Bleacher Report - Articles by Lewis Hennig

The Art Of The Finishing Maneuver

Lewis Hennig — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:03:40 -0500

The finishing maneuver is a wrestlers' secret weapon, the ace up his sleeve or the "special" move. Not only does it usually foreshadow the end of the match, but it also serves as something that can get them over with the crowd.

Lately, however, the recent rush to pump new superstars into the veins of WWE's roster seems to have caused management to overlook this handy tactic. Wrestlers such as Cody Rhodes, Santino Marella, JTG, Primo Colon, and many others are victims of this plague.

Before I go any further, let me just say that a finisher does not make a wrestler. Santino and Primo have done a great job getting the fans' attention without the help of a finisher. But a finisher can help promote the superstar and make him a more exciting talent to watch—something I'm sure these two could still benefit from.

Recently, the Slammy Awards were held, and the category of "Best Finishing Maneuver" was introduced. Prior to the ceremony itself, I was found myself asking: What makes a good finisher?

The Art of the Finishing Maneuver

Type of Maneuver

Finishing maneuvers come from all angles and heights. Some take special circumstances to occur, as well. Each has flaws, and some have more benefits than others. Some even fall into multiple categories, giving them a combination of benefits to aid in the match, as well as receiving praise from the audience.

The Standard

The most basic set-up for a maneuver. Both men are standing, usually facing each other, although sometimes an opponent is facing the opposite direction.

The standard is the most versatile of the types of finishing maneuvers. Sometimes it does not even matter the exact direction an opponent is facing for the maneuver to be pulled off. The RKO is a maneuver that demonstrates this, as Randy Orton can perform it from the front, or start from the back of the opponent while running and/or jumping forwards.

The simplicity of this set-up leads to many opportunities for the completion of the maneuver.

Location Specific

These require the opponent to be in a certain position, or within a certain range of positions to be executed. Sometimes it is prone on the mat, other times the maneuver may require the use of turnbuckles or ropes.

The Lionsault is a spot-specific maneuver that comes into play when the opponent is prone, face-up on the mat, usually in the centre of the ring, or close to centre at least. It also requires the use of the ropes to be completed, or possibly some other suitable substitution.

Unlike the standard set-up, location-specific obviously does not have the versatility element, as it requires certain criteria to be met.

This also makes the move harder to perform, as the requisite situation needs to be met in order for the move to be completed. This opportunity may come only once a match, or sometimes never.

Aerial

These moves can also fall under the category of location specific, but are usually the most exciting see, and the most dangerous to perform. As the name implies, it requires a wrestler to take flight, so to speak.

As I noted earlier, aerial maneuvers do require certain criteria to be fulfilled, most notably the element of vertical separation between performer and victim. The star performing the move needs to be higher than his opponent in order for him to succeed. This is usually achieved through the use of the top turnbuckle, although these moves can be performed off of almost any elevated surface. Stage equipment, ladders, and vending machines are all possible launching platforms for an aerial artist.

The set-backs for aerial finishers are of course, lack of versatility and how easily they can be performed. Time also becomes a factor as well because although the opponent may be grounded, time is still needed to reach a higher platform, unless the performer already happens to be there. Too much time spent climbing can lead to a counter—knees to the gut most commonly—or a possible evasion of the maneuver altogether.

One final flaw of the aerial finisher is the landing surface. The effectiveness usually does not vary with the surface, except in rare cases. But the performer must take into account the amount of damage that may occur to himself. A landing on concrete would be more detrimental to a performer than one inside the ring, which is probably why most superstars rarely perform such moves to the outside of the ring.

However, despite these negative factors, the aerial finishing maneuver may be the most exciting to see, and garners alot of applause. And while they may not be versatile in how they can be set up, they do allow for style points as well. Adding a corkscrew to a moonsault may not help its' effectiveness, but it sure makes it pretty.

Hype

Many maneuvers involved in this category would be classified as normal moves, yet when they are performed by this particular person in a particular way they become powerful enough to end a match.

Finishers in this category are usually more build-up and flash that devastatingly powerful. Examples included the Rock Bottom and the Atomic Leg Drop.

Submissions

Submissions are the only finishers that can lead to the end of a match in a way other than a pin. The goal of this maneuver is to either make the opponent give up or have him lose consciousness.

Submissions usually find themselves in the same category as location specific moves, in the cases of the STFU or Sharpshooter. But some can come from any angle, like the crippler crossface or the Khali Vice.

A major drawback of the submission maneuver is the time it consumes. Once the move is locked in the opponent will struggle until he or she cannot take more pain and gives. Unfortunately a person who can deal with a lot of punishment may take longer to submit than others. During this time several possibilities emerge, such as the chance for a submission to be broken up by outside interference, or the victim reaching the ropes for a rope break. Either situation will result in the breaking of the hold.

Character Specific

The final category relies on the superstars performing the maneuver to be successful. While other wrestlers have the ability to pull it off, it will be nowhere near as effective as when this certain individual performs it.

These moves usually are found in the arsenal of large or powerful wrestlers. The Big Show's Knockout Punch is one example of a character-specific finisher. While many superstars could punch in much the same way as the Big Show, his size and unbridled power make his blows far more devastating than nearly anyone else on the roster.

Keys to a Great Finisher

Regardless of whether a finisher is powerful or draws cheers from the audience, there are several key factors that make a maneuver more or less effective during a match-up.

Can it come from anywhere?

Requiring a specific location or certain elements to be performed automatically lowers the chances—sometimes to zero—that the finisher can be performed in a match. If you can't perform the move because of a lack of ropes, or if the opponent is not in the right position, the opportunities for your maneuver are rare.

Take the case of the 619. It can only be used in conjunction with an opponent laying across the middle ropes. Well, if a match is to take place backstage, then this maneuver is out of the question.

Even in regular match types, a maneuver that is location specific is hampered by the fact that it has multiple factors that come into play, whereas a finisher that can be performed from nearly any angle enjoys few, if any limitations to where it can be performed.

How quickly can it be executed?

A maneuver that is as quick as it is devastating is a truly great finisher. The more time your move takes between set-up and execution, the more time your opponent has to counter it, or for interference to occur.

Unfortunately this is a problem that plagues submissions more than others. The longer it takes for a submission to work, the more time it gives the opponent to find a way out of it.

A move like the RKO is as quick as a blink to perform, because as soon as it is applied it is nearly over. Compare this to the Batista Bomb, the first step is putting the opponents head between his thighs. At this point, a reversal is possible, and it's only Step 1 of a three-step process. Step 2 is to bring the opponent up into position, again giving him another chance of reversal. And the final step is to bring him down for the impact, which is possibly the only step that cannot be countered.

With the RKO, you only have one chance to counter, if at all. The more steps or time it takes to perform a move, the more opportunities are created for your opponent to reverse it.

Even minute pauses can make a move less effective. Such is the case with the F-U. Although the move is relatively simple once the opponent is up on John Cena's shoulders, there is a pause in which they can struggle or reverse the maneuver.

The quicker a move is, the more deadly it becomes.

Can it be performed on anyone?

While there is no doubt of how effective a finishing maneuver can be, it doesn't help if you cannot do it against the one opponent you need to. Usually this is determined by the size and weight of the opponent.

The Undertaker, despite even his relatively large stature, cannot perform the tombstone or the chokeslam on large opponents, such as the Great Khali or Big Show. While the Undertaker can use alternate finishers for these big men, stars with only one finisher, like Jack Swagger, are for all intents and purposes, screwed.

Finishers have come along way since their first inception. Moves such as Randy Savage's elbow drop, Dusty Rhodes' Bionic Elbow, and Stan Stasiak's Heart Punch seem to pale in complexity to the maneuvers we are familiar with now, yet they too can be broken down and summarized by the points made on this list.

I believe a lot of these newcomers to the WWE who find themselves without their own finishers should take a look at this veritable how-to guide to finishers. For many wrestlers, this could help make or break their careers.

A Missed Opportunity for Shawn Michaels and WWE

Lewis Hennig — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:49:39 -0500

For the past few weeks, RAW has been the victim of one of the weakest storylines in recent history. The Shawn Michaels storyline in which he becomes JBL's puppet has had most WWE fans moaning over the absurdity.

First of all Shawn Michaels being in the poorhouse is really far-fetched, even with the U.S. economy in the shape it is right now.

If he really wanted to, he could sign a pair of his chaps and sell them for enough money to feed his family for a week, if not a month.

Maybe Shawn is just not accustomed to a lower-tier class of lifestyle and can't adapt to driving his Dodge Charger to work instead of his Mercedes.

Backed with the point he had asked JBL for money instead of his longtime friend and ally Triple H. Why? Because it would loom over him.

Yeah I guess owing your friend money isn't as bad as betraying your friend, your fans and even yourself. Besides wasn't JBL pummeling him in the backstage area just a few months back? Why in the world would he ask him for money?

It would seem WWE is trying to make use of the failing economy to push a storyline, one in which JBL's character is a natural fit.

Now I am not a fan of Shawn Michaels the person, but the man can wrestle and can act. However there are several things working against this storyline that make it uninteresting.

JBL is terrible in the ring, and has all the physique of a bean bag chair. He does have great mic skills, but his characters focus is too narrow. With JBL it's all about the economy and money. It's not a bad premise, but if that is the only angle a character can work, it gets old quick.
As I said, the angle just has many plot holes and seems silly to boot. Better writing could have cleared up this mess.
It's more of the same from Shawn Michaels in terms of acting. Now like I said he can act, but we've seen pretty much the same look on his face since he retired Ric at last year's Wrestlemania. He was sad then as he put away the 16-time world champ, he was sad when he came out to announce his retirement in front of Y2J, and he had the same look of sadness on his face when he first announced he sold out to JBL. Shawn, we all know you can be sad, but we are sick of it.

