2008's Greatest Moments

With 2009 fast approaching, it's time to take a look back at the great moments of 2008. Join me on Monday as I begin counting down the greatest moments of 2008. Share your votes on what you think the great moments of 2008 were.

When a chair shot was like a gunshot

Once upon a time, wrestlers sold a chairshot like a gunshot. When someone got clobbered with a chair, they went down like a sack of potatoes and usually bled and bled. Who can forget Larry Zbyszko cracking Bruno Sammartino with the chair as the build-up to their famous feud? Bruno crumpled to the mat and he looked like he'd stuck his head in a wood chipper (okay, it wasn't that bad but boy, did he bleed!). Nowadays, a chair shot is more of a transition move than anything. A wrestler gets hit with a chair then their opponent locks in a chinlock.

Granted, things are nowhere near as bad as they were during the mid to late 1990's when wrestlers routinely fell through multiple tables, got blasted with everything from frying pans to cheese graters, and the Hardcore Title doubled revenue for the cookie sheet industry. Only after the WWE saw half of their roster join the Neck Injury for Men Club of the early 2000's did they realize that things had to be toned down. In fact, I I give the WWE a lot of credit for trying to put the genie back in the bottle. They still have a way to go but they've actually managed to get fans to not expect a near-death experience during every pay-per-view.

Still, there's something to be said for when a chair shot really meant something or a move on the concrete meant a wrestler might not get up. When Ray Stevens gave Jimmy Snuka two piledrivers on the cement, Snuka not only spilled more blood than a slasher movie but he sold the injury with a neck brace for weeks. Remember when Jake Roberts DDTed Ricky Steamboat on the cement during an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event? The match didn't even get started because Steamboat was out like a light (according to an interview I saw with Jake Roberts, Steamboat didn't tuck his head correctly and was legitimately knocked out). That's how it should be when an opponent's head gets blasted into the cement.

The same goes for certain weapons. As much as I pop when I see Triple H pull out the sledge hammer, I still shake my head every time he uses the sledge hammer. Not only does he blatantly cover the hammer with his hand when he uses it but its effectiveness is downplayed. I remember when Helmsley first used the hammer (I think it was against the Undertaker). He blasted the Undertaker with it and The Dead Man went down. It was Helmsley's great equalizer. Nowadays, it's a setup to the Pedigree. A sledgehammer shot should automatically equal broken ribs or worse. The only time I've ever seen Helmsley's hammer (that sounds like one of Stephanie McMahon's pet names for HHH) sold effectively was when DX fought the McMahons and the Big Show in a Hell in the Cell match. Helmsley blasted Vince McMahon across the back with the hammer and Vince sold it for weeks and weeks.

Sure, once in a while it's cool to see a wrestler no-sell a move that other wrestlers would go down from. That's how you get monsters like The Undertaker over. However history has shown that the more you use weapon shots, the less effective they become to the fans and that's when you have guys kicking out after being put through twin stacks of flaming tables i.e. the original ECW.

Foreign objects and other weapons should be special occasions and they should be the wrestling equivalent of a weapon of mass destruction. After all, if a guy can shrug off multiple chair shots, how in the world are you going to sell Chris Jericho's Codebreaker as a finisher?

Where can I find Wrestling's Greatest Moments?

Hey now!

Some people have asked me where they can get the book from. Well, the official word is that the book is en route to stores and it should be in people's hands by next week. The following book outlets have ordered the book but that doesn't mean your local outlet will necessarily have it (so you may have to ask them to order it). If you run into any problems finding it, please email me!

Best,
Mike

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Wrestling conventions yesterday and today

Wrestling, like any form of entertainment is about conventions and how they are handled. Fans of Superman are willing to believe that a yellow sun and Earth's lesser gravity empower Superman to well, superhuman levels. They also are willing to believe that a pair of eyeglasses is enough to conceal Clark Kent's true identity. Wrestling fans have their own conventions too. There is the idea that wrestlers want to settle their differences in the ring. It doesn't matter if someone robbed you of a title, jumped you in a parking lot, or stole your wife-the place you settle your differences is in the ring, not in court. There's also the idea that wrestlers can absorb an insane amount of punishment. I remember when I was a kid, announcers would boast about the superhuman endurance of wrestlers and how they could take beatings that would hospitalize a normal man.

Over the years, new conventions have come out. One of the strangest is the idea that wrestlers can be seen backstage but no other wrestlers seem to know what has happened (even though they can see everything on TV should they have access to a set). Case in point, a couple of years ago the WWE did an angle where Stephanie McMahon drugged Shawn Michaels' bottled water on-camera and in the ensuing half hour before his match, no one bothered to warn him. That would be believable except the whole premise of wrestling is that it's a legitimate real-time sporting event, not a drama about a sport. I remember when TNA first came out and they tried to be more realistic by sending camera crews to the back if something was going on but before long, they said screw it, and adopted the WWE "cameras are everywhere" bit.

The WWE has also become notorious for their supernatural bits. Whether it's Kane using fire or the Undertaker returning from the dead, some superstars have magical powers that no one else can use. Does it make sense? Usually not. The Undertaker can return from being buried alive and yet he has trouble with chair shots in the ring. Kane can be thrown into a dumpster that is on fire and return the next week without a scratch and yet a beatdown with a metal pipe puts him on the shelf.

