C.S.

True. But Tough Enough still is totally unnecessary. The last winner really made an impact… And only Steve Ausin made it fun to watch. I am happy Tough Enough is coming back. I hope Austin is on board, even though I have to really question his decision-making skills for going with "Big Andy" (assuming the decision was really his to make) when it was obvious to everyone else - even at the time - that the guy was horrible. Stoked about the Clashes being added... Awesome news!

Attitude Era didn't suck. Neither did Mountie. I didn't like the forklift though, because it belonged in another time period. I probably wouldn't like Mountie today either. However, now that I'm hearing the forklift thing was a tribute to Bryan's dad, I think that's actually pretty cool (if true). Also, I forgot to mention the Wee-LC Match in my last post. Thought that was really fun and creative, down to the mini ladders and chairs, mini commentators, mini commentary table, etc. WWE thought of everything, and both Torito and Hornswoggle busted their asses out there. I still stand behind my opinion on both Cena/Bray matches: memorable, creative, outside the box, and did a great job in showing who both characters are. I loved them. Let every other match be "great wrestling matches" - these told a great story IMO. I hope Batista vs. Bryan is another false internet rumor, like "Bryan vs. Kane isn't the main event at Extreme Rules" that everyone jumped on despite a complete lack of evidence. Batista has lost the past two PPVs, including to Bryan at WM, and isn't a compelling opponent or character. He can be rebuilt, but shoving him down everyone's throats in another main event isn't the way to do it. Give Batista time to breathe and find his footing again. Even Kane would be a preferable opponent.

I think I'm the only one on the entire internet who enjoyed both Cena/Bray matches. Are they the great "wrestling" matches these two are probably capable of having with each other? No, and I can understand disappointment if that's what you were expecting, but really, last month's WM match should have made it clear that that's not what they're doing. I thought both matches were very creative, out of the box, character-driven, and told great stories about who both men are and what they stand for. So, yeah, I liked them...sue me. I wasn't down on the Bryan/Kane feud either like most people, but the match itself had too many cheesy Attitude Era spots. (Forklift..WTF?) If they had eliminated that silliness and just focused on an angry Bryan beating the shit out of Kane, it would have been a lot more effective. Not a fan of the feud continuing either. There's no drama, because Kane isn't going to win, and it would be horrible if he does. I also liked Paige vs. Tamina. It was more intense than most "divas" matches. Tamina has a good look. I'm surprised she hasn't been pushed more, honestly. But yeah, this was definitely Paige's match. She's awesome. Evolution/Shield was a very fun garbage brawl, but I really hope no one goes crazy and exaggerates it as a "Match of the Year" affair. It wasn't. But it was enjoyable for what it was. I enjoyed the show overall. The Network has been worth the money and then some. On a completely random note, RockyRacoon War Damn Eagle from GA (wow, what a name!) from Wrestling Classics wondered if the Wyatt Kid, "Little Johnny," was the same child from the Cam Newton NFL commercial. I'm going to guess it probably was, because I read an article about Jameson (remember him?) a little while ago, and he mentioned that his son had done that commercial. Jameson article: http://www.wrestlecrap.com/rants/jameson-answers-the-count-of-10/ Cam Newton commercial: Looks like "Little Johnny," and the Jameson connection almost confirms it IMO. BTW, I missed the post-PPV press conference. I assumed it would be a complete waste of time. Apparently not. Hope there's a way to catch a replay of THAT on the Network. I can't remember if WWE archives the pre- and post-PPV stuff. I think so, and hope so.

Why not? If enough people are watching it (and I have no idea about any of the data), I could very well see it happening. Tough Enough is coming back, so anything's possible. I watched the Iron Sheik/Andre episode of Legends of Wrestling. I had actually seen it before, on DVD, and it's still probably the best episode they've ever done. For the most part, all they do is tell awesome road stories for an hour. I highly, highly recommend it. I wish every roundtable was as good as this one.

