Do You Remember The Original ECW Invasion?

As a teenager in the growing up in the 1990’s, professional wrestling was my singular passion. While WWF/E was often front and center for me, Extreme Championship Wrestling, spent a few years as my favorite wrestling company. What drew me into ECW was the realistic storylines and hardcore atmosphere, complimented by blood, guts, tables, chairs and barbed wire brutality.

Naturally, I was thrilled when WWF and ECW worked together for a time in 1997. Taz, Tommy Dreamer, Sandman, Paul Heyman, and others appeared on Raw and in return, Jerry Lawler, with the help of Sabu and Rob Van Dam would infiltrate the ECW Arena. This was great stuff that really showed how to do a proper promotion vs. promotion angle.

Most wrestling fans only remember the poorly executed 2001 invasion angle involving ECW and WCW instead of its predecessor. I recently wrote an article for WhatCulture.com examining all the juicy details about this fresh concept during the heated stages of the Monday Night War. Click the link to check out 10 Things You Need To Know About The Original ECW Invasion.

Did Ambrose vs. Rollins Deliver?

My friends and I get together to watch the big four WWE pay-per-view events and tend not to care about the other eight events, otherwise known as the B-Shows. With the WWE Network, I watch these shows even though I didn’t before. On Sunday, afternoon, I received a phone call from my friend Ryan telling me he was having a get together at his house for Hell in a Cell, again,which is a B-Show.

There was only one reason why we were getting together for a show that we would normally ignore. Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollin, in the main event, inside the Cell. This was the first feud that I had been legitimately excited for in a while. I mean, how could this match go wrong? Well, some feel the match delivered tenfold while others believe it left a lot to be desired.

I wrote an article breaking down the match for the Camel Clutch Blog titled “Gimmicks in a Cell”

WWE Superstars #9 Review: Legend vs. Legend

There is a rumor going around that at next year’s WrestleMania, John Cena, age 37, will square off with a 61-year-old Hulk Hogan. The predetermined nature of professional wrestling allows for certain dream matches to occur that otherwise wouldn’t happen in Boxing or Mixed Martial Arts.

However, what if this match and others could happen when both men were in their prime? Mick Foley and Shane Riches give us a look, through a bizarre prism, of what that would look like. Wrestlers from different eras are being pulled into combat across a myriad of battle fields from the roman coliseum to the pirate ships of the seven seas. Continue reading “WWE Superstars #9 Review: Legend vs. Legend” →

Wrestling Game StArcade: WWF WrestleMania

It took me years to finally admit to myself that WWF’s first game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, WrestleMania, absolutely sucked. Deep down inside, I always knew it, but that didn’t stop me from playing it for hours on end. I mean, come on. You get to play as Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage. What could go wrong? Well, quite a bit actually.

The most frustrating thing about this game for me was figuring out how to pin somebody. Every time I knocked my opponent down and drained his energy, I mashed the buttons at a feverish pace, hoping I would luck out and press the right combination. Thanks to this cool blog written by Alex Knapp over at The Johnson Transcript , I finally know how. (Hit the B button and the right D-pad)

The Johnson Transcript

by Alex Knapp

WWF WrestleMania
Year: 1988
System: Nintendo Entertainment System
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Acclaim

By the latter half of the 1980s, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) was the unquestioned king of pro wrestling. Vince McMahon’s ambitious growth had seen the fed lay waste to the territorial promotions of old, neuter the AWA, and eventually defeat the one promotion that could compete with them nationally, Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP). The era of Hulkamania and the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection was in full swing, wrestlers were appearing on MTV, and WrestleMania III had recently generated unbelievable attendance and buyrate numbers, as millions of paying fans witnessed Hulk Hogan slamming Andre The Giant (all 7,000 pounds of him, brother!).