As someone who's followed many kinds of entertainment- soap operas, comic books, science fiction & fantasy, and of course wrestling, I've come to the conclusion that as long as conventions are consistent within the storyline world, fans will usually go along with them. Take comics for example: We know bullets bounce off of Superman without anyone getting hurt from the ricochet. That's one of the conventions Superman fans buy into. Likewise with kryptonite, whip out a little green K and Supes is flapping around like a fish out of water. That's why a lot of fans had a problem believing Big Blue could lift a land mass made out of kryptonite in Superman Returns (just one of many things that turned off fans to that film).

A good example of this is Randy Orton's punt kick to the head. While I applaud the WWE for building the move up as something devastating, it doesn't fit in with the rest of the moves around Orton (and I know I'm far from the only person who feels this way). The basic problem is that people can get piledrived, blasted with chair shots to the head, and put through tables without any long-lasting effect and yet Orton's boot to the head equals an automatic concussion?

It's all about making rules for your fictional world and keeping them consistent. When you stop doing this is when you start getting into bad storytelling.

Overseas Orders

Hey now!
First off, thanks to everyone who's been pre-ordering the book. It looks like the book is doing some good numbers at Amazon and it's actually been in and out of the top 100 wrestling books since December 1.

If anyone is having a problem ordering the book outside of the U.S., I have a few copies available for sale. If you have a paypal account, you can get a signed copy for $19.95 U.S. +shipping. If you're interested, please PM me.

Thanks again for everyone's support. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the book!

Best,
Mike

SD vs RAW 2009=AWESOME~!!!

I just got the new SmackDown! vs RAW 2009 video game for XBox and it is awesome!~ (Editor's Note: I've actually been playing it for about three weeks now) I've been a big fan of video games ever since the days of the old stand up arcade game Tag Team Wrestling (how can you go wrong with a game where you win by repeatedly kicking your opponent in the nuts?) and while there's been a lot of crappy wrestling games out there (check out my list of the worst wrestling games of all time over at my pal RDLee's blog), the SD vs RAW series has been one of the better ones. That's not to say the series hasn't had its critics.

Like the Madden NFL series, this one gets a lot of flak because the new edition often seems like a glorified repackaging of the previous year's edition, only with updated rosters. It's a valid criticism but like Madden, it's hard to argue with the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" school of thought. Why redesign a video game every year if the fundamentals are solid?

Whatever your thoughts on previous editions of SD and their repetitive nature, this year's edition really stands out. The gameplay is amazing fluid (unlike TNA Impact which is just a mess). the AI is for the most part actually intelligent, and the new features for the game make it set it apart from everything before it.

First off, the graphics are amazing. For years I've heard about how 3D graphics have made video games so lifelike but this is the first game to really back this promise up. Playing this game, I was overhwhelmed at how lifelike the wrestlers looked and awed by the amount of detail. As the match progresses, the wrestlers begin to sweat and grimace with pain. During one match, I noticed the ECW announce team calling the match. It was really like being in the arena. Even the sound seems to have improved. You can notice the audience getting into the match if you put on a noteworthy bout. For the first time, you really feel like you're in the ring.

Second off, the added gameplay features really make this year's edition seem like something more than an updated roster that sets you back sixty bucks. First off, there is the traditional campaign mode where you can take a created wrestler or WWE Superstar from the beginning of their career all the way in to the Hall of Fame. Second, there is a second storyline mode The Road to Wrestlemania which allows you to play several characters along with a co/op mode featuring Batista and Rey. While I've only played two characters so far, the storylines seem individual. Replay is an essential component for most gamers and while the campaign mode isn't perfect, the addition of the Road to Wrestlemania gives this one a lot more value.

Is the game perfect? No. The movesets for each wrestler while not as redundant as years past (where guys like John Cena had the same moves as technicians like Chris Jericho) still could use some beefing up. The collision detection is one of the best yet but there are still a couple awkward spots. Worst yet, tag team matches end up being the longshot camera angle that makes for some annoying gameplay at times.

It's hard for me to tell someone who's been tired of playing the SD vs RAW series to buy yet another edition but this one really seems worth your money. With downloadable content on the way, this one should give you your mony's worth. While previous editions of SD vs RAW haven't always justified a sixty dollar investment, this one really does. If you feel burnt by previous editions, I don't think you'll feel the same way here. This is one wrestling game that offers a lot of different things for wrestling fans and video game fans.

Wrestling's Greatest Moments-How it All Started (Part One)

Today marks the official release date of Wrestling's Greatest Moments so I thought I'd share a little background on how the book got started. Back around 2006, I was off of work due to illness and I took my first real break in six years (I was working a full-time job and building a law practice). The time off was great and it got me thinking about my passion for wrestling and how much I enjoyed writing about it (doing PPV recaps for Pro Wrestling Illustrated's website and writing weekly columns for World Wrestling Insanity). I decided that I really wanted to try my hand at writing a wrestling book.

Fast forward a year later. I'd started a recurring feature over at World Wrestling Insanity entitled Great Moments in Wrestling which recapped some of the hottest angles in wrestling (such as the birth of the nWo, Hulk Hogan's WWF title win over the Iron Sheik, and Ric Flair's big win at the inaugural Starcade). It was a lot of fun and it finally struck me that it might be a good idea for a book.

The problem was that I really didn't know how to proceed from idea to book. Fortunately, James Guttman (owner of World Wrestling Insanity and author of two, count 'em two wrestling books!) told me how he broke into the business. He suggested I check out ECW Press, the same outfit which published his first (and eventually his second) book. I went to their website and checked out their submission policy. The folks over at ECW Press were looking for new books and when I told the editor what my proposal was, he suggested that I send him an outline of the book along with the first thirty pages of the manuscript and they'd review it.

