. These wrestlers were relatively young (except Raven) at the time of TNA's inception.

Now, however, TNA has started pushing guys, mostly over the age of forty, over their younger, more promising talent. Many of these wrestlers are guys that WWE released for one reason or the other, therefore TNA is accused of picking up WWE's sloppy seconds.

With this becoming more and more common in TNA, an evaluation of the "Elder Statesmen" of TNA is in order.

"The King of the Mountain" Jeff Jarrett

Age: 41

Jeff Jarrett doesn't really apply to this article, but he is the heart and soul of TNA, so he deserves the praise that he is about to receive. After WCW and ECW were bought out, the wrestling market became extremely dry.

Jarrett, Sting, and many others who couldn't get a job in WWE, or just didn't want to, decided to wrestle for WWA in Australia. Not exactly the best way to elevate your wrestling career, especially when you are a multi-time WCW Champion. So during a fishing trip, the idea of TNA came up.

While Jerry Jarrett and Bob Ryder thought that this was just "fishing talk," Jarrett made his dream a reality. TNA made it on to television in a shorter amount of time than most promotions could hope for. He is a six-time champ, and as the founder of TNA, he is indispensable to the organization.

Love him or hate him, without Jarrett, there is no TNA. Jarrett's only problem now is preventing TNA from going down the WCW route. Many fans are already starting to see signs that TNA may be headed in this direction.

Overall Value to TNA: A+

"Big Sexy" Kevin Nash

Age: 49

Kevin Nash has been in TNA long enough that it wouldn't be the same without him. Whether he is wrestling, coaching the Paparazzi Championship Series, coaching young talent, or whatever have you, I think Nash is more valuable to TNA than most realize, but less valuable than he thinks he is.

I don't think he's as bad in the ring as people make him out to be. He can still be better than most in the WWE on his best day. He's finally grown his hair back, and if he dyed it back to brown, black, blonde, or whatever, then he wouldn't look forty-nine (not to me any way).

It seems as if we may be seeing more of Nash in the ring soon enough, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing a Sting and Nash tag-team next week on Impact.

Overall Value: B

"The Icon" Sting

Age: 49

Every major wrestler has wrestled for Vince McMahon. If you have not, then you must not be one of wrestling's elite. One of the elite that has eluded McMahon all these years, however, is Sting.

In one of my first articles on Bleacher Report, I wrote about Sting's decision to shy away from McMahon, so I won't give the whole back story here. The point is, McMahon wishes he could have had Sting. Even to this day, I'm sure McMahon thinks about what he could have done with the Stinger.

Sting, even though he is nearing 50, is a better wrestler than probably ninety percent of the wrestlers on this planet. He still has microphone skills, and is cheered by the Impact crowd even though he is somewhat of a tweener/heel. I might have been the only person happy to see Sting win the title at Bound for Glory. I wasn't surprised though. He is 3-0 at BFG (a long way from The Undertaker), and has won the TNA crown each time at BFG.

Despite the fact that I wanted to see Sting have one last run as champion, TNA missed an opportunity to put Samoa Joe over huge. Despite this, I still think Sting is a valuable commodity to TNA, and will put guys such as AJ and Joe over when the time comes.

Overall Value: A-

Booker T.

Age: 43

Booker T. is one of those guys that TNA signed because he was big name in WCW, was, at the time, recently released by WWE, and they thought he, along with so many others, would bring them right up there with WWE. TNA has basically put Booker in the same spot he was in while in WWE.

First it was the annoying fake British accent in WWE, and now in TNA, it's the fake African accent. Having African parents and relatives, I do sometimes find it funny, but it also makes me lose that much more respect for him too. What happened to the no nonsense guy from Harlem?

Now all I see is a guy with dreadlocks longer than Bob Marley's who gets to be in the main event picture because he was relevant in in the nineties and in 2006. I thnk guys like Christian and Rhino are held in higher esteem to Booker T., but like the other talent in the back, they are pushed aside. If Booker left TNA, I'm not sure I would miss him that much, despite how much I enjoyed him in the past.

Overall Value: C-

"Big Poppa Pump" Scott Steiner

Age: 45

Scott Steiner is injured and has been off of TV for a while. No one would remember that he was a part of the TNA wrestler if it wasn't for his mini-me competing in lowly X-Division matches.

I first saw Steiner as a positive acquisition, but one he returns from injury, I'm not sure how he fits in to TNA's current plans. If he is ready in time, then he fits in to this story line with the older wrestlers versus the younger ones. Steiner as a face always seemed so unconvincing, so reuniting him with Jeff Jarrett isn't much of an option either.

At this point in time, Scott Steiner is very replaceable in TNA.

Overall Value: D

Kurt Angle

Age: 39

Kurt Angle is not old, per say, but it seems like a lot of time is wasted on him. I find it funny how TNA once put 4 or 5 (however many it was) belts on this guy at the same time, and yet this is the guy who wants to "consider his options" when it comes to MMA or TNA.

Kurt Angle is the best acquisition TNA could have hoped for, and yet he has been misused over the last year. Whether the current storyline with Double J goes anywhere, Kurt Angle, in my opinion is also becoming less valuable to TNA. The best thing he had going in TNA was his rivalry with Samoa Joe when he first arrived.

As the weeks go by, I see Kurt also becoming less and less valuable to TNA. Then again, this man is regarded by many as the best wrestler on the planet, which is why TNA does need him, but needs to learn how to use him.

Overall Value: B

Mick Foley

Age: 43

I don't know what Foley's status with TNA is, whether he is leaving or what not. What I do know is that there is no place for him in TNA. When Foley left WWE, I thought that was the end of him. Maybe he would make occasional special appearances for them like always.

I knew for a fact that TNA would make no attempt to sign him. I mean, he can't wrestle anymore, and even if he could there are a lot of better people who would fit in to the TNA roster better than Foley. Boy was I wrong. TNA brought Foley in to be the special enforcer for a match at Bound for Glory.

Never in my life have I picked up a remote and changed it to Raw or Smackdown so I could see Mick Foley, Dude Love, Mankind, Cactus Jack, or any more of Mrs. Foley's baby boys wrestle.

Therefore, in this day and age, I definitely wouldn't do it to see him in TNA. As far as his value to the company, despite my personal opinion, I don't think he adds ratings, but he can bring a little bit of interest to the show.

Overall Value: C

The only wrestler to start in WWE, reach fame in TNA, then go back to WWE is Ron "the Truth" Killings. After he left WWE, he became a star in TNA. He also became rather insignificant after a few years, and now he is back in WWE. With the way they are pushing him right now, he will be more famous in WWE than he ever was in TNA.

This just proves that TNA are incapable of breeding their own talent. Monty Brown could have been TNA's Goldberg, but they lost interest in him, and he departed the company only to become a joke on ECW.

CM Punk, Evan Bourne, Vladmir Kozlov, and many others should actually be in TNA right now. TNA let these guys slip through their fingers, and thought they could be replaced with talent that were big in the nineties.

If TNA released everybody on this list (obviously not Jarrett) except Sting and Nash, then guys like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Jay Lethal, etc. would have a chance to carry the company on their backs. Technically, AJ did this the first four years of the company's existence, but people seem to forget this.