I watched the third episode of Legends House, and it was by far the weakest. The contrived games were the dullest part, and I didn't think the losing team had it that bad. When it was announced that the losers would have to ride in a 15-passenger van, I figured it would be cramped with other people as well, not just the Legends. The way I see it, 4-5 guys in a spacious van sounds pretty good to me. It's no limo, but it's still a fairly decent accommodation. Pat Patterson really came across as a whiny bitch this week. In retrospect, he's been that way every week. It's kind of funny though. I continue to feel sorry for Tony Atlas. He's trying so hard, and almost everyone is leaving him out. He's definitely the odd man, but he seems like a good guy. For God's sake, he even maintained a positive attitude about fucking penguins and rubber duckies. I also thought everyone was unfair to Jimmy Hart. The one bit where he spoke about himself in the third person was strange though. Then again, as the Gary Busey bit from the first week illustrated, these guys are trapped in their characters 24/7. A lot of this "drama" seems really minor. I'm surprised the show hasn't been more outrageous than it is. As it stands, it's been relatively tame so far. I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing. I'm not exactly encouraging more "scripting," but I am surprised that there has seemingly been so little. I fully expect the second season (if there is one) to have a lot more manufactured chaos. I never liked the idea of "reality" shows being so overly scripted, but after seeing Legends House kind of plod along without any real fireworks, I now understand why they are.

His thoughts on coming in as a "French sympathizer" and later being given the Con Man gimmick? What would he have done with his character if given the chance?

Isn't Meltzer's bias the reason it took so long for Bob to get into the WON HOF? Meltz is certainly entitled to his likes and dislikes, but his lack of objectivity in this instance is pretty glaring - out of character, almost. But maybe it's a case of him being more passionate - both positively and negatively - about wrestlers and wrestling in his younger years. For example, I don't think he'd call a wrestler something like "Anabolic Warrior" today.

Corino was one of the highlights - if not the highlight - of ECW in its final years. WWE really missed the boat not picking up this guy at the time. He could have been - dare I say it - a modern Piper. By that, I mean undersized heel who could talk massive shit but was credible in the ring.

I had become a fan only a few months before - first the WWF and then WCW. This was the first "great" match I ever saw, and it cemented me as a fan for life. WCW eventually airing classic matches for a few weeks on (I think) Worldwide continued that along, and so did renting old WWF PPVs. The WCW Worldwide (?) stuff was peculiar to me at the time, because it was a complete Flair-fest - even though Flair was in the WWF at that time. Who knows why WCW did half the things they did, but in that case, I'm glad they did it. Michael Hayes was one of the hosts, and I remember him being adamant that they should air the best stuff, "even if those people are no longer in WCW."

No "mark" actually thought this when I was a kid. Me and my friends all strongly suspected Flair was winning, but the Piper "dare to dream" stuff right before the Rumble did sway me a bit. However, as soon as I saw Piper in the I-C Title match at the PPV, I knew right then and there he had no chance of winning the Rumble and it was going to be Flair's night. The WWF had always been incredibly predictable, and this Rumble - as awesome as it was (best Rumble ever IMO) - was no different in that regard. Agreed. It never made sense to me. Hogan looked like a spoiled, whiny bitch to me for doing that to Sid, even back then. It was such an odd piece of booking.

Tremendous debut angle for Nailz, but he peaked right then and there. Anyone remember him coming in for one shot as "The Convict" or "The Prisoner" (or something like that) to face Sting on a WCW PPV? What the hell was that about?

Yeah, Atlas is trying way too hard...poor guy. Duggan's friendship with Piper is a nice surprise, but Ol' Hacksaw really gets on my nerves otherwise. Maybe that will change as the show progresses. I hope so, because I always liked him as a character/personality.

My observations from Legends House (mostly Episode 2 but some Episode 1 as well): - Piper has demons. Nothing surprising there. But it was still sad and depressing to see last week. I was happy to see him bounce back this week. - Is it just me or does Hacksaw Duggan come across as the most unlikeable, irritating prick in the house? His argument with Tony Atlas the week before was ridiculous, and his obnoxious laugh makes my skin crawl. I'm surprised, because he always seemed like such a nice, genuine, humble guy. (This is "reality" TV, I know, I know...) - My heart honestly goes out to poor Tony Atlas. He just tries too hard. We all know people like that. Would I want to live with him? Probably not. But that's true of most of the people on Legends House (and most people in general). I'm glad he got a "win" at the end by cooking delicious chicken for everyone. (I can't believe how ridiculous that sentence sounds, LOL.) - Hillbilly Jim seems like the nicest guy in the world. Something has to give there. But when his inevitable outburst/conflict happens, I don't think it will change my general opinion of him. - The games and celebrity encounters seem really contrived, as Gene said. The show would be better without that crap. Still, some of the reactions to the whole polo deal were funny - especially Tony Atlas's when he thought they were getting on "them horses." Gene shouting "he took my gimmick!" was also amusing. - On that note, the Gary Busey encounter from last week is especially interesting, because the wrestlers are trapped in their gimmicks even on this show. They're all called - and call each other - by their wrestling names.