I'd been fiddling around with an outline and some rough drafts for about six months so this part wasn't too difficult. I sent my manuscript and the outline to a couple friends, got some feedback, made some revisions, and sent the proposal out. Now all I had to do was wait.

Like Tom Petty once sang, the waiting is the hardest part. For the next three months, I agonized over what ECW Press' reaction would be. I knew better than to pester them with emails so I sat tight and hoped for the best. Every day I checked the mailbox, looking for a reply. By May, I still hadn't heard anything so I decided I'd write to ECW Press. The editor was very courteous and told me that he'd have an answer in a few weeks. I didn't have to wait that long and just a week later, I found out that he liked the book and he was definitely interested in it!

I felt like I was on top of the world! I'd sent a book proposal ten years earlier to an agent only to be turned down. For some reason, I never tried finding any other agents. Now, I was about to enter the book world. The journey was just beginning!

The Three Wise Men of Wrestling Announcing

My good friend Sir James Guttman recently interviewed legendary announcer Lance Russell over at his World Wrestling Insanity site. The audio interview got me thinking about some of the all-time greats in wrestling announcing.

When I think about the greatest announcers in wrestling history, three names spring to mind-Jim Ross, Gordon Solie, and Lance Russell. These three gentlemen made it look so easy calling action in and out of the ring but as anyone who's watched the sport for any significant amount of time knows, it's a lot tougher than it looks.

What makes these guys so great by my estimation? The first is credibility. All three men could make the most incredible situation (and we all know how prone wrestling is to getting ridiculous-even in the old school days) believable. Lance Russell and Jim Ross have both had their work cut out for them whether it was Mr. Russell working in Memphis (can you say Frankenstein's Monster?) or Jim Ross calling the WWF and WWE (how about that fake Diesel and Razor Ramon?).

Second, all three gentlemen had an air of professionalism and respectability about them. While Jim Ross is prone to getting caught up in the action emotionally, it rarely seems fake. When Gordon Solie or Lance Russell lost their temper on air over an angle, it was something special as they were usually strictly business. All three men took pride in their craft and it came across in their announcing, adding to the suspension of disbelief that is so special to wrestling (and heaven knows Jim Ross has had to call some pretty ludicrous things in the WWE).

Finally, all three men know that calling match is about more than describing the action in the ring. I will be the first to admit that Lance Russell's announcing was usually short on the names of moves but he knew that his most important job was to establish the stories being told in the ring and the angles behind them (as did Jim Ross and Gordon Solie). During a shoot interview with Jim Cornette, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan wisely observed that the fans don't need play by play (as they're watching rather than listening to the match) as much as they need to know the stories in the ring. I couldn't agree more and the work of Solie, Ross, and Russell supports this (although Jim Ross and Gordon Solie were both thorough in learning the names of wrestling holds).

These three gentlemen are the cream of the crop. There are certainly other announcers in wrestling who deserve praise but no one in my opinion (with the possible exception of Joey Styles) was or is as good as any of wrestling's three wise men.

Turkey and Turnbuckles

Once upon a time, Thanksgiving and Christmas were two of the biggest nights in wrestling. After stuffing themselves with turkey and all the trimmings, fans could look forward to seeing their favorite stars in action. The cards were usually packed with stars and often served as the blow-off for many feuds. For years, Jim Crockett Promotions ran a Thanksgiving show which saw the culmination of many top feuds (In fact, the great site Mid-Atlantic Gateway has a special feature on the Thanksgiving shows that I recommend you check out!). This would culminate in Starcade:A Flair for the Gold and lead to the pay-per-view revolution that would forever change the landscape of wrestling. Thanksgiving was just one important day for the big holiday shows. Another one was Christmas. Probably the best remembered Christmas show was World Class Championship Wrestling's Star Wars holiday shows. These shows would eventually lead to Star Wars shows on Thanksgiving, Independence Day, and Labor Day.

Eventually, the success of PPV's like Starcade and Wrestlemania would lead to these holiday supershows showing up as PPV's. For a few years, Thanksgiving meant Starcade and Survivor Series. I remember how excited I was when I found out the WWF was running a show on Thanksgiving in 1987. The show turned out to be a pleasant surprise and I really enjoyed some of the tag team matches. It was an exciting change of pace from singles matches and it quickly became an annual tradition.

While I miss the holiday cards, I am happy that the wrestlers have the days off. I don't think anyone should have to work big holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. That's a time for family and friends to enjoy a night off and each other's company. Still, there's a small part of me that wishes I could tune in to some wrestling every Thanksgiving.

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving with their friends and family.

Bob Orton Jr. vs John Fogerty

While the art of the promo isn't a lost one as some people would have you believe, it definitely isn't used as effectively as it used to be. Once upon a time, wrestlers could talk people into a building every week just by cutting a good promo on TV.

As much as I don't miss the endless squash matches that used to fill TV, I do miss the hot promos that ran between squash matches. Fact is, they were often the highlight of weekly shows. Sure, once in a while there'd be a name match but it usually ended controversially in order to set up a match at a house show (which makes perfect sense as promoters almost never made money off of TV and derived just about all their income from house show tickets).