Are TNA's days of signing over age talent and giving them all the title shots over, or is TNA becoming a home for old wrestlers who just won't hang the boots up, and are afraid of the younger kids stealing their spotlight?

The Ignorance of the Non-Wrestling Fan (Well Some of Them, Anyway)

Kevin Williams — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:04:28 -0400

If you've been a wrestling fan as long as I have, eventually you are going to get into the argument with someone that wrestling is fake. One thing non-wrestling fans do not understand is that wrestling fans, most of them anyways, know this better than anyone else.

However, before you call it fake, "choreographed," or whatever have you, take this into consideration: Aren't TV shows such as Heroes, Lost, House, etc. also scripted? Surely they must be removed from TV now because they are all totally fake.

I'm sure many of you have seen or heard of Harry Potter. In that case, you'll know that they're not really doing magic. Those lights coming out of those so called wands they wave are added effects. If the people in that movie were really doing magic, then we'd all be lining up in the town square in Salem to see them get hanged, burnt, etc.

The title of the article may be a little misleading, because all non-wrestling fans are definitely not ignorant. However, there are a select few who lose sleep every night if they forget to tell already knowledgeable fans that wrestling is fake. Over the years, I've heard many unbelievable comments about professional wrestling, so here are a few I would like to comment on.

Wrestlers would look stupid playing a "real" sport.

This one really gets me. It's funny how someone can say that a wrestler couldn't play a real sport. Undertaker, Big Show, Kevin Nash, and Kane all played college basketball. In fact, Nash was on a Tennessee Volunteers team that managed to make the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

Darren Drozdov, Ernie Ladd, Matt Hughes (once the A-Train in WWE), and Goldberg all played in the NFL. John Cena and The Rock played college football, and along with a stint in the NFL, Ron Simmons was a two-time All-American at Florida State.

Hell, even the GM of Raw, Mike Adamle played in the NFL. Oh yeah, that medal that's been hanging around Kurt Angle's neck since the 1996 Olympics, you know the shiny gold one, well that's from Olympic freestyle wrestling. So obviously these guys can play other sports.

Wrestlers are not intelligent people, and they do not have an education.

Well, if you read the paragraph above, then you realize that those guys couldn't play college ball without, well...getting into college.

Christopher Nowinski, who also played college football, just happens to be a Harvard graduate. Matt Hardy is said to excelled in school, and received a very high score on his SATs. To say that Vince McMahon unintelligent is the same as saying that Bill Gates is not rich. Despite his many obvious flaws, Vince could not have turned WWE into a billion dollar empire if he wasn't smart.

It's the wrestlers fault when a child gets hurt mimicking them.

I don't know where you would get this from. It's not Owen Hart's fault if your son broke his younger brother's neck attempting an inverted piledriver on him. Next time, keep better track of your kids. Control what they watch, especially if it is having a negative influence on them.

If the same boy shot his brother after mimicking a Grand Theft Auto game, who do you blame? Surely not the makers of the game. It's not their fault you bought the game for your nine year old. Wrestlers discourage attempting what they do at home. If you really want to be a wrestler, then there's plenty of time to find a suitable wrestling school when you grow older.

Wrestlers are encouraged to take steroids.

This may have been the case in the '80s and early '90s, but it is definitely not the case today. I find it funny how a company can implement wellness policies and testing, and then somehow be accused of encouraging the use of steroids. It makes no sense.

Sure, steroid played a role in the deaths of many wrestlers including Mr. Perfect, but they are from a different era. It's even funnier when a baseball fan wants to play the steroid card on professional wrestling. With many players trying to inflate their numbers, shouldn't they be worried about if their sport is becoming fake? Maybe, in the words of Roger Clemens, they just "misremember" the steroid problem in baseball.

Wrestlers have no talent whatsoever.

Apparently, every amazing move is done with cables and wires nowadays. Surely, Petey Williams can't manage his body weight along with someone else's when doing the Canadian Destroyer. Paul Burchill's Backflip Uranage, definitely the work of wires.

Any intelligent person on this planet would know why wires, cables, dental floss, and sewing thread are not used on wrestlers nowadays. Also, explain to me where the harness on Petey Williams is because I am definitely not seeing it, and I just got a brand new pair of glasses.

Wrestling is not a job.

Wrestling is a trade, like any other job, and can end fatally if not done properly. Many of these guys are friends backstage, therefore, I'm sure they don't want to intentionally paralyze the guy they are fighting. It takes years before a wrestler is properly trained to make sure he and his opponent are safe while putting on an entertaining fight for the fans.

One inexperienced mistake or a missed step, and you may just be in a wheel chair for the rest of your life. Just ask former wrestler, and player for the Denver Broncos, Darren Drozdov, better known as Droz. A missed step from D'Lo Brown many years ago, and he ended up in a wheelchair. Doctors were optimistic that he may walk again, but as far as I can remember, he is still in that wheelchair.

Wrestling is a soap opera.

I guess you can call wrestling a soap opera, but keep in mind, WWE Raw and Pay-Per-Views for each company are aired live. There is little room for error. When I was younger, I was always amazed at how people like The Rock could stand in the ring for as long as 10-15 minutes and cut a flawless promo.

Wrestling matches don't always go as planned, so these athletes, yes athletes, have to be ready to improvise at a split seconds notice, which many of the experienced ones do a good job at.

Professional Wrestling is not a sport.

Really? Hence the term sports entertainment. I thought we got rid of this problem in the '90s. What entertains you may not entertain me, and vice versa. It doesn't mean that I have any right to tell you that your stupid for liking it. If you don't like wrestling, no one is saying that you have to. Just shut up about it, and no one will bother you.

There's always the 36-year-old man, who is a fan of dungeons and dragons, who feels it necessary to remind you that you have no life, even though he is still living with his mom.

If I wasn't a wrestling fan, I can't say that I would be one of those people that criticizes people for being one. It's their personal choice. If I don't criticize you for secretly loving Hannah Montana, then don't say anything to me about being a wrestling fan. Fans know it's "fake", and you really sound stupid to us when you repeat it every thirty seconds

Top Five TNA Wrestlers Wasting Away

Kevin Williams — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:45:45 -0400

With in the past two years or so, Total Nonstop Action wrestling has made the decision to push former WWE talent ahead of their own home grown talent. This has led to some turmoil backstage, and has left many wrestlers in the back wondering when they will get their shot at some gold. Here is my opinion on the top five wrestlers wasting away in the TNA locker room, while former WWE talent get an immediate push to the top.

5. Christopher Daniels

We all know that he is the hot and spicy Curryman, but this character has brought Christopher Daniels back about one hundred years. Christopher Daniels was a contender for the NWA belt when feuding with A.J. Styles a few years back. They had arguably the best rivalry in TNA history. Then him and A.J. became Tag Team Champions. After their split, Daniels became the X Division champ, and now he is stuck as the Curryman character.

Gone are the days when he was the Fallen Angel. Now he is a member of the Prince Justice Brotherhood, a Justice League rip-off in my opinion, and he is doing nothing significant, except searching for lost rings and judging evening gown competitions. I don't think the Curryman character will last more than another six months, and I expect to see the Fallen Angel back soon.