When I watched RAW last Monday night I was very happy to see Orton and Jericho in the ring trying to protest JBL's win last week which put him in the title match at Royal Rumble.

The points both Jericho and Orton were making were clearly points that the fans hoped would sway Stephanie's decision as they cheered them on. However to rain on the parade, JBL showed up with HBK in tow.

At this point, my interest in the show was fading, and quickly, of course JBL started talking and my interest had nearly hit rock bottom.

However, Orton and Jericho turned the focus away from Bradshaw and instead directed their attention on Shawn. They called him a sell-out, they questioned his integrity and above all else Jericho noted that everything he had said about HBK before was true.

Now my attention was back in the game. It looked like we were going to see HBK turn heel on us all. Instead he utters something about how happy he is that he kept Jericho and Orton from being in the world title picture.

Bad move. The fans were clearly not behind this at all, as the audience's confused laughs and boos illustrated.

The problem is the fans would have much rather seen anyone else in that Fatal-Four-Way win besides JBL. It set up a very uninteresting PPV match-up for the World title.

Suddenly, Stephanie appeared on the Titantron and I was sure she would be issuing a rematch of some sort to make up for the lame ending of last week's main event. This was not the case, though she did announce that both Orton and Jericho would be in the Rumble.

Randy Orton and Chris Jericho argued that they should be in the main event, and in regards to HBK, he should not be in the Rumble at all. Unfortunately, WWE made another bad decision by having JBL agree to that demand.

We later found out he would have HBK in his corner to ensure he won at the Royal Rumble and went to Wrestlemania. He told Shawn in a backstage segment that he hired Shawn for the purpose of getting JBL to Wrestlemania.

This had killed the one spur of interest this whole storyline had struck in me since it's conception. So much potential both created and lost in one night.

A plot that could have actually created interest in the story would involve Shawn being involved in the Rumble and turning heel after the PPV.

Imagine if you will that on Monday Night Raw instead of being left out of the Rumble Shawn was entered into it.

We later have a segment with Shawn and JBL backstage where JBL tells Shawn that if he were to win the Royal Rumble it would be JBL's insurance to make it to Wrestlemania.

Should JBL lose his title match at the PPV or at No Way Out in February, Shawn would award his Royal Rumble win to JBL thus ensuring his appearance at Wrestlemania.

Initially Shawn may resist but JBL would assure Michaels that should Shawn win the rumble he would be off the hook with JBL and his family's future would be secure.

This is a stipulation I don't think Shawn would pass up, as he already has betrayed the fans, what more could he do?

Come Royal Rumble time, the storyline could have JBL lose to Cena in their match, something most fans expect anyways. Then the final match of the night would feature Shawn Michaels in a questionable manner.

No doubt the crowd will feel sorry for him as he is clearly doing this for his family, yet they don't want to see JBL at Wrestlemania, so they boo.

Shawn could then remain in the Royal Rumble till the last three combatants. This would build up so much anticipation with the crowd, because the crowd will fear JBL getting a title shot at Wrestlemania should Shawn win. However, Shawn will be eliminated by the Undertaker, who himself will be eliminated as well.

Next night on RAW we see an angered JBL asking why Shawn lost the Royal Rumble for JBL. Shawn will say it was not his fault, Undertaker was the one who eliminated him.

JBL, still enraged, will tell Shawn that thanks to the Undertaker, Shawn and his family are still indebted to JBL. Shawn Michaels' face sours as JBL walks away.

Fast forward to Smackdown later that week, where Shawn Michaels comes onto the show and attacks the Undertaker during his match, causing him to lose. This will continue to build heat for HBK.

The following Monday on RAW, Shawn explains that he attacked Undertaker last Friday night because Undertaker cost him his way out of JBL's deal. He kept Shawn's family in limbo with JBL by eliminating him in the Rumble.

All this, of course, would culminate in a feud that would lead to Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania.

But as I pointed out, WWE missed the boat on this possibility. Shawn will remain a sad mopey tweener, the storyline will remain as plain as vanilla, and anything involving JBL will be as stale as month old bread.

I question why WWE would shoot themselves in the foot like this. I still hope, as I'm sure many other fans do, that this storyline will end sooner rather than later.

And in regards to the Royal Rumble, I hope that Vince's arrival on RAW in two weeks will somehow result in the overturning of JBL's No. 1 contender status.

However, should that happen, I feel WWE will make the title match at the Royal Rumble a multiple-superstar affair.

However, this is just my opinion on where the WWE went wrong, and what should have happened. Please leave feedback if you think this is a better solution or if you have a better one in mind.

The Plight of the Lightweight in WWE

Lewis Hennig — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:39:51 -0500

Recently I posted an article questioning what could be done to help ECW gain ratings as well as respect and interest from WWE fans. One point I made was the possibility of introducing a secondary title, like the Intercontinental and US Championships, to create more competition for the show, as well as something for the mid card wrestlers to strive for.

The options I listed were the Hardcore Title and the Cruiserweight Championship. Both are titles that are still property of the WWE despite being retired for all intents and purposes.

Now I did state that the Hardcore Title is probably the most suitable belt to introduce to the show. However, out of pure interest I decided to check out the rosters and see just what the cruiserweight division could be if the title were reintroduced tonight (keep in mind this is according to the rosters for each show as posted by WWE.com).

The qualifications for the cruiserweight title state that the wrestler must weigh no more than 215 pounds. The following is a list of superstars that fall into that catergory:

RAW

Jamie Noble - 202lbs.: A former cruiserweight champion who finds himself a mid-carder on RAW, which in my books is the least friendly to lightweights. I feel that his future in the company is in jeopardy unless they find something interesting for him to do, such as challenging for the Cruiserweight title,
Rey Mysterio - 175 lbs.: Another former cruiserweight champion who finds himself on RAW. Fortunately for Rey, he is more over than any of the other lightweights in the company. The Cruiserweight Title may be below him at this point, but it's always an opportunity if it is reinstated.

Smackdown

Hurricane Helms - 215 lbs.: Gregory Helms is the longest reigning cruiserweight champion in history. This man is a gold mine in terms of lightweight talent. If the title were to come back he would likely be one of the biggest dogs in the fight, but even so Helms has proven he can run with bigger competition as his win over the Rock proved.
Jesse - 210 lbs.: Really what can be said about Jesse? He's part of what may be the most popular tag team on Smackdown, but how much of that can be credited to him? With Festus being the main draw for the team it may be best for Jesse to think of his own career if things should ever come between the two.
Jimmy Wang Yang - 206 lbs.: Many may not know this but prior to his transformation Wang assisted Tajiri as his "goon" under the alias of Akio. But unlike Tajiri, Jimmy has never captured cruiserweight gold, though he has challenged for it. Wang has all the potential in the world, but a questionable gimmick and lack of a push seem to be the biggest factors holding him back.
Kung Fu Naki - 192 lbs.: Sometimes it's hard to believe that Fu Naki is still around, or maybe I should say Kung Fu Naki. It's even harder to believe he is a former cruiserweight champion. But even though his Kientai days are past, Kung Fu Naki is still fighting, and may be a great addition to the cruiserweight division.
The Brian Kendrick - 184 lbs.: The Brian Kendrick is possibly one of the most promoted lightweights on Smackdown, yet unlike Helms and Kung Fu Naki he has never held cruiserweight gold. But if his work is any testament to where he can go, gold is not out of his league. I think he would be a perfect fit as cruiserweight champion as the WWE seems high on him, even if the fans are not.
Zack Ryder - 214 lbs.: I was surprised to find out that either Ryder or Hawkins made this list. Considering how closely they resemble each other it seems odd that Zack would qualify but not Curt. However this may be the stepping stone that may save Ryder from the obscurity that his tag team with Hawkins seems to be falling into. If the strap was brought back it may be just the thing for Zack Ryder to get over with the fans and possibly create some interest in his character.

ECW

Chavo Guerrero - 215 lbs.: Chavo may not seem like much now. He hardly wrestles anymore, and even when he does he is so out-classed it seems like punishment for him. But at one time he could really perform as a small guy, and had many interesting matches with Mysterio. Could we see him revert to his old self if he had a bit of gold to persuade him?
Evan Bourne - 183 lbs.: The possibilities here are endless. Bourne may get to the point where this is beyond his ability, much like Mysterio. However for the time being Bourne is a star that is shining bright, having the title would only help reflect his glory.

Close Calls

The following is a list of a few wrestlers who weigh slightly more than the 215 pounds allotted by the title rules. These superstars are less than five pounds over qualifying for the title, so I believe the potential is there for them to compete if they could drop the meager four pounds or so.

Cody Rhodes - 219 lbs.: In the cruiserweight division he would be the odd man out. The division is mainly composed of wrestlers who use their agility to make up for their small stature. Although Cody may be the black sheep that makes the division interesting. In comparison Rey is in stark contrast to what most World Champions are, yet no one will deny he was a good champion, some might even say a great champion.
Kofi Kingston - 218 lbs.: The man has all the agility of a lightweight, sometimes it seems as though he chooses when he lets gravity ground him. The things Kofi can do in the ring are impressive, and if the belt were brought back they may be impressive enough to earn him a shot at it.
Primo Colon - 218 lbs.: A relative newcomer to the scene in WWE, Primo's style is much like Carlito's, only faster. While both brothers have surprising agility Primo is the one Colon who could potentially qualify for the cruiserweight division. His agility and speed would be a welcome asset to a reformed division.
John Morrison - 219 lbs.: John Morrison is, in my books, the most underrated superstar on ECW. The man is a former ECW champion (my second favorite in ECW's short lifespan) and part of the most over tag team in WWE at present. The Cruiserweight Title may be a little under his radar though considering the places he could go if given the right push.