This was the golden age of talkers. Guys like Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Jake Roberts, Sgt. Slaughter, and Randy Savage all were so good at talking that I probably would listen to them read the weather forecast. That's how good they were. Whether it was Flair boasting about his lavish lifestyle, Roberts incorporating catchy song lyrics into his promos, or Savage cutting fantastical promos about himself, these guys knew how to talk and how to get the fans excited about their matches. It didn't matter if Ric Flair was wrestling Harley Race or Ron Ritchie; "The Nature Boy" made you feel that you were going to miss the match of the century if you didn't attend the local house show.

What's interesting to me is that even the guys who weren't blessed with a silver tongue were usually good enough to get fans interested in a house show. One reliable trick was to make fun of the local town and/or their sports team. Coming to New York City? Run down the Yankees or the Mets (although making fun of the Mets is like shooting fish in a barrel). Coming to Boston? Make fun of the Celtics or the Sox. It wasn't rocket science and it didn't take a script writer for guys to talk the fans into building.

One of the more unusual promos I ever saw resulted in a prime example of wrestlers talking the fans into a building. The year was 1985 and WWE Hall of Famer "Cowboy" Bob Orton was coming to Buffalo for a house show. Looking back at Orton's promos, the guy wasn't in the league of guys like Flair, Savage, Roberts, or Piper but he could hold his own (and he certainly didn't need a manager) and this particular promo was something special. Here, Orton managed not only to make fun of Buffalo but during the promo, he took a shot at musician John Fogerty. Fogerty had just released a comeback album called Centerfield and he was back in the public eye after years since his glory days in Creedance Clearwater Revival.

Orton's promo struck a nerve with one of my friends who was a big Fogerty fan. Terry was a wrestling fan as well but not a diehard like myself and some of our friends. However when he heard the Orton comment, he was livid and made sure he was included in our regular sojourn to Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium to see the latest WWF house show. This was a classic case of someone getting caught up by a promo. Not only did our friend buy his ticket but he made an anti-Orton sign and talked about little else but seeing Orton get his comeuppance.

The night of the show, Fogerty's #1 fan made it clear to Bob Orton that he hadn't forgotten his deregatory remarks about rock star John Fogerty. As soon as Orton made his way down the aisle, Terry began to bad mouth Orton and couldn't wait to see Orton get some much deserved punishment in the ring. Sadly, Orton's scheduled opponent wasn't there and instead, semi-retired veteran grappler Billy "Red" Lyons (who was quite a competitor in his prime but who was now relegated to announcing matches for Jack Tunney's Maple Leaf Wrestling). We all knew that Lyons didn't stand a chance and he lived down to our expectations, falling to Orton after filling as many minutes of the card as he could. Terry wasn't too happy but then again neither were the fans who had paid to see Orton take on a name opponent (DAMN those "card subject to change without notice" disclaimers!). His only satisfaction was getting to berate Orton in person for mocking John Fogerty.

Nowadays the WWE comes to town two or three times a year, usually with one house show and a RAW or SmackDown! taping. The WWE usually gets a good attendance but I can't help but wonder how many more shows they could run if they relied more on the classic promo. Chances are, you're not going to see them coming back but it's yet another old school trick that promoters everywhere could benefit from bringing back. Don't believe me? Just look at the guy who paid money to see Bob Orton Jr. just because he mocked John Forgety.

Exposed! Secrets of Pro Wrestling Revealed

One of the things I love about TV executives that once they see success, there's no end to how far they'll go in milking a cash cow to death. Don't believe me? Just look at all of the franchises Hollywood has done to death such as Star Trek, Law and Order, and CSI. As if that's not bad enough, you have the cheeseballs who see a successful program and try to find their own success with a hastily produced clone. If you liked American Idol, you're gonna love America's Got Talent, Nashville Star, and America's Most Talented Kid.

Back during the height of the Monday Night War (1995-2001), TV execs scrambled to tap the success of wrestling any way they could. Obviously, no one really started their own promotion to compete against WCW and the WWF (although it would have been interesting to see a major network buy a company like ECW and try to promote it). Instead, you had wrestlers guest starring on TV shows. A&E biographies on wrestlers, news shows examining the new popularity of wrestling, and finally- Exposed! Secrets of Pro Wrestling Revealed (Secrets).

During the late 1990's, there was a rash of TV specials that "exposed" the inner workings of magic tricks. Apparently, some network saw the show's popularity, saw that wrestling was popular, and decided that exposing the world of professional wrestling would be an instant hit. Little did they know that Secrets would quickly become the butt of jokes amongst wrestling fans.

By 1998, there were very few people over seven years old who doubted the worked nature of pro wrestling. Secrets acted like they were exposing the Kennedy assassination instead of telling people things they'd heard before. To be fair, the show did do a pretty good job of showing how certain moves were performed without causing injury. However, several of the aspects of the wrestling business that show purported to "expose" were complete nonsense. For example, the show suggested that most of the signs in the audience were given to fans by promoters. "You didn't really think those fans brought all those signs from home did you?" the announcer would ask rhetorically with a douchebag like laugh at the end. While it's true that promoters sometimes hand out signs, Secrets would have the general public believe that every fan is given their own sign to wave like an idiot. Anyone who's gone to a live event knows that wrestling fans definitely don't need any help making signs.

Without a doubt, the funniest part of the show was when it was revealed that promoters used plants for wrestlers to attack. This led to the revelation of the heretofore unknown phenomenon known as the "stunt granny". That's right, promoters planted little old ladies at ringside every night for heel wrestlers to attack. Knock over Blanche from The Golden Girls and you have instant heat! Add in a bit about heels tearing up a kid's autograph book and you can see why this particular show became so reviled amongst fans. It quickly earned a spot as Wrestlecrap, sealing its place in the annals of history.