4. Abyss

After the end of his feud with James Mitchell and his face turn, there is really no where for Abyss to go. I believe that the same thing that happened to Kane is going to happen to Chris Parks. Kane really hasn't done anything noteworthy since the late '90s. Yes, he has held a few belts here and there, but his role in WWE today is definitely not as big as it once was.

TNA has Abyss going the same route as Kane. At first, he was this indestructible force, and he even managed to win the NWA belt. Now he has turned face, and seems to be stuck in his current position. Instead of throwing his enemies on to thumbtacks, he pulls out his hair, and gives it to the likes of Matt Morgan and Karen Angle as a show of friendship.

I don't even think that a heel turn can help the Abyss character. I don't see much of a future for Abyss in TNA after this current angle with Matt Morgan.

3. Petey Williams

After Team Canada disbanded, I thought Petey Williams would receive a huge push from the TNA creative team. Williams is popular with the fans, and has probably the most popular finishing move in TNA, the Canadian Destroyer. Instead, Petey became an insignificant character for a while.

Then the Feast or Fired came up, and Petey received the briefcase with the shot at the TNA World Title. I thought this was the push we were waiting for, but I was wrong. Since then, Petey has become Maple Leaf Muscle. He cut his hair, died it, and looks like how Scott Steiner would if he wasn't on steroids.

Until last Sunday, Petey was the X Division champ, but that belt has become insignificant in the TNA ranks. Only time will tell if Petey will get the push he deserves.

2. Lance Hoyt

For some reason, I am very high on Lance Hoyt. He is a good wrestler, and has a diverse repetoire for a big man, often times attempting moves that other big men shy away from. With that said, I think that, if used properly, Hoyt could be a top face or heel in the company.

I thought his heel turn with Christy Hemme would be positive at first, but then they brought Jimmy Rave in to the equation, and now Lance "Rock" is one half of, quite possibly, the stupidest tag team to ever grace the TNA ring. Hopefully, after his days of "infecting" the fans are over, Hoyt will get a push, and become a top star in TNA.

1. Bobby Roode

If TNA was still going in the same direction that it was when i first tuned ino TNA, then Bobby Roode would be the champion right now. Especially after the break up of Team Canada, a feud for the belt between him and Petey Williams seems like a good idea. Sadly, Roode is now in the Beer Money Inc. tag team. although they are the tag team champions.

I feel that Roode is above this by now, but must take a backseat while Kurt Angle, Christian, Booker T., and other WWE talent are in the title hunt. WWE might look to sign Roode once his contract expires in Spring of 2009.

Fantasy Matchups: WWE vs. TNA

Kevin Williams — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 11:13:53 -0400

With WWE and TNA being the biggest wrestling promotions in the world today, every wrestling fan has matches that they would want to see between the wrestlers in both companies. I am obviously not speaking for everyone when writing this, but here are some matches that I would personally want to see if the two companies ever collided. Here is my fantasy match card for WWE vs. TNA.

10. Tag Team Turmoil

TNA: Beer Money Inc., LAX, Team 3D, and the Motor City Machine Guns vs. WWE: The Hardy Boyz, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes, Miz and Morrison, and Carlito and Primo Colon.

Put four tag teams from WWE and TNA each in the ring and let them all battle each other in an over the top rope elimination match. This match has a little bit of everything. There is high flyers, brawlers, grapplers, and guys who would do just about anything to win, making for a very entertaining match.

9. Finisher Match

TNA: Booker T. vs. WWE: R-Truth

Two years ago, theses guys were representing opposite companies. R-Truth was master of the axe kick in TNA, and Booker T. finished off matches with the scissors kick in WWE.

This would be a back and forth match, mostly brawling between the two, but I'm sure that Truth would add some of the other moves in his arsenal such as the corkscrew forearm splash, a hurricanrana, or a 450 splash. In the end, I see Booker's years of experience being an advantage over R-Truth, and Booker winning with his version of the scissors kick.

8. Inferno/Match of 1000 Tacks

TNA: Abyss vs. WWE: Kane

Put the mentally unstable Abyss up against the downright deranged Kane, in a match that caters to them both. Abyss gets his thumbtacks, although in the end to win he would have to set Kane on fire. This match would be a struggle for power; Black hole slams, chokeslams, powerbombs, sidewalk slams, etc. I'm sure this match would not leave the fans disappointed as the two monsters attempt to set one another on fire.

7. Standard Match

TNA: Lance Hoyt vs. WWE: The Undertaker

Take him away from his Lance Rock gimmick, and Lance Hoyt could be a TNA champion. He can wrestle, and occasionally performs moves that he has no business attempting at his size and weight. When him and Abyss were the last two men remaining in the Fight for Your Right tournament a couple years ago, Hoyt used a moonsault and a coast-to-coast in the same match.

Undertaker on the other hand, has a nice plethora of grapples and strikes, feels it necessary to walk on the rope when performing old school, and has been known to occasionally (Wrestlemania) suicide dive over the top rope onto his opponents. These two competitors show that big men don't always have to rely on sheer power alone. Of course, Undertaker may be a little more than Hoyt can handle, but Hoyt could pull the upset.

6. Knockouts vs. Divas Tag Match

TNA: Awesome Kong, Angelina Love, Taylor Wilde, Roxxi, O.D.B. vs. WWE: Gail Kim, Mickie James, Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Victoria

After the arrival of the TNA Knockouts division, the talent of the WWEDivas has been questioned by many. Pit fiveof the best Divas against five of the best Knockouts, and see who truly is the best.

Gail Kim, the first ever Knockouts Champion, has now returned to WWE, and it would be interesting to see her in the ring with the likes of Awesome Kong and Angelina Love again. Also, Beth Phoenix and Victoria are the power houses of the WWE Divas, but could any of them measure up to Awesome Kong?

5. Standard Match

TNA: Samoa Joe vs. WWE: Umaga

This is a match that I have wanted to see for a while. The Samoan Submission Machine (Joe) vs. the Samoan Bulldozer (Umaga). Pit the TNA Champion against the old Umaga (not the one that jobs to Jeff Hardy), and your in for a match.

If they were both still undefeated, it would be even more entertaining to see these two Samoans fight knowing that their streak was on the line. Their styles are different, and yet somehow, they match up evenly, and it's anyones guess who would win this encounter.

4. Tables, Ladder, and Chairs

TNA: A.J. Styles vs. WWE: Evan Bourne

Tables, ladders, chairs, and anything else that you could jump off of, on to, in to, etc. Styles and Bourne would put on a high flying clinic. Maybe they've met on the independent scene before, but as far as I'm concerned, I've never seen these two in the same ring. If you blinked once, you would probably miss something amazing. The whole match would be a highlight reel. Both have the shooting star press in their arsenal, and it would be interesting to see who could get it off first.

3. No Disqualification Match

TNA: Christian Cage vs. WWE: Edge

Those who started watching wrestling after the Invasion angle may not be aware that Edge and Christian are "brothers" in the wrestling world. As a team in WWE, they had many classic encounters with the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz (Team 3D).

The two also feuded after splitting up, but that was a mid-card feud. Since those days, Edge and Christian have been the world champions for two different companies. Put these two in the ring, after they both established themselves as world champions, and it results in a brawl to determine who is truly better between the two.