Exactly how I feel. There's a mustache craze sweeping the nation???

Not really. Flamingo was being pushed as the hot new heel in the Light Heavyweight division, whereas Hayes was already far past his expiry date by that point. He's a legend now in retrospect, but he wasn't really considered one then. Edit: D'OH! I misread Zbyszko as Hayes somehow. Yeah, weird match, but Larry had even less of a push by then. He was the 5th wheel of the Dangerous Alliance.

This is WWE's style. The first PPV challenger is always some lower-tier throwaway. Even Dude Love fell into that category. People would be bitching just as hard if Sheamus were given this spot. That would feel just as unimportant and predictable. I'm glad Orton didn't get it. That would have been the most boring option of all (not ring-wise, but story-wise). If you ask me, this is better than most because at least Kane and Bryan have a ton of actual history.

From the Torch: http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/WWE_News_3/article_77901.shtml I'd prefer full HOF shows, but this is certainly better than nothing.

I never got into him, but I'm not sure that's entirely his fault. I only saw his WWF gimmick, and he was treated literally like a jobber at times. (I don't mean the JTTS treatment where he was still a star - I mean Brooklyn Brawler/Jim Powers levels of jobberdom. He even teamed with no-name "preliminary wrestlers" on Superstars or Challenge a few times. Jim Brunzell was eventually put in the same position too.) As a kid, I knew Koko wasn't a "threat" so I had no reason to invest in him. I also thought his "High Energy" team with Owen was lame and bland - a pale imitation of The New Foundation (Owen and Anvil), which I absolutely loved at the time. When he was announced for the WWE HOF, I scratched my head and wondered why. In retrospect, I understand it more now.

What's the story there? Why would one botched movie derail a taping for an hour? Was there a bad injury? Anyway, I feel the same way you do about those teams, except I think I liked the Bevs more than most. I wonder why they never got a huge push. When they first came in, I remember Gorilla Monsoon really hyping them up in commentary.

I haven't watched the full Legends of WrestleMania panel yet - can't stand the format compared to the old Legends of Wrestling roundtables - but did Ted specifically mention the Japan match, or did he just mention *a* match, and then footage of the Japan match played? If so, Ted could have been referring to the better one, despite what the footage would indicate.

There goes my next planned threads for the Beverly Brothers, the Natural Disasters, and the Quebecers. I'm kidding...I think. Dennis Knight and Mark Canterbury had three very different gimmicks in two federations and were around for the majority of the '90s. I think it's a worthwhile discussion. Not everyone can be "the best ever," and I think The Microscope would get boring if that's all we discussed. With that said, I thought Tex and Shanghai were a fun midcard heel team and Southern Justice at least had potential, but I'll admit I was never a fan of the pig farmer Godwinns gimmick.

I won't say one person's life meant more than another, but the fact is, Warrior as a wrestler did mean more to WWE TV programming than Viscera. That can't really be disputed. Also, with Warrior appearing at the HOF, WM, and Raw, he's basically being treated the same way an active talent would. He wasn't on the roster, but he died a day after appearing on a string of shows, so for all intents and purposes, it's more or less the same situation. Active talents who pass away have always gotten more of a tribute than people who haven't been there in years. Obviously, with the Network, they have more time to create specials, etc. now. I think the same thing would have been done for Owen and Eddy if the Network had been around back then.

Am I the only one who hates the Legends of WrestleMania format? Empty comments, followed by clip, more empty comments, another clip, rinse and repeat. The older Legends of Wrestling roundtables had a much looser format and were far more interesting.

In all fairness, there's probably still money to be made with traditional PPV. Whether ROH makes any of it is another story entirely...

I noticed that last night too, and it's about time. I'm very happy.