What's really ironic is that in real life, the grannies were the ones who usually attacked the wrestler. Back in the day when many fans had their doubts as to whether wrestling was worked, wrestlers had to watch their backs every night for fear some crazed fan would attack them. Having read many wrestlers' autobiographies and seen many shoots, it seems like the little old ladies were the ones attacking the wrestlers, not vice versa. Whether it was canes, hat pins, umbrellas, or something worse, these old-timers made life miserable for heels.

The funniest thing about this show is that it's constantly popping up on cable channels (or so I've been told). Worse yet, I hear there's a new special coming out in 2009. If so, I can't wait to see how they've updated the stunt granny. That should make for some fun viewing.

My favorite foreign objects Part Two & a great Mr. Perfect story

After posting part one of "My favorite foreign objects" I got quite a few emails from people reminiscing on their favorites. While I wasn't surprised at the diversity of responses (which really jogged my memory by the way), I was surprised by one incident that kept popping up on the lists of fans. While this particular incident is memorable, I was surprised because it happened in a promotion that was dying out and which had seen better days.

Which incident am I referring to? None other than the infamous roll full of quarters (or was it dimes?) incident involving the American Wrestling Association (AWA) World Heavyweight Championship.

The year was 1987 and Nick Bockwinkel was once again AWA champion. What was different was that after years of being one of the promotions' top heels, Bockinkel was now a face. Bockwinkel put his AWA strap up against Curt Hennig at the AWA's Superclash II show. When the smoke was over, there was a new champion and a ring full of coins surrounding the fallen Bockwinkel. Bockwinkel fans would claim that Hennig's second Larry Zbyszko had handed him a roll of coins to kayo the champ, Hennig's fans might suggest it was raining pennies (or in this case, dimes-or was it quarters?) from heaven.

So many people sent in this great moment that I had to include it. My friend Scott also sent in a great story about meeting Mr. Perfect. Check this out:

Great Column my brother!!!! The first great foreign object match I can remember really pissed me off because I was young enough to think it was real. It was back in the AWA when Larry Zabisco handed Curt Henning a roll of dimes to knock out The legendary Nick Bockwinkle to win the AWA title. I thought he was a spoiled daddys boy getting the belt. Later in life I was fortunate enough to meet Curt in Las Vegas at the grand opening of the WCW cafe. It was during the heyday of the NWO. The whole wolfpack arrived and were as arrogant and shitty to the crowd as you can imagine. They even had a roped off area where they went and ate and drank without even looking at the fans. Sting and DDP were also there in the roped off area. I was thinking I wasted an entire evening waiting for these jerks to show up and went over to the bar to get a drink. I looked up at the area next to the bar and saw a guy from behind that looked like Curt Henning talking to a couple fans. He was wearing a purple suit and sure enough it was. He was mingling with the "low lives" that paid for that purple suit and I went over and introduced myself. We talked about a few things and I found out what a down to earth funny guy he was. He disliked the way the wolf pack treated everyone, yet there they were in droves standing at the rope waiving hoping for a glance and I was there talking to Mr. Perfect. I never asked him about the foreign object. I knew at that time it was meant to drive us all nuts, it was entertainment and it was .......Perfect.


Thanks for the story Scott!

Unfortunately, I never got to see the AWA during its heyday but I did see the infamous roll of coins incident with Hennig winning the AWA gold. Thanks to bootlegs and the WWE's DVD The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA, I've had a chance to sample the promotion's golden years. Despite all this, it just goes to show that you can still have some great moments even when a promotion is down on its luck. Of course if someone mentions the Turkey on a Pole Match as a classic, I may have to use my own roll of quarters.

A quirky tag team rule that's long past

One of my favorite aspects of professional wrestling has always been tag team wrestling. Growing up watching Jim Crockett Promotions' Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling show, I was spoiled by its great lineup of tag teams (not really a surprise since the promotion actually revolved around tag teams for much of its early years and it knew how to book them to perfection). How could you go wrong with teams like Ric Flair & Blackjack Mulligan, Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood, Ole & Gene Anderson, Jimmy Snuka & Ray Stevens, or Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle? Whether they feuded over the National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Championship, the Mid Atlantic Tag Team Championship, or simple bragging rights, these guys (amongst many others) electrified the ring.

What was particularly interesting about this era was the largely forgotten rule that you could only make one save per match i.e. if your teammate was about to be pinned or submitted, you were allowed to run in once (without a tag) and break up the pin/submission. Any attempts after that earned you an automatic disqualification. Over time, this rule went the way of the Dodo bird (much like the NWA's old rule that throwing your opponent over the top rope meant an automatic disqualification) but I can't help but wonder if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

I still wonder if this rule disappeared in order to facilitate the second golden age of tag team wrestling in the 1980's. I'm not quite sure if teams like the Midnight Express, the Fabulous Ones, the British Bulldogs, or the Hart Foundation would have been exciting if they were limited to one save per match. Then again, they could have been even more exciting had their matches been booked around this rule.

What old school rules do you think should be brought back? What rules are you glad are now nothing more than memory?

Wrestling's Greatest Moments Book News

Hey guys! Just heard from the good folks over at ECW Press about the release date for Wrestling's Greatest Moments. The book (which is available for pre-order over at Amazon.com) is set for a release date of December 1, 2008! Don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have concerning the book.