2. Iron Man Match

TNA: Sting vs. WWE: Shawn Michaels

It is a shame that wrestling fans will never get to see this match. HBK never worked for WCW, and Sting never worked for WWE, preventing fans from seeing what I think would be the greatest match of all time.

Two great wrestlers, even as they age (Sting is 49 and Michaels is 43), they are still two of the most talented wrestlers active today. If they fought for one night only, it would have to be in an Iron Man match. One pinfall wouldn't satisfy the crowd. Put these two in the ring for half an hour (an hour in my opinion, but most wrestling fans wouldn't sit through that), and see who can gain the most pinfalls over their opponent.

A sure classic, it's a shame that fans will never see these two wrestle.

1. Elimination Free for All Tag Team Match

TNA: Jeff Jarrett, Kurt Angle, Scott Steiner, Matt Morgan, Rhino vs. WWE: Batista, C.M. Punk, John Cena, Triple H, and Chris Jericho

The concept is simple: if you get pinned, you are eliminated. The last two men remaining, no matter what team they are in fight. Whoever gets the final pinfall, reigns on top of the WWE/TNA universe. There is no doubt in my mind that Triple H and Kurt Angle would be the final two men in the ring. However, the person who gets the last pinfall is up in the air. Needless to say, Triple H would do whatever it took to claim his rightful position as the King of Kings.

Another Match: A little entertainment for the young ones in the audience, put all the crazy gimmicks in a battle royal. From TNA, you have, The Guru, Maple Leaf Muscle, Black Machismo, Curryman, Super Eric, and Sharkboy. Representing WWE, Jimmy Wang Yang, Boogeyman, Charlie Haas (as whoever he pleases), Festus, and last, but not least, Hornswoggle. Make this the opening match before the tag team turmoil match.

Note: Gail Kim has not officially signed with WWE, however, I put her in the match assuming she will sign some time soon.

TNA Impact Video Game: Is it Worth the Hype?

Kevin Williams — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:23:13 -0400

The idea for TNA's first video game, Impact, spawned in 2005, after they signed a multi-year agreement with Midway Games. Since then, many TNA fans have been waiting patiently for its release, and finally, Impact is available to the public.

Impact is definitely something different from the Smackdown series.

This is TNA's first game, so I'll try not to judge it too harshly.

Despite each wrestler having a limited number of moves (probably 30 or less per wrestler), the gameplay for the most part actually feels like a real TNA match. There are numerous reversals, springboards, and aerial moves to keep gamers entertained, despite the limited move set.

Mike Tenay and Don West certainly do not fail in their commentary on this game. They are as annoying on the game as they are in real life. The only thing worse is West's constant repetition of the phrase, "I can't believe this is feakin' happening."

The presentation of the game is good. The graphics definitely don't disappoint. The entrances definite aren't the highlight of the game. Each wrestler's entrance averages about eight seconds or less.

The Ultimate X match is also a fun feature on the game. Early rumors supposedly stated that Full Metal Mayhem and King of the Mountain were supposed to be included in the game—however, I have seen no sign of this, and it doesn't look as though they will be included. I have yet to finish the game, however, so I could be wrong.

The Impact Zone, along with some other arenas are included in the game. This different venues give you an international (Mexico, Japan, England), independent (the armory), and ppv (Freedom Center in D.C.) feel.

The story mode has you pitted as a reconstruction of the mysterious Suicide character. I'm not going to give to much away, but highlights include guidance from Kevin Nash, an unlikely friendship with Eric Young, and encounter with A.J. Styles, and Fallen Angel (not Curryman), and bullying from none other than Jeff Jarrett.

Something else interesting is the use of independent wrestlers on the game as you make your way up through the ranks.

TNA Impact was a little bit less than what I expected, however I do not regret purchasing it. I think Midway did a decent job getting the series off the ground, and the next edition will definitely be a huge upgrade from this one.

Throughout the game you will feel frustration (your only weapons are five chairs, no rope breaks, finishers look weak, and it took me an hour to beat Sonjay Dutt), but you will also enjoy an alternative to Smackdown. My score for the game is 7.5/10, worthy of buying if you are a die-hard TNA fan.

World Football Versus American Football

Kevin Williams — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:54:14 -0400

Just about everyone here on Bleacher Report has filled out the short list section on their profile. There is one question that asks; Pele or Maradona?

Many people have either left that section blank, chosen Pele simply because they don't know Diego Maradona, or have stated something along the lines of "who cares about soccer". I assume that these people are all American.

I myself am an American, however I enjoy watching a soccer game as much as a football game. I just don't understand how soccer could be popular in every country except for the United States.

This inspired me to put world football up against American football in eleven categories.

Football

The most obvious difference. World football is actually played with the feet, and the only player that can use his hands is the goalkeeper. I'm not exactly sure how the American game got its name seeing that, apart from running, the feet are only used for kickoffs, punts, and field goals.

Scoring

American football easily beats soccer in this category. Football games can go to thirty or forty points at times. A high scoring game in soccer would be a game that finishes 4-3. In soccer it is very difficult to score, and sometimes games can even go scoreless. I've heard from many Americans that this is what keeps them tuned out of soccer. They want to see a lot of scoring, and soccer just doesn't do it for them.

Relegation

Something that I like about soccer. Every year there are three new teams in the league. The three worst teams get relegated to the second division. As a result the same teams don't finish at the bottom of the league each and every year. In the NFL we've seen teams such as the Dolphins and Cardinals miss the playoffs year after year. The only disadvantage with relegation is that it may get redundant. A team is relegated one year, back in two years, relegated again, etc.

Playoffs

With the exception of the MLS, the way to win the championship in the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, and all the other soccer leagues is to have the most points at the end of the season. Three point for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss. I give the football (the NFL anyway) the advantage here because they have a playoff system. The four division leaders and two wild cards from each conference play each other in a single elimination tournament to determine the champion.

Last year, however, I'm sure many Patriots fans would have preferred the soccer point system, because then they would have easily been champions.

Wins

In college football there must be a winner. In the NFL, a tie is given if the score is tied after the first overtime, however, this hasn't happened since the Steelers and Falcons tied in the 2002 season. My least favorite thing about soccer is that many games end in a draw. Many teams in the middle of the table have more draws than wins or losses. It's especially disheartening to see that ninety minutes have been played and all that's there to show for it is a 0-0 score line.

Rivalries

Every sport has its rivalries. Rivalries, such as the Redskins and Cowboys or the Bears and Packers in the NFL, just don't compare to Celtic and Rangers or Barcelona and Real Madrid. College football, on the other hand, has rivalries as heated soccer. Rivalries such as Alabama and Auburn, or Ohio State and Michigan are probably even more heated than any soccer rivalry.

Cups

The Super Bowl determines the clear cut champion in the NFL. In soccer, the winner of the league is the team with the most points in the standings at the end of the year. In soccer, there are also other in-season tournaments. Other teams get to hoist trophies such as the Copa Del Rey, the F.A. Cup, and the U.S. Open Cup, among many others.

Although these trophies are less significant, it gives teams something to work for when they are out contention to win the league. There is also the Champions League that pits the best clubs in Europe against each other. This is the only club competition that is more prestigious than winning your league.

