Wrestling Show (within the show) business

Craig Wilson

Piper and Snuka square off on ‘Piper’s Pit’ (Image courtesy of newwrestlecrap.proboards.com)

Interview segments have always been a part of wrestling. Those more familiar with the recent era will have seen Chris Jericho’s ‘Highlight Reel’ and ‘Miz TV’. The latter is predictably rubbish but the former is passable at times. That said, they are nothing compared to what these segments used to be like.

Nowadays these interviews are used primarily to add a dimension to a match or feud that doesn’t have any dimension of note. That’s not always been the case. These shows, back in the day, used to be pivotal to the development of feuds.

Knocking Out Divas: Why Women’s Wrestling is a Sideshow

Brian Damage

(Image courtesy of diva-dirt.com)

If you haven’t seen the documentary “Lipstick and Dynamite” I suggest you do so. It is about the past history of women’s wrestling featuring such past legends as The Fabulous Moolah, Mae Young and Penny Banner. It is a great look into what women wrestling was and no longer is…

An era of wrestling where women had to fight, scratch and claw to be respected by fans, promoters and their male counterparts. Women who made pro wrestling their life and in the process at times sacrificed love, family or children. They were married to the ring. Now fast forward to today and it is completely different genre. For starters, the women are more athletic and attractive. Most look like the came right off the pages of a magazine and into a wrestling ring and in many cases they have. While the women of today may have more beauty, style and athleticism, they also lack something much more important…sustainability.

Raw Rewind: 28 July 1997

Craig Wilson

This #Rawrewind is the go home show ahead of Summerslam and features a main event of Bret ‘the Hitman’ Hart versus The Patriot.

Elsewhere, Stone Cold and Dude Love defended the tag titles against The Godwinns, LOD faced Los Boricuas, Crush took Farooq and The Truth Commission debuted.

All the previous Raw Rewinds can be located here.

Champion Roll Call:

WWF Champion: The Undertaker
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Owen Hart
WWF Tag Team Champions: Stone Cold Steve Austin & Dude Love
WWF European Champion: The British Bulldog

Sunday Sermon: The Invasion Angle

Jamie Lithgow, Brian Damage, Craig Wilson & Kenneth Richardson

(Image courtesy of http://www.prowrestlingpowerhouse.com)

In last week’s Sermon we looked at WCW’s biggest mistakes. Today we branch off from this subject to look at another missed opportunity involving WCW, only this one was perpetrated by WWE. We are of course referring to the purchase of WCW by WWE, and the damp squib that the subsequent invasion and alliance angles turned out to be.

I’m sure we can all agree that this angle was a massive let down, and was written about tirelessly by disgruntled fans, journalists and workers alike. However today we put our constructive hindsight hats on and, rather than ripping the angle apart for the one millionth time, shall discuss what we would have done in Vince McMahon’s shoes.

This Week in Wrestling

Craig Wilson & Jamie Lithgow

You have to wonder if Dixie Carter is really made for wrestling. Heck, I should have asked her that on the #AskDixie hashtag… (Image courtesy of http://www.tnasylum.com)

When ECW went backrupt in April 2001 I was concerned about the state of wrestling. When WCW then went out of business then alarm bells really began to ring.

I was neve a fan of ECW, I felt it was needless violence with the superstars performing increasingly over the top spots to get a reaction from a crowd that was becoming more and more blood thirsty.

As for WCW, it too was just never my thing. Sure, I bought the War Games DVD as well as the first ‘Best of Nitro’ set but, whilst enjoying those, I always felt the company lacking something for me.

Icons of Wrestling #8 – Zeus

Jamie Lithgow

Height: 6’6”
Weight: 300lbs
Hometown: Mount Olympus, I guess
Years Active: About 6 months in 1989
Fun Fact: Zeus is not Greek, mythological or a God. He’s actually an actor from Arkansas with a bong eye and a monobrow, who knew?!

Top Five Foreign Objects in Wrestling

Craig Wilson & Jamie Lithgow

Jimmy Hart in typically loud attire complete with megaphone (Image courtesy of http://www.last.fm)

I’m not sure who made the decision but it got to the stage where normal wrestling matches weren’t enough. Gimmick matches were introduced then the rise of weapons, more often than not used by dastardly heels to gain the upper hand over the clean cut fan favourites, much to the fury of the fans in the arena.

Those following the history of the sport will agree that the use of weapons got over the top with the rise of Extreme Championship Wrestling in the 90s and the subsequent change of direction from both WCW and the WWF. This week in the blog’s ‘Top Five’ feature, Craig and Jamie share their favourite foreign objects from wrestling history.

Jeff Gorman exclusively discusses his campaign to be part of TNA Gut Check

Craig Wilson

(Image courtesy of http://www.amazon.com/This-Side-Mic-Jeff-Gorman/dp/0595389457)

It was back in 2004 that TNA introduced “Gut Check” as a means of recruiting new talent. The company changed the former slightly last year with those involved receiving a try out match on Impact Wrestling. Since then numerous performers have competed for the opportunity to wrestle for TNA.

Jeff Gorman, though, has a different aim. He may well be campaigning to be part of Gut Check but the man that has called the action for Ring of Honor, Chikara as well as being a MMA specialist and sportscaster of 19 years is aiming to be the first announcer to be part of the talent search.

It is from a strong pedigree that the Ohio native sportscaster comes. After all, he was involved in 10 of the first 50 Ring of Honor shows most notably calling the debuts for that promotion of CM Punk, Samoa Joe and Colt Cabana. But what exactly has prompted the 19 year veteran of sportscasting to launch the #makeroom4Gorman campaign to be part of Gut Check.

Who’s Next?!? Bill Goldberg’s Got Next

Brian Damage

He may have been a mainstay of the Monday Night Wars but Brian doesn’t believe Goldberg is worthy of a WWE Hall of Fame spot (Image courtesy of accelerator3359.com)

It is a scene we became all too familiar with every Monday night on WCW Nitro…

The WCW head of security Doug Dillinger approaches a closed door, knocks a few times and the door opens up. A larger than life, bald headed goateed man walks out grunting and groaning. He is surrounded by a security detail of either cops or nameless wrestlers in security shirts. He makes his way to the entrance ramp where smoke and pyrotechnics go off. When the sparks subside, this man blows smoke out of his mouth and nose, lets out a scream and shadow boxes his way down the aisle. Chants begin to envelop the arena…Gooooldberg, Gooooldberg, Gooooldberg. A minute or two later, the match is over, and that larger than life man screams into a camera, “Who’s Next?” This was the weekly occurrence of the man simply named, Goldberg.

For a brief period of time, nobody was hotter in WCW than Bill Goldberg…Not Sting, Not Ric Flair, Not Diamond Dallas Page….no one. For a little over a year from his debut match on September 22nd 1997 to his first defeat on December 27th 1998, Goldberg comprised a win streak of 173 wins to 0 losses. Most of his matches during this period were nothing more than “squashes” or quick wins where the opponent got in little to no offense. He quickly became the face of WCW.