Every fan of professional wrestling remembers the moment that captured their heart forever and hooked them for life. Whether it was Ric Flair regaining the NWA Championship from Harley Race at Starcade, the Freebirds turning heel on Kerry Von Erich, Mick Foley flying off the cage at King of the Ring, Jake Roberts DDT-ing Ricky Steamboat on the concrete, Samoa Joe’s epic trilogy with CM Punk in Ring of Honor, or the premiere of WCW’s Nitro: these are the matches and moments that thrilled, terrified, or outraged – overwhelming you with real emotion.

Mike Rickard’s Wrestling’s Greatest Moments brings you all the most memorable and controversial moments from modern wrestling history. It’s an insightful and essential compendium of thirty years’ worth of groundbreaking matches, angles and interviews. From Hulkamania to the Montreal “screwjob,” from the NWA to the nWo, you’ll rediscover what really occurred in arenas and on the air worldwide, and learn all the backstage and behind-the-scenes secrets that made these highlight-reel moments possible from the men and women who were there.

Whether you watched Stone Cold Steve Austin point a gun at WWE honcho Vince McMahon’s head, or stood outside the building as D-Generation X “invaded” WCW; whether you look back with nostalgia to “The King” slapping Andy Kaufman silly on Letterman or believe wrestling was better when Bruno sold out Shea; whether you were one of the Philadelphia “bingo hall” faithful who made ECW “extreme” or a casual observer of the Monday Night Wars; whether you’re reliving these moments or discovering them for the first time, Wrestling’s Greatest Moments will enthrall you with the exploits and extravagance, the tragedies and triumphs of the sport of kings.

The Holy Grail of Wrestling Fans

Ever since I began watching wrestling in 1979, the Holy Grail for me and friends was being able to see a title change hands in person (This was back when title changes were few and far between and before world titles changed hands routinely at house shows in East Bumblefuch). Whenever I'd go to a house show with my brother and my friends, we'd look for TV cameras in the belief that if there were TV cameras there, there could be a title change.

Despite our dream of seeing a title change, we were pretty realistic. If a WWF title was going to change hands, it probably wasn't going to happen in our humble hometown of Buffalo, New York. While Buffalo has been a traditional hotbed for wrestling in general, it never seemed like one of the crown jewels of the WWF like Philadelphia, New York City, or Boston.

That's not to say we didn't get some really interesting house shows. We had our share of cage matches, WWF title matches, and even an "anything goes" Battle Royal (back in the days before hardcore) with "Leaping" Lanny Poffo wearing a suit of armor into the ring. Yeah, we had some fun but we pretty much gave up on the idea of seeing a belt change hands.

Flash forward to June 2, 1987. Buffalo was going to host its first ever TV taping. Naturally, everyone had to go because if ever there was a chance to see a title change hands in Buffalo, this would be it. Even if the belt didn't change hands, there was that chance to appear on WWF television!

We all got our tickets but I had a problem- I had to work that night. After a couple years going from job to job, I had secured what I thought was a decent job (at the time). Unfortunately there was no way to get out of working. I was on probation and if I called in sick to go to wrestling, I knew I'd be up the creek. For once in my life, I did the responsible thing.

Boy, was I ever sorry. The next day my friend Keith called me to tell me about the show. "You'll never guess what happened!". I knew I was in trouble. "The Honky Tonk Man beat Steamboat for the Intercontinental Title". First off, I was shocked (as was Keith) that the HTM actually beat Steamboat. Second off, I was pissed because I'd missed the belt change hands-of all the nights to miss a show!

Since then, I've seen my fair share of title changes in person but I still rue the day I decided to do the right thing and ended up missing the beginning of the "Greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time"'s reign. The worst part of the whole I-C debacle was that I would eventually get fired from that very same job (after blowing it off to spend a day with my girlfriend). If I was going to get fired, it should have been for a title change!

My favorite foreign objects Part One

One thing I really miss in wrestling is the use of foreign objects. Sure, some wrestlers use them from time to time but I miss the days when you could count on a heel to use them whenever the chips were down. They're just great ways to taint a win. Who can forget such classics as Roddy Piper using a foreign object to beat "Nature Boy" Ric Flair for the U.S. title, Randy "Macho Man" Savage clobbering Tito Santana with a mysterious object to win the Intercontinental Title, or Johnny V helping the "Dream Team" (Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake) win the WWF Tag Team Titles from the U.S. Express (Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo) with a lit cigar to Windham's eye. So many great moments were made with heels using whatever it took to get the job done. When done correctly, it added so much heat to a feud.

Somewhere along the way, the foreign object has gone out of favor. The worst was when WCW announcers were reportedly ordered by Ted Turner not to use the word "foreign object" and instead say "international object". That's a true WTF moment but then again, you're talking about Ted Turner.

Personally, I think foreign objects have taken a back seat to things like run-in's and chair shots. There's nothing wrong with those but I long for the day when an arena full of fans were screaming bloody murder after a referee missed a babyface getting clobbered with a roll of quarters or a fireball. Naturally, if the referee didn't see it, then it's legal which only adds to the fans' frustration and desire to see a rematch.

Over the next few weeks, I hope to take a look at some of wrestling's greatest foreign object moments and some of the masters of the foreign object. Feel free to send me your favorites and I'll post the best ones!