Players

Although American football is also played in places like Canada and Germany, all of the best players are in the NFL. In soccer, the best players are spread through many leagues. If you want to see Cristiano Ronaldo, you have to watch the Premier League in England. To see Kaka and Ronaldinho, you tune in to Series A in Italy. Even for those who still want to see David Beckham, they have to watch MLS in the United States. The way the players are spread out around the world makes the top leagues interesting in their own right.

The only time I've watched anything other than the NFL is when I tuned in to a handful of Toronto Argonauts games when Ricky Williams was in the CFL.

Gameplay

If you watch a soccer game, you can't change the channel or else you may miss a goal. I'm sure this has happened to soccer fans many times. There is only one commercial during the game, and that is at halftime. There are no timeouts either. Games are usually done in 2 hours. I enjoy watching NFL and college games, but at times it seems as if they drag on forever. The ball is snapped, the play lasts about seven seconds, back to the huddle, repeat.

International

There is no competition here. When the World Cup comes around, every one, including us here in the United States, watches. The 32 best countries in the world face off against each other to determine who is the best in the world. There are amazing goals, upsets, tears shed, celebrations, and everything you could ever want out of a sporting event. Even the United States national team made it to the quarterfinals as recently as the 2002 World Cup.

Seeing as football is basically just an American game, there will probably never be a football World Cup that could compete with the likes of the soccer World Cup.

Passion

Every football (American and World) player would not be at the level they're at if they didn't have passion for what they do. Despite many who say that college players have ten times more passion than the NFL players, the fact is that NFL players are still passionate about what they do. This is the one thing, if any, that World football and American football have in common.

Most Americans prefer American football, and just about every other country prefers World football. I happen to be a fan of both, and wish that soccer could be as big here as it is in other countries.

Wrestling Society X: Doomed From the Beginning

Kevin Williams — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:16:05 -0400

On January 30, 2007, the so-called "secret society" known as Wrestling Society X debuted on MTV. Before even watching the first episode, I knew that this new promotion would not last. However, I didn't think it would be cancelled after four episodes.

I have to compliment WSX on acquiring some of the most young, athletic, available wrestlers at the time. Some familiar names include Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne), Teddy Hart, Matt Cross, and Jimmy Jacobs.

The roster also included proven veterans such as 6-Pac (Sean Waltman), Vampiro, Rick Banderas (Judas Mesias), Justin Credible, and New Jack.

Within their 30 minute block every Tuesday night on MTV, the WSX roster went into the squared-circle and performed many outrageous moves. Many of the moves seen in one episode would probably not be seen within a month's worth of WWE television. If WSX had been managed properly, these generally obscure wrestlers could have become household names in their own right.

Despite the amazing, young talent, WSX had its many flaws.

First was presentation. I know they were supposed to be an "underground society," but the artificially torn up ring just made it look tacky and unprofessional. Also, there were way too many special effects; It seemed as though in every episode, somebody was thrown into the exploding coffin. Also, the match types, although original, were somewhat odd. An Exploding Cage Timebomb Match? Tables, Ladders, and...Cervezas?

As mentioned earlier, the wrestlers risked their bodies to put on entertaining matches for a lowly viewed, 30 minute wrestling show. However, there were no storylines to add fuel to the matches. They didn't have to be about the boss and his leprechaun son, but there could have been simple storylines to make the matches a little more interesting.

The matches were just two (often times more) guys in the ring with no real motivation for fighting each other.

The fact that Wrestling Society X was an MTV product also said failure to me. They obviously didn't have that high of an opinion with WSX to begin with. 30 minutes is definitely not enough time for a wrestling show.

The short matches were meant to "compete" with the second half of ECW. WSX found out that even with ECW, that is harder than it sounds. After the first show, the ratings were dismal. The show was cancelled after the conclusion of episode four, and MTV showed a marathon of episodes five through nine to close out the series for good.

It also did not help that WSX had live musical performances at the beginning of each show, which would subtract from the already limited time that the wrestlers had. I also wasn't a fan of some of the band members joining Bret Ernst and Kris Kloss for commentary.

In today's professional wrestling, it is extremely difficult to get your product on TV. MTV had the rights to WSX, and therefore was able to get their promotion on TV immediately. Many organizations would kill for this opportunity. Despite its popularity, ROH still hasn't made it onto national TV in the United States.

With the amount of money that MTV has, they really could have made WSX something big. Sure WWE status was a long way off, but TNA wasn't extremely far out of reach at the time.

MTV reaches a wide range of viewers. With proper advertising, real wrestling (not just death matches all the time), and better presentation I'm sure they would have had as good a shot as anybody.

WSX was also recorded as if it were any other MTV show. Similar to The Real World and several other similar shows, WSX had to be viewed in seasons. It was recorded, then broadcasted three or four months later. If they had gone on to a next season, this means some wrestlers could have signed with other companies by now, and therefore, WSX would have continuity issues.

Congratulations to Vampiro and Judas Mesias, who will go down as the only two champions in WSX history. WSX was planning a Tag Team Championship, however, the show was cancelled soon afterwards.

Many of the wrestlers in WSX have gone on to wrestler in WWE, TNA, ROH, and CZW, among other promotions. Maybe it is a good thing that WSX didn't last. Nobody had a long term contract, so if WWE or TNA saw a wrestler they liked, I'm sure that wrestler would jump ship immediately. TNA was impressed with Mesias after he became champion and he soon left to wrestle briefly for them.

Also, in the beginning, WSX made every wrestler sign a contract binding them to WSX for the entire season. Delirious refused to sign this contract because he felt that a chance with TNA was at stake. This shows that many of the wrestlers probably wouldn't have been committed to WSX for the long run.

For three weeks in 2007, WSX made it up as the fourth promotion in the United States; Although they were an extreme distance away from even ROH. Who knows what they could have been had they been handled like a wrestling promotion instead of just another MTV show.

Is There Trouble in TNA Paradise?

Kevin Williams — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:04:05 -0400

When TNA first broke onto the scene, many saw it as the alternative to WWE. The morale backstage was better than in WWE, the travel schedule was not nearly as rigorous (TNA does most of its tapings in Orlando, Florida), and many felt that they were taking part in the next big thing to hit the wrestling scene.

Things have changed drastically in TNA since then.

Younger stars are being pushed to the side, the pay is not nearly what it is in WWE, WWE rejects are pushed ahead of home-grown talent, and TNA is barely able to compete with WWE's "C" show, ECW.

There are several unhappy wrestlers in TNA. Kevin Nash has had many conflicts with the TNA creative team over the past few weeks, at one point walking out of an Impact taping. His contract ends in October, and many backstage feel it's time for Nash to go.

Nash has teased going back to WWE and working as the bodyguard for Shawn Michaels. WWE would probably not be reluctant to sign Nash, especially in the current bidding war between WWE and TNA.

Christian Cage was always held back as a mid-carder in WWE. Upon his arrival to TNA, Christian was made NWA Champion in a short period of time. Now Christian finds himself back in the mid-card position, and he is upset with the way he is being booked.

Another constant distraction backstage seems to be Brother Ray of Team 3D. Brother Ray would rather get a huge reaction from the crowd while doing less work in the ring. This is why he would rather be in table matches on every edition of Impact, than in a normal tag team or singles match.