Now many of you may note I left off a former cruiserweight champion from this list. And although he is well under the restrictions I do not feel he is a good addition to the roster. Yes I am talking about Hornswoggle. He may have been champion, but a joke champion is what he was meant to be.

His reign was the sign of the end for me, and sure enough it led to the retiring of the belt. Horny should stay away from the Cruiserweight Championship should it reform. The one thing the belt will need should it be re-introduced is a strong legitimate champion. Hornswoggle is none of those things.

Now looking at the list composed I would say we have some interesting potential for a new division. While the number have not been as strong as they were in the past, when you look at what cruiserweights have to compete for now why would the WWE hire lightweights when they can't even use the ones they have?

Many good, able performers have been misused in the WWE. Jamie Noble is a guy who brings great wrestling to any match he is in.

Unfortunately there is no real storyline for a lightweight wrestler. Both the Intercontinental and US title race seems to be dominated by bigger wrestlers that Noble and other have little hope of defeating.

The tag team division is no where near as strong as it could be, yet even that is being dominated by wrestlers of larger proportions.

Currently the WWE has eight titles for men to compete for. None of those titles are being held by a man weighing less than 215 pounds. While divas have won the Cruiserweight Title before, they have never really been considered outright contenders for the belt. Plus the fact that they have two womens' belts now more than gives them something to do than aim for a lightweight belt.

While some of the stars I have listed do have a chance at those titles (Evan Bourne and Rey Mysterio come to mind) the majority have nothing to compete for. The addition of another title, the Cruiserweight Title would help alot of the smaller talent out.

One final antagonizing factor for the majority of the cruiserweights is the WWE's list of banned moves. Many moves on this list are high-flying moves that have the potential to be dangerous. This is unfortunate as cruiserweights are known mostly for their high flying spectacles.

However, I would just like to note that the shooting star press was on the banned list of moves, but with Evan Bourne's use of it, it would seem that it has been taken off that list.

Though there is no set list available for public viewing (at least none that I could find), there is indeed a list of moves that for one reason or another have been banned. this was the main reason for the release of Juventud Guerrera.

I know many WWE fans right now could care less about the cruiserweight division, as well as many of the stars I have listed. But after watching the Rey Mysterio DVD I can't help but wish for the kind of action cruiserweights provided back in ECW, WCW and to a lesser extent WWE a few years back. I encourage anyone who likes to watch exciting wrestling to either buy, rent or steal a copy (yes, it's that good) just to enjoy what these men can do.

Has the WWE Put an X on Sex?

Lewis Hennig — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 09:40:21 -0500

Sex sells. It's not a new discovery, it's something that people have known for a long, long time. The WWE is one of the many companies that has seemed to take notice over the years in marketing their material.

Through the years, we have seen everything the WWE could throw at us in terms of stepping over the line. Sable's bikini for her bikini contest with Jacqueline, Val Venis' penis chopping, Edge and Lita's live sex show, and of course Kelly Kelly the exhibitionist.

Looking at the list, I can still think of plenty more that have happened that are as obscene or controversial as anything on that list. But what is really interesting is the fact that we see so much oriented around the WWE divas.

Now I am not saying let's see more men get half-naked, that's not my lifestyle, not that there's anything wrong with that. But divas have relied heavily on the use of sex appeal to create and further their storylines.

The most ridiculous matches that can happen usually do happen in conjunction with female wrestling.

Bra and panties matches, fulfill your fantasy match, and even a water balloon fight have occurred in divas competition, often for titles or title shots.

The credibility of women's competition has come into discussion varies times surrounding these situations.

And it does only happen inside the ring, WWE has had it's divas cross into the world of Playboy to market their sex appeal further. This seems to be a semi-annual tradition with divas appearing nearly once every two years in the magazine.

In more recent memory, commercials claiming that WWE Smackdown has the sexiest women in wrestling have excluded showing either Victoria or Natalya along with the rest of the divas.

These two are among the more muscular, or dare I say butch women competitors on the show. It seems quite clear why these two were left off the ad.

But recently WWE seems to have shied away from it's over-the-top marketing of the divas sex appeal. Sure the outfits may still be as skimpy, or skimpier than ever, but that is not the most noticeable change.

When has the last bra and panties match happened? Or the last time Kelly Kelly performed an expose'? And I think it's fair to say that pudding matches and gravy matches have been on vacation for a while as well.

I am happy that for once women wrestling can return to what it should be, wrestling. It would seem that the women's division has put a lot of push on skills lately and vast improvements can be seen in many divas.

Kelly Kelly is a diva who has made great leaps in her wrestling skills. Maryse would also fall into the category.

People may have once called WWE on hiring only blonde-haired, big-busted, thin women for the sole basis of marketing their sex appeal and not their wrestling.

While I agree that that may be the case in hiring, it seems that for some reason the divas have striven to become better in the ring themselves. Or this could just be a new direction on WWE's behalf as well.

I am not cheering the fact that we lost a lot of what could be called "skin shows," but I am applauding the fact that we are now seeing some actual credible wrestling from the women.

I think we have reached a spot where a good medium can be found for both skill and sex. And I know there are still many wrestling fans who don't give two hoots about the divas matches, but really they are the ones missing out.

For although we can all enjoy the lingerie matches they do, I get to enjoy watching these women put on a good show to which many seem biased against.

Thus the double-edged blade emerges. The more they push the wrestling skills of divas, the less many male fans like the divas division, as they only care for the "lady lumps."

I think though that divas such as Mickie James and Beth Phoenix are front runners in divas who are slowly changing many people's minds about this, as they bring talent and a good deal of looks into the ring with them.

They may not be the prettiest divas, but they are among the most skilled in the women's division.

I hope WWE keeps taking these baby steps to even out the divide between diva competition and diva "sexploitation," but I also fear that it may just be a cycle which will eventually revert back to a lack of talented divas, but an abundance of silicon.

Shooting Fish in TNA's Barrel

Lewis Hennig — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:36:43 -0500

Now, I am no TNA fan, and although I do like WWE, I would say I am a pro-wrestling fan first and foremost. I watch indie shows as well as the big-time shows, all because I love to see the action.

TNA is something, however, that I will check out for maybe five minutes when nothing is on. It just has really bad booking and no match chemistry.

I think that competition is good in the world of wrestling; however, TNA is just not giving WWE any of that. At most, TNA should offer something on par with its main WWE adversary, Smackdown, which also airs the same night. For me, the choice between Smackdown and Impact is like the choice between a pat on the back and a kick in the balls. I know which one I will be picking.

But maybe that's just my taste.

However, as a pro-wrestling fan, I cannot ignore the skill and talent that TNA has on their roster. There are many fine competitors on the show with much promise. Sure, some may be WWE leftovers, but does that make them any less appealing?

Many consider TNA to be dying a slow death. Whether or not this happens, there are many fine apples I would like to harvest from the tree that is TNA. If the WWE was my basket, these are the TNA stars I think are the ripest for WWE to seize.

A. J. Styles

There is a reason he is often referred to as the "phenomenal A. J. Styles." The man is a gift to wrestling. From the little I see of TNA, the man is a true talent. He has a good look, good charisma, dynamic skill, and seems to be credible with any title strap on his waist.

One muttering I hear through the pro-wrestling underbelly is that he is not that handy on the stick yet, but Jeff Hardy is no Johnny Carson either.

In the WWE, I can see A. J. Styles following the same pathway as CM Punk. Both have unique styles and are capable of winning the big one. Should A.J. join the company, a feud with Punk would be the first thing I would like to see, maybe follow it up with a battle with Edge.

Alex Shelly & Chris Sabin (the Motor City Machine Guns)

These two have to come together. I have seen both before in singles competition and they were good, no doubt about it. But a lot of wrestlers on the TNA roster are just good, not great.

These two worth more together than they could ever be apart. If they were to try come to WWE separately, I wouldn't want them at all.

As a Legacy and Priceless fan, I get shivers over the feud that could culminate between these teams. On Smackdown, I think a feud with the team of Ryder and Hawkins would be the best, possibly even making Ryder and Hawkins something to care about no that they are no longer associated with Edge.

This team would definitely light the fire in the belly of either tag team division they may find themselves in.

Kurt Angle

What? He was with WWE before, he can go back. According to the rumor mill there is a feeling he just might. Regardless though, Kurt Angle is still everything he was in the WWE before, just no one cares about him as much anymore. He is still a damn good technical wrestler, with great prowess, charisma, and microphone skills.

There are so many people he could fight with right now, like Edge, who has become a totally different character since Angle was last in the company. Or Umaga would make for a great challenge for Angle to triumph over.

I think Kozlov and Angle could put on a very MMA styled match that would get a good amount of interest and help get the Moscow Mauler's popularity up.

Petey Williams

Canadian Destroyer...Is there really anything I need to say? If you are a hardcore wrestling fan you've seen it, or at least heard of it. Sure, there are imitators, but Petey Williams does it best.

He is among the very few smaller wrestlers who can use a more power style format of wrestling and make it work. Yet he still has a very fast paced nature about his style which keeps him going with those more agile than him.

Petey Williams versus Rey Mysterio is something that instantly comes into my mind and makes me drool. I think he could mesh well with alot of the ECW superstars like Jack Swagger and Ricky Ortiz.

That would both be good feuds to see, plus Petey's skill would help improve that show as well if he were to become apart of it.