The Magic of Special Delivery Jones

My dad always told me that no matter what your job, do your best. Whether you're pushing a broom or performing brain surgery, you should give it your all. Wrestler "Special Delivery" Jones epitomized this. The guy never won all that many matches in the World Wrestling Federation but he always entertained the fans and he always made you believe this could be his big week to win.

Born Conrad Efraim, the man who fans would come to know as "S.D." began his career working in the territories of the day. He often teamed with storyline cousin Rufus R. "Freight Train" Jones, feuding with the legendary team of Ole and Gene Anderson. From there, S.D. worked several territories in the National Wrestling Alliance before coming to the place where he would become best known-the World Wrestling Federation.

While S.D. won his fair share of matches in the NWA territories (including three regional tag team championships), he was better known for being what is euphemistically known as "enhancement talent". S.D. Jones was the guy who lost matches week after week, making the WWF's star wrestlers look good. Jones would give it his all and his opponent would usually know they'd be in a fight but most fans can't remember too many wins for "Special Delivery".

But oh was he good at what he did. S.D. always put on entertaining matches and unlike most of the enhancement guys, he had a definite moveset. S.D.'s headbutt nearly won him many a match as did his pugilistic skills. S.D. always came up on the short end of the stick but he always made the fans believe that this could be his big week. That was the magic of Special Delivery, the guy lost week after week but he always put on such an engaging match that you felt like his first win was about to happen. He also had an endearing quality that made you want him to win.

And for a guy who never won a lot of matches, he sure did a lot of other cool things. S.D. was involved in the legendary haircut match where Ken Patera and "Big" John Studd cut Andre the Giant's hair. S.D. made history at Wrestlemania by losing to "King Kong" Bundy in a record-breaking (at the time) 9 seconds. And how many job guys do you know that had their own action figure? S.D. did! Even better, he appeared in the WWF's music video "Land of a Thousand Dances". Pretty impressive for a guy who was paid to count the lights every night. Jones definitely delivered in the ring and he always gave it his best.

Jeff Hardy back in title picture at Survivor Series (SPOILERS)

According to spoilers that I've heard from sources who attended the most recent SmackDown! tapings, it appears that Jeff Hardy is back in the picture for the WWE Title. Not only will Jeff defeat the Undertaker this Friday on SmackDown! but he'll beat Triple H the following week, earning a spot in the Koslov/HHH title match at Survivor Series. Yes, Jeff will be fighting in a Triple Threat Match.

What does this mean for Hardy fans looking for Jeff to finally win the big one? Things are definitely interesting as Jeff seems headed towards a heel turn. As I mentioned in my column at World Wrestling Insanity, this is a risky but potentially lucrative opportunity for Hardy. If the WWE books his turn right, he could gain some new fans. The problem is making sure that his current fans don't turn on him when (and if) he goes heel.

As always, things are never boring with Jeff Hardy either in or out of the ring.

Saturdays of Glory (Part One)

Once upon a time, Saturdays were the best day of the week for me and my brother. Not only was there no school but wrestling was on! After Saturday morning cartoons, it was time for the best part of the day-Jim Crockett Promotion's (JCP) Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling . With stars like Ricky Steamboat, Jay Youngblood, Blackjack Mulligan, Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka (to name but a few), we had a solid hour of nonstop entertainment.

Things got even better when we discovered that local Canadian station CHCH was broadcasting wrestling. With the help of good weather and a good antenna, we were able to see Maple Leaf Wrestling. The show featured talent from JCP as well as local Canadian stars like Dewey Robertson and Angelo "King Kong" Mosca. With retired Canadian legend Billy "Red" Lyons doing the announcing, we doubled our wrestling fix and saw even more new stars (MLW would sometimes bring in wrestlers from the AWA and WWF which meant they'd show video of them in their respective territories before showcasing them in live matches).

All good things come to an end though and Vince McMahon was buying up TV time like Pacman was gobbling up power pellets in arcades around the country. One day I tuned in to watch Ric Flair and I got Bob Backlund. ARGGGH!!! While the WWF had its fair share of talented wrestlers, the promotion couldn't hold a candle to my beloved Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Jim Crockett lined up some of the most colorful wrestlers around while the WWF at the time had guys like Bob Backlund, The Wild Samoans, and Tony Garea. Granted, all of these guys were solid performers but they weren't Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, or Roddy Piper. Worse yet, the WWF booked squash match after squash match with a rare angle thrown in from time to time.

Once in a while, a JCP star would show up in WWF, catching my interest. However it just wasn't the same. Seeing a former JCP favorite "Cowboy" Bob Orton feud with Bob Backlund did nothing for me, especially with the WWF style of booking (The WWF booked their weekly shows with squash match after squash match with a rare angle thrown in from time to time. Worse yet, feuds took forever to develop).

Fortunately for us, there was still Maple Leaf Wrestling to tune in to. After the WWF show , we eagerly tuned in to the often fuzzy broadcasts of Maple Leaf Wrestling to catch up on the latest action in JCP. That and the Apter mags were my lifeline to my favorite promotion. Through them, I kept up with all the storylines and longed for the day when JCP returned to Buffalo.

Then it happened. Oh cruel fate. What did I do to deserve this, not once but twice? One day I tuned in to Maple Leaf Wrestling to see the WWF stars alongside announcer Billy "Red" Lyons. Now, I was stuck with not one but two hours of crappy WWF TV. Vince McMahon had robbed me of my only pleasure in life.