A central component of the WWF’s success was its ability to ride the waves of the evolutions in media going on at the time. The developments of cable television and…

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It’s Time For The IC Title To Rise

Most people that dream of a career in athletics or entertainment aspire to be a world champion or recognized by an academy of their peers as the best. I, on the other hand, had childhood ambitions of becoming the WWE Intercontinental Champion. Sounds kind of odd, right? Someone dreaming of being second best instead of number one is not normal. The thing is, I didn’t look at it that way.

Those who watch professional wrestling enjoy it for one or all of its different facets. I enjoy it for the matches more than anything and to me, the WWE title meant you were the biggest star while the IC title states that you were the best wrestler. That’s what I wanted to be, the best wrestler and tell great stories in the ring like Don Muraco, Ricky Steamboat, and Randy Savage.

Intercontinental title matches were one of, if not, the hottest match on the card. Summer Slam 1991 was a significant moment for me as a wrestling fan. Bret Hart upended Hulk Hogan as my favorite wrestler when he defeated Mr. Perfect for the title. Their match spoke to me in a way that I can barely put into words. It was epic, dramatic on its own accord, and was simply about being the best wrestler.

The IC title was highly regarded and held such prestige. Today, not so much. It’s an afterthought at best. So, I wrote about how WWE could fix that problem for my debut article at What Culture.com where I was invited to join them as a featured columnist. I’m very appreciative of this opportunity and can’t wait to get into the thick of things. Check out 5 Ways WWE Can Make The Intercontinental Title Relevant Again.

Raw is Rock But Not Solid: Thoughts on the WWE Product

WWE served up another episode of Monday Night Raw that spun its wheels before it was saved with a surprise appearance by The Rock. While the great one’s appearance is just what the doctor ordered, it also highlighted some of the glaring holes in the company’s current creative direction and talent roster. Continue reading “Raw is Rock But Not Solid: Thoughts on the WWE Product” →

Reflections of ElkMania 2

**Poster by Mark Marianelli of Six AM Comics**

This past Saturday night, I put my wrestling promoter’s hat on, again, for our second annual pro wrestling charity event, ElkMania 2. Last year’s show was a huge success as we raised $1400. 00 for the Elks National Foundation which funds youth programs, college scholarships, and veteran services. My colleagues and I put together a fantastic show with the goal of exceeding its predecessor in every way and we had a former WWE Superstar to help us out. Continue reading “Reflections of ElkMania 2” →

Brock Lesnar: The Conqueror of Worlds

John Cena got the crap kicked out of him on Sunday night. That is the only way to describe the Summer Slam main event between him and Brock Lesnar. There was a lot of talk about how this match was going to go. Some felt Lesnar should win while others felt he should never see the gold and leather of the world title due to his part time status. Continue reading “Brock Lesnar: The Conqueror of Worlds” →

The Battle of WWE’s Institutional Racism

Article written for Gerweck.net

The accusation of racism in WWE has once again reared its ugly head. It is an issue that has been brought up over the years, but never thoroughly investigated because only a handful of wrestlers have spoken out on the matter. Also, because professional wrestling is dismissed more often than revered as an entertainment genre, the issue is often swept under the rug and never taken seriously. The Atlantic’s article on racism in professional wrestling sparked the first real conversation on the matter, and the recent firing of Alberto Del Rio has raised concern and awareness on the issue to an increasingly unprecedented degree. Continue reading “The Battle of WWE’s Institutional Racism” →

Hey Yo, I’m Not Watching Raw Tonight

Millions of wrestling fans across the nation will be watching Monday Night Raw this evening. However, I won’t be one of them. It should be a fun episode considering it’s not only the go home show for Summer Slam, but it’s Hulk Hogan’s Birthday and a big celebration is planned with surprise guests including an nWo reunion. I’m a huge mark for the black and white clad stable, but I just don’t have it in me to watch a classless buffoon receive a thunderous applause from an arena full of people while getting a payday to boot. The jackass I’m referring to is Scott Hall. Continue reading “Hey Yo, I’m Not Watching Raw Tonight” →