A Moment In Time: Shawn Michaels meets Marty Jannetty in “The Barbers Shop”

Russ Morgan

(Image courtesy of https://wwe.com)

Today we debut a new column on the blog ‘A Moment in Time’. The focus on this piece will be a significant moment in wrestling history. Not necessarily always a game changer but a significant event that perhaps elevated a superstar, started or ended a significant feud or just brought together a series of events.

Sticking with the theme of new, it’s our brand new columnist Russ Morgan that launches this column with the focus being on the break-up of The Rockers and a look at the different paths their careers made. Without further ado…

Icons of Wrestling #11 – RoboCop

Jamie Lithgow

Yes, this really happened (Image courtesy of http://www.heavy.com)

Real Name: Alex J. Murphy
Hometown: Detroit
Directives: Serve the public trust, protect the innocent, uphold the law.
Years Active: A couple of minutes on May 19th 1990
Fun Fact: The RoboCop angle is rightly considered one of the worst in wrestling history. However WCW did not learn their lesson as some eight years later Chucky, the doll from the Child’s Play movies, cut a promo on Rick Steiner during an episode of Nitro.

The Generation Gap: Wrestling Legacies

Brian Damage

David Sammartino found it difficult to step out of the shadow of his father (Image courtesy of welcometoramblemania.blogspot.com)

A big misconception by some fans and critics is that simply being the son or daughter of a famous pro wrestler guarantees success for that individual in the sport. While it may help open some doors it normally would not open, it certainly does not guarantee anything but a chance.

For every successful 2nd and 3rd generation wrestler like, Randy Orton, Greg Valentine and Ted Dibiase Sr., there are countless failures like David Flair, Tiger Ali Singh and David Sammartino. Sure, a name can help you get a push if your famous mother or father is the booker or promoter. As was the case with Erik Watts, Jeff Jarrett, The Von Erich boys and Garrett Bischoff….it still doesn’t guarantee success. A door opened can easily close if expectations are not met. It’s up to that individual to knock the door down with no chance of being repaired to close again.

Raw Rewind: 27 October 1997

Craig Wilson

In this week’s #Rawrewind we take in the show from 27 October 1997 featuring a main event of WWF Tag Team Champions The Legion of Doom defending their tag titles against Los Boricuas. On the undercard Bret Hart puts his title on the line against Ken Shamrock and Ahmed Johnson challenges IC Champion Owen Hart.

All the previous Raw Rewinds can be located here.

Champion Roll Call:

WWF Champion: Bret Hart
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Owen Hart
WWF Tag Team Champions: The Legion of Doom
WWF European Champion: Shawn Michaels

WWE Hell in a Cell 2013 Predictions

Jamie Lithgow, Russ Morgan, Brian Damage and Kenneth Richardson

(Image courtesy of wikipedia.org)

Tonight is WWE Hell in a Cell 2013 with five titles on the line. In the main event Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton will fight within the Cell with the winner being crowned the WWE Champion with Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels a special guest referee. John Cena returns to face World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk takes on Ryback and Paul Heyman in a handicap Hell in a Cell match.

Additionally, the new tag champs Cody Rhodes and Goldust defend against The Usos and The Shield, Brie Bella is hoping to win the Divas title from AJ Lee and Los Matidores lock up with Real Americans. In the pre-show match Curtis Axel defends his Intercontinental title against Big E. Langston. Here Jamie, Russ, Brian and Kenneth preview the show.

This Week in Wrestling

Craig Wilson & Jamie Lithgow

(Image courtesy of http://www.24wrestling.com/)

Deckchairs rearranged as the TNA ship sinks

The biggest wrestling story this week was the announcement that TNA is set to return to Orlando to film Impact and that they will give fans 24/7 access to superstars via clips aired on TV and on their website.

In no way is this going to be a game changer for the promotion. What is required is a shift in how they present talent and book matches, not this move which seems little more than rearranging the deckchairs on a sinking ship or throwing paint at a crumbling building.

Matches from History: Hell in a Cell – Stone Cold & The Undertaker v Kane & Mankind Raw 15 June 1998

Craig Wilson & Jamie Lithgow

(Image courtesy of youtube.com)

This blog’s countdown to the release of the Raw 20th anniversary boxset continues with another Raw Match from History. Previously we’ve covered Taka Michinoku taking on WWE Champion Triple H and Sid defending his title against Bret Hart in a steel cage. This time, with Hell in a Cell right round the corner, it seems only right that we look at a Hell in a Cell match from Raw.

Without further ado Craig and Jamie will look at the second ever Hell in a Cell match as Stone Cold and The Undertaker team up to take on Mankind and Kane within the confines the cell on Raw is War from June 15 1998.

Top Five: Hell in a Cell matches

Craig Wilson, Russ Morgan, Kenneth Richardson & Jamie Lithgow

(Image courtesy of markinout.com)

Gimmick matches come and go with many being mercifully short lived – the Punjabi Prison match anyone? – but one of the most successful matches devised by the WWE has been the Hell in a Cell one. Debuting at Badd Blood 1997 and featuring The Undertaker locking up with Shawn Michaels in the match where Kane debuted, the match has seen some of the sickest bumps in the WWE’s history and has since spawned its own annual PPV.

With WWE Hell in a Cell 2013 being this Sunday, it’s only topical that this Thursday Craig, Russ, Kenneth and Jamie list their favourite Hell in a Cell matches of all time.

Remembering Yokozuna

Craig Wilson

The late Rodney ‘Yokozuna’ Anoa’i with Mr. Fuji (Image courtesy of wrestlemania-legacy.blogspot.com)

It has been exactly thirteen years since the wrestling world lost Rodney Agatupa Anoa’i, better known to WWE fans as Yokozuna. Rodney was a member of the Anoa’i wrestling family, which also contains The Rock, Roman Reigns, The Headshrinkers, 3 Minute Warning and Manu. Despite his Samoan ancestry, and debuting at the same time as The Headshrinkers, he was given the Yokozuna gimmick and managed by Mr Fuji.

His first appearance on a WWE PPV was at Survivor Series 1992 where he easily defeated Virgil. It wasn’t long before his stock began to rise and he won the 1993 Royal Rumble by lastly eliminating Randy Savage. He also holds the distinction of winning the first ever match on Monday Night Raw, pinning Koko B. Ware after the Banzai Drop.