Little did I know that business was about to pick up and the best was yet to come. Cable TV was going to open my eyes to an entirely new wrestling experience.

Saturdays of Glory (Part One)

Once upon a time, Saturdays were the best day of the week for me and my brother. Not only was there no school but wrestling was on! After Saturday morning cartoons, it was time for the best part of the day-Jim Crockett Promotion's (JCP) Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling. With stars like Ricky Steamboat, Jay Youngblood, Blackjack Mulligan, Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka (to name but a few), we had a solid hour of nonstop entertainment.

Things got even better when we discovered that local Canadian station CHCH was broadcasting wrestling. With the help of good weather and a good antenna, we were able to see Maple Leaf Wrestling. The show featured talent from JCP as well as local Canadian stars like Dewey Robertson and Angelo "King Kong" Mosca. With retired Canadian legend Billy "Red" Lyons doing the announcing, we doubled our wrestling fix and saw even more new stars (MLW would sometimes bring in wrestlers from the AWA and WWF which meant they'd show video of them in their respective territories before showcasing them in live matches).

All good things come to an end though and Vince McMahon was buying up TV time like Pacman was gobbling up power pellets in arcades around the country. One day I tuned in to watch Ric Flair and I got Bob Backlund. ARGGGH!!! While the WWF had its fair share of talented wrestlers, the promotion couldn't hold a candle to my beloved Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Jim Crockett lined up some of the most colorful wrestlers around while the WWF at the time had guys like Bob Backlund, The Wild Samoans, and Tony Garea. Granted, all of these guys were solid performers but they weren't Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, or Roddy Piper. Worse yet, the WWF booked squash match after squash match with a rare angle thrown in from time to time.

Once in a while, a JCP star would show up in WWF, catching my interest. However it just wasn't the same. Seeing a former JCP favorite "Cowboy" Bob Orton feud with Bob Backlund did nothing for me, especially with the WWF style of booking (The WWF booked their weekly shows with squash match after squash match with a rare angle thrown in from time to time. Worse yet, feuds took forever to develop).

Fortunately for us, there was still Maple Leaf Wrestling to tune in to. After the WWF show , we eagerly tuned in to the often fuzzy broadcasts of Maple Leaf Wrestling to catch up on the latest action in JCP. That and the Apter mags were my lifeline to my favorite promotion. Through them, I kept up with all the storylines and longed for the day when JCP returned to Buffalo.

Then it happened. Oh cruel fate. What did I do to deserve this, not once but twice? One day I tuned in to Maple Leaf Wrestling to see the WWF stars alongside announcer Billy "Red" Lyons. Now, I was stuck with not one but two hours of crappy WWF TV. Vince McMahon had robbed me of my only pleasure in life.

Little did I know that business was about to pick up and the best was yet to come. Cable TV was going to open my eyes to an entirely new wrestling experience.

The Top Ten Greatest Moments of 2008 (Part Two)

5. Floyd Mayweather breaks the Big Show’s nose: Show’s surprise return at No Way Out led to an even bigger surprise when boxer Floyd “Money” Mayweather intervened in a Big Show beatdown on Rey Mysterio, breaking the giant’s nose in the process. The fans quickly rallied to the Big Show’s side though when given the choice of cheering cocky outsider Mayweather or rooting for a WWE Superstar. Despite their Wrestlemania match being a complete mismatch on paper, the buildup to the match and the match itself turned out to be surprisingly good.



4. Chris Jericho puts Shawn Michaels through the Jeri-Tron 6000: A good angle can always be recycled and Chris Jericho’s heel turn on Shawn Michaels couldn’t help but bring back memories of Shawn Michaels putting his partner Marty Jannetty through a window during his heel turn way back when. As exciting as the attack on Michaels was, things just kept getting better with Michaels’ wife getting clobbered by Jericho (“accidentally” according to Jericho), Michaels getting revenge in an unsanctioned match, and Jericho winning an exciting ladder match against Michaels. This feud reminded fans what a good feud is all about-escalating encounters that keep the fans on the edge of their seat looking for the face to get the ultimate revenge.



3. Ric Flair’s Farewell Address: Flair’s farewell address was the icing on the cake of a tremendous weekend celebration honoring the greatest performer in the industry’s history. After an unforgettable Hall of Fame ceremony and an emotional final match at Wrestlemania, the WWE assembled a Who’s Who from Flair’s past to honor his retirement from the business. This is how you treat a legend when he finally decides to hang up the boots .



2. Matt and Jeff Hardy win respective World Championships: Matt and Jeff Hardy have always been way over with the fans. Matt and Jeff Hardy have always sold more then their fair share of merchandise. And yet, until recently, they couldn’t get the time of day from WWE Creative. That changed in 2008 when WWE Creative got solidly behind both men and decided that maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to put someone in the main event that has a huge fanbase. Hopefully the WWE will continue to let the fans guide them rather than writers who seem to have lost touch with what sells in professional wrestling.



1. CM Punk cashes in his Money in the Bank Title Match: This moment more than any other, had fans on the edge of their seats, screaming at their TV’s and hoping that CM Punk would continue the impressive list of MITB winners to successfully convert their win into a world championship win. After Batista came out and destroyed Edge during an episode of Monday Night RAW, time seemed to stand still when Punk’s music played and the “Straight Edged Superstar” came out with his MITB briefcase. This great moment epitomized the WWE’s new direction in 2008 as the company finally seemed to recognize talent that is over with the fans and focus on building new stars for the future.