“Let the science and research of the historian find the fact and let his imagination and art make clear its significance.†– George Trevelyan
The Opening Chapter
It’s the long-awaited return of Historically Speaking! Well it probably hasn’t been eagerly awaited, but it’s back regardless for my annual column of giving thanks for what I have and enjoy in the wrestling business. Enjoy…
What I’m Thankful For…
~ a changing of the guard in TNA…
~ Lance Storm’s continual effort at being the best retired wrestler out there writing today…
~ Jim Cornette’s unfiltered rants…
~ YouTube and its great collection of old wrestling clips (a match between BattleKat and Barbarian??? I’m so there)…
~ Chris Jericho single-handedly making the WWE Tag Titles look and seem important…
~ the elevation of new stars on WWE television (‘sup Sheamus, Kofi, Drew, Dolph and Jack)…
~ The Miz…being AWESOME…
~ Maryse giving the Gobbledly Gooker a new hotness and relevance no one expected…
~ Wikipedia…How else am I going to know how many Title reigns Greg Valentine had?
~ Dragon Gate USA breathing new life into the independent scene…
~ WWE’s continued awesomeness in putting out DVD collections…
~ the wealth of amazing free TV matches WWE has produced this past year…
~ Twitter…How else am I am going to find out what Chavo Guerrero is up to at any moment?
~ CM Punk finally being able to be Straight Edge (and better than you!) on WWE TV…
~ my recent exposure some local Minneapolis wrestling thanks to F1rst Wrestling…
~ the return of Trish Stratus to my TV screen…even if it was only for one night…
~ RAW guest hosts like Trish, Bob Barker, Jeremy Piven, Roddy Piper and Jesse Ventura to counteract the awful guest hosts and terrible skits in between…
~ CHIKARA and the just the plain fun that comes with it…
~ Matt Striker and Todd Grisham back together behind the booth…
~ Evan Bourne still having a job on the biggest wrestling show on the planet…
~ Bryan Danielson’s chance to finally earn the salary he deserves…
~ Ring of Honor finally getting a chance on cable television…
~ ECW for being the best booked promotion/television show on TV each week…
The Perspective
Eh….there you go. Have a good holiday everyone.
For this week the vault is closed…
Linked to the Pulse
It’s terribly trite to promote myself in the links, but the comments section in my most recent This Week in E has turned into a blood feud not seen in years…
Robert Skvarla has a great little essay about sexual violence in pro wrestling…
This Day in History
I figured if we are talking history around here we should pay homage to what has happened on this very day in the years gone by. It will either make you long for the old days or be happy for what we have now.
1942 – Ed “Strangler†Lewis defeated Orville Brown for the MWA World Heavyweight title
1960 – Al Costello & Roy Heffernan defeated Johnny Valentine & Chief Big Heart for the WWWF Tag Team title
1976 – Jack Brisco defeated Bob Backlund for the Missouri State Heavyweight title
1987 – WWF Survivor Series was held at the Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
1987 – NWA Starrcade ’87 was held at the UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL
1987 – Ric Flair defeated Ronny Garvin for the NWA Heavyweight Wrestling title
1987 – Dusty Rhodes defeated Lex Luger for the NWA U.S. Heavyweight title
1992 – The Heavenly Bodies defeated the Rock n’ Roll Express for the Smokey Mountain Tag Team title
1994 – Diesel defeated Bob Backlund for the WWF Heavyweight title
1995 – WCW World War III was held at The Scope, Norfolk, VA
1995 – Randy Savage won the WCW Heavyweight title in a 60-man battle royal
1995 – Smokey Mountain Wrestling ceased operation
1999 – Damien Steele eliminated Kronus in a battle royal to to become the first XPW Heavyweight Champion
2000 – WCW Mayhem was held at the U.S. Cellular Arena, Milwaukee, WI
2000 – Scott Steiner defeated Booker T for the WCW Heavyweight title
2000 – Kevin Nash & Diamond Dallas Page defeated Chuck Palumbo & Sean Stasiak for the WCW Tag Team title
2000 – Gen. Rection defeated Lance Storm for the WCW US Heavyweight title
2003 – Johnny & Jason Riggs defeated Chad Collyer & Drew Johnson in a tournament final to win the vacant Heartland Wrestling Association Tag Team Titles
1961 – Ivory was born
1966 – Brian Lee was born
1976 – Maven was born
The Assignment
Check out my review of Hulk Hogan’s new autobiography here.