Another problem in TNA is money. Gail Kim's contract in WWE is said to be over three time what TNA was offering her. It's no wonder Gail would rather be miserable in WWE than happy in TNA.

With that said, WWE may be keeping on eye on the likes of Taylor Wilde and Angelina Love. The Knockouts are said to make well under $100,000 a year, and I'm sure many of them would jump ship if WWE came knocking.

TNA has done their best to bring in former WWE talent and automatically push them over the likes of Lance Hoyt, Alex Shelley, and many others. Why give Booker T. a title shot when Christopher Daniels has been standing in line since day one with TNA?

The ability to draw fans is obviously a factor in deciding whether your promotion will succeed or not. At a show in Kansas, TNA drew 500 people in an 8,000 seat arena. At their last pay-per-view, they only drew 3,000, and moved them all to one side of the arena to make the arena look packed.

TNA definitely has the names to draw fans. Even if some of these competitors are nearing their 50s, if I hear Nash, Steiner, Sting, Booker T., and Jarrett all in the same company, then I will tune in to Impact to see what it's all about. The problem is that TNA doesn't manage their wrestlers as well as they should, which is also apparent with the X-Division.

The X-Division is supposedly the hook that draws you into TNA. However, said "hook", is non-existent. The X-Division belt ranks fourth (out of four) on TNA's belt priority list. A move for A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels (not Curryman) back to the X-Division might make it interesting again.

The X-Division is given little TV time, and most of its wrestlers are stuck in horrible gimmick (Black Machismo, Consequences Creed, The Guru, Maple Leaf Muscle).

Wrestling doesn't always have to be about insane gimmicks. The "men" in TNA really look silly at times. The Rock 'n Rave Infection? Prince Justice Brotherhood? It seems as if creative just pulls these ideas out of a hat.

The Knockout Division seems to be the positive thing in TNA. They have a decent storyline surrounding them, and none of their gimmicks are annoying to watch. Even Awesome Kong's character is decent when you compare it to Super Eric.

Another secondary belt should be added to TNA. Although they say the X-Division Title is not only for the cruiserweights, the sad truth is that it really is. Something similar to an Intercontinental Belt would be good for TNA. It gives other mid-carders to hold a belt over their shoulder.

Although I am against pushing 50-year-old men over younger talent, I like the idea of Kevin Nash holding the belt. Jeff Jarrett is the only man in TNA that has the ability to make the fans forget that he's acting and make us truly hate him.

In Jarrett's absence, I feel Kevin Nash as a heel champion, holding back other talent makes a worthy storyline in TNA. Seeing as there are never title matches on Impact, Nash wouldn't have to wrestle that much. Then again, it has been proven that Nash is not the greatest draw in the wrestling business. Perhaps Scott Steiner would be more worthy then, once he returns?

TNA used to be the alternative to WWE. Now I see it as WWE's non-affiliated "D" show. I would hate to see TNA, a company with so much promise in the beginning, fail. If TNA cannot serve as a competitor to WWE, then I am afraid to say that we may not see one for years to come.

Top Ten Foreign NBA Players

Kevin Williams — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 10:51:40 -0400

With the Olympics coming to a close, and the Redeem Team finally claiming their gold medal, I was inspired to write on the top ten foreign players in the NBA,

Players who attended college in the U.S. are not up for consideration. When you don't see Steve Nash, Andrew Bogut, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Samuel Dalembert, and others on this list, now you know why.

As with other top-ten lists, this of course will come with much debate, but I ask that you simply argue your point for a player that you want on the list, and not insult my intelligence.

10. Leandro Barbosa (Phoenix Suns/Brazil)

Leandro Barbosa is only twenty-five years old, and shows a huge amount of upside. He serves as a back-up point guard to All-Star and former-MVP Steve Nash.

Despite this, Barbosa managed to average 18 points per game in 2006-07 and 15 in 2007-08.

Barbosa is the kind of guy that could be starting for many teams in the league. Once he becomes a full-time starter, he could be a league leader in scoring.

9. Mehmet Okur (Utah Jazz/Turkey)

Mehmet Okur is an international player from Turkey. He has somewhat of an inside game, but his strength is his mid-range jump shot, which he can extend beyond the arc whenever he pleases.

Okur is 6'11", and can play both the center and power-forward positions. For a big man, he is a good free-throw shooter with a career average of 79 percent.

Okur is a one-time NBA All-Star. However, he barely makes the cut because for some reason, he has been non-existent in the playoffs.

8. Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Cleveland Cavaliers/Lithuania)

If not for being injury plagued for the first few seasons of his career, Big Z might have one or two more All-Star appearances.

One good thing about Z is that he is consistent. He always puts up about fourteen or more points for the Cleveland Cavaliers on a nightly basis.

Ilgauskas' only weakness, in my opinion, is that despite being 7'3", he doesn't get many rebounds, with a career average of 7.9 RPG. Despite this, he is the Cavaliers all-time leading offensive rebounder.

Even though he and Ben Wallace are well into their thirties, I think they make a good defensive duo that could give Cleveland a shot to win the east—especially with the amount of uncertainty in the conference. Big Z could also make another All-Star appearance before everything is all said and done.

7. Peja Stojakovic (New Orleans Hornets/Serbia)

Peja is past his days as a star player in Sacramento—however, that doesn't mean he isn't a great second option for the New Orleans Hornets.

Peja could still be a first option on many teams in the NBA. His numbers have gotten considerably lower since his days in Sacramento (only 16.4 PPG last year), but with his outside shooting presence, Peja is a nice asset for Chris Paul and the Hornets when he is healthy.

The 6'10" forward is not much of a passer, but he can snatch down his fair share of rebounds, and he has made 90 percent of the free throws that he has taken in his career.

6. Hedo Turkoglu (Orlando Magic/Turkey)

Hedo Turkoglu has always been a good role player for the teams he has played for. Last year, Hedo had his breakout season.

It was no surprise when he was named the NBA's Most Improved Player. He played and started all 82 games last year, and his scoring average was just under 20 PPG. It was a shame that he was snubbed from the All-Star Game last year.

Although he is nearing thirty years of age, don't expect Hedo to slow down anytime soon. If Orlando makes a run in the east, he will surely be instrumental, along with Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson.

5. Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs/France)

Anybody who can win an NBA Finals MVP award over Tim Duncan is definitely a great player in my book.

While he may not average the most assists, Parker can get his share of rebounds as a point guard, and also consistently averages somewhere just under 20 points per game. He also maintains a high field-goal percentage for a guard.

In the playoffs, Parker's numbers always get better. Along with Ginobili and Tim Duncan, he has also played a key role in delivering three out of four of San Antonio's NBA Championships.

Look for Parker to be a candidate for his third All-Star game this year.

4. Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks/Germany)

By all means, Dirk should really be number one on this list. However, despite being the best player in the history of the Dallas Mavericks, Dallas is one of the most inconsistent teams in the NBA.

Dallas has been a mainstay in the playoffs for the last eight years, and they have one Western Conference title and no rings to show for it. They usually end up with one of the best win totals in the league, and yet they are consistently sent out in the first round or the Western Finals.

Dirk is one of the best-shooting big men in NBA history. It is not surprising that he totals 100 blocks and 100 three-pointers in the same season, all while averaging 23 points and eight rebounds.