Rhino

You know he's not an animal, he's a Man-Beast, so please spell his name correctly, it's Rhyno (Yes, I do know WWE owns the name which is why he really changed it)! Another WWE fallout, Rhino is a great performer.

His mic skills may be lacking, but his intensity sure does not. He brings the power game more than anyone else his size does. He won't just mow you over, he'll gore you.

You know, I want to see Rhino Gore Triple H. There doesn't need to be a match involved, I just want to see it happen. A good match-up would be to see him take on the WWE's Animal Batista. These two play the power game, and while Batista may have the edge in strength, I think Rhino out-does him when it comes to speed and technique.

I would like to think Rhino would pick up the win if this were to happen, but with Batista being much more over, I doubt it would happen.

Kaz/Suicide

This man is also golden, it's no wonder he was technically already picked up by the WWE. Unfortunately due to an attitude problem or something (I heard he didn't want to cut his hair) he never went anywhere.

The suicide gimmick is something I think will go no where, but I sure hope Kazarian does better than that and ends up in the WWE. Another man with a distinct wrestling style. If TNA is a movie rental store and the wrestlers are the movies, Kazarian is either Back to the Future or Back to the Future Two.

I find myself pairing him up with WWE wrestlers I've already named like Edge, Rey Mysterio, and Punk. But for a fresh matchup, I think Kofi Kingston would be a nice fight for him. If you wanted to see an interesting underdog fight toss him in the ring against Orton and see how he fares.

--Honorable Mentions--

Now I don't watch a whole lot of TNA as I said, so there are a few I am not sure of, and some that I have seen a lot of yet just can't seem to completely sell myself on saying yes or no fully. These five are the questionable lot and though they are good I don't know if they are great.

Abyss

The Kane of TNA in my books, and what would become Kane on estrogen if he were in WWE. It's not that Abyss has a bad look, but we've really seen what a scary wrestler can look like.

I mean Kane, Undertaker, and Mankind (hmmmm, maybe Abyss found that mask he wears in Mick Foley's garbage) are all pugilists we've had that fit into that genre of wrestlers, is there anything he could add that would make him special enough to steal from TNA? James Mitchell maybe?

Booker T

Another WWE wash-out. Booker T. was one of my favorites in the WWE prior to the King Booker epidemic. He is talented, and good on the microphone, but the bookers don't seem to know how to use him in WWE, not that TNA has been doing much better.

If someone could guarantee something good for Book, I would like to see him in WWE, but that probably won't happen.

Samoa Joe

Maybe it's just me, but I see him fighting and I think of that stereotypical fat kid from a school setting trying to fight the best he can. While Joe is good at fighting, his look holds him back for me. It's not that he's a large athlete, he just looks funny.

I've had friends who have seen him perform live at indie shows and they tell me he's awesome, so maybe he could make it, but I can't help but think of Chunk from the Goonies. I wonder if Joe ever did the truffle shuffle?

Sting

Old. There I summed it up. If there is one reason I don't want to see him come to WWE is because he is getting too old for this. If I could expect him to perform like he did in his hey-day or be around long enough to really shine in a way that reflects his character then bring on the Sting.

Unfortunately, besides my own reflections Sting himself has nixed the possibility of him coming to WWE, so this would be an extreme long shot anyways.

Christopher Daniels

Christopher "don't call me Curryman" Daniels is someone I think has talent on par with either Kaz or A. J. Styles. Very distinctive and interesting.

Unfortunately, Curryman never seemed like a good idea to me. Why he ever changed I'll never know. "The Fallen Angel" gimmick couldwork in WWE, but because I said could work and not can is exactly why he not a sure thing in my books.

You may wonder where are the Knockouts? Well to be quite honest every time I see something with the Knockouts it is some terrible segment that is impossible to watch. So I don't. I'm sure there is some fine talent in terms of female wrestlers on this show, but I never had the fortitude to sit around long enough to watch it.

So if you want to make a comment about a Knockout you think would make a good WWE draft pick, or anyone else you think should be on this list, please go ahead.

ECW, Take Two and Call Me in the Morning

Lewis Hennig — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:06:16 -0500

I think most WWE fans, and wrestling fans in general will agree that ECW is the ugly child of WWE's offspring of TV shows.

Now I was unaware of ECW during the "good 'ol days" when things were apparently much better. But even if I wasn't aware of the old ECW fans crying sacrilege about the format of the new show I would still manage to figure out that this was not what the Philadelphians were raving about.

I don't think it should become everything that the original ECW was, but if it is to become it's own show WWE might want to try running it like it could be profitable.

There are many, many things wrong with ECW right now, some of which have been a problem from the start, others have only emerged just recently. Here is a diagnosis of some of the major problems hampering this show from being something better.

Now ECW is not all bad, despite what I stated above, but many of it's good qualities also hamper it; notably the young talents. Now if you want to see new stars emerge and develop, look no further than ECW. We have seen popular stars emerge from this show including CM Punk and Kofi Kingston, and rising stars in Jack Swagger and Evan Bourne.

However this negatively effects the show in that the average wrestling fan would rather watch established stars like Edge, Triple H, Batista, and John Cena on the other shows. They aren't interested in someone they have never heard of who might turn out to be the next CM Punk or Evan Bourne. It's alot easier to get onto a train than build one yourself, such is the situation with following the crowd when it comes to fan favorites.

Now you might say, "but wait, I've seen guys like Mark Henry and Matt Hardy on ECW, they aren't new stars."

Well yes, Mark Henry, Matt Hardy, and Finlay are veterans that are on the ECW roster. However looking at their history on prior shows, they were never World Title material before, and as far as I can see they still wouldn't make it as a World Champion still.

These are guys who are good mid-card athletes, who despite their skills, never got as over as they needed to be to achieve higher status. WWE has sent these stars to ECW to help coach and groom these up and comers both in the ring and outside it. Finlay is a guy who has been doing this for years prior to debuting, it only makes sense to use him on the show where he can be the most useful.

Now to take a step away from roster quality, let's look at roster quantity. Not counting announcers, commentators, interviewers, and its GM, ECW has 18 wrestlers on the show. RAW and Smackdown on the other hand have 33 superstars each that would fit in that category. So we are looking at nearly two times as many athletes on the other shows compared to ECW.

Switching back to the quality of the roster you may notice I did not mention the likes of John Morrison or Chavo Guerrero before. That is because they feel like they are not even apart of this roster. Many superstars seem to spend more time on other brand shows than on ECW, taking away from an already starving show. And some wrestlers don't even seem to be apart of any show anymore, as is the case with Gavin Spears and Bam Neely.

Sure they sometimes throw a bone and get Kane or someone on his level to drop in once in a while, but the fact is the need to start to treat the ECW roster more like the other shows rosters. It can still maintain it's rookie feel with newcomers, but how about adding some more meat to this taco?

If WWE is too afraid to put one of their big name stars on the roster add some mid level brawlers who are not over, like Khali, Kozlov, or D'lo Brown. Personally I think Val Venis would be a good guy to throw on that show as he is a veteran with good in ring skill, but hasn't gone anywhere since like 1998.

It seems that since Bobby Lashley the WWE will not risk sending a big name star over to ECW. Prior to that we had RVD, Big Show, Kurt Angle, and almost Chris Benoit on the show. Nearly all of the wrestlers I just listed would also become ECW champion while on the show.

Aside from this, WWE loots ECW whenever gold is found in it's midst, as was the case with CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, and Kelly Kelly. It seems to also be the case with Evan Bourne and will probably be the case with Jack Swagger. Leaving some of these stars on the show may help bolster the rankings in the show. I think Jack Swagger would be the best ECW Champion since John Morrison if he manages to stay on the show long enough (sorry, I am not a CM Punk fan).

Another weak point of ECW is the fact that the "E" doesn't seem to stand for anything. Matches that could be considered extreme or hardcore are done maybe once every two months, once a month at best but that may be pushing it.

Remember the ECW Extreme Rules Matches that were originally introduced when the brand re-emerged? Those were cool, and even on my WWE video games are my favorite matches to play. However they do not seem to be managements favorite matches to put on.

I think that if ECW was guaranteed to have a weapons match on the card every show it would see improved ratings. If that is going to far, then a simpler solution would be to have a stipulation added to the belt that it can only change hands in an Extreme Rules Match. This would add to the title as well as most fans see it as another US or Intercontinental Championship level belt. People would care about it more if they new it brought blood, chairs and tables to the show when it was defended.

One final flaw ECW has, in spades, is bad writing. I know I have written about how the WWE in general has been somewhat lacking in the storyline department lately, but ECW is worse, I mean much worse!

The only thing I am interested in now is Jack Swagger and his rise through the ranks. He has a cool, cocky demeanor and has come out on top with a good feud with Tommy Dreamer. Usually I don't much care for Tommy Dreamer, but Swagger made it interesting for me.

Aside from that we have Ricky Ortiz, who prior to a week or two ago was on an undefeated streak. But who did he beat? Mostly nobodies in squash matches. Not too impressive, or interesting for that matter.

We also have Mark Henry looking to make his way to the top once again. Now I do think ECW is a good fit for Henry, but quite honestly I have never seen anything about this guy that has interested me or anyone else I know, so what's the point?

Matt Hardy is coasting right now after his feud with Henry and is going show to show fighting different stars. It seems like he will be squaring off against Swagger soon, which should be good.

Then there's Finlay, what is he doing? I think the best description would be causing shenanigans with Hornswoggle. It is something, but it's pointless really. Again, what is the point?

Vince needs to take ECW as serious as he does his other two brain children and get some good writers on this show. If they want to promote ECW they have to start treating it like it is a show worth watching.

