ENTERTAINMania vs. WRESTLEMania

Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

We've talked plenty before about the way the Entertainment is overtaking the Wrestling in World Wrestling Entertainment.  For the causal fan, this is probably no big deal.  But for old school die hards like us, well, we don't like it. Not at all.

Adding Snooki to Wrestlemania (even if it is a 6 person tag match) is disappointing to say the least.  Especially when as of right now, we're still missing talent from the card like Daniel Bryan, Kofi Kingston, and Sheamus.  There's still no tag team title match either. 

My other problem with this Snooki match is two out of the three participants (Trish Stratus) aren't even on the roster.  Once the dust settles will this match with LayCool and Dolph Ziggler vs. Snooki, Trish, and John Morrison do anything to advance the participants careers?  I'm guessing not. 

This partially goes back to the decision to axe Money in the Bank.  Morrison and Ziggler would have probably ended up in that match, along with Kofi, Bryan, and perhaps even Sheamus.  I'm also curious what will happen with Christian?  Will he be added to the Edge-Alberto Del Rio world title match?

I've got to think more matches are going to be added, but we're less than 3 weeks away now.  This is the BIGGEST pay per view of the year.  It deserves better treatment than this.  We the fans deserve better too.  I'm spending a lot of money to attend Wrestlemania, and I don't know, I'd like to see more emphasis on WRESTLING.  Just sayin'...  Oh yeah, and I am a fan of the Jersey Shore, but that doesn't mean I want it as a part of my favorite passtime.

Wrestlemania 27 has a big focus of stars from the past and celebrities.  Again I ask, where is that going to leave members of the active roster on April 4th?

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The Price is Wrong

From the 2001 Royal Rumble

By Kevin Hunsperger

The Hall of Fame ceremony is one of my favorite parts of the Wrestlemania weekend.  This year will mark the fifth one Chad and I will attend.  And each year there is at least one inductee that I scratch my head on and ask "why?"

And even though not everyone has been announced yet, at least I hope they haven't, I think it's fair to say that I've found my "Why?" moment.

Comedian turned game show host Drew Carey will be a part of the class of 2011.  I've come to accept that the E in World Wrestling Entertainment is increasing taking over.  I still think it sucks.

If memory serves me correctly, Drew Carey only had the one appearance with the WWE at the 2001 Royal Rumble.  And he didn't really do much in the match except go face to face with Kane and then eliminate himself from the match.

It's nothing personal against Carey, but it seems like his time in the WWE was so short and insignificant, yet he will go into the Celebrity Wing of the HOF.  Here are a few celebs who I think deserve the honor before the Price is Right host.

Courtesy: WWE

Cyndi Lauper:  In the 1980's I don't think there was a bigger celebrity involved with the WWF than Lauper.  She was the the "rock" portion of the Rock n Wrestling connection.  Cyndi was involved in all the pre-Wrestlemania hype along with her boyfriend at the time Dave Wolf.  Who can forget when "Rowdy" Roddy Piper punted her across the ring at Madison Square Garden? Wolf got power slammed and a gold record was smashed over Capt. Lou Albano's head.

Cyndi's connection to wrestling brought superstars into the mainstream with appearances in her music videos.  If and when the WWE decides to induct Cyndi Lauper, she'd be the first female celebrity to be given the honor.

Courtesy: WWE

Donald Trump: The WWE has had a great relationship with "the Donald" for years now.  It dates back to Wrestlemania IV & V being held at his Trump Tower in the late 1980's.  His involvement in the events was minimal at best.  I think he may have appeared on camera and done a quick interview.  But in 2007, Trump stepped into the limelight to be a part of the Battle of the Billionaires against Vince McMahon.  Luckily, Trump didn't wrestle Vince, but the two each had a representative do battle, with the losing "manager" losing his hair.  Trump shaved McMahon's hair in the middle of the ring in Detroit that night.

Trump's also had former WWE diva (she was with the company at the time) Maria on his show "The Apprentice."  He also did the angle a couple years back where he "bought" Raw and made the show commercial free.  Trump is a friend to the WWE and should be a part of the celeb wing.