Dirk's high scoring average, along with other stats, tends to stay the same during the playoffs—yet somehow, he is virtually invisible. He also seems to lack confidence in his teammates.

Dirk was the first foreign-born player in the NBA to win the MVP award, in 2007. The seven-footer accepted the award after the 67-win Mavericks lost in the first round to the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors.

3. Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs/Argentina)

Manu Ginobili is one of the best international players to ever set foot on an NBA court. Not many people who are chosen second-to-last in the NBA Draft (57th overall in 1999) become an NBA All-Star.

Ginobili managed to make the All-NBA Third Team last year while averaging 19.5 PPG. He did all this while coming off the bench. It's no surprise that he was named Sixth Man of the Year last season.

Manu has been an important key to San Anotino's championship runs during this decade, and it looks as if it will remain that way until he decides to retire from basketball.

2. Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers/Spain)

The best thing the Lakers could ever have done was get rid of the biggest flop in NBA history. They gave away a sub-par player in Kwame Brown for perennial All-Star Gasol.

A former NBA Rookie of the Year, Pau played an important part in the Lakers' run to the NBA Finals last year, although they were beaten by Boston.

Gasol is a good compliment to Kobe Bryant. He can score, get rebounds, and block the ball—and he has a high field-goal percentage. With Andrew Bynum returning, Gasol, Kobe, and the Lakers should make another deep run in the playoffs next year.

1. Yao Ming (Houston Rockets/China)

Yao Ming has been named an All-Star every year that he has been in the league, but has only played in five out of six years, due to injury.

For the first few years of Yao's career, Charles Barkley said his selection was simply the high population of the Chinese voting him as a starter year after year. I agreed with that statement at first. However, as the years have passed, Yao has become a better player, and now deserves his All-Star accolades.

Yao's only weakness is his lanky body for his height. Yao often gets pushed around by other centers, and doesn't get nearly the numbers that a 7'5" NBA center should get.

Yao is the the most valuable player for the Rockets, and I'm sure that the Rockets would have made it past the first round last year if he was not injured. With a healthy Yao, look for Tracy McGrady to finally make it past the first round of the playoffs.

Honorable Mentions: Andrei Kirilenko, Luis Scola, Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, Fabricio Oberto, Nene, Yi Jianlian, Andres Nocioni

The Great Philosopher...Dennis Rodman?

Kevin Williams — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:45:51 -0400

Probably the most controversial man to ever step foot on an NBA court, Dennis Rodman is a man of crazy sayings and antics. Despite his crazy behavior on and off the court, Dennis Rodman never opened his mouth unless he knew that, despite how crazy whatever he said was, he was right about it.

Some famous quotes from Dennis Rodman:

When asked if the Chicago Bulls team chemistry was overrated he replied:

"Chemistry is a class you take in high school or college, where you figure out two plus two is ten, or something."

Basically saying, whether our team chemistry is "overrated" or not, the point is that we mesh well on the court together. Either that or Dennis Rodman has never stepped foot in a chemistry class in his life.

"I see Chris Dudley, Derrick Coleman, Dale Davis, and Anthony Mason making huge money, and I see injustice. Who buys a ticket to see these guys play?"

Answer this question truthfully. I'm sure no one in the entire Bleacher Report community has ever bought a ticket for the sole purpose of seeing Dudley, Coleman, Davis, and Mason play, however they all made more money than Rodman in their careers.

"How much do you really want to win when you have as much money, attention, and fame as Shaquille O'Neal does?"

Does anyone really think that Shaq is still playing for his fifth ring? I highly doubt it. Shaq is definitely at the last stretch in his career, therefore, i'm sure he's playing now just to make as much money as he can.

He doesn't make as much endorsement money, especially off his shoes, because he is not sponsored by Adidas, Nike, etc.

"As long as I play ball, I can get any woman I want."

This is pretty self explanatory. How else do you think he landed Carmen Electra? And then he managed to stay married to her for nine days?!?! That is an amazing feat in my eyes.

"The only person I'm intimidated by is my ex-wife."

After he reportedly received many scars from Carmen Electra in a fight during one of their arguments, I would be afraid of her too. Any woman who can strike fear in the heart of Dennis Rodman must be made the Queen of England immediately.

"Fifty percent of life in the NBA is sex. The other fifty percent is money."

For those playing on the Charlotte Bobcats, why else do you think they remain in the league? Emeka Okafor is certainly not expecting a ring next year, therefore, there is credibility in Rodman's statement above.

"If I die young, everybody's going to say they saw it coming."

I actually wouldn't be surprised if some almighty power from above decided that it was time to strike Dennis Rodman with lightning. Who would be? Everyone would say they saw it coming, so he's right in saying that.

Finally:

"Don't let what other people think decide who you are."

Dennis Rodman basically lives by this mantra. When He stepped on the court, does anyone really think that he was wondering what David Stern, the fans, or even Michael Jordan for that matter cared about him? No.

He dyed his hair crazy colors and made public appearances in dresses. Not the actions of a man who cares how others judge him. So if there is one lesson we could learn from "Dennis the Menace", it's that last quote. Other than that, your opinions on the previous quotes are up to you.

After analyzing quotes from Dennis Rodman, I found that he's smarter than your average hooligan, and he can be quite enlightening. Just kidding about the enlightening part.

Who is Currently the World's Greatest Player?

Kevin Williams — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:21:34 -0400

From when he signed with Barcelona, up until about late 2006 or early 2007, Ronaldinho was deemed the best player in the world. There was no argument about it.

However, many would agree with me when I say that Ronaldinho is no longer the world's best player. The only problem is that no one can seem to agree on who is the best in the world. Personally, I don't think that there absolutely has to be a "best" player in the world, but I would like to hear the opinions of others on who they think is the best.

Cristiano Ronaldo seems to be the favorite in this competition. Last year he had a total of 42 goals in 48 appearances, an amazing feat. Ronaldo can get by any defender with his broad arsenal of fancy moves, and he has been known to set up a few goals for others.

Then again, had John Terry made that deciding clutch penalty kick in last year's Champion's League final, then it would have been Ronaldo's fault. Ronaldo did a variety of stepovers before finally sending his penalty shot straight into the hands of Petr Cech, one of the best goalies in the world, but weak when it comes to penalty kicks.

Maybe your vote is for Kaka. He beat out Ronaldo to win the European Player of the Year award in 2007. Kaka had considerably less impressive stats than Cristiano Ronaldo last year, however, stats do not measure success.

Kaka is one of the players who gives one-hundred percent of his heart and soul into every game. He realizes he is lucky to be playing after a career-threatening injury hit him during his days in Sao Paulo. Kaka can play any midfield or forward position, and was instrumental in Milan's Champion's League success in 06-07 netting ten goals during the tournament.

Plagued by injuries last year, Frank Lampard has fallen out of this discussion for most, but he deserves to be here. He can score twenty goals which is very impressive for a midfielder. He is also one of the more accurate free kick takers, and is often called upon to take Chelsea's penalties, even with the likes of Michael Ballack on the team.