I don't want to leave ECW off on a sour note, like I mentioned in the beginning, there are some good points to the show. It can be fixed and improved from what it is. And even if it never gets to RAW or Smackdown level in terms of quality and popularity it can still get better than this.

To leave it off on a good note I add one suggestion that I think may help heal ECW's wounds, a second belt. RAW has four titles, as does Smackdown. ECW with half the roster size should have at least two I figure.

A tag team title is out, because with the roster as small as it is good tag teams would take up too much competitors to form a good division. Seeing as there is only one female wrestler on the show a female title is out as well. That leaves me with two foreseeable options.

The most obvious choice, the Hardcore Title. Long since shelved by the WWE it would seem that ECW is the show to bring it back to. A title that can be defended anywhere and under any circumstances seems like the perfect fit for a show that has extreme in it's title.

My second choice is the Cruiserweight Championship. Like the Hardcore title it was shelved by WWE executives, but ECW may be the place to bring it back. Right now the show is a bit dry with cruiserweights, but just remember that CM Punk and Kofi were both at one time on ECW, both of which would probably qualify as cruiserweights.

Not only that but ECW seems to have alot of wrestlers debut that could also qualify for the cruiserweight division. Let's not forget interbrand competition as well, I mean Miz and Morrison are RAW's tag champs, why can't Jamie Noble be ECW's Cruiserweight Champion?

Like I said the Hardcore title would be the obvious choice, as I feel the cruiserweight title should really make it's comeback on Smackdown, if it comes back at all.

But those are the biggest problems for ECW from where I stand, or at least problems that are exclusive to this show only. Please leave a comment if there is any you think I overlooked or left out.

Chris Benoit: Has It Been Long Enough?

Lewis Hennig — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:34:53 -0500

Being both an Albertan and a pro wrestling fan has been especially trying since June 25th 2007, and the tragedy that occurred that day. Like many Canadians I have a deep love for our wrestlers, but Benoit was one that I could best describe as a hero for me in those days.

Still now it is very hard for myself and fellow wrestling enthusiasts to admit they liked Benoit, or that he was a talented individual without also saying "despite what happened."

As a wrestling fan I felt like I personally had some connection to what went wrong with Benoit, especially as I was one of his biggest fans. How could I have supported someone who had done such heinous act? It made me feel dirty for liking him, yet disbelieved that someone I held in such high regard could betray me like that.

Really I should not take blame for this, it's not even fair for me to say that I had anything to do with what occurred. As a mere fan who had never even met Benoit how could I? Yet the burden remained.

The weeks following it only got worse, the media brought forth more information on Benoit. Past abuse reports, drug scandals, problems dealing with his disabled son—all of this continued to make the man I once admired a monster.

There was little comfort to be found during those days for me, the RAW tribute to Benoit in the days immediately following was a brief solace, only to be wiped clean once evidence of the murder suicide was confirmed. Since then the WWE has tried it's best to clear Benoit of it's system and never make mention of him or the tragic events that unfolded.

I may not have been the only Benoit fan to feel this way, many Benoit fans loved him as much as I, possibly even more, and maybe they even had intimate encounters with the performer as well. But those of us who knew him as our hometown hero live with the stigma of his name.

Prior to the tragedy that occurred that day, I had purchased tickets for the upcoming RAW show in Edmonton scheduled in June. This was a big thing for me, it was the first thing I purchased with my first credit card, and was the main reason I got it in the first place. I was ecstatic, as I always am when WWE finally makes it roll through Alberta on it's Canadian tour. Memories of the last show, Backlash 2004, roared back and I was filled with anticipation.

However we all know that tragedy would strike prior to that date, and if the loss of my hometown hero was not enough I was to later learn that WWE would not be making any stops in Alberta on it's tour and my money was to be refunded.

I felt like I was sucker punched in the stomach. I felt like a close friend of mine had died, yet I was not allowed to pay my respects because he committed a crime and as his friend I was to be shunned for once supporting him.

To this day I still feel like I haven't been able to pay my respects to Benoit.

I do not intend to tell you all that I am the worst hit by this unfortunate event, or even that we Albertans are the worse ones affected. In truth Nancy and Daniel were the victims, as were their families for losing them in such a sad way.

I also feel that Benoit's family is a victim of these circumstances. For any parent who loved their son to be shocked by what had occurred and have someone so close to them be called a murderer is something I do not wish upon anyone. To make matters worse the media seems to want to continue to make Benoit a monster. I think anyone can see how much Mr. and Mrs. Benoit loved their son based on how much they defended him and continue to defend him to this day.

Is it not fair that they too should find peace with their son's death, despite how it may have come about? I think if anyone else was in their shoes they would want the same.

I have not been in their shoes, yet I too loved Benoit. It may not have been a love as strong as they shared for him, but I did care about him. He gave so much to me, to all of us in his career, how could I not feel something for his passing?

I do not expect everyone to be able to forgive Benoit for what he did, but I do think that those of us who did care for him can at least thank him and remember him.

Thank him for giving us memories of how one man can overcome the odds, no matter how long it takes. Remember how he showed us that a grown man can cry with emotion. Love him for letting us know him.

For me this isn't just about bringing back a show to Alberta, this is about saying farewell and giving back to Benoit what he deserved, and what his family deserves. His name should not be a mere whisper amongst fans. His ability should be remembered as a part of wrestling history. And his passion should live on in the hearts of all fans.

Wrestling fans can move past this, we can accept Benoit for the man he was and not the mistakes he made. I have come to terms with this, why can't the WWE?

To this day I am a Chris Benoit fan, and DAMN PROUD OF IT!

WWE Forecast for 2009

Lewis Hennig — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:26:26 -0500

Usually I stay away from the cliche and cheesiness of writing a prediction for the upcoming year in wrestling.

But it seems that sooner or later everyone who writes about the WWE or wrestling in general is going to take a shot in the dark.

So I see this is a bit of an initiation to the wrestling community here on B/R.

I don't intend to make this a yearly ordeal, and I may not even check up on my predictions to see how close I was. And to restate what I said early, I have never done this sort of thing before, so be prepared for the worst.

But all in all everyone who has written something along these lines has basically had the same chance—just a shot in the dark—so here we go.

THE BIG FOUR

Royal Rumble

Despite the clear set-up for an Orton vs. Cena match at Wrestlemania, Orton will not win the Royal Rumble this year, instead the winner will be Triple H.

John Cena will retain his title against JBL and Beth will retain against Melina.

Wrestlemania 25

Orton vs. Cena will take place as RAW's main event with Orton once again capturing the world heavyweight championship.

The Undertaker will be embroiled in a feud with JBL and Shawn Michaels following Royal Rumble, which will ultimately lead to Michaels vs. Undertaker at Wrestlemania with JBL at ringside. Undertaker will come out on top and add the Heartbreak Kid to his Wrestlemania streak.

Jeff Hardy will retain until Wrestlemania, where he will face off against Royal Rumble winner Triple H and win, thereby solidifying himself as a viable champion by beating the game at the biggest event in WWE.

The return of Evan Bourne will ultimately lead him to an ECW title match against Matt Hardy, where he will unfortunately lose, possibly due to interference on the part of Jack Swagger.

The Money in the Bank match will once again wow us all by putting on a spectacular performance where we will see Mr. Kennedy walk away with the briefcase for a second time.

SummerSlam

After his return to action, the Animal Batista will once again be involved with John Cena come SummerSlam, where we will finally see the rematch from this year.

Survivor Series

Randy Orton's team will once again prevail over the team of HBK. Randy Orton's streak at Survivor Series will be mentioned and much like Undertaker's Wrestlemania streak, people will start to question who will finally end it.

ROSTER ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS

Additions

DH Smith and TJ Wilson will finally be called up to the main event roster on Smackdown, where they will no doubt capture tag team gold and secure themselves as one of the best tag teams the WWE has produced in a while.

It would be too easy to mention Kizarny and be correct on him debuting next year, so instead I'll say that Christian will return to WWE as a heel on Smackdown. He will eventually establish himself as a main event threat and even have a world title opportunity before the years end, although he will not win it.

Gail Kim will return to WWE and make her presence felt on RAW, where she will originally debut as a face but eventually make the transition to heel by years end. Shortly after her return she will be awarded with a womens' title match and will be the one to dethrone the Glamazon.

Deletions

Many let-goes will happen over the course of 2009, Candice Michelle will be one of the more surprising ones to go from the RAW roster. In addition to her, RAW will also release Val Venis, Hardcore Holly and Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

Kung Fu Naki will be let go from Smackdown...and no one will notice. Others from the Smackdown roster that will be joining him will include R-Truth, Ryan Braddock, and Scotty Goldman.

Teddy Long will once again bring about the new superstar initiative, but prior to this ECW will be cleaned up and several superstars will be swept away, including Bam Neely and Gavin Spears.

Tommy Dreamer will not be let go, but instead his retirement will be forthcoming in 2009 and he will go out in an extreme way.

TITLE GRABS

During the course of the year, Triple H will regain the WWE title from Jeff Hardy in a Wrestlemania rematch at Backlash.

Evan Bourne will enjoy a run as intercontinental champion on RAW for a good while before eventually losing it.

Santino Marella will somehow manage to again secure the WWE intercontinental title, and though it will be short-lived it will be humorous.

Brian Kendrick will become the United States champion during the course of the year—that is, until he loses to Ezekial Jackson, who will take the title from his associate. The US title belt will be largely responsible for the break-up of this pair.

Yet another person will take a run as US champion in 2009—that man being Shane Helms.

Jesse and Festus will finally get their hands on some gold on Smackdown by obtaining the tag titles there.

Jack Swagger, despite losing in previous attempts at the title, will hold the ECW championship before being drafted to Smackdown.

