Ladies of the Pulse, yours truly is back on the market!
Ahem.
I’m your always faithful and loyal host, Mike Gojira, back for another edition of The Stomping Ground. Sorry for the rather shitty column last week. Obviously I haven’t been in the best of moods as of late; a break-up will do that to you. In any case, like a match involving John Cena, I can bounce back from any grievous injury (whether physical or emotional) and turn it into a win. Besides, it’s not like it was my first rodeo, so to speak.
Anywho, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a certain event that occurred this past Monday night, a moment so shocking that many are claiming it will change the landscape of the business forever.
That’s right, Alvin was eliminated from Master Chef. I know; I was extremely disappointed, too.
Oh, and CM Punk made some disparagingly scripted remarks about some people in the wrestling business.
Make no mistake about it: McMahon was totally in on Punk’s tongue-lashing promo that closed out Monday Night Raw. The question now is “Where do we go from here?” My advice is to check out the spoilers for next week’s Raw, just in case you still think Punk’s suspension is legit. Many have made some outrageous claims. “Punk’s legitimately suspended! He’s going to TNA!” “Punk’s gonna win the title and take it with him to ROH!”
Folks, let’s be brutally honest here. Even if Punk were to win the title (which I’d love to see), and he does leave, the belt WILL NOT be going with him. Remember when Trish Stratus had her last match before retiring wherein she won the Women’s Championship? She didn’t take the title with her to Canada. Whether Punk stays around or not, it would only add intrigue and interest to the fate of the WWE Championship…and that can only be good for business.
Now, on to my proper column.
The Feuds That Made Them Famous, Part 1: The Attitude Era
Many within the IWC are calling Punk’s promo his “Austin 3:16” moment, which may indeed be true. This may well be the moment that pushes Punk into the upper echelon of elite Superstars, but is that all it takes to make someone a top guy? Obviously the answer to that question is a resounding “No.”
We all know that it’s one thing to have looks, charisma, and in-ring ability, but character can only take you so far. It’s the legacy of matches these future Hall of Famers leave behind that also propels them to greatness. In order for that to happen, they must mesh well with their opponents…which leads me to the purpose of my column this week.
All the greats are only as good as the people they work with. They build off of one another to produce some great wrestling moments in history. Let’s be honest; Triple H isn’t successful because he had a feud with Eugene. It was his passion, his drive, his energy, and his more memorable feuds that made him a 13-time World Champion, love him or hate him. With that, I’d like to delve into the Attitude Era and determine what I personally believe to be the feuds that cemented these guys as the top stars of their time.
Triple H: Mick Foley’s Retirement (early 2000)
Triple H is one of the few guys who was saddled with a lame gimmick and managed to persevere until he was allowed to be himself (cranked up to 11). Thanks to a helping hand from buddy Shawn Michaels, Triple H became a force to be reckoned with. He led DX after Shawn “dropped the ball” and parlayed that into a stint with the Corporation, but it wasn’t until he renewed his rivalry with Mrs. Foley’s baby boy that Triple H showed the world he was here to stay.
The Game and Foley had had a memorable series leading to the King of the Ring years prior. At that point, they were both midcarders with cartoony gimmicks (Triple H the blue blood and Foley the deranged Mankind) who managed to get the crowd behind them thanks to the story told in the ring. It wasn’t until the McMahon-Helmsley Era was under way that the two were able to fully realize the potential of their chemistry in the ring. Their Hell in the Cell match was legendary and resulted in Foley’s first official retirement, but it truly made both men look solid.
It was the first time I actually saw real potential in the Cerebral Assassin (and spent the next few years regretting that).
Mick Foley: Corporate Rock (early 1999)
Say what you will about Foley’s antics in the ring; he may have had a completely different style than mainstream, but it was his recklessness and average Joe appearance that made him popular. He first gained attention in the public eye as Cactus Jack in ECW, then mired in relative obscurity in WCW, before finally coming into prominence in the WWE as Mankind in 1996. Sure; he had a memorable and long feud with the Undertaker that included the Boiler Room Brawl and Hell in a Cell, but it wasn’t until the advent of Mr. Socko that Foley’s main event status came to fruition.
The setting was Survivor Series 1998. Foley was supposedly Vince McMahon’s golden child, set to win the vacant WWE Championship in a tournament held that very night. Unfortunately for Mankind, he was simply a pawn in a bigger game and The Rock became McMahon’s numero uno. Foley at this point had become a comedic character and was gaining ground with the fans even more than before, and it all culminated in a title victory televised on January 4th, 1999. His ongoing rivalry with The Rock and his undeniable chemistry with the Great One cemented his place as a legend in this business.
Stone Cold Steve Austin: Turning Bret Hart Heel (1996-1997)
Austin has had numerous top-notch stories in the ring with many of the all-time greats, including Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Mick Foley, and The Rock. In fact, his feud with The Rock over the Intercontinental Championship could be considered the moment his legacy was realized (which would then extend to their WWE Championship battles). However, there is no denying that Austin’s rivalry with Bret Hart truly made him who he is today.
In 1996, after Bret took a hiatus from the wrestling world, Steve Austin began to make a series of disparaging remarks directed toward everyone’s favorite Canadian. Bret returned to the ring later that year and defeated Austin, but the feud would continue right through Wrestlemania XIII in an “I Quit” match. The fans were so into the rivalry and Austin’s magnetic personality that they began cheering for the heel and booing Hart! Tired of the fans dumping on him in the United States, Bret turned his back on them and reformed the Hart Foundation.
That’s right: Austin had become so incredibly popular that the WWE was forced to turn the once-beloved Bret Hart into a full-fledged heel and Austin became the anti-hero known as the Rattlesnake.
The Rock: The Austin/Rock Wrestlemania Series (1999, 2001, 2003)
I still believe this to be the greatest wrestling rivalry of all time. From the moment The Rock joined the Nation of Domination, you knew this man had a future in wrestling. However, another Superstar was on the rise in the form of Steve Austin, and when they started to battle over the Intercontinental Championship, I was hooked. Do you see, WWE Creative? THAT is how you book a midcard feud. Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler are nowhere near the level of intensity that Austin/Rock had because there is essentially no story AND their personalities are clearly not on the level of either Rock or Austin.
I could stop there, but it wouldn’t do The Rock justice. These two were so awesome together that their bitter rivalry followed them to THREE different Wrestlemanias: 15, 17, and 19. Heel, face…it didn’t matter who was in what role. Their second encounter is considered to be the best, but I’m a little nostalgic for their first battle since it didn’t end with a dubious Austin heel turn.
Next week I’ll focus on Stars of the Early ’90s (don’t worry, I’ve included such luminaries as HBK and Undertaker). Hit me up with your thoughts in the comments section, both on what I’ve divulged and on any wrestlers you’d like to see me cover.
Cheap Plugs
I’d be remiss if I didn’t include Kelly Floyd this week, as I seem to have snubbed her last time. Her weekly EXW Report can be found right here and she attended this week’s Smackdown tapings (which you can read here for spoilers).
Don’t forget to check out the returning Pulse Glazer with his thoughts on earning heat courtesy of CM Punk.
We’ve got good stuff from all the regulars this week as well. I’d post them here, but I’m a little late in getting this column up and pressed for time.
So long, and thanks for all the fish.
