My Pinterest Is Piledrivers: WWE-asons You Like Your Favorites (Raven, CM Punk, Chris Jericho)

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Hello all, and welcome to My Pinterest Is Piledrivers.  I am your down-but-not-dead host James A. Sawyer.  Health update for those of you on the edge of your seat- it’s not the end, but perhaps, it’s the end of the beginning.  So this column for the time being will be on a “when I have the strength and gumption” schedule.  I also have some ideas for some columns wherein I’ll be tag-teaming or Survivor Seriesing with other columnists, so hopefully I won’t be counted out for too long.  Ha ha ha, wrestling humor!

Let me first plug my twitter at https://twitter.com/todaysjimsawyer and come laugh as I retweet Dolph Ziggler.  I also have a blog at http://todaysjimsawyer.tumblr.com/.  Finally, I have a “fan page” on Facebook here (no idea if that link will translate).  And no, none of this gets me money.  The only bank it fills is my ego bank.  Which is filing for bankruptcy, so get on this.

Secondly, I guess I picked a real bad time to fight cancer as I’m looking at CNN’s website (my fault, I know) and I’m seeing people get real pissed and ornery at Livestrong and wanting money back and slowing donations down.  Now… don’t be stupid.  I know you’re upset at Lance Armstrong for doing what every single other cyclist did whether they admit it or not, but… the main beneficiaries of the Livestrong cancer charity?  People with cancer.  I know, I have a patient advocate who’s trying to connect me with as many social programs and benefits as I can get.  I’m uninsured and sick, I need this.  So before you go and make a stand, think of what you’re actually doing.  And try to do something smart.

Now onto the wrestling.  With this column, I’ve always tried to look at a sort of broader picture of wrestling, maybe from a Chuck Klostermanesque, social view.  I, like Blair, don’t watch the 17 hours of wrestling programs on television a week.  Doing that would kill me, much quicker.  So I don’t really have opinions on the specifics of what Zack Ryder did during his three minutes of airtime or why they’re not pushing Kofi Kingston into a bigger storyline yet.  I try to look at social and/or philosophical aspects of wrestling.  Sometimes.  And not as pretentiously as that reads.

So I was wondering… who is your favorite wrestler?  And why?  What drew you to them, or draws you to them now?  What are the reasons why anyone has their favorites?

http://youtu.be/KLcQjOHomjg

As a young, misanthropic, misunderstood, awkward, angry teenager (or… teenager), of course I would flock to Raven, the “Generation X slacker” as Joey Styles calls him in this clip.  And man, if that doesn’t date the clip… well, check out Stevie’s mullet and Beulah’s bathing suit.  Raven hated his parents, and society, and read comic books and listened to metal and was a well-educated smart-ass who moped all the time.  Sounded kinda like me.  Sounds also somewhat similar to-

http://youtu.be/QcyEcKZ0Qcg

Another grungy, hard rock listening comic book reader who disliked his family and hated society in general?  Why yes, I will be an unapologetic fanboy, thank you very much.  Frankly pairing these two up was a brilliant idea, it’s a shame that age and the WWE probably never hiring Raven again after his lawsuit prevents recreating or reinventing this feud on a larger stage.  But what CM Punk and Raven have in common, for me at least, was the idea of “our band could be your life.”  Basically, these two were guys that I could relate to.  I could think “man, if I was in that ring, it would be as them.”  They were my surrogates, my doubles.  Raven holding a lifelong grudge against Tommy Dreamer was me holding a lifelong grudge against the rich jocks of high school and the world.  CM Punk demanding respect and boasting about being better than everyone is, well… me in my less charitable moments.

http://youtu.be/fD4ckwULiS8

http://youtu.be/OshgTzatgfI

And sometimes, you like someone because they’re just that damn good.  Jericho and Bryan were put on Earth to wrestle.  Everything they do is excellence defined- crowd work, promos, athleticism.  If these guys, even the much newer Bryan, retired tomorrow they’d deserve a HOF spot guaranteed.  Bryan’s got not just one, but several world championships in his future.

Sometimes you just like the outside the ring guy as much as the inside the ring guy.  You know from interviews and social media that they work and train hard, love the business, and watch Archer.

http://youtu.be/badNLvtkdGI

“‘@AmandaBynes is doing amazing.’  Amazing is either an unsuccessful rapper or a party drug.  Either way, not amazing.”

“CNN headline:  “SAD NEWS FOR TWINKIES FANS” trust me, they’re already sad….What will they dry their lonely tears on now?”

You HAVE to follow Dolph Ziggler’s twitter.

But… am I missing anything?  What about you out there in readerland?  Who are your favorites, and more importantly… why?

James A. Sawyer graduated with a degree in English/Creative Writing in 2011. He had a hardcore match with a car, and moved to New York in this economy. Clearly Daredevil is not the only man without fear.