Following her return from injury, Maryse will make good on a Divas championship opportunity and will finally let us realize what her title reign could have been.

OTHER NOTABLES

Legacy will continue to stay strong and in tact throughout 2009, although Sim Snuka will be tossed out of the group before the end of Dec. 31.

Although we have already seen "the Era of Orton," 2009 will truly be the year that Orton shines. Expect to be building gold statues and sacrificing several oxen in this man's name as he will surely impress us all with multiple world title reigns in 2009.

Expect to see Evan Bourne jump ship to RAW in the 2009 draft, yet again moving ECW's star talent away from the show in order to bring in more greenhorns.

Expect to see Jack Swagger drafted to Smackdown, where he will no doubt join the likes of Shelton Benjamin in the midcard following what was a top-notch run on ECW.

The matter of retirement will be brought up in regards to the Undertaker in a big way in 2009, although it will not be the year he shelf's his urn.

The team of Hawkins and Ryder will be split up by the draft and both will be pushed as singles competitors, only one will do well while the other will flop, unfortunately I can't tell the difference between the two so I can't say which.

The love story between the Bella twins and the Colon brothers will ultimately end in a feud between Carlito and Primo, which will be the ultimate cause of the teams' break-up.

Well, that about wraps up my 2009 predictions. They may be contrary to my Wrestlemania 25 wish list, but that was more what I wanted to happen, whereas this is what I expect to happen.

Please let me know what you think of my forecast on the accompanying poll, or leave a comment. One question I pose to you is which one of my predictions do you think is least likely to come true?

Until next year, have a good one!

Who's Writing This?

Lewis Hennig — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:32:41 -0500

I think the majority of the hardcore pro-wrestling fans have come to terms with the fact that the sport as we know it is scripted. Heck even the WWE has changed the definition of what it produces to "Sports Entertainment," yet another step toward the realization that everything we may have held to be true regarding the company was all a lie.

Yet many fans, myself included continue watching and being entertained by the weekly episodes of my favorite shows. Many have trouble understanding why many adult wrestling fans, or perhaps just mature wrestling fans can be entertained by something that pushes itself to be real, when we knowing understand it is not.

I myself have come under criticism for being a wrestling fan, and especially since I am a proud outspoken one. I find most are actually UFC or to a larger degree MMA fans, which seems hypocritical as MMA would probably be nowhere near as successful as it is were it not for the popularity of pro-wrestling years before and even to this day.

Aside from that one of UFC's champions, Brock Lesnar is a former wrestler himself, coming from the same stock as many other athletes they may consider "actors only."

So what is it that entices me, and probably many other pro-wrestling fans? Are we just naive, or gullible? No, but maybe ignorant is a better word, because we know what we are seeing is all a lie, it is all scripted action, yet we ignore it and allow ourselves to be entertained by it.

But is it really that bad? Are we ignorant for enjoying a movie, when we know that the story is false, and the effects are merely computer animations? Are people ignorant for letting themselves enjoy and maybe even sometimes believe in something they know to be untrue?

I think that is exactly why the WWE has differentiated themselves as 'Sports Entertainment' as opposed to just a sport. To convey a credible storyline for the viewers you need more than just an athlete and to perform night after night on such a rigorous schedule, pushing your body to the limit is more than most actors can do as well.

It really is a combination of the two, and perhaps that is why many wrestlers have been able to transition to movies as a result.

But no WWE superstar can be credited with being the sole reason for the WWE's success or even their brands success. No they cannot even be held entirely responsible for their own successes, because the moment they became part of the company they had writers telling them who they were to be, what they acted like and what to say.

The way they moved, to what they said, and even their action in the ring all be partially credited to the behind the scenes writers working for the shows.

Now that's not taking away from the wrestlers, they play their own part, but like any other form of scripted entertainment you need both the leading man, or woman, and the behind the scenes that make it all happen. It is a dichotomy between the two which creates the shows and performances we enjoy.

I think this is the part of wrestling that really draws me in. They perform maneuvers and moves in the ring that in a real fight you wouldn't see. In a real match performing a moonsault or shooting star press is just too risky and time consuming and moves like the hurricanrana would be impossibly difficult to achieve. But the over-the-top action and grandeur of it all is exactly what I am interested in.

And on top of that the stipulations to matches and goings on backstage add to the drama and the excitement to the match. I think if you had the choice between going to an exhibition football game and a championship football game most people would want to see the championship game, because more is on the line, and it would be much more dramatic and exciting.

Wrestling on the other hand can make an exhibition match just as exciting as a title match, I mean for me to choose between a regular title match between JBL and John Cena or a Parking Lot Brawl between the same competitors has me leaning towards the latter. Few regular sports have the ability to do that, save for maybe instances when two teams have a fierce rivalry, such as the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames.

Yet why does it seem that the writers for wrestling only seem to really push one really good story once or twice a year? Case in point the "Vince is Dead" storyline, where Vince was 'killed' in a car bombing that could have been perpetrated by seemingly anyone. Granted the story was cut short due to other tragic circumstances, but ratings during that time skyrocketed.

And even after the Benoit tragedy they tried to recreate a great storyline surrounding Vince in the story regarding his illegitmate son. This too was a good storyline which had alot going for it, till the inclusion of Hornswoggle. To a lesser degree the "stage accident" which has kept Vince off camera to date was also a good idea, which seemingly went nowhere.

So why don't we have more of these great stories that boost the ratings? You could say that these great storylines are reserved only for times when a seasonal drop in rating is expected, which is about the time Vince's car bombing happened, a few months after Wrestlemania and the hype had died down.

Or could it be that running these storylines consistently would reduce the impact they have on the audience when they do occur. Again another possibility.

Maybe I'm just sick of storylines that seem irrelevant, like Santino and Goldust's feud...or whatever it is they are going for. And maybe I'm just a little tired of storylines that just drop into nothingness, such as Undertaker trying to send Vicki to hell, seems like he wants to make a pit stop in purgatory before doing that.

Or maybe I'm just expecting too much when I get rehashed story ideas thrown at me, as is the case for Kane, Kelly and Randy Orton's love triangle, or the Kane, Lita, Matt Hardy love triangle before that, oh, and the Kane, Tori, X-Pac love triangle that preceded that.

Maybe this is all a part of WWE's plan, have us drowned with boring, confusing and copied over storylines that when they do introduce a new storyline that has greatness written all over it we buy a bigger TV just so we can more fully appreciate it. Or on the other hand maybe Vince or one of his offspring got ahold of a good story and raped it of all that was good and left us with these distorted wrecks.

Or maybe I'm being a little too harsh, not all storylines lately have been bad, the Legacy formation has me interested for what it's worth.

On the whole though I feel that much could be done to improve the stories they concoct. Santino can be used in a comical way, while still being interesting to the mature viewers, as his Intercontinental Title reign proved to many. And sometimes a reused idea can be altered to make it better, although no recent incidents come to mind.

I really believe this is just a lack of trying on some writers parts, as much more can be done with certain individuals than they are currently doing. Especially for individuals not involved in the Main Event, which really becomes apparent when you look at ECW which only has two discernible storylines over the last month, Jack Swagger's rise in the roster and Mark Henry's feud with Finlay and his son.

But then again maybe I expect too much.

What Could Wrestlemania 25 Hold For Us?

Lewis Hennig — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:26:34 -0500

Well the game has changed, what seemed a sure plan for Wrestlemania has now been scrapped and now everything is up in the air. What am I talking about? Simply put Cena vs Batista 2: The Rematch. With Batista sidelined with an injury and not due back till after Wrestlemania it seems that match is off the card.

Officially it may have never been on the card, but since the day after they met at Summerslam the seed was planted. It happened the next night on RAW when John Cena approached Batista and congratulated him on winning a hard-fought match against him, but things would be different...at the rematch! Right then I said to myself 'Well now I know what to expect at Wrestlemania'.

And really could the rematch to such a hotly anticipated match-up occur at any other event with that kind of lead up? Not only that but with John Cena the current World Heavyweight Champion it seemed to only be aiming to take it up a notch by pitting the title on the line this time. This was on my mind right until last weeks RAW, until they announced he would be out due to injury.

Now it would seem that the PPV of the year is a complete crap shoot. RAW's show is without what seemed to be their sure-fire main event, and Smackdown! is so clustered with contenders for the WWE Championship sometimes I wonder if they have any real plan with what they want to do on that show.

So here is what I hope to expect from 'the Grandaddy of Sports Entertainment'. Now these are not so much predictions, just an insight into what could happen that would make this years' Wrestlemania great.

John Cena vs. Randy Orton (World Heavyweight Championship Match)

I think right now with the tear that Randy Orton has been on this match is a must if Cena vs Batista 2 is off the card. Never have I seen Randy so over as a heel, and he is fighting on on cylinders it seems. Plus out of everyone on the RAW roster in the top tier has already faced Cena a few times already it seems (Chris Jericho, JBL, etc.). I cannot recall Cena and Orton ever going 1-on-1 for a title, and even if they had, Orton has never been like this, which is why I would push this for RAW's main event.

Triple H vs. Mr. Kennedy (WWE Championship Match)

Now I know Jeff Hardy fans are sure to point out that Triple H is not the champ anymore, but I have a feeling that Jeff Hardy's title reign won't last long, as WWE has always had problems of effectively putting over a non conventional World Champion. Just look at Rey Mysterio's World title run, he just got beat by big guys time after time before losing it. CM Punk is another case where a new breed of champ was born but was wrote into a bad storyline which had him winning only due to unwarranted outside interference.