Courtesy WWE

Mr. T:  Like Cyndi Lauper, Mr. T played a big role in the early development of WWF as a household name.  Vince McMahon brought in the A-Team star to be a part of the main event of the very first Wrestlemania.  T worked with the company leading up to the big match.  He did a boxing angle against Bob Orton and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper which resulted in a  "match" between T and the Rowdy One.

Then in 1987, I remember Mr. T returning briefly as a special guest referee for different matches.  He reffed a match at a St. Louis house show between the Honky Tonk Man and Jake "the Snake" Roberts.  Mr. T was also involved with WCW when Hulk Hogan signed with the company.

I've heard before that Mr. T doesn't want to be in the Hall of Fame because Pete Rose was the first celebrity to get inducted.  I don't know if that is true, if it is, then I pity the fool.  (You can guess who I think the fool is)

In closing, I have nothing against Drew Carey.  I think he's great on the Price is Right.  His sitcom was mildly entertaining.  I just don't feel like his role in wrestling should be immortalized in the Hall of Fame.  What do you think?

No Holds Barred

Epic!

By Chad Smart

Over the past month I’ve been re-watching all the Wrestlemanias in preparation of a series of blogs that will begin on March 23. One of the many noticeable evolutions during the course of the shows is the rise of the No Holds Barred matches. After watching numerous matches, I’ve come to the opinion the No Holds Barred stipulation is simply a way to fool fans into thinking a match is better than it really is, and conditions them to not appreciate wrestling psychology.

The No Holds Barred Match(from here on simply, NHBM) rose to prominence during the Attitude Era when Steve Austin was at the top of the card after he had suffered a severe neck injury at SummerSlam 1997. I would think a NHBM would put a wrestler at more of a risk for serious injury than a regular match but if you look at the list of wrestler injuries over the last decade most injuries seem to happen performing regular moves. It’s odd how getting hit with everything except the kitchen sink does little damage, but wrestlers can tear quads simply by walking across the ring.

Actually, while a NHBM allows for weapon usage the main component of the match is a lot of punching around the arena. By having the leeway to battle outside the ring the combatants can construct a match void of any real strategy. Instead of using typical psychology to target a body part to wear their opponent down or pull out a strategic counter move, all a wrestler has to do is lay a bigger beating then the one his opponent is laying on him.

Shawn Michals vs. Mr. McMahon NHB Wrestlemania 22

I’m not saying NHBM don’t have a place in wrestling. There are several NHBM that are quite entertaining. My complaint is the NHBM has become a creative crutch to supplement a match that otherwise may not be very good. The side effect of NHBM is fans become accustomed to high spots and senseless brutality and stop responding to basic wrestling.

Thankfully over the past year or two, the use of NHBM has started to be more an exception instead of the rule. WWE has also seen an influx of skilled wrestlers whom are capable of telling a story inside the ring. There’s a big difference between a Randy Orton chinlockaplooza match and a Daniel Bryan technical wrestling lesson. I for one am glad to see the return to pure wrestling.

Maybe I’m just too old school. Or maybe I was spoiled growing up on Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat matches, but the lack of storytelling in the ring has been one of the greatest flaws in wrestling over the last ten years. Granted, it’s hard to tell a story when a typical match on television normally lasts less than five minutes.

Show Me the Money (In the Bank)

Mr. Kennedy & Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania 24

By Chad Smart

Going to touch on a topic Kevin addressed last week. I had the idea before he posted, but due to my work schedule, social life and laziness factor I didn’t get it written up before Kevin posted his thoughts. Oh well.  Three weeks away from Wrestlemania 27 and it doesn’t appear there will be a Money in the Bank (MITB) match this year. I have mixed feelings about on this decision.

