Chris Benoit was my professional idol. There, I said it. It’s something that no one except my close friends know. In a way, I’m ashamed of this even though no one could have predicted the horrific events that occurred six years ago this very day. I remember where I was when I heard the news about the murders. I had just gotten out of class and my friend Reid call me and said: “I have something to tell you and you should sit down.”
It is hard for me not to be romantic when talking about Superman. He was the first comic book I ever read, the first action figure I ever owned, and often times, I’ve felt like a strange visitor from another planet. Superman inspires me like no other because he is the ultimate clutch player that comes through when things are at their worst. Needless to say, I had been eagerly anticipating the release of Man of Steel for over a year now, and I finally got to see it on opening night; and it is an epic film that captures who Superman needed to be in 2013.
I’m putting myself out there on this one. As they say on the street, you either go big or you go home.
There comes a time in any genre where a particular talent stands out from the rest of the pack. It could be for several reasons or simply because of one mitigating factor. Personal opinion comes into play as the exploits of this individual speaks to you, even if they don’t to anyone else. This person also reinvigorates your excitement for the genre to the point where you’ve become a fan again for the first time. I’m talking about professional wrestling, and the wrestler I’m referring to is Dean Ambrose, and I believe he will be the future of the business.
Dolph Ziggler cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and defeated Alberto Del Rio to become the World Heavyweight Champion. It was a moment many wrestling fans have been clamoring for and it occurred the night after WrestleMania 29. That’s the problem, it happened after, and not at WrestleMania.
With WrestleMania 29 upon us, I got the sudden urge last week to dig into my DVD collection and watch WrestleMania 2. It’s not the most popular Mania of all time, but it was a big deal back in 1986.
The first time I watched this event was in the early 90’s when I rented it from a mom and pop video store that had a massive wrestling collection. I believe this was the first time I had watched it since and boy, did I forget a lot about this event! In fact, I forgot so much of what happened that I almost turned in my wrestling fan card.
April 6, 2013 – There is good news for professional wrestling fans! The Body Slam Podcast will host a jam-packed WrestleMania 29 Round Table which will be held on Saturday April 6th, exclusively at http://www.gerweck.net and will premiere at 1:00 PM EST.
The BSP will raffle off a WrestleMania DVD prize pack containing
Guess what folks? John Cena can wrestle, and he proved it last Monday when he and CM Punk tore the house down, and arguably had the best match in the history of Monday Night Raw.
Is Cena the world’s greatest wrestler? No. Are his promos gods awful and infuriating at times? Absolutely. The fact of the matter is you can’t suck and have the kind of match that he had. CM Punk does bring the best out of him, but Cena wasn’t carried in any way, shape, or form.
“I’m serving humble pie and I hope all of my critics are hungry” were the first verbal shots fired by John Cena in his pre-match promo. He was determined to have the kind of match that fans will be talking about for years to come.
Cena is a lousy mechanic, which is what he gets such a bad rap for. However, he can tell a great story and knows how to work in the right situations. Don’t believe me? Let’s take trip down memory lane and look at the best John Cena matches.
Star Wars #2 | Writer: Brian Wood | Artist: Carlos D’Anda | Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb | Cover: Alex Ross | Publisher: Dark Horse Comics | Price: $2.99 | From my column @Forces of Geek.com
It is a great time to be a Star Wars fan. J.J. Abrams is directing Episode VII, Han Solo, and Boba Fett will reportedly get their own film, and Brian Wood knocked it out of the park with last month’s debut issue that captures the true essence of this franchise and has gone back to press for a 3rd printing.
Deception clouds the Rebel Alliance as a spy is rumored to be lurking about. Princess Leia has been charged to assemble a stealth team to flush out the mole so they can find a new hidden base.
Dutch Mantel’s second trip into World Wrestling Entertainment has caused quite a stir with his new managerial role. Jack Swagger is a talented in-ring performer but he doesn’t have the chops on the microphone. Mantel, now Zeb Colter, might be just what the Division I All-American needs.
Mantel’s previous run in the WWE was in 1995-1996 under the name, Uncle Zebekiah. He managed Jacob and Eli, The Blu Brothers, and Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw who went on to become main event star, JBL.
My newest gerweck.net column titled The Colter Conundrum, explores the use of racist story arcs in the WWE in regards to this new character. Click here to check it out!
UFC 156 served as a lesson for long-term planning in the fight game. Two anticipated mega fights that hinged upon a particular set of results were incinerated for the foreseeable future and may never materialize. Rashad Evans and Alistair Overeem had one task: to win.
Instead, Evans treated fans to a fifteen-minute exhibition of fakes and faints. At the same time, Antonio Silva flipped the script and made Overeem pay the price for taking him lightly using the currency of a devastating knockout. A boulevard of broken dreams has thrown water onto a fire that was supposed to signal the year of the mega-fight.
Anderson Silva will probably end up fighting Chris Weidman, and Cain Velasquez will either have to wait for a new contender to emerge or fight Antonio Silva, whom he literally beat to a bloody pulp the first time they fought in the summer. Both of those fights are lackluster and have little box office appeal.
When the dust settles and the smoke clears, fights like Overeem vs. Silva make Vince McMahon happy; his stuff is fake.