That aside another reason I could not put Jeff Hardy as champion against Ken Kennedy is that it would be a double underdog fight. Ken Kennedy has never won WWE gold before, and this is Jeff's first go with the gold, it's still to early to say if he's just a transitional champ or not. But if Kennedy were to face the Game at Wrestlemania, and win, it would solidify him as being a viable World Champion and give him more credibility down the road.

The major drawback of this match is that Kennedy is still injured and not due back till February, after No Way Out I believe. The only way a good story could formulate in time for this would be for Kennedy to return early from his injury and win the Elimination Chamber match at the PPV. Which would mean that either Randy Orton or some ECW superstar would need to be the Royal Rumble winner.

Matt Hardy vs. Evan Bourne (ECW Championship Match)

This match is something I think ECW needs more than anything. The show really isn't much to watch, and their champions have been rather unimpressive lately. And considering how disappointing their Wrestlemania matches were last year, what with the ECW Battle Royal not even being televised and Chavo losing in like 8 seconds, this match may be their saving grace.

Evan Bourne is on fire right now...well maybe not right now, but when he is injury free the fans love him. He is also very talented and original, putting the ECW title on him will only help the show I think. The WWE's ECW has really been the proving ground lately, and whenever someone gets big in ECW they move off to bigger and better thing on RAW or Smackdown! They need to give Bourne this opportunity here or else he'll be lost in the shuffle on either of the other 2 shows.

Of course it would seem that because of his injury Evan Bourne will not be at the Royal Rumble this year, and that would imply that Randy Orton will be the Rumble winner. That is something that I can see happening yet I don't feel this is the best time in his career for him to win it. Again, like Mr. Kennedy, I am hoping for an early return at the Royal Rumble and a surprise win by Bourne.

The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (Retirement Match)

To be completely honest, this match came to me in a dream, after I started thinking about writing this article. Before that I was trying to think of a opponent for the Deadman at Wrestlemania to add to his streak, but no one came up. I figured that the Undertaker doesn't have to defend his legacy every Wrestlemania anyways. But this is the match that I think needs to happen.

After Shawn Michaels retired Ric Flair at Wrestlemania last year what better way to follow it up by retiring another great, the Phenom! By making this a match Undertaker needs to win or be forced into retirement all the gusto is there. HBK will either end the Deadman's Wrestlemania glory or be added to the list himself. I think this would be a phenomenal match, as both of these competitors are classics and a match like this would live in infamy.

Money-In-The-Bank Match

Featuring: *Shelton Benjamin *John Morrison *Kofi Kingston *Edge *Ted Dibiase *Chris Jericho

I'm not going to lie, originally in place of Edge I had Dolph Ziggler, and still I would put him in place of any of these men if a substitute needed to be added. But I figured as impressive as he has been Dolph still needs to prove himself before I could put him on this list with no worries.

Otherwise I think this list has everything that could be asked for. Shelton, Morrison and Kofi give the agility and inventiveness to this match, whereas Edge and Jericho are the two season veterans that can help this match along if need be. Lastly Ted Dibiase is the one out of place guy who really hasn't proven how versatile he can be, and this would be a great time and place to show off.

I have 3 main qualms about this match though. First I have not been able to find a suitable power competitor to add to the fray. Kane would be the best I could fit for the role and is another brawler I wouldn't mind substituting in for another competitor if need be. Secondly MVP is not in this match, if he's not in this match I can't see him really being in any match come Wrestlemania, so again he is another good substitution. Finally, and maybe this isn't so much a qualm, but if they decide to go for the 8-man set-up this year that opens the spots for Kane, Dolph, MVP and another guy on the back burner Gregory Helms. Problem is with more than 6 people I find the match becomes very messy and uncoordinated.

What I like about this match is that it favours giving the briefcase to a young gun, a grappler who has not yet held World Title gold. Both Edge and Jericho are there to provide some good back-up should the young guys need it, plus if anything Jericho and Edge have proven they can run with the big dogs, so it'd be no worries if they were to take the case.

The only drawback, out of the 6 listed Kingston is the only one on the list who is a face currently. There doesn't have to be equality between the faces and heels in this match, but as I do not see Kofi becoming a World Champ anytime soon, it even puts less hope for the one face hope.

Tag Team Fatal Fourway Hardcore Match (WWE Smackdown Tag Title Match)

Featuring: Carlito & Primo vs. the Brian Kendrick & Ezekial Jackson vs. Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder vs. Jessie & Festus

This one was thrown in because that I have a theory when it comes to Wrestlemania, the top titles from each show mustbe defended (WWE, World Heavyweight, ECW). Then 1 midcard (Intercontinental or US), 1 tag (Smackdown or RAW tag team titles) and one other title (Women's or Diva) must be defended.

Since I already used Morrison, one half of the RAW tag team champions in the last match, that means it has to be Smackdown! As Carlito and Primo are the tag team champs for now they have to be in, and because the tag team division is struggling a straight up tag vs tag match wouldn't go over to well for a Wrestlemania card, especially when looking at Smackdown's roster.

To spice things up this match needed some zest, it couldn't be a straight up match it needed some stipulation added to it. The easiest way to do that is to make it a hardcore match. This would give everyone in this match, with the possible exception of Carlito and the Brian Kendrick, the chance to show what they can do in a non-conventional match type.

Plus this match-up would also allow for use of the ringbell as a weapon, which could lead to some interesting Festus antics.

CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes w/ Manu (Intercontinental Championship Match)

This is the midcard title match that I think is best for the show. Because Shelton is the US champ and also listed in my Money-In-the-Bank match the US title is out. So that leaves the Intercontinental title left, and I don't imagine they will let William Regal hold the title till Wrestlemania. Therefor I figure CM Punk will dethrone him of the IC title by then, and go into Wrestlemania as champ.

Cody Rhodes needs to prove himself, which is why I have given him this opportunity. Rhodes has been making good use of his mouth lately, unfortunately for him he has yet to prove he can back it up in the ring. By securing IC gold at Wrestlemania I think Rhodes will come across better to fans and secure a spot higher up on the WWE ladder.

So why does Manu have to be there you may ask. Well if 'Legacy' is still kicking by then they will need to show some kind of unity at the PPV, with Orton in the main event and the status of Ted Dibiase and Sim Snuka as members unconfirmed this seems the only opportunity.

Manu is still a little green to use effectively at Wrestlemania, but he would add the power game to this match that would be lacking, plus his involvement would soil Cody Rhodes victory should that happen thus keeping him as a heel. With Rhodes and Manu both having a feud with Kofi and Punk a while ago for the tag titles there can still be some grudge that can be carried over for this match to create a back story.

Beth Phoenix vs. Kelly Kelly vs. Mickie James vs. Melina (Women's Championship Match)

This is my 'other' title that needs to be defended, obviously it had to be either the diva's or the womens' title, but because I feel with the RAW roster has better divas in terms of wrestling skills I went with this match-up.

I believe that Beth Phoenix is the greatest thing to happen in the womens' division in a while. She is not just a pretty face or a juggernaut, but an athlete. The girl can wrestle. But much like the tag division, the women's division isn't nearly as good as it could be, which is why I again vied for a Fatal Four Way. This not only creates more interest in the match but will also give credit to the Glamazon in that no 1 woman can beat here.

The contenders are fairly well-rounded as well, with both Mickie James and Melina as former title holders able to carry the weight if the gold needs to be passed, and able to assist if the match needs stimulation. Kelly Kelly is the one who is probably the weakest when it comes to wrestling refinement, but after watching her from he beginnings in ECW it is clear that she is growing as a wrestler day-by-day. I believe a Womens' title run is not out of the question for Kelly Kelly and even if she loses this match-up it'll be a good prelude to what may happen in the future.

The one problem with this match, much like the Money-In-The-Bank match is that it favours one side, this time it's faces. There is 3-to-1 odds on a face Diva walking away with the strap. Now as I said before there is no rule saying it has to be even, but because Melina works so well as a heel I hope that by this time she could make the transistion back over and work he magic in this match.

Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga

I think if I left Jeff Hardy off the card altogether people may start trying to kill me. But that's not the only reason I put Jeff on the card, he is still good, and he meshes well with Umaga, who I also want to see at Wrestlemania. They have met numerous times and the history here can carry through if need be.

However, prior to his injury Umaga seemed to be on a face run, so if that were the case when he returns I would replace Jeff Hardy with the Big Show. Not that 2 faces cannot go at one another at Wrestlemania, but it is really hard to pull off and seems to be reserved for only main events, the same can be said for heel vs heel match-ups.

So why Big Show? Well Umaga is 'the Samoan Bulldozer' and Big Show is the biggest thing Smackdown! has got to offer, if anything is too big for Umaga it's the Big Show. This would be a battle of the titans like no other. Few times has Umaga been rivaled on pure brute power, but Big Show can definitely match it. Umaga's size paired with his uncanny agility makes him an opponent many have not seen yet, which also applies to the Big Show.

The Big Show has been much more vicious since his return, and had quite the streak going until the end of his feud with the Undertaker. Umaga always seems to be rolling over the competition, so these 2 big boys are like two trains on the same track with no slowing own, the result can be nothing but utter obliteration.

Wild Card Match

Last years Wrestlemania was 10 matches long, and up now I was at 9. Now I could easily make up some match, just to throw in a few of my favorites, but looking back at Wrestlemania's gone by there always seems to be that one wild card match you can't predict until at least February. Be it Big Show vs Mayweather last year or any of the Playboy bunny matches that occurred over the years, heck we've had gimmick battle royals and Big Show sumo wrestling over the years.

This is the match I have to leave open, there is absolutely nothing to go on yet, plus the match itself will probably be unlike anything we could expect so it would be foolhardy of me to make any guesses, predictions or even hopes.

