Well, out of fifty or so e-mails I got last week about the debut of “The Week in Wrestling,” about 45 of them were positive. Grut says my humor was forced and, rereading it, I guess some of it was… but f- Grut, he’s still a newbie. **coff**sowhatifhehas100xmorereadersthanme**hack**.
Also, due to complaints from CW, I will no longer be known as Daniels… Instead, you may all refer to me as “The Magnificent One.” … or TD. Either that, or just sit back and watch the fireworks cuz they’re a-coming, methinks.
Also, does the fact that the government is asking network news to edit any video received by bin Laden bother anyone else? I understand it… but it’s one of those things that just kind of strike me the wrong way. Government sponsered editing of the news, even if it’s by choice, is not something we should get too comfortable with.
Anyway, to the week.
Stacy Dudley is maybe the most fun thing the WWF has done with a WCW personality yet… besides the Hurricane, of course. Besides, it puts Stacy in glasses again, and I think she looks better with them. The Dudleys don’t really need a yak to be over, but rule number 16 of wrestling. “A yak can’t hurt.” It is, however, the most senseless pairing since Torrie and Tajiri, who have nothing in common except the fact their names rhyme and they both look like they have a hard time speaking English.
Spike possibly has the biggest balls of anyone in the federation. Not that this is a new revelation, but it’s been redefined after his launch over the top rope this week. For a second, I thought he was going to bellyflop through the table which would have been the sickest thing in recent memory.
“I FEEL LIKE I CAN DOOO ANYYYYTHINNNNGGG!!!” Steph’s back, in case someone didn’t notice. Then again, since she was in 90 of the 120 minutes of wrestling this week… you probably noticed. Hyatte once called it her “close your eyes and see if you still want to screw me” voice. So true… so true.
I’m going to rename this column THE MOST INFLUENTIAL COLUMN AT TITAN TOWERS. Last week I said Jericho was lame and they needed to turn him heel. I quote “Jericho is lame… very lame… and he’s not getting any better.”. What happens this week? They get ready to turn him heel and fued him with the Rock. Oh hell yeah… send any and all job offers straight to me. I’ll have a Master’s Degree in May!
Also, I fully presume Jericho is going to lose at No Mercy. I think they’ll build on the “choke on the big match” thing until halfway between NM and Survivor Series, and make a full-fledged heel turn somewhere in there. I would bet it to happen in a Rock/Jericho vs Austin/RVD match. Maybe they’ll do it at No Mercy, though.
Does anyone else twitch when they see the “The Rock†nameplate on the WCW belt? I know I have to get used to stuff like that but it still kind of hurts. Did anyone else get an odd sense when the Rock ((Well, besides McCluskey who found it interesting, too)) said Jericho has “no idea how huge†the match at No Mercy will be. I doubt they’ll do anything like turning the Rock heel in that title match, but I can’t help but think something is up.
And, just in case you may have THOUGHT it might have been a coincidence, I also point out this quote from last week: “I say, screw HWA… give Maven some dark matches and stick him on a couple more TV shows. Work off the popularity Tough Enough gave him.” What happens on Smackdown this week? That’s right… Maven getting some more TV time. The WWF writers are my bitches. Dance for me, bitches!!
I will say that I was wrong about Positively Page. The promo on Monday with the yak got me laughing. My friend’s brother nearly shat himself during it. The whole thing is still sophomoric, but it’s making me laugh, which is what it’s designed for.
Austin hates RVD… and I like how the WWF is playing the Internet a bit here. Austin is “holding RVD back” as part of storylines now. I’m guessing it’s a little F-You to all of us who think we know better. Of course, on TV, RVD is getting the chance to go around Austin. Sometimes, cheers can just get too loud to ignore, and when the fans are, after two months, chanting louder for you than some of the “over” mid-carders who’ve been around for three or four years, it’s tough to justify keeping someone waiting in the wings. RVD is looking to go from Hardcore Champ to World Champ in less than a year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see RVD hold the WWF world title before his first full year in the federation is out. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him headlining, or close to headlining, Wrestlemania 2k2. I WOULD be surprised if he WASN’T headlining Wrestlemania 2k3. He is everything Michaels always was… the little guy who’s willing to bump his ass off and do some breathtaking shit. Will he get Michaels’s ego? Probably, but it’s not ego if you’re really as good as you think.
Honestly, if they were planning on giving the title back to Austin anyway, don’t you think it would have been better for storyline purposes if they went with the reversal decision? We wouldn’t have wasted Austin/Angle 3 on free TV and could have headlined Survivor Series with Austin/Angle/RVD. Think about it… Lord Regal “regretfully” forces Angle to hand the title back to Austin due to the finish at the PPV but gives Angle the rematch at No Mercy. Then, the big Regal turns comes on PPV. The next night on Raw, Foley gets the commisioner job and sets up Austin/Angle/RVD. Storyline in tact… a great main event for Survivor Series, Angle’s unique character still in tact, and a normal extension of what is a great feud. Besides, it would keep Austin’s year-long title reign in tact, without a senseless two-week change. Some folks say title changes are good for ratings… I disagree. If they’re so worried about their weekly TV ratings, than ditch the PPV system all together and keep stories flowing on television. Won’t ever happen, but dare to dream and all.
Cleveland’s pitching coach is named Dick Pole. Gotta love that.
Kurt Angle said on a radio show that, when they separate WCW into another federation, they may rename the federation “Resurrection.†I have a question what in the blue f— is wrong with just calling it “WCW?†Vince has already taken Booker T, the last WCW champion, and sent him from main eventer to Heat Performer. Is there any reason to continue the so-called Invasion? The only WCW wrestler who even made a difference is now a Heat performer, and both World Titles are being fueded over by WWF wrestlers. Quite the Invasion.
Kidman has returned and he is friggin jacked. When JR said he was rehabbing an injured knee, I didn’t think that meant he was packing on 30 pounds of muscle. He looked super impressive in his debut match against X-Pac. No more wife beaters for Kidman. He’s not the same scrawny lil bastard who debuted on WCW Saturday Night a few years ago. I actually question whether he’s still a “light†heavyweight.
Funniest lines of the week both from Hurricane. First, the “Citizen Kane†joke we’ve all been waiting for. Second. “You’re seven feet tall, you have a bright red costume, you wear a mask, and you don’t fight evil ? WHATSUPWITDAT?â€Â
Edge and Christian have a ladder match at No Mercy. This has potential to be the show stealer of the evening. We know they can put on amazing ladder matches as half a tag team, but I question whether or not they can live up to the Benoit vs Jericho ladder match of last year.
Foley is the WWF Commissioner again. Color me underwhelmed. I know people love Mick and all, but if Linda could have, at any point, fired Regal and reinstated Foley, why didn’t she just do it when Vince fired Foley and hired Regal in the first place? And why not someone new? Here’s a chance to get Michaels back into the mix somehow. With Nash and Hall presumably on the way in, you just KNOW Shawn’s going to be weasaling his way back into something pretty soon. The WWF could use Michaels right now. But, in all fairness, I like having Mick as the commissioner again.
Speaking of commissioners why were people shocked when William Regal turned heel? It’s one of those things that were only a matter of time. Regal is NEVER a face at least not for very long. The turn was oddly timed, as I stated above, but it isn’t exactly something shocking.
I have a feeling something big is going to go down at No Mercy. I don’t know what and I don’t know with whom, but I just get that sense. I could be completely wrong and I probably am, but I just think it is.
OK I’m calling this a column now. I still have to try the rankings on the new design and see what happens. Here’s to hoping the Yankees lose game 5 tomorrow and hoping that Jessica really is Vicki’s daughter and not Natalie.
