WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event: Nostalgia Reimagined

A nostalgic staple of WWE’s network programming returns as Saturday Night’s Main Event airs on NBC. The December 14th special, featuring a WWE Championship match with Cody Rhodes defending the gold against former friend turned dastardly challenger Kevin Owens has fans buzzing with excitement.

Whether it’s the formation of the Mega Powers, Mr. Perfect destroying the WWF Championship belt with a hammer, or an all-time classic between Rockers facing the Brain Busters, Saturday Night’s Main Event was a show where big things popped off that kept people talking all day Sunday and well into Monday.

I vividly remember my first Saturday Night’s Main Event. I hadn’t been a wrestling fan for that long. However, if you heard me talk about anything related to the squared circle, you’d think I was a long-time superfan. I was playing outside with my friend Billy Andrews when he said he couldn’t wait to see the Ultimate Warrior face the Super Ninja.

Hearing the words “Ultimate Warrior” and “Super Ninja” in the same sentence made my mind explode with excitement.

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Favorite Matches #6: Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect

The night before the Summer Slam 88, a Mega Powers’ promo hyping their match against the Mega Bucks got me hooked on professional wrestling. The actual matches were ancillary as it was all about the drama and interviews ending in “whatcha gonna do.” Three years later, my wrestling fandom got flipped turned upside down by an amazing match between two all-time greats.

The Intercontinental Title match at Summer Slam 1991 between Mr. Perfect and Bret Hart completely changed how I looked at wrestling. I didn’t know anything about booking or storytelling at the time, however, the match was a masterful display of the art.

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The Hulkamania Workout Set Explains Everything

I consider myself someone who knows a lot about wrestling and the various forms of merchandise that have been released over the years. However, this gem completely escaped me. It’s the Hulkamania Workout Set made by the LJN toy company.

I’m sad that I missed the opportunity to run around the house and yell “What’chu gonna do” while wearing the Hulkster wristbands and headbands that came with the set. I guess I would have used the workout equipment at some point. Continue reading “The Hulkamania Workout Set Explains Everything” →

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers at Rhode Island Comic Con

From the moment the pilot episode aired on Fox, The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers immediately captured my imagination. What was crummy for me is that the show became massively popular while I was in middle school. This meant I could never talk about the show with my friends because we all took a vow of silence, pretending we didn’t watch the show because we were too old to enjoy a kids’ television program.

I remember wanting to get the action figures, but I didn’t due to fear of ridicule if my friends came over to my house and saw a Dragon Zord sitting on my bureau. Now that I’m an adult, concerns over what people think about my geeky hobbies aren’t even a blip on the radar.

The Green Ranger, played by Jason David Frank, is my all-time favorite Ranger. I’ve always felt that the White Ranger, also played by Frank, gets a bad rap. There is nothing wrong with the portrayal or character; it’s just hard to get someone to jump on board when a concept that was a 10 is replaced with the idea that is a 9.

I attended Rhode Island Comic-Con this past weekend to cover the festivities for Forces of Geek and had the pleasure of meeting comic book creators and the original Flash, John Wesley Shipp. The highlight of the convention was the Power Rangers Q & A panel featuring the original Red Ranger, Austin St. John. There were many fans in attendance, and their passion and dedication to the franchise was an inspiring sight to behold. One person told me that he found the inspiration to lose weight because of the leadership that St. John exhibited on-screen.

I wrote an article reviewing the Power Ranger’s Q & A Panel at RICC, and you can check it out at Forces of Geek.com

Phil Baroni vs. Karo Parisyan: A Link To The Past

Phil Baroni and Karo Parisyan recently clashed in a welterweight bout, at Bellator 122, that instantly brought me back to the infancy of my MMA mega fandom. In 2003, Baroni took the UFC by storm with his “New York Bad Ass” persona and brutal knockout power, and Parisyan made his UFC debut with an impressive display of Judo that shook the welterweight division. I was surprised I hadn’t heard about this fight until the morning of the event. Baroni and Parisyan are nowhere near the top ten today, but they are recognizable names from an era that ushered in the sport’s boom period. Continue reading “Phil Baroni vs. Karo Parisyan: A Link To The Past” →

WWE’s Forgotten Gem: The Grand Finale Match of Survival

Traditionally, Survivor Series is one of WWE’s big four pay-per-view events. Debuting in 1987, the show featured primarily team elimination matches. Sadly, the fall classic has lost its luster over the last several years.

The longtime fan in me will always have a soft spot for the event, especially when it aired on Thanksgiving night. 1990 is my favorite installment not only because it marks the debut of The Undertaker but also because of the main event, The Ultimate Match of Survival.

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