Well that is what I hope Wrestlemania could be this year, and yes I am sure that some of these matches will not happen. However this is what I think would be the best program for Wrestlemania. If you feel otherwise please feel free to leave a comment on what you would change or where you think I went wrong or right.

WWE Needs New Headliners

Lewis Hennig — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 11:16:57 -0500

The WWE is a place where greats are born and legends are made, but lately, the real problem seems to be getting them to leave. Maybe this is a suitable topic for my first article, giving a hint to those old-timers who are still writing when they should really just be put out to stud. Just kidding.

Anyways, over the last few years, it has become increasingly apparent to me that the WWE has a love affair with its own nostalgia. Be it the retro John Cena gear marketed as of late (i.e. the old-style WWF-fonted logo he used, or the AWA-styled shirt he wears currently), the return of D-Generation X every month, or just giving an old horse another go.

Now I am not a new fan. I've been watching WWE for as long as long as I can remember, and I still love seeing a lot of the old guys back in action. However, my beef is with the old-timers who are still in the company, and how they are effecting the business.

I think the example that most people can get on board with is Ric Flair. Love the guy or hate him, you have to agree that he was definitely past his prime by the time he left the biz. Now that's not a bad thing, but knowing when to hang it up is what really counts.

There are some guys out there who just can't seem to stay away, guys like Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Goldust. Yes, I know these guys are not all on the same level in terms of wrestling calibre, but they all seem to find a way to get back into the limelight, whether you want them there or not.

Hogan always has that "ONE MORE MATCH" that needs to take place, Austin needs to make a once-a-year appearance to guest referee or at least give someone the obligatory Stone Cold Stunner, and Goldust needs that three or four months on the WWE roster once in a while to make us feel awkward about wrestling...at least that's all I get from watching his character.

There is nothing wrong with this happening every once in a while, but lately "once in a while" seems to be about once a week. I have so many examples to choose from, so excuse some omissions.

DX reunions that occur nearly once a month
Bringing back old school wrestlers for PPV (Honky Tonk Man & Roddy Piper)
Bringing back old school wrestlers to fill out the midcard (D'Lo Brown & Goldust)
Keeping old-timers on the roster for too long (Hacksaw Jim Duggan)
Austin's seemingly annual return at Cyber Sunday as a "special guest referee"

These are just a few examples that only touch on the heart of what I am trying to get at. Is there anything wrong with seeing Duggan in the ring? I don't think so, but would you rather see him in a match against Cody Rhodes, or would you want to see a match pitting CM punk against Kofi Kingston? If you are like me, you'd pick the latter.

It's not that these guys aren't good wrestlers, but what is the point in having new, young, exciting talent if they can't get into the spotlight because Hacksaw is still hanging on? I think the evidence of this lies in the recent round of WWE lay-offs. Many talented, under-appreciated wrestlers were let go, and yet I still have to watch Hacksaw on Monday Night RAW. I would very much rather watch Lance Cade preform than Hacksaw, so why was the younger Cade let go? Were there even any wrestlers let go that weren't relatively young?

Right now the WWE has a lot of young, talented performers that are seemingly stuck in the same spot as everyone else. They basically sit where they are and hope they can hold on another year. Which is sad, really, because many of these wrestlers are people I'd like to see at the top of the card someday. There are lots of performers out there who have or have had main-event potential, but never went anywhere.

Mr. Kennedy—definite a fan favorite, talented both on the mic and in the ring, has beaten several World Champions.
MVP—over as a heel, also talented both on the mic and in the ring, has often feuded with main-event talent.
Shelton Benjamin—Probably one of the most athletically gifted wrestlers on the roster, nearly flawless in the ring, able to put on great matches regardless of the opponent, has held both the IC and US titles, had three consecutive wins over Triple H, and was nearly unstoppable during his IC run in 2004.

These are just three wrestlers that I think have the best cases to be on top of the card. Yes, they have had their flaws, such as Kennedy suffering a few injuries taking him out of the picture, or Benjamin's mic skills not being quite up to par, and being shackled with a few bad gimmicks (i.e. his "momma"). But looking at these three, I see plenty of potential for championship runs, but nothing that has yet come to fruition.

Take Mr. Kennedy. I think fans can see him beating anyone on the roster in a match, so why hasn't he been given a championship run? He has the skill, the charisma, and the look. Was it the injuries? I guess we'll see when he makes his return, but I have my doubts on that.

MVP is another worker with all the talent and charisma a top-card draw could want, and he also has the look. What has held him back? He has had no major injuries that I can recall, only one backstage incident (which is minor considering that Jeff Hardy is only one strike away from being let go), yet he nabbed the title last PPV.

And finally Shelton Benjamin. Perhaps he is only on this list because I have taken a shine to him, but look at the stats. He's a multi-time Tag Team Champion, a former IC Champion a current US Champion. He's a great technical performer in the ring and has proven that he can be innovative as well.

Benjamin has been in nearly every Money In The Bank match but has never won, despite providing some of the biggest highlights in those matches. So what went wrong? He had everything going for him when he first shifted to RAW, beating Triple H three times in a row and capturing the IC title.

Then, suddenly he was burdened with a gimmick where he was paraded out by his "momma." Despite the setback, he started a feud with HBK and brought out the best in himself once again. But alas, even that was short lived, and now he is bridled with the hum-ho gimmick of the "Gold Standard," which is anything but.

These men have all had their flaws and faults, but like I said, this is only a fraction of the individuals who I feel should get a bigger push. There are others like John Morrison, The Brian Kendrick, and Carlito, who I feel could also be given a bigger role. So why could so many good, young, talented guys be overlooked? Because are some old timers who need to pack there bags and move onto retirement.

WARNING: YOUR FAVORITE SUPERSTAR MAY BE ON THIS LIST, SO PLEASE DO NOT BE OFFENDED. I FEEL THAT LIKE AN OLD SICK DOG, SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA PUT THEM DOWN IN ORDER TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT.

JBL—Possibly the most hated man on this list. I, for one, am not a fan. Sure, he is still good on the mic, but he is out of shape (although has begun to work on that, it seems), boring to watch, and hated by many WWE viewers, not for being a heel (which would be fine) but for being a waste of space on the roster. His prime may very well have been during his time as Bradshaw with the APA, but his biggest accomplishment occurred when he transformed into the talentless bum known as John Bradshaw Layfield: an old cowboy who always seems to find himself in the title picture for no apparent reason.
Shawn Michaels—I know many fans love HBK and hope he will wrestle forever, but honestly, is that what you would want for HBK if you truly loved him? The man has already broken his back for the business and continues to take punishment for the fans (just look at his feud with Jericho earlier this year). He really hasn't lost his touch and will probably continue for another 2-3 years before people will start to really notice it. He is a man who has the mind and body of a 40 year old, but moves and acts like a 20 year old, yes it's fun to watch but how long can he go before his body can't keep up? Still he can fill in for the best of them when the roster starts dwindling due to injuries.
Triple H—Here is a mixed bag; some love him and some hate him. While I am of the latter persuasion, I will forgo my personal grudges and just focus on the facts. The man is nearly 40 years old, he's torn his quads in both legs, and is still in the main event spotlight. If I said this about someone you didn't know, you would think "WOW, this guy should start thinking about his future and move on." Yet Triple H keeps on trucking, and when you are in the main event you can't afford to slow down. Yet Triple H has, slowly, slown down. Just go back and watch one of his matches when he was still known as the Blue Blood Hunter Hearst Helmsly. He was much faster and much more intense. Time has definitely caught up to this old dog, and for his own sake I hope he laces his boots up for the last time sometime soon.
The Undertaker—Possibly the hardest person to say goodbye to on this list. I don't think anyone can truly hate the Undertaker. He is timeless, kinda. Actually, he is 43, and like Triple H, he has had his fair share of injuries yet has stayed in the spotlight. Now he has the liberty to take months off at a time because of all his hard work, and by looking at him I think he really needs it. Lately his face isn't the face of a man that need be feared, but of an old man who looks beaten down (seriously take a look). Like Triple H, he has slowed down in the ring, perhaps not as much, but he still has. Does anyone else but me remember when he did his clothesline and did a front flip? Now it's more of a fall to the side. He's also one of the only superstars who has four finishers at his disposal, although each seemed to take five years to come into being (chokeslam, tombstone, last ride and hells gate). But Undertaker can still be called upon to put on a great match regardless of his opponent, possibly one of the only superstars on the roster who can really tell a story in the ring.

So are any of these guys bad wrestlers? Well maybe JBL, but the rest still have talent. Are they bad on the mic? No, I don't think you could say that about any of those men. But like Ric Flair, who could also put on a good match and be dynamite on the stick well into the twilight of his career, their time is nearing. Maybe a lot of us don't want to see them go, but really, it is what needs to be done.

It will be hard for me personally when the day comes where the Undertaker hangs up his boots and the "Phenom" ceases to be, but in a way it'll be a happy day. He'll be able to finally relax from the WWE's demanding schedule, and I'll be able to see the rise of a new star to take his place.

Now I know that many people will say, "well what about guys like Jeff Hardy who just recently got to the limelight?"

Well yes, he did do it, but how long did Jeff have to sit in the undercard and midcard before ever getting a shot? If wrestlers like Triple H were not around, it would've happened alot sooner, I'm guessing. Why have guys like Hardy and Edge had to work so hard to get to where they are finally at? They both paid their dues long ago, and both showed they were uber-talented from the get-go.

Did it really need to take so long? I don't think so. I think it's just that maybe we fans have to let go of some of our old favorites, hard as it may be, to give a new life to WWE and to do what's best for those who helped make wrestling what it is.