Over the past six Wrestlemanias the MITB has become a staple event that has produced numerous highlight reel moments. It has also provided an easy way to get numerous guys onto the show that didn’t have any major storyline going on at the moment. Last year WWE decided to add a MITB pay per view to their calendar. With the addition of the PPV there could potentially be three wrestlers holding MITB briefcases at the same time. Even TNA would look at that scenario and say it’s overkill. So eliminating the match from Wrestlemania is a good call from a storyline perspective. I wonder though when the decision to not have a MITB at Wrestlemania was decided.



Matt Hardy vs. Drew McIntrye at Wrestlemania 26

 Currently there are six matches for Wrestlemania announced and another three on the rumor mill. If the rumored matches happen, most of the guys who would normally be put into the MITB match will get onto the show but with the exception of one of those matches (which I won’t spoil in case you don’t know/don’t want to know, or it doesn’t happen) they are matches that are simply slapped together to round out the card. As I’ve said before, there should be no last minute additions to Wrestlemania. The full line up should have been in place by the beginning of March to allow a full month of promotion. If there was no MITB in place for Wrestlemania then guys like Kofi Kingston, John Morrison, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre should have gotten something resembling an angle to get them on the show. After all they are four guys the company has been behind in the last year so it was expected they’d be doing something in Atlanta besides making sure catering was set up before the show.

Besides the before mentioned idea of there being too many MITB winners, another reason why the elimination of MITB is a good idea is because without fail the United States or Intercontinental champions were usually put into the match. I know I’m more old school than the average fan these days, but I feel putting champions into the MITB match makes the titles look pointless. Theoretically the US or I-C champions should be the number one contenders to the World and WWE titles. If they were in a position to get a title match, why would they need the MITB briefcase? I mean, besides being able to name the time and place of their title match. I think at the moment there are no US, I-C or tag title matches on the card for Wrestlemania. Am I the only one who feels this is an insult to the champions? If the titles aren’t considered worthy of being defended on the grandest stage of them all, why should fans care about the titles?

Shelton Benjamin vs. MVP at Wrestlemania 25

Shifting focus back to the MITB match, I also think after six years the match had run its course. While each match had some new and innovative spots, the overuse of ladders matches in wrestling (I’m looking at you TNA) makes the matches less enthralling. Maybe instead of the MITB, they can add a championship gauntlet match to Wrestlemania.

What do you think? Should MITB be kept as a Wrestlemania attraction or should it be retired like the European title?

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It's Money...

Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger MITB

By Kevin Hunsperger

Okay, I'm doing some more fantasy booking today with Wrestlemania 27.  Rumor has it that there is not going to be a Money in the Bank match this year.  Personally, I think they should eliminate that pay per view and keep it as a feature of Wrestlemania.  It's a great way to get more guys on the card, and the match usually doesn't suck.

I've seen the list of other rumored matches, so I'm going to throw all that out the window and present my plan anyway.

This would be a ladder match with multiple participants, all cruiserweights and all competing for the reestablished Cruiserweight title.  Watching the Brian Pillman DVD and talking with a friend today inspired me for this.

Here are the participants I would have in the match:  Evan Bourne, Sin Cara, Chavo Guerrero, Tyson Kidd (since they're not reforming the Hart Dynasty), Yoshi Tatsu, and Zack Ryder.  Ideally I'd throw in Justin Gabriel too, but since he's a tag team champ, I believe he should be defending that title.  Same goes for U.S. Champion Daniel Bryan and IC champ Kofi Kingston.

I think a match like this featuring high flyers could usher in a new generation for WWE and put some more focus back on the WRESTLING aspect of the company's name.  Especially with Sin Cara coming in, I'm hoping he gets some face (or mask) time, and reestablishing this division would be a good thing.  My only request:  KEEP HORNSWOGGLE AWAY!

I'm curious what you think about this?  Weigh in here or on My 1-2-3 Cents on Facebook.

Looking for Redemption

By Kevin Hunsperger

Last night the WWE launched a fifth season of NXT.  This time, there's a twist.  It's six former rookies looking for a shot at Redemption to be on yet another season of NXT.  I thought Tough Enough was replacing NXT, so I'm a bit confused.