The most recent player to enter the discussion for best in the world is "El Nino," Fernando Torres. Few knew who he was when he was playing in Spain for an under achieving Atletico Madrid. He had 82 goals in 214 appearances, but his career didn't take off until he signed with Liverpool in the summer of 2007. Last year he netted 24 goals in 33 appearances, a ratio that shows his consistency for goal scoring.

If Liverpool have any success this year, it will surely be because of Torres, not to take credit away from Steven Gerrard.

Some may still think that Ronaldinho is the best. After all, we really didn't see much of him last year. This was due to him missing games often due to injuries. Maybe a fresh start with AC Milan is what is needed for Ronaldinho. Then again, he will be playing alongside Kaka, and it seems as though Kaka's contributions to Milan will overshadow Ronaldinho's.

A dark horse in this competition, in my opinion, is Wayne Rooney. He is often overlooked simply because of the fact that he plays with Cristiano Ronaldo. Rooney also gives his fair share of contributions too.

He has a decent goal to appearance ratio, scoring in just less than half of his appearances. He is also one of the more controversial figures in the world of football, and is not much of a fan favorite, except for with the Manchester United faithful.

This is by no means anywhere near a complete list of contenders for "world's best player."

Personally, my vote is for Kaka. Feel free to voice your opinion on who you believe dominates the pitch.

It's My Money, and I'll Spend it as I Please

Kevin Williams — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:07:08 -0400

I was never a fan of soccer, but I did sometimes keep up with MLS matches. Then, in 2004, I saw Chelsea F.C., on their pre-season tour, against my hometown team, D.C. United. Immediately, I was hooked on Chelsea's style of play. I kept up with Chelsea during the 2004-2005 season, and found myself becoming one of their fans.

It was a while before I figured out that, at this time, Chelsea were known as the best team in the world by many, and that they were probably the most hated team in England. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner are in the same boat.

Both are know for "buying the league" because they can afford to spend ridiculous amounts of money to bring in talent that they believe can win the league. As a result, the Yankees and Chelsea are two of the most hated teams on the planet. From the standpoint of a Chelsea fan, of course I am going to be elated when I hear that Chelsea has signed Michael Ballack, Andriy Shevchenko, and Ashley Cole in the same summer transfer window.

If you are a fan of say, Wigan Athletic, and your team has the amount of money that Chelsea does, you would be happy to hear the same news too. However, since this is not always the case, Chelsea is accused of "buying the league" because other teams cannot compete with the players they have.

I have never accused any team in any sport of using their funds to buy the league. Chelsea can buy Kaka, Ronaldinho, Christiano Ronaldo, Fabio Cannavaro, and Thierry Henry, and still finish behind Manchester United and Liverpool. You can buy players that you think may help you win the league, but, at the end of the day, it's all about chemistry.

Before Chelsea bought Ballack and Shevchenko, they were favorites to win a third straight Barclays Premier League title. Then with the departure of Damien Duff and William Gallas, and Didier Drogba having a breakout season, and not wanting to share the ball with Shevchenko, it was apparent that Chelsea did not have the chemistry needed to win the Premier League.

In fact, they haven't won a title since. The same goes for the Yankees. They have Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Bobby Abreu, and many other high-priced veterans. Can you tell me how many World Series rings this has "bought"? On the 2008 list of billionaires, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is ranked the sixteenth richest man in the world.

In a sport like soccer, where there is no salary cap, I believe that he has a right to by anyone that he thinks may help him win the league. If Chelsea does happen to win the league this year, then it would turn out that Anderson Deco and Jose Boswinga are worth the cash he put up for them.

If not, then I guess he has just wasted his money, and fans of lesser teams can laugh at another disappointing attempt from Chelsea to buy the Premiership title. In the end, however, it is up to the owners of professional sports teams to decide how they want to spend their money, not fans of Leeds United who are mad that they are in the third best league of English football, and can't afford the likes of Rio Ferdinand anymore.

CM Punk: WWE Should Appreciate What They Have

Kevin Williams — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:20:43 -0400

I'll admit it. I'm a CM Punk fan. After first getting into wrestling when i was five years old, the first time i ever ordered anything from WWE.Com was to but CM Punk's shirt last year.

CM Punk debuted on ECW in 2006. It seemed as if his career would only go uphill from there, and for the most part, it did. He had an ECW title run on the show, and was successful at winning money in the bank at Wrestlemania XXIV. Then, in the WWE Draft, CM Punk was moved to WWE's "a" show, Raw.

I saw this as a big move for CM Punk, as if a World Title run may be in the near future. I was right to think that. CM Punk would cash in his MITB after Edge had been beaten by Batista, and become World Champion, similar to what Edge did to John Cena at New Year's Revolution a few years back.

Immediately, this is where it all went downhill. CM Punk can't even win a match cleanly in the WWE. As the champion, he has had few wins, and when he does win it is by disqualification or some other sketchy finish. An exception to this would be the pinfall he got over JBL at Summerslam.

I would hate to see CM Punk become the champion that Rey Mysterio was. He loses many matches, and right now i'm under the impression that he has possession of the belt until they can find someone else to put it on, and hopefully it's not Cena, Batista, or JBL for that matter. I think CM Punk is over with most fans, but loss after loss, week after week, and he begins to lose that credibility with the fans. I already see many articles up about Punk being a "transitional champion", and he doesn't deserve this.

WWE doesn't realize what they have in CM Punk. After the Benoit tragedy, this is a company desperately trying to revamp its image. Instead of changing the TV rating to PG, why not put the company on the shoulders of a guy who promotes himself as drug-free? I know many mothers that only let their kids start watching wrestling once they found out Punk was drug-free. If they see CM Punk winning every match like John Cena did when he was champ, then maybe they would want to emulate CM Punk. That's a way to get your image back, families tuning in to see a straight-edge superstar who is a legitimate champion, and not just champ for the time being.

Aside from him being someone who could help WWE with their image issues, CM Punk should get a long title run simply because he deserves it. A match under the WWE(F) banner hasn't been rated five stars since Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker in 1997. In fact, before 2004, no match in the entire country had been rated five stars. This changed after CM Punk fought Samoa Joe in ROH in 2004, and this was just a normal match.

With that in mind, I would say Punk is more than qualified to be a long-term, multiple time champion. Imagine what he could do in say...a Hell in a Cell Match with Shawn Michaels. Unlike many of the superstars in WWE today, CM Punk is a good wrestler. I'll even go as far as to say that the only two better wrestlers in WWE are Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, maybe even Triple H. Right now, even a rivalry with Chris Jericho would get him extremely over with fans who may still have doubts.

WWE should be really careful with how they choose to utilize CM Punk. Even after an unsuccessful run in TNA back in 2004, i wouldn't be surprised if CM Punk considered an offer if TNA came calling. He would be in TNA's main event picture right away, considering they've made guys like Christian Cage the champion in TNA, and in his tenure with WWE he was never as successful as CM Punk outside the tag-team division.

WWE should utilize CM Punk, and many other superstars for that matter, to their fullest. Although it may be unlikely, if CM Punk ever accepts an offer from TNA once his contract runs out, he may be the guy to bring them to the next level. I am already a TNA fan, but i know that if i wasn't, and CM Punk left for TNA, I would switch to TNA in a heartbeat, and I think other die-hard CM Punk fans would agree.