What if the Fake Diesel and Razor Ramon Actually Worked?

In the Summer of 1996, Professional Wrestling’s Monday Night Wars were heating up. The nWo became an instant ratings bonanza for World Championship Wrestling while the World Wrestling Federation was struggling for their piece of the pie. In August of that year, Jim Ross announced that Diesel and Razor Ramon were heading back to WWF. This created a tidal wave of controversy as the men who performed as Razor and Diesel, were under contract to WCW.

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The New WWE – for better or for worse?

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.

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Things I forgot about WrestleMania 2

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.

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G.I. Joe: Retaliation Movie Review

I got to see The Rock’s new movie, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and I have got to say it was pretty decent. If you grew up screaming “Yo Joe,” you will have your likes and dislikes about the film.

We pick up where the 2009 movie left off as the Joes, under the command of Duke, are ambushed and all but wiped out by order of the Zartan under the guise of the President of the United States. Roadblock, Lady Jaye, and Flint are the only survivors, and they put a plan in action to stop Cobra’s sinister plot as the fate of mankind hangs in the balance.

The movie was scheduled to be released in June 2012, but the studio pushed the date back to convert it to 3-D. It was also reported that the film tested poorly and that the main source of criticism stemmed from the fact that Duke, played by Channing Tatum, was killed off so quickly.

The majority of the original cast was not brought back for this film, which was designed to give the franchise a fresh coat of paint instead of going into reboot mode. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Several subplots were embedded throughout the film. Some work, but some don’t, as more time should have been spent on character development.

Adrianne Palicki was sensational as Lady Jaye, D.J. Controna was useless as Flint and Ray Stevenson was picture-perfect as Firefly, Cobra’s deadly saboteur. Enough about these jabronies. What you really want to know is, did the WWE Champion bring it? The answer is absolutely yes. Rock and Palicki were the only ones who felt comfortable and natural in their roles as Joes.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation is a fun enough movie that sometimes gets in its own way. While Retaliation scores higher marks than its silver screen predecessor, it lacks the gravitas that made the cartoon a pop culture staple.

Don’t go into the movie expecting a carefully crafted story. It’s an action flick that just so happens to have the name G.I Joe plastered on it. Expecting absolute greatness out of any film will never live up to such an elevated expectation. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the explosive ride.

It’s Official, John Cena is a Good Wrestler

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.

Click here to read the rest of my column at Gerweck.net: Pro Wrestling News Since 1997

New WWE Title and a Rundown of My Favorite Championship Hardware

This past Monday on Raw, The Rock unveiled the new WWE championship belt. Some like it, but most seem to hate it. Truth be told, I will take anything over that awful spinner belt. Sure, the diamond encrusted center plate looks a little bedazzled and is a far cry from a traditional design. It will take some getting used to but I think people will grow to like it.

As a kid, I hated the Winged Eagle belt that Randy Savage won at WrestleMania 4. I was at WrestleMania 14 where Steve Austin beat Shawn Michaels in the last match contested for the title. The next night on Raw, Vince McMahon presented Austin with what became known as the Attitude Era belt which is my favorite version of the championship. Today, I’m fond of the Winged Eagle belt as I’m ushered back to my childhood whenever I see it

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as some belts look better than others and carry more prestige. Here are some thoughts the belt designs I’ve always enjoyed:

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Dutch Mantel is back and has heat with Illegal Immigrants

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!

Pro Wrestling booking fails UFC

ufc156_09_bigfoot_vs_overeem_014 — **Photo by Donald Miralle/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC**

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.

Ben Fowlkes of MMA Junkie.com, wrote an outstanding piece about the downside of MMA booking in regards to Alistair Overeem’s loss at UFC 156 titled Bigfoot and The Reem: A Cautionary Tale

WWE Royal Rumble 2013 Predictions

The main course of this Sunday’s Royal Rumble will be the WWE championship match between CM Punk and The Rock. While the rumble match is still the apple of many eyes, this is a one match show that has everyone talking for a variety of reasons. Who do you want to win? Who do you think should win? What do you think is the likely going to happen? Let’s talk.

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It’s All About The Luck of The Draw in The Royal Rumble

The unsung hero of the Royal Rumble event is the golden spinning tumbler that holds the numbers drawn randomly to determine the order of entry into the Royal Rumble match. The luck of the draw is so important because the higher the number, the higher a wrestler’s chances are of victory. Back in the day, the actual drawing of the numbers was focused on a lot more because it gave fans a clue as to what spot the wrestlers drew without revealing the actual point of entry.

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