I liked the original concept of NXT and the fact that the rookies from that show have gone on to be signed with the WWE.  At least most of them are on the roster still and in Daniel Bryan, Heath Slater, and Justin Gabriel's cases holding some kind of gold.

But I think it's been too much too soon for the rest of the shows.  I enjoyed season 2 of the show too, DVRing it each week and watching it.  Husky Harris and Kaval were the two standouts from that season I thought.  I was thrilled when Kaval won and hoped the WWE had big things planned for him.  But we all know how that story ends.  Jobbed out nearly every week on SmackDown! then released because creative had nothing for him.

And that brings me to my point for this post (sorry it took 4 paragraphs).  Creative seems to struggle with coming up ideas for many of the guys on the main roster right now.  With shows like NXT and Tough Enough, they're adding more guys to the pool.  It seems like they bring several rookies to the main roster after each season.  That's not necessarily a bad thing as long as they have something for them.  Just having them on as a jobbers each does nothing for them in my opinion.

Here's another observation:  they say the winner will be the next breakout star.  Just curious why the second place guy Brodus Clay appeared on Raw prior to the winner of the season 4, Johnny Curtis.  Personally, I from what I watched of season 4, Brodus should have won the competition.

One more thought.  I like the fact that Michael Cole is not a part of this show.  But please, William Regal and Todd Grisham, focus on the match in the ring.  I admit, I didn't watch each match, but the one I did see neither one of them acknowledged what was happening in the ring.  But we did hear about Skip Sheffield. Ugh.

So, while I enjoy seeing some fresh talent added to the mix, I worry that many of these guys are going to get lost in the shuffle.  I'm also concerned that guys who are in the midcard will stall or drop further down the ladder and end up "future endeavored."

What do you think of NXT continuing?  Post comments here or follow My 1-2-3 Cents on Facebook.

HOF Forecast: Sunny!

Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

The 2011 class of the WWE Hall of Fame suddenly seems a little brighter.  Former diva Sunny will soon be added.

I keep reminding myself that the WWE Hall of Fame has a lot of folks in there who are more on the entertainment side than the sports side of it.  After all, guys like Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund, and Randy Savage aren't in there yet, so you've got to talk it for what it is.

My immediate reaction though was why not Miss Elizabeth.  I believe she was a pioneer in terms of the role of the women in wrestling outside the ring.  She was really the WWF/WWE's first non wrestling woman.

Many have called Sunny the original Diva.  I guess it depends if you considered Liz a Diva whether you agree with that.  The more thought I put into it, the less I'm inclined to classify Elizabeth as a "diva."  But I will agree that Sunny was certainly the first Diva as we know them today.  That's not to take anything away from Wendi Ritcher, the Fabulous Moolah, or "Sensational" Sherri Martel.  But you guys know what I mean.

Sunny was clearly there for eye candy.  She was the beauty in a land of beasts.  And back in 1995 when she first appeared with her boyfriend Chris Candido, aka Skip, Sunny was a breath of fresh air.  In her years with the WWE, she managed several different teams including the Bodydonnas, the Godwins, the Smoking Gunns, and the Legion of Doom.  She also had some time with Ron Simmons when he arrived as Faarooq Assad.  She was part of the changing of the guard with getting the traditional male manager out and bringing in the babes.

But I don't ever remember Sunny actually wrestling.  At least not when she was in the WWF.  I've read that she did do some wrestling in WCW in 2000.  This time is a complete blur to me.  I remember Chris Candido signing with WCW, but I don't ever remember Sunny, aka Tammy Sytch joining him there.

Of course she was a part of the Miss Wrestlemania battle royal at Wrestlemania 25.  So while she didn't have a huge role as a wrestler, she did lay the groundwork for the modern day Diva.  She kept the fans (mostly male) entertained with her antics, and added something extra to the WWF when the company really was struggling in the 1990's.

I look forward to seeing her at the Hall of Fame ceremony and will be curious to hear what she says about the honor.  It's too bad Chris is no longer here to be there for the event too.

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